The coronavirus pandemic has made the transfer market uncertain — you can find out when the windows close here — but here are the rumours floating around Europe’s big leagues and beyond. Plus, check out the latest major completed transfers across Europe.
TOP STORY: Hudson-Odoi wants Bayern Munich switch
Sky Germany is reporting Chelsea sensation Callum Hudson-Odoi is still interested in a move to Bayern Munich.
The German champions have tried and failed to lure the England winger to Munich a few times now, but it’s never quite come to fruition.
Alas, with Hudson-Odoi failing to lock down a consistent place in Chelsea’s first team — despite featuring in their shootout loss to Spurs in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday — he has turned his attention towards finally getting the Bayern deal back up and running.
Hudson-Odoi reportedly feels as if the Champions League winners have faith in his abilities and he wants nothing more than to prove them right.
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17.38 BST: Sheffield United want Rhian Brewster and according to the Sun, the Blades are preparing a £23 million offer for the Liverpool starlet.
The report adds that Liverpool are expected to accept the offer, which would entail £18m up front, a potential further £5m in bonuses and feature a buy-back clause. Liverpool would prefer to loan out Brewster, with Crystal Palace also pursuing the former England Under-17 World Cup winner.
Brewster scored 10 goals while on loan at Swansea last season but has yet to play a minute in the Premier League.
17.04 BST: Might Ryan Sessegnon be bound for Celtic Park?
Sky Sports has learned that the Hoops have made an approach for the Tottenham right-back, who is expected to be loaned out ahead of Monday’s transfer deadline. The 20-year-old made just six Premier League appearances last season for Spurs following his £25 million move from Fulham and has fallen even further down the pecking order at Spurs with the arrivals of Matt Doherty and Sergio Reguilon.
Leeds, Southampton and Brighton have also been credited with interest in the England U21 star.
16.29 BST: Jose Mourinho and optimism don’t usually go together but the Tottenham boss thinks that his side will sign a new striker before the transfer window closes.
Spurs need a backup for Harry Kane and have been linked with Bournemouth’s Josh King, Napoli’s Arkadiusz Milik and Torino’s Andrea Belotti, among others,
“I am optimistic, but more than that the feeling that I like is that we are trying everything to do it,” Mourinho said. “You succeed or you don’t succeed. It’s like a football match: you win or you don’t win but you give everything and try everything. The transfer market is the same. If we succeed then great — I believe so — but if we don’t then that’s football.”
16.04 BST: Arsenal midfielder Matteo Guendouzi doesn’t seem to have a future at the club after falling out with Mikel Arteta.
And Telefoot reports that Marseille have contacted the Gunners over a possible move.
However, the French side want him on loan, while Arsenal would prefer to raise funds with a permanent deal.
15.25 BST: The transfer window closes on Monday and still no club have made a move for Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly.
1:23
Colin Udoh thinks Manchester United should target Kalidou Koulibaly’s services before the window shuts.
14.51 BST: Sergino Dest has completed his medical with Barcelona and is set to be unveiled on Friday, sources have told ESPN’s Tom Hamilton.
Dest, 19, will sign a five-year deal with Barca, with Ronald Koeman’s side paying Ajax €20m up front and a potential extra €5m in add ons.
Dest flew into Barcelona on Tuesday evening, and becomes Koeman’s first signing as Barca boss. Barcelona beat Bayern Munich to his signature and he will compete with Sergi Roberto for the right-back spot.
14.12 BST: The much-maligned rule which allowed Barcelona to sign Martin Braithwaite outside of a transfer window last February has been removed by the Spanish football federation, says Reuters, bringing Spain into line with all other European nations.
The rule, article 124.3 in the federation’s regulations, allowed clubs to sign a player from another team after the window had shut if a player in their squad in the same position had been declared injured for a minimum of five months.
But the rule was removed from the new set of statutes published by the federation on Tuesday, and now only players who are out of contract or unemployed may join clubs outside of a transfer window.
