The summer transfer window is closed for the major leagues in Europe. However, with an eye on January, there’s plenty of gossip swirling about who’s moving where. Transfer Talk brings you all the latest buzz on rumours, comings, goings and, of course, done deals!
TOP STORY: Liverpool plan 2023 move for Jude Bellingham
Liverpool are planning to make a move for Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham in 2023, reports BILD.
The Reds have been linked with a marquee signing in midfield over the summer, but they decided to delay their approach after acquiring Darwin Nunez from Benfica for £85 million.
Following a number of fitness problems in midfield, Jurgen Klopp’s side did acquire Juventus midfielder Arthur on loan on deadline day, but the latest indicates that they are keen to join the race early for the 19-year-old England international.
Bellingham has already been a standout star for BVB this season and, with his contract not set to expire with the Bundesliga club until 2025, Edin Terzic’s side will be able to set a high valuation.
Thiago Alcantara returned to Liverpool’s midfield when coming on as a substitute in the 4-1 Champions League defeat away at Napoli on Wednesday, but captain Jordan Henderson remains sidelined for a number of weeks.
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13.58 BST: Manchester United are ready to open contract talks with forward Marcus Rashford, according to The Sun.
The England international’s current deal is due to expire at the end of the season, although there is a clause by which the club could extend it by a further year.
But, after Rashford’s form has been revitalised under new boss Erik ten Hag, with three goals in his last four games, United are keen to get the academy graduate to commit his future to Old Trafford by signing a new five-year contract.
Ten Hag said of the 24-year-old’s position: “I don’t think he is out of contract; I think United are in control of the situation.”
When asked what has sparked Rashford’s return to form, Ten Hag added: “It’s difficult for me to talk about the past, but I see a happy Marcus Rashford.
“I see some phases in his game which we could improve. We’ve worked really hard in the last two months with him on different aspects. He likes it and wants to transfer it to the pitch, and that is what we see in this moment.
“It started with happiness, he’s coming in every day, he’s smiling with a really positive vibe. If you put all those things together you contribute more to the team performance, the result, and also your development.”
13.02 BST: Barcelona have denied rejecting a bid from defender Gerard Pique to buy a stake in Barca Studios.
Barca sold just under 50% of the subsidiary company this summer for around €200m to help fund the signings of Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha and Jules Kounde.
A report in Diari Ara this week claimed that Pique, through his company Kosmos, had wanted to invest in Barca Studios and had been left frustrated that the club rebuffed his offer in favour of other proposals.
“In light of the information published in the newspaper Ara, Barcelona strongly deny that the club president [Joan Laporta] has ever received an offer to purchase part of Barca Studios from Pique or his company,” the Catalan club said in a statement on Wednesday.
“We find the spreading of uncorroborated information that can affect the standing and honour of Barcelona’s [players] lamentable.”
After selling 25% of their LaLiga television rights for the next 25 years to Sixth Street, Barca sold 24.5% of Barca Studios to Socios for around €100m.
However, despite those deals, they were still unable to register all their summer signings, so they sold a further 24.5% of Barca Studios, this time to Orpheus Media for another €100m.
12.24 BST: Former Liverpool goalkeeper Loris Karius is close to joining Newcastle United on a free transfer, according to Sky Sports.
Karius has been without a club since his contract at Liverpool expired this summer. The German made 49 appearances during his six-year spell at the Anfield club, but his time there is mostly remembered for the two errors he made in the Champions League final defeat to Real Madrid in 2018.
The 29-year-old now looks set to sign for Newcastle after their reserve goalkeeper Karl Darlow was injured. Eddie Howe’s side brought in Nick Pope from Burnley as their No. 1 this summer while they allowed Martin Dubravka to leave for Manchester United on loan.
11.39 BST: Nottingham Forest signed former Tottenham and PSG right-back Serge Aurier on Wednesday, subject to the move gaining international clearance. The Ivory Coast international, who was a free agent following his contract at Villarreal ending in June, is the 22nd player that newly promoted Premier League side Forest has signed this summer. That’s enough players to (with a little creativity in terms of positions) field two full teams.
So exactly who makes up Forest’s vast troupe of summer signings? Let’s meet them all (in chronological order) …
– Meet Nottingham Forest’s record-breaking 22 summer signings
Steve Nicol explains why he believes Chelsea should target Graham Potter to replace Thomas Tuchel.
10.48 BST: Graham Potter is set to become Chelsea’s new manager after agreeing a deal in principle to leave Brighton, sources have told ESPN’s James Olley.
The 47-year-old held lengthy talks with Chelsea co-owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali on Wednesday night and after being given the evening to think over his position, sources have told ESPN that Potter verbally agreed to take the role.
Potter was due to hold his weekly prematch Brighton news conference on Thursday but it was cancelled as instead he will say his final goodbyes to players and staff before travelling to London to sign a long-term contract.
