In the latest episode of Baby, This Is Keke Palmer, Keke is first joined by her mom, Sharon, and then Dr. Drew Pinsky, to discuss everything from her childhood fame to personality disorders and how to navigate abusive relationships.
The episode begins with Keke and her mom reflecting on Keke’s childhood, and her parents’ marriage. She points out that the common belief is that most adult trauma stems from having toxic relationships modelled before you, and while her parents marriage was actually quite healthy, she says she still experienced a great deal of trauma, alluding to her relationship with Darius Jackson.
Dr. Drew is brought into the fold to help Keke connect the dots between how her childhood fame could actually be the culprit for her ending up in a toxic situation. Alongside Dr. Drew, she dug deep into her childhood and reflected on how being the only child celebrity in her family was, in a way, isolating, and fertile ground for her to become the victim of abuse.
"I actually remember, Dr. Drew, the moment that it happened," she said. "No one could relate to me — not my siblings, not even my parents. Anytime a dynamic is shifted like that it can get highly toxic, because no one knows how to deal with the trauma of being a celebrity, or having a celebrity child."
The conversation moved on to tough topics like personality disorders, narcissism and the cost of compassion, with Keke shedding some light on how her compassion has landed her in dangerous situations.
“I have great compassion, too,” she said. “But boy have I experienced some terrible things because of it. It’s like, having compassion for somebody that’s ready to kill you, it’s very intense.”
Keke goes on to share a swath of powerful revelations, and it’s almost as if in real-time, we are hearing her heal and absolve herself of any blame or guilt she may have been carrying for what unfolded between her and her son’s father. We’re also understanding, though, how, even despite her wealth and fame, she truly was the perfect victim of his (alleged) abuse.
During the conversation, she connected the invisibility she felt at times throughout her life, like not being seen for who she was other than an entertainer, even in her own family, and how that familiarity was attractive and led to her to Darius, who she felt also didn’t see her.
“Here it is again, someone doesn’t see me. I put myself in an intimate scenario with someone who doesn’t see me,” she said.
Through this podcast episode, it’s clear that Keke has been doing a ton of reflection about her relationship, but also, her life in general. Her intent on improving herself and her circumstances amid her ongoing legal battles with Darius has never been more clear. And despite expressing doubts to Dr. Drew about whether she did in fact do something wrong, he provided her with some comfort, saying:
"Keke, the person who is re-evaluating themselves, trying to do what's right, contemplating what they could be doing that's wrong, that is rarely the person who's doing wrong.”
It’s a truly powerful conversation and really embodies how she has prioritized herself and her happiness in the wake of this scandal, which hardly feels like the appropriate word, which became a topic of conversation when Darius initially complained about her outfit choice to Usher’s residency.
Her resilience since the breakup has been on full display – and her career is at an all-time high. This past weekend, she hosted the BET Soul Train Awards and got rave reviews not only for her hosting skills, but for the performance of her emotional breakup song, Ungorgeous.
I think her having these conversations, and breaking away from her typical preference for privacy, and especially choosing to incorporate her mom, who became emotional during the episode in discussing what she’s learned in her marriage, is symbolic. I once wrote that Jada Pinkett-Smith’s discontinued Red Table Talk was a place women were going to heal their mother wound, and I would argue that Keke’s podcast, and this episode in particular, is following that same path.
There is a widespread, genuine interest in how Keke has been managing the recent events that have taken place in her life. And what’s so refreshing is that the interest isn’t rooted in nosiness or malice, the resounding conclusion is that people truly want to see her do well in spite of this. And I, and so many others, have absolute faith that she can only go up from here.
