Transfer news live: Semenyo to Man City latest, Amorim’s Man Utd frustration, Liverpool chase centre-back

Liverpool appear poised to bring in Joel Ordonez from Club Brugge to boost their defence, reports the Mirror.

The Reds have a clear path after Chelsea pulled out of the race to sign the Ecuadorian.

A deal for as much as £43m for the centre-back is in the works, with an initial fee of £35m, plus add-ons.

Ruben Amorim hinted at frustration behind the scenes as the Manchester United head coach refused to clarify his recent comments about the club’s transfer plans.

United spent big in the summer bringing in Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo, Benjamin Sesko and Senne Lammens and had looked at a January swoop for Bournemouth star Antoine Semenyo.

But the winger’s decision to join Manchester City has altered plans, with Amorim saying on Friday there had been no transfer conversations just a fortnight on from revealing activity was possible.

Some potentially illuminating Christmas Eve comments came in between those statements when the United head coach said: “I have the feeling that if we have to play a perfect 3-4-3, we need to spend a lot of money and we need time.

“So, I’m starting to understand that that is not going to happen. So, maybe I have to adapt.”

Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola said he expects Antoine Semenyo to feature against Tottenham on Wednesday, in what would be his third game for the Cherries since the January window opened.

Speaking after the 3-2 defeat to Arsenal, in which Semenyo played the full match despite his much-mooted move to Manchester City, Iraola said: “I expect that. The situation hasn’t changed. I expect him to play against Spurs. There is a lot of noise around him but this is the situation.”

If Enzo Maresca’s last contribution as a Manchester City employee was to help them secure the treble in 2023, his most recent input to the discourse around the Etihad Stadium feels more unwelcome. The apparent indications that City’s former assistant manager had spoken to his old club about the possibility of replacing Pep Guardiola raised the issue of the Spaniard’s future.

Which has lingered in the background; as, indeed, it has for much of a reign that has extended for far longer than he originally envisaged. The Catalan shrugged off the idea his old assistant had talked to City. “Why would I give you an update about an opinion that I don’t know is about this opinion?” he said. “It’s just a rumour.”

Guardiola adopted a trademark blend of playfulness and faux arrogance. “You want to fire me?” he asked “My salary is so high, so I have one more year… I know you are bored of me, ten years here. I will leave one day, I promise. But I have a contract, I’m happy, I want to fight with my team. I like to be here.”

Strasbourg manager Liam Rosenior has not ruled out the possibility of replacing Enzo Maresca at Chelsea, with the 41-year-old saying on Friday that he could not guarantee he would remain at the French club until the end of the season.

Rosenior is the leading candidate to replace Maresca, who parted ways with Chelsea on Thursday following a poor run of results and a fallout with club owners, despite having won the Club World Cup in July.

At Friday’s press conference, speculation over Rosenior’s potential move to Chelsea dominated proceedings ahead of the trip to Nice, which Strasbourg drew 1-1.

“I’m calm. There is a lot of noise and speculation,” Rosenior told reporters.

“If you pay attention to it as a coach, you go crazy. We are working on the preparation for the Nice match. I’m the coach of Strasbourg and I hope we get a good result.”

Over the last few weeks, at least five of Europe’s wealthiest clubs have been testing the waters on Bournemouth’s Semenyo. His £65m release clause came into effect on January 1, and it could well set the market in motion.

While the summer window always ends up frenetic – clubs know what they need and can act without disrupting the season – January is far less predictable. One year it’s chaotic, the next unusually quiet.

Arne Slot can at least lean on Hugo Ekitike, with the French forward settling quickly to life in the Premier League.

“It’s going to be a long injury, for a couple of months,” Slot said of Isak, who joined the Reds from Newcastle for £125m in the summer and has scored just three goals in 16 appearances in all competitions. “It’s a big disappointment for him and, as a result, for us.”

But reinforcements could come to boost the Reds after a testing first half of the season.

Here are the latest stories surrounding the transfer market at Anfield:

Mounting injuries may force Arsenal to dip into the January transfer market as they look to keep up the pace in their Premier League title charge.

The Gunners go into the new year at the top of the pile but will know all too well that such a position does not guarantee success come May, with Pep Guardiola’s revitalised Manchester City breathing down their necks.

After a busy summer that saw the likes of Viktor Gyokeres, Martin Zubimendi and Eberechi Eze arrive for big fees, Mikel Arteta will be confident his Arsenal squad is capable of winning a first league title since the ‘Invincibles’ of 2003/04.

But with injuries not letting up, with Jurrien Timber and Riccardo Calafiori the latest to be sidelined, new recruits could come to boost the league leaders ahead of a crucial second half of the season.

When asked if Arteta has space in his squad for new signings, he said: “Depending, as I said, on the availability of certain players. The window is there. We’re Arsenal. Now, we have to be looking at it.”

Here are the latest stories surrounding the transfer market at the Emirates:

Brighton chairman Paul Barber says there are no plans to sell midfielder Carlos Baleba during the January transfer window amid reports of Manchester United reigniting their interest.

“No call from Old Trafford, no call from anyone connected to Manchester United,” Barber told talkSPORT.

“We have no plans or desire to sell Carlos in this window or any future window. We know that he’s a talented player and he’s got a lot of options ahead of him in the future.

“But for us right now he’s an important player in the second half of the season and we’re looking forward to getting him back from Afcon.”

Sean Dyche refused to comment over the potential exit of Arnaud Kalimuendo from Nottingham Forest, who is reported to be nearing a loan move to Eintracht Frankfurt.

“He is a Forest footballer, he plays for us,” Dyche said.

“There are always rumours. Any decisions will be from the club and not the players.”