Transfer news LIVE: Man Utd could lose Kobbie Mainoo, Marcus Rashford latest and Arsenal want Nico Williams

Real Madrid have been heavily linked with a move for Trent Alexander-Arnold but it’s another Liverpool defender that they have reportedly turned down the opportunity to sign.

Virgil van Dijk was ‘offered to Real Madrid’ by the player’s agent, according to Spanish outlet Relevo, but the Spanish club have declined as they look at other players more suited to their project.

Van Dijk is a free agent in the summer and yet to agree a new contract with Liverpool. His agent is said to have contacted Madrid officials to inform them the 33-year-old was keen on a move to the Bernabeu, especially knowing the team have struggled with injuries at centre-back to David Alaba and Eder Militao, but Madrid refused to take up the option.

The latest in the Marcus Rashford saga – the forward’s brother and agent are in Italy today talking to AC Milan about a potential loan move. The Italian club are keen to understand the conditions for a deal that could be loan with an option to buy and they’ve made the England international their top target for this window.

Manchester United are aware that Rashford’s representatives are in Italy and are expecting a number of clubs to formally approach them about a deal.

Borussia Dortmund and Juventus are among the other interested clubs, with Rashford’s representatives expected to talk to them in the coming days. There are still no guarantees he’ll leave Old Trafford despite publicly saying he is “ready for a new challenge”.

Espanyol goalkeeper Joan Garcia was a target for Arsenal over the summer and the Gunners even saw a bid rejected for the 23-year-old.

But Espanyol sporting director Fran Garagarza has since stated that the club could sell the goalkeeper in the future and reports from Spain, per Sport Witness, suggest the Gunners are still interested.

Arsenal had a €20m (£16.6m) bid rejected but a second bid could be successful for a player who has a €30m (£25.4m) release clause.

Italian giants AC Milan hope to pounce on the Dani Olmo situation at Barcelona.

The Spanish midfielder finds himself in deep water after Barcelona chiefs failed to seal his registration with La Liga. The Spanish giants are going through their options to keep him but may need to offload the player if they can’t register him with the Spanish footballing authorities.

According to SPORT, the Italian side are willing to offer him a six-month loan move to the San Siro after which time he would return to Barcelona.

It is a deal which could suit all parties though there are Premier League clubs also monitoring the situation and could yet throw spanners in the works.

The race to sign Marcus Rashford from Manchester United this January is heating up, with another European giant considering a loan move for the forward.

AC Milan and Juventus has already been reported as being interested and now The Athletic are reporting that Borussia Dortmund are weighing up an attempt at recruiting the 27-year-old.

Rashford has stated he is “ready for a new challenge” away from Old Trafford although it’s not guaranteed he will leave this month. His contract, which reportedly pays him £325,000 per week until 2028, could prove to be a stumbling block.

United and Dortmund did business last January when Jadon Sancho joined the German side on loan after things went south for him with the Red Devils.

A couple of Arsenal nuggets from David Ornstein of The Athletic. Firstly, the Gunners are looking at highly-rated Athletic Bilbao and Spain forward Nico Williams.

Mikel Arteta would love to sign Williams during this window but finances make it unlikely and the player himself is not agitating to leave Bilbao. His release clause €60m (although it fluctuates with inflation) and would need to be paid in full, meaning a summer move is more likely.

Arsenal face competition to sign the 22-year-old, as Chelsea are high on his list of suitors, while Liverpool looked into the viability of a deal last summer.

The Gunners may also be interested in PSG’s South Korean forward Lee Kang In. The 23-year-old is open to a new challenge and Barcelona’s interest may force Arsenal to come forward, having previously expressed interest although the price (at least double the €22m PSG paid to sign him from Mallorca in 2023) is considered off-putting.

Manchester City want to sign Eintracht Frankfurt’s Omar Marmoush to bolster their forward line, although they believe it will be difficult to sign the Egypt international this month.

Marmoush has scored 18 goals and contributed 11 assists already this season but with Eintracht challenging for a Champions League place, City are conscious it could be hard to persuade the Bundesliga high-flyers to sell.

The 25-year-old, who might cost up to £50m, could be a belated replacement for Julian Alvarez, who was sold to Atletico Madrid in the summer for a fee that could rise to £82m.

Liverpool have also been said to be interested in Marmoush in recent weeks.

Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, is interested in buying Liverpool, according to his father.

A full sale has never been an option though, but Errol Musk maintains his son, owner of Tesla and social media platform X (formerly Twitter), would be open to acquiring the Anfield-based team.

“I can’t comment on that. They’ll raise the price,” Musk snr told Times Radio.

When pressed on whether Elon would want to buy Liverpool he added: “Oh, yes. But that doesn’t mean he’s buying it. He would like to yes, obviously. Anybody would want to – so would I.”

Manchester United need a sale in order to meet Paris Saint-Germain’s €60m valuation of Nuno Mendes, with Ruben Amorim and the new INEOS leadership keen to start a badly-desired overhaul.

The 22-year-old left-back has been targeted as a key first signing to give balance to the team, but the Old Trafford hierarchy are currently short on the salary offer as well as the transfer fee.

The situation reflects how difficult this crucial first window is for Amorim, with many at United openly talking about how much business needs to be done but how little money there is to spend amid Profit and Sustainability Rule restrictions. The club have essentially let it be known that they will listen to offers for almost any player, including popular homegrown talents such as Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho. Such reports have dominated the first few days of the window, only showing how stark the situation is.

Latest from Miguel Delaney:

Chelsea are at the top of the list of clubs who want to sign Kobbie Mainoo should he depart Manchester United.

The Daily Mail are reporting that there is a stalemate in negotiations over a new deal between the midfielder and the Old Trafford hierarchy despite Mainoo having two-and-a-half years left on his current contract.

If United do sell the player it would be financially beneficial given any proceeds from a sale would go down as pure profit on the accounts.

The fans would not be pleased as Mainoo is a homegrown talent that broke into the first team under Erik ten Hag and has continued to impress.