The sale of Egypt forward Mohamed Salah, 31, next summer could open the door forLiverpoolto sign 23-year-old France forward Kylian Mbappe fromParis St-Germain.(Team Talk)
Mbappe remains committed toPSGthis season and there is no indication of any interest fromLiverpool.(Football Transfers)
Argentina striker Lautaro Martinez, 26, is expected to sign a new contract withInter Milan, despite being linked withChelseaandManchester United.(90 Min)
Aston Villaare prepared to listen to offers for 28-year-old Belgium midfielder Leander Dendoncker, who is being monitored byEverton.(Football Insider)
Tottenhammay reject offers for Denmark midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, 28, and English midfielder Oliver Skipp, 23, with Uruguay midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur, 26, ruled out until February with an ankle injury.(Telegraph - subscription)
AC Milanwill look to ease their central defensive problems by signingArsenal's23-year-old Poland defender Jakub Kiwior on loan in January.(Calciomercato - in Italian)
Barcelonawant to extend 29-year-old Portugal defender Joao Cancelo's loan deal fromManchester Cityuntil 2025.(Sport - in Spanish)
Chelseaare prepared to recall 19-year-old Brazil midfielder Andrey Santos in January as they are not happy with his loan situation atNottingham Forest.(Fabrizio Romano)
Aston Villahave identifiedLensand Ghana midfielder Salis Abdul Samed, 23, as a potential replacement should they be forced to sell 25-year-old Brazil midfielder Douglas Luiz.(Team Talk)
For Gareth Gates, the toughest moment of the recent reality show Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins wasn’t dealing with CS gas, or stress holds, or even sharing a dorm with Matt Hancock; it happened in an interview room. Gates has had a lifelong stammer, and speaking in a stressful situation was about as hard as it gets. “When I was stretched in every way, physically drained and exhausted, to then have to talk, which is my hardest thing in life, was tough,” he says. “And I was unearthing trauma and exposing scars I hadn’t spoken about before.”
In the show, which puts contestants through SAS training, Gates broke down, berating himself as he did (“I said I wouldn’t do this”). He talked haltingly, between tears, about being bullied at school – sometimes he was held down and physically attacked, hearing boys shouting: “Let’s beat the words out of him.” After the show finished, the contestants were offered therapy sessions: “I absolutely took it. I definitely needed it – I’d tapped into areas I hadn’t been to for many years.”
Gates won the show, which was a happy end to a gruelling process, and proved to himself that he could win a reality show. He came to fame via Pop Idol, the TV singing contest, in 2002, when he was the runner-up to Will Young. If the first reality show changed his life, so did the latest one. He learned, he says, “how resilient I am”. At school, “I always saw myself as very weak. I actually was very weak then. But I’m no longer the cowering boy who sits in the corner; I have learned to speak up, I’ve learned to be stronger. It took for SAS to happen to really realise how far I’d come.”
Gates is talking from his cabin aboard a cruise ship, somewhere in the Atlantic, where he performs most nights. On 9 November, a few days before we speak via a video call, he had posted a video on Instagram, calling out three women in the next cabin. He could hear them making fun of his speech. Even at 39, Gates is dealing with bullying. “I’ve had it my entire life, and when it does happen, I have learned to switch off.” It usually happens on nights out, and usually comes from drunk men, he says. Most of the time, he ignores it, but being on a ship, with his partner, it became too much. “Every time we went out on to the balcony and they heard we were there, the abuse started. It was fine at first and if I’d been on my own, I’d have probably just let it go. Or if it had been guys, I’d have gone round.”
It was his partner who confronted them. “And it stopped. Off the back of SAS, it just felt the right time to do a ‘stand up to bullying’ post, and it was huge. It’s had over a million views now and there’s a lot of comments from people saying they’re pleased that I spoke up.”
We’re joined by Chris, a friend and voice coach who occasionally steps in to remind him to slow down, or to breathe, or to have a few seconds’ rest. Gates finds interviews hard, but he speaks well – he is warm and talks with a smile – although it is clear it is an effort. When we are talking about the bullying and, later, about the pressures of young fame, his speech is noticeably affected.
