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We are rapidly approaching the dying stages of the 2019 winter transfer window and while it has largely been a quiet one, we have still seen some moves, with Cesc Fabregas leaving Chelsea to join former teammate Thierry Henry at Monaco, while Alvaro Morata is in advanced talks to return to Spain with Atletico Madrid. As replacement, the Blues are in line to snap up Gonzalo Higuain.
This window would always forever be remembered for the tragic story involving Argentine Emiliano Sala whose plane disappeared while on his way to Cardiff from Nantes having just completed a club record transfer.
There are also other big stories involving Paulo Dybala, Michy Batshuayi, Krysztof Piatek, James Rodriguez, Christian Eriksen among others.
With eight days left until the window closes, the rumor mills continue to rotate in full throttle. In this piece, we shall be taking a look at five of the biggest transfer rumors in football in this January transfer window.
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#5 Inter set €40m Perisic asking price
Amid strong interest from Manchester United and Atletico Madrid, Inter Milan have reportedly set a €40m asking price on the head of Croatian international Ivan Perisic, according to AS.
The 29-year-old was a subject of serious interest from Manchester United under Jose Mourinho, with his impressive displays at the World Cup only further strengthening their pursuit. However, the Mancunians ultimately failed in their quest to land him.
Perisic arrived Inter in the summer of 2015 and has since then gone on to cement his status as an extremely influential and important member of the squad.
However, his performances this season have not been as strong, as he has scored three goals and contributed two assists from 18 Serie A matches, leading Inter to come out publicly and state that they would be willing to listen to offers for him.
#4 Marcelo pushing for Juventus transfer
Unarguably the premier left-back in the world over the last decade, Marcelo has held down the left-back spot for club and country firmly, endearing fans across the world with his exquisite displays down the left flank for Real Madrid and Brazil.
Having arrived the Bernabeu in 2007, the 30-year-old has gone on to win all there is to win at club level, while also being handed a number of individual awards.
It was evident from the field that he was one of Ronaldo's closest mates and last summer saw the Portuguese depart Real Madrid for Juventus and now, rumors indicate that Marcelo is set to join him, with Ronaldo reportedly convincing him to come over to Turin.
The Brazlian international had reportedly submitted a transfer request to Real seeking to allow him join Juventus this January and despite coming out later to deny it, new tabloid reports from calciomercato suggest he could be on his way out of Spain.
#3 Arsenal interested in loaning Eric Bailly
The first signing of Jose Mourinho's United tenure, Eric Bailly, had impressed significantly in his first and sole season with Villarreal to convince the Portuguese to sanction his £30 m purchase from the LaLiga outfit.
Despite getting off to a bright start and proving his worth, a serious injury in his second season limited the Ivorian's impact and he has struggled to cement his starting place since then.
The 24-year-old has made just one appearance till date under Ole Gunnar Solksjaer till date with reports emanating that the club hierarchy are undecided over whether to offer him a contract extension or not.
Arsenal are reportedly interested in bringing the center-back on loan to The Emirates, according to The Daily Mail, as Unai Emery seeks to shore up his porous defensive line. United have however rejected the offer.
#2 Real Madrid offer Rodriguez as part of Eriksen move
Having been long rumored to be interested in the services of Tottenham midfielder Christian Eriksen, Real Madrid have always been put off by the high valuation placed on him by the notoriously hard-lined Daniel Levy.
New reports emanating however suggest that Los Blancos are ready to add a bit of sweetener to the deal, reportedly offering James Rodriguez to reduce Levy's asking price according to AS.
The Colombian international was one of the standout stars of the 2014 World Cup, earning a big money move to Real Madrid, where he has won a plethora of trophies but failed to nail down a starting spot prompting a two-year loan move to Bayern.
The 27-year-old had a good first season in Bavaria, but things have not gone as smoothly since the appointment of Niko Kovac, with Rodriguez clashing with him over his lack of playing time.
James has made just 12 appearances this season, completing the full 90 minutes just once in what has been an injury ravaged season, leading to speculation that the Bundesliga giants might not take up their option to buy which had been fairly certain some months ago.
#1 Real Madrid preparing £90m move for Dybala
According to The Sun, Real Madrid are lining up a bumper package to bring in highly rated Juventus midfielder Paulo Dybala to the Santiago Bernabeu.
The 25-year-old has long since established himself as one of the most creative midfielders in the world, with his unique abilities from set pieces as well as pin-point passing accuracy and knack for scoring goals meaning he would be a useful addition for any team in the world.
The arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo and Emre Can in the summer as well as the impending arrival of Aaraon Ramsey means that competition for places in the Juve line-up is stiffer than ever.
If the deal pulls through, Real would have thumped Guardiola to Dybala's signing, as the Catalan has long been an admirer of the Argentine right from his days as Bayern manager.
