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 STORY: Real Madrid and Barcelona target Aubameyang
Arsenal have had issues keeping their top stars in the Premier League in recent years and striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang could be the latest.
Aubameyang, 30, has a contract which expires in 2021, meaning that interested clubs are starting to circle as his future at the Emirates grows more uncertain by the day. And the Times reports that he's not planning to talk about extending his deal while there is a cloud hanging over the job of manager Unai Emery.
As a result, the Gabon international is now on the list of strikers being considered to replace Luis Suarez at Barcelona, with Real Madrid also interested according to the Daily Star. But if he goes, at least we'll know for certain that the Gunners' captain curse is real.
LIVE BLOG
22.45 BST: On-loan Flamengo striker Gabriel Barbosa is having a banner week after clinching the Copa Libertadores and the Brazilian league title, but it seems the future of "Gabigol" apparently won't with parent club Inter Milan. Giuseppe Marotta, who serves CEO of the Serie A side, told Sky Italia on Wednesday that the player "will not be part of our project." Gabriel inked a five-year deal reportedly worth €29.5m in 2016 with Inter, but the Brazilian has since done stints at Benfica, Santos, and Flamengo.
21.30 BST: Wolves manager Nuno Espirito Santo has said it would be "disrespectful" to comment on reports linking him with the Arsenal job despite Unai Emery firmly in the hot seat at the Emirates. Read the full story here.
21.00 BST: Fiorentina president Prade said that "there was no rush" in recent talks with Federico Chiesa but both sides "told each other many things," as quoted by transfer guru Gianluca Di Marzio. The Italy star is on the list for Serie A leaders Juventus and Inter Milan, but Prade insists that Chiesa "isn't leaving in January."
20.21 BST: Mexico midfielder Uriel Antuna is set to join Liga MX club Chivas de Guadalajara on a loan spell, after being spotted in the city for medical exams. The 22-year-old's parent club is Manchester City but has yet to make an appearance for the Premier League champions since joining in 2017. He's had loan spells at Dutch club Groningen, LA Galaxy of MLS, and now Chivas.
19.41 BST: Eddie Nketiah has been a solid player off the bench for Leeds but the promotion-chasing side hopes that Arsenal don't recall the England youngster in January. According to the Mirror, the Gunners may bring him back in the winter if he doesn't get more minutes at Leeds, which has prompted Marcelo Bielsa's squad to start looking for a replacement. Nketiah, 20, has five goals in 12 appearances off the bench for Leeds but has been sidelined with an injury of late. He has three senior-side goals for Arsenal.
18.34 BST: Former Paris Saint-Germain and Napoli striker Ezequiel Lavezzi has told Chinese media that he is not only ready to say goodbye to China after four years but that he is considering retiring from football altogether. Read the full story.
16.57 GMT: Tottenham defender Jan Vertonghen wants to discuss a new contract with the club after the arrival of new manager Jose Mourinho, says Sky Sports News.
Vertonghen, 32, is a free agent this summer and has attracted interest from Roma and Bayer Leverkusen. But the report states that the experienced Belgian is keen to stay.
15.46 GMT: Leicester City defender Caglar Soyuncu has attracted attention from Arsenal and Manchester City but his agent has played down talk of a move.
Soyuncu, 23, has had a breakout season after replacing Harry Maguire in the team. But, speaking to Turkish radio station Radyospor, agent Mustafa Dogru said: "Of course it's perfectly normal for him to be involved in transfer speculation after his performances with Leicester City this season.
"However, we have no interest in this discussion. Both club and Caglar are looking to continue with each other. He is only focusing on the remaining of the season."
15.30 GMT: ICYMI -- English-Turkish striker Colin Kazim-Richards has signed for Pachuca from fellow Liga MX side Veracruz. "I'm happy because I'm at the best club in Mexico," he said. Kazim's career has taken him from English side Bury to a stint in Brazil, but his move from Veracruz isn't quite as extreme, where the 33-year-old endured a difficult spell.
14.52 GMT: Manchester United overruled former manager Jose Mourinho on a couple of transfer deals while he was in charge at Old Trafford, according to the club's executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward.
"It is true that we didn't sign a centre-back in the summer of 2018 and it is true there was a difference of opinion on one or two players between the manager and the recruitment department," Woodward told fanzine United We Stand.
"Sometimes I have to be one who delivers the 'no', which isn't easy. Our natural tendency is to back the manager in every possible circumstance. But we have to listen to the recruitment experts too."
Wonder if that's what he and Sir Alex Ferguson were arguing about last week?
13.40 GMT: Arsenal might not be best placed to sign players now, given all the issues at the club, but reports from Football Insider say they are tracking Nottingham Forest defender Joe Worrall.
Worrall, 22, spent last year on loan at Glasgow Rangers and has done well since coming back into the fold. But can he make the step up?
12.21 GMT: Sport Bild reports Bayer Leverkusen starlet Kai Havertz is keen on a move to Barcelona.
Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester City and Man United, as well as Real Madrid, are all tracking the promising 20-year-old Germany international. Havertz is to decide his future soon, the outlet adds, while Leverkusen are willing to do a deal at €130m.
11.37 GMT: The Premier League sack race is heating up, but is the Manchester City assistant manager an option for Arsenal or Everton?
10.48 GMT: Former United States head coach Jurgen Klinsmann will take over Bundesliga club Hertha Berlin on an interim basis, the German side have confirmed.
