Transfer news LIVE: Henderson set for Ajax medical, Martial training alone, Toney hints at January move, West Ham contemplate Phillips move

Matter of time

Jordan Henderson is set to undergo a medical at Ajax on Thursday ahead of a dramatic move from Al Ettifaq.

The England midfielder has forced his way out of Saudi Arabia less than six months after a lucrative transfer from Liverpool.

talkSPORT understands Henderson deferred his £350,000-a-week salary for tax reasons and did not receive any wages from Al Ettifaq before his contract was terminated.

Moreover, the 33-year-old is obligated to pay the Saudi club bonuses out of his own pocket if performance-related clauses, such as Champions League qualification, are met at Ajax.

Diallo to stay at United

Amad Diallo has no plans to leave Manchester United this January, according to Fabrizio Romano.

The winger has been in direct contact with manager Erik ten Hag to confirm his intentions of staying at the club.

Middlesbrough were interested in signing Diallo on loan, however, he wants to stay respectful to former side Sunderland.

Martial training alone

Manchester United forward Anthony Martial is training alone amid speculation over his future at the club, talkSPORT understands.

The Frenchman has been sidelined since their defeat to Bayern Munich on December 12 with illness but is looking to regain his fitness.

It's standard procedure at the club for players coming back from a lay-off to train alone so Martial going solo at Carrington has not been forced on him.

However, it's understood there's a concern about the amount of games Martial misses and the effort he makes to recover.

The Red Devils are looking to offload him in January with his contract set to expire in June, however, the player is understood to be in no rush to leave

Hayden reveals all

Newcastle's Isaac Hayden has opened up on his failed season-long loan move to Belgian side Standard Liege.

Hayden is now back at the Magpies and he has revealed details into why he returned to the club early.

Speaking to Sacha Tavolieri, he said: “The main reason why I left Standard Liege is that the club does not pay salaries on time… and does not pay them.

“I will now initiate legal proceedings against the club to obtain the wages that Standard Liege owes me.

“For example, I received my November salary… on December 28th.

“They also didn’t pay the players’ bonuses and now the December salaries haven’t been paid and we’re almost at the end of January…

“It’s a real disaster!”

Keen on Kieffer

Bournemouth have received loan offers from Ipswich and Sunderland for striker Kieffer Moore, according to The Athletic.

The Championship clubs are interested in signing Moore but neither side have reached an agreement as of yet.

Both offers have included paying some of his salary while on loan.

Cardiff, who the Wales international used to play for, have also enquired about his availability.

Reguilon joins Brentford

Brentford have confirmed the loan signing of defender Sergio Reguilon from Tottenham.

Reguilon had spent the season so far at Manchester United, however, his deal was cut short and he returned to Spurs.

The Bees have now swooped in to sign the left-back and manager Thomas Frank is pleased to have his man.

Frank said: “This is a very good signing for us.

"We’ve been talking for a while about how we need a good left-back, and we managed to get a very good left-back. I’m very pleased with the job that Phil Giles and Lee Dykes have done.

“Sergio is a perfect fit for us: a proven Premier League player in every aspect. He fits what we want. He’s very offensive, has a very good cross and a very good left foot.

“He’s got the experience we need to complement the rest of the squad and he’s a good character.

“We need him, but I also think he needs us to show how good a footballer he is. I’m convinced that this will be a positive partnership.”

Broja price revealed

Chelsea want at least £35million for striker Armando Broja, talkSPORT understands.

Despite the preferred price tag, a permanent move away from the Blues is unlikely with Wolves interested in a loan deal.

Broja has only scored twice in 17 appearances in all competitions this season for Mauricio Pochettino's side.

Close shave

Sir Jim Ratcliffe warned Manchester United he was prepared to withdraw his offer to become minority owner if it was not given the green light before Christmas, it has been revealed.

It was announced on December 24 that the Ineos chairman had agreed to buy a 25 per cent stake in the Premier League club in a deal that included investing 300million US dollars (£236.7million) into their infrastructure.

But US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings released on Wednesday have revealed Ratcliffe's patience had begun to wear thin shortly before an agreement was struck.

In the week before Christmas, Ratcliffe's company Trawlers Limited "gave Manchester United a deadline of December 25, 2023 to accept its best and final proposal".

Widespread discussions had been held between February's initial offer for a controlling stake and the ultimate outcome.

There was pushback from non-affiliated directors to what is known in the filings as the 'October Proposal' of 33 US dollars for 25 per cent of Class A and B shares plus 300m US dollars capital.

Ratcliffe agreed to slight concessions after conversations between December 18 and 22 but "was not prepared to accept any of other changes proposed by the non-affiliated directors".

It led to an informal meeting of the board of directors on December 22 and a 'robust discussion regarding the feedback from the offeror'.

