The transfer windows in Europe's top leagues are closed, but it's never too early to look forward to January. Click here to view the latest transfers, and keep up to date with the newest gossip below.
Top 10 free agents in 2020 | European transfer review
TOP STORY: Real Madrid to play the long game with Mbappe
Spanish outlet Marca are reporting that Florentino Perez is planning to bring Kylian Mbappe to the Bernabeu Stadium, and that he'll aim to use the same tactics that worked on Eden Hazard and Thibaut Courtois in order to do it.
Los Blancos, say Marca, are hoping Mbappe runs down his contract so that they can sign him for a reduced fee, just as they did Hazard and Courtois. The Frenchman's current contract runs until June 2022 and while PSG are already putting pressure on him to extend, Madrid believe they can start work on "Project Mbappe" next summer.
Madrid believe that few other clubs can compete with their financial muscle for his signature, though any hopes of a deal depend on whether the World Cup winner wants to stay in France or take on a fresh challenge.
The greatest barrier to Real Madrid's pursuit will be PSG president Nasser Al-Khelafi tempting Mbappe to stay with a huge pay rise.
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20.50 BST: Amid widespread interest in 20-year-old playmaker Kai Havertz, Bayer Leverkusen manager Peter Bosz has spoken about the Germany playmaker's future at the BayArena. "Of course I would like to keep him, just as I would have liked to keep Julian Brandt, for example," the Manchester Evening News cites Sport Bild as quoting the Leverkusen manager as saying. "Kai is only 20 and still has room for improvement. I can help him there. But it is like this, at the end the player himself must feel when he is ready for the next step. Nobody can decide that for him."
19.03 BST: While Newcastle are preparing to offer 19-year-old Matty Longstaff an improved contract, the Mail reports that the Tyneside club are at an impasse with 21-year-old brother Sean Longstaff, who was a target of Manchester United last summer.
17.16 BST: Frank Lampard has been handing out first-team chances at Chelsea regularly and 18-year-old midfielder Billy Gilmour has revealed why he didn't go out on loan this season.
"In preseason the manager had a chat with me saying he knew I wanted to go on loan but said it would be better if I stayed," he said. "Obviously it's working. He's looking at younger players. With the transfer ban it's hard but it's good experience for us. Hopefully, I can try to get more first-team games.
16.04 BST: Wondering who the top young players around are? They'll be worth a penny or two.
15.05 BST: Former Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri is being lined up to replace Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at Man United, reports Tuttosport.
However, sources told ESPN earlier this month that Allegri will not accept another managerial role this season and is taking a sabbatical.
And the Italian was at AEFCA's [Alliance of European Football Coaches Association] 2019 Symposium in Warsaw today when he was asked by Polish newspaper Przegląd Sportowy about the links to United and replied: "I speak English too poorly for now, but I am learning."
14.27 BST: A PSG update that does not involve Monsieur Neymar.
PSG reportedly open contract extension talks with Spanish left-back Juan Bernat over a potential deal until 2023. Move has turned out to be a massive success for player, club & country IMO. Although still underrated, he is a man reborn in Paris & Bayern look foolish. https://t.co/TQYBjaO2xV
— Jonathan Johnson (@Jon_LeGossip) October 16, 2019
14.09 BST: Athletic Bilbao defender Unai Nunez has emerged as a transfer target for Arsenal and Everton, says the Daily Mail.
Nunez, 22, impressed for Spain at the U21 Euros and could be snapped up for as little as £30m due to a release clause in his contract.
13.19 BST: Juventus sporting director Fabio Paratici has refuted claims that Cristiano Ronaldo could quit the club to focus on his business interests.
Ronaldo, 34, has previously said he could play until age 40 but hinted he could develop other interests in the next few years.
Speaking at an awards ceremony in Italy, Paratici was asked if he was worried about CR7 leaving Turin and said: "Absolutely not. Ronaldo is very focused on his goals as well as his own personal objectives as he is the Golden Ball candidate again.
"I do not think he can leave at the end of this season and I doubt he will leave at the end of the next one.
"At the moment I am sure of one thing, we have a contract. We are very happy with him and he is happy with Juventus."
12.03 BST: Oh, wait, El Desmarque reports that the Gunners are hot on the heels of Lucas Vazquez, who is struggling for game time at Real Madrid.
A €20m deal could be done for the forward in January, they say, with Roma and Bayer Leverkusen also keen.
11.34 BST: Arsenal fans may wish to look away now...
Journalist David Ornstein may not be working for the BBC anymore, but he has told his new employers that the Gunners aren't looking to make any signings in January. And he's usually right when it comes to things at the Emirates.
10.37 BST: Mauro Icardi has been speaking to Gazzetta dello Sport on his future.
The PSG striker, on loan from Inter Milan, said: "This year, I am with PSG. My goal is to give the best of myself for this shirt. Once the season ends, around May or June, we will see what happens. It is too early to say anything else.
"Right now, I live in a hotel, but I am looking for a house. I do not have time for sightseeing. I went to see the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe quickly, but I am relaxed guy -- I like to be at home. I have always been used to pressure, so there is not necessarily less pressure than there is in Milan. Results have been good so far, though. In Italy, a vicious circle was created by some journalists and things focused on me. It is not the case here in Paris."
