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LIVE Transfer Talk: Liverpool lead Manchester United in race for Leeds' Kalvin Phillips

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: Liverpool ahead of Man United in Phillips chase

Liverpool are set to battle Manchester United to sign Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips, reports The Daily Star.

The 25-year-old has impressed for both Leeds and England in recent months -- especially during the 2020 European Championships -- which has risen his profile among the top clubs in Europe.

Leeds are hoping to keep hold of the academy graduate, who has gone on to become a talismanic figure, but are aware that attention from some of the country's biggest clubs could lure Phillips away from Elland Road.

It is reported that Phillips wouldn't want to join the Red Devils, as having grown up a Leeds fan and come through at the club, he worries about what that move would do to his family -- it would also likely ruin his legacy at his footballing home.

This means the midfielder would rather join Liverpool if he was to depart Elland Road. Even that is not necessarily a certainty, though, as Leeds have opened talks in a bid to keep Phillips, whose contract already runs until 2024.

However, if Phillips does eventually leave Leeds, it seems as though Old Trafford bosses have very little chance of signing their favoured man -- surely another victory for Liverpool after their recent 5-0 win on the pitch on Sunday.

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LIVE BLOG

21.32 BST: Tottenham Hotspur and Juventus are interested in Bayern Munich midfielder Corentin Tolisso, according to Calciomercato.

The 27-year-old is out of contract with the Bundesliga club in the summer and wants to move on. Spurs director of football Fabio Paratici has already spoken with his agents over a move to London, according to the report, while Juve had the chance to sign him last summer but opted for Manuel Locatelli instead.

20.59 BST: Borussia Monchengladbach defender Matthias Ginter has turned down a contract proposal from the club. According to SportBILD, the 27-year-old Germany international has turned down a renewal with the Bundesliga club, meaning he could leave them in the summer when his current contract expires.

20.26 BST: Internazionale have announced that striker Lautaro Martinez has signed a new contract that will keep him at the club until 2026.

The 24-year-old's previous deal ran until 2023, and with the Serie A club struggling financially over the summer, Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal were linked with a move for the Argentina international. The release clause that was in his previous deal has now been removed.

19.53 BST: Arsenal are hoping to sign young striker Eddie Nketiah to a new contract, according to Ekrem Konur.

The forward's deal expires this summer, but the Gunners are hoping to propose a new three-year offer. However, the 22-year-old is said to be unhappy with his game time and would only stay if he believes he will get more chances.

19.20 BST: Romelu Lukaku's agent has revealed that the striker had two dream clubs he wanted to move to, including Chelsea, before his return to Stamford Bridge.

"He said there were two clubs that were his dream: Chelsea and Real Madrid," agent Federico Pastorello said to the Telegraph. "And Chelsea was even more because he had been sold much too early and not in a very nice way after the penalty in the Super Cup, so he felt there was something he had not achieved and he wanted to put it right."

18.47 BST: Harry Winks' future at Tottenham Hotspur is in doubt after he was left out of the Carabao Cup tie against Burnley on Wednesday. According to the Mail, the 25-year-old midfielder's long-term future is uncertain at the club as he struggles for game time under new boss Nuno Espirito Santo.

18.14 BST: Liverpool could fast-track plans to sign Stade Rennais winger Jeremy Doku in January, according to the Express.

The Reds will be without star duo Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane in the new year due to the African Cup of Nations. This means Jurgen Klopp may have to delve into the winter transfer market, with the report claiming 19-year-old Doku is one target they may go for.

17.41 BST: Following a potential exit in the summer, journalist Ekrem Konur says that Pep Guardiola is happy with Bernardo Silva's performances and will reject any offers for him in January.

The 27-year-old Portugal attacker was linked with a move away from Manchester City in the summer in search of more game time, however a move never materialised. Since then, he has impressed with the club and could stay on.

17.08 BST: Paris Saint-Germain have joined Liverpool in the race for Leeds United winger Raphinha, according to TeamTalk.

The Brazil international has impressed for both club and country, with the Reds linked with a move for the 24-year-old previously. The report claims that Neymar has put in a glowing review of his compatriot to the PSG hierarchy in an attempt to accelerate a move to the French capital.

16.35 BST: Firing Ole Gunnar Solskjaer right now would cost Manchester United £7.5m in severance pay, The Sun reports.

Solskjaer's position is under threat after Sunday's 5-0 loss at home to Liverpool. Sources have told ESPN's Rob Dawson and Mark Ogden that the Norwegian is being allowed to continue for now but he has been told his job is still very much under threat amid disagreements at board level over the potential hire of Antonio Conte.

