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 face West Ham competition for Dembele
Manchester United have held a long standing interest in Lyon striker Moussa Dembele, who is growing frustrated on the bench, and West Ham are also monitoring him, according to The Sun.
Dembele scored 20 goals for Lyon last season, including two in the Champions League quarterfinal victory over Manchester City, but is yet to get off the mark this term.
The 24-year-old had not started any of Lyon's last four matches before Sunday's 2-1 win against St Etienne, and he could reportedly be available for around £30m in the January transfer window.
That would represent a significant change in Lyon's position, as back in January they issued a statement insisting they had no desire to sell the former Celtic striker amid interest from United.
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LIVE BLOG
22.00 GMT: That will do it for the latest edition of our LIVE Transfer Talk blog. We hoped you enjoyed following along with us and remind you to check back shortly for the latest transfer rumours, reports and completed deals. Goodnight!
21.32 GMT: Could Antonio Conte replace long-time Inter goalkeeper Samir Handanovic come January?
Calciomercato claims that Conte's patience is running thin with the 36-year-old and that Udinese's Juan Musso could be brought in as the Slovenians heir. Handanovic, who has made over 300 appearances for the Nerazzurri since arriving in 2012, has conceded 16 goals in 10 games so far this season.
Musso, 26, has long been linked with Inter but won't come cheap with a reported price tag around €35 million.
20.39 GMT: Roger Ibanez is enjoying an impressive start to life at Roma but might his stay in the capital be short lived?
The Brazilian, who joined this summer initially on loan from Atalanta, is drawing interest from Spains, with Sevilla and Atletico Madrid interested, according to Calciomercato. Valued at €30 million, the 21-year-old centre-back's value continues to rise.
19.46 GMT: Could Ansu Fati's knee injury force Barcelona to keep Ousmane Dembele at the Camp Nou through January?
Spanish outlet Sport writes that Fati's injury could throw a real wrench in Barca's plan and force the club to hold onto the Frenchman in the short-term. The 23-year-old, who has 18 months remaining on his current contract with the Catalan giants, has been a massive disappointment since arriving from Borussia Dortmund in 2017 for an initial €105 million, and so far seems unwilling to sign a contact extension.
Barcelona were willing to sell Dembele this past summer but were unable to agree to terms with Man United on a deal.
18.58 GMT: Tony Watt, remember him?
At just 18, the scorer of a dramatic game-winner for Celtic against Barcelona in the 2013 Champions League, Watt has largely faded from the front pages since. Now 26, the journeyman striker has spent time in Scotland, Belgium, England, Wales and Bulgaria, returning to Scotland on a short-term deal with Motherwell in February.
Having impressed -- four goals in 14 games, the forward has put pen to paper on a contract extension that will keep him at Fir Park through the 2021-22 season.
18.02 GMT: West Ham's move for Silkeborg youngster Frederik Alves may not be a done deal after all.
Silkeborg announced on Nov. 4th that the 21-year-old defender would leave the club in January, adding further speculation that West Ham had secured a deal for the Dane.
Calciomercato though, claims that Torino have shown fresh interest in the young centre-back and want to snatch the player from West Ham's clutches.
17.15 GMT: Republic of Ireland manager Stephen Kenny has revealed that Liverpool and Ireland goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher was close to a loan move in to the Netherlands, before an untimely shoulder injury to No. 1 Alisson.
"He was supposed to go on loan to Holland, to a couple of clubs in the Eredivisie in the last window but when the first choice got injured at Liverpool, that move was pulled," said Kenny speaking ahead of Ireland's friendly on Thursday against England.
"He wants to go on loan, he was ready to play and certainly we feel we would have benefited from that - but it's not easy to play at Liverpool, they are world champions at club level aren't they, so it's not easy to play there."
The highly-rated youngster, 21, has made just four appearances for the Reds to date and would likely have benefitted from gaining more first-team experience. We'll see if Kelleher gets his loan move come January.
16.30 GMT: Johnny Cardoso has become the first player in 24 years to earn a call-up to the U.S. while playing for a club outside North America or Europe. Tim Vickery explores why the 19-year-old midfielder is attracting plenty of attention.
A year ago, Cardoso was named to the roster for the United States U23 team for the first time for a camp in Miami and now he's in the big leagues. Much of the credit for this recognition has to go to Eduardo Coudet, his club coach at Internacional, in the southern Brazilian city of Porto Alegre. An Argentine, Coudet is in his first year in charge of the club and when he took over he was eager to have a look at the products of Inter's much-praised youth ranks. The youngster who caught his eye was Cardoso -- not one of the players the local media had considered among the most likely future stars, but now the attraction is clear.
