Here We Go: Erling Haaland decision wanted by Dortmund, Juventus’ Paulo Dybala issue, Dusan Vlahovic update

Get ready for some surprises. We are over halfway through the January transfer market and many clubs will have to make important decisions in the near future. 

Juventus have a Dybala problem

Juventus have a problem with Paulo Dybala. Back in October, the Argentine reached a verbal agreement to extend his Juve contract until June 2026 — all set for a a €10 million net contract per season salary, add-ons included. For weeks it seemed like the only thing left to do was officially put pen to paper, but then Juventus asked Dybala to wait until the end of February and to be prepared to discuss modifications to the contract with different conditions (and figures) possibly up for negotiation. It’s why Dybala has shown some frustration as of late. For Juventus, the risk is high because his current contract expires on June 30, which means If no deal is reached, he could walk for northing. They’re approaching a risky situation in the coming weeks and months.

In the meantime, it is worth clarifying that Juventus have not made any official offers for Mauro Icardi. Paris Saint-Germain have not received any proposals for the Argentine and the expectation is that he could stay put until June. Otherwise, PSG would have to replace him and in a few days, which would not be easy to do given the timetable.

Martial pushes for Manchester United exit

Anthony Martial is a name that could intrigue many clubs, including Juventus. The player did not want to be in the squad for Manchester United against Aston Villa, and the situation is extremely tense because the club continues to demand that any team that takes him on loan needs to pay his entire salary until June plus a loan fee to let him leave. Martial is still hoping for it and he’s forcing the issue with the club. Beware of surprises in the next 10 days or so.

Haaland pressured by Borussia Dortmund

In an interview with ViaPlay Football, Erling Haaland, revealed that Borussia Dortmund are putting pressure on him to immediately decide his future. Haaland is not happy the club’s stance and would like to concentrate solely on football until April or May and then decide what he wants to do for his future. Dortmund instead want to understand if Haaland intends to leave the club in the summer so they can plan for the future. BVB have Karim Adeyemi of RB Salzburg in their sights as their first target should Haaland depart. And soon it will be time to decide, with Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester City (and keep an eye also on Paris Saint-Germain) in the race for the talented Norwegian striker. Don’t expect any sudden surprises in January — all eyes will on the summer window.

De Jong won’t leave Barcelona in January

Frenkie de Jong is not expected leave Barcelona in January unless something totally crazy happens. Rumors of a Chelsea offer are unconfirmed and the intention is for the club to keep de Jong at least until the end of the current season. 

Lille stand firm on Botman

The same goes for Sven Botman despite Newcastle offering up to €40 million to convince Lille to sell the Dutch defender immediately. Lille’s message was clear, however, spanning from “No way” to “Untouchable” to “see you next summer.”

Barcelona, Bayern keen on Chelsea’s Christiansen

Andreas Christensen’s situation is a tad complicated because he still has not reached an agreement with Chelsea to renew his contract. Barcelona and Bayern Munich both have great interest in Christensen if he does not re-sign with Chelsea. The London club proposed a deal last August but Christiansen still has not accepted it.

Arsenal want to convince Vlahovic to move now

Soon it will be time to get answers about Dusan Vlahovic. The feeling is that he will hardly be able to leave in January because he prefers to wait for the summer and bring Fiorentina back to Europe, but Arsenal are trying in every way to convince Vlahovic and in particular his agents to speed up their preferred timetable. But it’s not easy. It never is in the January transfer window.