We’re less than 48 hours from the end of the 2018 calendar year, which means we’re less than 48 hours from the start of the January transfer window, which means the tidal wave of transfer rumors is already washing over the Premier League.
[ MORE: What are the obstacles on Liverpool’s path to PL title? ]
As ever, PST will provide a daily roundup of the most relevant — and realistic, hopefully — rumors over the next month…
Christian Pulisic is going to Chelsea. Or Arsenal. Or Liverpool.
Everybody (reportedly) would take the U.S. men’s national team star on a bargain deal, but Borussia Dortmund are most likely to hold onto the 20-year-old until the summer transfer window, when they can pit two or three bidders against one another and drive up the price.
Alas, that won’t so much as slow down the rumors about Pulisic’s immediate future over the next 33 days. The bidding is expected to being at $50 million.
On the other side of the bitter U.S.-Mexico rivalry, Hirving Lozano appears destined for a move away from PSV Eindhoven as he pieces together a second straight season of prolific goal-scoring (34 in 61 games – all competitions) for the Eredivisie side. The only question which remains is whether or not he will move in January or in the summer.
With PSV out of the Champions League — and Europa League due to finishing fourth in their group — Lozano is now marginally more likely to depart the defending Dutch champions in the coming weeks. According to the Express, the 23-year-old has been selected as one of Maurizio Sarri‘s top targets at Chelsea. Given that Lozano comes from a “lesser” league than the Bundesliga, he’ll likely be the cheaper option between himself and Pulisic.
Adrien Rabiot has been on his way out of Paris Saint-Germain for, seemingly, two years. With his contract set to expire in the summer, it would behoove everyone involved for the 23-year-old to move in January, for a heavily discounted fee.
Barcelona had reportedly agreed terms of a contract with the French international, but the club has since come out and denied those reports. The club’s statement confirmed an approach to PSG in August and “a week ago” while insisting they have had no contact with the player or his representatives. Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal — as clubs with varying needs for midfield reinforcements — have also been named as potential landing spots.
Dominic Solanke has failed to make a single appearance for Liverpool this season, thus the 21-year-old forward is widely expected to accept a loan move for the remainder of the season. For the sake of both Solanke and his soon-to-be club, sooner is better.
Crystal Palace were the first ones to make an official offer, according to the Daily Mail, and Solanke is expected to make a decision sometime in the next 48 hours, in order to maximize the number of games for which he’s available. Brighton & Hove Albion and Huddersfield Town are also expected to make a play for Solanke.
- Manchester City midfielder Brahim Diaz will reportedly move to Real Madrid for a fee of just over $17 million. The 19-year-old has sparsely seen first-team minutes at the Etihad Stadium and is thought to be a central piece of the ongoing rebuild in the Spanish capital.
- Manchester United midfielder Andres Pereira’s desire to leave the club is strong given his lack of first-team minutes. The 22-year-old has been linked with a January move to a trio of PL clubs — Arsenal, Everton and West Ham United — according to Portuguese publication UOL Sports.
