The coronavirus pandemic made the summer transfer market unlike any before it, but there were still plenty of deals done, and you can check out the major ones here. The window might be closed across the top leagues in Europe, but here are the best rumours from around the globe.
TOP STORY: Manchester City want Villa star Grealish
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has told the club to make a move for Aston Villa star Jack Grealish, The Independent reports.
Guardiola reportedly views Grealish as a primary target in his upcoming rebuild of the first team, with possible new signings serving as an integral part of the contract negotiations that the manager underwent before inking the deal to confirm his extension.
According to the report, Guardiola spoke about Grealish with Kevin De Bruyne who was full of praise for the midfielder after he came up against him in the recent Belgium match with England.
English players are clearly high on City's wishlist as we had news on Monday that the club want to land Tottenham striker Harry Kane as well.
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21.36 GMT: After enduring a very public contract negotiation with David Alaba, Bayern Munich are motivated to agree a new deal with midfield dynamo Leon Goretzka, who has just 18 months remaining on his contract with the German champions, according to Bild.
19.49 GMT: Both parties agree: It'd be best for Christian Eriksen to leave Internazionale just a year after he arrived from Tottenham Hotspur. That's according to Corriere dello Sport, which adds that Manchester United and Arsenal are both interested, and that Borussia Dortmund have made an enquiry for the 28-year-old playmaker.
18.02 GMT: With Lionel Messi free to negotiate with clubs as the potential of his leaving Barcelona grows, the Times reports that Manchester City have prepared a 10-year plan to lure the Argentina great to the Premier League. The offer would see the 33-year-old play for City, with the opportunity to then join any of City Football Group's other clubs - including New York City FC, Yokohama F Marinos and Melbourne City - and an ambassadorial role to follow.
16.15 GMT: Takefusa Kubo is considering ending his loan spell at Villarreal early because of a lack of minutes, according to local newspaper El Periodico Mediterraneo.
Kubo, 19, is on a season-long loan from Real Madrid but has mostly been used as a substitute by coach Unai Emery so far, coming on in the 89th minute in a 1-1 draw with his parent club on Saturday.
Villarreal beat a number of big clubs, both in La Liga and elsewhere, for the signing of the highly-rated Japanese winger this summer.
Diario AS quote a club source as saying they have not received "a request from anybody to investigate a possible departure for the player."
15.36 GMT: FC Salzburg midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai is being linked with plenty of top clubs.
Szoboszlai, 20, has five goals and nine assists in 14 games this season and the likes of Arsenal, Bayern and Real Madrid have all been keeping a close eye on him. Tottenham are now also in the race for the Hungary international, according to Bild, and it looks like he could leave in January.
"Of course you would like to have the player in the club as long as possible," FC Salzburg director Christoph Freund told Sky Sport Austria. "On the other hand, it is also healthy if he takes the next step at the right time.
"Let's see what happens in winter, but there is a high probability that he will move to a big club. That is definitely a next step in development so that he can tap this potential and this performance with every game. [I'm] convinced that he can become one of the most interesting midfielders in Europe in the next few years."
14.58 GMT: USMNT striker Josh Sargent is going to have some admirers if he keeps up this form for Werder Bremen.
14.12 GMT: Arsenal may want to get rid of Granit Xhaka, but the midfielder isn't keen to go anywhere.
Xhaka, 28, has been linked with a move to Inter Milan as part of a swap deal involving Christian Eriksen, but Calciomercato reports that he's prepared to stay put.
The report also states that Inter's first-choice to reinforce their midfield is Chelsea's N'Golo Kante.
13.38 GMT: Crystal Palace defender Patrick van Aanholt is on the radar of Ajax, says Football Insider.
Van Aanholt, 30, came through at Chelsea but left the club in 2014 and moved to Sunderland. Three years later he joined Palace and now the Netherlands left-back could be offered a chance to continue the latter part of his career in his homeland.
13.00 GMT: West Ham and Fulham have been among the clubs reportedly interested in Philadelphia Union full-back Kai Wagner, according to Sports Illustrated.
Wagner, 23, signed for the MLS club from Wurzburger Kickers in 2019 and the German is now looking at the next step in his career.
"In February I will already be 24, so I also think that I will have to move on soon," Wagner told kicker. "I have left an impression here and I am ready for one of the top 3 leagues in Europe. Bundesliga, Premier League or Spain, whatever. I want to be a regular player there and maybe even make the step to the national team."
12.11 GMT: Spanish publication La Razon says that Real Madrid are hoping to launch a double swoop on Villarreal to sign Samu Chukwueze and Pau Torres.
