January transfers: Manchester City sign Echeverri, Moscardo joins PSG – live | Transfer window

Big Jürg – that’s the Liverpool manager, Jurgen Klopp – is up in front of all his favourite journalists soon.

Thanks Niall.

Unai Emery just had a chat with the media about potential signings this month. “We are analysing deeply how we will finish this season, with the objective we are facing,” says the contemplative Spaniard.

“This year we are in Europe, the FA Cup, maybe that changes after tomorrow, and then we are more or less in the Premier League, being consistent, keeping in the top seven positions … it’s not clear we are going to get [sign] someone if we are not really believing he is going to increase our level.”

Has this window been different to normal? “Usually, clubs prepare their squad for one year, in summer. Now I think there aren’t teams able to spend more money like [they do] in summer. Our situation is the same.”

Time to hand over to Luke McLaughlin for the latest lunchtime news, press conference updates and so much more.

As we tick past £300m spent in Europe’s big five leagues, catch up with all the men’s transfer window deals with our handy guide:

Plenty of FA Cup press conferences coming up this afternoon. Chelsea’s Mauricio Pochettino has spoken to the press and played a straight bat on transfers.

“Too many rumours; player in, player out. At the moment, we have nothing to say. We work really hard about different things in different areas. We will communicate if something happens. We’re desperate to win the title but not to sign players. The last week is always a busy week so we need to be happy for whatever happens.”

“On the subject of big money transfers destined to fail and the moment it was clear for everyone to see,” writes Graeme Harley. “Tiémoué Bakayoko and his 30-minute disasterclass for Chelsea against Watford in 2017-18 is a particular favourite.”

Moscardo joins São Paulo defender Lucas Beraldo in moving from Brazil’s biggest city to Paris this January. But what can he offer PSG? Well, Moscardo has usually played for Corinthians as a deep-lying midfielder, able to carry the ball forward and quickly change the game, in the mould of Declan Rice, for instance.

“I like the [No 6] position, marking, a position that demands a lot, especially at Corinthians, being a pure player, who runs a lot, who gives himself,” Moscardo told Globo last year. “But I also have technical quality. I can play as a No.8, I think I have the strength to arrive in the area to finish the plays.”

PSG sign midfielder Gabriel Moscardo

More on Manchester City’s new recruit:

Here’s more from Ed Aarons on Crystal Palace’s failed bid for Blackburn midfielder Adam Wharton. The injury-hit club are pondering whether to bid again, and are also interested in Genk right-back Daniel Muñoz.

Things are heating up nicely. The Evening Standard’s Nizaar Kinsella reports that Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United could be tempted to move for Callum Wilson, who is reportedly available for £18m.

Wilson is 31 years old but in 215 Premier League games, he has 86 goals and 27 assists – meaning he consistently scores or sets up a goal roughly every other game. A valuable potential strike rate, wherever your club is in the table.

Here’s more on City’s latest young superstar signing, who was included in our Next Gen class of 2023, from Juan Carlos Pasman:

Born in Chaco, Echeverri is an authentic River Plate academy product. Talented with excellent close control and dribbling skills, owing to an exceptional first touch, he is a first-rate passer of the ball and can score too. He is a classic No 10 in a similar vein to other River graduates, such as Ariel Ortega, Marcelo Gallardo and Pablo Aimar. He exploded onto the international scene at the South American U17 championship and will lead the charge as his country aim to claim the only title they are now missing: the Under-17 World Cup. Has already been training with the senior national team, impressing – among others – Ángel Di María with his playing style and attitude. A promotion to River Plate’s first-team squad under Martín Demichelis quickly followed.

Manchester City sign River Plate’s Claudio Echeverri

Lee Wilson writes on Romelu Lukaku: “As a Roma fan, he is probably our most reliable player this season. Last summer, when Chelsea made it clear they didn’t want him, his people spoke to Inter, then Juve and finally Roma. He was frequently linked to Saudi Arabia but didn’t want to go there.”

“I don’t think that mindset has changed, and his comments were probably born of politeness and the fact that we were there out of a contractual obligation to our new shirt sponsors, Riyadh Season. However, given Chelsea want €43m for his services, he might end up in a bit of a fix. Roma would love to keep him but he’s probably not affordable, and he may have burned his bridges with Inter and Juventus.