Klinsmann will be joined be former Werder Bremen coach Alexander Nouri, 40, who will act as his assistant.
The 55-year-old was named to the club's supervisory board by new investor Lars Windhorst in early November and had all but ruled out returning to the sidelines.
10.10 GMT: Juventus are "not interested" in signing Barcelona midfielder Ivan Rakitic in the January transfer window, director Fabio Paratici told ESPN.
The Croatia international has long been linked with a move to Juve but, despite having seen his playing time decrease at Barca this season, Paratici ruled out a winter move.
09.07 GMT: Peterborough's speedy youngster Ricky-Jade Jones is being linked with Man United, Tottenham and Liverpool in the Daily Mail.
The 17-year-old is also attracting attention from Arsenal, Manchester City and Leicester City, while Southampton and Burnley watched him make his league debut this weekend.
Tottenham have reportedly already been knocked back with a £2m bid, but the race continues.
08.29 GMT: Sporting Lisbon captain Bruno Fernandes has signed a new contract with the Portuguese outfit, the club have announced.
No information has been given on the new contract but it's reported that it will improve his wages and increase his release clause that was set at €100m.
The Portugal international, who has been linked with moves to Manchester United and Tottenham this summer, said on the club's website: "For me it's an honour and a reward for my work. It means I'm doing things well. I'm trying to do the best for me and for the club. I'm very happy to represent this club on and off the pitch. For me it will be always be a privilege to wear the Sporting jersey."
Fernandes was named on the 50-player shortlist for UEFA's Team of the Year.
"It's an honour to be among the best," he said. "To be associated with great players like Cristiano Ronaldo and Bernardo Silva."
🗣️ "It is with enormous pleasure that I will keep on playing with this shirt" @B_Fernandes8 ✍️#SportingCP pic.twitter.com/dMMeOFLs2z
— Sporting CP_en (@SportingCP_en) November 26, 2019
08.00 GMT: Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been announced as part-owner of Swedish club Hammarby, the club confirmed on Wednesday.
"Hammarby is a fantastic club with passionate supporters and has great respect in both Stockholm and Sweden," Ibrahimovic said. "I have always liked the club and the fans. I am impressed with what the club has done in recent years, both on and off the pitch. Being able to join and develop Hammarby forward feels both fun and exciting."
The former Sweden international announced he was leaving LA Galaxy after two years in Major League Soccer.
On Tuesday, he tweeted a picture of a Hammarby shirt with his name on the back. However, neither the 38-year-old striker nor the club have yet confirmed if he will register for them as a player.
Hammarby chairman Richard von Yxkull said: "To get a person like Zlatan into the club, with the passion and winning mentality he stands for, feels right.
"It is too early to say anything in detail about how Zlatan can contribute to Hammarby, but there is clearly very great potential in the collaboration."
PAPER TALK (by Harry Kettle)
Man United confident in race for Sancho
Manchester United are growing confident in their ability to win the race to sign Borussia Dortmund star Jadon Sancho, the Telegraph reports.
The teenage sensation has been turning heads since his move to the Bundesliga in 2017, with last season marking his arrival to the main stage with a series of top clubs showcasing their interest in him. Those clubs include Real Madrid, Barcelona and reigning European champions Liverpool.
Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal are all on the outskirts of the conversation involving the 19-year-old Sancho, but it still appears as if the finances of the Red Devils could prove crucial in any potential negotiations.
In the 2018-2019 season, Sancho scored 13 goals and set up 19 in 43 appearances for Dortmund, while he also debuted for England and has since made 11 international appearances, finding the net twice.
He has been rated at around €100 million by Dortmund and the club have said they do not believe the player will stay at the Westfalenstadion forever.
Madrid ready to sell Mariano?
Calciomercato writes that Real Madrid are ready and willing to sell Mariano Diaz, but a potential destination for the forward could now be in jeopardy.
The once-capped Dominican Republic international hasn't quite been able to catch fire at the Santiago Bernabeu, with the reports indicating that he's no longer in the plans of manager Zinedine Zidane. One club that had been interested was AC Milan, but now it seems as if the price of the deal could lead to them pulling out.
Madrid want at least €6m in order to agree to a sale, and with his contract not expiring until 2023, Milan would have to really dig deep in order to summon up the courage to make something happen.
Piatek to stay in Milan?
Krzysztof Piatek could be set for a remarkable U-turn that would see him remain at AC Milan, according to Calciomercato.
At one stage it seemed as if he would be forced out of the club due to the rumoured arrival of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, but sources close to him indicate that Piatek would prefer to stay until the end of the season in order to fight for his place in the starting XI.
Piatek's future seemed set to feature some form of loan move away during the January transfer window, and yet all of a sudden, there seems to be renewed confidence in his ability to turn things around.
Tap-ins
- Everton aren't interested in the idea of selling Moise Kean during the January transfer window, Calciomercato reports. The former Juventus man had been linked with a switch to AC Milan, but the Toffees have decided that they don't want to give up on the youngster just yet.
- Napoli are preparing to put forward a notable bid for Hellas Verona sensation Sofyan Amrabat, according to Sky Sport Italia. The club have been impressed with his performances as of late, and while it's still early days, they're reportedly willing to pay around €10m in order to bring him to Naples as their push to get back into the top-four race continues.