Transfer news live: Arsenal lead race for £60m forward, Liverpool get Guehi boost, Chelsea eye Vinicius Jr

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Breaking News - Chelsea appoint Liam Rosenior

Liverpool , Arsenal and Tottenham are some of the early movers and shakers in the transfer market – though it’s Manchester United and Chelsea who have grabbed the headlines amid their managerial turnover.

Ruben Amorim was dismissed by the Red Devils less than 24 hours after his extraordinary rant following United’s 1-1 draw with Leeds . But as one manager left, another arrived as Chelsea confirmed Liam Rosenior as their new head coach following the sacking of Enzo Maresca on New Year’s Day.

This could be only the start of a busy January for both clubs, with United reported to be monitoring Carlos Baleba before Amorim’s dismissal, while there is talk of Chelsea plotting a stunning £125m move for Vinicius Jr as Rosenior’s first signing.

Big-money transfers and superstar moves are often few and far between during the winter window but there are already suggestions that this month could be different to the norm, with Manchester City looking most likely to secure a deal for Bournemouth winger Antoine Semenyo .

That move – which it has been suggested will hit around the £65m mark – could be wrapped up in the coming days, and the usual suspects are also looking to make moves to improve their squads, with Liverpool considering Marc Guehi as well as a couple of star young defenders in Ifeanyi Ndukwe and Joel Ordonez.

The first call Darren Fletcher made was, perhaps, the one he was always likely to make. It is probably the kind of conversation Sir Alex Ferguson has had five times over the last dozen years. First Ryan Giggs, then Ole Gunnar Solskjaer , then Michael Carrick , then Ruud van Nistelrooy, now Fletcher, each asking if they should take the reins Ferguson held for 26 years and 1,500 games.

Ferguson said yes, which was just as well. To go by Fletcher’s answer, United may have needed another interim head coach if he had replied otherwise. But in times of strife, United have shown a tendency to turn to their own. And they, in turn, look to Ferguson for guidance.

“I wanted to speak to him first,” said Fletcher, who signed for United at 15 and made 312 appearances under Ferguson. “And, ultimately, to get his blessing. I think he deserves that respect. I wanted to run it by him, what he thought, and he was supportive. And he echoed my thoughts, which I've always said: when you're an employee of the club, it's your job to do your best for Manchester United . And it's amazing when he says something that I try and live and believe every day. So it was comforting for me for him to say that.”

Richard Jolly7 January 2026 08:09

Neymar has agreed to extend his contract with Santos until the end of 2026 as he maintains hopes of a World Cup call-up despite recent injuries.

The 33-year-old forward returned to his boyhood club Santos in January 2025 and played a key role in their survival in the Brazilian top flight, scoring five times in their last five matches.

"Santos is my place, I'm at home,” Neymar said. "It's with you that I want to achieve the dreams that are still missing.”

Neymar, who has long struggled with injuries, underwent successful arthroscopic surgery on his knee last month.

Neymar is set for a spell on the sidelines after undergoing surgery on his knee (Reuters)

Will Castle7 January 2026 07:54

As almost everyone in football gleefully shares gossip about Manchester United , there is one detail that is provoking more intrigue. Many are asking whether Ruben Amorim was ultimately sacked over how he spoke to director of football Jason Wilcox in that now notorious Friday meeting . If so, it would seem a little over-sensitive for elite-end football.

It should be acknowledged there were sound football reasons for sacking Amorim. The football was often unwatchable and many results were unjustifiable, but league position shows this wasn’t irredeemable. And while the 1-1 against Wolves caused a shift that sparked serious discussion among the hierarchy on New Year’s Day, Friday appears to have brought the moment when an undesirable situation became “unsustainable”.

The feeling was only deepened after Amorim’s press conference at Leeds United, where some have since taken greater note of the specific managers the Portuguese referenced. “I know my name isn’t [Thomas] Tuchel, [Antonio] Conte or [Jose] Mourinho, but I’m the manager.”

Various sources now say these were the names that had been put to Amorim as an argument as to why he didn’t necessarily have the pedigree to speak in the way he had been.

Miguel Delaney7 January 2026 07:32