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: Man United want Choupo-Moting to replace Ronaldo
Manchester United want to sign Bayern Munich forward Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting to replace Cristiano Ronaldo in January, according to Sky Germany's Florian Plettenberg.
As difficult as it would have been to imagine that sentence being written at times in the past, the Red Devils are seriously considering the Cameroon international and have even made enquiries.
The 33-year-old former Stoke City striker has been in superb form for Bayern this season, recording 10 goals and three assists in 14 appearances across all competitions -- he has also scored nine goals in his past seven outings.
Meanwhile, Ronaldo's struggles at Old Trafford have been well documented and the Portugal star has three goals and two assists in 16 matches across all competitions, with just one of those goals coming in the Premier League.
Man United bosses seemingly expect Choupo-Moting to leave Bavaria during the January window, with his contract set to end in the summer of 2023. However, there is an insistence that the he will stay with Bayern and that talks about a new contract will take place after the World Cup.
The striker will be hoping to replicate his club form and make the difference for his nation in Qatar, where he will face Switzerland, Serbia and then Brazil in the group stage.
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22.00 GMT: Lazio are keeping close tabs on Flamengo striker Pedro, writes Ekrem Konur.
He has been one of the standout players for his side this season, having scored 24 goals across all competitions, and it looks as though that has begun to capture the attention of clubs across Europe. The 25-year-old was named as part of the Brazil national team's 26-man squad for the World Cup on Monday.
21.52 GMT: Juventus are confident of landing Alvaro Odriozola in January, reveals Calciomercato.
The Bianconeri are reported to see the 26-year-old right-back as a long-term replacement for Juan Cuadrado, who will turn 35 next May. Despite impressing in Serie A last season for Fiorentina, Odriozola has been unable to earn regular minutes since returning to Real Madrid, with no first team appearances so far this season.
21.15 GMT: Barcelona will attempt to begin talks with Real Sociedad over a potential move for Martin Zubimendi, writes Sport.
The Blaugrana have outlined the 23-year-old defensive midfielder as their priority target to replace Sergio Busquets, but aware that he has recently signed a new deal with his club, Xavi Hernandez's side believe that it could be difficult to persuade them to part ways with him.
Zubimendi's release clause in his current contract is understood to be worth €60m.
20.50 GMT: Martin Demichelis is set to become the new head coach of River Plate, reveals Sky Sports Germany.
The former Argentina international, who has most recently been in charge of Bayern Munich II, emerged as one of the leading candidates after the Primera Division club parted ways with Marcelo Gallardo.
It is reported that the 41-year-old will take up his new role in January.
20.34 GMT: Leeds United are set to return to the negotiating table for Birmingham City midfielder George Hall, according to Football Insider.
Jesse Marsch's side previously had an offer of around £3m rejected by the Blues in the final weeks of the summer transfer window, but it looks as though they will now increase their proposal in a bid to secure his services. Hall, 18, has made 15 senior appearances in the Championship this season.
19.55 GMT: Milan Skriniar is close to reaching a new contract agreement with Inter Milan, reports Foot Mercato.
The 27-year-old Serie A centre-back has been closely linked with Paris Saint-Germain in recent months, but it is reported that the player's wife does not want to go to the French capital, and that has helped Simone Inzaghi's side in recent discussions over a new deal.
Skriniar has remained a key player for Internazionale despite the uncertainty over his future this season, featuring in 19 matches for the Nerazzurri.
19.18 GMT: Marcus Edwards is on the radar of Tottenham Hotspur, according to the print edition of Record.
It is reported that the Premier League club could possibly make a move in the January transfer target for the 23-year-old Sporting winger, who was previously moved on by Antonio Conte's side. Edwards has been in impressive form this season, contributing to four goals in six Champions League matches.
18.44 GMT: Barcelona are hopeful of awarding Alejandro Balde a new contract, reports Ekrem Konur.
The 19-year-old defender has been a key player for Xavi Hernandez's side this season, having made 11 appearances in LaLiga, and it looks as though discussions have already begun over securing his long-term future at the Camp Nou.
17.43 GMT: VfB Stuttgart are beginning to weigh up potential replacements for Borna Sosa, understands Sky Sports Germany.
The 24-year-old Croatia international wing-back has been linked with a move away from the Bundesliga club, and it is reported that they believe he is likely to leave in January. They are looking for a fee in the region of €20m to part ways with him.
