Manchester United have been alerted to the potential availability of Barcelona left-back Alejandro Balde, with the 23-year-old Spain international possibly departing the La Liga club in January. A move away for Balde could simultaneously open the door for Barcelona to make an approach for United's 28-year-old Argentina defender Lisandro Martinez. Significant decisions loom at Old Trafford as well, where the club could opt to cash in on 32-year-old Portugal midfielder Bruno Fernandes before his contract runs out next summer, while 29-year-old England forward Marcus Rashford is prepared to look for an exit if he is not granted regular starts upon returning from injury.
Succession planning is also high on the agenda for Liverpool and Real Madrid. Liverpool have placed Nottingham Forest's 24-year-old Brazilian defender Murillo and Borussia Dortmund's 26-year-old German centre-back Nico Schlotterbeck on their shortlist as eventual replacements for 35-year-old Netherlands defender Virgil van Dijk. Meanwhile, Real Madrid are focusing on their goalkeeping future, monitoring Brighton's 24-year-old Dutch shot-stopper Bart Verbruggen as a candidate to ultimately succeed 34-year-old Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
In North London, Tottenham could be set for major transfer activity in both directions. Spurs maintain an interest in Nottingham Forest's 26-year-old England midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White and could launch a January bid, while simultaneously attempting to retain Pedro Porro. Both Barcelona and Real Madrid are tracking the 27-year-old Spanish right-back and are reportedly not discouraged by Tottenham's valuation of around £62m. Elsewhere, Arsenal are involved in a four-club race alongside AC Milan, Aston Villa, and Roma to sign 20-year-old Brazilian forward Endrick from Real Madrid.
Further potential moves could see United States internationals finding new destinations during the winter market. Monaco's 25-year-old striker Folarin Balogun could be on his way out of the French side in January, with Manchester United considered among the prospective landing spots. Additionally, United, Tottenham, and Manchester City are all monitoring the progress of Villarreal's 22-year-old American defender Alex Freeman.