Live TV interviews are worse (“I don’t sleep well the night before; I’m up worrying about it”), but the one he did two weeks ago on Good Morning Britain reduced the co-host Ed Balls to tears. Balls said seeing Gates had inspired him to be open about his own challenges with a stammer. It means a lot to Gates. “I tried to say this on the show, but I wasn’t as eloquent towards the end, because it all became quite emotional, but I think one of my biggest achievements is I’ve raised the awareness of stammering,” he says. He loves the messages he gets from other people with a stammer, but also “people with anything that holds them back in life … they tell me I’ve inspired them to keep going, and that you don’t have to allow something to dictate who we are and what we can achieve. It’s a great feeling.”
Gates was eight when he discovered he could sing. He auditioned for a part in a school production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, only because his friends were doing so. It was a revelation – not only that he had a lovely voice, but that, when he sang, his stammer disappeared. He got the lead part – a role he would later play in the West End. “I just completely fell in love with music, because it was my only form of expression,” he says.
The bullying lessened. “I finally gained respect from my peers. It was still hard at school, I was still teased, but it wasn’t to the extent of the bullying before, because people saw that I was good at something.”
He has always questioned why he is able to sing unencumbered. “I think it’s that I adopt a different persona. I’m not really Gareth Gates, I’m whatever part I’m playing, and that’s really helped me.” Even in the speaking parts – he has been in musicals including Les Misérables and Legally Blonde – rehearsing the script thoroughly means he can get fully into character “and it isn’t ever an issue. I can talk freely on stage.”
Gates joined Bradford cathedral choir at nine, eventually becoming the head chorister. He took up guitar and piano, working his way up through the grades. He got a place at the Royal Northern College of Music, where he planned to study to become an opera singer, but he was also entering local talent competitions – the last of which was Pop Idol. It didn’t really matter that he didn’t win – he already knew he would be getting a recording contract.
The first generation of reality shows have been re-examined in recent years, but Gates says he had a good experience: “I was treated well. I was fortunate that I was kind of Simon Cowell’s boy from the start; he was rooting for me.” The show “gave people an insight as to what I was about. Up until then, my speech had always caused me so much hurt and pain, but on Pop Idol, for the first time, it was actually a positive thing, because it helped me stand out.”
None of the contestants had any idea how big the show would become, he says. He became famous overnight. One day, he could walk down the street “unscathed”; the next, people mobbed him in central London. “My T-shirt was ripped and it was all a bit manic,” he says. It helped that he was so young: “I didn’t really think too much, I was purely going along for the ride.” He was living his dream and “very thankful for that”.
But it can’t have been easy. The tabloids and celebrity magazines were in full feeding-frenzy mode. He was a victim of a particularly tawdry kiss ’n’ tell – the glamour model Katie Price, then 24, told of taking 17-year-old Gates’s virginity in excruciating detail. Paparazzi would wait for him outside bars and clubs. “You are always looking over your shoulder, you are always aware of people; who you can trust, who you can’t,” he says.
I would have thought it would have been harder to deal with as a young person. “I think it goes back to the hardship that I had as a child,” says Gates. “Although that time with the tabloids was hard, it was nothing in comparison to the bullying and the beatings that I went through as a kid because of my speech. That puts it all into perspective, and I think that’s why I was able to get through it.”
Four of Gates’s first five singles went to No 1 and his first album sold well. His second didn’t have the same impact and the fallout from his relationship with Price had damaged his clean-cut image. It didn’t help that he had lied about it at the time, then was forced to admit it, which blew up the story. With 2023 eyes, the power imbalance between Gates and Price, who was seven years older and far more media-experienced, feels bigger than it did at the time (in one of her autobiographies, Price jokingly writes about seeing a teenager who still lived at home and would whisper on the phone to her from his bedroom). Had their genders been reversed, Gates may not have been given such a hard time.
He took a break. It was his choice, he says. In a 2006 documentary, painfully titled Whatever Happened to Gareth Gates?, he seemed stung by the whole experience (his girlfriend at the time, Suzanne Mole, with whom he later had a short-lived marriage, and a daughter, said being dropped by his record label had been tough for him). But with the benefit of maturity and hindsight, it all worked out, he says. The break “was for my own sanity”, but it wasn’t good for his career. “The fans certainly didn’t like it,” he says. “I left it a few years until I released the third album, and it didn’t do as well, because people move on if the artist isn’t active. I was used to having No 1 after No 1 and selling millions, and when I didn’t do that on album number three, I was a bit gutted.”
