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LIVE Transfer Talk: Manchester United could move for Brighton centre-back Ben White

The coronavirus pandemic made the summer transfer market unlike any before it, but there were still plenty of deals done, and you can check out the major ones here. The window might be closed across the top leagues in Europe, but here are the best rumours from around the globe.

TOP STORY: Man United 'huge admirers' of White

Manchester United have added Brighton & Hove Albion centre-back Ben White to their list of centre-back targets, reports the Manchester Evening News.

It is suggested that Raphael Varane and Dayot Upamecano, of Real Madrid and RB Leipzig respectively, are the other names on the list.

The Red Devils are reportedly "huge admirers" of White, who spent last season on loan at Leeds United, as they prepare to bring in a centre-back in 2021.

There might be some competition for the 23-year-old's signature, as Liverpool and Leeds have also been linked.

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LIVE BLOG

22.20 GMT: Another day of ESPN's Live Transfer Talk blog is in the books, but fear not transfer fans, we'll be back shortly with tomorrow's paper round shortly ahead of another day of live transfer news all day on Saturday. Thanks as always for tuning in!

21.55 GMT: Ahead of the weekend's Manchester Derby, ESPN FC TV's Steve Nicol reveals which attacking midfielder he'd pick between City's Kevin De Bruyne and United's Bruno Fernandes if he was putting a team together.

21.12 GMT: Aston Villa have announced that John McGinn has signed a new deal that will keep him with the club until 2025. The Scotland international joined from Hibs in the summer of 2018 and has been an instrumental player at Villa Park ever since. 

After signing the deal, McGinn told Villa TV: "It was an easy choice really, I have got a good relationship with everyone here. We've been talking for a while now, it was pretty simple, it was an easy conversation. It was parked with the amount of games, the international games, there were important things to focus on.

"I have got a great relationship with the gaffer, I have a lot of respect for him. He is a brilliant coach but more than that he's a great guy. He's a big reason why it was a no-brainer to stay."

20.25 GMT: Another one out of Leicester here. Brendan Rodgers says Northern Ireland defender Jonny Evans, whose contract with the Foxes expires at the end of the season, is expected to sign a new deal.

"Jonny wants to be here, he's instrumental in what I do," Rodgers said. "He's a coach for me on the field. He's got a great football brain and understands the journey of where we're trying to get to." 

19.39 GMT: According to Sky Sports, Manchester United midfielder Jesse Lingard could be set to leave the club on loan in the January window. The 27-year-old has not played in the Premier League or Champions League this season, with the report noting that Lingard's representatives have been in touch with Real Sociedad in La Liga over a potential move.

18.58 GMT: Leicester City boss Brendan Rodgers has said midfielder Youri Tielemans will not leave the club when the transfer window reopens next month.

Tielemans' agent Peter Smeets told VoetbalNiuews that the player has attracted "interest" but Rodgers dismissed the comments in his news conference ahead of Sunday's Premier League clash with Brighton.

"You see that with stories around this time, the agents are just starting to warm up now and get a few stories out," he said.

"So, I am sure in Yori's case it is no different. Until anything changes, and until my last day [at the club] I will continue to help him, as a player, improve."

18.09 GMT: The Sheffield Star reports that Sheffield United are interesting in signing Manchester United defender Marcos Rojo.

Rojo has not featured for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side this season after being left out of the Premier League and Champions League squads.

The Argentina international has emerged a potential addition to Chris Wilder's team who sit bottom of the league table.

17.17 GMT: Inter Milan midfielder Christian Eriksen must be prepared to take a pay cut if he wants to return to the Premier League, according to The Telegraph.

Eriksen has endured a tough spell since moving to the San Siro in January, starting only once in all competitions since October after falling out of favour with Inter boss Antonio Conte.

The Telegraph claims Eriksen could be priced out of a move abroad with tax breaks for foreign players in Italy making it difficult for his salary to be matched.

16.24 GMT: Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos' contract expires in the summer... a new deal has yet to be reached.

Spanish radio station Onda Cero claims that Ramos is now considering his options with several offers coming in from across Europe.

French champions Paris Saint-Germain are keen, but there are also reportedly offers from England and Italy.

15.41 GMT: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is under pressure at Man United after crashing out of the Champions League at the group stage, but the club have a long-term plan, writes Rob Dawson.

Ed Woodward doesn't like the phrase "on the brink." It's too simple, according to Manchester United's executive vice-chairman, because it implies the next result can determine whether he will back or sack a manager. He has dismissed three since getting the top job at Old Trafford in 2012 -- David Moyes, Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho -- but never, he says, because of one result. Each time, he insists, he looked at the bigger picture or the journey, the path, the trajectory -- whatever you want to call it.

