B/R Football Ranks Transfer Rumours: Fernandes, Piatek, Eriksen, Alcacer

The B/R Football Ranks transfer column is your guide to which rumours are legit and which ones you can dismiss.

Our secret sources have top intelligence on the inside stories, and our informants have details on all the delicate dealings between top clubs and superstar names.

The aim here is to open up the truths inside this transfer window—we kick off with a deal that has been rumbling for weeks...

Nailed On: Christian Eriksen to Inter Milan

On Thursday evening, the Tottenham Hotspur and Inter Milan moved into the final phase of talks over a deal that will see Christian Eriksen complete his switch to Italy.

Discussions are continuing into Friday, but the contract and bonus structure for Eriksen, who will pick up around £250,000 per week, is all in place, and he is said to be extremely excited about the move.

There are still a couple of details to be ironed out, mainly that Spurs are trying to push the fee as close to £20 million as possible.

Barcelona have shown late interest, but insiders say it would be a big surprise if the deal collapses at this stage.

Chances Growing: Paco Alcacer to Valencia 

Erling Haaland's arrival at Borussia Dortmund knocked Paco Alcacer down the pecking order, and now the Bundesliga side are happy for him to leave because he is beginning to become a pain to boss Lucien Favre.

Alcacer has been in Germany since 2018 but now wants to return to Spain, and Valencia is looking his most likely destination, though Sevilla and Atletico Madrid have both also shown interest.

It is thought an initial loan deal will take him from Dortmund to Valencia, as the Spanish club have issues with financial fair play. But he is open to the idea of a return to his old club, and things could kick into gear soon. 

Don't Give Up On: Bruno Fernandes to Manchester United

All the personal terms are agreed on this one, but there is a hold up over the fee because Sporting CP know how desperate Manchester United are to sign Bruno Fernandes.

United initially set out with the intent they would not spend more than €50 million (£42.1 million) on the player—because that's the figure initially suggested by intermediaries.

Now Sporting want closer to €80 million, and that has annoyed both United and Fernandes, who sources say is not hiding his frustration around the club.

Sporting need cash and will definitely sell Fernandes, but they will hold off until summer if United don't bow to their demands now.

A couple of well-connected figures around both clubs told B/R they believe that an agreement can be reached before the deadline, so there is still some hope for United fans.

Long Shot: Danny Rose to Newcastle United

Danny Rose is unhappy at Tottenham—he barely plays now and he does not get along with Jose Mourinho—so he needs a new home.

He's been unsettled for some time, yet his options in terms of a transfer have been limited. Newcastle United are showing interest and are looking to offer a loan switch for the remainder of this season.

It's not a prospect that particularly excites Rose, according to sources, so at this stage it looks an unlikely transfer. Bournemouth or Watford might be more appealing right now.

Not Going to Happen: Krzysztof Piatek to Tottenham Hotspur

Spurs certainly looked into the availability of AC Milan's Polish striker, but the terms of a deal are not what they were looking for.

Tottenham hoped they could secure a loan agreement for the rest of this season and would then look into potentially signing him permanently in the summer if things had gone well.

But Milan want to recoup the €35 million they spent on Krzysztof Piatek as soon as possible, so any loan deal would have to come with an obligation to buy.

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