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Hello and welcome Sportskeeda's daily transfer roundup! We are exactly 2 weeks away from the opening of the January transfer window and the rumour mill is busier than ever.
With teams expected to take no prisoners even in January, we expect some big deals to go over the line. Teams like Real Madrid and Manchester United have huge problems to address and as such, are expected to break the bank and bolster their ranks in January.
Manchester City signing of Aymeric Laporte, Liverpool's signing of Virgil Van Dijk and Manchester United's deal for Sanchez were some of the high-profile transfers that happened in January 2018. We expect more in the same vein term.
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Anyway, without further ado, let's take a look at the top transfer stories and rumours that made headlines on 17 December 2018.
Juventus set to make move for unhappy Paul Pogba
Getting snubbed at Anfield in the game against Liverpool seems to have been the final straw for Paul Pogba. With the midfielder ready to leave amid reports of growing unrest between the Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho and himself, the Bianconeri are ready to make a move for their former player in January, according to TuttoSport.
Paul Pogba's attitude has been questioned quite widely after he put in some terrible performances when afforded the chance to start. As a result, he has been largely kept out of the starting XI by Jose Mourinho.
United lost against Liverpool at Anfield and Pogba was an unused substitute. Manchester United are going through one of their worst phases in the post-Ferguson era.
It looks like Jose Mourinho's and Pogba's relationship cannot be mended and one of them will have to depart the club soon. There were claims that Jose Mourinho called Paul Pogba a 'virus' after his heavily underwhelming performance against Southampton where he was guilty of conceding possession a whopping 14 times.
Barcelona receive €65 million bid from Chinese club for Malcom
According to AS, Barcelona have now received a tall bid for forward Malcom from China. Malcom has struggled since joining Barcelona and has failed to nail down a spot in the team. The former Bordeaux ace also suffered from an injury and that did not make things any easier for him.
Ernesto Valverde, however, remains patient with the youngster. Barcelona have previously done business with Chinese clubs with Paulinho being the latest addition to that list.
However, it remains to be seen whether or not the club is ready to give up on Malcom who hasn't yet spent a year at the club.
Galatasaray chief arrives in England to discuss deal for Ozan Kabak with Manchester United
Manchester United have now entered into negotiations with Turkish club Galatasaray to sign central defender Ozan Kabak. Galatasaray chief has jetted into England to hold talks with the Manchester club's officials over a potential move, according to Daily Star.
Ozan Kabak is only 18-years-old. However, an impressive string of performances has seen him become a starter over the course of the season for Galatasaray and with Manchester United's defence looking worse than it ever has, they might be willing to take the gamble.
Mourinho is reportedly weighing up an £18 million bid for the youngster. However, the report also claims that Galatasaray chief Mustafa Cengiz also held talks with Manchester City.
Kabak recently signed a 5-year contract at Galatasaray which will see him earn a sizable amount for the Turkish star.
Chelsea identify Ousmane Dembele as Eden Hazard replacement
Chelsea have, as per Don Balon, identified Ousmane Dembele as the ideal replacement for Eden Hazard who is tipped for a move to Real Madrid.
The Stamford Bridge outfit finds themselves in a bit of a pickle as it grows increasingly certain that Eden Hazard will eventually make his way to Real Madrid. But the silver lining is that Chelsea will get a lot of money if Hazard leaves and thus the financial side of things will not pose a problem in finding a suitable replacement.
The out-of-favour Barcelona forward Dembele has thus been identified as a like-for-like replacement. Dembele's disciplinary issues have put him in the doghouse at Barcelona and there are several reports that claim that the Frenchman's time at Catalonia may be up.
Dembele joined Barcelona in the summer of 2017 amid huge fanfare and though he has impressed in fits and starts, he has failed to live up to initial expectations.
Barcelona want Christensen on loan
The Guardian had reported that Barcelona are interested in Andreas Christensen. Now, according to Sport, Barcelona have launched a formal loan offer for the Chelsea centre-back.
The Dane has been a benchwarmer this season and has hardly featured for this Chelsea side under the tutelage of Maurizio Sarri. Barcelona are actively pursuing a centre-back as Samuel Umtiti continues to be sidelined due to an injury.
A lot of players have consequently been linked with La Blaugrana and Christensen is one of the more prominent among them. However, the report adds that the Blues are not ready to offload the Dane on a loan deal in January. But they could be willing to let him leave on a permanent basis.