The Sun reports that Solskjaer is the fifth highest-paid boss in the Premier League behind Pep Guardiola, Jurgen Klopp, Brendan Rodgers and Marcelo Bielsa, but that he would be due a year's salary (£7.5m) if United were to dispense with his services.

- Dawson: Solskjaer's four critical issues at Man United

15.41 BST: Borussia Dortmund have made contact with Chelsea in a bid to bring Timo Werner back to the Bundesliga, according to Teamtalk.

Werner was Chelsea's top goal scorer last season in all competitions as they won the Champions League, but the Germany international has had plenty of difficult matches since arriving at Stamford Bridge at the start of last season. Now with Romelu Lukaku also at the club, Wenrer is finding first-team opportunities harder to come by.

Teamtalk reports that Dortmund are looking at signing the former RB Leipzig forward as a replacement for Erling Haaland, who is set to be the subject of bids from Europe's top clubs next summer.

14.27 BST: With Xavi set for talks over taking up the role as Barcelona manager vacated by Ronaldo Koeman (see 10.41 BST), ESPN's Gabriel Tan runs the rule over the former Barca midfielder's time in charge of Qatari club Al Sadd to see if he is ready to take the hot seat at Camp Nou:

"Xavi's name had also been in the mix in the summer of 2020 before Koeman was handed the reins as a replacement for Quique Setien, and he certainly believed his immediate future belonged in Qatar enough to sign a new contract with Al Sadd till 2023 back in May.

"Should the stars finally align, is the 41-year-old ready for the undeniable expectation and burden that comes with managing a club of Barcelona's stature -- especially just two-and-a-half years into his coaching career?

"There is no denying that Barca and Al Sadd are two entirely different propositions altogether when it comes to their respective statures in world football. That is, however, by no means a slight on the latter, who are one of Asia's biggest clubs. Therein lies the benefit for Xavi and the invaluable experience he has gained in the Qatar Stars League that will stand him in good stead for a more daunting task ahead."

13.28 BST: Several Premier League clubs have been sounded out over their interest in signing Real Madrid's Eden Hazard in January, sources have told ESPN's James Olley.

Chelsea and Newcastle United are among a number of clubs to have been alerted to the possibility although it is unclear at this stage what level of interest there is in the 30-year-old or if the player himself is ready to call time on his career at the Bernabeu.

Hazard was left on the bench for last weekend's El Clasico victory over Barcelona, after which manager Carlo Ancelotti said "the problem [Hazard] has right now is he has a coach who prefers another player."

Although he went on to praise Hazard's work ethic, it was a damning assessment of a player signed from Chelsea in 2019 for a deal worth an initial €100m with a series of performance-based add-ons.

Hazard has started just 25 games in LaLiga and has five goals from 52 appearances across all competitions after suffering with a various injury problems since arriving in Spain.

12.35 BST: Liverpool plan to give Mohamed Salah a signing-on fee as part of his new contract, according to Teamtalk.

Salah has been in some of the best form of his Liverpool career this season, scoring 15 goals in 12 appearances, just at a time when he is negotiating a new deal with the club.

Reports have claimed that the 29-year-old is demanding £500,00 a week before signing a new contract, which would make him the highest-paid player in the Premier League.

However, Teamtalk reports that is not the case, and Liverpool will use the signing-on fee as a way to remunerate Salah without stretching their wage structure to that length.

11.38 BST: Newcastle United have been scouting Bayer Leverkusen's teenage sensation Florian Wirtz, SportBild reports.

Wirtz, 18, was in action in Sunday's 2-2 draw at Cologne (stream the replay on ESPN+ in the U.S.), and he was watched by a representative of Premier League strugglers Newcastle, who were recently taken over by the Saudi Arabia-backed group PIF.

Germany international Wirtz has a contract at Leverkusen that runs until 2026, and SportBild reports that it would take a transfer fee of around €100m to see him leave, though not before the end of next season.

- Bundesliga on ESPN+: Stream LIVE games and replays (U.S. only)

10.41 BST: Barcelona president Joan Laporta will hold talks with Xavi Hernandez on Thursday over the managerial vacancy at Camp Nou following the dismissal of Ronald Koeman, sources have confirmed to ESPN's Sam Marsden and Moises Llorens.

Koeman was fired after Wednesday's 1-0 defeat to Rayo Vallecano (stream the replay on ESPN+ in the U.S.), which left Barca ninth in LaLiga following three losses in their last four league games.