When he was 30, Gates injured one of his vocal cords. It made him re-evaluate. He had spent much of his 20s partying: “I was going out a lot, but I swapped that for the gym.” A few years ago, people noticed how ripped he was getting (he still is – he goes to the gym most days). “I’ve always wanted to look good on the outside,” he says. “I think that’s probably to compensate for not being perfect on the inside. As a stammerer, just doing normal things, I get that anxiety and fear every moment of every day of my life. I see that as an imperfection.”
But it wasn’t just about that, he says; it was a way of looking after himself better. Gates is sensible for a pop star – he invested much of his early money well (he describes himself as a businessman), although he lost £250,000 to a currency scam. “It took for that injury to happen on my vocal cord to realise I can’t really burn the candle at both ends – and I want to continue to work,” he says
He moved into musical theatre, panto, reality shows and appearing on cruise ships. “I’m extremely fortunate that I’ve continued to work. I haven’t ever hit rock bottom, I’ve never been out of work, so I haven’t that tale to tell.” Does he worry that there is a stigma attached to being a cruise-ship singer? “I was asked to do cruise ships years ago and I shared that same mindset, purely because of that stigma,” he says. “I think it’s going away now.” He loves it, talking about performing to sold-out crowds each night. “It’s a really lovely gig and I get paid very well. I couldn’t care less about the stigma.”
Is there still a part of him that would like to be a pop star again? He smiles and says a man who is “really big in the industry” – he won’t say who – “contacted me two months ago and wants to make another album with me”. If he can make it work – he says he barely has a day off until next April – the plan is to release an album next autumn. “So it looks like I could be a pop star again,” he says, with a laugh.
Between his second and third albums, Gates started working with the McGuire Programme, a course for people who stammer; he also became a coach. When he was promoting his third album, Gates employed a coach from the programme to come on the road with him, working on his speech daily and getting him through his promotional duties. “Eventually, I found a good level of eloquence.”
Since then, his fluency has declined. “I’m not in the best place with my stammer,” he says. “I became complacent after achieving a lot of success with my speech and it became harder and harder, and now I’m in a place where I have to kind of start again.” He says it is a “constant battle”: ordering something in a restaurant, asking for a receipt, chatting to a stranger. He would like to be able to check into a hotel without anxiety: “Saying your name, for a stammerer, is always the hardest thing to say, because there’s only one answer.” Sometimes his partner, or his father (who works for Gates), steps in. “There’s situations and challenges I avoid, and that’s not good, but at times it’s too much. That’s something I have to work on.”
He says he is thankful for his Celebrity SAS experience, “because it’s given me the kick up the backside to actually put the work in”. I ask if he has accepted his stammer as a part of who he is, but he says he can’t. “I think that’s the battle, because in the past I’ve achieved a good level of eloquence and fluency that I’m trying to get back. I know that I can do it – and I will.”
Freda Horton woke up on a Friday morning to a barrage of frantic texts from friends and family. “Are you OK?” they asked. There had been a fire reported at Gossip Grill the previous night just half an hour after Horton’s shift ended. She works as a bartender at the beloved lesbian bar in San Diego.
Firefighters on the scene of the Oct. 20 blaze, which started in the outside patio, were able to knock it down before the flames reached the rest of the establishment — but not before an estimated $7,000 in damages had been done. News of the suspected arson at the bar spread quickly in Hillcrest, a prominent LGBTQ+ neighborhood in San Diego.
Patrons and fans rallied, focused on restoring this haven for the queer community to its old self. But despite the superficial nature of the fire and the relative ease it took for the bar to recover financially, the fear it caused among some patrons was not so easily quelled.
Those who spoke with The Times in the aftermath of the fire said that, in a world where violence against queer people has become all too commonplace, safe spaces are crucial to the community. For some, the incident at Gossip Grill, one of Southern California’s few lesbian bars, shook their sense of safety.
