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: Barca tracking Cavani, Sterling, Werner
With Xavi Hernandez now at the helm, Barcelona are looking to strengthen in attacking areas, and Marca reports that three players have been identified as targets.
Due to their financial difficulties, Barca are going to look at loans in January, to give them the best chance of brining in quality without huge outlay.
Luuk de Jong's loan from Sevilla is likely to terminated in January, while Martin Braithwaite is recovering from injury and Sergio Aguero is out for at least three months with a heart issue.
Manchester City's Raheem Sterling has been widely linked with the Blaugrana in recent times, and he is the first name on show here.
The England international has not been pleased with his game time, having managed just 376 Premier League minutes of a possible 990 this term, and the feeling is that Xavi could offer him regular first-team football.
Next up is Manchester United's Edinson Cavani, who was also linked with Barcelona during the summer and is felt to be capable of filling the gaps up front for six months. His position has been marginalised by the return of Cristiano Ronaldo in the summer.
Finally, Timo Werner has struggled since his move from RB Leipzig to Chelsea, and Barcelona showed interest in the Germany international even before his move to London. The 25-year-old's lack of game time under Thomas Tuchel this term gives Barca hope they could get him on loan.
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21.33 GMT: Reports in Italy suggest that Norwich City and Newcastle United are keen on signing Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot. Tuttosport writes that the two clubs are interested in the 26-year-old midfielder as a January reinforcement, and with Juve setting their sights on a number of midfield targets, the Serie A club would be prepared to allow Rabiot to leave.
21.00 GMT: There are little signs of progress on a new contract for Lorenzo Insigne, with the Napoli star reportedly attracting interest from Internazionale, Everton and Toronto FC.
Calciomercato writes that the 30-year-old attacker and Napoli remain at some distance apart in their discussions over a new deal, with his contract set to expire next summer. And with the January window less than two months away, a tough decision could have to be made regarding Insigne's future with the club. Toronto are reported to be moving towards the front of the queue, with the MLS club keen to land a marquee signing in the next transfer window.
20.27 GMT: Manchester City will prioritise tying down Ilkay Gundogan to a new deal this January, according to Ekrem Konur. It is reported that the club will offer the 31-year-old midfielder a two-year extension at the Etihad Stadium, with Gundogan deemed a key part of Pep Guardiola's plans.
19.54 GMT: Reports in Turkey reveal that Besiktas are doing everything possible to sign Cenk Tosun from Everton on a permanent basis.
Takvim writes that the Turkish club have weighed up three routes to securing his signature, with one being a cut-price offer in January for the 30-year-old forward who is set to be out of contract at Goodison Park in the summer. Besiktas are also keen to land Tosun on a free transfer, and will move quickly should the Premier League club release him if the clubs fail to reach an agreement in the winter transfer window.
19.21 GMT: Gavi looks to be the next player in line at Barcelona to be handed a new long-term deal. That's according to Fabrizio Romano, who says that a five-year proposal is ready to be offered to the 17-year-old midfielder with a salary that will increase each season. The Camp Nou board are confident the contract will be announced soon, seeing it as just "a matter of time."
18.48 GMT: Foot Mercato reports that Jonathan Ikone is being tracked by Sevilla.
The 23-year-old forward was influential in Lille's title-winning campaign last season, and that has seen him added to a number of shortlists across Europe, with Sevilla the latest club to show their interest. And as the Ligue 1 club looks to move players on in January to help clear debt, Ikone is one of the stars who looks destined for an exit from Stade Pierre Mauroy.
18.15 GMT: Nicolo Schira writes that Arsenal and Fiorentina are targeting Domenico Berardi. The 27-year-old attacker has been in impressive form for Sassuolo, contributing to seven goals in 10 games in the Serie A this season.
17.42 GMT: Eddie Howe has wasted no time in identifying reinforcements at St. James' Park, with reports that Newcastle United are eyeing a move for a trio of players from Manchester United.
