Manchester United target Victor Lindelof set to sign new contract with Benfica which will raise his buy-out clause to more than £50m

Manchester United target Victor Lindelof is on the verge of signing a new contract with Benfica which will increase his buy-out clause to more than £50million, according to reports in Portugal.

The Swede has been a long-time target of Jose Mourinho, who is looking to sure-up his defence at Old Trafford in a bid to move up the Premier League table and return to the Champions League.

A £38million fee has long been mentioned, but Portuguese newspaper O Jogo are reporting the Swede's new contract in Lisbon will allow them to command a greater fee, taking the buy-out clause above £50m.

Manchester United target Victor Lindelof is set to sign a new contract with Benfica

That will increase the amount United must pay the Portuguese club to land the Swede 

Benfica are also thought to need to pay Lindelof's first club, Vasteras in Sweden, 20 per cent of any future fee for the defender, which would see them receive a £10m windfall if a move to Manchester is completed.

Lindelof has returned to Lisbon after spending the festive period at home in Sweden, and will train with Benfica until any deal to Old Trafford is completed. 

O Jogo also report Lindelof's salary at Old Trafford is set to be close to £3m a year, which will see the 22-year-old earn £58,000-a-week. His current contract at Benfica is said to be worth less than £3,500-a-week. 

The Sweden international is a the centre of a row between his current club and Vasteras

Benfica are currently in a dispute with Vasteras, over a clause in the original transfer which saw him move to Portugal for £60,000 in 2011. The clause is said to stipulate Benfica should pay Vasteras 250,000 euros once he reaches 10 league and Champions League games, which he did in April.

The Portuguese side have reportedly refused to pay, sparking a FIFA investigation, but it is not expected to hold up any deal to take Lindelof to United.

Manager Jose Mourinho is keen to bring him in with Eric Bailly set for Africa Cup of Nations duty with the Ivory Coast at the start of 2017, while he is also known to admire Benfica right-back Nelson Semedo, with any move for the latter likely to be in the summer.

Wilfred Ndidi confirms he has played last game for Genk ahead of £15m switch to champions Leicester City

Genk midfielder Wilfred Ndidi has confirmed he has played his last game for the club prior to moving to Leicester City. 

Ndidi played in Tuesday night's 2-0 win over Gent and the 20-year-old will join Premier League champions Leicester City for £15million at the end of the week. 

'This was my last game for Genk,' he said. Ndidi has already passed his initial medical tests with Leicester.

Wilfred Ndidi (second right) has confirmed he has played his last game for Genk

Genk have signed 18-year-old Norwegian midfielder Sander Berge, a one-time Everton target, as Ndidi's replacement.

They have also appointed former Manchester United assistant Albert Stuivenberg as head coach.

Leicester have struggled to match last season's stunning Premier League title win since the start of the new campaign.

Claudio Ranieri's side are only three points above the relegation zone following Monday's 2-0 defeat at the King Power to Everton.

The midfielder is set to complete a £15million switch to Leicester City when the window opens

Leicester only lost one of their key players in the summer - N'Golo Kante - and Ndidi's arrival is expected to deal with his loss.

Nampalys Mendy, who joined the Foxes from Nice in the transfer window, has struggled with injury. A series of other midfielders have struggled to fill Kante's boots.

Leicester face West Ham on Saturday in the Premier League. 

Ndidi has already carried out his medical tests with the Foxes ahead of his January move

Marseille willing to offer £8.5m for Aston Villa left back Jordan Amavi

Marseille have stepped up their interest in Aston Villa left back Jordan Amavi.

The French side are willing to offer £8.5million for the 22-year-old who cost Villa a similar amount when he joined from Nice in 2015.

Everton and Liverpool have also been credited with interest in the former France Under 21 international who told Sportsmail this week that he was intent on helping Villa get back into the Premier League. 

Aston Villa's Jordan Amavi goes forward with the ball against Burton Albion on Boxing Day

Ligue 1's Marseille have stepped up interest in Villa's 22-year-old French left back Amavi

Marseille sporting director Andoni Zubizarretta is in talks with the player's representatives though it is understood Amavi's preference would be to stay in England. 