Chukwueze, 21, has impressed in La Liga this season and Manchester United, Liverpool, Everton, Wolves, Chelsea and Leicester are watching him. The Nigeria winger has a release clause set at €80m but no club will pay that yet, despite his potential.
Madrid are reportedly willing to pay €65m for him and centre-back Torres together, and could include either Reinier or Dani Ceballos as part of the deal.
11.28 GMT: Lionel Messi or Erling Haaland. That's a tough one.
10.17 GMT: Isco's father and agent has admitted the Real Madrid midfielder would like to leave the club and play abroad.
"Isco wants to try another league," Paco Alarcon was quoted as telling radio show El Larguero on Monday night. "We don't have any offers right now."
He also insisted that Isco -- who has a contract at the Bernabeu until 2022 -- won't cause trouble if a move doesn't materialise, adding that "staying at Madrid wouldn't be a problem."
The newspaper AS also reported on Tuesday that Real Madrid are yet to receive any offers for the player. According to AS, the club were surprised when they were informed of Isco's desire to leave in January, as they weren't planning on making any changes to the squad in the winter window.
09.27 GMT: Real Madrid target Eduardo Camavinga has admitted that he would like to join a big club in the future.
Camavinga, 18, is one of the top talents in Europe and the midfielder's contract at Rennes expires in 2022. All of Europe's top clubs have been linked with a €60m move for him, with Madrid favourites, but the Frenchman insists he's not in a hurry.
"The great clubs make me dream, but I cannot name one in particular for my future," he told a news conference ahead of Rennes' game with Chelsea on Tuesday. "We'll see [about a new contract]. We haven't set a date to discuss my future, I'm in no rush about it. There will be negotiations to keep me here. It would be a pleasure for me to continue at Rennes. I still have two years left on my contract and we have enough time to talk about it."
08.47 GMT: Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski has scored 55 goals in 47 games across all competitions, leading his team to win the Bundesliga, German Cup and Champions League titles in 2020.
But, at 32, Lewandowski was asked by the Associated Press if he will finish his career with Bayern, the team he joined in 2014 for free from rival Borussia Dortmund.
"I don't know," he said. "Now I have the contract until 2023 and I never think what's happening after. Two-and-a-half years more contract. So it's a lot of time and I know that I can play longer but I have enough time to think about this."
08.30 GMT: Lionel Messi leaving Barcelona for Man City is now a real prospect after Pep Guardiola signed a new contract, writes Mark Ogden.
Pep Guardiola's decision to sign a contract extension at Manchester City last week was a big deal for the club in more ways than one: It ensures that the most celebrated coach in football will remain at the Etihad until 2023, but perhaps more significantly, it also puts the club firmly in pole position to sign Lionel Messi from Barcelona.
In just under six weeks' time, Messi can talk to non-Spanish clubs about a free transfer from Camp Nou at the end of this season. If he chooses to do so, from Jan. 1 he can negotiate a move to a new team in time for the 2021-22 season, and Barcelona will be powerless to stop him.
PAPER TALK (by Harry Kettle)
Lampard wants Giroud to stay at Chelsea
Sky Sports is reporting that Chelsea manager Frank Lampard now wants Olivier Giroud to stay at the club.
There has been a great deal of speculation surrounding Giroud's future at Stamford Bridge with sources telling ESPN's James Olley that he will seek a move away from the club in January to keep his Euro 2020 dream alive if he continues to be frozen out of the first-team picture. However, in a prematch interview before the Blues' game against Rennes in the Champions League, Lampard made it clear how he feels on the subject.
"I do have plans for Oli and I want him to stay," Lampard said. "He played a lot of games [last season] and made a lot of starts. He'll always want to play more but he's a huge member of the squad for me. I know he will be important for us going forward, so I want Oli to be here and to stay."
New Roma deal for Mkhitaryan?
AS Roma are close to agreeing to a contract extension for Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Gazzetta dello Sport reports.
The Armenia international's deal in Rome is set to expire at the end of the season, but the belief is that an announcement regarding a new contract is imminent -- and there could even be one before Christmas.
After reviving his career via a loan spell in Italy from Arsenal that turned into a free transfer this summer, Mkhitaryan has continued to build on that form and is now regarded by many as one of the club's most important players.
Tap-ins
- Juventus, Internazionale and Everton are all keeping an eye on Luis Alberto's situation with Lazio. Alberto had recently hit out at the club's transfer strategy before retracting his statement, but now it's being reported that the relationship could be beyond repair -- opening the door for the aforementioned interest.
- Heerenveen are in talks to sign Siem de Jong on a free transfer, Voetbal International reports. The former Ajax forward is a free agent after leaving MLS side FC Cincinnati last month, and because Heerenveen have been able to build up some funds through sales, they will be able to afford a move.