With the January transfer window coming to an end this week, Premier League clubs are racing against time to plug the gaps left by mid-season injuries and lack of form. Here are the top names who could be making a late switch this weekend.

Arsenal look to loan out Ainsley Maitland-Niles

With manager Mikel Arteta looking to trim his squad, which saw the likes of Sokratis Papastathopoulos, Sead Kolasinac and Mesut Ozil leaving Arsenal this winter, Ainsley Maitland-Niles is reportedly on his out his way out of the Emirates as well.

The academy star has largely been a utility player for the North-London side, plying his trade as a full-back and in the midfield occasionally. However, with Arteta preferring Cedric Soares as the back-up left-back of late, Niles�?time looks to be up.

With England manager Gareth Southgate clarifying that he will only pick players who are playing consistently, 23-year-old AMN has grown desperate for chances elsewhere. Arsenal are reportedly in discussions with other clubs over a loan deal.

Niles has started just five Premier League game this season after a promising end to the last season, where he held the left flank well behind Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang to win the FA Cup for Arsenal.

Having already got a call-up from the national team in August last year, Niles has been closely monitored by Wolverhampton Wanderers and Atletico Madrid.

Chelsea making late move for David Alaba

Bringing in Thomas Tuchel midseason meant that the Chelsea board are willing to shell out quids for the second time in six months after a heavy summer investment in August. Shoring up the leaky defence will be Tuchel’s first job and he looks to do that by getting in David Alaba.

The Austrian international looks set on leaving Bayern Munich next summer as a free agent after 13 glorious years in Bundesliga, which includes nine Bundesliga titles, six Pokal crowns and two Champions League titles in over 400 appearances.

Though Alaba has been previously linked with a move to Real Madrid heavily, nothing has been finalized yet and Chelsea will look to capitalize on this uncertainty to get him on loan for the next few months. Chelsea face Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Champions League round of 16, a challenge that Alaba will relish.

Jese Lingard to West Ham United

With Ole Gunnar Solsjkaer finally finding his starting eleven, who are getting the job done time and again, Jesse Lingard seems to have no place in Old Trafford anymore. The player has failed to make a single Premier League appearance this season.

A move away from Old Trafford has been boiling the entire summer for Lingard with the player rejecting advances from Newcastle United and West Bromwich Albion before West Ham United came knocking.

Under former Manchester United manager David Moyes, the Hammers have flourished in the Premier League this season as they sit fifth in the EPL points table. Lingard could reportedly have his medical in Manchester before travelling to London and be ready for his debut against Liverpool on Sunday.

The 28-year-old England international could cost more than £3m in the loan deal, taking into account his loan fee and wages.

Feature Image Courtesy: AFP/ Alastair Grant

Mesut Ozil's eventual departure to Fenerbahce has obviously been the biggest story of the ongoing transfer market, but there are two more weeks left in the winter transfer window. With more than 10 days still to go, there's plenty of room for the deals to happen. Today, we bring you three transfer stories that have been catching the limelight of late.

Arsenal considering move for Manor Solomon

Now that Mesut Ozil is no longer an Arsenal player, reports have emerged that the Gunners are considering a move for Shakhtar Donetsk winger Manor Solomon. As per Football London, Israeli 'super agent' Pini Zahavi is already in talks with Arsenal technical director Edu after offering the young winger to the team's former head of football Raul Sanllehi in May 2020. Sanllehi's eventual departure left the deal in tantrums, but a long connection between Zahavi and Edu might see Arsenal moving for Solomon.

Note that Zahavi does not represent Solomon and the former will rather be acting as an intermediary. There are claims that the deal may broker in January itself, but the player will join his new team during the summer transfer window to be a part of Arsenal's pre-season campaign. 

