The January transfer window is in full swing, with Premier League clubs moving swiftly to secure their targets. The headline deal sees Manchester City poised to officially announce the arrival of a new forward, while other top-flight sides are also active in the market.
Major Move: Semenjo Completes Manchester City Switch
Antoine Semenyo is expected to be confirmed as a Manchester City player today after successfully passing a medical and agreeing to a long-term contract. The 26-year-old Bournemouth forward landed in Manchester early on Thursday to finalise the move.
The transfer is valued at £62.5 million, with City set to pay the fee over two years. The deal includes a further £1.5 million in potential add-ons, and Bournemouth have secured a 10% sell-on clause for any future profit. Semenyo has committed to a five-and-a-half-year deal at the Etihad Stadium.
City's business may not stop there, as they remain in talks over a January deal for Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi. Palace are reportedly willing to sell now for the right price, rather than risk losing the 25-year-old England international on a free transfer in the summer. Liverpool, Arsenal, and Bayern Munich are also interested but prefer a summer move.
Midfield and Defensive Moves Across the League
Elsewhere, newly-promoted Ipswich Town are looking to bolster their squad, having made an enquiry for Fulham midfielder Tom Cairney. The experienced 33-year-old is out of contract at Craven Cottage this summer.
In defence, former Crystal Palace captain Joel Ward is poised to join Swansea City. The 36-year-old free agent is set to sign a short-term deal with the Championship club. Furthermore, Chelsea winger Leo Castledine is heading to Middlesbrough in a transfer worth up to £2m, with Chelsea inserting a substantial sell-on clause.
Striker Searches and Loan Deals Dominate Agenda
The hunt for attacking talent is intensifying. Aston Villa are in talks to sign 16-year-old Metz striker Brian Madjo in a deal that could eventually be worth around £10m. The 6ft 4ins forward, who has represented England at U17 level, has drawn comparisons to Romelu Lukaku.
Nottingham Forest have added Brighton's Evan Ferguson to their list of striker targets. The Irishman, currently on loan at Roma, is alongside Wolves’s Jorgen Strand Larsen and Napoli's Lorenzo Lucca on Forest's radar. Meanwhile, Wolves defender Emmanuel Agbadou is a loan target for Turkish side Besiktas.
Southampton, busy after securing goalkeeper Daniel Peretz on loan from Bayern Munich, have accepted a bid in the region of £5m from QPR for defender Ronnie Edwards. In other loan news, Manchester City winger Emilio Lawrence is in talks to join Luton Town, and Celtic are interested in taking Birmingham City forward Kyogo Furuhashi on a temporary deal.
The coming days promise further activity as clubs across the UK look to strengthen their squads during this critical mid-season window.
