Transfer talk: Adnan Januzaj ends Borussia Dortmund loan early to return to Manchester United

Adnan Januzaj, right, in action with Club Brugge's Dion Cools. Jason Cairnduff / Action Images via Reuters

This is the latest football transfer news and speculation from around Europe. Check back for updates as the news breaks.

Manchester United

Manchester United have ended Adnan Januzaj’s season-long loan deal with Borussia Dortmund early, the Premier League side announced on Thursday.

The 20-year-old Belgium international returns to Old Trafford having barely played in the Bundesliga with both clubs agreeing it was in the player’s best interests to end the arrangement.

A United statement read: “Borussia Dortmund has agreed to cancel the loan agreement for Adnan Januzaj. Adnan will rejoin the first-team squad immediately.

“He has returned to Manchester in order to clarify the details.”

Januzaj is understood to have stayed in Manchester over Christmas and was in the directors’ box for United’s home game against Chelsea on December 28.

United have until 9pm UAE time on Friday to register him for Saturday’s FA Cup third-round tie against Sheffield United, although Louis van Gaal may decide to ease the forward back into the first team set-up after a couple of games for the Under 21 side instead.

Januzaj has not played since Dortmund’s 1-0 defeat to PAOK Salonika on December 10. He started only three matches, all in the Europa league, his Bundesliga appearances all coming from off the bench.

United will not be able to loan the Belgian out again as he has already played for the English club this year and Fifa rules state players are not allowed to play for more than two clubs per season.

Van Gaal had warned Januzaj last year he was taking a risk by joining Dortmund, rather than a lower-profile club where he would have been guaranteed to play more.

“In a club like Borussia Dortmund, all the players there are also of a certain level and I said in advance ‘that’s a big risk for you because you have to compete with other players of a higher level’ and that is not so easy,” the United manager said in November.

Hertha Berlin

Talented Germany youth international Sinan Kurt joined Hertha Berlin on Thursday on a contract to 2019 after failing to break through at champions Bayern Munich.

The versatile 19-year-old forward, considered among the most talented German players of his generation, trained with Hertha for the first time on Thursday morning with special permission before signing his deal.

Kurt had joined Bayern Munich in 2014 from Borussia Moenchengladbach for a reported €1.5 million (Dh5.9m). But he failed to impress coach Pep Guardiola, making just one Bundesliga appearance and spending most of 18 months with the reserves.

“Hertha are a good team and are playing a great season,” Kurt said in a club statement. “I desperately wanted a new orientation and I was looking for a new challenge.”

Hertha have enjoyed a spectacular first half to the season, lying in third place, six points off second-placed Borussia Dortmund. The league resumes on January 22 after a one-month winter break.

Manchester City

Manchester City are in talks with Australian club Central Coast Mariners about making playmaker Anthony Caceres their first signing of the January transfer window.

The uncapped 23-year-old was dropped by the A-League basement dwellers last week and had been expected to move overseas but not to a club of the magnitude of the four-times English champions who have a squad filled with global talent.

“I didn’t know there was any public information out there until I heard that this morning,” Mariners coach Tony Walmsley told Australian media on Thursday.

“I do know that (Mariners owner) Mike Charlesworth has been in dialogue with the City Group.

“Caceres has got a transfer fee built into his contract.

“If Mike and the head of the City Group have come to an agreement, I’ve yet to be told that’s the case.

“But if it is, what a great opportunity for Caceres to go and try and reach the potential we all think he’s got.”

Read more: Gareth Barry 'one of the best English players ever' after leading Everton to win over Man City

Local media priced the transfer at around $500,000 for the Australian, who has 18 months left on his contract.

Reports also suggested the player could be loaned to City’s sister club and the Mariners’ A-League rivals Melbourne City as part of the deal as Caceres does not hold a European passport so might struggle to gain a work permit.

Melbourne and Manchester City are owned by the City Football Group, which also owns New York City FC and holds a share in J-League outfit Yokohama F. Marinos.

Manchester United

The Daily Mail reports Manchester United have failed in an attempt to sign unsettled Southampton forward Sadio Mane this month.

Louis van Gaal wants to bring the Senegalese star to Old Trafford in the January window as he looks to breath life into his struggling forward line.

And Sportsmail understands United officials have tried to broker a deal with their Saints counterparts this week.

But Old Trafford chiefs have been told in no uncertain terms that Mane is not available this month.

Mane, who would jump at the chance to join the Barclays Premier League giants, is understood to be relaxed about the situation.

The forward knows he will have numerous options in the summer, when Southampton will listen to offers for his services.

The 23-year-old was dropped and publicly criticised by manager Ronald Koeman on Saturday for arriving late to a pre-match meeting ahead of the loss at Norwich City.

Saints officials, however, are relaxed by the incident, believing Mane’s lateness was a misunderstanding after Koeman pushed the meeting forward by 10 minutes.

Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham are on the verge of signing highly-rated teenager Shilow Tracey from Ebbsfleet United.

The 17-year-old was invited for a trial at Tottenham in October and travelled with the club’s Under-18s to play at the IMG Cup in Florida last month.

Tracey scored twice in victories over Jacksonville Armada and Baltimore Celtic, leaving Spurs suitably impressed to open talks with Ebbsfleet over a permanent move.

Press Association Sport understands a deal was close to being finalised on Wednesday, with Tracey expected to seal his switch by the end of the week.

It is also believed Ebbsfleet have been pleased with Tottenham’s handling of the transfer and the Vanarama National League South side are keen to maintain a close relationship between the clubs in future.

Tracey is comfortable playing either in central midfield or further forward behind a striker, although he has only featured once for Fleet’s first team.

The deal would continue Tottenham’s policy of putting trust in young talent following the success of players like Harry Kane, Dele Alli, Eric Dier, Ryan Mason and Nabil Bentaleb under Mauricio Pochettino.

Ebbsfleet, however, play five tiers below the Barclays Premier League and Tracey is likely to stay with Spurs’ academy for the rest of the campaign.

Tottenham’s priority in the transfer window remains adding another striker to provide cover for Kane, who has played in all but one of the club’s 27 games this season.

One reported target was Marseille forward Michy Batshuayi but any hopes of a January switch look to have ended after the Belgian signed a new contract with the French side until 2020.

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