Sheffield United want Jesse Lingard

Jesse Lingard's future at Manchester United continues to be the talk of the town. After the rumours with a potential move to the Ligue 1 side Nice settled down, reports have it that Chris Wilder's Sheffield United are trying to acquire the attacking midfielder in the ongoing January transfer window. As per the Sheffield Star, Wilder is keen on improving his team's fortune and has identified Lingard as one of the two players that he wants to bring in on loan. Lingard has strongly been linked with a move away from Old Trafford but it is said that he is reluctant on joining a side that is fighting relegation.

Sheffield, currently, sit at the bottom of the Premier League table having won just one of their 19 league games so far. Yet the advisors have told Lingard that signing for Wilder won't affect his chances of sealing a high profiles move in the summer.

No contact for Declan Rice

West Ham United manager David Moyes has confirmed that neither Chelsea nor Manchester United have contacted the Hammers asking for the availability of their star midfielder Declan Rice. Though sources have reported that Ole Gunnar-Solskjaer's team has joined the Blues in the race to acquire the in-demand midfielder, Moyes has said that none of the teams have made an actual move yet.

"We've had no contact from either of those clubs regarding Declan and we wouldn't want any anyway," Moyes told Amazon Prime.

"He's doing great for us, he's a big leader now, he's taken a lot of the weight off Mark Noble. He's turning out to be a really good player but also a really good boy and good around the club." 

Rice has started all of West Ham's 18 league games this season but a move away is highly touted, if not in the ongoing window then definitely during the summer. It has been quoted that West Ham will demand as much as £70million for their midfielder.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Martin Meissner

It has been two months since the 2019/20 Premier League was suspended due to the coronavirus. And while things haven’t changed much, the English top-flight is gearing up for a return in June as ‘Project Restart�?continues to gather pace.

With 92 games still remaining, the title race may be a foregone conclusion, but there is still plenty left to play for, as teams battle for the European qualifying spots while the relegation dogfight is far from decided.

In addition, with the transfer window not very far away, some of the players will be fighting for their futures at the club. We look at three of the biggest Premier League stars that will need to step up a notch when the season resumes in order to keep their jobs.

Tanguy Ndombele (Tottenham Hotspur)

Signed for a club-record transfer fee of £55 million, Tanguy Ndombele arrived to Tottenham Hotspur with a lot of expectations riding on him, but he has hardly been able to live up to them. The 23-year-old Frenchman started well, but recurring injuries kept hampering his growth into a regular at the club.

When given chances, Ndombele has underwhelmed, and as a result, been on the receiving end of some harsh criticism from manager Jose Mourinho. There have been speculations that all is not well between the Frenchman and his coach, leading to questions over his future.

Read | Who is Odsonne Edouard, tipped to replace Aubameyang at Arsenal?

There have been rumours of interest from Barcelona and PSG, but Ndombele is believed to be keen on proving himself at Tottenham. However, if he does not make a huge impact once the campaign resumes, the Frenchman could be staring at the exit doors just a year after he joined Spurs.

Jesse Lingard (Manchester United)

A key member of Manchester United under Jose Mourinho and in the early stages of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s spell, Jesse Lingard’s stock has nosedived quite rapidly over the past year. And time is running out for the Manchester United academy graduate to save his career at Old Trafford.

Lingard hasn’t scored a single goal in the Premier League since December 2018. While Solskjaer afforded the England international plenty of changes during the first half of the 2019/20 season, Lingard has pretty much fallen out of favour since the turn of the year. In 2020, the 27-year-old hasn’t started single one of United’s nine league matches, and has been left out of the matchday squad for five of those.

There have been reports of interest from Italy, while a few Premier League clubs are also looking at the Englishman. A United man through and through, Lingard will be intent on prolonging his stay at the club, but for that to happen, he will need to up his game in the backend of the season.

Ross Barkley (Chelsea)

For years, the England international has been hailed as one of the finest talents in the country. But season after season, Ross Barkley continues to underwhelm. It has been the case this term too, although injuries have held him back. The 26-year-old has featured in just 13 league matches, scoring no goals, although he has three assists.