The rule, which only existed in Spain, came under global scrutiny when Barcelona signed Denmark striker Braithwaite from fellow La Liga side Leganes in February, after Ousmane Dembele was ruled out for six months due to rupturing his hamstring.
14.00 BST: Fulham have confirmed the signing of former Everton forward Ademola Lookman on a season-long loan from RB Leipzig.
“After the conversations I had with Scott Parker, I got a great feeling, that’s the working relationship I want to have,” he said. “He’s young and hungry and I’m young and hungry as well so it’s a good match.”
13.45 BST: The future of Ousmane Dembele is making plenty of headlines.
1:48
ESPN FC’s Sid Lowe addresses Man United’s reported interest in Barcelona’s Ousmane Dembele.
13.28 BST: Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman says Manchester United target Ousmane Dembele is still in his plans despite the uncertainty surrounding the forward’s future.
Sources have told ESPN that Manchester United are exploring a loan deal for Dembele, who was on the bench for Barca’s 4-0 win over Villarreal on Sunday, with little progress being made in their move for Jadon Sancho. However, sources at the Catalan club insist there has been no contact with United since they initially sounded out the possibility of signing the France international earlier this summer.
“This is a situation to be resolved by the club and the player,” Koeman said in a news conference on Wednesday. “As long as the player is with us, he’s part of my plans. He didn’t start [against Villarreal] because there are other players, too, and Ansu Fati has demonstrated that he’s good enough to play.
“Ousmane has to wait for his chance. He was better physically in the first few weeks of preseason. He’s dipped a little bit in the last week, but he trained well today and I’m counting on him.”
Dembele, 23, joined Barca from Borussia Dortmund for an initial fee of €105m in 2017. His time at Camp Nou has been blighted by injuries, though, and sources close to the club have always maintained that any “serious” offers would be entertained.
Moving Dembele on would allow Barca to turn to the transfer market themselves, with Koeman admitting he still wants to sign a centre-back and a striker. Manchester City’s Eric Garcia and Lyon’s Memphis Depay are targets.
“We know the club have financial limitations but there are two or three positions we’re working on,” Koeman confirmed. “There’s nothing certain at the moment. We’re a little weak in the centre-back position for the season that lies ahead of us, while we’re also looking for another No. 9.”
12.45 BST: Benfica have already sold one of their best defenders and could now be set to allow striker Carlos Vinicius to leave.
Vinicius, 25, only joined the club for around €18m from Napoli last summer and scored 24 goals in 47 appearances.
TVI24 says that the Brazilian has attracted interest from Tottenham and despite a €100m release clause, Benfica would be willing to do a deal at €50m.
12.23 BST: Danny Drinkwater is a player we’ve not heard much about since he signed for Chelsea from Leicester for £35m in 2017.
Drinkwater, 30, has been on loan at Burnley and Aston Villa as his career has nosedived amid off-pitch issues. But Valencia are reportedly preparing an offer to save him.
Dani Parejo and Francis Coquelin have left, with Javi Gracia’s side assessing a deal for Drinkwater to bolster the midfield, according to Radio Esport Valencia.
11.56 BST: Manchester City have already spent £63m on Ruben Dias — not Kalidou Koulibaly, despite what their official website said — but Bayern Munich‘s David Alaba and Ajax’s Nicolas Tagliafico are on their radar in case they need a new left-back, says The Times.
Alaba is entering the final year of his contract, while Tagliafico is available for around £25m this summer. But City will only be interested if Oleksandr Zinchenko (who has weirdly been linked with Barcelona) decides to depart.
11.25 BST: Manchester United are seriously keen on signing Jadon Sancho, but Dortmund want €120m.
1:09
ESPN FC’s Julien Laurens provides the latest surrounding the ongoing Jadon Sancho to Man United saga.
11.03 BST: Bayern Munich are expected to be busy in the transfer market before the German window closes on Monday at 6 p.m. local time.
