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: Cristiano Ronaldo to be released by Man United?
Manchester United are actively looking to part ways with Cristiano Ronaldo in the January transfer market, according to iNews.
The 37-year-old forward was suspended from first-team activities on Thursday, with sources confirming to ESPN that he refused a request to come on as a substitute in the 87th minute during Wednesday's 2-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur. Sources added that the club have backed the action taken by manager Erik ten Hag but insist Ronaldo remains "an important part of the squad."
However, the iNews report now suggests that his time at Old Trafford could be set to end in January. If Ronaldo's representatives are unable to find a potential suitor for him by the time that the transfer window opens, the club could consider releasing him as a free agent.
Ronaldo was the club's leading scorer in the 2021-22 campaign but only has two goals in 12 appearances since Ten Hag took over at United. The Portugal international pushed for a transfer during the summer but did not garner any suitable offers.
LIVE BLOG
21.36 BST: Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha may look to run down his contract ahead of securing a free transfer elsewhere, according to the Athletic's David Ornstein. The 29-year-old's deal expires in the summer, which could spell the end of the Ivorian at Selhurst Park.
"Many in the game feel [Zaha will] hold out and go as a free agent and play in the Champions League," Ornstein said on The FIVE.
21.03 BST: Former Sevilla defender Timothee Kolodziejczak has signed for Schalke 04, the Bundesliga club announced on Friday. The Frenchman had been on trial with the club and has penned a deal that will keep him in Gelsenkirchen until the end of the season. Schalke sit 17th in the league and have struggled to keep their defence fit, with four centre-backs on the sidelines with injuries.
20.30 BST: Sevilla scouts were present at Chelsea's clash with Brentford to monitor striker Armando Broja, according to Ekrem Konur. The 21-year-old Albania international started up front for the Blues on Wednesday, and despite him signing a six-year contract with the Stamford Bridge outfit just last month, that clearly has not deterred the Andalusians from their interest in Chelsea's homegrown front man.
19.57 BST: Atletico Madrid forward Joao Felix is attracting the attention of Manchester United, according to Deportes Cuatro. The 22-year-old Portugal international is reportedly eager to leave Los Rojiblancos, with Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich and United all understood to be interested.
Following the falling out between Cristiano Ronaldo and the Red Devils, Felix is viewed as an ideal replacement for the 37-year-old. The report suggests that a loan move in January with a view to a permanent deal in the summer looks the most likely option.
19.24 BST: Liverpool and Manchester City are out of the race for Paris Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappe, reports Le10 Sport. While both clubs previously held interest in the France star, the signings of Darwin Nunez and Erling Haaland have ruled the pair out from signing the 23-year-old. Mbappe has been strongly linked with a move away from Parc des Princes in recent weeks, but it looks increasingly unlikely that he will end up in the Premier League next.
18.51 BST: AC Milan are keen to bring long-term target Hakim Ziyech to the San Siro, according to Corriere dello Sport. Milan have long been admirers of the Morocco international, who has struggled to make an impact in the Premier League since joining Chelsea in 2020. The report states that the Serie A club are looking at a potential deal for January as they prepare for business following the World Cup break.
18.16 BST: Tottenham Hotspur are interested in Juventus midfielder Weston McKennie, according to Calciomercato. McKennie has struggled to find consistent game time at Juve since joining the club in 2020, and it is said that the United States international could be on his way out. Spurs are one club who have consistently been linked with the 24-year-old, with the English club potentially being able to offer more minutes for the FC Dallas academy graduate.
17.39 BST: Barcelona are looking for a way to move on from veteran defender Gerard Pique, according to Sport. Pique's contract has another 18 months left to run, however, the Catalan club have made clear their desire to cut down their wage bill amid ongoing financial issues. The report states that manager Xavi informed the 35-year-old last summer that he would see little playing time in 2022-23, and it looks like Pique's 14-year stay at the Camp Nou could be coming to an end.
17.00 BST: Arsenal centre-back Gabriel has signed a new long-term contract with the club, the Gunners have announced. The Brazilian has become a mainstay for the north London outfit this season, following his signing from Lille in September 2020, and impressive performances have seen the 24-year-old rewarded with fresh terms.
