Transfer Rumours: Ndombele to Man City, Dias to Man Utd, Fornals to Arsenal & More

In theory, this should be the quietest time of year for transfer speculation. A fixture-packed February means the January window seems like a distant memory, and we still have another three months to wait before any new deals can be confirmed. 

Nontheless, the rumour mill has persisted, and we have a fresh dose of rumoury goodness to offer up from this week's headlines. Have a look!

Celtic Planning Move for Out of Favour Chelsea Defender

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Although Chelsea's forthcoming transfer embargo has triggered renewed hopes for some of the 40 (forty) players they have out on loan at present, it's expected the Blues will cash in on most of them in the summer, with new FIFA regulations set to drastically restrict the amount of players a club can have out on loan at any one time.

One who seems likely to be on the move is defender Tomas Kalas, who looks a long way off being first team ready despite some impressive performances in the Championship with Bristol City, and the Daily Record report that he could be on the move north of the border to Scottish Champions Celtic. 

The claim is that Neil Lennon - who replaced Brendan Rodgers on an interim basis - is looking to recruit for next season despite only being contracted til the summer, and sees Kalas as an ideal replacement for Dedryck Boyata, who has been tipped to link up with his former boss at Leicester. 

Manchester City Lead United and Spurs in Race for Tanguy Ndombele

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Lyon midfielder Tanguy Ndombele has rapidly become one of Europe's hottest prospects over the course of the season so far, and he has been linked to varying degrees with everyone from Liverpool to Barcelona since the summer. 

The latest story surrounding the 22-year-old comes courtesy of The Express, who say that Manchester City have taken the lead in the race to secure his signature, with Pep Guardiola keen to add a new holding midfielder, after recently missing out on Jorginho and Fred.

Rivals Manchester United and Tottenham are thought to still be in the chase, but it's City who are favourites to get a £50m move over the line.

Manchester United Scouting Benfica Centre-Back Ruben Dias

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Over in the red side of Manchester, it seems Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is planning for the future despite his own being up in the air, as it's been reported that United have stepped up their pursuit of Benfica defender Ruben Dias after travelling to Croatia to watch him against Dinamo Zagreb. 

This one's from The Sun, who say that the 21-year-old could be the first step in a defensive overhaul as United look to address the issues that have plagued them under Jose Mourinho and sporadically under Solskjaer.

He's Benfica's captain this season, and has already managed six caps for Portugal at senior level, so possesses a pretty impressive pedigree at such a young age.

Wolves to Activate Raul Jimenez's £30m Release Clause

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It looks as if it could be a pretty financially illustrious summer for the Portuguese league leaders, as reports from Portugal claim Wolves are set to secure the permanent signing of target-man Raul Jimenez, who has been a revelation since joining on loan from Benfica in the summer. 

The 27-year-old scored his 14th of the season against Chelsea at the weekend, and Record claim Wolves are about to meet his release clause to bring him in - earlier reported to be around £30m. 

It could serve as the latest show of ambition from Wolves, who have so far made a serious mark in their maiden Premier League season under Nuno Santo. 

Real Madrid Winger Speaks Out on Proposed Transfer to Ajax

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Real Madrid winger Martin Odegaard is finally beginning to show what he can do on a consistent basis in the Eredevisie, with his most recent loan spell with Vitesse his most successful yet, and he's been frequently linked with a move to Ajax in the summer as a result. 

He's been touted for a £20m move to his parent club's Champions League conquerors, but the 20-year-old has said he hopes Real won't demand that price. 

"I think that's too much money. I do not think that I have to cost so much money," he said, via De Telegraaf, when asked about the move. "But my agent talks to the people in Madrid and I hear later what comes from that."

Arsenal to Rival Napoli for Villareal Midfielder

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To round things off, we've got a nice juicy bit of Arsenal transfer news, as reports from Italy speculate that the Gunners are the 'likeliest competition' to Napoli for the signing of Villareal midfielder Pablo Fornals.

The claim from CalcioNapoli24 is that Napoli have already reached a deal with the Spanish club, and tabled an offer of around €1.5m per month to tempt him to the coast of Spain, but it's thought Arsenal could easily compete if a deal is struck.

A release clause between €26-30m is talked about depending on who you believe, so he could become the Gunners' latest creative force for a reasonable price.