17.02 GMT: Real Madrid will look to acquire a striker in January, reveals Sport.
Carlo Ancelotti's side currently see Karim Benzema as their only number nine option in the squad, and after previously deciding that they would not look to find a replacement for Luka Jovic, the latest indicates they are now on the lookout for potential options.
It is reported that they previously assessed the idea of landing Gabriel Jesus.
16.30 GMT: Will Borussia Dortmund's Gio Reyna be a star for the USMNT in Qatar?
15.17 GMT: Rennes forward Martin Terrier is on the radar of Chelsea, according to Jeunes Footeux in France.
Terrier, 25, scored 21 goals last season and already has 11 goals and four assists from 19 matches so far this campaign.
Chelsea boss Graham Potter is reportedly keen on Terrier, as well as Brighton's Leandro Trossard, but Rennes aren't ready to let him go for less than €50m as he has a contract until 2026.
14.46 GMT: Tottenham will be looking for a new goalkeeper in the summer, claims TEAMtalk.
Hugo Lloris is the current No. 1 but is 35 years old and in his 11th season with the club. The captain will be moved on ahead of next season, with Everton's Jordan Pickford, Brighton's Robert Sanchez and Leeds United's Illan Meslier as options to replace him.
14.06 GMT: Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has confirmed the club won't make any new signings in January.
Guardiola told a news conference: "We're not going to sign anyone in January. We have the squad."
13.55 GMT: Barcelona want to sign Athletic Club defender Inigo Martinez, but their Plan B is Man City's Aymeric Laporte, says Sport.
Martinez, 31, is available on a free transfer in the summer but Gerard Pique's exit from Camp Nou has increased Barca's need for defensive reinforcements.
Barca won't pay a large transfer fee to sign Martinez in January and it's funny that the report considers Laporte, 28, a backup option given his quality and potential fee.
13.06 GMT: FC Midtjylland winger Gustav Isaksen is on the radar of Liverpool, says Ekstra Bladet.
Isaksen, 21, has seven goals and three assists in all competitions so far this season, and has seen the likes of Arsenal, Newcastle United and West Ham United, as well as Ajax, Atalanta, Benfica and Bayer Leverkusen, linked with a move for him.
The Denmark U21 international would cost over a €20m transfer fee (the Superliga record) for any interested clubs in January.
12.30 GMT: Liverpool could have new owners soon.
11.42 GMT: Sporting CP winger Issahaku Fatawu has a host of Premier League clubs on his trail, according to O Jogo.
Fatawu, 18, has only played six times this season and has no goals, while his contract expires in 2026. But the report claims Everton, Liverpool, and Manchester United are tracking his progress ahead of a possible January move for the Ghana international.
10.35 GMT: Gareth Southgate has told ESPN he believes Christian Pulisic has faced difficulties adapting to the Premier League but is still wary of the threat he poses when England face the United States at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar on Nov. 25.
Pulisic has endured mixed fortunes at Chelsea since making a £58 million move from Borussia Dortmund in 2019, scoring 26 goals in 131 games.
The 24-year-old won the Champions League in 2021 under then-head coach Thomas Tuchel but more than half of his appearances for Chelsea have come off the bench amid persistent injury problems.
In exclusive interview with ESPN, Southgate said: "I obviously watched him [Pulisic] a fair bit at Dortmund as we had Jadon Sancho there at the time and then moving into Chelsea, I think that adaptation from the Bundesliga to the Premier League isn't straightforward for a start.
"The level of the biggest games is similar if you're playing Bayern Munich or [Red Bull] Leipzig but then when you drop down the league, there's a big difference between the spending power in the bottom half of the Premier League where they can basically take players from some of the biggest clubs in Europe and the bottom half of most of the other leagues in Europe where that depth isn't there.
"So, I think that takes some adjusting to not only the physical nature of our league but the intensity of every match.
"Of course, he's had two or three coaches to deal with so I think there's been moments where he's looked like he's on his way, he's flowing and he's got a coach that believes in him and he's had to deal then with setbacks with injury.
"He would probably feel he hasn't got quite to where he wants to get to yet, I'd imagine, but he's a very good player and is a player when you're looking at the opposition teamsheet, he's someone you've got to be aware of and got to be ready for."
