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Hello and welcome to Sports Mole's live coverage of the latest transfer news and rumours from around the world of football as the January transfer window opens!
Stick with us below to keep up to date with all of today's transfer rumours and done deals.
Kylian Mbappe is reportedly considering a move to Liverpool from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer transfer window.
The 25-year-old has continued to shine in the French capital this season, scoring 18 goals and providing two assists in just 16 Ligue 1 matches.
Mbappe has already won a World Cup with France in 2018 and has been linked with a move away from Parc des Princes for the last couple of transfer windows.
Since moving permanently to PSG from Monaco in the summer of 2018, the attacker has netted 212 goals in 238 appearances for the perennial French champions.
Arsenal have reportedly contacted the family of Sporting Lisbon's Ousmane Diomande, with the Gunners looking to get ahead in the race for the centre-back's signature.
The 20-year-old has been a mainstay in Sporting's XI since moving from Danish side FC Midtjylland in January 2023, featuring 38 times and scoring on three occasions.
Diomande has played in 15 Primeira Liga contests for Ruben Amorim's men this season as they battle with fierce rivals Benfica and Porto for the Portuguese crown.
The defender has represented his nation three times and is set to feature for the Ivory Coast in this month's Africa Cup of Nations - a competition that Jean-Louis Gasset's side are hosting.
Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly interested in signing Wolverhampton Wanderers attacker Hwang Hee-chan during the summer transfer window.
The 27-year-old has been a regular figure for Gary O'Neil's side in the Premier League this season, scoring 10 goals and providing three assists in 20 league appearances.
Hwang netted a first-half brace in the 4-1 win at Brentford last Wednesday but was forced off with a back injury before the break, however the forward returned to play 90 minutes of the 3-0 smashing of Sean Dyche's Everton on Saturday.
Since signing permanently from Bundesliga outfit RB Leipzig in the summer of 2022 following an initial loan, the South Korean has netted 15 times in 53 contests for the Black Country outfit.
While clubs across the global footballing landscape seek to strengthen their ranks during the notoriously challenging January transfer market, a growing question mark is hanging over the heads of several soon-to-be free agents.
Players whose contracts are due to run out at the end of the 2023-24 season are now able to engage in talks over pre-contract agreements with foreign clubs, whereby teams can shake hands on a free transfer in the summer rather than trying to prise them away from their current stomping grounds in January for a nominal fee.
For some clubs, it may simply be a case of triggering a short-term extension or finalising protracted negotiations over a renewal in order to avoid losing one of their star performers. For outcasts with one eye on the exit door, agents will be working around the clock to find them a new home.
Here, Sports Mole takes a closer look at some of the esteemed players who have now entered the final six months of their existing deals and are free to speak with foreign teams at their leisure.
"I am very happy to have signed this new contract and very proud that I can continue my career here," Soucek told the Hammers' website.
"It has been four years since I joined West Ham United and I have enjoyed every moment. Coming to England was a new experience for me and we have been successful in the time that I have been here.
"We have won a trophy, had good results in the Premier League, and I am happy with myself, that I have played nearly every minute, and I feel that the fans appreciate me here.
"This was a big part of the reason that I wanted to extend my contract with West Ham, because I feel that this is my home now, and I want to achieve even more in the future with this great Club."
Manager David Moyes added: "We are all pleased that Tomáš has signed a new contract. He has been a fantastic servant for West Ham United in his four years at the Club so far.
"Tomáš did a magnificent job to help us avoid relegation when he first arrived here in 2020, and since then he has played a major part in the progress we have made and the success we have enjoyed.
"He is a model professional, gives absolutely everything for his team every time he steps on the pitch, and is a hugely popular character, loved by the players, staff and everyone at the Club.
"We look forward to continuing to work with Tomáš and wish him more success in his future career with West Ham United."
"I am delighted to have the opportunity to extend my stay here and keep wearing the Forest badge with pride," Toffolo told the official Nottingham Forest website.
Manchester United and Manchester City have supposedly both made contact with Lille to discuss a potential deal for teenage defender Leny Yoro.
