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: New hope for Man United in Sancho pursuit
This year's biggest transfer saga appears set to roll on, with reports suggesting that Manchester United's long pursuit of Borussia Dortmund star Jadon Sancho is not over.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was left disappointed after United failed to land the 20-year-old England international in the most recent transfer window, with the Premier League giants unwilling to stump up the £108 million BVB wanted for the winger.
The belief was that Dortmund would eventually relent and sell for a lower fee but United underestimated the hard-line stance the Germans had on the issue. Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke, however, has left the door open for a deal to be done in the future.
"Perhaps a club that wanted him misjudged it and believed we were ready to compromise," Watzke told German broadcaster ZDF. "We had a clear line, and we will have it next summer.
"In this day and age you can never say that a player is totally unsellable. But it is also absolutely clear that we don't want to give anybody up."
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LIVE BLOG
22.03 BST: Well folks, that'll do it for a bit of a sleepy day in our live blog, but fear not we'll be back with our paper round within the hour and do the whole live thing over again tomorrow. Thanks as always and see you next time!
21.12 BST: A bit of coaching news out of Major League Soccer, with LA Galaxy manager Guillermo Barros Schelotto telling a news conference he is totally relaxed in his position despite his team's major slump in form and reports suggesting that Galaxy MLS Cup winner Robbie Keane could be a surprise replacement for the Argentine.
"I know what football is like," the former Boca Juniors coach said after the Galaxy's 1-0 win over Vancouver on Sunday night. "I know what the media is like in situations like the one we've gone through in recent times. We're part of that football. There's more pressure in some places than others, in some places less time than others, but I understand football and I have nothing to say."
20.17 BST: Rumours regarding an impending departure from Stamford Bridge for N'Golo Kante are being exaggerated, according to French outlet Le10Sport. The report says that the France World Cup winner has no desire to leave the Premier League amid interest from Real Madrid and Inter Milan and is happy to kick on for Frank Lampard's side with a contract running through 2023 at Chelsea.
19.29 BST: Manchester United's recent move for striker Edinson Cavani drew mixed reaction from pundits and the club's fan base, but his former manager at Paris Saint-Germain, Thomas Tuchel, has little doubt about how the Ligue 1 giants' all-time leading scorer will fare at Old Trafford.
"He wrote part of our club's history, he is definitely a great player but it's not a story about PSG versus Edi or vice versa," Tuchel told a news conference on Monday. "When he scores he has the confidence and is one of the best No. 9s in world football."
However, Cavani will have to wait to make his first appearance for the club after not travelling to Paris for United's Champions League group-stage opener against, you guessed it, PSG.
18.39 BST: Well, it's a slow day in Transfer Talk world, so let's see which way the wind is blowing as regards our lead story; tell us what you think about what Jadon Sancho will do next!
16.35 BST: Atletico Madrid's Hector Herrera is where he wants to be, after a transfer window loaded with reports that he could leave Los Colchoneros.
"I feel good after it all, I was in my house, relaxed (during the transfer window countdown)," Herrera said in an interview shared by the club. "(The rumors) were more a media thing, but in the end I am relaxed because I am where I want to be and that's the most important."
Herrera stressed that he wants "participate more," having only played 27 minutes in La Liga so far this season, and that it has been "difficult" not being more involved, although he could be in line for a start against Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday, according to a report.
"I know that I have to be patient, stay calm and work 100 percent," he said. "I want to help the team to achieve important things like a league title, or an important trophy that leaves a mark. A good Champions League (campaign) is winning the Champions (League). We're not favorite, but we are a strong team that is difficult to beat."
15.26 BST: Settle Sounders winger Handwalla Bwana is set to be traded to Nashville, coach Brian Schmetzer has confirmed.
The Washington Post's Steven Goff first reported the trade could happen late Sunday night. Following the Sounders' 0-0 draw at San Jose, Schmetzer said: "I think it was a strong opinion from [general manager] Garth [Lagerwey] and myself that we would have preferred to keep Bwana here.
"He's got some talent. He was a Homegrown player, we certainly have a strong commitment to our Homegrown process. But if a player doesn't want to be here, then sometimes we just have to make decisions that are best for both club and player."
Schmetzer would not confirm the identity of the player the Sounders will get in return, only that they would be a left-sided attacker.
Bwana, 21, has one goal and one assist in 176 minutes of MLS play so far this season.
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14.31 BST: AC Milan are in talks with several of their key players including Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Gianluigi Donnarumma over new contracts, according to the club's technical director Paolo Maldini.
