Mesut Özil seems to have accepted his days at Arsenal are numbered, having made just a paltry two appearances for the club in all competitions this season. With his manager Unai Emery reported to be unimpressed with the playmaker’s attitude in training, a January move elsewhere looks increasingly likely even if his current employers are forced to heavily subsidise his £350,000 weekly stipend. Turkish newspaper Takvim, which your polyglot Rumour Mill has delivered daily, report that Fenerbahce have opened talks with Arsenal about a loan deal and say the “dream move can come true in January”.

Not for the first time in recent months Manchester City are mulling over the possibility of trying to sign Nathan Aké, having identified the central defender as the man to help plug the conspicuous Aymeric Laporte-shaped hole in their beleaguered defence. Speculation linking Aké with City during the summer ultimately came to naught, but knowing how desperate City are for a new recruit, Bournemouth can hold out for the £80m fee that was deemed too expensive by the champions a few months ago.

In the cut-throat world of football transfer wheeler-dealing a verbal agreement is scarcely worth the paper it’s not written on, but Juventus and Manchester United are reported to have one in place over the future of Mario Mandzukic. Unwanted by the Italian champions, for whom he has yet to play a minute this season, the Croatian striker’s mooted move to Qatar has been torpedoed and Tuttosport report he will join Manchester United on New Year’s Day.

Sebastián Córdova is a Mexican international who plays his club football for América but that situation could change if one of Manchester United, Benfica or Sevilla get their way. All three clubs are reported to be interested in signing the 22-year-old from his current Liga MX employers.

Expect more tedious Christian Eriksen-related speculation in January when Real Madrid ramp up their interest in the Tottenham midfielder. Meanwhile in Italy, Inter are expected to rescue Nemanja Matic from his purgatory, what with the Serbian being displeased at his inability to get regular game time in a decidedly average Manchester United side.

Completely surplus to the requirements of Germany manager Joachim Löw and consigned to occasional cameos from the bench at Bayern Munich, Thomas Müller has plenty of spare time on his hands and has been passing it by talking to Kicker magazine. Refusing to comment on whispers that he is eager to leave the German champions to get a fresh start elsewhere, he chose instead to announce he’s ready to knuckle down in training and fight for his place.

“The media has speculated wildly in the past few days,” he said. “I won’t take part in it. Now I have to concentrate completely on sport in order to make the next few weeks with FC Bayern successful.” In a story that possibly came from Coleen Rooney’s private Instagram account, German tabloid Bild, by contrast, say Müller is desperate to leave Bavaria for pastures new.

And finally, Arsenal and Crystal Palace are courting RB Salzburg striker Hwang Hee-chan, who posed plenty of problems for Liverpool’s defence during the recent meeting of the two sides in the Champions League. The 23-year-old South Korean is contracted to the Austrian club until 2021 and has seven goals to his name in 10 appearances this season.