Mourinho wants Mac Allister, and Real Madrid is weighing a January move

The winter transfer window hasn't officially opened yet, but moves are already simmering across Europe. And one name is starting to make noise in Madrid: Alexis Mac Allister.

According to Sky Germany, Real Madrid could make a push for the Liverpool midfielder in a future transfer window. The key figure is Jose Mourinho, who, according to the report, is a strong advocate for bringing him in: he particularly likes Mac Allister's physical presence and his strength in duels. Mac Allister is under contract at Anfield until 2028, and for now there are no concrete plans to extend it, something that hasn't gone unnoticed at Valdebebas. That said, nobody expects Liverpool to let go of such an important piece of their midfield without a fight.

Just in case, the Merseyside club is already scanning the market in the event they need to replace their Argentine. They hold Felix Nmecha, of Borussia Dortmund, in "high regard," though he's not a priority at the moment. The German arrived at Signal Iduna Park in 2023 from Wolfsburg and is tied down until June 2030, so there's no rush. Also on the list of midfield targets are Lamine Camara, of Monaco, and Alex Scott, of Bournemouth, two names also recently linked with Chelsea and Manchester United.

Moves at Arsenal, United and Bayern

In London, Arsenal continues to track Gustavo Varela, the 21 year old Portuguese forward at Monza who has seven goals in eight Serie A games this season. According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Napoli could make a move as early as January to get ahead of the competition, while Benfica, the club that developed him, retains a right of first refusal on any future offer and keeps 20 percent of the profit from his next sale.

Manchester United, for its part, is keeping an eye on Lewis Hall, the Newcastle left back who could cost more than 70 million pounds, according to Football Insider. The 22 year old player just extended his contract until 2031, but that wouldn't stop United, who would renew their interest next summer. Newcastle, however, will reject any departure in January. Hall feels comfortable at St James' Park, though he hasn't closed the door on a future move to Old Trafford either.

In Germany, Bayern Munich is closely watching Wael Mohya, a Borussia Monchengladbach talent who is just 17 years old, though a winter transfer looks unlikely. Dortmund, Leipzig, Leverkusen and clubs outside Germany are also chasing him. Gladbach wants to lock him down as soon as possible with a renewal beyond 2028, though his future there is only guaranteed if the club avoids relegation.

Other names in play

The list of rumors doesn't stop there. Roma has Jamie Gittens, of Chelsea, and Jamie Leweling, of Stuttgart, on its winter wish list, having nearly closed a deal for the latter in the summer. Arsenal is also tracking Nicolo Tresoldi, the Club Brugge forward who also interested Barcelona months ago. PSG, meanwhile, is weighing a January move for Ibrahim Maza, the Bayer Leverkusen standout the German club is trying to tie down with a new long term contract.

Crystal Palace doesn't want to lose Ismaila Sarr in January and is already negotiating his renewal, despite the Senegalese forward coming close to joining Liverpool over the summer. And speaking of the Reds, they are also monitoring Leeds defender Tarik Muharemovic, who is also coveted by Inter, Barcelona, Bayern and Dortmund.

Other files open: United and Chelsea continue to track young Twente player Ruud Nijstad; Ajax wants Tolu Arokodare, of Wolverhampton, on a permanent deal; and Christian Pulisic is reportedly "one step away" from renewing with AC Milan.