The Mirror writes that there is interest in Dean Henderson, Jesse Lingard and Donny van de Beek. A lack of playing time for Henderson and Van de Beek has seen the two 24-year-olds look for a move away from Old Trafford, while Lingard, 28, has also struggled to garner regular minutes in the first team since returning from a successful loan spell with West Ham United last season.
17.09 GMT: Talksport reports that Frank Lampard is set to be appointed as the new manager of Norwich City. The 43-year-old has been out of a job since his previous stint with Chelsea, but now looks to be returning to the dugout after Daniel Farke was dismissed from Carrow Road. The Canaries sit bottom of the Premier League, having collected just five points in 11 games this season.
16.04 GMT: Bayern Munich are one of the clubs interested in West Bromwich Albion's young striker Reyes Cleary, the Daily Mail reports.
Cleary, 17, has scored 14 goals in 12 appearances for West Brom's under-23s this season and while the club are eager to hand him his first professional contract, he has plenty of other options.
Cleary has reportedly also attracted interest from Bayern's Bundesliga rivals Borussia Dortmund as well as Premier League duo Crystal Palace and Newcastle United.
15.10 GMT: Harry Kane has insisted he coped well with his failed move to Manchester City but admitted he may never get over England's Euro 2020 final loss to Italy.
The 28-year-old endured a difficult summer in which he expected to leave Tottenham Hotspur either side of leading England to the brink of their first trophy in 55 years at Euro 2020, only to fall agonisingly short in a penalty shootout defeat to Italy in the final.
Kane's club form has been criticised this term after scoring just once in 10 Premier League outings as Spurs decided to replace head coach Nuno Espirito Santo with former Chelsea boss Antonio Conte earlier this month after a poor start to the season. His motivation to continue at Spurs has also been questioned after believing he had a gentleman's agreement with chairman Daniel Levy that would allow him to depart only for City to refuse to meet the club's £150m valuation.
Asked if he had found it difficult to pick himself up after such a draining summer, Kane said: "It is always hard whenever you finish a major tournament. The last two major tournaments we've had, a semifinal, we've got to a final and it takes a lot out of you. Not just physically, mentally as well.
"And then all of a sudden before you know it, you are back playing Premier League in a few weeks. I guess you never really have a chance to take it all in and learn from what happened, see what you did well, what you didn't.
"So, it almost becomes a bit of a whirlwind sometimes so it is about just adapting to that, getting back into the swing of things as quickly as possible. From my point of view, it is always about getting back to the basics, getting back to the training pitch, working hard there and doing my best.
"Obviously we play a lot of games throughout the year and there's not much time to recover and reflect on things. Any chance you can just get on that training pitch, work on a few things, get back to what you know best is important. That's definitely what I tried to do."
14.07 GMT: Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky's purchase of a minority stake in West Ham United is likely to be good news for the club's hopes of keeping midfielder Declan Rice.
Kretinsky, who owns Czech top-flight club Sparta Prague, and his colleague Pavel Horsky have been appointed to the board of directors at West Ham after the purchase of 27% of the club's holding company.
Even before the deal, west Ham had been adamant in their position that they would resist bids of 100m for England international Rice, who has been the subject of interest from top Premier League clubs including Manchester United and boyhood club Chelsea.
Now with this fresh investment, the Hammers are likely to be even more determined to keep hold of their star player in upcoming transfer windows, particularly if the club can qualify for the Champions League.
13.23 GMT: Xavi Hernandez will have less than €10m to spend on strengthening Barcelona's squad in January after replacing Ronald Koeman as coach at Camp Nou, sources have told ESPN's Sam Marsden and Moises Llorens.
Barca CEO Ferran Reverter said earlier this year the club would have €20m available for transfers in the winter based on LaLiga's €97m spending limit for the season, but circumstances have changed since then. Both Ansu Fati and Pedri have signed lucrative new contracts, which has eaten into how much Barca will be permitted to spend midseason.