Alyssa G., left, Paloma M., Camille K. and Melanie Quijano share a toast on Nov. 4 at Gossip Grill.
(Jireh Deng / Los Angeles Times)
The morning after the fire, Horton said volunteers wielding work tools rallied to overhaul the damages, and even a tattoo artist donated proceeds from their work to help them recoup losses. The following week, they were back to business as usual, if not even more busy, Horton said, as patrons flooded the establishment and bought drinks to help raise money for repairs.
“We’re already taken care of it. You got a group of lesbians and a Home Depot card — come on now,” Horton said with a laugh.
There was no evidence that the arson was a result of a hate crime. San Diego police arrested Ryan Habrel, 38, on suspicion of two counts of arson with the special allegation that he used a device to accelerate the spread of the fire. Habrel has pleaded not guilty to the charges and remains in custody at a San Diego County jail in lieu of $150,000 bail. He has also been ordered by a judge to stay away from Gossip Grill as well as other local restaurants owned by the same conglomerate, Mo’s Universe Restaurant Group, including Hillcrest Brewing Co., Urban MO’s, insideOUT, Baja Betty’s and Barrel & Board.
Habrel’s next court appearance is set for Dec. 18, according to online jail records. The Times was unable to reach a legal representative for Habrel, and the San Diego County district attorney’s office declined to comment as the case is ongoing.
Although the arson was fresh in patrons’ memory, just two weekends later, the bar was buoyant. Leftover Halloween decorations hung overhead as people rocked and swayed on the Gossip Grill dance floor to a range of music genres, from Afrobeats to disco.
Gossip Grill is just a skate ride down the block for Hillcrest resident Melanie Quijano. She’s been a regular at the bar for the last five years and on a recent weekend was celebrating a reunion and a birthday among her friends. She said the Hillcrest community has always been welcoming to its queer residents.
Although the fire was upsetting, she was upbeat: “S— just happens. Gossip opened up the next day, completely fine.”
Two patrons sway to the music on the dance floor of Gossip Grill in San Diego.
(Jireh Deng / Los Angeles Times)
Others felt the incident shouldn’t be quickly dismissed, hate crime or not. Kristin Brill was in San Diego over the weekend to attend a Doja Cat concert with friends, but she had seen the news of the fire on social media. Where Brill lives in Montana, there aren’t many queer bars, which make her yearly visits to Gossip Grill even more sacrosanct. The 27-year-old said the fire, regardless of the motive behind it, dredged up the hostility to the community that’s been documented in the news.
She said attacks like the shooting in Florida’s Pulse Nightclub had normalized violence against queer people. “There’s amped-up racism and homophobia everywhere,” Brill said. “There’s tons of anti-trans laws being passed.”
That hate toward LGBTQ+ people is what drives them to seek safe spaces like Gossip Grill. Camille K. (who declined to provide their full last name because of their active military service) recently moved to San Diego for work and was elated to be surrounded by others in the queer community. Growing up in the Midwest, they noted the high suicide rates among queer youth and said loneliness and a lack of representation could be at their root.
“You can go online. You can see people that identify as who you are,” K added. But that online support cannot rival the euphoria of being physically surrounded by affirming representation. “Coming into this space, it’s a whole new realm.”
And it’s not just the lesbians who find their welcome home at Gossip Grill. Hillcrest, as a gayborhood, is home to a number of queer bars lining University Avenue. Anthony Patton, a local social worker who’s lived in San Diego for three years, said Gossip Grill ranks as his favorite local bar for its authentic and warm atmosphere.
“Unlike other bars in the Hillcrest area, I made connections just off the cuff — it’s been genuine. I feel able to be free and express myself and dance and be accepted,” Patton said. Sometimes in other gay bars, he notices that people move in cliques or can be judgmental before deciding to strike up a friendly conversation. “Being a gay Black male, oddly enough, Gossip Grill is the place where I feel the most at home.”
Anthony Patton dances beneath decorations left over from Halloween celebrations at Gossip Grill.