Veteran striker Ibrahimovic, who scored both goals in Saturday's 2-1 win over local rivals Inter Milan, and goalkeeper Donnarumma both see their current deals expire at the end of the season.
When asked by Sky Sports Italia about Donnarumma's future, Maldini said: "We will talk about it, he is not the only one, [Hakan] Calhanoglu is also there, we will also have Ibra.
"These are things that we will have to face, we are already facing. We have not had a moment to disconnect, these are things that will concern us, their agents and the players themselves. Milan have a duty to try to keep them, it's a negotiation, both parties need to be happy, we hope that's the way it is."
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13.23 BST: Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman says Lionel Messi has not been at his best since attempting to leave the club in the summer.
Messi, 33, has scored just once -- a penalty against Villarreal -- in four games this season after agreeing to stay at Barca until at least the end of his current contract, which expires in June.
He failed to score for the third consecutive game as Barca were beaten by Getafe at the weekend but Koeman has backed him to deliver this week in games against Ferencvaros and Real Madrid.
"Maybe, at the moment, Messi's performances could be better," the Dutchman said in a news conference ahead of Barca's return to European action against the Hungarian champions at Camp Nou on Tuesday.
"But he's happy, he's working hard and he wants to be the captain. I don't have a single complaint. He has also had some bad luck. He hit the post [in Saturday's 1-0 loss to Getafe] and on another day that goes in.
"I don't have any doubts about his performances and we're going to see him [at his best] in the upcoming games, I'm sure."
Messi told the club of his desire to leave after the 8-2 Champions League defeat to Bayern Munich in August but they return to European action this week with renewed hopes.
12.02 BST: Liverpool's much-vaunted throw-in coach Thomas Gronnemark has insisted that he is available to work for the club's Premier League rivals as he is not solely employed by Jurgen Klopp's side.
Gronnemark's impact on Liverpool's march to becoming Premier League, Champions League and FIFA Club World Cup champions has been well-documented, but the Dane says he is freelance and can therefore help other clubs make similar improvements.
"If you are looking at what we have done together with the throw-ins, then it was an easy decision [to extend my Liverpool contract], but it is important to say I am a freelance coach," Gronnemark told the Blood Red podcast.
"I have had requests from rival teams and I can, if I want, coach other teams also in the Premier League. I have no exclusive contract with Liverpool FC so you can say it is my own decision."
Gronnemark also works with Dutch giants Ajax, who are in Liverpool's Champions League group this season.
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11.09 BST: Wayne Rooney's status as Derby County's captain and assistant coach has led to him calling potential transfer targets for the club, according to the Daily Mail.
Reports last week claimed that former England and Manchester United captain Rooney was being lined up to replace manager Phillip Cocu were quickly dismissed by Derby.
However, the Mail speculates that it may not be long before Rooney doe sindeed make the step up, with last Friday's 1-0 loss to Watford leaving the Rams fourth from bottom in the Championship.
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10.18 BST: Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has challenged striker Sergio Aguero to show he deserves a new contract at the club.
Aguero, the club's all-time leading goal scorer, will see his current deal expire at the end of the season. The 32-year-old returned from injury to make his first appearance in four months in Saturday's 1-0 win over Arsenal.
"Sergio now has to show, like every one of us, that he deserves to continue here -- keep playing well, scoring goals and winning games -- and after that the club and I will decide," Guardiola said. "But if he is playing in his level we don't have any doubts that he is a player to stay until he decides because he is unique. He is important for us, our fans and everyone.
"But he was out four months and he has to start training regularly and start to score goals - this is the most important thing. Having Aguero on the pitch, we are better, we are safer. We missed him a lot in the important moments at the end part of last season, but now is good news for us that he is back."
Argentina international Aguero has often spoken of his desire to one day end his career at boyhood club Independiente.
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09.13 BST: Marcelo and Isco are both facing fierce criticism in the Spanish press after poor performances in Real Madrid's 1-0 defeat to newly-promoted Cadiz.
Both players appear on the front page of Monday's Diario AS as being "singled out" ahead of El Clasico, alongside Barcelona counterparts Frenkie De Jong and Antoine Griezmann, who also struggled in their own 1-0 loss at Getafe.
📰 Nuestra portada de hoy, lunes 19 de octubre
— Diario AS (@diarioas) October 18, 2020
🗞 'SEÑALADOS' pic.twitter.com/tzhlNP9OiR
AS describes Marcelo's form as "alarming" and say all eight defeats suffered during coach Zinedine Zidane's second spell in charge have come with the Brazilian in the starting XI.