Amavi's commitment to Villa's push for an instant Premier League comeback was clear when he spoke to Sportsmail: 'We don't have a choice, we have to get back to the Premier League. The top two automatic spots will be complicated but that's what we want to aim for. This year.'

As well as featuring in festive fixtures for the first time – 'Boxing Day is a really nice day to play, I will wear gloves, everything!' – Amavi is looking forward to a sustained assault on the promotion reckoning.

It would be some turnaround. Villa were 19th when Steve Bruce took charge, just two points above the relegation places and 10 behind the last play-off spot. But a positive impact by Bruce has seen that gap cut to six, despite a couple of recent stutters.  

Amavi's commitment to Villa's push for an instant Premier League comeback is clear

Everton enquire about Saido Berahino as Inter Milan and Roma eye cut-price £300,000 deal for West Brom striker

Everton have made an enquiry for West Bromwich Albion striker Saido Berahino. 

The Goodison Park club are close to finalising a deal worth up to £11million for Charlton's teenage forward Ademola Lookman but Ronald Koeman wants to add a striker who can have an immediate impact on the first team.

Berahino is out of contract in the summer and Albion would prefer to capitalise now with the player unlikely to sign a new deal.

Saido Berahino looks set to be the subject of a January transfer move

Everton manager Ronald Koeman wants to add to his attacking options in the transfer window

They can still command a compensation fee in the summer owing to Berahino's age but would like to instigate an auction for the 23-year-old with Stoke, Newcastle and West Ham also interested.

Berahino, who has made just five appearances this term, has the likes of Roma, Inter Milan and Nice monitoring his progress and they would only have to pay around £300,000 at the end of the season.

Charlton, meanwhile, wanted Lookman to return on loan as a condition of his transfer to Everton but Koeman wants him to be part of their Premier League squad from next month.

The Blues have been somewhat over reliant on the goals of Romelu Lukaku this season

Berahino has been marginalised at West Brom while Ademola Lookman impresses at Charlton

Manchester United target Victor Lindelof can be world-class under Jose Mourinho, claims Henrik Larsson

Henrik Larsson has backed Benfica defender Victor Lindelof to become one of the best defenders in the world, but only if he joins Jose Mourinho at Manchester United.

The Swedish centre back has been strongly linked with a move to Old Trafford in recent weeks with the Red Devils keen on a deal worth £38million.

As the two clubs continue to hammer out terms on a January transfer, Larsson has spoken of his belief that the young defender is more than ready for the Premier League, saying he can become one of the world's best under Mourinho.

Victor Lindelof has been backed to flourish at Manchester United by legend Henrik Larsson

He is a great talent, he is very fast for a defender and knows how to read the game very well.

'Jose Mourinho is one of the best coaches in the world, just look at everything he has already achieved, working with him he can become one of the best in the world.'

Manchester United were linked with a £38m move for the defender but may have to pay £50m 

Larsson believes the inflated fee will prove value for money if Lindelof reaches his potential

While the legendary striker is obviously keen to see Lindelof sign for his former club, it appears there are several sizable obstacles for executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward to overcome before that happens.

Lindelof is on the verge of signing a new contract with Benfica which would see his release clause rise to over £50m. 

Far from a long-term commitment to the Portuguese club, it was suggested by newspaper O Jogo that the deal has been designed purely to force United to pay a larger fee.

Larsson believes Jose Mourinho is the perfect man to help Lindelof reach the top of his game

Any potential deal is further complicated by an arrangement between Benfica and Lindelof's former club Vasteras, which will see 20 per cent of any future fee for the defender go to the Swedish side.

Lindelof has returned to Lisbon after spending the festive period at home in Sweden, and will train with Benfica until any move to Old Trafford is completed.

