The summer transfer window was unlike any other; see all the major deals and check out how we graded the biggest signings. And just because the window is shut until January, that doesn’t mean the rumours won’t keep coming. Here is the latest gossip and speculation.
TOP STORY: Chelsea eye Hazard return
Chelsea are interested in a double swoop for Real Madrid duo Ferland Mendy and Eden Hazard, according to El Nacional.
The Blues reportedly made a €40 million offer for left-back Mendy in the summer that was later turned down by the LaLiga club. It is believed that Chelsea are willing to go back in for the France international with a raised offer, while Los Blancos will not listen to anything below the €60m mark.
The 26-year-old joined Real Madrid from Lyon in 2019 for €48m and has made 71 appearances at the club since joining. However, president Florentino Perez is reportedly willing to let the full-back leave and find a suitable replacement for the right offer.
As for Hazard, a return to Stamford Bridge could be on the cards. The winger left the Blues in 2019 for over €100m. Since then, he has struggled to stamp his authority at the Bernabeu, often hindered by injury troubles.
According to the report, the hierarchy have lost patience with the Belgium international due to the form of Vinicius Junior, as well as a reported plan to sign Kylian Mbappe at the end of his deal with Paris Saint-Germain.
While Chelsea would not close the door on a return for Hazard, there are apparent doubts over the wideman, but they do believe he has a future and could be tempted by the right deal structure.
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11.39 BST: Atletico Madrid are already making moves to extend the contracts of Jan Oblak and Thomas Lemar, according to Marca — but the club are happy to wait and see on Luis Suarez, who will be out of contract next summer.
The newspaper’s front page on Saturday claims that the Uruguay forward “wants to renew” but the club would prefer to see how the season goes first.
The 34-year-old has scored four goals for far this campaign, but faces competition up front from Antoine Griezmann, Joao Felix, Matheus Cunha and Angel Correa.
Marca also reports that Atletico have been in touch with the entourages of Oblak and Lemar about new contracts, but these are “first contacts” and the parties are “far from reaching agreements” about extending their current deals which expire in 2023.
Oblak is viewed as the best goalkeeper in LaLiga alongside Real Madrid’s Thibaut Courtois, while Lemar emerged as a player during Atletico’s title win last season.
– Stream Barcelona vs. Real Madrid on ESPN+: Oct. 24, 10.15 a.m. ET (U.S. only)
10.46 BST: Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou refused to be drawn on speculation that he would try to sign Japanese forward Daizen Maeda in January, but says he hopes for a “ess “chaotic” transfer window than his first at the club.
Celtic signed nine players in the summer as Postecoglou took over at Parkhead, including Japan international Kyogo Furuhashi who has scored nine goals in 13 appearances for the Bhoys already this season.
Yokohama F. Marinos’ Maeda, 24, has been linked with reuniting with Postecoglou at Celtic, but the former Australia coach told reporters that he could not neither “confirm nor deny” the reports.
“We are looking to strengthen the squad in January and we will,” he said. “We have started that process but the difference is we are in no rush.
“Whatever business we do in January, it won’t be as chaotic as it was in the last window. But a hugely important part of bringing players here is understanding their mentality and whether they can cope.
“I was confident with someone like Kyogo. I knew him really well from Japanese football. I knew his background and I asked enough people about him as a personality, to know he would cope well.
“That is part of the process, particularly when you are talking about bringing in people in January when they are going to have to hit the ground running.
“Those are the things we will be looking into, not just their playing ability but also their personality.”
09.51 BST: Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Harry Winks says he will have to look elsewhere to get his career back on track if he can’t get regular football at his boyhood club.
Winks has made just two appearances for Spurs this season in the Premier League, and was part of the second-string side that lost 1-0 at Vitesse Arnhem in the Europa Conference League on Thursday.
“Listen, I love Tottenham, I’ve always made that clear, but I want to play regular football,” he said. “The only way to play your best football and get momentum is when you’re playing regularly.
“I’m giving my all for the club, of course I am. They’ve stuck by me, I’ve stuck by them, and I want to play for Tottenham. But it is difficult when you’re only getting matches here and there. Confidence is low and you don’t get that run of games.
“I’m not thinking that far ahead. I’ve got a lot of games left to go to try and fight for the club. It’s important we all stay in the same mindset, the same thought process and we see.
“There’s a long way to go, still two months to go [until January] and it’s about knuckling down, working as hard as I can and having no regrets.
“When the time is right I’ll have a conversation but right now it’s important that the team and manager focus on the next game and don’t get any distractions from me.”
09.00 BST: Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel has attempted to play down speculation of a move for Erling Haaland and said he “fell into a trap” by joking about the prospect of partnering the Borussia Dortmund striker in attack with Romelu Lukaku.
The 48-year-old gave an interview to SportBild this week after picking up the German newspaper’s Coach of the Year award, confirming his side had looked into signing Haaland, who according to ESPN sources wants £30m per year in wages for his next move, during the summer and that the Chelsea boss would have “no problem” pairing him with Lukaku.
Tuchel’s comments reportedly provoked a furious reaction at Dortmund, who may be resigned to losing Haaland, next summer given he has a €75 million release clause which becomes active at the end of the season with a host of top clubs including Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Manchester City monitoring the situation.
“I fell into a trap,” Tuchel said. “I got an award in Germany. I got an award from a newspaper and they asked me about a player.
“Normally I never, never speak about other players because simply I never, ever do. Then we were making more or less fun about it. I should have known better because [I was] making fun about it and being a nice guy and answering a question instead of ‘no, I don’t want to answer a question’.
“Getting this award and I joke about a double striker with Romelu in October and then it gets like we put in an offer. That was the context but OK, I should have known better.”
PAPER GOSSIP
– Bayern Munich are pushing a move for FC Salzburg forward Karim Adeyemi, according to Sport1. The 19-year-old has impressed with the Austrian side, scoring three goals and assisting once in three Champions League starts. The report also claims that any move depends on the future of Kingsley Coman, whose deal runs until 2023.
– West Ham United are linked with a move for Clermont Foot striker Mohamed Bayo, according to journalist Ekrem Konur. The 23-year-old has five goals and two assists in nine Ligue 1 appearances this season and has been linked with the London club, who are on the search for a striker to compete with Michail Antonio.
– Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger‘s priority is to stay with the London club, however an agreement over a new deal is “far from being reached,” according to journalist Fabrizio Romano. The 28-year-old is out of contract in the summer and has been linked with several clubs, but the Germany international is currently in talks with the Blues over an extension.
– Seven clubs are eyeing a move for Leicester City midfielder Youri Tielemans, who is out of contract in 2023. According to Calciomercato, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and Juventus are all monitoring the Belgium international.
– Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema is hoping to one day to play at David Beckham’s Major League Soccer side Inter Miami CF, according to El Nacional. The France international was out of contract in the summer, but recently signed a new deal with Los Blancos keeping him there until 2023. The 33-year-old has before placed on record his desire to play in the United States.