Al Sadd coach Xavi, who made 767 appearances for Barca as a player, has quickly emerged as the first option to replace the Dutchman, with Laporta keen to know what his demands would be. Sources told ESPN that talks will focus on what Xavi wants in terms of his coaching staff and transfers moving forward, with personal terms not expected to be a problem.

In the meantime, Barca will appoint an interim coach for Saturday's game against Alaves. B team boss Sergi Barjuan, academy director Albert Capellas and fitness coach Albert Roca have all been considered for the role. Thursday's training session has been moved from the morning to the afternoon to give the club some time to make a decision.

09.48 BST: A federal investigation has opened in Italy into a number of transfers in Serie A, with Juventus under increased scrutiny, an Italian Football Federation official told Reuters.

A report by the Supervisory Commission for Serie A clubs (COVISOC) into player transfers has been carried out and been submitted to the Federal Prosecutor, who has opened an investigation.

Local media reports have said the Federal Prosecutor is investigating the possibility of inflated valuations to help clubs balance their books.

Two Italian newspapers, La Repubblica and Il Tempo, said that the report has looked into 62 player transfers that took place between 2019 and 2021.

It is alleged that Juventus' transfer activity is under particular focus, with Gazzetta dello Sport reporting that 42 of the deals being looked into involve Serie A's most successful team.

The club revealed last month that the Italian market regulator CONSOB is looking into revenue they received from player trading activity.

08.54 BST: Manchester United are prepared to lose Paul Pogba for free next summer after accepting the midfielder will not sign a new contract at Old Trafford, sources have told ESPN's Mark Ogden.

The France international, who cost a then-world-record £89.1 million when he signed from Juventus in August 2016, will become a free agent when his contract expires at the end of June 2022. He has consistently rejected United's offer of a new deal at the club.

However, despite the prospect of the player running down his United contract for a second time -- United were awarded £800,000 in youth development compensation when Pogba left as a free agent to Juve in 2012 -- sources have said there is no alarm or concern at Old Trafford about the likelihood of the 28-year-old leaving for no fee.

Real Madrid, Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain have previously expressed an interest in Pogba, but none of them is planning to make a move for the player in January, preferring instead to negotiate a free-agent deal next summer.

Sources have told ESPN that United factored in the likelihood of Pogba leaving as a free agent at the end of his contract when they agreed his transfer fee and wages five years ago.

08.00 BST: Only one place to start this morning as there was a big change in the soccer world -- Barcelona have sacked coach Ronald Koeman following Wednesday's 1-0 LaLiga loss to Rayo Vallecano (stream the replay on ESPN+ in the U.S.), their third defeat in their last four league games.

Following Koeman's exit, sources have told ESPN's Sam Marsden and Moises Llorens that the club will open talks with Xavi Hernandez on Friday regarding the vacancy, with the former team captain now the first choice.

However, the same sources add that Barca don't expect to have a replacement in place until after the November international break. An interim coach is set to take charge of the next three games against Alaves, Dynamo Kiev and Celta Vigo.

Koeman's position had been seriously weakened after poor results prior to the October international break, with back-to-back defeats against Real Madrid and Rayo this week proving to be the tipping point.

- Hunter: Koeman firing was inevitable, and Barca remain a shambles

PAPER GOSSIP (by Danny Lewis)

- Bayern Munich are looking to sign Victor Osimhen, who already has nine goals and an assist in 11 matches across all competitions for Napoli this season, reports Calciomercato. However, Napoli are only willing to discuss offers over €100 million and are looking for around €120m, while Aurelio De Laurentiis wouldn't even sit down to talk for an offer of €80m. With the Nigeria international's contract running until 2025, they will not be pushed around.

- Paris Saint-Germain will look to sign Leeds United winger Raphinha after receiving a glowing reference from national teammate Neymar, according to TeamTalk. Liverpool had already been interested in the winger, but PSG are looking for new faces with the knowledge that Kylian Mbappe could leave during the summer. So, it seems as though Raphinha is now one of those being considered.

- Juventus have joined many of Europe's largest clubs in showing interest in FC Salzburg forward Karim Adeyemi, writes Calciomercato. Fellow Serie A giants Internazionale have already been looking at the Germany international, who is also wanted by Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig in his homeland, while Premier League clubs are also interested.

- Arsenal are interested in signing Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Denis Zakaria, as has been reported by Sport Bild's Christian Falk. The Switzerland international's contract ends in the summer of 2022, meaning he'll be available as a free agent. AS Roma and Juventus are among the other clubs who have been linked.

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