Ex-Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri could raid his former club for Callum Hudson-Odoi.

The winger has been in and out of the side under Thomas Tuchel and could look to move away in search of more regular football.

Sarri, now at Lazio in Serie A, is said to be keen on a reunion with the 21-year-old according to Tuttosport.

Mikel Arteta could look to Brighton’s Tariq Lamptey as he continues to reshape Arsenal’s squad.

The 21-year-old former Chelsea man has impressed since leaving Stamford Bridge for the south coast and has apparently now caught the eye of Arteta.

The Gunners signed Takehiro Tomiyasu in that position in the summer but could be keen on more depth with Lamptey perhaps seen as a more attack-minded option on the right side of defence.

Arsenal did business with Brighton for England international Ben White in the summer.

Liverpool are the latest club to join the race for Ajax starlet Ryan Gravenberch.

That’s according to Spanish newspaper Marca.

The 19-year-old midfielder is one of most-wanted young players in Europe with the likes of Manchester United, Real Madrid and Barcelona all linked in recent times.

Ajax are keen to tie him down beyond his current contract that expires in 2023 but Liverpool are one of those hoping to convince him his future lies elsewhere.

Liverpool have also been linked with AC Milan and Ivory Coast midfielder Franck Kessie, who is out of contract at the San Siro club at the end of the season.

The 25-year-old midfielder has been a regular for Milan as the club have returned to the Champions League and topped the Serie A table this year.

Italian outlet Ansa reports that Liverpool have made a contract offer to Kessie ahead of the midfielder becoming a free agent next summer.

Kieran Trippier is set to return to the Premier League with Newcastle United leading the race to sign the England international from Atletico Madrid.

Manchester United showed interest in the right-back last summer but pulled out over a potential deal after refusing to meet Atletico’s asking price.

Now Newcastle are set to beat competition for the 31-year-old and are in “advanced talks” to sign Trippier in January, according to the Manchester Evening News.

Trippier, who won LaLiga with Atletico last season, is said to be keen on a return to England following his move to Spain from Tottenham in 2019.

Romelu Lukaku has told Thomas Tuchel that he remains committed to Chelsea and will not push for a move.

That is despite his controversial interview in which he admitted to being “not happy” at the club.

But after meeting the manager and the club on Monday, the Times report that Lukaku is not eager to depart the European champions.

Newcastle have seen their interest in Lille’s Sven Botman knocked back.

The Telegraph report that the Magpies discussed a £30m fee with the French club.

But the Ligue 1 side have resisted the approach, pushing Eddie Howe’s side to look elsewhere for defensive reinforcements as he bids to spend the Saudi money this month in a bid to boost the club’s hopes of avoiding relegation.

The Magpies still hold out hope of reigniting interest, but Lille appear set to hold out for a huge fee for their 21-year-old Dutch centre-back.

Having brought you news of a setback in their pursuit of one defender earlier, Newcastle appear to be closer to completing the signing of another. A number of outlets, including The Guardian, suggest that a deal to sign Kieran Trippier from Atletico Madrid is moving ever nearer to completion, with a fee around £25 million mentioned.

Trippier was signed by Eddie Howe at Burnley, and the pair could be set for a reunion. Trippier could arrive at the club by the end of the week as the first major Newcastle signing since the Saudi-backed takeover on Tyneside.

“Kieran Trippier is an extraordinary footballer who has given us a lot and we will try to keep him,” said Atlético manager Diego Simeone when asked about the future of a player who has also been linked with Manchester United.

“We want him to stay, he’s an important player, but nowadays, when a player wants to leave, you can’t force them to stay. You can’t retain them.”

It hasn’t been the rosiest couple of years for Barcelona, but there are reasons for optimism for the Catalan club. Xavi appears to have provided a steadying influence, and is said to have played a key role in securing Ferran Torres’ signature from Manchester City, while the club’s financial state is in a significantly better state than the one that saw Lionel Messi forced to leave the club last summer.

Club president Joan Laporta was asked earlier about links with Erling Haaland, perhaps the prized commodity for Europe’s uber-rich, and had this to say: “We’re working to build a top team. Everything is possible if we do things well. And I’m sure we will.

“Top players are open to join Barça. We’re definitely recovering our status.”

As teased earlier, Ricardo Pepi has passed his final medical checks and signed on the dotted line to become an FC Augsburg player. An exciting signing for the German club - and an outstanding opportunity for one of the USA’s brightest homegrown starlets.