The football transfer market has been buzzing again since January 1. blue Sport reports the most important changes and also serves up hot rumors.
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Hitz leaves FC Basel
Marwin Hitz is leaving FCB at the end of the season. In a published statement, the club writes: "At the training camp in Marbella, a discussion took place between Marwin Hitz and sporting director Daniel Stucki about the contract of our number 1, which expires in the summer. After careful consideration, Marwin Hitz has decided to end his adventure with FC Basel 1893 next summer and not to extend his contract."
Hitz addressed the fans in a statement: "This decision was anything but easy for me, because FC Basel has become incredibly dear to me personally, as well as to my family, over the past three years." Hitz moved from Borussia Dortmund to FCB in the summer of 2022 and won the double with the club last season. It is still unclear whether the player from eastern Switzerland will continue his career.
For FC Basel, however, the search for a successor begins. And many an FCB fan is probably dreaming of the return of Yann Sommer. Sommer's contract with Inter Milan also expires next summer.
At the age of 37, it would probably be the last possible time for him to return home. And if he were to play in Switzerland again, there is only one club that Sommer would consider, according to previous statements: "If it were to happen, it would be FC Basel." With his favorite club, the native of western Switzerland became Swiss champion four times and won the cup twice.
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SFV hit: Frei to become U21 national team coach
The Swiss Football Association is planning a coup: national team record goalscorer Alex Frei (42 goals) is to become the new coach of the U21 team, replacing the sacked Sascha Stauch. Talks between the SFA and Frei are at an advanced stage and he is expected to be on the sidelines as early as March 27 against the Faroe Islands.
The 46-year-old Frei, a former Rennes and Dortmund player and FC Basel legend, led FC Winterthur to the Super League as a coach. He gained further experience as sports director at FC Lucerne and as coach of Wil, Basel and Aarau.
![Will Alex Frei soon take over as coach of the U21 national team?]()
Will Alex Frei soon take over as coach of the U21 national team? Picture: blue -
Like father, like son: Ibrahimovic to Ajax Amsterdam
A quarter of a century after his father Zlatan Ibrahimovic, his son Maximilian is moving to Ajax Amsterdam. As the traditional Dutch club and the transferring club AC Milan announced, the 19-year-old striker will be loaned out until the end of the season. Milan was also a station in the great career of dad Zlatan.
His son Maximilian moved from Hammarby IF's youth academy to AC Milan's youth academy in 2022. He has been playing for the second team there for the last six months. Maximilian Ibrahimovic will mainly play for the U23s in the Netherlands. However, he is also expected to make the leap to the pros.
In order to see both his sons, his father will have to commute in future. Maximilian's brother Vincent continues to play in the Milan youth team, but has already signed a professional contract there.
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Altach hires former Winterthur coach
Ognjen Zaric, who was released from FC Winterthur in December 2024, has found a new club. The 36-year-old will become coach at SCR Altach.
The Serbian-Austrian dual national was assistant coach to Patrick Rahmen at FC Basel and later at FC Winterthur. He was appointed head coach for the first time in the 2024/25 season, but had to leave after 18 games with just three wins and four draws.
At Altach, Zaric succeeds Fabio Ingolitsch, who left the club near the Swiss border for Sturm Graz. Altach currently occupy 9th place among twelve teams in Austria's Bundesliga.
![The 36-year-old Ognjen Zaric was once assistant coach and then head coach at FC Winterthur.]()
The 36-year-old Ognjen Zaric was once assistant coach and then head coach at FC Winterthur. Keystone -
Official: Manchester City sign Semenyo
A transfer that has been looming over the past few days is now official: Antoine Semenyo is moving from Bournemouth to Manchester City for a fixed transfer fee of around 75 million euros. The attacker has signed a contract until 2031 and Semenyo will be given the iconic number 42 that Yaya Touré once wore at City.
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FCZ and Rodic terminate contract
The 34-year-old Serbian defender Milan Rodic joined FCZ in the summer of 2025 and played ten competitive matches. A few weeks ago, Rodic expressed his wish to return to his home country. We have granted his wish and terminated his contract.
![Milan Rodic leaves FCZ.]()
Milan Rodic leaves FCZ. KEYSTONE -
Chelsea offer record sum for Vinícius Junior
Chelsea have already signed a new coach, but it is unlikely to be the only winter transfer. Chelsea are apparently planning to open their purse strings wide. According to the Guardian, they are willing to fork out 155 million euros for the Brazilian in the service of Real Madrid - a transfer record in the Premier League. Alexander Isak, who moved from Newcastle to Liverpool for 145 million euros in the summer, is currently the most expensive purchase. Although Vinícius still has a contract at Real until 2027, talks about an extension have apparently been frozen.
