The summer transfer window is closed for the major leagues in Europe. However, with an eye on January, there's plenty of gossip swirling about who's moving where. Transfer Talk brings you all the latest buzz on rumours, comings, goings and, of course, done deals!
TOP STORY: Ten Hag has replacements ready for Ronaldo's imminent Man United exit
Manchester United have identified two potential replacements for Cristiano Ronaldo, reports the Telegraph.
The first is Benjamin Sesko from RB Salzburg. With 37-year-old Ronaldo desiring a move in January with just eight months remaining on his contract, Man United manager Erik ten Hag is prioritising the signing of a long-term striker, and Sesko, the 19-year-old Slovenia international, reportedly leads the list of potential replacements.
The Red Devils have reportedly been monitoring Sesko since he broke into Salzburg's first team last season. He scored 11 goals and registered seven assists across 37 matches for the Austrian club after spending two seasons on loan with their reserve team Liefering.
However, the Premier League side may encounter difficulties in reaching a deal with the striker, likened to Erling Haaland, as he has a pre-contract agreement with Red Bull group sister club RB Leipzig for a move in the summer of 2023. It would reportedly take a significant offer to sign the teenager, whose signature is reportedly valued upwards of £40m.
Another player being considered is Dusan Vlahovic, the 22-year-old striker for Juventus, which are currently struggling in eighth place in Serie A and already knocked out of the Champions League.
It is also reported that Ten Hag will look for a right-back in the upcoming transfer windows, with speculation over the future of first-choice Diogo Dalot and Aaron Wan-Bissaka still yet to start a game this season.
- Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, MLS, more (U.S.)
LIVE BLOG
20.30 GMT: Will Real Madrid make any moves during the January window? Don't count on it, according to club manager Carlo Ancelotti.
Speaking to reporters ahead of Monday's match against Rayo Vallecano, Ancelotti said: "As I've said many times our idea is that the market is closed, for exits and arrivals. But of course if someone asked to leave we'd have to listen."
But, as for the summer? Along with the links to Jude Bellingham (see below about whose favourites to sign the Borussia Dortmund star), Madrid could will need to address the futures of veterans Luka Modric and Toni Kroos.
Madrid plan to offer Modric, who becomes a free agent next summer, a one-year contract extension while Kroos has stated his desire to end his career at the Bernabeu and has not yet set a date for retirement.
19.00 GMT: After winning MLS Cup on Saturday in epic fashion, what's in store for LAFC captain Carlos Vela? Well, the ex-Arsenal and Real Sociedad player wants to play for "a couple of years" more before retiring.
There was unceratinty of if Vela would even finish out the season with Black-and-Gold, but the club's all-time leading goalscorer signed in a deal in the summer through the 2023 season.
The former Mexico international told reporters after Saturday's memorable match that he doesn't plan on hanging up his boots just yet.
"I want to take some time to rest, but I want to come back, and I want to do better because this is special, the first [MLS Cup title for LAFC]," Vela said. "But if you get more, you can say, okay, I can retire now.
"So maybe one more, two more and I retire. So take me for a couple of years."
17.30 GMT: Valencia and USMNT midfielder Yunus Musah has told CBS Sports that he has not closed the door of returning to Arsenal one day.
The 19-year-old Arsenal academy product will play a key role for the U.S. at the World Cup. Along with the Gunners, Liverpool are said to be tracking Musah, though he has a €100 million release clause in a contract that runs until 2026.
"You never know. I had a great time at Arsenal developing there, I still have friends there, the coaches were great, being an Arsenal player in general is great," Musah said. "I loved playing for Arsenal. I've nothing against the club and if one day it turns out to be that it's time to go back then it's possible."
16.46 GMT: Barcelona will turn to the transfer market again in January in part due to fears they could be forced to work under tighter financial restrictions again next summer, sources told ESPN's Sam Marsden and Moises Llorens.
Barca sold club assets worth over €700m in the summer to fund a spending spree of over €150m and to increase their LaLiga-imposed spending cap, which includes their outlay on wages each season, to over €600m.
However, without the sale of more assets on the books for the 2023-24 seasons, LaLiga president Javier Tebas has already warned them their spending limit is likely to be reduced next summer. Therefore, given the risk they will only be able to spend at a ratio of 1:4 again next season, which allows them to spend €1 for ever €4 saved in wages or made in transfer fees, they will look to do business in the January window while their ratio is still at 1:1.
Barca's primary targets are a right-back and a deep-lying midfielder to eventually replace Sergio Busquets, sources told ESPN, with the club captain expected to leave the club when his contract expires at the end of the season.