15.45 BST: Erling Haaland's agent, Rafaela Pimenta has been speaking to Sky Sports.
She claims the 21-year-old Manchester City striker could be the first €1 billion footballer, which is a bit mad. But that is likely to include wages as well as transfer fee when he leaves City given that the world-record fee is currently Neymar's €222m.
On the possibility of a new contract already, she said: "I hope so! If they want to discuss today, we'd be happy. Why not? Always good!"
But Pimenta wouldn't be drawn on reports of a release clause of €200m which would allow Haaland to move to Real Madrid in the future.
15.00 BST: Could Aston Villa land Mauricio Pochettino as coach?
14.10 BST: Under-fire Jesse Marsch has apologised to Leeds United fans but said he is confident he has the backing of the board following Thursday's 2-0 defeat to Leicester, landing the club in a perilous position in the Premier League.
A run of seven winless games, including five defeats, has seen Marsch's side slip to 16th in the table, level on points with Wolves who occupy a spot in the relegation zone.
Marsch's decisions have been scrutinised by Leeds fans, who booed the team off the pitch following Thursday's defeat -- while also criticising the American for not acknowledging the travelling support after the match.
"I want to say sorry to them," Marsch said. "It was nothing against the fans.
"In that moment I am disappointed and trying to figure out what I am going to say to the team. My focus is on stopping the bleeding."
13.34 BST: Carlo Ancelotti has said he thinks Toni Kroos will decide on his future in January or February, with the midfielder weighing up whether to continue at Real Madrid or retire next summer.
Kroos, 32 -- who has won the World Cup, five Champions Leagues and six league titles in a glittering career -- is currently due to be out of contract at the Bernabeu in June 2023.
"He's very calm," Ancelotti said in a news conference on Friday. "He's going to think about it after the World Cup I think, in January or February. Personally I think he'll carry on."
Kroos starred in Madrid's 3-1 Clasico win over Barcelona last weekend, which left them three points clear at the top of LaLiga.
"He's very happy now," Ancelotti said. "His level is better than last year. Last year he had an injury problem at the start of the season and after that he did well. In this first part of the season, he's always been at a very high level."
13.07 BST: Bayern Munich and France legend Franck Ribery has announced his retirement.
Ribery, 39, played the final match of his career for Salernitana against AS Roma on Aug. 14 after an 18-year career which saw him win 24 trophies, including 10 Bundesliga titles and a Champions League.
The winger played for the likes of Galatasaray, Marseille, Bayern Munich and Fiorentina during his career and scored 16 goals in 81 games for France.
"The pain in my knee has only worsened and the doctors are straight with me: I don't have a choice, I have to stop playing," he wrote on social media. "I am there calling an end to play professional career."
12.55 BST: Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan could head to Turkey once his contract expires in the summer, according to The Sun.
Gundogan, 31, has a deal which ends in 2023 and the Germany international has emerged as a target for Turkish giants Galatasaray.
A German-born player of Turkish origin, Gundogan has scored 51 goals in 267 games since signing from Dortmund for €25m in the summer of 2016.
12.19 BST: Napoli winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is on the radar of Liverpool and Manchester City, according to Calciomercato.
Kvaratskhelia, 21, only joined the club in the summer for around €12m from Dinamo Batumi.
But the Georgia international has hit the ground running in Naples, with seven goals and eight assists in 14 appearances across all competitions.
12.00 BST: AC Milan forward Rafael Leao is in demand.
Julien Laurens feels clubs have to play in a unique way to get the best out of Frenkie de Jong and struggles to see where he would fit in the Premier League.
11.05 BST: Manchester United are looking to hire a recruitment analyst to help the club to sign the world's best goalkeepers.
The role is part of a planned expansion of the technical chief scout team at Old Trafford and will focus on finding goalkeepers to be part of the first-team squad.
David de Gea is United's No. 1, although manager Ten Hag said the club will wait before deciding whether to extend the 31-year-old's contract. The Spain international has a deal until the end of the season, although United also have an option to extend it until the summer of 2024.
10.26 BST: Mauricio Pochettino favours a return to Premier League management and is prepared to wait for the right opportunity, sources have told ESPN, after emerging as Aston Villa's favoured candidate to replace Steven Gerrard.
Gerrard left Villa on Thursday following a 3-0 loss at Fulham, a 12th defeat in their last 22 Premier League games, leaving the club above the relegation zone only on goals scored.