Julian Draxler completes £34m PSG transfer on a four-and-a-half deal

• Julian Draxler will officially become a Paris Saint-Germain player next month 
• The 23-year-old had voiced his discontent at remaining a Wolfsburg player 
• Draxler scored 23 goals in 153 Bundesliga appearances for the German club

Arsenal target Julian Draxler has finally completed his expected move to Paris Saint-Germain from Wolfsburg.

The Germany international has penned a four-and-a-half year deal with the French giants after being granted his wish to leave the Bundesliga side.

Wolfsburg were holding out for £34m for the 23-year-old and it appears their demands have been met following their official confirmation on Saturday.

Julian Draxler (left) has swapped Wolfsburg for Paris Saint-Germain and will join next month

The 23-year-old has signed a four-and-a-half year deal with the French giants

Earlier in the day, an image from German publication BILD had appeared of the Draxler holding a PSG shirt with his name and the No 23 on the back alongside their director of football Patrick Kluivert.

And just a couple of hours later of the picture surfacing, Wolfsburg confirmed the transfer, to take place next month, via a statement on their website.

'Julian Draxler is to leave VfL Wolfsburg and sign for French club Paris Saint-Germain, pending a medical examination,' it reads.

'The 23-year-old attacker has agreed to a four-year deal with the Ligue 1 titleholders and UEFA Champions League participants. Both clubs have agreed to keep the financial details of the deal confidential.'

The playmaker had provoked the ire of Wolfsburg fans by voicing his discontent at the club

Southampton manager Claude Puel insists club will hang on to Manchester City's £50million target Virgil van Dijk

Claude Puel insists Southampton can resist whatever cash is waved in front of them for Virgil van Dijk next month.

Manchester City are reportedly weighing up an eye-watering £50million bid for the Dutch defender when the transfer window opens.

That would represent a huge profit on the £13m Saints paid Celtic for Van Dijk in September 2015, and the south-coast club have had form for selling their star players in recent years.

Virgil van Dijk has been linked with a staggering £50million move to Manchester City

Saints manager Claude Puel believes that Van Dijk will be going nowhere next month

But Puel says Southampton have no need to cash in on 25-year-old Van Dijk, who signed a new six-year contract at St Mary's in May.

'I think, for example, for Virgil the price will be the same in two or three years,' said the Saints boss. 'He can stay for two or three years with us. He's an important player for the team.

Also, along with Jose Fonte and Steven Davis, he is a captain of the team. He has a good personality, strong character, quality, and of course he will stay with us.'

City have struggled defensively this season, keeping just three clean sheets in 17 games, and City chief Pep Guardiola is keen to strengthen his back four to enhance their title challenge. 

Pep Guardiola has been using full-backs in central defensive positions so far this season

The Holland international has been superb at the heart of the Southampton defence this term

But Puel also has ambitions towards the top of the Premier League table with Saints currently seventh and eyeing another tilt at the Europa League at the very least.

'Of course we would like another season with the possibility to play those games,' he added.

'It's very interesting and different from the Premier League. We were unlucky with our European campaign this season and want to find other possibilities to play those games, and the best possibility is via the Premier League.

'It's a good challenge for us. We know now all the opponents in the Premier League and if we can play against these teams at a good level then we have the chance to stay ambitious in the second half of the season.' 

Oscar thanks 'special' Chelsea ahead of Shanghai SIPG transfer with Brazilian set to earn £400,000-per-week in Chinese Super League

Chelsea have confirmed a £52million fee has been agreed with Shanghai SIPG over the sale of Brazilian midfielder Oscar.

He will become the most expensive signing by a Chinese Super League club, joining up with former Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas in January as clubs in the Far East continue to splash the cash.

Oscar has fallen out of favour under Antonio Conte at Stamford Bridge, playing 11 matches this season but has not started in the Premier League for the leaders since mid-September, when Chelsea were beaten 2-1 by Liverpool.

Chelsea have confirmed £52m fee has been agreed with Shanghai SIPG over the sale of Oscar

The Brazilian star will become the most expensive signing by a Chinese Super League club

After sealing his move, Oscar wrote on Instagram: 'I want to thank Chelsea, the owner and all the employees who have made my time at the club so special. 

