Barcelona and Real Madrid scouts were spotted at Liverpool’s Anfield on Sunday, watching Erling Haaland as he opened the scoreline in a 3‑0 win over Liverpool. The two Spanish giants have been monitoring the Norwegian striker’s progress for some time, especially after their own clubs faced a guilty verdict on a host of financial charges. While the focus was on Haaland, Barcelona also kept an eye on defender Ronald Araújo, who is on loan at Liverpool, and Real Madrid were reportedly checking out Liverpool midfielders Alexis Mac Allister and Florian Wirtz.
Meanwhile, Chelsea have expressed growing confidence that they will secure AFC Bournemouth midfielder Alex Scott in the January transfer window. The 23‑year‑old, who has been reluctant to extend his contract with Bournemouth, is said to be unlikely to refuse a move to Stamford Bridge. Chelsea are reportedly willing to meet the Cherries’ asking price, which could be around £100 million, after Bournemouth rejected all summer interest.
In other transfer chatter, Borussia Dortmund have been pursuing 17‑year‑old Philadelphia Union striker Malik Jakupovic, who has attracted interest from Chelsea, RB Salzburg, Stuttgart and Eintracht Frankfurt. Dortmund’s initial €2‑3 million bid was turned down, but negotiations continue amid stiff competition.
Getafe are looking beyond the summer window, targeting free agents Dani Carvajal and Dani Parejo. Carvajal, a former Real Madrid right‑back, has already agreed a move and paperwork is being processed. The club is now eyeing Parejo, whose Villarreal contract expired last summer, and may continue to explore other free agents if needed.
Chelsea’s pursuit of a January replacement for Enzo Fernández has turned their attention to Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong. The Dutchman is currently injured but expected to return to fitness soon, which could complicate a move as Barça are keen to see him back in action. Reports suggest Chelsea would need at least £50 million to tempt the club into selling De Jong.
Other notable moves include Arsenal watching Michael Olise’s contract talks with Bayern Munich, Brighton & Hove Albion targeting RB Salzburg’s Bartosz Mazurek, and Napoli expressing interest in Union Berlin winger Livan Burcu. Borussia Dortmund retain the right to match any offer for Monaco striker Paris Brunner, while Lazio are eyeing 18‑year‑old Filippo Toscano from Serie D side Reggina. AC Milan are also working to offload 23‑year‑old midfielder Warren Bondo in January.
These developments suggest that the January transfer window will be busy, with several clubs eyeing high‑profile targets across Europe as they look to strengthen their squads for the remainder of the season.