15.52 GMT: Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson has spoken in praise of Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham, who is a major transfer target at Anfield.
Sources have told ESPN's James Olley that Liverpool are viewed as the favourites to sign Bellingham (see 13.11 GMT), although they must fend off interest from Chelsea, Manchester United, Manchester City and Real Madrid.
Bellingham, 19, appeared for England at the European Championship last summer, but his form this season could see him play a more important role at the upcoming World Cup.
"I am very excited by Jude as a player and as a character and a person," Henderson told the Mail on Sunday. "I can't speak highly enough of him. I'm cautious of speaking too much around him because it is easy to forget how young he is and there is a lot of pressure on him.
"Let him play and let him enjoy his football. He has been doing fantastically well again this season, which is no surprise. That is a huge, huge bonus going into the World Cup to have a player like him in form."
14.57 GMT: Barcelona are in advanced to negotiations to extend Marcos Alonso's contract by an additional two seasons with his terms due to expire next summer, sources told ESPN's Sam Marsden and Moises Llorens.
Alonso, 31, joined as a free agent from Chelsea at the start of September after his contract with the Premier League side was mutually terminated. The Spain left-back only signed an initial one-year deal at Camp Nou, but Barca have already expressed a desire to prolong his stay by an additional two seasons.
Alonso scored his first goal for Barca in the midweek win over Viktoria Plzen in the Champions League and has made 10 appearances in all competitions since signing. Several of those appearances have come as a centre-back in recent weeks as Barca deal with an injury crisis in defence.
14.02 GMT: Manchester United defender Aaron Wan-Bissaka could be set for a return to former club Crystal Palace in the January transfer window, The Sun reports.
Wan-Bissaka joined United from Palace in a £50m transfer in 2019, but the right-back's career has stalled at Old Trafford to the point where he has only played four minutes of first-team football this season.
The 24-year-old could make a loan move back to Selhurst Park for the second half of the season, although Palace may have to pay all of his £80,000-a-week wages to make the deal happen.
13.11 GMT: Liverpool are viewed as the favourites to sign Jude Bellingham from Borussia Dortmund, multiple sources told ESPN's James Olley, and are leading the chase despite Chelsea, Manchester United, Manchester City and Real Madrid also tracking the 19-year-old.
One source connected to a rival bidding club believes Liverpool are forging a close relationship with the player's camp which could prove a significant factor. Another source said the broad framework of a deal to take Bellingham to Anfield may even be advancing, although both the player and his father, Mark, have previously publicly dismissed the idea a decision on his next club has been made.
Dortmund are expected to allow Bellingham to depart either in January or, far more likely, next summer and the most obvious glimmer of hope for Liverpool's rivals comes in the Bundesliga club's valuation.
It was believed Dortmund would accept a fee in the region of €100m but reports this week suggested that figure could rise to €150m. There remains hope among the interested clubs that the final fee will be towards the lower number, but the presence of several big-hitters could trigger a bidding battle, while Bellingham's stock may surge higher given he is likely to form a key part of England's World Cup squad in Qatar.
Liverpool want to revitalise their midfield and opted against making a big-money move in the summer -- signing Arthur Melo on loan from Juventus instead -- choosing to wait for Bellingham. The Reds are willing to commit a huge sum to land him but any failure to qualify for next season's Champions League would place a significant strain on their finances.
12.24 GMT: AC Milan plan to reopen talks with forward Rafael Leao after the World Cup, according to Calciomercato.
The Portugal international has a contract at San Siro until 2024, but with Tuttomercato reporting that Manchester City and Chelsea are both circling, the Rossoneri want to negotiate a new long-term deal.
Leao, 23, has scored six goals for Milan so far this season, following on from the 14 he netted last term as the club won the Serie A title.
11.31 GMT: Barcelona right-back Lucy Bronze has told ESPN that she turned down offers to return to the NWSL and from European giants Lyon in order to move to Camp Nou from Manchester City in the summer.
Speaking ahead of Sunday's Liga F Clasico against Real Madrid, Bronze told ESPn's Sam Marsden: "There were only two teams, Lyon and Barca were the best teams in Europe, they were the only teams that would catch my attention. Obviously there were teams in America as well. But I just told my agent I only want the best and the best was Barca and Lyon."
She added: "Obviously a lot of players go to America, it's a different kind of league to what we have in Europe. It did cross my mind. But I have played at Lyon and was so successful there and the chance to play at another world-class team and live in Barcelona, it was once in a lifetime, I was never going to turn it down."