(Jireh Deng / Los Angeles Times)
On the wall of Gossip Grill’s outdoor patio, a neon pink sign, “Welcome Home Beautiful,” greets people as they walk into the bar. “[That’s] our whole motto,” said Horton of their bar’s values. “We want to be your home away from home.”
Like Horton, bartender Justin Nelson has worked at Gossip Grill since it opened 14 years ago — he’s affectionately known as the “lesbro” of the team. Horton remembers seeing the bar outgrow its first location, also in Hillcrest, within six months of opening. “We literally had our little dance floor in front of the bathrooms with a DJ sitting in a windowsill,” Horton said. The bar opened at its present location in 2009.
During the pandemic, the bar survived when many others shut down by finding unique ways to get people to support the business. They sold alcohol by the bottle as well as home-delivered food. “I literally dressed up in a blow-up unicorn outfit and hand-delivered food to our guests.”
Freda Horton, left, and Lindsey Leavitt, bartenders at Gossip Grill, prepare one of their nonalcoholic cocktails, Lady Business.
(Jireh Deng / Los Angeles Times)
But what’s stayed true for Horton and for Gossip Grill over the years is a commitment to making room for everyone — whether that’s meant raising awareness for the Black Lives Matter movement or welcoming trans women in the community. That spirit is at the foundation of the establishment. Nurturing the community around their bar has been one of Horton’s greatest joys.
“You get to watch the baby gays grow up and become an incredible powerful part of our community,” Horton said. “And that’s been an honor for us because they come in at 21 and they’re still coming in now in their mid to late 30s.”
Times staff writer Jeremy Childs contributed to this report.
Chelseaare set to makeNapoli'sVictor Osimhen their prime attacking target in January, with the 24-year-old Nigeria striker open to a move to Stamford Bridge.(Telegraph - subscription required)
Juventusare keen to sign a midfielder in January and have three Premier League players on their shortlist -Arsenal'sGhana international Thomas Partey, 30,Manchester City's27-year-old England international Kalvin Phillips andTottenham'sDenmark international Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, 28.(Foot Mercato - in French)
Juventuswill aim to convince 23-year-old England winger Jadon Sancho to join them on loan fromManchester Unitedin January.(Fichajes - in Spanish)
Manchester Cityare interested in 25-year-old Brazil midfielder Douglas Luiz, who they sold toAston Villain 2019, as well asAl-Hilaland Portugal midfielder Ruben Neves, 26.(Football Insider)
Manchester Citywant to signBoca Juniorsfull-back Valentin Barco before loaning the 19-year-old Argentina Under-20 international toLeicester City.(Sun)
Saudi sideAl-Ettifaqare leading the chase to sign Spain goalkeeper David de Gea in January. The 33-year-old is a free agent after leavingManchester Unitedat the end of last season.(Sun)
West Hamare working on a deal to signPorto's26-year-old Nigeria left-back Zaidu Sanusi in January.(Teamtalk)
Tottenhamare monitoring the progress ofSouthampton's21-year-old Republic of Ireland goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu.(Football Insider)
Liverpoolhave to payBenficaan extra £8.5m for Darwin Nunez after the 24-year-old Uruguay striker made his 60th appearance for the club against Manchester City on Saturday.(Mirror)
Evertonhave agreed a deal to signLinfield's16-year-old Northern Ireland youth forward Braiden Graham.(Belfast Telegraph)
LeicesterandPrestonare keen on a January loan move forLiverpool's20-year-old England Under-21 defender Jarell Quansah.(Alan Nixon via Leicestershire Live)
West Ham'sAlgeria winger Said Benrahma, 28, is attracting interest from Saudi Arabian clubs.(Sun)
Chelseadefender Ian Maatsen, 21, could be allowed to leave on loan in January if the Netherlands Under-21 international signs a new long-term contract.(Football Insider)
Crystal PalaceandFulhamhave inquired about the availability of Ajax's 28-year-old English striker Chuba Akpom.(Teamtalk)
Two Brits at the Lakers game last night, let’s start with Adele. She’s been making headlines this week because she was at her good friendAlan Carr’s showthe other day and, according to DeuxMoi, at a point in the performance, when Alan asks the audience if there was anyone who recently got married Adele shouted out, “I did”. And of course there’s that big ass ring on her finger.