However, funds could be raised for new signings if players can be moved on for significant transfer fees. Benfica are interested in taking Barcelona defender Samuel Umtiti on loan for the remainder of the season, according to Globo. Benfica take on Barcelona in a Champions League Group E game on Nov. 23 and that is when the club intends to propose the deal to Barca.
Umtiti joined Barca from Lyon in 2016 and was a regular in his first two seasons at the club but lost his starting place after injuries limited his playing time in 2018. The French defender, who has a contract with Barca until June 2023, has been placed on the transfer list in the past transfer windows without success. Umtiti's high wages continue to be the biggest problem for the player to leave the Camp Nou with cash-strapped Barca unwilling to take on part of his salary should he leave on loan.
If Barca can raise more transfer funds then, according to Mundo Deportivo, Xavi has set his sights on Spain internationals Dani Olmo and Ferran Torres. Xavi only took over as Barca coach last week but has reportedly already made it clear he feels the team needs more width in attack.
Mundo Deportivo claims that Olmo and Torres, two players that start wide but can come inside, have emerged as the top two targets ahead of the opening of the January transfer window. However, a move for either will prove difficult due to the club's financial situation.
Olmo, a former Barca academy player, has been linked with the Catalan club on and off for the last few years. He has a contract with RB Leipzig until 2024 but would supposedly be open to a return to Spain. Manchester City attacker Torres is likely to be harder to prize away from his club. He has a contract with the Premier League side until 2025 and coach Pep Guardiola doesn't want to let him leave.
12.31 GMT: Liverpool transfer guru Michael Edwards will leave the club at the end of the season.
ESPN reported in August that the club's sporting director was out of contract at the end of this campaign and did not commit to a new deal to continue his role in charge of the player recruitment team.
Edwards will be replaced by his deputy Julian Ward, who was promoted to the position of assistant sporting director in December 2020.
Edwards has implemented the blueprint of FenwaySports Group (FSG), Liverpool's owners, during his time as sporting director, overseeing the club's attempts to identify and recruit high quality players for sensible fees, at the same time as offloading players at the key moment.
The decision to let Philippe Coutinho join Barcelona for £142 million in January 2018 was questioned by supporters at the time, but the proceeds of that deal allowed Liverpool to sign Virgil van Dijk for £75m and goalkeeper Alisson Becker for £67m.
Under Edwards's leadership, the Liverpool recruitment team also secured the signings of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino for relatively inexpensive fees.
11.40 GMT: Real Madrid defender Dani Carvajal expects former teammate Sergio Ramos to make a full recovery and show his best form with Paris Saint-Germain this season amid reports he could leave the club before he has even played a game for them.
Ramos is one of the highest-paid players at PSG but still hasn't featured for the team since his move to the French capital on a free transfer in July after his contract with Los Blancos had expired.
The 35-year-old, who missed more than 30 games last season with Madrid through various setbacks, has already sat out 13 league games for PSG as his injury woes continue. Ramos is now nearing a return and trained with the group on Wednesday.
"I spoke to him recently," Carvajal said. "He told me that he was in the final phase of recovery."
Asked about the recent reports that PSG could terminate Ramos' contract, Carvajal said: "I think Sergio's numbers speak for themselves. He is a symbol for Real Madrid and the Spain national team. I think we will see him return to his best level. I think he will have a good season with PSG and will return to the national team."
10.48 GMT: Chelsea defender Andreas Christensen says he is close to signing a new contract with the European champions.
Christensen is out of contract at the end of the season, meaning he can agree a pre-contract with foreign clubs from Jan. 1. However, the 25-year-old is optimistic of extending his stay at Stamford Bridge.
When asked is he was nearing an agreement," Christensen told the club's official website: "Hopefully soon. I feel valued, I'm happy but I do not get into the contract situation. I do not know why everyone thinks it is a bad situation. Because I'm still happy and I enjoy playing football."