The newspaper also claims Isco has "hit rock bottom" saying the Spain international looked "slow, lost and clumsy in attack" in Saturday's loss.
Both players' contracts at the Bernabeu expire in June 2022.
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08.36 GMT: Liverpool must go out to sign a new centre-back in January to cover for the long-term loss of Virgil van Dijk, according to former Anfield defender Jamie Carragher.
Van Dijk will undergo knee surgery and is facing a battle to play again this season after scans confirmed that suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury during Saturday's 2-2 draw against Everton.
The Netherlands international is one of the Premier League champions' most important players, and Carragher believes manager Jurgen Klopp needs to bolster his squad to cover for the loss.
He told Sky Sports: "Liverpool certainly have to go into the market in January, not just because of Van Dijk's injury. They were weak in that area anyway -- they'd lost [Dejan] Lovren before the start of the season -- and the other players who are in those positions are very injury-prone.
"For Liverpool right away it's: 'who can we get in?' I know the transfer window's just finished, but they have to be ready in January to bring someone in. It could stop going on to achieve what they want to achieve."
Liverpool's throw-in coach Thomas Grønnemark insists teams still undervalue the importance of throw-ins.
08.00 BST: Wolves winger Adama Traore is in line for a new contract at the club despite interest from Barcelona and Liverpool, The Sun reports.
Traore, 24, has been one of the key players for Nuno Espirito Santo's side since he arrived from Middlesbrough in 2018.
The Spain international, who came through Barca's youth system before moving to England, is set to sign a new deal worth £100,000 a week, according to The Sun.
PAPER TALK (by Nick Judd): Barca to improve Garcia offer in January
Barcelona will return for Manchester City's Eric Garcia in January after having failed to sign the defender in the summer, reports the Manchester Evening News.
The outlet says that Barca didn't offer enough to persuade City to sell, and so will improve their offer when the window reopens in the new year. Barca's bid was believed to be just £2m below City's valuation, but the Premier League side were reluctant to let Garcia go and leave themselves short for the season ahead, despite the addition of Nathan Ake from Bournemouth.
Garcia has already told City chiefs that he won't renew his contract at the end of the season, and with the Citizens set to lose him on a free next summer, they might decide to try to recoup some money for him in January instead.
It is understood that Garcia wants to return to his former club, and Ronald Koeman is desperate to reinforce his defence. The only potential sticking point could be Barcelona's financial situation, which Koeman admits is unknown.
He will no doubt have to do some more outgoing business before he can start to rebuild his squad.
Man United target Sporting wonderkid Gomes
Manchester United could return to Sporting Lisbon to sign another wonderkid, Luis Gomes, according to the Mirror.
United have already enjoyed a great deal of success dealing with Sporting after having signed Cristiano Ronaldo, Nani and Bruno Fernandes from the Portuguese giants in the past.
And now they're looking to snap up Gomes, a 16-year-old who signed his first professional deal last week but who is being hailed as the next Luis Figo.
The youngster is on a five-year contract but United have reportedly agreed a first-refusal option should Sporting decide to sell, complete with a £14 million transfer fee.
Atletico Madrid have also made enquiries about Gomes, but the youngster decided to stay in Lisbon, with a transfer to Manchester United his preferred career move.
Tap-ins
- Juventus are planning a January move for Lyon star Houssem Aouar, according to Sunday's print version of Tuttosport. They believe the Italian champions are planning phase two of their recruitment drive. Phase one involved bringing down the age of the squad, which they did with their summer business, and now their top priority is Aouar, who remains top of Arsenal's list, too. Juve are wary of the Gunners, who have been pursuing Aouar all year.
- Cagliari are considering signing former Brighton right-back Ezequiel Schelotto as a free agent, according to Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano. Watford were rumoured to be in talks with Schelotto but have decided not to sign him, while Crystal Palace have also been linked with the Argentine wide player. Schelotto joined Brighton in 2017 and made 20 appearances in his first full season.
- Burnley are keen to sign French centre-half Mohamed Simakan, but it could cost them £15m. That's according to the Sun, who believes that Clarets scouts have suggested the club make an offer for the 20-year-old Strasbourg star. AC Milan failed to signed Simakan in the final days of the summer transfer window, while West Ham were also believed to be considering a £9m move.