The coronavirus pandemic made the transfer market unlike any before it, but there was still plenty of action on Deadline Day. With the window closed across the major leagues in Europe, you can check out the latest major completed transfers across the globe.
TOP STORY: Chelsea keeping tabs on Dybala
Juventus are talking to Paulo Dybala about a new contract extension, but Chelsea are paying close attention to developments, as they’re keen to bring the Argentina playmaker to London.
Italian outlet Tuttomercatoweb reports that the move is a “concrete idea” from the Blues. Chelsea have already strengthened their squad significantly this summer, with the additions of Kai Havertz, Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech, but it appears they’re not done just yet.
Chelsea are aware that with Dybala’s contract in Turin due to finish in 2022, the club could look to offload him next summer to avoid losing him on a free a year later. Dybala has fallen down the pecking order at Juve, and so it could be a case of good timing by Chelsea.
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LIVE BLOG
12.15 BST: Wolfsburg striker Wout Weghorst has revealed how close he came to joining Tottenham this summer.
Weghorst, 28, scored 20 goals in 43 games last season but Tottenham were unwilling to pay the €35m that Wolfsburg wanted and instead moved for Benfica forward Carlos Vinicius on loan instead.
“I can be honest; of course, I knew that there was interest left and right,” Weghorst told Kicker. “It was serious with Tottenham; I was a candidate. Of course, you are interested in something like that too. It is also a confirmation that I’m on the right track.”
“I’m 28 now, and I’d like to win titles. I made that clear here. I hope. That we improve as a team so that we can possibly do more overall. If one day, I have the feeling that I cannot achieve my goals at VfL, then I will say so. That is currently not the case. The Premier League is still a dream of mine.”
11.32 BST: Arsenal handed over €50m to sign Atletico Madrid midfielder Thomas Partey. But was it money well spent?
1:03
Colin Udoh breaks down Thomas Partey’s performances while on international duty with Ghana.
11.04 BST: Mikel Arteta believes William Saliba will now stay at Arsenal rather than go on loan to a Championship club before Friday’s domestic transfer deadline.
The £27m signing from Saint-Etienne is yet to make a first-team appearance and was expected to leave on loan, with Watford and Norwich among the possible destinations, but Arteta simply relied “yes” when asked whether the Frenchman would stay at the club.
10.55 BST: Joe Rodon‘s potential move from Swansea to Tottenham Hotspur has a “50/50” chance of happening, sources have told ESPN’s Tom Hamilton.
Rodon, 22, has been linked with a move to Jose Mourinho’s side with the club making an enquiry at the start of October. With the second transfer deadline shutting Friday — a domestic-only window which means Premier League teams can continue dealing with EFL clubs — Rodon is one of a number of Championship players on top flight radars.
Tottenham recruited heavily over the summer but are still on the lookout for another centre-back and Rodon is their No. 1 choice. A fee in the region of £13m is being discussed, sources have told ESPN, but Spurs will need to move quickly to beat Friday’s 5 p.m. BST deadline.
10.30 BST: Manchester United’s transfer window was a mess. No Jadon Sancho and no new central defender have fans expecting the worst, writes Rob Dawson.
It was meant to be a summer of possibilities for Manchester United, but as they prepare for their first game since transfer deadline day, there are again more questions than answers. Top targets missed, holes in the squad not filled, forgotten players still in the squad and growing fan frustration has become a familiar storyline at Old Trafford.
Saturday’s trip to Newcastle was supposed to be the next step of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s new dawn after a largely successful first full season in charge, but instead the future looks more stormy than it should.
09.44 BST: West Ham are discussing personal terms with Said Benrahma and the Brentford forward is due to have a medical on Thursday, according to reports.
Benrahma, 25, is closing in on a move to the Premier League after the two clubs agreed an initial transfer fee of £25m, and Sky Sports reports that talks are now ongoing between the player and West Ham over a five-year contract.
The Times adds that Algeria international Benrahma, who scored 17 goals last season as Brentford reached the Championship playoff final, will have arrive at the Hammers’ Chadwell Heath training ground for a medical on Thursday.
1:30
Colin Udoh says Said Benrahma is too good for the Championship and needs to leave Brentford.
09.03 BST: Allan Saint-Maximin has signed a new six-year contract with Newcastle United, the club announced on Wednesday.