Sources said Villa's owners are prepared to spend in January to bolster a squad that has won just two games this season. Former PSG and Tottenham boss Pochettino is highly regarded at Villa Park, but the 50-year-old could yet attract offers from elsewhere.
09.57 BST: Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves says he is flattered by rumoured interest from Barcelona.
Barca considered signing Neves in the summer as a potential replacement for veteran midfielder Sergio Busquets.
Neves, 25, has made 11 appearances for Wolves this season and is under contract with the Premier League outfit until June 2024.
He told Record: "Who wouldn't want to play at Barcelona? I think it's a question that is common to all players. It's one of the biggest clubs in the world. Of course, it's always a privilege for me to be associated with clubs of that level. I'm going to do my job. here [at Wolves]. I'm going to focus as much as possible here because we have a huge competition coming up. I have to focus as much as possible on Wolves. Having a good season here, things will come very naturally."
Neves, who joined Wolves from FC Porto in the summer of 2017, is expected to be included in Portugal's World Cup squad.
08.56 BST: Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United are ready to lead the race for Frenkie de Jong should the midfielder choose to quit Barcelona in January, sources have told ESPN.
Chelsea are thought to have received encouragement that De Jong may be willing to reconsider his future after deciding not to leave Camp Nou in the summer, despite Barca's willingness to let the player leave.
United made the running for months and eventually agreed a deal worth an initial €65 million, rising to around €85m including add-ons, before Chelsea made contact late in the window as De Jong stalled over a move to Old Trafford. However, the Netherlands international opted to stay in Spain despite huge pressure from Barcelona to force him out, as they sought to balance the books and comply with LaLiga's salary cap.
De Jong has started just five matches in all competitions this season and Barcelona are facing the prospect of failing to qualify for the Champions League knockout stages, both factors which have given his Premier League suitors hope that a January deal could be struck.
08.30 BST: Juventus winger Angel Di Maria says the thought of retiring from football hasn't crossed his mind yet.
Di Maria, 34, signed a one-year contract with Juve this summer after his contract with Paris Saint-Germain expired.
Asked about his future, Di Maria said: "I haven't thought about retirement because from the day I started to play in the top division, I always live in the present. I focus on the now and not what could happen later on. I want to enjoy what is happening."
The Argentina international has never hidden his wish to return to former club Rosario Central in Argentina.
"My idea is to be able to return to play in Argentina," he said. "Since the day I left [Rosario Central], that has been my idea. But this is football, and you have to live in the moment. You have to take it one game at a time, year after year. Right now I feel good and I have a lot to give."
Gab Marcotti and Julien Laurens discuss the possibility of Mauricio Pochettino taking the manager's job at Aston Villa.
PAPER GOSSIP
- Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is looking to add competition in defence for Gabriel Magalhaes and is keen on a move for Eintracht Frankfurt centre-back Evan N'Dicka, reports the Evening Standard. Interest in the Bundesliga star is beginning to grow as he nears the final 18 months of his deal, and that has seen him also linked with the Gunners' north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur. N'Dicka, 23, was a key cog in his side's Europa League success last season.
- Adrien Rabiot could be in line for a new contract extension with Juventus, reveals Tuttosport. The 27-year-old midfielder was linked with an exit throughout the summer, but has been one of the standout players in Massimiliano Allegri's side. The France international has made six Serie A starts in the current campaign.
- AC Milan are looking to acquire Hakim Ziyech on a six-month loan deal starting in January, writes Calciomercato. The Serie A champions are looking for a short-term replacement for the injured Charles De Ketelaere, and will return to the negotiating table for the 29-year-old Chelsea attacking midfielder.
- Arsenal sent scouts to watch highly-rated Palmeiras prospect Endrick, according to Ekrem Konur. The 16-year-old Brazil youngster has caught the attention of clubs across Europe with his performances, though the Brasileiro Serie A side could hold out for his release clause of €60m. He is contracted at the club until the summer of 2025 and can't leave Brazil until he turns 18.
- Alfonso Pedraza has been identified as the latest candidate as a potential successor for Alex Sandro, understands Mundo Deportivo. Juventus are currently searching for a long-term left-back option, and the report indicates that the 26-year-old Villarreal star is one of the leading priorities for the Serie A club. He has made 10 La Liga appearances for Unai Emery's side this season.