Crystal Palace are interested in Schalke midfielder Nabil Bentaleb, according to a source in Germany.

The former Tottenham academy graduate is for sale this month and wants to move back to England. Schalke have confirmed to Sky Germany, however, that there is yet to be a formal approach from Palace. [SSN]

A source close to Birmingham has said the club was told by EFL officials it had to sell players in last January’s transfer window if it wanted to avoid breaching financial rules.

No English club has ever been told by a governing body that it has to sell players, or face punishment. The club refused to sell any players last January, feeling that the offers they received were well below market value - as such, they were in breach of the agreed business plan.

Birmingham have since been charged with breaking that business plan, a charge they have said they will challenge.

Representatives of Wilfried Zaha (Crystal Palace) have held preliminary talks with Bayern Munich, according to Sky Germany

Millwall, QPR, Stoke and Middlesbrough are all keen to land Tottenham’s Jack Clarke on loan. (via Sky Sports)

Sources: Aston Villa beat Man United, Liverpool to Barcelona's Barry
https://global.espn.com/.../4028764/sources-aston-villa-beat-man-unitedliverpool-to-barcelonas-barry

Mario Gotze's time with Borussia Dortmund is nearly over, according to Bild, who report the 2014 World Cup final goalscorer will be released when his contract expires at the end of the season.

@NicoSchira
Arda Turan's loan is broken up by the Istanbul Basaksehir. He returns to Barça with whom he is under contract until next June, but in next day he will leave Barcelona to come back to Galatasaray. Total agreement.

@JBurtTelegraph
West Ham United's Nathan Holland due to go on loan to Oxford United for the rest of the season.

@GFFN
FC Nantes have agreed a €4m fee with Standard Liège to sign 28-year-old striker Renaud Emond

MLOK: v Anglii uz imo jednaji o tom aby byly odmeny agentum pri prestupech regulovane (anebo to je snaha na urovni cele org. UEFA?)

@Matt_Law_DT
Danny Drinkwater is at Bodymoor Heath having a medical ahead of joining Aston Villa on loan until the end of the season from Chelsea.

mnooo

Report: Roma try to offload Under | Football Italia
https://www.football-italia.net/148395/report-roma-try-offload-under

Inter Milan contacted Chelsea about the possibility of signing striker Olivier Giroud before Christmas. (Source: Sky Italy)

Fulham had set an €18m asking price for Jean-Michaël Seri this month, with Lyon having been in talks, but both were blindsided by Galatasaray's change of heart & refusal to cancel their loan (L'Éq)

Inter Milan’s chief executive has confirmed they’re interested in Tottenham midfielder Christian Eriksen.

Speaking to Sky Italy on Monday night, Giuseppe Marotta said: "Often important players are approached to us. Eriksen is an excellent player whose contract expires in June and we have had no contact with Tottenham. I still believe that there are many teams interested in him and we have not started any kind of negotiations.

“I simply say that he is an important and interesting player. We are looking for a midfielder and an outsider, we are having several contacts with companies and agents to try to improve this group. We have not yet reached a conclusion because we want to do everything very calmly to keep the goal bar always high.”

Scott Sinclair is set to join Championship side Preston. He's left Celtic's Dubai training camp to undergo his medical. (Source: Telegraph)

Darren Randolph will undergo his West Ham medical this morning ahead of a £4m return to the club from Middlesbrough. (Source: Sky Sports)

ASYD: A loan fee of around €6m is being touted to bring the French international to north London, with Lemar keen to move in January after falling out of favour under Diego Simeone. [@Independent]

ASYD: já ti nevim, v Interu by byl zase až 2. nebo spíše 3. volba, ten Newcastle by mi dával větší smysl.