The 18-year-old - who came through the Dogues academy ranks - is already a key player for Paulo Fonseca, registering three goals and one assist in 37 first-team appearances.
All three of Yoro's efforts for Lille have come during a breakthrough 2023-24 campaign, in which he has made 15 starts in Ligue 1 and a further three in the Europa Conference League.
Lille went through their Conference League group-stage campaign unbeaten thanks to the efforts of Yoro, an aerially dominant defender at 6ft 3in tall, and he has also earned four caps for France's Under-21s.
Manchester United centre-back Raphael Varane allegedly feels that he is being forced out of Old Trafford.
After playing a fundamental role in the Red Devils' success in the 2022-23 campaign alongside Lisandro Martinez, Varane has endured a much more frustrating season under Erik ten Hag this time around.
The former Real Madrid centre-back began the season strongly, netting the only goal in his side's 1-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers on the opening Premier League weekend, but he often found himself on the bench following a minor injury in September.
Even with Martinez struggling with a recurrence of his foot injury, Varane fell behind Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof and the returning Jonny Evans in the pecking order, purportedly to his chagrin.
Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain have confirmed the signing of 20-year-old centre-back Lucas Beraldo from Sao Paulo.
The 2003-born defender has penned a four-and-a-half-year deal with Les Parisiens until the end of the 2027-28 season and becomes their first signing of the January transfer window.
PSG are believed to have forked out a fixed fee of €20m (£17.4m) with no add-ons to sign Beraldo, who will wear the number 35 shirt during his time at the Parc des Princes.
"I'm really happy to be joining a club as ambitious as Paris Saint-Germain. This is an important step in my career and one that will help me to move forward. I can't wait to get to know my new teammates and to take my first steps in this shirt," Beraldo told the official PSG website.
Chelsea have reportedly sent scouts to run the rule over Girona striker Artem Dovbyk.
The La Liga outfit have made an unforeseen phenomenal start to the 2023-24 campaign, amassing 45 points from their first 18 matches to sit second in the table, only behind Real Madrid on goal difference.
The contributions of Ukrainian attacker Dovbyk have been instrumental in Girona's exceptional start to the new term, with the 26-year-old netting 11 goals and providing five assists in 17 top-flight matches.
Dovbyk sits joint-third in the La Liga scoring charts with Atletico Madrid's Antoine Griezmann, while only Getafe's Borja Mayoral (12) and Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham (13) have netted more.
Seventeen-year-old River Plate starlet Claudio Echeverri has reportedly given the green light to a six-year deal with Manchester City.
The Premier League, European and world champions are understood to have shaken hands with their Argentinian counterparts on a £21.7m deal for Echeverri, who was also on Chelsea and Real Madrid's radar.
Echeverri - who will celebrate his 18th birthday on Tuesday - will remain in his homeland before linking up with Man City in December 2024, and according to Fabrizio Romano, the two clubs are exchanging the paperwork at present.
The journalist adds that Echeverri has agreed a six-year contract at the Etihad Stadium, which will keep him on the books with Pep Guardiola's side until 2030.
Hull City have reportedly verbally agreed a loan deal for Burnley attacker Manuel Benson for the remainder of the 2023-24 campaign.
The 26-year-old was one of Vincent Kompany's first signings at Turf Moor in the summer of 2022, joining from Belgian Pro League outfit Royal Antwerp for an undisclosed fee on a four-year contract.
Despite not always featuring in the starting XI, Benson helped the Clarets to the Championship title last campaign, scoring 11 goals and providing three assists in 33 second-tier appearances.
Game time has been even harder to come by for the Belgian this term - although an injury sustained in September is partly to blame - with the winger making just four Premier League appearances for the newly-promoted strugglers.
Manchester United midfielder Donny van de Beek has joined Eintracht Frankfurt on loan for the remainder of the 2023-24 season.
The Dutchman will spend at least the next six months with the Bundesliga outfit, who are set to pay an undisclosed loan fee while also forking out a large chunk of his pay packet.
