Transfer window: Manchester United move for Cucurella, Lenglet to Aston Villa – live

More Tottenham news … and there could be lots of incoming and outgoings in North London in the next couple of days. More power to the Ange.

Justin Madson emails in to (coherently) question my Cucurella take.

Calling Cucurella an ‘established first-team star’ may be overselling him a bit, but he does seem to have some power in those beautiful curls that make teams who don’t own him believe he is their solution. For all the stick Chelsea took for buying Cucurella for what they did, people are apparently very ready to forget his underwhelming performances now that United are interested in paying his wages instead.

Manchester City are going to get their man, in Matheus Nunes. Tommy Doyle heading in the other direction is an interesting aspect to this one.

Manchester United fans are going to be rather smug if their club can get Marc Cucurella and Sofyan Amrabat over the line before Friday’s deadline. The latest indication is that both deals are very much alive.

Chelsea allowing two established first team stars to join United in the same summer would be quite something, wouldn’t it?

Trackers. Lukaku was subject to some tracking, there’s been talk of a Salah tracker. But how about this website’s ever-updating transfer tracker? It’s the best way of staying across every confirmed deal in Europe’s top five leagues, as they happen.

Clement Lenglet is moving to Aston Villa, according to widespread reports.

The Barcelona centre back had seemed keen on a return to Tottenham, but will instead link up with Unai Emery’s side on a straight season-long loan – no option to purchase. Another high-profile deal incoming for the ever-improving Villans.

Thanks David. It’s been alarmingly quiet, considering there are only two days remaining until the window, *puts on Sky Sportsy voice*, SLAMS shut.

The deals will surely trickle in soon.

Right, time to hand the blog over to Dominic Booth for more gossip and fact.

I mentioned a Mo Salah tracker earlier. Well, how about this one for Romelu Lukaku following his loan move to Roma. Although, as one reply says: “Roma fans? It was Juve fans making sure the torture of him possibly arriving was over.”

Hull sign goalkeeper Ryan Allsop

Talking of Sofyan Amrabat – and you think we just throw this thing together – a new update from Fabrizio Romano has just dropped.

Reports now that Manchester United have accepted a loan bid from Lorient for out-of-favour Dutch midfielder Donny van de Beek. This one comes from Foot Mercato journalist Santi Aouna. Does this, if true, accelerate a United bid for Sofyan Amrabat?

Mo Salah tracker. Perhaps not as fun as that Santa one you show your kids on Christmas Eve but after his trip to London, Salah’s latest location can now be revealed. And it’s not Saudi Arabia. Note: is Caoimhín Kelleher riding a dodgem car?

Aston Villa appear to be leading the race to sign Barcelona defender Clement Lenglet on a loan deal. The French international was on loan at Spurs last season, making 35 appearances. But Tottenham don’t appear to be chasing any sort of deal, either permanent or loan, so Villa’s Spanish boss Unai Emery is about to step in and boost his defensive options following the long-term injury to Tyrone Mings.

Some added background: Villa’s new President of Football Operations, Monchi, signed Lenglet during his time at Sevilla so clearly rates the defender. For Barca, it would be a good opportunity to get a fairly big wage earner off their books.

L’Equipe report that midfielder Han-Noah Massengo is in advanced negotitations with Burnley.

Our friends at Get French Football News have fleshed this one out. “His signing would represent a spectacular turnaround after the French publication reported in July that the former Bristol City midfielder had rejected a move to Vincent Kompany’s side. Burnley have been interested in Massengo all summer. The former AS Monaco midfielder’s contract at Bristol City expired at the end of the season. However, just prior to that expiry, the France youth international had a promising six-month loan spell at AJ Auxerre. Although Massengo couldn’t prevent the club from relegation to Ligue 2, his performances nonetheless raised his profile.”

The desperate hunt for a combative, defensive midfielder is one of the big narratives in this transfer window. So imagine finding one down the back of the sofa. Fair play to Ange Postecoglou for giving Yves Bissouma his chance at Spurs. Perhaps other big clubs should look from within… not that I want you to stop reading all this transfer gubbins.

Good news, literally, for Wolves. They’re about to sign Santiago Bueno. The Girona defender, 24, has been capped twice by Uruguay.

Presumably Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino won’t miss Malang Sarr too much having failed to place the name when asked about the Frenchman’s future earlier this week. Nottingham Forest and Fulham are pushing to sign the mystery Blues defender.

Imagine a year ago this graphic actually being a thing rather than a flight of fantasy. Will more strikers be tempted to fill their boots in the Saudi Pro League before the transfer window closes? I mean, if Malcom has bagged four already…

Manchester United have been linked with Morocco midfielder Sofyan Amrabat all summer but the wheels don’t appear to be turning. The Fiorentina player hasn’t featured for his Italian club as he trains alone and waits a call but that may now be coming from elsewhere. Atletico Madrid and Napoli have both been linked.

Nicky Bandini believes United’s deal for Amrabat won’t go through while other rumours suggest Liverpool could pounce.