I’m not looking at the ring because I’m too busy admiring her sweater. Maria and I, for years, have been looking for the perfect white/cream sweater which started, unfortunately, with Gwyneth Paltrow … in 2011. It was Celine, and every white/cream sweater ever since had had to compare against that standard. I can’t say Adele’s equals GP’s, but it’s still very good. And what I like about it is that it’s a sweater that seems to move like a hoodie, with the perfect amount of slouch. I encourage you to harass Maria about finding it for the next edition of As Seen On Social Media.
The other Brit at the Lakers game – Andrew Garfield who is, in my opinion, getting more and more attractive the older he gets. Do we give his hair enough credit? He has such good hair, whenever I see photos of him I always want to run my fingers through it to see how soft it is.
But this isn’t about Andrew’s hair or his maturing sexiness, it’s about a Gossip Genie thought that’s been bouncing around my mind and I’d like to put it to you today. I know everyone wants to believe in Andrew and Florence Pugh, and the rumours about them kicked back up in September but have been quiet for the last couple of months.
If not Andrew and Flo, though, would you consider Andrew with the now-single Natalie Portman? Because I really do think it would work. They’re around the same age, they’re both super talented, pretty comparable on the fame scale, and can swing from serious to silly and back again. Can you see it? Are we Gossip Genie-ing this together? Let’s take this over toThe Squawktoday to discuss.
Newcastlewill make loan moves forManchester City's27-year-old England midfielder Kalvin Phillips andParis St-Germain's21-year-old French striker Hugo Ekitike in January.(Times - subscription)
Newcastle are interested inStuttgartand Guinea forward Serhou Guirassy, 27, andEverton's26-year-old England striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin.(Teamtalk)
Juventusare hopefulManchester Unitedwill allow 23-year-old England forward Jadon Sancho to join on loan in January despite interest from former clubBorussia Dortmund.(Calciomercato - in Italian)
Brentfordhave no intention of selling England striker Ivan Toney, 27, in January despite strong interest fromArsenalandChelsea.(Mirror)
Manchester Unitedhave madeEverton'sEnglish defender Jarrad Branthwaite, 21, their prime defensive target in 2024.(Teamtalk)
Clubs in the Saudi Pro League are considering a £17m January move forManchester United's31-year-old Denmark midfielder Christian Eriksen.(Caught Offside)
Bayern Munichare willing to payManchester Unitedup to £26m for 30-year-old France defender Raphael Varane.(Abendzeitung - in German)
Varane would have to take a pay cut to joinBayern,who are unwilling to match his £340,000-a-week wages, while former clubLenswould welcome him back.(RMC Sport - in French)
Leeds Unitedwill reject any interest in 17-year-old English midfielder Archie Gray in January, withLiverpool, EvertonandCrystal Palaceamong those interested.(Football Insider)
Real Madridare set to offer manager Carlos Ancelotti a new contract amid interest fromBrazil.(90min)
Barcelonamanager Xavi has rejected claims that Germany midfielder Ilkay Gundogan, 33, will leave for Saudi Arabia in January.(Goal.com)
Bayern Munichhave moved ahead ofManchester UnitedandChelseain the race forSchalke's17-year-old German midfielder Assan Ouedraogo.(Teamtalk)
Bournemouthwill turn down any offers fromWest Hamfor 26-year-old English striker Dominic Solanke.(Talksport)
AC Milanare considering a move forManchester City'sBrazil defender Yan Couto, 21, who is on loan atGirona.(Calciomercato)
Argentina striker Lautaro Martinez, 26, expects to be offered a new contract byInter Milanafter turning down interest from the Saudi Pro League last summer.(Tuttosport via Football Italia)
Manchester Cityforward Joel Ndala, 17, is attracting interest from Premier League and European clubs, both for loans and permanent transfers.(Athletic - subscription)