15.38 GMT: Barcelona are definitely going to need to go into the transfer market in January now Ansu Fati has been ruled out for four months with torn meniscus in his knee.
Fati, 18, is one of the stars of the future but Barca will be without him for a large part of the season and have been linked with a €25m move for Lyon winger Memphis Depay.
However, the loss of Fati will be softened by the return of Philippe Coutinho after the international break. The Brazil international has missed Barca's last four games with a hamstring injury but could feature against Atletico.
Barca boss Ronald Koeman also has several other attacking options, including Lionel Messi, Antoine Griezmann, Pedri, Ousmane Dembele and Martin Braithwaite.
14.35 GMT: ICYMI - Manchester United are adamant Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's position as manager is not yet under threat but even if the Norwegian coach cannot turn things around, sources have told ESPN's Rob Dawson that Mauricio Pochettino would not be the only option to replace him.
Pochettino, who has been out of work since leaving Tottenham a year ago, is the obvious choice should United decide to make a change, but sources have told ESPN that RB Leipzig coach Julian Nagelsmann would also come under consideration alongside the Argentinian coach.
13.44 GMT: Celta Vigo fired their coach Oscar Garcia this weekend after a 1-1 draw at Elche that left the team just outside the relegation zone after nine matches.
Sources have told ESPN Brasil that the Spanish club are in talks to bring in Eduardo Coudet to replace him. Coudet is currently coach of Internacional in Brazil, who lead the league this season.
12.50 GMT: Manchester United are delaying a decision on goalkeeper Sergio Romero's future until a plan for Dean Henderson's development is finalised, sources have told ESPN's Rob Dawson.
Romero is keen to leave Old Trafford after being omitted from the Premier League and Champions League squads by manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. There is interest in the Argentinian at home and abroad ahead of a possible move in January but United are unlikely to make a decision until Henderson's immediate future is resolved.
After returning from a successful loan spell at Sheffield United in the summer, Henderson is content with his role at the club playing backup to David de Gea for now, but he has been told by England manager Gareth Southgate he will need to play more regularly if he hopes to challenge Everton's Jordan Pickford for the No.1 spot at the European Championships.
It opens up the possibility that Henderson, who has started three games this season, could be allowed to secure a loan move in January and that would increase Romero's chances of having to stay put until at least the summer when he is a free agent.
12.04 GMT: Surely Christian Eriksen won't be at Inter Milan much longer if things continue as they are.
11.10 GMT: Amiens sports director John Williams has revealed that Rennes forward Serhou Guirassy turned down Chelsea in the summer.
Guirassy, 24, scored 13 goals in 38 games for Amiens before moving to Rennes for around €15m in August. But he could have moved to London, with Chelsea, Tottenham, West Ham and Crystal Palace all linked with him.
"He refused to go to Chelsea during the last window," Williams told Le Parisien. "Serhou made a sporting choice when he could earn more money with the London team.
"He wanted to continue in a club where he was sure to have some playing time and not relive an experience like the one in Cologne where he was a substitute. The choice fell on Rennes because coach Julien Stephan assured him that he was counting on him."
10.33 GMT: Chelsea's N'Golo Kante is going to be the subject of plenty of attention next summer, with Inter Milan and Real Madrid keen.
Canal+ claims Inter boss Antonio Conte wants to be reunited with the midfielder, having signed him when Chelsea boss in 2016.
Madrid are looking to bolster their midfield as Luka Modric gets older and the 29-year-old Kante could be perfect for them.
09.44 GMT: Real Madrid want PSG forward Kylian Mbappe in 2021, but they'll have to pay big money.
08.57 GMT: Zlatan Ibrahimovic joked that his hopes of signing a new contract with AC Milan looked less likely after he missed a penalty in his team's 2-2 draw against Hellas Verona on Sunday.
Ibrahimovic, 39, who scored a stoppage-time equaliser, had earlier missed a spot-kick for the third time this season.
"It's obvious that I'm angry because it's not good to get a draw," he told reporters. "We had so many chances, I missed a penalty, I think the next one I will let [Franck] Kessie take it."