Harry Maguire turning down a move to West Ham seemed a rather curious decision at the time given the ‘win-win’ nature of the switch. But maybe Erik ten Hag will be happy enough given the breaking news that Raphael Verane will miss several weeks after being taken off against Nottingham Forest.

Lisandro Martinez, Victor Lindelof and Maguire are now the only senior central defenders at the club. Luke Shaw showed he could play there last season but the England defender has suffered an injury of his own. Could United perhaps move for someone else who can play both left back and central defence?

Chelsea are in the hunt for Manchester City’s Cole Palmer, according to Fabrizio Romano.

The youngster scored City’s equaliser in the Super Cup win over Sevilla earlier this month but Pep Guardiola said later: “I don’t know [if he will stay]. When we arrived I had the opinion that he wanted to leave but now I don’t know. I don’t think a loan is going to happen. He’s going to stay or he’s going to be sold.”

More transfer predictions from Jan Aage Fjørtoft later. I’m getting the word Mo? … Joe? … John?

Jan Aage Fjørtoft is getting it in the neck from Liverpool fans after claiming he “understands” that Mo Salah is heading to Saudi Arabia.

This is the same Fjørtoft who was convinced that Kylian Mbappe would leave Paris Saint-Germain this summer and that Jude Bellingham was keen to return to England. An hour later, to much mirth, Liverpool pulled out of the race for the England midfielder.

These are the tweets from the former Sheffield United and Middlesbrough striker, who now works in the media. They’re getting short shrift from many replying Reds.

Goalkeeping news. Dean Henderson is off to Crystal Palace, with Manchester United bringing in Altay Bayindir.

Bayindir, who measures in at 6ft 6in, could get a few games between the sticks at Old Trafford given that new No 1 Andre Onana is set to be at the Africa Cup of Nations (13 January to 11 February) with Cameroon.

More Chelsea and the link with Arsenal’s Emile Smith Rowe. This one keeps doing the rounds but the speculation has been rather dampened by James McNicholas of The Athletic.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, McNicholas says: “The good news is Smith Rowe, although he’d like more minutes I don’t doubt, from what I hear is not in a position where he’s looking to push something through or force something through. Never say never in football but certainly the noises that I’m hearing today suggest that this is not going to happen.”

Here’s Jacob Steinburg furnishing us with a fuller picture of Callum Hudson-Odoi’s possible move from Chelsea to Nottingham Forest.

There’s also news on another academy product. “Burnley and West Ham have been tracking Ian Maatsen but the left-back could stay if Marc Cucurella joins Manchester United on loan. Mauricio Pochettino has been impressed with Maatsen since becoming Chelsea’s head coach.”

Barry Glendenning brings you this morning’s episode of The Rumour Mill. Plenty to tuck into here, with Ivan Toney and Eric Dier leading quite an extensive flow of fluff.

Over at Get French Football News, they carry a report that Salah seekers Al-Ittihad have also sounded out a move for Liverpool’s Ibrahima Konaté. Then again, it does conclude: “However, the Saudi club may once again have to concede defeat. Konaté is happy at Liverpool and he is keen on reaching his objectives with the Merseyside club.”

Samuel Campbell gets in touch. “Re Manchester United signing a new left back, this is a real pet hate of mine especially among the big sides. Get an injury and they immediately go out and sign someone. How about playing someone from the under 23s? What’s the point of having a youth system if they can’t get a chance in these circumstances.”

Let’s be honest, a fair chunk of you have tuned in for Mo Salah gossip. Some reports claimed that the game at Newcastle would be the 31-year-old’s final appearance in a Liverpool shirt before he jetted off to Saudi Arabia to join Al-Ittihad.

Reds fans have been refreshing Salah’s social media pages fervently but there was some relief yesterday when the Egyptian popped up in London where he’d had a lovely day out and didn’t look like a man on the brink of packings his bags for Saudi Arabia.

Presumably, this now sparks rumours that he’s joining Chelsea.

Back to two teams mentioned already and Nottingham Forest look close to landing former wunderkind Callum Hudson-Odoi from Chelsea.

The 22-year-old is another to have fallen down the pecking order at Stamford Bridge after being hyped as the next big thing and he spent last year on loan in the Bundesliga at Bayer Leverkusen, making 21 appearances in total. The potential Forest move is is believed to be at the ‘advanced talks’ stage.

Meanwhile, one Forest-related deal that has been done is a new shirt sponsor. No, me neither but Kaiyun Sports are renowned across Asia as a leading digital sports platform. They already have partnerships with Real Madrid and Inter Milan.

Marc Cucurella to Manchester United is one to keep track of between right now and Friday. Our transfer guru, Fabrizio Romano, says United are trying to work out a potential loan deal for the Chelsea defender who doesn’t appear to be in favour with new Blues boss Mauricio Pochettino.

A move for Cucurella makes sense following the injury to Luke Shaw and the former Brighton defender looks a good fit for Erik ten Hag. He’s not the only one being linked though. Oh no. Take your pick from Sergio Reguilon, Marcos Alonso, Nicolas Tagliafico, Luke Thomas and Ryan Bertrand.

Leeds sign Djed Spence on loan

Preamble