Real Madrid are reportedly planning transfer raids for Chelsea star Eden Hazard and Tottenham’s Christian Eriksen if they cannot sign Neymar.

That’s according to pundit Guillem Balague, who told BBC 5 Live, as quoted by the Daily Star, that Los Blancos were putting aside €300million to bring in Neymar from Paris Saint-Germain, but that that money could also go on Hazard and Eriksen as a Plan B.

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‘He can’t cost less than €300m? Right now, Real Madrid are putting that aside to see if he’s available,’ Balague said.

‘Otherwise that money will go to Hazard and Eriksen. That’s the plan so far.’

Not a bad alternative to have for Madrid, who look in urgent need of a big shake-up up front after the loss of Cristiano Ronaldo in the summer, with Gareth Bale and Marco Asensio not really stepping up in his absence, while 31-year-old Karim Benzema is surely not a long-term option.

Eden Hazard in action for Chelsea

Christian Eriksen in action for Tottenham

Real signing Neymar certainly seems ideal for them, with the Brazilian a comparable figure to Ronaldo in terms of both his ability and presence on the pitch, plus his marketability off it.

However, fans would surely not turn their noses up at Hazard and Eriksen as alternatives, with both the Belgian and the Dane up there with the finest attacking players in Europe in recent seasons.

Arsenal are reportedly growing confident they can bring in Roma chief Monchi as their replacement for Sven Mislintat as head of recruitment.

The Independent link the former Sevilla man with the Gunners, with manager Unai Emery said to have approved the potential appointment after working with him in the past.

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This would be an exciting appointment for Arsenal and could be crucial to help them move forward as they attempt to rebuild and modernise the club following the summer departure of Arsene Wenger.

The Frenchman was notable for having huge amounts of control and influence at the Emirates Stadium, but in the modern era managers are increasingly referred to more often as head coaches, who are in charge of team selection and training rather than transfers.

At Sevilla, Monchi worked well to deliver Emery some quality signings on the cheap, helping discover top talents like Ivan Rakitic, now a star player at Barcelona.

If you look closely in this video below, it appears as though some Senegal fans have made it clear they want Sadio Mane to stay at Liverpool instead of seal a transfer to Real Madrid.

The 26-year-old has recently been linked as a target for the Spanish giants by Marca, following a superb season at Anfield.

However, the feeling among some Senegal supporters is that he should snub an offer to move to the Bernabeu, as a few fans can be seen holding up a banner with the Real Madrid logo and a red cross through it.

Liverpool fans will love this gesture – now they just need to hope it works!

Juventus have reportedly made contact with Barcelona and Croatia midfielder Ivan Rakitic, as the Italian giants look to beat both Bayern Munich and PSG to the star’s signature.

Rakitic has managed to establish himself as one of the best midfielders on the planet in recent years, and it’s no surprise to hear that Juve are keen on securing the Croatian’s signature.

According to Don Balon, the Old Lady are interested in signing the former Sevilla man, with the Italian giants having contacted the 30-year-old Blaugrana star, who’s already had offers made for him by Bayern and PSG.

Since his move to the Nou Camp from Sevilla back in the summer of 2014, Rakitic has managed to become one of the club’s most important players, and debatably their most important midfield.

The Croatian international’s departure from Barcelona would be a massive blow for the Spanish giants, who would be losing a key member of their starting XI should Rakitic seal a move away.

Juve have made contact with Rakitic regarding a move for the Croatian to the Italian giants

Although Rakitic leaving Barca would be a big blow for the club, the Blaugrana should definitely consider selling the player if a big offer were to come in for him.

Rakitic is set to turn 31 later this month, and it won’t be long before Ernesto Valverde’s side have to think about replacing the midfielder.

Thus, if a club were to come in with a substantial offer for the player, it would make sense for the club to accept the offer and focusing on finding a replacement for the World Cup finalist.

Rio Ferdinand was buzzing with the news that his old club Manchester United managed to tie Anthony Martial down to a new contract.

Watch the former Red Devils star discussing the deal in his video in the tweet below, as he then makes a big call for what MUFC need to do next.

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It seems Ferdinand is a big fan of current interim manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, and has called on United to now give him the job permanently.

The Norwegian has made a great start at Old Trafford, but bigger names like Mauricio Pochettino and Zinedine Zidane are thought to both remain in the frame.

Do you agree With Rio that Ole now deserves to be the next permanent manager of Man Utd?

AC Milan are reportedly eyeing a double swoop to end the January transfer window, as they’re being linked with Gerard Deulofeu and Aurelien Tchouameni.

The Rossoneri have already been active this month, wrapping up the signings of Lucas Paqueta and Krzysztof Piatek to bolster their midfield and attack respectively.