![Vinicius Junior is a constant source of controversy at Real Madrid.]()
Vinicius Junior is a constant source of controversy at Real Madrid. Keystone -
Manchester City on the verge of signing top player
Alarm bells are ringing at Manchester City after the 1:1 draw against Chelsea: Two central defenders, Josko Gvardiol and Rúben Dias, are injured - coach Pep Guardiola warns of a precarious personnel situation.
The next day, the news spread that Antoine Semenyo was to undergo a medical check at City on Thursday. Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano already gives his "here we go". The Bournemouth superstar will not solve the problems in defense, however, because he is a winger. In 19 games this season, he has scored 9 goals and set up 3 more.
On Wednesday, the London-born Ghanaian international celebrates his 26th birthday, although there probably won't be a big party. Bournemouth play Tottenham at 8.30 p.m. - it is likely to be a farewell game for Semenyo.
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Cancelo wants to switch and give up money
João Cancelo moved from Man City to Al Hilal in the summer of 2024, but was not happy there. He is now set to move to FC Barcelona on loan until the end of the season and, according to the Spanish media, he will forgo a large salary in return. Coach Hansi Flick admits that the transfer is not yet finalized. But the German also says: "If it works out, I'll be happy, then we'll have one more option offensively." Flick should soon be happy ...
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German defender joins FC St. Gallen
FC St. Gallen are strengthening their squad for the second half of the season with the addition of defender Colin Kleine-Bekel.
![Colin Kleine-Bekel (left) is playing for FC St. Gallen on loan]()
Colin Kleine-Bekel (left) is playing for FC St. Gallen on loan sdaAccording to the club's announcement, the 22-year-old German is moving to eastern Switzerland on loan from second division club Bochum.
St. Gallen, who are in second place in the league table, will start the second phase of the Super League the Saturday after next with an away match against bottom-of-the-table Winterthur.
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Gregoritsch back to Augsburg
Cédric Zesiger and Fabian Rieder have an Austrian international as their new team-mate at FC Augsburg. Michael Gregoritsch is returning to the Bundesliga club on loan until the end of the season. FC Basel are also said to have shown interest in him.
![Michael Gregoritsch plays for FC Augsburg again]()
Michael Gregoritsch plays for FC Augsburg again sdaThe 31-year-old striker is returning to Germany from Brøndby in Denmark. He has a long sporting history there. He has also played for Hoffenheim, St. Pauli, Bochum, Hamburger SV, Schalke and Freiburg.
Augsburg, who are ranked 15th in the Bundesliga, have the option to (re)sign Gregoritsch permanently at the end of his loan deal.
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GC strengthens its central defense
The Grasshoppers make another transfer during the winter break, signing 20-year-old Bosnian central defender Luka Mikulic. The 1.92 m tall left-back, who most recently played for Posusje in his home country, has signed a contract with the Zurich club until the summer of 2030, as the Super League club announced. The terms of the transfer were not disclosed.
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Liam Rosenior becomes coach of Chelsea
Liam Rosenior is to become Chelsea's new coach. As the club announced on Tuesday, the Englishman has signed a contract until 2032.
Liam Rosenior was previously under contract with RC Strasbourg. The 41-year-old succeeds Enzo Maresca, who was released last Thursday. For the former defender, Chelsea is his first stop in the Premier League as a coach.
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Wicky moves to the MLS
Raphael Wicky is returning to Major League Soccer (MLS) as a coach. The 48-year-old from Valais has signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with Sporting Kansas City, with an option for a further season.
Wicky was already active in the MLS when he worked for the Chicago Fire from the end of 2019 until the end of September 2021. Before that, he coached the US U17 national team. After returning to Switzerland, he took over Young Boys in July 2022 and led them to the double in 2023. At the beginning of March 2024, he was sacked by the Bernese club, even though YB were in first place in the championship at the time.
Wicky is now embarking on his next adventure in the USA. "In my conversations with David [Lee, the club's GM], we immediately had a good connection and agreed on culture and style of play," Wicky explained in the club's media release.Sporting
Kansas City have won the MLS title twice, most recently in 2013, but missed out on the play-offs last year and were the worst team in the Western Conference with 28 points from 34 games. "I am convinced that the club has everything it needs to get back to where it belongs - great club management, excellent facilities, a talented academy and a beautiful stadium with fantastic fans," said Wicky.