Frankfurt are also said to possess the option to sign Van de Beek permanently at the end of the season for €11m (£9.6m), which could rise to €14m (£12.2m) with performance-related add-ons.
Van de Beek's arrival in Germany was hailed by Frankfurt's sporting director Markus Krosche, who told the club's website: "Donny van de Beek fits our game idea perfectly and is an important piece of the puzzle for our team.
Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Pape Sarr has reportedly agreed a new six-year contract with the North London giants.
The Senegal international burst onto the scene with Metz before penning a permanent deal with Spurs in the summer of 2021, although he spent the 2021-22 season back on loan with Les Grenats.
After linking up with his new Lilywhites teammates at Hotspur Way, Sarr struggled to get into Antonio Conte's good books, finding himself behind Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Oliver Skipp and Rodrigo Bentancur in the midfield pecking order.
Sarr made just 17 appearances in his first season at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium - including a mere two Premier League starts - but he has been given a new lease of life under Ange Postecoglou in 2023-24.
"Tete comes with some great references and done very well from his time spent playing in Finland so I'm pleased to be able to add him to the group," Livingston manager David Martindale told the club's website.
"It's a difficult window to attract players to a club but it has been made even more difficult considering our league position, so it speaks volumes for the player and his attitude that he is embracing the challenge we face as a club.
"I'm really happy that we have managed to bring in a much needed offensive option, albeit I hope that we can add a further player in this area in the window too.
"Ipswich Town have been very helpful and done all they can to help facilitate the transfer. The player comes in with a large sell on for Ipswich Town and a small contingency built in if we can manage to retain our Premiership status next season.
"I want to thank John McIlvogue, John Ward and Dave Black who have all went above and beyond to find the finances for Tete to become a Livingston player in this window."
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| Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | PTS | |
| 1 | Liverpool | 19 | 12 | 6 | 1 | 39 | 16 | 23 | 42 |
| 2 | Aston Villa | 20 | 13 | 3 | 4 | 43 | 27 | 16 | 42 |
| 3 | Manchester CityMan City | 19 | 12 | 4 | 3 | 45 | 21 | 24 | 40 |
| 4 | Arsenal | 20 | 12 | 4 | 4 | 37 | 20 | 17 | 40 |
| 5 | Tottenham HotspurSpurs | 20 | 12 | 3 | 5 | 42 | 29 | 13 | 39 |
| 6 | West Ham UnitedWest Ham | 19 | 10 | 3 | 6 | 33 | 30 | 3 | 33 |
| 7 | Manchester UnitedMan Utd | 20 | 10 | 1 | 9 | 22 | 27 | -5 | 31 |
| 8 | Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton | 19 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 38 | 33 | 5 | 30 |
| 9 | Newcastle UnitedNewcastle | 19 | 9 | 2 | 8 | 37 | 25 | 12 | 29 |
| 10 | Chelsea | 20 | 8 | 4 | 8 | 34 | 31 | 3 | 28 |
| 11 | Wolverhampton WanderersWolves | 20 | 8 | 4 | 8 | 30 | 31 | -1 | 28 |
| 12 | Bournemouth | 19 | 7 | 4 | 8 | 28 | 35 | -7 | 25 |
| 13 | Fulham | 20 | 7 | 3 | 10 | 28 | 35 | -7 | 24 |
| 14 | Crystal Palace | 20 | 5 | 6 | 9 | 22 | 29 | -7 | 21 |
| 15 | Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest | 20 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 24 | 35 | -11 | 20 |
| 16 | Brentford | 19 | 5 | 4 | 10 | 26 | 31 | -5 | 19 |
| 17 | Everton | 20 | 8 | 2 | 10 | 24 | 28 | -4 | 16 |
| 18 | Luton TownLuton | 19 | 4 | 3 | 12 | 23 | 37 | -14 | 15 |
| 19 | Burnley | 20 | 3 | 2 | 15 | 20 | 41 | -21 | 11 |
| 20 | Sheffield UnitedSheff Utd | 20 | 2 | 3 | 15 | 15 | 49 | -34 | 9 |
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