- Bronze on turning down NWSL, Real Madrid rivalry, Putellas' injury and more
10.47 GMT: Arsenal are one of the clubs keeping tabs on Vitoria Guimaraes midfielder Ibrahim Bamba, the Daily Mirror reports.
Bamba, 20, is having a breakout year at the Portuguese club, making 20 appearances since his first-team debut in February.
LaLiga club Villarreal and Serie A side Atalanta are also monitoring Bamba, who was invited to take part in a training camp with the Italy training camp in May.
The Mirror reports that Bamba is valued at around £26.5m, but it would take a big offer for Guimaraes to consider a transfer in January.
Gerard Pique comes off to standing ovation from the Camp Nou as he leaves the field for the final time as a Barcelona player.
09.52 GMT: Chelsea midfielder Jorginho wants a new contract worth double his current salary if he is to stay at Stamford Bridge, Sport reports.
Jorginho, 30, is out of contract in the summer, and will reportedly only sign a new deal if the Blues offer him £12m a year.
The Italy international has offers from the table from Barcelona and AC Milan, and is free to sign a pre-contract agreement with either of those clubs from January if he does not commit to fresh terms at Chelsea.
09.00 GMT: Gerard Pique broke down in tears as he gave an emotional speech after playing his final game at Camp Nou for Barcelona in Saturday's 2-0 win over Almeria.
Pique, 35, promised he would be back at the club in some capacity in the future but said that sometimes loving something so much means you have to know when to let go.
The defender captained Barca on his 616th appearance for the club against Almeria -- playing 83 minutes before being substituted to a standing ovation -- and could make one more before retirement when Xavi Hernandez's side travel to Osasuna on Tuesday before LaLiga breaks for the World Cup.
"In life, as you grow older, sometimes to love is to let go," said Pique, before he started to cry as he spoke in the middle of the Camp Nou pitch after performing a lap of honour.
"A relationship of so much love, so much passion, I think it is the moment to give ourselves some space. That is why I think it is the right moment to go, because I love this club.
"I am convinced that I will be back in the future. This is not a goodbye, I left when I was 17 [for Manchester United] and I came back. My grandad made me a member when I was born. I was born here and I will die here."
PAPER GOSSIP (by Abbie Ingham)
- Arsenal have made a transfer request for Vitoria Guimaraes's Ibrahima Bamba, reports the Mirror. Mikel Arteta's side has asked to be kept informed on the development and availability of the 20-year-old defensive midfielder, valued at around £26.5million. It is understood that the Gunners see Bamba as a transfer target for the future. Still, with several admirers, including Atalanta and Villarreal, the Portuguese side may be tempted to make a deal with one of his other suitors in January.
- Real Madrid, PSG and Chelsea are battling for Endrick Felipe, the €60m teenager from Palmeiras, according to Fabrizio Romano. The three clubs reportedly lead interest for the sought-after 16-year-old forward, who has a release clause of €60m. It is reported that the Alviverde will receive an opening bid for the Brazil U-17 international immanently, but he will not complete a move away until 2024, when he turns 18.
- Barcelona are readying a move for Alberto Moleiro in January, ahead of interest from Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool, according to AS. After failing to secure a deal for the 19-year-old midfielder last summer due to their financial problems, the Catalan side will reportedly reinstate their interest in the Las Palmas teenager in the winter transfer window, with the intention to loan him back until the end of the season. The Blaugrana are reportedly looking to agree a deal fast, as Moleiro's €30m release clause will double if the Segunda División side are promoted back to LaLiga this season, and they currently sit in third.
- Juventus are racing to renew the contract of Samuel Iling-Junior to fend off Premier League interest, reports Tuttosport. The 19-year-old winger has caught the eye of a growing number of top European clubs after registering two assists in his last two appearances as a substitute for Max Allegri's side, and with his current deal set to expire at the end of the season, Brighton and Tottenham reportedly eye a return to the Premier League for the ex-Chelsea academy star, with Red Bull Leipzig leading interest from the Bundesliga. The Bianconeri have accordingly entered negotiations to secure the long-term future of the in-demand forward, and they are reportedly confident that the England U19 international wants to remain in Turin.
- Arsenal want Youri Tielemans in January, as per Rudy Galetti. It is reported that Mikel Arteta is interested in the 25-year-old midfielder, who is out of contract with Leicester City this summer. The Gunners are reportedly looking to add to their squad in January to continue their title challenge, and they could reach an agreement with the Foxes for the Belgium international, understood to be valued at £40m, as they look to avoid him leaving on a free transfer at the end of the season.