The upcoming MLS season begins on February 21.
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Now it's final: Marco Burch returns to Switzerland
Marco Burch is returning to the Super League after two and a half years in Poland. The 25-year-old defender has signed a contract with Geneva until 2028, as announced by his new club.
Burch, who trained at FC Lucerne and won the Swiss Cup with the club from Central Switzerland in 2021, last played in Poland for Radomiak and Legia Warsaw. He only made seven appearances for Legia this season.
Burch will not be available to Servette until January 15. The defensive reinforcement of the current tenth-placed team in the Super League will therefore miss the first championship match of the new year on Wednesday in a week's time against Lausanne Sport.
![Marco Burch made 87 Super League appearances for Lucerne.]()
Marco Burch made 87 Super League appearances for Lucerne. Keystone -
Bayern shooting star dreams of Real Madrid
Bayern's Lennart Karl is the discovery of the current season. In his four Champions League appearances, the 17-year-old has scored three goals and in the league he has three goals and two assists in 13 games. On Sunday, the midfielder was a guest at the "FC Bayern München Fanclub Burgsinn 1980" and chatted away.
FC Bayern is a big club and it's a dream to play there, he said. "But one day I definitely want to go to Real Madrid. That's my dream club, but we'll keep that between us." As a 10-year-old, Karl already completed a trial training session with the Whites. However, his contract in Munich runs until the summer of 2028.
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Kobel smiles away transfer rumors
Gregor Kobel has a contract with Dortmund until the summer of 2028, but the national team goalkeeper has been repeatedly linked with other clubs. At the training camp in Marbella, the 28-year-old was asked at a media round table how he deals with rumors and whether he always calls his advisor.
Kobel's answer caused a smile: "No, I don't call him. I don't actually read a lot of things either. I'm not really a newspaper reader." He still feels "very, very comfortable" in Dortmund and everything else is speculation that he doesn't need to talk about.
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Gregoritsch: Augsburg instead of FC Basel
The transfer of striker Michael Gregoritsch to FC Basel has fallen through, as transfer expert Florian Plettenberg reports. The 31-year-old Austrian, who currently plays for Brøndby, is said to have turned FCB down. For the double winners, the search for a striker continues two weeks before the start of the second half of the season.
Gregoritsch, on the other hand, is expected in Augsburg on Monday for a medical check. After that, the transfer should officially go through, with only details still to be clarified.
The long-serving Bundesliga striker left SC Freiburg for Denmark in the summer for CHF 1.5 million. He had previously also played for Hoffenheim, St. Pauli, Bochum, HSV, Schalke 04 and Augsburg. In 270 Bundesliga games, Gregoritsch scored 59 goals and set up a further 25.
![Can Gregoritsch solve FCB's striker problem?]()
Can Gregoritsch solve FCB's striker problem? KEYSTONE -
GC loans Lupi
GC has loaned Tomás Verón Lupi to Uruguayan champions Club Nacional de Football. The loan contract runs until the end of 0026 and is intended to give the Argentinian winger some match practice.
Head of Sport Alain Sutter says: "The loan to Club Nacional de Football gives him the opportunity to play regularly and develop further. We wish him all the best and every success for this time."
The 25-year-old Argentinian initially joined the Hoppers on loan from Racing Club Montevideo in 2024 and was signed permanently last summer. His contract with Grasshopper Club Zürich runs until 2028.
![Tomas Verón Lupi is leaving GC - at least on loan.]()
Tomas Verón Lupi is leaving GC - at least on loan. sda -
Tsawa to Serie A?
According to Gianluca Di Marzio (via Sky Sport), Cheveyo Tsawa is being targeted by Serie A promotion contenders Pisa. The 19-year-old is a regular at FC Zurich and has been one of the team's few bright spots. With his performances, the midfielder has apparently aroused the interest of the Italians, who are currently in a relegation battle.
Tsawa is said to have already reached an agreement with Pisa. The FCZ talent's contract runs until 2030, and now the clubs apparently still have to find a deal.
![Cheveyo Tsawa (center) impresses at FCZ.]()
Cheveyo Tsawa (center) impresses at FCZ. sda -
Lugano sign Burnley professional
FC Lugano have signed Hannes Delcroix from Burnley. The 26-year-old central defender has signed a contract until 2028.