And that's why he has told those closest to him this week that the axe is not hovering over Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. In fact, Woodward remains convinced he has found the right man to win the club's first Premier League title since Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement in 2013.

15.00 GMT: Chelsea are keeping tabs on Bayern Munich defender David Alaba but face competition from Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid for his signature, sources have told ESPN's James Olley.

The 28-year-old is expected to leave Bayern on a free transfer when his contract runs out next summer but he is free to negotiate with overseas clubs directly from Jan. 1.

Sources have told ESPN that Chelsea have asked to be kept informed of the situation as head coach Frank Lampard looks to strengthen his defensive options.

14.35 GMT: PSG will return for Tottenham's Dele Alli in January, says the BBC.

Alli, 24, has fallen out of favour under Jose Mourinho and the French club tried to sign him on loan in the summer, only for chairman Daniel Levy to turn down the offer.

The England midfielder has not been in a Premier League matchday squad since the 6-1 win at Manchester United on Oct. 4 and is growing frustrated by his lack of playing time, so a move to Paris could reignite his career.

14.19 GMT: AC Milan's Franck Kessie has been linked with a move to the Premier League.

13.55 GMT: Sporting Lisbon defender Nuno Mendes is attracting attention and The Sun claims Real Madrid are favourites to sign him.

Mendes, 18, only made his professional debut six months ago but the left-back has Man United, Leicester, Liverpool, AC Milan and Juventus on his trail.

The Portugal U21 international has the same agent as Man United midfielder Bruno Fernandes, Miguel Pinho, and a release clause of around €50m in his contract. That might make United favourites but Real are reportedly ready to move to sign him early.

In June, Mendes became the youngest player to start a game for Sporting since Cristiano Ronaldo, so clearly Real want to skip the step CR7 took in moving to Old Trafford before ending up at the Bernabeu.

13.20 GMT: Sky Germany reports that FC Salzburg midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai is set to join fellow Red Bull owned side RB Leipzig.

Szoboszlai, 20, has attracted plenty of interest across Europe, including from Arsenal, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, but has reportedly decided to continue his career in the Bundesliga with Leipzig. Sky says that "both clubs want to announce the deal before Christmas."

13.04 GMT: Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp says he has no concerns over Gini Wijnaldum's mindset amid talk over the midfielder's long-term future with his contract up in June 2021.

Wijnaldum has been linked with a move to Barcelona and is free to discuss a pre-contract agreement with other clubs from Jan. 1. But Klopp, who has previously said how keen he is to keep Wijnaldum, has praised the Dutchman.

When asked whether he was concerned Wijnaldum may get distracted by the ongoing talk over his future, Klopp said: "Never doubt about the character of Wijnaldum. He's here for four years or so, played the majority of the games since then. Helped us a lot. Top player, top character."

12.48 GMT: Should Arsenal move on Alexandre Lacazette?

12.07 GMT: Bayern Munich remain interested in signing Frenkie de Jong but sources told ESPN's Sam Marsden and Moises Llorens the chances of the Dutch midfielder leaving Barcelona are minimal, despite the Catalan club's financial woes.

Bayern showed an interest in De Jong in the summer and were prepared to spend more than €70m to finally land a player they first targeted when he burst on to the scene at Ajax. However, despite the need for cash, Barca resisted the Champions League winners' attempts to sign De Jong, refusing to even talk about the possibility of a deal.

De Jong, 23, has since signed a new six-year contract at Camp Nou and one source close to the player says there's less than a 1% chance he joins Bayern in the immediate future.

11.32 GMT: A court has ruled that Santos must pay Barcelona €2.9m for violating an agreement the two clubs had relating to Gabriel "Gabigol" Barbosa, sources have told ESPN's Sam Marsden and Moises Llorens.

As part of the deal to sign Neymar in 2013, Barca also secured a preferential option on three other Santos players. Striker Gabigol was one of them, along with Victor Andrade and Giva.

The agreement stipulated that in the event an offer was accepted for any of those players, Barca would be given a certain amount of time to match the fee Santos had agreed with any other club. However, Santos failed to properly notify Barca when they accepted a bid worth around €25m from Inter Milan for Gabigol in 2016.

11.04 GMT: Koke was asked by AS if Luis Suarez could convince Lionel Messi to join Atletico Madrid...

"He's good that lad, yes..." he said. "It's difficult. Leo's spent his career at Barcelona, it would be complicated to leave there... Sometimes, talking to friends, we joke around and ask 'how would you convince Messi to come to Atletico?

"It's difficult in a financial sense because you can't pay him the wages he earns in Barcelona. With the Champions League, we've never won it, maybe, you never know... We players often judge ourselves by our hunger to win things and things which clubs have never been able to win. Maybe that's how Suarez could convince him!"

