With international football top of the agenda this week and next, top flight clubs across Europe are able to take a well-earned break from domestic football.
However the transfer rumour mill door continues to revolve, as clubs look to strengthen their sides. Whether it be this January or next summer clubs across Europe are constantly planning for the future, and today some of the biggest clubs in Britain and Europe are the subject of transfer speculation.
Liverpool, Barcelona, Anzhi Makhachkal, Manchester United, Real Madrid, Valencia, Sochaux, Tottenham, Newcastle, Rennes, New York Red Bulls, Arsenal, West Brom, Villarreal, Chelsea, Blackburn Rovers, Napoli, AC Milan, Fiorentina, Wolfsburg, Rosenborg, Espanyol, Fulham, Celtic and Glasgow Rangers are all caught up in transfer gossip as we speak.
Here is a round up:Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish's has been linked with a move for
Barcelona striker David Villa. Reports in Spain say the 29-year-old striker is unhappy at Barcelona and has fallen out with Lionel Messi - The Guardian
Liverpool who were looking at
Sochaux midfielder Ryad Boudebouz (right) in May are back in for for the Algerian international. Expect a bid in January - The Guardian
There is also reported interest from
Liverpool in
Barcelona star Seydou Keita. Russian giants
Anzhi Makhachkala, are also keen to land the Mali international - skysports.com
Real Madrid are looking tempt
Manchester United captain Nemanja Vidic into making a big money move to the Bernabéu next Summer. The Seriban, who signed a new deal early last season, will have just two years left on his contract at the end of the season - football.co.uk
Manchester United are running the rule over
Valencia defender Adil Rami (right) as Sir Alex Ferguson plans for the eventual replacement of both Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic. Sources in Spain have confirmed the English champions’ interest in the Valencia defender. Rami is thought to have a buy-out clause of €25million in his contract, well within reach for the Red Devils. The Frenchman only joined Valencia in the summer, moving from Lille, the side which he helped to last season’s Ligue 1 title - insidefutbol.com
Alan Pardew’s
Newcastle has made a dream start in the Premier League this campaign and are now preparing to bolster their attacking options by signing
Tottenham duo Jermain Defoe and Roman Pavlyuchenkov, both 29, for £20million in the January transfer window - european-football-updates.blogspot.com
Arsenal have entered the race to sign
Rennes' 6ft 3in midfielder Tongo Hamed Doumbia, The 22 year-old is rated at £8million - Daily Mail and footylatest.com
New York Red Bulls defender Tim Ream has spoken out on interest from two English Premier League sides. The 24-year-old has been linked with
Arsenal, while
West Brom are also believed to have asked the American to head over to the Hawthornes on trial. Ream has been in fine form for New York Red Bulls, profiting from playing in the same side as the likes of Thierry Henry and Rafael Marquez - insidefutbol.com
Villarreal are keen to bring in teenage
Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku, 18, on loan in the January transfer window - Daily Mirror
France International midfielder Yann M' Vila (right), 21, who
Arsenal made an unsuccessful £20 million bid for on transfer deadline day in August, says he is prepared to leave
Rennes - but not until after Euro 2012 - Metro and Daily Mail
Blackburn Rovers and
West Ham are thought to be considering a move for
Manchester City defender Nedum Onuoha - The Guardian
West Ham are ready to throw caution to the wind and snap up the lesser known Ferdinand, Rio and Anton's cousin Kane. The 19 year-old
Southend midfielder will cost £500,000 - The Sun
AC Milan are weighing up replacing their summer signing Taye Taiwo with
Barcelona full-back Maxwell. The 26-year-old has failed to cement his place in the first-team since his move from Marseille in the summer, while Maxwell has found opportunites at Camp Nou few and far between since leaving Milan's great rivals Inter for the European champions two years ago - goal.com and insidefutbol.com
AC Milan are stepping up their efforts to pip
Arsenal to the signing of
Fiorentina midfielder Riccardo Montolivo. AC Milan have put together an offer of €3 million for the Fiorentina midfielder. Fiorentina are keen to prevent losing Montolivo on a free transfer in the summer and may accept a cut-price deal for the 26-year-old - sportmediaset.mediaset.it
Chelsea have been linked with
Wolfsburg striker Mario Mandzukic (right). The 25-year-old Croatian joined Wolfsburg last year for a fee of €8M from Dinamo Zagreb. Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas is known to be on the lookout for more striking power to add to his squad, especially given that Nicolas Anelka is heading for the exit door and could soon be joined by Didier Drogba - insidefutbol.com
Napoli have played down speculation linking Slovakian midfielder Marek Hamsik with a move away from the club by revealing they expect him to sign a contract extension at the Stadio San Paolo - skysports.com
Rosenborg defender Mikael Lustig would be willing to discuss a move to
Celtic, with the Bhoys one of a number of clubs chasing his signature. The Swedish full-back is set to become a free agent in the New Year and his imminent availability is attracting plenty of interest. Premier League outfit
Fulham are also known to be in the running, while Spanish side
Espanyol are keen to bolster their defensive options.
Glasgow Rangers are considering signing India international strikers Jej Lalpekhlua and Sunil Chettri in the hope of opening up a new market in the subcontinent. The duo will arrive in Glasgow before the end of the month for a trial with Ally McCoist's side - Daily Record