The board representatives noted Ratcliffe "could decide to withdraw (the) proposal if the board of directors was not prepared to move forward by December 25, 2023".

That transaction was subsequently agreed on December 24, bringing an end to a process that started in early June 2022.

Dodged a bullet

Gary O'Neil says Wolves made the right call to balance the books in the summer after Everton and Nottingham Forest were charged for breaching Premier League financial rules.

Wolves needed to sell last year - including banking £47million from Al-Hilal for Ruben Neves - to ensure they stayed within the league's profit and sustainability regulations.

Tightening the belt ultimately saw former boss Julen Lopetegui leave as he felt the club could not match his ambitions but replacement O'Neil feels the charges against others proves Wolves were right.

"We are delighted the club managed to correct things," he said.

"You have seen what has happened this week with a couple of charges. The club have worked really hard to make sure that doesn't happen to us.

"I am keen to make sure we are in a good spot now but also think about what the club looks like in two or three years.

"Doing what we did in the summer was incredibly important and of course it could have gone wrong.

"We could have been sat on 12 points and everyone would have been moaning around the players we have lost. But that isn't the case. Twenty-eight points is a really good return.

"We are delighted the club managed to correct things and are not involved in any of those uncertainties and charges and risk of losing points."

Premier League clubs on alert

PSG are open to selling Portuguese star Goncalo Ramos before the January transfer window shuts, according to reports in France.

The 22-year-old Portuguese forward was signed by PSG in the summer from Benfica in a deal worth around £55.7million [€65m].

It's just over a year since Ramos announced himself on the global stage with a hat-trick at the World Cup in Qatar when he was picked over Cristiano Ronaldo.

But it's not worked out for him at PSG, where he has made only 19 appearances in all competitions this season, managing three goals and one assist.

L'Equipe claim manager Luis Enrique remains unconvinced by the forward and PSG chiefs have therefore decided they will cash in this month if the price is right.

Ramos was linked with a Premier League move before his transfer to Paris, with Manchester United among the clubs reportedly interested.

Return of the king

Ivan Toney will make his return to action in Brentford's Premier League clash at home to Nottingham Forest, the club has confirmed - but for how much longer will he be a Bees player?

Toney has missed the entirety of the season so far due to his betting ban, which is now over, leaving him free to take to the field again.

Brentford host Forest on January 20, and the Tricky Trees will be the first team to try and contain the prolific goalscorer at Gtech Community Stadium.

However, in a separate interview with Sky Sports, Toney has opened the door to a move away from Brentford to join a 'top club' - admitting he'd even consider a transfer before the January window closes.

"You can never predict when's the right time to move elsewhere," he said.

"But it's obvious I'd like to play for a top club. Everyone wants to play for top clubs and be fighting for titles.

"So whether the right time is this January, if a club were to come in and pay the right money, who knows?

"But my main focus is doing what I do on the pitch and let the background work take care of itself."

Switcheroo

Tottenham midfielder Alfie Devine has been recalled from his loan at Port Vale and quickly sent out to Plymouth Argyle for the rest of the season instead.

Devine, who featured for England at the Under-20 World Cup in Argentina last summer, played 26 games for Vale and scored three goals during the first half of the campaign in League One.

But he has now completed a bump up to the Championship with Plymouth, where he has reunited with ex-Young Lions coach Ian Foster, who was recently appointed the new Argyle head coach.

Foster told his club's official website: "Alfie is a player I'm really familiar with.

"I've known Alfie since his Wigan days, when I was working for the FA. We had a lot of players coming through the pathway at Wigan.

"When selecting Alfie for England teams, he played a year up, which shows you the level of confidence I have in him, in terms of his ability and his character."

Charm offensive

Real Madrid have launched 'operation Haaland' as they look to tempt the Man City striker to Spain.

According to reports, Los Blancos chiefs have started a charm offensive similar to how they managed to convince Jude Bellingham to sign.

Having reportedly moved on from Kylian Mbappe, Real are ready to put all their eggs in Haaland's basket as they look to sign the Norwegian goalmachine to lead their line.

To bag Bellingham, Real spoke with his family and made the player feel loved, meaning the actual negotiations were a cake walk.

And it's claimed they're trying the same approach with Haaland, with Spanish outlet Cadena Ser claiming the LaLiga giants are already 'speaking with the Norwegian's entourage' and will leave the actual transfer talks with Man City to third parties.

In terms of money, Haaland is said to have a release clause in his Man City contract which reduces each year he stays at the Etihad Stadium, and Real are keen to do a deal with the Premier League champions which would guarantee them a set fee, and therefore tempt them into doing business.

Almost done

Sergio Reguilon has arrived at Brentford's training ground to complete a loan move from Tottenham.

The Spanish left-back spent the 2022/23 season on loan at Atletico Madrid before a six-month temporary stint at Manchester United earlier this term.