10.34 GMT: Lionel Messi should sign for Napoli to pay the ultimate homage to Diego Maradona when he leaves Barcelona, according to his former Camp Nou teammate Kevin-Prince Boateng.

10.01 GMT: Mesut Ozil is open to joining a club in Major League Soccer once his time at Arsenal comes to an end, sources told ESPN's James Olley.

The 32-year-old will enter the final six months of his £350,000-a-week contract in January and will be free to negotiate directly with overseas clubs.

MLS sides D.C. United and LA Galaxy have been linked with a move for Ozil while sources said David Beckham's Inter Miami are also among a host of other clubs in multiple countries monitoring the situation.

Ozil has not played for Arsenal since March 7 and was left out of the club's Premier League and Europa League squads by manager Mikel Arteta.

Arsenal are willing to allow Ozil to leave next month -- especially if they can generate a fee for the World Cup winner -- but sources claim Ozil is continuing to train in the hope he can play for the Gunners in the second half of the season before leaving next summer.

09.38 GMT: Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is hopeful that young striker Folarin Balogun will sign a new contract at the club.

Balogun, 19, has made four appearances as a substitute in the Europa League this season, and scored his second goal for the first team in Thursday's 4-2 win over Dundalk.

The U.S.-born England youth international's contract expires at the end of the season, but Arteta thinks he will commit his future to the Gunners. 

"Well we're having some discussions with the player. He knows that we want to retain him at the club,' Arteta told reporters after the match. "We know that the length of his contract at the moment is an issue but we're trying to resolve it the best possible way. We want him to stay. "He said to me that he wants to stay at the club hopefully we can reach an agreement and extend his contract."

08.43 GMT: Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford has said he wants to spend the rest of his career at Old Trafford.

The 23-year-old made his debut as an unknown youth product in 2016, scoring two goals in each of his first two games, and has gone on to score 77 goals and made more than 200 appearances.

Rashford told the Sports Journalists' Association after winning the organisation's Sport for Social Change award: "For me, I never look beyond United and as a kid I never looked beyond United. In my mind it wouldn't sit right for me to be pulling on another shirt. I just want to do the best I can while I am here. Hopefully I am here for a long time."

08.00 GMT: Barcelona presidential candidate Victor Font said he can persuade Lionel Messi to stay at Barcelona if he's elected and says Xavi Hernandez will play a key role in getting him to sign a new deal.

Messi, 33, is out of contract with Barca in June and is free to sign a pre-contract agreement with another club next month.

Font, one of nine hopefuls running for the presidency, says the immediate priority if he wins the election on Jan. 24 is getting the Argentina forward to extend his 20-year stay at Camp Nou.

"I'm convinced that with a competitive, exciting and, especially in Messi's case, long-term project -- one that could even go beyond the day that Messi retires -- we will convince him to stay," Font told ESPN in an exclusive interview.

"Messi is the best player in the history of the No. 1 sport in the world. Imagine what that means. For that reason, the Messi-Barca association is a strategic one and we must do everything possible to guarantee the association lives on.

"Keeping in mind he can speak with other clubs in January, phoning Messi [if I win the election] must be one of the priorities."

PAPER TALK (by Danny Lewis)

Atalanta could sell Ilicic

Atalanta might be set to let Josip Ilicic depart as soon as January, according to a report from Sky Sports Italia. This comes after the striker appeared to back Alejandro Gomez in a disagreement between the Argentine and manager Gian Piero Gasperini.

The report says that Ilicic is not performing at the level he reached during his golden period and could be allowed to leave Bergamo.

Ilicic,32, has one goal in seven games this season, while he bagged 21 in 34 games last campaign. But there is no indication that Gomez will be joining him in walking through the exit door.

Man United still interested in Grealish

As a part of The Athletic's mailbag feature, Laurie Whitwell was asked by one Manchester United fan whether the Red Devils still have an interest in Jack Grealish after he signed a new five-year contract earlier this year.

The journalist responded: "I believe they do. His new contract protects his value for Aston Villa, but Grealish still has admirers at United. Personally, I love his style."

The Aston Villa captain has built on his performances last season to earn himself a place in Gareth Southgate's England squad.

It seems as though the 25-year-old's stock is set to rise further, so there might be a move expected from the Red Devils in the summer, following on from the club's previous attempts to sign him.

Tap-ins

- Fulham loanee Joachim Andersen has told Foot Mercato that he intends to return to Lyon once his spell with the Cottagers comes to an end. When asked about the possibility of staying at Craven Cottage, the Dane replied: "My goal is to have a good season with Fulham and help them stay in the Premier League. Then we will see my situation in Lyon this summer."

- Wolverhampton Wanderers are showing an interest in signing Mainz youngster Marlon Roos-Trujillo, reports Bild. The 17-year-old's contract comes to its culmination at the end of the season, but things could be complicated by laws associated with Brexit.

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