'A very special thank you to the Chelsea fans you guys are very special and I am honoured to have been a part of your club. We have won some special titles together. The UEFA Europa League, the League Cup and of course Premier League Champions!!! You will always have a special place in my heart.'

Chelsea added: 'Chelsea Football Club and Shanghai SIPG have agreed terms for the permanent transfer of Oscar.

'We thank Oscar for his wonderful service and wish him the very best of luck for the future.'

Brazil striker Hulk became SIPG's record signing in June, joining from Zenit St Petersburg for £47m on £320,000 a week — but Oscar will leapfrog his countryman as the club's top earner.

Liverpool demand loan fee for Mamadou Sakho as West Brom and West Ham make approaches

Liverpool want a loan fee for Mamadou Sakho as West Bromwich Albion and West Ham make enquiries for the France international.

The Anfield club are commanding around £500,000 from clubs who wish to take the 26-year-old centre-back for the rest of the season but, combined with wages of around £80,000 a week, that could prove too much for some.

Sakho has interest from abroad too with Lille, AC Milan and Inter looking at options.

Mamadou Sakho in action for Liverpool Under 23s against Arsenal earlier this month

Sakho is set to leave the club in January with West Brom and West Ham interested

Albion and West Ham may come to the fore again as January develops in the hope Liverpool drop their fee.

Both clubs are looking to add forwards and a midfielder this window. Albion also want another winger while Slaven Bilic wants a right-back too.

Sakho has found himself out of favour under Jurgen Klopp this season after deciding against a loan move away from the club back in August.

He has been a fixture for the Under 23s this season but is yet to make a first-team appearance after being sent home from Liverpool's pre-season tour of the USA, which came after he failed a drugs test last season, which was later dismissed.

Liverpool are seeking a loan fee in the region of £500,000 during the transfer window

West Ham add £10m Brentford striker Scott Hogan to January shortlist as desperate search for goals continues

West Ham have expressed interest in Brentford striker Scott Hogan.

The 24-year-old has been impressing with his performances and goals at Griffin Park and Brentford will sell for around £10million.

Reading, Brighton, Norwich and Derby have all shown keen interest in the former Rochdale forward but Hogan is eager to step up a level should he leave Brentford.

Scott Hogan celebrates during a match between Brentford and Fulham in April last season

He said: 'I think the teams I’ve been linked with are Championship teams. I don’t want to play Championship football all my career.

'I wouldn’t leave for a Championship club unless Brentford do it. That’s not my problem.'

Hogan is understood to have already checked out accommodation closer to West Ham's training ground with a move to the London Stadium appealing to him.

West Ham are desperate to add new strikers after failing to find the right man in the summer and a succession of injuries. 

West Ham are desperate to add new strikers after failing to find the right man in the summer

Ben Foster extends West Brom stay by signing new contract until 2019

West Brom goalkeeper Ben Foster has signed a new contract with the club.

The 33-year-old, who was out of contract at the end of the current campaign, has put pen-to-paper on a new two-and-a-half-year deal which will keep him at The Hawthorns until the summer of 2019.

Foster has been an ever-present for the Baggies this season and recently made his 150th Premier League appearance for the club.

West Brom goalkeeper Ben Foster has signed a new contract with the club until 2019

The 33-year-old has been an ever-present for the Baggies this season

Albion boss Tony Pulis has been pleased with Foster's form this season, keeping three clean sheets as the club head into the Christmas schedule eighth in the table ahead of the Boxing Day trip to Arsenal.

'We're delighted we've extended Ben's contract. His form this season has been there for all to see and he continues to set the standards at the club all the goalkeepers have to aspire to,' said Pulis.

Foster joined West Brom on loan from Birmingham in 2011 before making the move permanent the following year.

He has made 161 appearances for the club in all competitions, keeping 41 clean sheets and follows midfielders Craig Gardner and Claudio Yacob and Pulis himself in committing his future to the club in recent months.