Brentford are desperate for cover at full-back after Rico Henry was ruled out for the remainder of the campaign due to a significant knee injury in September.

The Bees have now struck a deal with Spurs and agreed personal terms with Reguilon.

His arrival coincides with the return of striker Ivan Toney, whose eight-month ban for breaching betting rules ended today.

Good news Mags

Newcastle fans, you can relax - Bruno Guimaraes is not heading to Paris Saint-Germain this month.

Recent reports had claimed PSG were considering a move for the Brazilian midfielder, with FFP rules meaning the Magpies may have to sell one their key stars to stay in the green.

However, talkSPORT reporter Ben Jacobs insists there are no talks between the Toon star and the French giants, and there are no discussions planned in what's left of the January transfer window.

Of course, that's not ruling out a possible summer transfer for the St James' fan favourite, but at least it means he'll be staying put for now.

Gunners exit

Forgotten Arsenal player Cedric Soares is close to sealing a move away from the club, talkSPORT understands.

The 32-year-old Portuguese defender spent the second-half of last season on loan at Fulham and is not in Mikel Arteta's plans in north London.

Soares - formerly of Southampton - has not made an appearance in the Premier League this season, with his only two senior games coming in the Carabao Cup and their Champions League dead-rubber at the end of the group stage.

But he is now set to move to Turkey to join Super Lig giants Besiktas, sources have told talkSPORT.

Talks are at an advanced stage between the clubs, with the defender set to end his four-year stay at the Emirates Stadium.

Soares has made 61 appearances for Arsenal, contributing two goals and five assists.

Saudi club sign another European star

Al-Hilal have announced the signing of 25-year-old Brazilian defender Renan Lodi.

Lodi spent last season on loan at Nottingham Forest and was linked with a permanent move to Newcastle in the past.

He joined Marseille in July from Atletico Madrid in a transfer worth around £11million [€13m] but he has now left for Saudi Arabia after just six months, with the French side making a tidy profit.

Lodi has signed for Al-Hilal - where he will join Neymar, Aleksandar Mitrovic, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Ruben Neves - in a deal worth a reported £17m [€20m] in a good bit of business from Marseille.

One for the future

Aston Villa are set to sign 18-year-old Serbian right-back Kosta Nedeljkovic.

The youngster will joined the Premier League club from Red Star Belgrade and will undergo his medical with the Villans in the coming days, according to Fabrizio Romano.

However, he will be loaned back to Red Star for the remainder of this season before moving to England in the summer.

Nedeljkovic made his senior Red Star debut this season and has made 24 appearances in all competitions - including against Man City in the Champions League.

He's also been a regular in Serbia's international youth teams, with 20 appearances from Under-17 to Under-19 level.

Unleashed

January 17 has had a big red ring around it in Ivan Toney’s calendar for a very long time.

The Brentford striker’s ban from football has finally expired, and he celebrated accordingly.

Posting on Twitter, he simply shared a GIF of American comedian Dave Chappelle leaving work and shouting ‘FREE!’

Toney’s 136,000 followers loved the message, including Arsenal legend Ian Wright who was quick to repost it.

Costly mistake

Jordan Henderson 'messed up' with his decision to leave the Premier League for the riches of the Saudi Pro League, says former Liverpool man Danny Murphy.

The ex-Redman reacted on White and Jordan this morning to the news that Henderson is now looking to return to European football with his tail between his legs after just six months in the Middle East.

Murphy also had a warning about Henderson's reportedly impending move to Ajax, insisting it will be a tough job to win over supporters and be a success in the Dutch Eredivisie, where the Amsterdam giants currently sit fifth and a huge 23 points off the top of the table.

"Jordan has messed it up, really," the former Liverpool midfielder told talkSPORT.

"Maybe not for Liverpool fans, but for a broader spectrum of football fans, his character and his reputation has been damaged by this whole episode.

"There might also be a thought in his mind that by paying them [Al Ettifaq] back with his own money, it kind of rights the wrongs of people accusing him of greed and going for the money in the first place.

"Ajax is probably as close to home as he can get. I don't know if there's an abundance of offers on the table for him.

"But Ajax are struggling, they're nowhere near the levels they were previously, and going into a big club that's struggling isn't going to be easy.

"Because although Jordan Henderson has been a wonderful player, he's not easy on the eye. He's not coming in like some Brazilian skilful ball-player who fans will love. He's a grower.

"He grows on you, Jordan, the more you see him the more you appreciate him, and when he's not there you think, 'We're missing him'."

Phil the gap

West Ham are contemplating a move for Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips, talkSPORT understands.

City have told England international Phillips he can leave but are looking for a sizeable loan fee.

The 28-year-old is desperate to leave last season’s treble winners and ensure he gets a decent run of games ahead of the upcoming European Championship.

