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Transfer Talk: Man United seek to ward off suitors for Pogba, Lingard, Greenwood

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.

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TOP STORY: United ward off suitors for Pogba, Lingard, Greenwood

With David De Gea and Victor Lindelof both earning new contracts this week, it would see that Manchester United are intent on ensuring their squad are kept together rather than torn apart.

And the Evening Standard reports that Paul Pogba, Jesse Lingard and 17-year-old Mason Greenwood could be next in line, with the Red Devils seeking to tie them to long-term deals rather than lose them for nothing.

Pogba spent all summer seeming to agitate for a move to Real Madrid or Juventus, and with his existing deal expiring in 2021, United now find themselves in a position in which they need to sign him to a new contract, sell him next summer, or risk losing him on a free transfer in less than two years. Lingard's contract exists on the same timeline.

Greenwood signed his first professional contract in October, but United are moving fast in order to ensure that he isn't snapped up by another of Europe's top clubs.

LIVE BLOG

21.54 BST: We'll close Thursday's live edition of Transfer Talk with more of the fallout from Neymar's ill-fated return to the Camp Nou. Barcelona did everything in their power to satisfy Ernesto Valverde's demands for the Brazilian, but the Catalan club were not able to complete the move as Paris Saint-Germain rejected all their offers, said club CEO Oscar Grau. Read the full story.

20.01 BST: At last! No more offers from Bayern Munich, no more "Will he, won't he?" Callum Hudson-Odoi has agreed a new five-year contract at Chelsea, the club announced on Thursday, keeping him in West London through 2024.

18.08 BST: Here we go, folks: Inter Miami, the David Beckham-owned MLS expansion club set to join the league in 2020, are beginning to move on their more-ambitious targets. The Independent reports that Manchester City playmaker David Silva will join the South Florida club at the end of the Premier League season, becoming the first big-name player to join a club that has been linked with moves for Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani.

16.15 BST: Arguably the best Nigerian transfer of the offseason was the one that happened just before the European deadline, and went almost unnoticed.

Kelechi Nwakali's early September move from Arsenal to SD Huesca in the Spanish second tier was, despite the fact he's not made his debut, the move with the most benefit to the player and thus the Super Eagles, writes Colin Udoh.

15.06 BST: Inter MIlan are tracking Chelsea striker Olivier Giroud as a backup to Romelu Lukaku, says Calciomercato.

Giroud, 32, has fallen behind Tammy Abraham at Chelsea and has struggled to impose himself this season. Kevin Lasagna and Andrea Petagna, of Udinese and SPAL respectively, are also being monitored, with Real Madrid forward Luka Jovic also a possibility on loan.

14.29 BST: Former Lyon, Southampton and Leicester City manager Claude Puel could be set to replace Leonardo Jardim at Monaco, says Nice Matin.

Jardim saved Monaco from relegation last season but the side are 19th out of 20 teams again and change may be afoot.

Puel has been out of a job since February when he was sacked by Leicester. The 58-year-old was a one-club man during his playing career and made almost 500 appearances for Monaco before retiring in 1996 and then moved to manage them for two years from 1999-2001.

13.48 BST: Dani Alves joined Sao Paulo this summer but only after the 36-year-old Brazilian was rejected by Juventus, say Calciomercato.

13.22 BST: Chelsea goalkeeper Willy Caballero has started the rumour mill over Callum Hudson-Odoi, with an Instagram post that appeared to hurry the teenager up in signing a new contract -- with his current deal expiring in the summer and links to Bayern Munich still strong.

Either that or he's asking how long it will take for Hudson-Odoi to make him a cup of tea.

12.50 BST: Lewis Holtby, once of Tottenham, had dropped into the 2.Bundesliga with Hamburg but has now signed for Blackburn.

12.32 BST: NorthEast United FC have signed Ghana striker Asamoah Gyan for the 2019-20 ISL season.

Gyan, 33, Ghana's all-time leading scorer with 51 goals, will join NorthEast on the back of their most successful season, where they reached the playoffs for the very first time.

12.07 BST: According to Italian journalist Nicolo Schria of Gazzetta dello Sport, Liverpool are in talks with forward Sadio Mane over a new deal worth £220,000-a-week.

The Senegal international currently earns around £150,000-a-week but the new contract would give him a wage increase and tie him to the club until 2025.

