WINDOW WATCH
EVERTON are closing in on a deal for Rangers right back Nathan Patterson — £10million plus add-ons — as they bid to halt their slide down the table. The Scotland international, 20, is hopeful of joining the Toffees before their FA Cup tie at Hull City on Saturday and follows the £17.5m addition of left back Vitaliy Mykolenko from Dynamo Kiev.
■ KIERAN TRIPPIER bid an emotional farewell to Atletico Madrid fans yesterday ahead of his proposed move to Newcastle. Trippier, 31, started Atletico’s 2-0 win over Rayo Vallecano as the Spanish side continue negotiations with Newcastle over a fee for the £16m-rated full back. Coach Diego Simeone said: ‘We want him to stay, he’s an extraordinary player. But nowadays, when a player wants to leave, he cannot be retained.’ Newcastle have also held talks over Lille’s Sven Botman and Boubacar Kamara of Marseille. It is understood Lille are pushing for more than £30m for Botman.
■MANCHESTER UNITED are recalling defender Ethan Laird from his loan at Swansea and will send him to Bournemouth for the rest of the season. The Cherries will pay an increased loan fee and a higher proportion of the 20-year-old’s wages.
■ WATFORD are signing Nice left back Hassane Kamara for £4m and defensive midfielder Edo Kayembe for a similar fee from Eupen. They are also talking to Besiktas about Croatian centre back Domagoj Vida, 32, after being rebuffed in an approach for Kortney Hause of Aston Villa. Villa are already losing Axel Tuanzebe, who has been recalled by Manchester United ahead of joining Napoli on loan.
■WOLVES will attempt to use funds from the potential £20m sale of Adama Traore to fund signings this month. Manager Bruno Lage wants three new players. Tottenham have an interest in Traore, as do Liverpool, but the Reds would prefer to wait until the summer when the 25-year-old will have only a year left on his contract. Wolves recalled defender Dion Sanderson from Birmingham last night while Ryan Giles could also be brought back from Cardiff.
■ ARSENAL forward Eddie Nketiah, 22, has an offer from Bayer Leverkusen, with Crystal Palace waiting in the wings. Teammate Folarin Balogun, 20, has interest from Middlesbrough and Saint-Etienne.