Hellas Verona goalkeeper Marco Silvestri had reminded Ibrahimovic before he took the penalty that he had missed his last one. "He was right, I had missed the last one. Contract renewal? I think that after this penalty it's not looking good..."
Ibrahimovic is tied to Milan until June 2021 and has been in talks to sign a new contract.
08.24 GMT: The Athletic reports that Everton won't recall forward Moise Kean from his loan at PSG, despite his five goals in seven games.
The report reads: "The proximity of January also means there is little prospect of players recently sent on loan being recalled, even if there is an option to do so in the terms of the agreement. Moise Kean has made an impressive start to his season-long loan at PSG but -- despite Everton's recent stutter -- The intention at Goodison Park is for the 20-year-old to complete the campaign in France to gain significant game time and positive exposure."
08.00 GMT: ICYMI - Virgil van Dijk's injury setback was obviously a blow for Liverpool, but it could potentially impact Tottenham too.
Earlier in the summer, Reds boss Jurgen Klopp decided against entering the market despite the £10.9m sale of Dejan Lovren to Zenit St Petersburg, but the club is expected to strengthen in January given the length of Van Dijk's probable absence and relative lack of cover.
Among their list of centre-back targets is Inter Milan's Milan Skriniar, who almost moved to Spurs in October.
Tottenham held lengthy negotiations -- as ESPN reported on Sept. 24 -- but failed to find an agreement, with Inter refusing to budge from their €60m asking price and instead opting to sign Joe Rodon from Swansea.
Sources have told ESPN's James Olley that Jose Mourinho retains an interest in Skriniar and would be open to moving for the 25-year-old either in January or, more likely, next summer. But Liverpool's presence in the market could complicate the picture given the urgency with which they need to find reinforcements.
PAPER TALK (by Nick Judd)
PSG now chasing Gravenberch
Paris Saint-Germain have joined Barcelona and Juventus in the hunt for Ajax's Ryan Gravenberch.
That's according to Calciomercato, who have added PSG -- alongside Barcelona and Juventus -- to list of clubs impressed by the 18-year-old midfielder's form.
Gravenberch has continued to rise since becoming the club's youngest-ever player in September 2018. The teen has played in all but two games in all competitions this season and has been particularly impressive in key matches against strong opposition.
The problem all three clubs will have is that last year Gravenberch pledged his allegiance to Ajax for the short term, and even suggested he would be keen to extend his contract at the club.
Barca to reignite interest in Depay
Barcelona will be looking to reignite their interest in Lyon star Memphis Depay in January, according to the Sun.
The English newspaper's opinion is derived from some comments made by Depay in relation to his club's hierarchy, whom he criticises for Lyon winning just three of their first nine games.
Depay intimates that there are problems behind the scenes, but his seeming unhappiness will alert Barca executives who remain keen to bring him to Camp Nou in January.
Depay had previously looked to secure his dream move to Barca in the summer, but the move collapsed. Depay, 26, admits he is keen to work under Ronald Koeman again, for whom he played under with the Dutch national team.
Spanish title Sport believe that a deal has been agreed between both the club and Depay, but that any move is dependent on Barca managing to offload either Ousmane Dembele or Martin Braithwaite to raise funds.
Neymar wants to stay at PSG
Neymar has told Paris Saint-Germain representatives that he has decided to stay for the foreseeable future, according to Telefoot journalist Julien Maynard.
Neymar has been linked with a move back to Barcelona ever since he arrived in the French capital, and his stay in Paris hasn't been without its controversies and difficult moments.
However, it now looks as though the Brazilian will remain at the Parc des Princes. Neymar's deal ends in 2022 and though he hasn't received an offer of a new contract, there appears to be a willingness on all sides to make it happen.
Neymar has scored two goals and contributed three assists in four league matches this season, highlighting his importance.
Tap-ins
- Calciomercato are reporting that Wolves are keen on signing midfielder Renato Sanches from French side Lille. Sanches appears to have regained his best form after struggling for consistency at both Bayern Munich and Swansea City. He has been among the goals for Lille and has fought his way back into the Portugal national squad.
-Chelsea have already expressed an interest in signing former Nottingham Forest and current Malmo defender Anel Ahmedhodzic, but it appears they face competition from AC Milan, according to Calciomercato. The 21-year-old is only expected to cost around £10m and though Chelsea's defence has impressed in recent weeks, it's believed the Blues and planning for life after Thiago Silva, who's 36. However, AC Milan are also keen, and it could present a low-risk, high-reward move for either party.