After they failed in their attempt to sign Ajax right-back Sergino Dest, the German champions have now turned their attention to Norwich City’s Max Aarons, Sport 1 reports. They have also shown interest in Brighton youngster Tariq Lamptey for whom they are reportedly prepared to offer €15m, €10m short of the Premier League club’s valuation.
With time running out to bring in players, Bayern could return to their old strategy of loan deals like they have done with James Rodriguez, Ivan Perisic or Philippe Coutinho in recent years.
Sport Bild reports that Atletico Madrid‘s Thomas Lemar could be such a player. The 24-year-old France international has seen little of the pitch under Diego Simeone and could join Bayern’s fleet of France internationals which include Corentin Tolisso, Kingsley Coman, Lucas Hernandez and Benjamin Pavard.
Defender David Alaba, yet to sign a new deal despite it expiring in 2021, is set to stay at the Allianz Arena though Bayern are aware of the danger of losing the Austria international on a free transfer next summer.
10.40 BST: Aston Villa have signed Ross Barkley on loan from Chelsea until the end of the season.
Morning, Villans. 😉
Welcome to Aston Villa, @RBarkley8! 🙌
🟣 #WelcomeRoss 🟣 pic.twitter.com/hTBWEi1RDz
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) September 30, 2020
10.35 BST: Arsenal and Lyon have continued talks for the transfer of French midfielder Houssem Aouar but no agreement has been reached, sources told ESPN.
Arsenal’s first offer of €35m was rejected by Lyon on Friday but the two clubs are still in negotiations for the 22-year-old France under-21 international.
Here’s why Julien Laurens thinks Aouar is perfect for the Gunners.
In Arteta’s mind, Aouar is the missing piece to his current jigsaw puzzle. He would not solve all the Londoners’ issues, but he would certainly improve the journey Arteta and the club are on at the moment. Like the Spaniard repeatedly said after his side’s 3-1 defeat at Liverpool on Monday night, his team is on a journey and it has not even been a full year since Arteta took charge. Well-oiled Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp, in comparison, are already five years into theirs.
Arteta wants Aouar to be part of the journey because he will be the one to lead it. As a source close to the situation puts it, the Lyon man would be to Arteta what Kevin De Bruyne is to Pep Guardiola. He is enamoured with the Frenchman’s profile who, like the Belgian, is very versatile. Aouar is a playmaker who can play as a No. 10 behind one or two strikers, as a No. 8 in a midfield two or three, and even as a wide player on the left if needed. Where he is most influential, though, is in the middle, where he can possess the ball the most and use his vision, passing range and technical ability to create chances for teammates. He takes set pieces, too.
10.18 BST: ICYMI – Manchester United are exploring the possibility of a loan deal for Barcelona forward Ousmane Dembele with little progress being made in their move for Borussia Dortmund‘s Jadon Sancho, sources have told ESPN’s Rob Dawson.
United still believe there is a chance of signing Sancho before the transfer deadline, a feeling shared by the 20-year-old’s representatives.
But with a gap in valuation still to be bridged, United are interested in a short-term deal for Dembele — who cost €105m from Dortmund in 2017 — to ensure manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer gets the winger he asked for at the start of the summer.
09.57 BST: Arsenal have a choice to make, but who should they sign?
1:18
Colin Udoh and Ed Dove disagree over whether Arsenal should sign Thomas Partey or Houssem Aouar next.
09.44 BST: Boca Juniors are targeting former Newcastle and West Brom striker Salomon Rondon, sources have told ESPN Argentina.
Rondon, 31, plays for Dalian Yifang of the Chinese Super League but admitted recently that he would love to return to Newcastle.
09.33 BST: This one has come out of the blue. Manchester United are reportedly in talks with Arsenal for the transfer of Ainsley Maitland-Niles.