Foster dives at the feet of Wayne Rooney during West Brom's 2-0 defeat by Manchester United

Zlatan Ibrahimovic believes £38m Victor Lindelof would impress at Manchester United as transfer talks open with Benfica

Zlatan Ibrahimovic believes fellow Swede Victor Lindelof has the talent to shine for the world's top teams amid growing speculation the Benfica defender is set to join Manchester United in January.

United have opened talks with Benfica president Luis Felipe Vieira over a £38million January move for the centre back, who has 11 international caps.

And Ibrahimovic, who took his season's tally to 16 with two goals in the weekend win at West Brom, has backed 22-year-old Lindelof to shine.

Manchester United are in talks with Benfica over a £38m move for defender Victor Lindelof

Lindelof, 22, has established himself in the Benfica first team over the past year

He (Lindelof) is growing. He has a lot of responsibility with the national team now,' Ibrahimovic said.

'Is he good enough for United? I think he is ready for the big clubs out there. It is up to him what he wants and what the situation says. Whatever he chooses, it will be good for him.

'I know he is hot on the market so let him make the right choice for him.'

Sixth-placed United, who have won seven of their last 10 games in all competitions, host third-bottom Sunderland at Old Trafford on Boxing Day.

They then take on Middlesbrough at home and West Ham at the London Stadium in what is a fairly favourable festive fixture list.

Jose Mourinho's team are currently four points behind fourth-placed Arsenal.

West Brom target £20m Morgan Schneiderlin and join Everton in hunt for Manchester United misfit

West Bromwich Albion are rivalling Everton’s move for Morgan Schneiderlin by making a formal bid for the Manchester United midfielder.

Tony Pulis is determined to add quality to his squad during the January window and is pressing ahead with a move worth up to £20million for Schneiderlin.

Everton and United have been in talks over a transfer and it was believed Ronald Koeman’s past history with the France international at Southampton would hold sway.

Morgan Schneiderlin (left) trains with Manchester United team-mates Timothy Fosu-Mensah (centre) and Chris Smalling at the Aon training ground on Wednesday

Schneiderlin has fallen out of favour at Old Trafford since his summer move last year

But Pulis believes West Brom still have a chance and has sanctioned what would represent a club record fee for the 27-year-old.

Pulis has a good relationship with United, having brought Darren Fletcher and Jonny Evans to the Hawthorns from Old Trafford, and hopes similar progress can be made again.

Jose Mourinho has said: 'I am always open to listen to offers for every player. Any player who knocks on my door and is not happy and wants to move, when the offers are correct, I will never stop a player from leaving.'

Manchester City to offer £50m for Southampton defender Virgil van Dijk as Pep Guardiola bids to shore up his leaky backline at the Etihad

Manchester City are planning a £50million swoop for Southampton defender Virgil van Dijk.

Discreet talks over a move for the Holland star have taken place over the last two weeks as City position themselves to get a deal done next month.

Van Dijk, 25, is aware of City's interest and would find it difficult to resist the lure of Champions League football. 

Manchester City are working on a £50million deal to sign Southampton's Virgil van Dijk

Pep Guardiola is targeting the Dutchman to help shore up his leaky City defence

Southampton signed the 25-year-old Van Dijk for £13million from Celtic

That would represent a significant profit on the £13m Saints paid Celtic for Van Dijk in September 2015 and the club have shown before that they are prepared to sell their best players for the right price.

However, Saints are only willing to off-load one of their first-choice centre backs next month, which could scupper Manchester United's expected move for Jose Fonte. Old Trafford boss Jose Mourinho remains keen on signing his Portuguese compatriot, despite closing in on Benfica's Victor Lindelof.

Guardiola has high hopes for academy product Tosin Adarabioyo, 19, and will not hesitate to give the defender more game time if he fails to land Van Dijk next month.

Meanwhile, City have told Sevilla that Samir Nasri will cost £21m if they wish to make his loan permanent.