Born in Haiti, he came through the youth ranks at RSC Anderlecht, where he also made his professional debut in 2018. He gained further valuable experience during a loan spell at RKC Waalwijk in the Netherlands before moving to Burnley FC in 2023, for whom he made several appearances in the Premier League.
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GC brings in YB jewel on loan
Grasshoppers sign 19-year-old center forward Emmanuel Tsimba on loan from Bern's Young Boys. GC made the announcement on Saturday. The loan is valid until the end of the season.
In the current season, the Swiss U20 international has mostly only made brief appearances. In the first cup round, he was in the starting eleven against FC Courtételle from the 1st division and scored his only goal of the season so far.
Tsimba had previously played 32 games in the Promotion League, scoring 11 goals. He also played in all six UEFA Youth League matches.
GC sporting director Alain Sutter says of the loan: "I'm delighted that Emmanuel Tsimba has joined our attack. His profile fits in very well with our current direction. It gives us additional variability."
![Emmanuel Tsimba joins GC on loan until the end of the season.]()
Emmanuel Tsimba joins GC on loan until the end of the season. KEYSTONE -
Transfer official: Gross back to England
German international Pascal Gross is leaving Borussia Dortmund to play for Brighton in the English Premier League.
The move is financially lucrative for Borussia. The Bundesliga club will receive an estimated transfer fee of just under three million euros for the 34-year-old midfielder. The clubs did not provide any official details. Gross' contract at Dortmund would have expired in the summer.
Gross already played for the Premier League club, coached by Swiss-German dual national Fabian Hürzeler, from 2017 to 2024 before moving to Dortmund.
After a predominantly good first year at BVB, the veteran hardly got a chance to play under coach Niko Kovac and was also last considered for the national team in September. Back at his old stomping ground, Gross now wants to recommend himself once again for the World Cup in the summer.
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Füllkrug continues his career at AC Milan
German international Niclas Füllkrug is moving from West Ham to AC Milan in the Italian Serie A. According to the league, the move is a done deal.
The 32-year-old's name appeared on the top division's transfer page, as reported by the German news agency dpa. The note: Temporary. The two clubs agreed on a loan deal for six months.
Füllkrug moved from Borussia Dortmund to London after Euro 2024 for just under 30 million euros. Injury problems and two coaching changes at West Ham prevented his breakthrough in the Premier League.
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Brennan Johnson from Tottenham to Crystal Palace
According to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, Crystal Palace are on the verge of signing Tottenham attacker Brennan Johnson. The 24-year-old is set to move to London for just under 38 million euros and is currently undergoing medical examinations.
In return, another Palace player could also complete a transfer within the city. Coach Oliver Glasner has been linked with a move to Chelsea FC by several British media outlets. The Blues are currently without a coach following the departure of Enzo Maresca.
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Zuber leaves FCZ with immediate effect
Steven Zuber is leaving FC Zurich with immediate effect. The 34-year-old midfielder has asked for his contract, which runs until mid-2027, to be terminated.
Zuber wants to "look elsewhere", the Super League club wrote in a statement.
The former Swiss international returned to Switzerland from AEK Athens a year ago in December. After making his debut with GC, Zuber played in Russia, Germany and Greece from 2013 to 2024.
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FCZ bring in next player agent
FCZ will work with player agent Dino Lamberti in the winter transfer window, who will join the club on a mandate basis. "The aim of the collaboration is to support FCZ and to press ahead with the relevant transfer issues," FCZ wrote in a press release. "Dino Lamberti works closely with the Executive Committee and implements FC Zurich's strategic and operational transfer decisions." Lamberti is the founder and CEO of the match consultancy Fairplay Agency.
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Maresca no longer coach of Chelsea
Chelsea and coach Enzo Maresca are parting ways with immediate effect. The current fifth-placed team in the Premier League made the announcement on Thursday.
"With important goals still to be achieved in four competitions, including qualification for the Champions League, Enzo and the club believe that a change will give the team the best chance of getting the season back on track," the club explained the decision on its website. This was Chelsea's reaction to the recent lack of results. The Londoners have picked up just one win from their last seven league games.
Maresca joined Chelsea in the summer of 2024 and won the Conference League and the Club World Cup with the club last year.
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AS Roma are dreaming of a Salah return
Will Mohamed Salah return to his former club AS Roma in January? The Egyptian's future at Liverpool FC still seems open after Salah publicly criticized his coach Arne Slot and was temporarily suspended.
