Transfer news live: Henderson to Ajax, Newcastle want Phillips, Arsenal eye winger

Arsenal have decided to step up efforts to sign Santiago Gimenez from Feyenoord.

The striker, who is also being watched by West Ham, has had an impressive start to the season in the Eredivisie and the Gunners are convinced he could be an asset, according to TEAMtalk.

Gimenez is considered a cheaper, more attainable, striker option in January with Mikel Arteta’s club also keen on Getafe striker, Borja Mayoral.

Arsenal reportedly made a £22m bid for the striker who has scored 12 goals in 19 La Liga matches this season according to The Sun, though there hasn’t been any further updates on that front as of yet.

Anthony Martial’s agent has denied reports the Manchester United striker has been told to train alone because he is not fit.

Phillipe Lamboley, the France international’s representative, told Sky Sports News that Martial has a hip issue that requires surgery.

“What is said about him is completely false,” Lamboley said on Thursday. “He was not excluded from the group and he has no problem with [Erik ten Hag].

“Anthony has been in Manchester for nine seasons and if he was not a great professional then he would not have been at the club for so long.

“He is simply going to undergo a small operation on his adductors, which he should have done for a while and which did not allow him to be 100 per cent, so he will do it now.”

Martial’s contract has the option of a further year but it is not expected to be taken up by the club.

Tottenham are the latest Premier League club to have registered an interest in Crystal Palace’s Michael Olise. Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool are all in the race to sign the Eagles winger this summer.

Olise is expected to leave Crystal Palace at the end of the season but he is yet to decide where his future lies. The ‘Big Six’ are all keen, plus Newcastle.

HITC report that Olise has a release clause, believed to be in excess of £50m, that becomes active in the summer and there are already rumours of a potential swap deal involving United’s Aaron Wan-Bissaka.

PSG, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid are monitoring the situation too by all accounts.

Chelsea could let Armando Broja go on a permanent deal, reports The Athletic’s David Ornstein.

There are plenty of mid-table clubs interested in taking the striker, who Mauricio Pochettino views as surplus to requirements with Nicolas Jackson and Christopher Nkunku in his ranks.

Jordan Henderson looks set to seal a return to European football at Ajax, bringing to an end a heavily criticised stint in Saudi Arabia.

Henderson left Liverpool last summer to join Al-Ettifaq, but the Saudi club appear likely to terminate the England midfielder’s contract to allow him to join the Eredivisie side. New reports suggest that Henderson may not even have yet been compensated for his time in Middle Eastern country’s Pro League.

Spending is down compared to the last two years, with Eddie Howe bemoaning a lack of response from rivals, while Tottenham have been one of the few busy clubs in a waiting game around the league and Europe overall, writes Miguel Delaney:

Al-Hilal have signed Brazil defender Renan Lodi from French side Olympique de Marseille, both clubs said on Wednesday.

The 25-year-old Lodi agreed a deal that will keep him at the club until the end of 2027, with French media reporting that Al-Hilal paid 23 million euros ($24.97 million) for the transfer.

Lodi has earned 19 caps for Brazil.

Al-Hilal top the Saudi Pro League standings with 53 points, seven ahead of second-placed Al-Nassr.

The Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) has announced a Sports Clubs Investment and Privatisation Project involving Al-Ittihad, Al-Ahli, Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal.

PIF owns 75% of each of the four clubs, while their respective non-profit foundations own 25% of each.

Celtic new boy Nicolas Kuhn believes Parkhead is the perfect place to achieve his ambitions at club and country level.

The 24-year-old attacker, who signed a five-and-a-half-year deal from Rapid Vienna on Tuesday, played at youth level for Germany up until under-20s and was in the academy teams of RB Leipzig and Ajax before joining Bayern Munich in 2020 following an initial loan move.

Kuhn did not quite make the breakthrough at those European giants before moving to Austria in 2022 but is now looking to kick on, with Champions League football and a senior call-up for Germany in his sights.

Speaking at Celtic Park, he said: “Of course they (Ajax and Bayern) were big clubs. I learned a lot, it was a good school. There were a lot of players who had a good career and who made big steps to big clubs so I learned a lot and now I want to show what I can do here.

“At Ajax I played with the whole squad that got to the semi-finals of the Champions League (2019), I trained the whole year with the first team. At Bayern I played with players like (Robert) Lewandowski and (Joshua) Kimmich and all the guys you know.

“I think at Ajax I did really good in the youths. When I first arrived, we won the second league with the second team. I trained the whole time with the first team. In the youth league, I was the top scorer and I deserved a chance. But then I made the move to Bayern. After the first season, we were also champions with the second team in the third league in Germany.

“Then there were some private problems so I made a step back. People were looking at where I was playing but for me it was a good step. So I can take two steps forward now. I’ve improved a lot, I think. I’ve now played regularly and I’ve stayed fit. That’s the most important thing. Now I can show what I’m able to do.

“When I was at Erzgebirge Aue for one year on loan, I said I wanted to play in the Champions League and for the national team. Now I’ve made a big step to a big club. So, of course, in the future, I want to play for the national team as well.”

Arsenal are at the front of the queue to sign the highly rated attacking midfielder Xavi Simons from Paris Saint-Germain, according to Sport Bild.

PSG would consider a sale of Simons, who is currently on loan at RB Leipzig, to balance the books. Any deal would need to be completed in the summer.

Simons, who can play in the No 10 role and on both wings, has scored four goals and registered seven assists across 17 Bundesliga games this season, catching the eye of a number of clubs around Europe.