Football
Matt Gault, Football Whispers 5y

Transfer Rater: Ousmane Dembele to Liverpool, James Rodriguez to Juventus

Things change in the blink of an eye in football. The Football Whispers Index takes the latest transfer rumours and gives them a score out of five; the higher the score, the more realistic and reliable the Whisper.

Here are today's top five emerging whispers. And keep an eye on Transfer Talk for all the latest gossip.

Mario Hermoso to Arsenal

Arsenal boss Unai Emery may make an approach for Espanyol defender Hermoso in January, according to Marca. The 23-year-old centre-back has impressed in La Liga this season, earning him a first call-up to the Spain national team for the upcoming games against Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Arsenal will face stiff competition from Real Madrid, however, who can trigger Hermoso's £7 million buy-back clause having sold him to Espanyol in 2017. If Arsenal are to edge Real, they may have to meet his £35m release clause.

James Rodriguez to Juventus

Juventus are leading the race to sign Colombia international James, who is unhappy at Bayern Munich after losing his place under Niko Kovac. James is still contracted to Real Madrid and is in the second year of his loan at Bayern, but Juve believe their strong relationship with Jorge Mendes, the player's agent, will help. He revived his career at Bayern last season following a difficult time in the Spanish capital, scoring eight times in all competitions.

Nicolo Barella to Tottenham

Highly rated Barella has emerged as a Tottenham transfer target, with Mauricio Pochettino ramping up his search for Mousa Dembele's long-term replacement. The Cagliari midfielder has attracted interest from a host of Europe's top clubs recently and is currently valued at around £35m, according to The Sun. Barella has previously admitted to being interested in a Premier League move.

Junior Firpo to Manchester City

Manchester City are one of several clubs expressing an interest in the Real Betis left-back, according to AS. The 22-year-old has been a bright spark for the Seville club, not least during last weekend's thrilling 4-3 win over Barcelona at the Camp Nou in which he opened the scoring before setting up his side's decisive fourth. Firpo's release clause is reported to be £43.5m but that is unlikely to deter City, who have spent handsomely on full-backs under Pep Guardiola. Arsenal are also credited with an interest.

Ousmane Dembele to Liverpool

Jurgen Klopp may break Liverpool's transfer record to sign the gifted but troublesome Barcelona winger, reports The Sun. Dembele, who has struck four times in La Liga this season, was dropped by Ernesto Valverde for the defeat to Betis after the Frenchman missed training with a stomach bug. France boss Didier Deschamps has also bemoaned the 21-year-old's poor timekeeping, having shown up late for training on occasion. However, Klopp retains a keen interest in the former Borussia Dortmund star, who would cost the Reds around £85m, comfortably surpassing their £75m outlay on Virgil van Dijk.

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