As the Italian newspaper "La Repubblica " reports, former club AS Roma are therefore dreaming of a six-month loan - and a "sensational return" for Salah. However, there are two important reasons against the transfer: firstly, the Reds do not want to sell their goalscorer in the winter, according to the English media. Secondly, Salah has a mega salary at Liverpool and earns around 460,000 euros per week.
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Neymar extends his contract with Santos
Santos announce the contract extension with their superstar Neymar. After two short-term contracts of just six months each, the 33-year-old has now committed himself to his boyhood club until the end of 2026. This was confirmed by a source from the AFP news agency.
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Gross returns to Brighton
Pascal Gross is on the verge of a move from Borussia Dortmund to his former club Brighton & Hove Albion. As first reported by transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, the BVB professional has already reached an agreement with the Premier League club. According to further reports, the transfer fee could be up to three million. The 34-year-old still has a contract with BVB until June 30, 2026.
Gross had recently been relegated to the second tier at Dortmund, making only seven appearances in the starting eleven this Bundesliga season and none at all in the Champions League. Dortmund signed Gross from Brighton & Hove for seven million euros at the start of the 2024/25 season.
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Austrian international for FCB?
Will an Austrian international solve FC Basel's striker problem? According to transfer reporter Sacha Tavolieri, the Bebbi are interested in Michael Gregoritsch. The 31-year-old, who has played 270 Bundesliga games for Hoffenheim, Augsburg and Freiburg among others, is currently under contract with Danish club Brøndby. FCB have apparently already made contact with Gregoritsch.
FCB sporting director Daniel Stucki recently announced that the club was looking to strengthen its attack in the winter. Most recently, "VoetbalNieuws" also reported that Basel were interested in signing 21-year-old Ivorian Cédric Don from Hapoel Jerusalem.
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Van Breemen about to go on loan?
Finn van Breemen is fit again following his cruciate ligament rupture, but does not play a role in Ludovic Magnin's plans and could be on the verge of a transfer. According to "Blick", FCB intends to loan out van Breemen. There is said to be interest from a competitor from the Super League. The Dutchman's contract in Basel runs until 2027.
![Finn van Breemen tore his cruciate ligament in March. He has not played for FCB since then.]()
Finn van Breemen tore his cruciate ligament in March. He has not played for FCB since then. Keystone -
Frankfurt sign second-league goalscorer Ebnoutalib
Eintracht Frankfurt have signed Younes Ebnoutalib, the shooting star of the 2nd Bundesliga, from Elversberg. The 22-year-old has signed a contract until 2031, as Eintracht announced. Neither club disclosed the transfer fee. Speculation recently centered on a sum of around eight million euros plus bonus payments. The striker is thus the record departure in SVE's club history.
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Ter Stegen about to leave for Barça?
The future of Marc-André ter Stegen is causing tension. According to the Spanish news portal "Sport", the 33-year-old is about to go on loan from FC Barcelona to relegation-threatened league rivals FC Girona. Girona coach Michel said that he would love to have the German keeper in his team.
Meanwhile, the usually well-informed newspaper "Mundo Deportivo" reported that ter Stegen is determined to stay in Barcelona and continue to fight for a place in the German squad for the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico.
Ter Stegen was replaced as the Catalans' number one in the summer after many years and new signing Joan García was appointed as the new starting keeper by coach Hansi Flick. The German international goalkeeper, who underwent back surgery in July, has only played one competitive match for Barça this season - against CD Guadalajara (2-0) in the national cup just under two weeks ago.
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Sesa becomes coach at Schaffhausen
After David Sesa and FC Rapperswil-Jona parted company in November, the ex-international has now taken over as coach at Promotion League club Schaffhausen(read more here).
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Defender Beka from Lucerne to GC
Ismajl Beka is changing clubs within the Super League. The 26-year-old central defender is leaving FC Luzern to play for Grasshoppers.
According to the Zurich club's media release, Beka has signed a contract valid until the end of next season. The Swiss player with Kosovan roots joined the Swiss club from FC Wil three years ago in the summer. He played 42 competitive matches for FC Luzern.
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Ajax sign most valuable footballer without a club
With a market value of 12 million euros, Takehiro Tomiyasu, the world's most valuable free agent, is officially off the market. The central defender will be Ajax Amsterdam's first winter signing. The 27-year-old Japanese, who has been without a club since his contract with FC Arsenal was terminated by mutual agreement in July, has been given a contract until the end of the season.