10.04 GMT: Atletico Madrid forward Yannick Carrasco could move on in January as the Spanish club look to plug a hole in their finances, says Mundo Deportivo.
Carrasco, 29, has been on the radar of Newcastle in recent transfer windows and Atletico's failure to qualify for the Champions League knockout stages has hit them by a reported €30m, leaving them having to make up a total of €70m after a tough summer.
The Belgium international was close to moving to Newcastle a few months back, and Eddie Howe's side could return to try and sign him again.
09.24 GMT: ICYMI - Liverpool's owner, the Boston-based Fenway Sports Group (FSG), is prepared to sell its controlling stake in the club, sources have told ESPN, 12 years after buying the six-time Champions League winners for just £300m.
As first reported by The Athletic, FSG has enlisted investment banks Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley to assist in the process of finding a potential buyer. Sources familiar with the situation have told ESPN that an information memorandum detailing the possible sale was sent to potential investors last month.
Sources also added that while FSG is inviting offers and prepared to offload its complete holding in the club, the Liverpool owner is also ready to consider offers of outside investment.
According to sources, Liverpool's valuation could exceed £4 billion because of the club's trophy-winning history, global fan base and commercial value.
08.48 GMT: Everton midfielder James Garner has opened up on his decision to leave Manchester United this summer after talks with manager Erik ten Hag.
Garner, 21, came through United's academy and made his first-team debut at 17. However, he never got a run of games for the club, instead cutting his teeth in loan spells at Watford and Nottingham Forest, who he helped gain promotion to the Premier League last season.
Speaking to The Times, Garner said that he met Ten Hag in the summer and the pair decided that a permanent move away from Old Trafford would be the best solution.
"I just think it all made sense," he said. "I had two good seasons on loan and returned to United in the summer.
"I know in myself I wouldn't have played if I had stayed. I knew it was the perfect time now, at 21, to move on and try and stake my claim somewhere else and hopefully find a home, which I have now in Everton.
"Where I am at in my career now, I didn't just want to be an extra body or I didn't want to just be a spare player in training. Last season, I was one of the main players in Forest's team and that is what I want to be.
"I don't want to be just another player who is there for numbers in training. I want to be a main part of the team whether that is a starter or coming off the bench."
08.00 GMT: Inter Milan hope to speak to the agent of Milan Skriniar this week about renewing the defender's contract, club chief executive Giuseppe Marotta has said.
Skriniar, 27, is out of contract at the end of the season, but Inter hope to convince the Slovakia international to commit his future to the club that he helped win th eSeri eA title in 2020-21.
Marotta told Calciomercato: "Could it be the right week? Surely we would like to come to a conclusion.
I don't know the timing, but I think that during this week we will probably have a meeting with his agent. The assumptions are that Skriniar is very attached to the shirt, and I hope that this attachment can translate into a definition of the relationship that is positive for everyone."
PAPER GOSSIP (by Danny Lewis)
- Chelsea and Arsenal are both hoping to sign Porto winger Pepe, who has also operated at right-back this season -- that's according to A Bola. However, either club would have to pay the Brazilian's release clause of €75m if they are to successfully bring him in.
- Borna Sosa will leave VfB Stuttgart during the January transfer window, reports Florian Plettenberg, who adds that the Bundesliga outfit must offload him due to their financial situation. The club is expecting to bring in between €15m and €25m for the Croatia left-back depending on how he fares at the World Cup.
- Amid interest from Barcelona, Sport Bild says that Borussia Dortmund young gun Youssoufa Moukoko is holding off on signing a new deal. BVB reportedly have had a contract offer ready for the striker to sign for weeks. This new deal would see the 17-year-old's salary jump to €5m per year, but the Germany U21 international has hesitated in putting pen to paper.
- Bologna are set to offer winger Riccardo Orsolini a new contract in order to see off outside interest in the 25-year-old, reports Calciomercato, with his deal set to end in the summer of 2024. Atalanta, Fiorentina, Torino and Sevilla are all among the clubs that looked at the Italian winger during the summer.
- Real Sociedad are set to reach an agreement with Pablo Marin over a new contract that will keep him with the club until June 2027, according to Fabrizio Romano. The 19-year-old attacking midfielder is considered an important talent for both the present and future of the club after just four appearances for the first team.