The 22-year-old full-back/midfielder is keen to find regular football and a deal has been struck for £20m, plus add-ons, according to Sport1.
08.52 BST: Villarreal are leading the race to sign 22-year-old Tottenham defender Juan Foyth on a season-long loan, according to El Periodico Mediterraneo.
Spurs are keen to let the Argentina international leave on loan before the close of the transfer window so he can get regular playing time.
Foyth, who joined Tottenham in a €12m transfer from Estudiantes La Plata in 2017, made just four league appearances for Jose Mourinho’s side last season.
Valencia are also keen on Foyth but Villarreal are considered favourites to sign the player. Villarreal are prepared to include a buy-out option in the deal.
08.27 BST: Paris Saint-Germain are the latest to be linked with Diego Costa, with Diario AS reporting that the Ligue 1 club is the forward’s preferred destination after his agent Jorge Mendes “spent several days exploring the possibilities that the market offers to find a top team.”
Costa, who has a year left on his deal at Atletico Madrid, revealed after Sunday’s 6-1 win over Granada that he would be willing to stay or go, depending on what his current club decides before the transfer window closes on Monday.
According to AS, Costa would be available for free, but PSG would have to move a player on first to be able to accommodate his wage demands and meet FFP requirements.
If Costa were to go, Diego Simeone would look to replace him, with former PSG striker Edinson Cavani — who almost joined Atletico in January — the leading candidate.
08.00 BST: Ruben Dias has joined Manchester City from Benfica in a deal worth €68m plus add-ons, it was announced on Tuesday evening.
City defender Nicolas Otamendi is set to go the other way in separate transfer worth €15m.
Sources told ESPN on Sunday that the Dias move was imminent after City refused to pay the asking price for Napoli‘s Kalidou Koulibaly and Atletico Madrid’s Jose Gimenez.
Dias has made 137 appearances during his four years at Benfica, winning the 2018-19 Portuguese Liga title.
The 23-year-old has 19 Portugal caps and was part of the team that won the UEFA Nations League trophy in 2019, while being awarded man of the match in the final.
– Guardiola’s defensive signigns for City — rated!
1:45
Julien Laurens breaks down the complications involved in Ruben Dias’ transfer from Benfica to Man City.
PAPER TALK (by Harry Kettle)
Torreira and Kolasinac to leave Arsenal
Arsenal are working hard to move on both Lucas Torreira and Sead Kolasinac in the next few days, Fabrizio Romano reports.
The depth in Mikel Arteta’s squad was always going to force his hand in the transfer window and the two players are set to be victims of that overhaul.
Torreira’s proposed switch will see him head to La Liga to join Atletico Madrid, whereas Kolasinac’s next venture will be with Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen, according to the report.
There are still other irons in the fire for the Gunners, but these transfers are moving fairly quickly.
Nainggolan on the verge of Cagliari transfer
Another from Fabrizio Romano, who says that Radja Nainggolan is close to completing his permanent move to Cagliari.
After a strong return season on loan with the club that helped put him on the map between 2010 and 2014, the Belgian is moving in the direction of an exit from Inter Milan with the reported fee being €12m.
There has been no formal bid made by Galatasaray, who were also rumoured to be interested, as talks between Inter and Cagliari are ongoing.
Tap-ins
– West Ham are interested in signing Slavia Prague full-back Vladimir Coufal, says The Guardian. Hammers boss David Moyes is clearly eager to add to his defensive ranks before the summer transfer window closes and the 28-year-old seems to be one of his primary targets. The fee would be £4m as Coufal prepares to come in as cover for the recently injured Ryan Fredericks.
– West Bromwich Albion are contemplating a move for Leicester City striker Islam Slimani, The Telegraph reports. Slimani, who has spent time with Newcastle, Fenerbahce and Monaco in recent years, has been unable to make a real impact at the King Power Stadium since signing in 2016. The hope from the Baggies at this stage is that they can sign him on loan for the remainder of the Premier League season.