The Denmark international, who has made 18 appearances for club and country this season, added: "I'm a player who right now enjoys playing football [at Chelsea] and the coach shows confidence [in me]. There is no bad relationship, there is nothing."
10.10 GMT: Aston Villa have appointed Steven Gerrard as the club's new manager, the Premier League side have confirmed.
The former Liverpool and England midfielder takes over from Dean Smith, who was sacked on Nov. 7 following a run of five consecutive defeats in the league.
Gerrard departs Scottish champions Rangers after guiding the club to their first league title in 10 years last season, as well as the club's first ever unbeaten league campaign. He leaves Ibrox after a three-and-a-half year spell in charge, in what was his first senior managerial position since he retired from playing in 2016.
Gerrard, who made over 500 Premier League appearances across 17 seasons for Liverpool, will take charge of his first Villa match at home to Brighton on Nov. 20.
The Times reports that Villa are willing to pay Rangers £3m in compensation in order to appoint Gerrard, whose contract with Rangers still had almost three years to run.
Welcome back to the #PL, Steven! 👋
— Premier League (@premierleague) November 11, 2021
09.23 GMT: Villarreal are looking to offer in-form midfielder Yeremi Pino a long.-term contract, according to COPE radio.
Yeremi helped Villarreal win the Europa League last season in his debut campaign with the first team. He has scored two goals in 15 appearances in all competitions for Villarreal this campaign and earned a spot in Spain's national team.
Yeremi is under contract with Villarreal until June 2024. With Real Madrid among the clubs monitoring the Villarreal teenager, the Yellow Submarine are ready to offer the player an improved deal through June 2027. As part of the new deal, Yeremi's release clause would increase to €80m.
08.30 GMT: The Daily Mail reports that Dean Henderson is ready to leave Manchester United in search of first-team football.
Henderson, 24, appears to have lost out to David De Gea to be United's No. 1 goalkeeper, and he has also been dropped from England squad with Arsenal's Aaron Ramsdale breaking through.
His only appearance this season came in the Carabao Cup defeat to West Ham United in September, and with four-and-a-half years left on his contract feels he must move to play regularly and progress.
However, the report says that United are unlikely to allow Henderson, who had two successful years on loan at Sheffield United, to move in January to leave them without cover.
Newcastle United are reported to be interested.
PAPER GOSSIP (by Danny Lewis)
- Super-agent Jorge Mendes is hoping to add Fulham teenager Fabio Carvalho to his list of clients, and then take the midfielder to Liverpool, according to the Daily Mail. The England youth international is in the final year of his contract at Craven Cottage, and it is felt that he could take the same route from west London to Merseyside as Harvey Elliott. Mendes has already alerted Barcelona and Real Madrid but got no interest.
- Real Sociedad winger Adnan Januzaj's agent has confirmed interest from Napoli in his client, which brings up questions around Lorenzo Insigne's future, as reported by Calciomercato. The Italian's contract comes to an end in the summer of 2022, and talks over an extension have stalled. Januzaj's Sociedad contract ends at the same time and could be seen as the perfect replacement.
- New York Red Bulls defender Kyle Duncan is nearing a move to Belgian outfit KV Oostende, as reported by MLSsoccer.com. NYRB tried to re-sign the 24-year-old, but he has long held ambitions of playing in Europe. He has also been linked with Stade Reims, while there were reports of interest from Anderlecht, Metz and Montpellier during the summer.
- With Juventus looking to strengthen their midfield, Nicolo Rovella could be recalled from his loan at Genoa in January, reports Calciomercato. Having signed from Il Grifone in January 2021, he was immediately sent back to them on loan and was supposed to stay there until the summer of 2022. However, Massimiliano Allegri could look to cut that agreement short.
- Contrary to previous reports, Marca have stated that Dani Alves will not be making a return to Camp Nou at the moment. While the Brazilian offered himself to the club, Xavi and Barcelona's leaders want to give priority to younger players. Still, there is the possibility that the 38-year-old could have a future role upstairs.