“It could be that he’s being more than polite, just in case he has no other option in summer. If Chelsea refuse to lower their price, it may be that he is forced to move to Saudi if if he wants actual game time. It’s a shame because he seems like a decent human and when he’s good, he is bloody amazing.”

Atlético Madrid are set to sign Royal Antwerp midfielder Arthur Vermeeren later today. The 18-year-old rising star had also been linked with Manchester United and Tottenham, but has opted for endless shuttle runs under Diego Simeone instead.

Some Championship rumours and idle speculation: Leicester are closing in on Inter midfielder Stefano Sensi. Leeds are reportedly keen on out-of-favour Everton defender Ben Godfrey, and are battling Southampton for Burnley winger Manuel Benson, with Ipswich and Birmingham also keen.

Sunderland want to bring in Bournemouth’s Kieffer Moore and Barnsley midfielder Callum Styles; and two Coventry midfielders are attracting interest, with Ben Sheaf on Luton’s radar and Calum O’Hare – who is out of contract this summer – being watched closely by Southampton, Leicester and Burnley.

“After selling Fernando Torres for £50m and buying Andy Carroll for £35m, I first realised it wouldn’t work out on seeing big Andy try to run and turn at the same time,” says Nick Smith. Still, poor Fernando had a bit of a nightmare at Chelsea, too.

A question for you, readers: when was the moment you realised that a big-money signing was never going to work out? To give an example, here’s Eliaquim Mangala proving he was not a £42m defender in his second game for Manchester City.

Plenty of big-name players appear to be agitating for a move away from Saudi Arabia, but Romelu Lukaku doesn’t seem to have got the memo.

“In the next two years I see Saudi Pro League becoming one of the best in the world, if not the best,” the on-loan Roma striker has said. “The clubs make a lot of effort to bring the big players here. They are improving a lot.”

In his defence, Lukaku was speaking in Saudi Arabia, after Roma’s 2-1 friendly win over Al-Shabab. Lukaku got the winner for Daniele De Rossi’s side in Riyadh.

Away from transfer business, Forest Green have appointed Steve Cotterill as their new manager. In a clear change of direction after Troy Deeney’s brief tenure at the club, FGR are going with experience to try and escape the drop back to the National League.

Cotterill made his name down the road from the New Lawn at Cheltenham Town, and was most recently in charge of Shrewsbury Town, leaving that job in June 2023. He arrives at Forest Green with the club six points from safety at the foot of League Two.

Nuno: Forest will be ‘busy’ before deadline day

Also last night: Chelsea moved into the Women’s Champions League knockout stages with a 2-1 home win over Real Madrid. Emma Hayes is in the market for a new striker, with Sam Kerr out long-term – and Sky are reporting that Levante’s Mayra Ramirez could be the answer. The Colombia forward is expected to cost more than the £250,000 the Blues paid for Pernille Harder in 2020, which was a world record at the time.

In case you missed it, last night Bayern Munich confirmed they’re no longer pursuing a move for Kieran Tripper – but are still hoping to sign Nordi Mukiele from PSG before the window closes.

Bayern’s only new signing this month, Eric Dier, made his debut in their 1-0 win over Union Berlin – and his post-match interview is dividing social media. Some say he’s affecting a German accent, Shteve style; others are claiming that’s just the way he speaks. The jury’s out …

If you’re not familiar with Adam Wharton – subject of a reported £18.5m Palace bid today – my Blackburn-supporting colleague informs me that he’s a creative midfielder who can pass between the lines. Born in the town and playing for Rovers alongside his brother, centre-back Scott, he’s something of a local hero – and still has a long-term contract at the club. He can drop a mean shoulder too, so I’m told.

Crystal Palace are one of the Premier League clubs expected to spend over the next week, and David Ornstein reports that they have made an £18.5m bid for Blackburn midfielder Adam Wharton. Rovers are thought to have turned the offer down, and would want to keep Wharton at Ewood Park on loan until the summer if a fee could be agreed.

Let’s kick off with a deal that might finally be done today: Kalvin Phillips is expected to complete his move to West Ham on a loan until the end of the season, with an option for a permanent deal in the summer. The former Leeds player is due to undergo his medical this morning before being registered in David Moyes’ squad, although they don’t play again until next Thursday against Bournemouth, so there’s no big rush.

Preamble