The winter transfer window is fast approaching and behind the scenes management is working hard to make the necessary adjustments. To ensure you don’t miss anything essential, Footnews takes stock every day.
In Jupiler Pro League
* The Bayern Munich attracts a young person from Standard.- The young sixteen-year-old striker from Standard René Mitongo MutebaBelgian U17 international, who scored five goals in as many matches in the Diablotins jersey, including a double against Kazakhstan (see Footnews: https://tinyurl.com/mr44ddzw) thus attracted the attention of foreign clubs.
He would now even be almost guaranteed to join Bayern Munich, seduced by his qualities, according to Football news (https://tinyurl.com/2ec2h9sw).
A transfer which will bring some financial resources to the Standardcar Mutebaunder contract until 2026, already has professional player status in Liège.
He joined Standard in the summer of 2020 from Ghent. He had previously also played Waasland-Beverenau Lierseau KSK Heistand at KV Malines.
Rene Muteba scored 3 goals in seven matches with the U18 Elite 1 this season.
The Belgian U17s face England on Friday (7 p.m.) at the Proximus Basecamp in Tubize.
With this transfer, the Standard sees one of its great hopes leaving for Germany, a departure which should materialize very soon, according to our sources.
Note that there is already a Muteba au Bayern U17: Eliasa German right-back of Angolan origin whose brother Eliot evolves to Munich 1860.
* Kevin Denkey is preparing to join Major League Soccer.- The Togolese international Cercle de Bruges Kevin Denkeyauthor of an exceptional 2023-2024 season, has chosen to take on a new challenge by committing to the FC Cincinnati.
The name of Kevin Denkey had circulated in numerous media during the last summer transfer window. European clubs were interested in his profile, particularly after his crown as top scorer in the Jupiler Pro League with 23 goals. Despite these requests, the Sparrowhawk ultimately decided to stay in Belgium.
A few months later, the scenario takes a completely different turn. THE Cercle de Bruges indeed accepted a tempting offer from FC Cincinnatiestimated at more than 15 million euros according to information from Newspaper. This transfer should bring in a record amount for the Belgian club.
Negotiations are in the final stages and a comprehensive agreement is expected by the end of the week. Kevin Denkeyaged 23, under contract with the Cercle de Bruges until June 2026, would currently receive a modest salary of 150,000 euros per year.
Its value is estimated at 14 million euros per Transfer market. Since the start of the season, the Lomé native has played 23 matches in all competitions, during which he scored 11 goals and provided 6 assists.
“It will be Belgium or nothing.” – “I no longer want to travel. The end seems near to me. There is a time to arrive and a time to leave”, admits lucidly Radja Nainggolan.
“Especially since I’m not going to get down on my knees to sign somewhere. It’s not my style. However, I would like to continue playing, and when I see the current level, I think I could still be in the blow for four years”, affirms the ex-Diable Rouge (36 years old, 30 caps, 6 goals).
“I still have the ambition to play in the Jupiler Pro League. I am sure I will always have the level. This is not to criticize the current players, because there are very good young talents. But I just want to play in Belgium…”
Nainggolan also notes that football has changed a lot, becoming dominated by money, with less importance given to performance.
“Football has become a business,” he says. “We recruit young players to sell them later. Clubs no longer think about winning, but about generating profits. Before, players stayed six or seven years in a team, now, we sell them after two years. is the reality of football today. Why are these foreign investors entering football? Half of them know nothing about this sport. Nainggolan.
“What I miss most of all is the locker room,” he concludes. “I’m not asking to play every match, but I could pass on my experience to the young people. Arthur Vermeeren (today at RB Leipzigeditor’s note) for example, declared after his transfer that he had learned a lot from me…”
* The Circle tests a Mexican midfielder.- Carlos Galiciaa 20-year-old Mexican midfielder playing in the Onlyis about to make the leap to the old continent.
In any case, he received an invitation from Cercle de Bruges who had been following him for several months, to carry out a two-week trial. .
Carlos Galicia made his first division debut on 4 November 2023, in a match againstAmericaalthough this is his only experience in Liga MX to date.