Saint-Maximin, 23, arrived at the club in 2019 in a £16m move from Nice and has become a popular player at St James’ Park.
The French forward, who has scored four goals and registered five assists in 29 Premier League appearances, told the club’s website: “I’ve played for a lot of clubs — Monaco, Nice, in Germany, but Newcastle, I feel like it’s my home. The supporters give me a lot of love, the coach too, and my partners on the pitch. Everybody gives me love and when you have this, I feel it’s my home and I hope this stays my home for a long time.
“Every club I’d been before, the fans loved me — but not like the Newcastle fans. That’s really important, because for me, you have the football and everything, but you have the human and they give me something different. So if I can give back to the supporters and to the club with a new deal, I’m really happy.”
2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣6️⃣#NUFC are thrilled to announce that Allan Saint Maximin has signed a new six-year contract!
Delighted to have you signed up, @asaintmaximin! ⚫️⚪️
— Newcastle United FC (@NUFC) October 14, 2020
08.29 BST: Liverpool have rejected Swansea City’s loan bid for midfielder Harry Wilson, according to The Athletic.
Wilson enjoyed a successful spell on a personal level at Bournemouth last season, scoring seven Premier League goals for the Cherries before they were relegated.
The 23-year-old is wanted on loan this season by a host of Championship clubs including Derby County, Nottingham Forest and Swansea’s Welsh rivals Cardiff City.
The Athletic’s Stuart James reported on Wednesday that Liverpool ended talks with Swansea after the two clubs could not agree over a loan fee for the Wales international.
Derby — where Wilson scored 18 goals during the 2018-19 season — are now reportedly favourites to sign him ahead of the Oct. 16 deadline for domestic transfers.
08.00 BST: Former United States international Freddy Adu has signed with Swedish third-division side Osterlen FF, according to multiple reports.
The 31-year-old, who last played for the USL’s Las Vegas Lights in 2018, appeared to confirm the deal on social media.
“Missed this sport so much and just happy to have the opportunity to be playing again. One step at a time,” he wrote.
“Skipped a lot of steps in the past but now I get a chance to do it right. I’m excited and never been more ready!” he added.
Adu was the youngest male player ever to sign a professional contract when he joined MLS and D.C. United as a 14-year-old in November of 2003.
Since, he’s played for over a dozen clubs, including Portuguese giants Benfica, Brazilian side Bahia and the Philadelphia Union of MLS.
As in international, Adu appeared 17 times for the U.S., scoring twice. However, he hasn’t played for his country since a 4-2 loss to Mexico in the 2011 Gold Cup final.
– Schoenfeld: Adu exclusive — ‘I’m not ready to give up
1:38
Julien Laurens explains the trouble Madrid could face pursuing Kylian Mbappe or Erling Haaland before 2022.
PAPER TALK (by Nick Judd)
Eriksen to choose between PSG and Bayern
PSG remain keen to land Christian Eriksen in January, having failed to sign him in the summer, but they face competition from Bayern Munich, according to Tuttosport.
Eriksen left Tottenham Hotspur to join Internazionale last January for around €27m and it could be that he finds himself packing his suitcase once again.
The Denmark midfielder hasn’t settled at the San Siro and he doesn’t appear to be in Antonio Conte’s plans. PSG attempted to sign the 28-year-old on loan without success this summer, and Inter will instead welcome a two-way battle for his services.
Eriksen is reported to be earning around €10m a year, which means that only clubs of the financial stature of PSG and Bayern would be able to afford him.
Juve and PSG to battle for Ramos
Juventus and PSG are contemplating bidding for Sergio Ramos when his contract comes to an end this summer. Ramos has been at Real Madrid since 2005 but his deal is almost up, with the player yet to agree new terms to keep him at the Bernabeu.
El Chiringuito is reporting that both Juve and PSG have tabled contract offers for the Madrid skipper. Ramos has won five league titles and four Champions League trophies with Madrid.
Tap-ins
– Tottenham Hotspur boss Jose Mourinho is so keen to land Joe Rodon from Swansea City that he’s willing to include multiple players in the deal, reports Football Insider. Spurs failed in their efforts to land the 22-year-old in the summer and so they continue to discuss the £18m asking price ahead of the deadline on Friday. Spurs would rather pay £15m and include one or more players, including United States international Cameron Carter-Vickers. They’re also considering loaning Rodon back to Swansea for the remainder of the 2020-21 season.