Arsenal are reportedly a step closer to sealing the transfer of Real Madrid midfielder Casemiro.

This is because, according to Don Balon, Los Blancos are making plans to replace the Brazil international with Borussia Dortmund’s Julian Weigl.

MORE: (Photo) Arsenal star provides major injury update on Twitter

Casemiro would be a superb signing for Arsenal, who urgently need an upgrade on Granit Xhaka and Mohamed Elneny in that defensive midfield role.

Despite a dip in form for Madrid this season – like many of his team-mates – Casemiro remains one of the best players in the world in his position.

Don Balon recently linked the 26-year-old with a potential move to the Gunners, with Real surprisingly prepared to let him go if they receive an offer worth around £52million.

Casemiro could be on his way out of Real Madrid as Arsenal eye a transfer

After a shaky start to life in Italy, Chelsea loanee Tiemoue Bakayoko is seemingly continuing to change opinion as he impressed for AC Milan on Monday.

As noted by Sky Sports, the 24-year-old is on a season-long loan deal from Chelsea, while the Italian giants are said to have an option to make it a permanent move this summer.

SEE MORE: AC Milan transfer news: €35m+ signing could be announced by Wednesday

Based on the level of his performances in recent months, it may well be an easy decision for Milan to make as Bakayoko once again stood out as a key player in their win over Genoa on Monday, which took them back into the top four in Serie A.

Bakayoko struggled in his debut campaign at Stamford Bridge last season, failing to show the quality that ultimately earned him his transfer from Monaco.

In turn, his move to Italy was considered crucial in proving his worth moving forward, and with Lucas Biglia sidelined with injury over the last two months, he has grabbed his opportunity with both hands and continues to impress.

As noted in the tweets below, some of which even came from Chelsea fans, he has certainly turned things around after being heavily criticised for not showing his quality previously, and so it remains to be seen if Milan do exercise that reported option to sign him permanently.

From his defensive coverage in front of the backline to his driving runs forward, Bakayoko has seemingly regained his confidence and deserves a great deal of credit for putting a disappointing and difficult period in his career behind him.

Should he continue his current form, it may even leave some Chelsea fans questioning whether or not he perhaps should have been given more time in west London…

Arsenal are targeting a loan approach for Real Betis full-back Aissa Mandi, to fill in for the injured Hector Bellerin until the end of the season.

According to El Desmarque via Football London, Gunners boss Unai Emery wants to bring in the Spanish right-back on a temporary deal until the summer, with the option to make the move permanent for £26 million thereafter.

Bellerin sustained a horrifying ACL injury during Arsenal’s 2-0 win against Chelsea earlier in the month, which has left Emery short on options in defence.

Mandi could slot into his fellow countryman’s position at the Emirates Stadium seamlessly, but it remains to be seen whether or not Betis will be willing to offload one of their key players at this stage of the campaign.

The 27-year-old defender has appeared in 29 matches for the Spanish outfit this season, helping them to climb up to eighth in La Liga, with the Europa League knockout phase and Copa Del Rey quarterfinals still to look forward to additionally.

Aissa Mandi

Meanwhile, Arsenal are fifth in the Premier League and facing an uphill battle to finish in the top four, level on points with Man United and three behind Chelsea, who currently occupy the final Champions League spot.

The Gunners have been strong going forward throughout the year, but defensively they have been vulnerable, which has ultimately held them back in pursuit of major honours.

Emery’s side now realistically have only the Europa League to play for between now and May, but winning the competition could be vital for the club if they ultimately miss out on a place in the top four domestically.

Bellerin has been a consistent starter for Arsenal this term and without him, they could be left even more open at the back, which is why bringing in Mandi is so crucial for the club over the next two days.

The transfer deadline is fast approaching but this loan switch could still easily be sanctioned in time and Mandi could take his career to the next level by pushing through a last minute move to the Emirates Stadium.

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.

MORE: Surprise Prem ace ahead of Chelsea & Liverpool stars as best in the league at opening up defences

‘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.

MORE: (Photos) Arsenal’s Hector Bellerin breaks silence and posts pics after injury blow

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.

MORE: Man United consider transfer swoop for £90m-rated star after consulting Solskjaer

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.

SEE MORE: Ex-AC Milan teammates jokingly mock Gonzalo Higuain in Chelsea training photo

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.