Read | Five players who could don the red of North London next season

Frank Lampard has a plethora of options in the centre of the park already, and with Ruben Loftus-Cheek back to full fitness, there will be even more competition for places in central midfield. With the transfer budget likely to be affected, the manager may have to offload a few players to generate funds to sign his targets.

Such a situation would put Barkley’s position in further threat. At 26, the former Evertonian has his best years ahead of him. And prior to the season getting suspended, he had been in decent form. The Englishman needs to knuckle down and put in a series of consistent, impressive performances if he is to remain a Chelsea player beyond this season.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Oli Scarff

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author's and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of SportsAdda.

An astounding report from the UK has emerged which states that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Manchester United are ready to offer Jesse Lingard plus an extra plus £45 million fee to Leicester City to acquire James Maddison in the January transfer window.

It is said that Manchester United are in the hunt of a creative midfielder this month, and have made Maddison their prime target. The 23-year-old Englishman, who has been a vital figure for the Foxes this season, is enjoying a fine run of form under Brendan Rodgers, having scored six goals and three assists in 20 English Premier League outings.

Read | Why Manchester United opted against signing Erling Haaland

The report further claims Solskjaer is convinced that Maddison is the man who can solve United’s midfield worries, and are willing to offer him a contract worth £150,000 a week. The other part of the deal includes Lingard being sent to the Foxes. The 27-year-old attacking midfielder has had his struggles in 2019 as he completed his calendar year with no goals and no assists. He was in the starting XI against Arsenal recently but was taken off even before the hour’s mark.

It is safe to assume that it will take more than what United are offering to take Maddison from Leicester. That coupled with Rodgers�?recent comments on his team’s transfer happenings further adds a full stop to the speculation.

“Nobody will leave here that we don’t want to go,�?the Leicester manager said this week.

“I think we’ve had a couple of enquiries in terms of loans and for some of our younger players.

“But the players that are always talked about and mentioned, there will be nobody going.�?/p>

The fans, on the other hand, are going absolutely crazy about the news and this is how they are reacting to it:

Why do they think any these teams would actually want Lingard ? If they are going to replace Maddison they will find a better player then Lingard, be lucky if he stood out in the championship

�?Scott Purdie (@Scojototo) January 5, 2020

Leicester city when Man utd table £45m + Jesse Lingard for James Maddison... pic.twitter.com/KmMeT2bRqb

�?LORD HAVE MERCY (@oolumide_) January 5, 2020

Surplus Jesse Lingard and money can't afford a cherish playmaker in Maddison not even the entire Man Utd

�?ODONKOR KEN LOUIS (@Luiz0942010830) January 5, 2020

Leicester rejected #mufc bid for Maddison and said they want £25 million for their star midfielder and wanted #mufc to give Jesse Lingard a fresh contract for 5 more years //t.co/4vrqpUqyX9

�?uewsn_afc (@UsmanMazher4) January 5, 2020

United fans shipping Lingard off so they can get Maddison pic.twitter.com/qCUJjic0uA

�?UnitedZone (@UnitedZone24) January 4, 2020

Manchester United bidding £45 million plus Lingard for James Maddison is up there with Arsenal offering Liverpool £40 million and an additional one dollars to trigger Luis Suarez’s 40 million release clause.

�?Ugbedeojo (@Certifiedopeboi) January 4, 2020

Leicester have reportedly rejected Man United’s £45m + Lingard bid for James Maddison. They’ve asked for just the £45m instead.

�?Therese (@ThereseUTD) January 4, 2020

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Oli Scarff, Glyn Kirk

It’s time! Where is Lionel Messi? Has anyone seen Messi? He needs to be on the stage in 30 seconds. 

Wait! Who? Isn’t Paul Pogba winning the Ballon d’Or this time?

Have you completely lost it? Messi is the best player on the planet. 

Wait! Where am I? *shimmering around*

Welcome to a world without Messi. In this world, we commemorate Pogba for his incessantly bizarre hairstyles and give away the prize to keep him away from the game for as long as possible. You really think he’s injured, don’t you? No son! We promised him this honour at the start of this season and he agreed, faking his injury to make it count.  

