The transfer windows in Europe’s top leagues are closed, but it’s never too late to look forward to January! Click here to view the latest transfers and keep up to date with the newest gossip below.
All the major completed transfers | European transfer review
TOP STORY: Juventus plot move for Matic
The Sun claims Juventus are keeping a close eye on Manchester United’s Nemanja Matic, who is believed to be unhappy at a lack of first-team action.
The Serbian made his first start of the season in United’s 1-0 victory over Leicester City on Saturday, after he took the opportunity over the international break to express his unhappiness to Old Trafford bosses about his limited game time so far this season.
The 31-year-old’s contract at the Premier League side expires at the end of the season, and Juventus are keeping tabs on the situation, with a view to making the former Chelsea man their latest high-profile free transfer acquisition.
The Serie A giants have signed Aaron Ramsey, Adrien Rabiot and Emre Can on free transfers in recent years, and have earned a reputation for being particularly prudent in the transfer market.
LIVE BLOG
22.00 BST: Folks it was a sleepy Sunday for transfer news, but we’ll be mining the back pages again shortly to bring you another paper round of all the latest news and deals in the world of football.
20.30 BST: Tired of the neverending David De Gea contract saga? So are we. But here’s an interesting bit from The Sunday Times about the Spaniard’s rumoured new contract that might not make some of his teammates too happy. Apparently, De Gea won’t be docked some 25 percent of his salary like United teammate Paul Pogba would if the team misses out on the Champions League.
18.11 BST: Don’t forget to make your own transfers as you pick your team for our Champions League fantasy game! Take on your mates in head-to-head leagues, selecting a team each weekend to maximise points. Here’s how to play the game, and click through to sign up. The Champions League starts on Tuesday!
16.15 BST: Dries Mertens, who has been linked with a move to the Chinese Super League, is refusing to be drawn on the chances of signing a new contract with Napoli after scoring both goals in Saturday’s 2-0 win over Sampdoria.
He said: “We’ll see, there’s no rush and I am not thinking about anything else.”
14.03 BST: Inter Milan director of sport Piero Ausilio is not worried about the future of Lautaro Martinez. The Argentina international, who scored a hat trick against Mexico in midweek, is being monitored by Barcelona.
“The contract renewal is not a problem. He is very young and still has four years left on his current deal,” Ausilio told DAZN. “There’s absolutely no rush, a contract brings with it both rights and duties. It is now his duty to give everything on the field for Inter and there is time to discuss the contract in future.”
13.11 BST: Don’t forget to make your own transfers as you pick your team for our Champions League fantasy game! Take on your mates in head-to-head leagues, selecting a team each weekend to maximise points. Here’s how to play the game, and click through to sign up. The Champions League starts on Tuesday!
12.32 BST: Velez Sarsfield midfielder Thiago Almada was a man in demand over the summer. He was very high on Manchester City’s wanted list, while Atletico Madrid were also thought to be considering a move. But the Argentina youth international has now penned a new four-year contract at his club. Does that mean he’s staying in South America for the foreseeable future?
11.46 BST: The Sunday Express is reporting that Manchester United could be set to make a move for Fenerbahce striker Vedat Muriqi. The Kosovo international, 25, scored against England on Tuesday and was linked with Tottenham later in the week. The Express says that United sent scouts to the Euro 2020 qualifier.
11.02 BST: The transfer window closed without Christian Eriksen getting his dream move to La Liga, but Marca reports that the Denmark international is holding out hope that Real Madrid will make a move in January. Eriksen is out of contract at the end of the season and Zinedine Zidane might get the midfielder for a cut-price fee.
10.19 BST: Chelsea are having a right time of it this season, with young stars Tammy Abraham, Fikayo Tomori and Mason Mount among the goals in a 5-2 win at Wolves on Saturday. Let’s not forget they also have Callum Hudson-Odoi, who was wanted by Bayern Munich. He is out of contract at the end of the season, but the Sun on Sunday reports that terms have been agreed on a new five-year deal worth £100,000-a-week.
09.30 BST: We heard last week how David Beckham has a cunning, and very ambitious, plan to lure Lionel Messi or Luis Suarez to his new MLS franchise, Inter Miami. Well now, according to Maxifoot in France, Real Madrid forward Gareth Bale has been added to his list of targets. Could Bale, now 30, be tempted to move to the United States?
PAPER ROUND
Barca planning to axe Umtiti
Reports in Calciomercato claim Barcelona are preparing to sell defender Samuel Umtiti, with a host of top European clubs waiting in the wings to sign the Frenchman.
The 25-year-old has struggled with a string of injuries over the past year, and made only 15 appearances in all competitions last season. His fortunes haven’t improved this season either, with Barcelona now considering cashing in on a player they now deem unreliable because of his injury record.
That stance has alerted Premier League duo Arsenal and Manchester United, who have a longstanding interest in the former Lyon man, while Serie A champions Juventus are also keeping tabs on Umtiti, whom they see as a potential long-term replacement for Giorgio Chiellini.
Chiellini himself is out indefinitely because of a knee injury.
Serie A pair hunt Diaz deal
AC Milan and Roma are reportedly interested in signing Real Madrid outcast Mariano Diaz, but Calciomercato claims the Dominican Republic international’s wage demands could scupper a move.
The 26-year-old has been unable to secure regular first-team football at the Bernabeu following a €23 million move from Lyon just over a year ago, with Los Blancos manager Zinedine Zidane keen to move the striker on over the summer. A move didn’t materialise in the close season, but reports suggest that Diaz is still heading for the Real exit.
– UCL draw: Madrid get PSG; Barca, BVB, Inter together
– Ogden: Draw good for English clubs; tricky for Spain
– Champions League group stage: Day-by-day fixtures
The Rossoneri and Giallorossi are both keen on Diaz, who scored 21 goals in his final season at Lyon in the 2017-18 season, but are reluctant to meet Diaz’s wages of around €100,000 a week. Lack of Champions League football for both sides means that such lucrative contract offers are off the table for the time being.
Tap-ins
– Calciomercato claims AC Milan have made initial enquiries over a deal for winger Rodrigo De Paul, but have balked at Udinese’s €35 million valuation of the 25-year-old. The Argentina international has emerged on the Rossoneri radar after scoring nine Serie A goals last season.
– Wolverhampton Wanderers owners Fosun are on the lookout for fresh investment, as they attempt to fund signings that will make them a Premier League heavyweight, according to reports in the Express & Star. The Chinese firm are open to selling a 20% stake in the club as they look to penetrate the Premier League’s top six.
– Free agent Ignazio Abate has turned down a move to Qatari side Al-Gharafa, following his exit from AC Milan at the end of last season. Calciomercato claims the former Italy international has rejected an offer worth more than €2 million a year.