The latest happenings on the transfer front

With only two days left of December – and of 2017 – all eyes look to January as the transfer window is starting to spice up as one of the best in recent memory. Liverpool FC have already splurged a world- record fee for a defender on Virgil van Dijk from Southampton fc and could continue the spending with Thomas Lemar – although Chelsea and Arsenal are also in the hunt.

After a bumper summer January could be a recordbreaker and we will have all the latest news, views, rumours, gossip and done deals for you right here so don’t touch that dial. Alexis Sanchez is on his way to Real Madrid next month, if reports in Spain today are to be believed.

The forward’s form has wavered this season but reappeared in style against Crystal Palace this week, scoring two goals just in time for the January transfer window to open. He would prefer a move to La Liga over a chance to reunite with his former coach Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, and Arsenal may be persuaded to cash in now rather than wait until the summer.

Manchester City are set to offer Nicolas Otamendi a new deal at the club, according to ESPN.

The Argentine has moved from strength to strength under Pep Guardiola this season, with the City backline conceding the fewest goals of any team this season.

Otamendi signed a five- year deal when he joined from Valencia in 2015 and is set for talks over an extension.

Guardiola recently praised the defender, saying City would not be in the position they are without him.

“We have a superman in the team, as Nico Otamendi helped us absolutely. Without Nico, it would not be possible, what we have done,” Guardiola told a news conference ahead of the New Year’s Eve trip to Crystal Palace. “Everyone speaks about a bit of players such as Raheem [Sterling], like David [Silva], like Kevin [ De Bruyne], like Sergio [Aguero], and they deserve it, but if I would like to point to a player who deserves full respect, for what they have done until now, it’s Nico.

“Nico has been amazing. He is a guy who even with pain in the ankle, in the knee, in the back, he always fights. He’s one the hugest competitors I’ve ever seen in my life.

Alvaro Morata has dismissed Mauricio Pochettino’s claims over why he rejected Tottenham Hotspur prior to his Chelsea move in the summer and has said he wants to play alongside Harry Kane.

“No it’s not true,” Morata told Sky Sports. “I spoke with him and he said he wanted both [of us] to play together, but there was no chance to come to Tottenham.

“For sure I would like to play with Kane, he’s a big player, one of the best strikers in the world. But in this moment when I spoke with him (Pochettino) there was no chance to leave Real Madrid.”

The Southampton to Liverpool route is a well-worn one with Virgil van Dijk following the likes of Adam Lallana, Nathaniel Clyne, Dejan Lovren, Sadio Mane and Ricky Lambert in what is a world-record fee for a defender.

However, the Saints may finally be getting something back. West Ham will allow David Moyes money to spend in the January window with Newcastle United’s midfielder Jonjo Shelvey high on his wishlist.

The Mirror claim Moyes will look to tempt the 25-year-old and take advantage of Newcastle’s ownership troubles with the club looking to be sold as soon as possible.

Everton manager Sam Allardyce has admitted the club are interested in signing the Turkish striker Cenk Tosun, who is primed to leave in the New Year. The Toffees are eager to sign a new forward to replace Romelu Lukaku, who was sold to Manchester United in the summer. And new Everton manager Allardyce admitted on Friday morning that the club have a number of targets in mind when the transfer window reopens on January 1.

“We are interested in him and many others,” Allardyce said.“We need a front man if we can find one. We will be actively looking for a front man in this window. “I need more goals in the side than what we have at the moment. “If we are to just maintain our position because we have started to struggle to create chances and score goals in recent matches. “It is still one of the major problems that we have.”

With the New Year fast approaching, unsettled players will be assessing their options ahead of the January transfer window. January is far from the ideal time for clubs to do business. With the window falling half way through the domestic season, sides are often reluctant to part with their most-prized assets with little time to source replacements. THE INDEPENDENT