* An imminent outgoing transfer of 12 million euros to Ghent.- Archie Brown22 years old, is undoubtedly living his last months in Ghent. He will indeed most likely leave the club in 2025, but we do not yet know whether it will be in January or next summer. The leading Turkish club Fenerbahce could notably soon make an offer.
The team of Jose Mourinho had already applied for office last summer, but no agreement ever materialized. The Turks, however, continue to monitor the English left-back and a recruiter Fenerbahce was also present to observe Brown during last Sunday’s match against Standard (5-0).
The Turks know that they will have to pay dearly, because Ghent rclaims 12 million euros for his player bought 4 million euros from Lausanne-Sport in 2023.
Tottenham, West Ham United et Chelsea are also interested in his profile, and the player is still under contract until mid-2027.
Arnar Vidarsson is therefore in a position of strength. According to Transfer market, the market value of Brown amounts to 7 million euros. But Ghent can easily ask for much more.
* Vreven wants to come back.- The last mission of Stijn Vreven in Belgium ended a little less than a year ago, when he left Ostend in December 2023. The former Red Devil (51 years old, 2 caps) then chose to take on a major challenge in Lithuania, where he finally managed to narrowly save the FK Panevezysalthough crowned champion the previous season, from relegation.
But this was not enough to convince management to continue the partnership.
Despite the fact that the contract Vreven was still running until the end of 2025, the club announced its departure after just six months.
Vreven will therefore have to start looking for a new employer, which he hopes to find in Belgium, where he has already trained theEsperanza Neerpelttwice Dessel Sports, Lommel, Waasland-Beverenthe Beerschot-Wilrijk Lokeren et Ostend.
Abroad
* The Borussia Dortmund would track the little brother of Bellingham.- Jobe Bellinghamthe little brother of Judeis on the shelves of Borussia Dortmundreports The Sun (https://tinyurl.com/bdd33sws).
He is playing this season at Sunderlandco-leader of Championship, the English D2, which is aiming for a return to the Premier League after leaving the elite in 2017.
Having played through all the youth teams in the English selection, he played his first professional match at the age of 16 and a half, in January 2022 on behalf of Birminghamwhere he was trained like his big brother, against Preston.
Jude had left Birmingham pour Dortmund at 17 in 2020 and, after shining at Borussiahe joined the Real Madrid in 2023 for an amount of up to 115 million pounds (138 million euros).
The Sun claims that his younger brother Jobe19, is a target for the Bundesliga team, Sunderland asking around £20 million (€24 million) to give up his services.
Jobe scored nine goals and registered two assists in 60 appearances for Sunderland since his transfer from Birmingham in 2023.
It remains to be seen whether Dortmund will submit an offer when the January transfer window opens in early 2025.
* A young nuggetAjax in the crosshairs of the Reds.- The leaders of Liverpool would have ticked off the name of a young Dutch nugget for the next transfer window.
The recruitment of a central defender is one of the priorities of Liverpool. The English team would have activated a track on the Dutch side. According to The Athleticthe Reds who will sooner or later have to replace Virgil van Dijk swould indeed be closely interested in the profile of Jorrel Hato.
Aged 18, the latter currently belongs to theAjax Amsterdam.
Under contract until June 2028, he would also be covered by the Real Madrid. The native of Rotterdam would be valued at 45 million euros by his management.
The Dutch international has scored 3 goals and provided 4 assists in 20 appearances this season.
* The Real launched on the trail of the defenderArsenal.- The Real Madrid faces recurring problems on defense, caused by an excessive number of injuries and a lack of reinforcements. The Madrid club intends to remedy this situation.
He would have in fact targeted William Saliba d’Arsenal as his next starting central defender, according to Le10Sport (https://tinyurl.com/2ajbfuvv) Recruiting him this winter would be almost impossible, but the club plans to launch negotiations during the summer transfer window.
According to the source, A cross himself would be open to the idea of joining the Real Madriddriven by the desire to win trophies.
In the meantime, it is likely that in January, the Real signs another central defender to temporarily replace the prevented holder Eder Militaovictim of a ruptured cruciate knee ligament who will not play again this season, while an offensive for A cross would be launched this summer.