Van Dijk might not seal a move in January but City could try again in the summer window

Samir Nasri will cost £21m if Sevilla want to turn his loan from Manchester City into permanent switch

Manchester City have told Sevilla that Samir Nasri will cost £21million if they wish to make his loan permanent.

The French midfielder has been outstanding for the Spanish side since moving in August after failing to impress Pep Guardiola in pre-season. 

The 29-year-old cost City £24m when they signed him from Arsenal in 2011 but the club are willing to take a small hit to get him off the books.

Sevilla will have to pay £21million if they want to sign Samir Nasri on a permanent basis

Nasri still has two-and-a-half years remaining on his contract with the Premier League's third-placed side. 

Meanwhile, Pep Guardiola is looking to Southampton defender Virgil van Dijk as he looks to plug his leaky defence.

Van Dijk is set to be the subject of a £50m approach in January, with discreet talks having taken place over the past two weeks.

The Dutchman cost £13m when Saints signed him from Celtic in 2015 and the Scottish club are in line for a £5m windfall should the switch to the Etihad Stadium go ahead.

Celtic inserted a 10 per cent sell-on clause into the deal which took Van Dijk to St Mary's. 

Nasri is on loan at the Spanish club from Manchester City but he could make the move full-time

Anthony Joshua vs Wladimir Klitschko doesn't excite James DeGale as he'd rather see him take on Tyson Fury

James DeGale has revealed the prospect of seeing Anthony Joshua's world heavyweight title fight against Wladimir Klitschko does not 'excite' him because of a preference to see him fight 'real champ' Tyson Fury.

The match-up at Wembley Stadium on April 29, for Joshua's IBF title and the WBA belt Fury recently vacated, is expected to attract a British post-war record fight crowd of around 90,000.

It features one of the finest heavyweight champions in history challenging a boxer expected to prove himself the best of the coming era, but for all that DeGale considers Joshua the world's leading active heavyweight, he cannot ignore the shadow Fury casts over their fight. 

Anthony Joshua will face Wladimir Klitschko at Wembley in front of up to 90,000 people

James DeGale however would rather see Joshua fight former WBA champ Tyson Fury (above)

DeGale rates Joshua the world's best active heavyweight and thinks he will beat Klitschko

Fury vacated his WBA and WBO titles in October for 'medical treatment and recovery' after struggling with mental health problems, but before then was widely considered the world's leading heavyweight, having in 2015 inflicted Klitschko's first defeat for 11 years.

DeGale also believes that result will undermine the victory he expects Joshua to achieve in April.

'Everyone's making a big deal out of the fight; it's a good fight but Klitschko lost his last fight to Fury, the real champ is Fury,' said DeGale, who on January 14 fights Badou Jack in an IBF and WBC super-middleweight unification title fight in New York.

'It doesn't really excite me. I want to see it but I'd rather Anthony Joshua box Fury, that's all.

'Anthony Joshua's the man, a beast, he's the best heavyweight in the world now. I didn't mean to put the fight down, just I'd rather see Joshua fight the real champ. 

'Anthony Joshua is a beast, he's a very good fighter, and is going to go on to be a superstar.'

Fury inflicted Klitschko's first defeat in 11 years when they fought in November 2015

Asked if Fury's win over Klitschko would reduce the credit Joshua may receive in the event of victory, he said: 'I think it is watered down, I think it will be. I expect Joshua to stop Klitschko, and look good in doing it.'

Victory on January 14 would establish DeGale as the world's leading super-middleweight, and give the IBF champion another title from the WBC.

His rival George Groves recently confirmed he is to challenge WBA champion Fedor Chudinov, leaving them on course for a rematch later in 2017 in another significant British fight that would unify three of the 168lb world titles.

'Best of luck to him,' said DeGale, 30. 'If he's going to win a world title this is going to be his chance, against Chudinov. He's had three world title shots, and he's failed, been knocked out twice. 

'We don't get along but he's a good fighter. Hopefully he can win this, for Britain, I can come through mine, and it'll be a massive, massive fight next year.'

DeGale is training to face Badou Jack in an IBF and WBC super-middleweight unification bout