The journalists from across the universe came together to choose a man who is not the influence we need on our kids while growing up. Have you seen his hair? Argh! This is our way of keeping him at bay from the limelight and away from the pitch. 

We have rewarded him with the prestigious Ballon d’Or to keep his services limited to him. 

Thank you for staying away, Paul!  

Paul Pogba's New Hairstyle is Lit @paulpogba#paulpogba #newhairstyle #pogba #france #manunited pic.twitter.com/VIQRgA662B

�?Score Football (@Score_Football_) December 14, 2017

Don’t get me wrong, he is still one of the good ones. But as one wise man said before, ‘You got to look the part as well.�?Guess Paul didn’t receive that memo. 

Hell! 

You have to appreciate the gutsy approach that this guy carries so effortlessly and the spat with Manchester United’s ex-manager, Jose Mourinho about why it took so long for him to reach the training, only because he was getting a new look done, is beyond our comprehension.

Bonnes fêtes à tous @ManUtd #manutd @equipedefrance #fiersdetrebleus @adidasfootball #heretocreate pic.twitter.com/njyGT01AHf

�?Paul Pogba (@paulpogba) December 26, 2018

Anyway, we all love a good story and we wanted to recognize it with the grandest prize in football.  

Lingard lifts the ‘Kopa’�?/strong>

Ageless, definitive, spell-binding and leading at an age where people even struggle to find a mentor, Jesse Lingard is a solid proof that once you go around, you have to lock it down. Can you imagine leading Manchester United in the Europa League? Oh, the pressure on the poor chap!  

Honestly I'm Team CR7 but Jesse Lingard deserve this award, He's never bottled any trophy throughout his career, a very talented young prodigy.. Congrats Lingo #BallonDor2019 pic.twitter.com/mEe8RyLK73

�?Mr GTA Ayaman (@TheIronTheIroko) December 2, 2019

The lad is brimming with unparalleled confidence and will surely be one of the greats in the future.

It's 2078 :

Commentator: That young lad Jesse Lingard starts for Manchester United Legends in a testimonial match against Barcelona Legends and will be a great prospect for the future!! pic.twitter.com/lfmfjxqQS2

�?Manish khichar (@manishkhichar96) November 26, 2019

Given his social media presence, he has the support of the fans who adore every bit of his theatrics. He is surely a trendsetter and at his age and we couldn’t help calling the veteran World Cup winner, Kylian Mbappe to present him the Kopa trophy.  

You shall not pass

Can you imagine keeping a clean sheet in the UEFA Champions League along with a 100% save rate? How can you overlook such an astonishing accomplishment between the posts? But one man, Kyle Walker made us believe in the unimaginable. He led us down that path and showed us that greatness lies in sustaining belief in your coach and the almighty. We are with you Kyle on this one. 

You do deserve all the glory in the world and the ‘Yashine Trophy�?will be secured in the comfort of your home in Manchester or any of your beach houses if that’s where you want it. 

£50m Kyle Walker becomes the third most expensive goalkeeper of all time

�?Adam Hurrey (@FootballCliches) November 6, 2019

Josip Ilicic, Atalanta’s midfielder expressed his difficulties when he saw Walker keeping for Manchester City who clearly told the media that how tough it is for the opponents to score when Walker is at the post.  

Clean sheets in the Champions League this season:

Adrián + Alisson: 0
Hugo Lloris: 0
Kyle Walker: 1#ATAMCI. pic.twitter.com/k7ktXlhx4m

�?Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) November 6, 2019

Pep Guardiola has made some changes in the squad and has announced that Walker will be his first-choice goalkeeper going forward and the Spanish manager will tend to rely on him at every given chance. When called for a comment on his win at the Ballon d’Or ceremony, Walker declined to answer, citing he was busy keeping his house safe.

Feature image & Article Image courtesy: AFP / Franck Fife