Newcastle are believed to be Phillips’ keenest suitors but have been unwilling to bow to City’s demands for a £7m loan fee and obligation to make the deal permanently in the summer.

Meanwhile, Crystal Palace boss Roy Hodgson recently admitted the club would love to sign Phillips if they can afford him.

More on Henderson

Jordan Henderson is close to a move to Ajax after reaching an agreement to effectively buy his way out of his contract at Al-Ettifaq, talkSPORT understands.

Henderson is en route back to England and is set to undergo a medical with Ajax in the next few days after also agreeing to take a 75 per cent pay cut!

Henderson's exit follows talks in Abu Dhabi with Ettifaq manager Steven Gerrard and sporting director Mark Allen before the final green light for a departure was given by club president Samer Al-Misehal.

It is believe Henderson will claim fearing he would be left out of England's Euro 2024 squad if he stayed in Saudi Arabia as the main driving force behind the move.

Ettifaq have chosen to negotiate with Henderson directly and not Ajax, freeing him up to reach an agreement with the Dutch giants.

The termination terms are complicated, but will free up around £8million for the Saudi club.

There are also performance-based terms included, meaning if Ajax qualify for Europe, Henderson will effectively have to pay Ettifaq an additional bonus.

Ettifaq will now look for a short-term loan having already been active in the local market, and they believe they have secured the funds necessary to replace Henderson in the long term with another foreign player this summer.

The club are still interested in Al-Ahli's Bobby Firmino and Al-Ittihad's Jota on loan deals. Al-Nassr's Seko Fofana is admired, but it's not thought a January loan is possible. Aston Villa's Bertrand Traore was considered, but has now been ruled out.

Thiago Alcantara is one potential summer target under strong consideration alongside fellow Liverpool team-mate Joel Matip.

Ettifaq had entered the window with a 'not for sale' stance on Henderson, but softened their position after face-to-face talks.

These were seen as important and a sign of Henderson, who only signed a three-year deal in the summer, respecting the club. 

An exit for Henderson was only sanctioned because the ex-Liverpool captain made it clear he wanted to leave directly to the club. 

There was a point when those close to Henderson made suggestions he might go public with his desire to leave. Had he done so, instead of dealing directly with the club, it's understood a move would have been blocked.

If all goes to plan finalising the move to Ajax, Henderson is expected to earn just 25 per cent of his £8m-a-year Saudi wage and his new salary will be heavily taxed.

Hendo's off

Jordan Henderson has left Al Ettifaq's winter training camp in Abu Dhabi to complete a move to Ajax, talkSPORT understands.

The England midfielder is set to leave the Saudi Pro League club less than six months after a lucrative transfer from Liverpool.

Steven Gerrard's Al Ettifaq were initially reluctant to let their marquee signing go, but they are now set to terminate Henderson's contract.

talkSPORT understands Dutch giants Ajax have agreed personal terms with the 33-year-old, who is now flying back to the UK.

Go get him

Rio Ferdinand has faced some of the games best strikers, and has now spotted one who would be perfect for Arsenal.

The Manchester United legend, who won six Premier League titles and a Champions League, thinks Alexander Isak could be right up there.

The Newcastle talisman was at his best during the Magpies' thrilling 3-2 defeat to Manchester City last time out, putting away an absolutely glorious finish.

That was far from all, though, with the Swede torturing City’s treble-winning back line throughout, giving their defenders one of their most stressful evenings in a long time.

Watching in, Ferdinand couldn’t help but be amazed, and his first thought was where Isak would fit in perfectly.

“Isak was running in behind constantly,” he said on VIBE with Five. “By the way, if I’m Arsenal I’m going all out and buying him. 

“I think there’s another level before that jump up [to a team like Real Madrid] for him. Isak’s movement was great, great finishing as well.”

When it was put to Ferdinand that there’s little chance Newcastle would part ways with their £60million record signing from Real Sociedad, the England great was keen to point out why Arsenal should still try.

“They can’t spend, they’ve got FFP [Financial Fair Play problems],” he explained. “I’ve seen that they’ve got to sell before they can buy, we’ll see. 

“I wouldn’t sell if I was Newcastle, he’s staying here while you’re bringing in the superstars still. He’s top.”

Dutch deal

Jordan Henderson is pushing to force through a move to Ajax, talkSPORT understands.

The Liverpool legend currently plies his trade with Al Ettifaq, who are managed by Steven Gerrard but is understood to want to leave less than six months after completing his lucrative move.

The 33-year-old midfielder has been linked with Newcastle, German sides Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen as well as Italian giants Juventus.

But talkSPORT understands that the England international could be on his way to the Netherlands in Ajax as Henderson and the club have been in contact over a potential move.

No offer has been submitted but Ajax appear confident it will be done.