Transfer news LIVE: Arsenal eye Onana and Mbappe agrees Real Madrid move

In slightly unexpected news, Jesse Lingard has been offered as an option to Barcelona this month.

The attacking midfielder has been unable to find a new club so far since leaving Nottingham Forest in the summer and Spanish outlet Sport report that the Catalan club’s financial issues and the need for squad reinforcements mean an unlikely union could be in the offing.

31-year-old Lingard is training solo in Dubai but he has also been linked with Saudi clubs and Everton.

Erik ten Hag believes Manchester United need players with the character to cope with the scrutiny and pressure of life at Old Trafford, as Jadon Sancho is set to follow Donny van de Beek to the exit after failing to realise his potential at the club.

The Dutchman managed Van de Beek at Ajax, where he played in a side who reached the Champions League semi-finals, but gave him just two Premier League starts for United and just 21 minutes of first-team football this season before the midfielder joined Eintracht Frankfurt on loan.

Seeing how some players have struggled at Old Trafford has convinced Ten Hag that it is a question of finding footballers with the personality to survive as he argued it is simpler to play for almost any club other than United.

Jordan Henderson appears to want to leave the Saudi Pro League already but according to transfer writer Ben Jacobs, he will only be able to do so if a club pays decent money for him, or covers the entirety of his wages for a loan deal.

He’s on big money at Ettifaq and Liverpool will also receive a percentage of any sell-on deal, he further reports.

A “tough negotiation” for him to exit in this window.

Newcastle might be in the market for a player or two this month but their first big news is one player staying – for an extra year.

Centre-back Fabian Schar has been excellent this past year and really since signing for the Magpies overall, and he extends his deal now until 2025.

Jean-Clair Todibo is a target for both Manchester United and Chelsea, according to RMC Sport. AC Milan are additionally keen on signing him but are not thought to have the financial resources to compete with the Premier League clubs.

Nice won’t be willing sellers but his performance levels this term have seen him propelled to an in-demand player once more – as he was prior to a failed spell with Barcelona earlier in his career.

With Thiago Silva and Raphael Varane aging and departing respectively, both Chelsea and United need a new option at the back.

Tony Mowbray has been announced as Birmingham’s new manager to replace Wayne Rooney. The former Sunderland and West Brom boss has penned a two-and-half-year deal at St Andrew’s.

Mowbray said: “I am excited to be joining Birmingham at this time. I can’t wait to get back on the training pitch and start working with this talented group of players.”

Brentford striker Ivan Toney says he wants to “repay” the club’s faith in him as the striker prepares to return to football following an eight-month ban for betting offences.

Toney returns to Brentford with the club in a dire run of form. Thomas Frank’s injury-hit side have lost five Premier League games in a row to be dragged into a relegation battle ahead of their next fixture against Nottingham Forest on January 20.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has admitted signing a big-money striker this January is not “realistic” amid the club’s struggles in front of goal.

Gabriel Jesus was sidelined with a knee injury, meanwhile, with Eddie Nkietiah only introduced as a late substitute.

Arsenal are now winless in four games and have let their lead at the top of the Premier League slip away, leading to speculation that they would enter the market this month.

Amadou Onana is a player on Arsenal’s wishlist, with Mikel Arteta’s side needing a boost of some sort after three straight defeats including an FA Cup exit at home against Liverpool yesterday.

The Everton man has a £60m price target, according to some outlets, with Aston Villa’s Douglas Luiz another candidate – though he appears more likely to be a summer move of potential.

A Belgian midfielder with excellent ball-winning and ball-carrying abilities, he’d be an expensive addition to an area of the Gunners’ park which already saw over £100m spent on Declan Rice in summer, plus £60m-plus on Kai Havertz, who has played there plenty this term too.