09.41 BST: Everyone seems to want N'Golo Kante at the moment... and that's no major surprise.
According to Eldesmarque, Real Madrid are ready to swap James Rodriguez for the Chelsea midfielder and £86m. Though that still doesn't really seem like a fair deal to us.
09.08 BST: Manchester United could send three of their top young prospects on loan in January, according to one club chief.
Angel Gomes, Tahith Chong and James Garner have all made first-team appearances for United, but are yet to break through as viable options for manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer on a regular basis. If that continues, the club could look to boost their playing time with temporary moves out of the club in the winter transfer window.
Les Parry, United's player performance manager, told the club's official website: "There will be lots of hard work, as part of what Nicky Butt puts together as the plan for everybody. We'll plan it out and we've identified four or five who might be going out in January. Obviously, our first-team manager has a say.
"Three lads could have possibly gone on loan - Angel Gomes, Tahith Chong and James Garner - but he wanted to keep them here and have a look at them on tour. So a decision will be made, no doubt, for January as well. Hopefully, all three will be in the first team and not going anywhere."
08.39 BST: Bayern Munich star Serge Gnabry says he was not ready for a move to the Bundesliga giants in 2016, when he instead chose to leave Arsenal for Werder Bremen.
After showing great promise during his first years at Arsenal, Gnabry's career took a dip after suffering a knee injury in 2014. He fell off the radar during an unsuccessful loan with West Bromwich Albion. However, after scoring six goals in as many matches at the 2016 Olympics, as Germany won silver in Rio de Janeiro, he became a transfer target for several Bundesliga clubs.
Last week, Arsene Wenger claimed that Bayern Munich had their hand in Gnabry's eventual €6m move to Werder Bremen and, while not commenting directly on that, the Germany international said he was not ready for the Bundesliga champions at that time.
"I was dead-on when opting for Bremen at the time," Gnabry, who scored four goals in Bayern's 7-2 Champions League win at Tottenham earlier this month, told Sport Bild. "I knew that Bayern were interested. But that would have been too big a step. Still, my goal always was to make it to Munich one day."
A year after he scored a hat trick in an 8-0 win against San Marino on his senior debut for Germany in 2016, Bayern Munich paid just €7m for Gnabry and directly loaned him to Hoffenheim. He played his first competitive match for Bayern in 2018 and has been a star for Germany ever since becoming a full member of Low's set-up following the 2018 World Cup. He has scored 10 goals in 11 appearances for the Nationalmannschaft.
08.10 BST: Barcelona have decided that Philippe Coutinho will not play for them again even if his loan spell at Bayern Munich is not made permanent, according to AS.
Coutinho has got off to a strong start with the Bundesliga champions, a stark contrast to his struggles in La Liga after joining from Liverpool in January 2018.
Bayern have an option to buy the Brazil international for €120m at the end of the season.
However, if the German giants do not take up that option, AS reports that Barca expect to move the forward on elsewhere, most likely back to the Premier League.
PAPER TALK (by Nick Judd)
Solskjaer eyes double swoop for Can, Mandzukic
Manchester United are looking for reinforcements in January and, as well as Mario Mandzukic, who we reported earlier remains a prime target despite his wage demands, they are also eyeing former Liverpool player Emre Can,
Can, 25, would represent a controversial signing given his Liverpool links, but with Pogba injured this season and the likes of Nemanja Matic and Andreas Pereira out of form, Can -- surplus to requirements in Turin -- could provide some much-needed energy to United's engine room.
United have struggled so far this season and Solskjaer is desperate to strengthen his squad when the January transfer window opens, not least because it could help save his job.
Juventus could just offer Solskjaer the perfect lifeline by allowing the duo to leave Turin for Manchester in the new year.
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- All major completed transfer deals
Tap ins
- PSG are keeping tabs on AC Milan's starlet Lucas Paqueta, according to SportMediaSet. The Italian title is suggesting that PSG chief Leonardo is keen to bring the Brazilian midfielder to the French capital, just a year after he helped broker the deal that took the 22-year old to the San Siro from Flamengo. Paqueta has struggled for game time with the Rossoneri, but Leonardo remains a big fan of the burgeoning star.
- Staying in Milan, AC are looking at Lille's Turkish international Mehmet Zeki Celik, according to Tuttosport. Celik joined French club Lille last summer for just €2.5m but his value has grown thanks to his impressive performances at right-back.
He has two assists from seven games this season and is now believed to be worth around €20m. The deal could be made easier by the fact that both AC Milan and Lille are owned by U.S. hedge fund Elliott Management. Milan are looking for help at right-back after Davide Calabria's two red cards and a long-term injury to Mattia Caldara.
- While many titles across Europe have been reporting that Manchester United lead the chase for Barca's wantaway midfielder Ivan Rakitic, Calciomercato are suggesting that Inter could make a move for the Croatian. Rakitic has admitted that he regrets staying at the Catalan club this season after he has slipped down the pecking order, and Inter have been alerted to his availability. Rakitic could favour a move to Antonio Conte's high-flyers, rather than struggling United.