While the global pandemic and all the financial uncertainty that comes with it has resulted in an uncharacteristically quiet January transfer window, deadline day is upon us and with it comes the last-ditch opportunity for clubs to engage in the kind of wheeler-dealing, horse-trading and panic-purchasing that is sure to warm the cockles of Sky Sport News reporters posted in otherwise perishing conditions outside training grounds and stadiums the length and breadth of the nation.
They are likely to report on little more than the sound of crickets and rolling tumbleweed, as a late flurry of transfer activity seems extremely unlikely, following an uncharacteristically dry January in which just five permanent transfers have been completed by Premier League clubs thus far.
Liverpool’s hunt for a centre-back has been well documented and despite being linked with a host of big-name stoppers, the champions are reported to have all but completed the underwhelming acquisition of Ben Davies from Preston for the trifling fee of £2m. The 25-year-old, who had been in talks with Celtic about an end-of-season move, is expected to complete a medical this morning and could be joined at Liverpool’s well appointed new training ground by Marseille’s Croatian defender Duje Caleta Car.
Despite hankering for a move to Paris Saint-Germain, Dele Alli looks increasingly likely to stay at Tottenham Hotspur for the foreseeable future. In José Mourinho’s bad books and out of the Tottenham side that lost against Brighton on Sunday night, the midfielder will only be allowed leave if Christian Eriksen returns on loan from Inter. All available evidence – specifically, some unsubstantiated hearsay – suggests there is little or no chance of the English club reaching an agreement with their Italian counterparts ahead of Monday’s 11pm GMT deadline.
Elsewhere in north London, Arsenal are reported to be mulling over a late “swoop” for Crystal Palace left-back Patrick van Aanholt, and could free up a dressing-room peg for the Dutchman by sending Ainsley Maitland-Niles out on loan to Leicester City. The England international also has admirers in Newcastle, West Brom and Southampton but is believed to prefer the idea of a move to the King Power Stadium. On what could be a busy day in the Arsenal departures lounge, Joe Willock and Reiss Nelson may also be shipped out on loan to destinations as yet unknown. Skodhran Mustafi has also been told he can leave and remains endearingly hopeful of a call from Liverpool.
West Brom plan to boost their increasingly forlorn hopes of survival in the Premier League by bringing in Tottenham’s 21-year-old right-back Japhet Tanganga. The Baggies are also closing in on Celta Vigo midfielder Okay Yokuslu, who is expected to sign on loan until the end of the season. Further north, Newcastle want to bring Leicester midfielder Hamza Choudhury to St James’ Park on loan, and could send Matty Longstaff off to Watford.
Meanwhile in Istanbul, Cenk Tosun has completed his loan move to Besiktas, following an underwhelming spell at Everton in which he scored just nine goals in 49 appearances since arriving from the Turkish club in 2018.
And finally, it wouldn’t be deadline day without speculation regarding the future of Josh King, who remains at Bournemouth despite having been linked with more clubs than you can shake a rolled-up copy of Four-Four-Two magazine at in recent windows. Burnley are the latest Premier League outfit to express interest in the Norwegian’s goalscoring services but his apparently prohibitive wage demands mean a deal seems unlikely.