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As they continue to chase a top-four finish in Serie A this season, they will hope that duo can play a key role to help them get back into the Champions League next year.

However, according to Sportmediaset, their work in the transfer market might not be done just yet as it’s claimed that they’re eyeing a reunion with Deulofeu on an initial loan deal, while Tchouameni could cost them €10m to prise away from Bordeaux.

Deulofeu, 24, enjoyed a productive spell at the San Siro previously, shining under former boss Vincenzo Montella and it even led to a recall to the Spain squad.

While he has continued to play a key role at Watford, he may well be tempted to return to Italy to help Milan achieve their objective this season, as they are certainly lacking in quality depth in the wide positions with a heavy reliance on the likes of Suso and Samu Castillejo.

Meanwhile, Tchouameni could arrive to strengthen Gennaro Gattuso’s midfield options further.

The 18-year-old has come through the ranks at Bordeaux, and has gone on to make 16 appearances so far this season for the senior side, while also being capped by France from U16 to U19 level.

it appears as though he is now on Milan’s radar, but time will tell if a deal is struck before the deadline for him to join the Italian giants in the second half of the campaign.

Manchester United have reportedly had a ‘great offer’ for Fiorentina and Serbia defender Nikola Milenkovic. 

According to the Mirror, the Red Devils are keen on signing the Serbian international as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side look to bolster their options at the back.

And according to the Italian side’s chief Pantaleo Corvino, the club have rejected a “great offer” from Man United for the 21-year-old.

Milenkovic has reportedly been labelled as the next Nemanja Vidic, a comparison that we’re sure will excite United fans, with it also being stated by the Mirror that Milenkovic is believed to be priced at around £45M, a decent price to pay for a talent like him.

United haven’t really had a world class centre back at their disposal since the days of Vidic and Rio Ferdinand, and it’s fair to say Milenkovic could easily become that in the near future if his career so far is anything to go off.

United have had a ‘great offer’ for Milenkovic turned down by Fiorentina

Milenkovic has already managed to establish himself as a starter for one of Serie A’s biggest sides in Fiorentina despite him being just 21.

The Serbian has shown during his career thus far that he’s very calm in possession and is an all-round fantastic defender, something United could definitely do with this term.

The Red Devils have been poor at the back this campaign, conceding a hatful of goals in all competitions, most of which came during Jose Mourinho’s time in charge.

If United are serious about improving their defensive options, it definitely seems worthwhile for them to go back in for Milenkovic in the not-too-distant future.

Chelsea are reportedly making progress on beating Manchester United and Liverpool to the transfer of highly-rated Bristol City forward Antoine Semenyo.

This report comes from Team Talk, who state the Blues remain locked in talks over a potential £2million deal, which is close to being agreed between the two clubs.

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This could be a superb signing for Chelsea for the future, with Semenyo looking an exciting talent and one clearly rated highly by top Premier League clubs.

That said, if the 19-year-old wants a move to give him the best opportunity of career advancement, Chelsea might not be an ideal place for him to do that.

CFC don’t have the best track record of promoting their top youth talent, sending many players out on loan every season that never even kick a ball for the club.

Man Utd will reportedly be joined by Inter in a transfer battle over the signing of PSV Eindhoven winger Steven Bergwijn.

The 21-year-old has impressed for the Dutch giants so far this season, bagging 10 goals and providing nine assists in 25 appearances in all competitions.

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In turn, it’s no real surprise that speculation suggests that interest from around Europe is building in acquiring his services, with his versatility also undoubtedly an attractive factor given he can play on either wing and through the middle.

However, as reported by Calciomercato, via the paper edition of De Telegraaf, it’s suggested that United will face competition from Inter for his signature, while it’s added that his valuation may well increase up to €30m with interest from the two European giants in mind.

It remains to be seen whether or not that puts either club off pursuing Bergwijn, as that is a significant fee for a player who has yet to prove himself on a consistent basis at the highest level.

Further, with the likes of Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial, Jesse Lingard, Alexis Sanchez and Juan Mata all battling for spots in the line-up at Old Trafford in attacking roles, it’s questionable as to whether United really need a signing in that department.

Inter boss Luciano Spalletti also boasts various options too in Ivan Perisic, Matteo Politano, Lautaro Martinez, Keita Balde and Antonio Candreva, albeit both Politano and Balde are currently on loan at the San Siro.

With that in mind, perhaps a swoop for Bergwijn will be necessary in the summer, and as noted by Calciomercato, Inter officials are expected to travel to the Netherlands soon to open talks. If accurate, United will need to move quickly in order to avoid falling behind the competition.