11.32 BST: Erling Braut Haland has been attracting all the attention after FC Salzburg's win in midweek, but Hungarian playmaker Dominik Szoboszlai is also on the radar of some big clubs.

Szoboszlai, 18, has been compared to Real Madrid star Toni Kroos and Arsenal are interested according to Football.London.

10.45 BST: United States forward Christian Pulisic has been used sparingly for Chelsea so far this season. Is that a problem?

09.38 BST: RB Salzburg striker Erling Braut Haland is a man in form and his debut hat trick in the Champions League has got Barcelona monitoring him, according to Mundo Deportivo.

Man United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer knows all about the teenager, having coached him at Molde, and United have also been credited with an interest.

08.58 BST: Tottenham are considering recalling Jack Clarke from his loan spell at Leeds, according to the Daily Mail.

Spurs signed Clarke, 18, from Leeds in the summer transfer window for £8.5m and loaned him back to the Championship club for the 2019-20 season. However, the winger is yet to make a league appearance for Marcelo Bielsa's side this term, featuring in just two EFL Cup fixtures so far.

The Mail reports that Spurs inserted a release clause into the loan deal, and they may look to bring him in sooner than expected in order to give him some game time and freshen up their squad after some mixed results and performances this season.

08.27 BST: Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has suggested he will keep searching for a solution to his defensive crisis because Fernandinho and Nicolas Otamendi are too old to play every game.

Fernandinho slotted in for the 3-0 win over Shakhtar Donetsk after injuries to Aymeric Laporte and John Stones but Guardiola admitted afterwards he wants to try other options because the Brazilian and Otamendi have a combined age of 65.

"I didn't have doubts [Fernandinho] could do it," Guardiola told a news conference at Metalist Stadium. "Nico is 31, Fernandinho is 34 and next alternative is 18. For three or four months I don't know what will happen.

"Both were incredible tonight. Nico showed incredible personality after what happened in the previous game. We need another solution -- Rodri or Kyle Walker maybe -- because they cannot play every game at their age."

08.00 BST: Manchester United have signed defender Victor Lindelof to a long-term contract that will keep him at the club at least until June 2024, the club announced on Wednesday.

The deal includes an option to extend the contract a further year.

Lindelof, 25, joined United in the summer of 2017. The Sweden international has made 74 appearances for the club since that time.

PAPER TALK (by Richard Edwards)

Dybala's Juve future looks in doubt

The future destination of Paulo Dybala has been the source of speculation throughout the summer, and new Juventus boss Maurizio Sarri is doing little to convince anyone he will be in Turin beyond the January transfer window.

The Argentinian wizard was linked with a move to the Premier League -- and pretty much anywhere else in Europe -- during the transfer window, but has played only 14 minutes for the Bianconeri so far this season, which hardly suggests he is part of Juve's long-term plans.

"Let's see, at this moment my feelings are that the team is not yet ready for a full rotation," Sarri said in an interview with Sky Italia. "You have to be careful because the players must be put in a position to do well and not in difficulty."

Dybala has made it clear that he wants to prove himself to Sarri but, with opportunities limited, the chances of him doing that appear remote. And that could see the Premier League's big fish circling back to him when the transfer window opens again in the new year.

Chelsea ready to reward Abraham, Tomori

Frank Lampard's faith in youth could see Tammy Abraham and Fikayo Tomori commit their long-term futures to the club after the pair's stunning start to the season.

The Guardian reports that both players are in talks with the club over new five-year deals following the reversal of Chelsea's longtime protocol of bringing in expensive overseas talent, in no small part thanks to the transfer ban slapped on the club.

Both Tomori and Abraham -- that latter of which has now scored seven Premier League goals this season -- have proved themselves more than capable in the top flight, and their performances are set to be rewarded, provided that the players and club can come to a suitable agreement.

Abraham, in particular, has been little short of sensational so far this season, as the West London side look to put a positive spin on their transfer embargo. Getting both players on long-term deals will be further evidence of the club's desire to promote from within and will be welcomed by supporters who are loving the opportunities being handed to the club's young stars under Lampard.

Tap-ins

- QPR are taking a look at Austrian goalkeeper Heinz Lindner, according to the Mail, after new Hoops boss Mark Warburton invited him over from Vienna to train with the Championship side. The 29-year-old made more than 200 appearances for Austria Vienna.

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