Barring any last-minute complications, Potter will succeed Thomas Tuchel as the club’s head coach and is set to be in the dugout for Saturday’s Premier League trip to Fulham. Although the details are yet to be finalised, Potter is expected to bring multiple staff members including his assistant Billy Reid.
Chelsea had drawn up a shortlist which included Mauricio Pochettino and Zinedine Zidane but Potter was the club’s first choice. Sources suggest Zidane had no interest in managing in England and is instead waiting for an opportunity to take the France job.
Chelsea will have to pay Brighton around £16m in compensation to appoint Potter, who has excelled on the south coast since taking charge in the summer of 2019.
– Marcotti: Will Chelsea come to regret sacking Tuchel?
10.27 BST: Crystal Palace have offered Wilfried Zaha a new contract in the hope of keeping hold of their star forward and not losing him for free next summer, The Sun reports.
Zaha, 29, is nearing the end of the five-year deal he signed in 2018. He has attracted plenty of interest from the Premier League’s top clubs in recent years, with Arsenal having bids rejected in the past and Chelsea considering a late move for him on the last transfer window.
The Ivory Coast international will be free to hold talks with foreign clubs over a free transfer from January if he does not sign a new deal at Selhurst Park.
09.46 BST: RB Leipzig named Marco Rose as their new head coach on Thursday after sacking Domenico Tedesco, with the Bundesliga club sitting 11th in the league having won just one of their opening five league games of the season and losing 4-1 at home by Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk in their Champions League group opener.
Rose has signed a two-year deal at Leipzig, returning to the Bundesliga following coaching spells at Borussia Moenchengladbach and Borussia Dortmund, where he was sacked in May after a year in charge.
The 45-year-old is well acquainted with Leipzig’s club philosophy having worked at RB Salzburg — who are also owned by Red Bull — as a youth coach from 2013-17 and as head coach from 2017 to 2019, winning two league titles and an Austrian Cup.
08.52 BST: Barcelona have reached an agreement to sign Keira Walsh from Manchester City on a three-year deal, the club announced on Wednesday. The reported world-record transfer fee in excess of £350,000 has grabbed the headlines, but what will her departure mean for City? ESPN’s Becky Thompson looks ahead to their upcoming WSL season.
Becky Thompson tells Mark Donaldson why Manchester City could be in for a tough WSL season.
08.00 BST: Former Chelsea and Atletico Madrid striker Diego Costa is due to have a medical on Thursday ahead of his proposed move to Wolves, according to The Times.
Costa, 33, had his initial application for a UK work permit rejected on Tuesday, but that was overturned on appeal and he travelled to England later on Wednesday to complete his transfer on a one-year contract.
Wolves have been left short of strikers in their squad after summer signing Sasa Kalajdzic sustained a knee ligament injury during his debut on Saturday, while Raul Jimenez missed the opening two games of the season with a knee injury.
Spain international Costa had been without a club since leaving Atletico Mineiro in January after five months at the club, during which he scored four goals in 15 games and lifted the Brazilian league title.
Costa previously helped Atletico Madrid to the LaLiga title in 2014 before embarking on a successful three-year spell at Chelsea, where he scored 59 goals in 120 games in all competitions and won two Premier League titles in 2015 and 2017, as well as the League Cup in 2015. He left to return to Atletico in 2017 and helped the club to another LaLiga title in 2021, but left to return to his native Brazil last summer and join Atletico Mineiro.
PAPER GOSSIP (by Adam Brown)
– Newcastle United will look to acquire James Maddison in January, reports the Northern Echo. The 25-year-old attacking midfielder was a high priority for Eddie Howe in the summer, and despite having two bids rejected for his services by Leicester City, it is expected that they will return to the negotiating table when the winter transfer window opens.
– James Rodriguez has been offered to Galatasaray, according to Pipe Sierra. Al-Rayyan are reported to be open to allowing him to leave on loan with a permanent option, but the Istanbul club are so far reluctant to make a move because of concerns over the 31-year-old attacking midfielder’s fitness. Rodriguez joined the Qatar-based club from Everton in September 2021.
– Contract talks over a new deal for Nicola Zalewski are set to commence as Roma look to ward off interest from clubs across Europe, writes Calciomercato. Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and Tottenham Hotspur have all shown interest in the 20-year-old midfielder, but Jose Mourinho’s side are keen to keep hold of him. It is reported that they are hopeful of agreeing to terms on a new five-year deal.
- Bodo Glimt forward Ola Solbakken has turned down two requests from Turkey to sign with Roma, understands Gazzetta dello Sport. The 24-year-old striker is believed to be set on a move to the Serie A side, having already agreed to a four-year deal that will activate once his contract expires at the end of December. He has been capped twice by the Norway national side.
– There have been plenty of rumours surrounding Bayern Munich and Harry Kane this week, but BILD believes that the Bundesliga champions will make a move for the Tottenham Hotspur striker. Julian Nagelsmann’s side have been looking to find a replacement for Robert Lewandowski after his move to Barcelona, and it looks as though the 29-year-old Premier League star has been identified as one of the first names on Munich’s shortlist.
