LIVE Transfer Talk: Bayern, Premier League clubs eye Leverkusen’s Wirtz

The summer transfer window is closed for the top leagues in Europe! After a summer full of international football, countless clubs waited until the last minute to pull off their transfers. See all the major deals here and check out how we graded the biggest signings. But just because the window is shut until January, that doesn’t mean the rumours won’t keep coming.

TOP STORY: Bayern, Premier League clubs monitor Wirtz

Bayern Munich and several Premier League clubs are monitoring Bayer Leverkusen youngster Florian Wirtz, according to Fabrizio Romano. The 18-year-old has impressed in the Bundesliga this season, scoring two goals and adding three assists in just three appearances.

The report suggests that there is no release clause in the midfielder’s contract, which has five years left to run. Leverkusen are not in a position in which they need to raise funds by engineering a transfer, and the Bundesliga side have no plans to let him go.

The Germany international has seen a sharp rise in his career, making his debut for the national side in September and appearing in all three of Die Nationalmannschaft‘s three games during the international break, registering an assist against Armenia.

Wirtz is just the latest in a long line of players to come through at Leverkusen, who signed him from FC Cologne for the academy in January 2020. The last such highly touted prospect was Kai Havertz, who went on to win Chelsea the Champions League in his first season at Stamford Bridge last May following a £62m transfer.

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17.34 BST: Arsenal are considering parting ways with goalkeeper Bernd Leno next summer, according to the Daily Mail. The German joined Arsenal from Bayer Leverkusen in 2018 and has made 100 appearances across all competitions.

However, the arrival of Aaron Ramsdale from Sheffield United in the summer has cast doubt on the future of Leno at the Emirates. Ramsdale was handed the start in Arsenal’s 1-0 win over Norwich City at the weekend leading to further questions about Leno’s chances of remaining first-choice for the Gunners.

16.29 BST: Fulham manager Marco Silva sounded a warning to Fabio Carvalho‘s advisors as the young forward, a reported target for Real Madrid, holds talks with the club over a new contract.

Carvalho, 19, has scored three goals in five appearances for Fulham this season, adding to his first goal for the club in a Premier League match at Southampton in May.

The Daily Mail reported last week that Real Madrid are one of a number of clubs who are keeping tabs on the England youth international, but Silva hopes his representatives have the player’s best interests in mind.

“Fabio is the same as at the beginning of the season,” Silva said. “He is the same boy, a young player hungry to play and happy to work at Fulham every single day.

“All the speculation is for him, of course with my and our support, to deal with because he’s a professional player. If there is speculation around him, that means that he’s doing something [well] that provoked this speculation.

“I don’t know what’s happening off the training ground on a daily basis, with those advising him, but I hope everyone stays on the same page and that everyone really advises him in the right way. Because he’s a young player who deserves and needs it, and who we are supporting.”

When asked about Carvalho’s contract talks, Silva said: “That is something for inside our football club. I won’t be updating at each step. We will only say something when we have something official.”

15.24 BST: Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba has not made a decision on his future yet, according to his brother.

Pogba is out of contract at the end of the season, and the France international has been linked with clubs including Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain.

The 28-year-pld’s brother Mathias, who plays for French club ASM Belfort, told Spanish TV show “El Chiringuito”: “I can’t help you today. He feels very good where he is at the moment. We will see when it is time [to make a decision]. It’s the only thing I can say at the moment.

“He is very good. This season he is very good. There was a lot of talk but look where he is? The decision is up to him. He has to play well this year and we will see.

“No [he has not make a decision]. He is very professional and he is focused on what he has to do at the moment.”

14.18 BST: West Ham United will not be willing to a bid for midfielder Declan Rice for anything less than £100m, football.london reports.

England international Rice has been targeted by some of the Premier League’s biggest clubs with his boyhood club Chelsea, Premier League League champions Manchester City and Manchester United all keen on him.

Sources told ESPN’s Rob Dawson earlier this month that United remain keen on Rice despite deciding against investing in a midfielder this summer in order to prioritise signing a centre-back and a right winger.

According to football.london, West Ham are under no pressure to sell as Rice is happy at the club. The 22-year-old has a contract that runs until 2024, with the Hammers holding the option to extend that deal by another year.

13.27 BST: LaLiga president Javier Tebas has said Real Madrid could afford to sign both Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland next summer.

Madrid failed with a series of bids for Mbappe, 22, last month as they tried to prise the France forward — who has a year left on his contract — away from Paris Saint-Germain.

The LaLiga club offered €160m and €180m and were willing to pay €200m but their efforts were frustrated by PSG’s refusal to negotiate.

Madrid have also been keen on Haaland, 21, with the Borussia Dortmund star’s father and agent holding talks with the club — as well as Barcelona — earlier this year.

“Madrid have sold €200m worth of players,” Tebas said on Monday, speaking at an event hosted by the Sport Integrity Global Alliance. “They have the money to sign Mbappe and Haaland together. They haven’t made losses, and what’s more, they’ve made sales.”

12.31 BST: With the Premier League back in action for the first time since the summer transfer window closed, this feels like a good time to take stock.

The clubs that finished in the top four in each of the past two seasons — Chelsea, Liverpool, defending champions Manchester City, and Manchester United — have assembled incredibly strong squads for the rigours of the 2021-22 campaign. This quartet is incredibly well-stocked for the campaign ahead, with a depth of talent in almost every position.

We looked at those four squads, judging each on a position-by-position basis before declaring the overall winner.

– Premier League title contenders: Who has the strongest squad?

11.36 BST: Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah has shown he deserves a new contract after scoring his 100th Premier League goal, according to former Anfield defender Jamie Carragher.

Salah, 29, brought up his century when he scored the opener in Liverpool’s 3-0 win over Leeds United on Sunday. He reached the milestone in just 162 Premier League appearances, including two goals in 13 league games for Chelsea earlier in his career.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp last month revealed that the club have opened talks with the Egypt international, who has a contract at Anfield until 2023 and has in the past hinted at a move to Real Madrid or Barcelona.

“While Liverpool have not spend big this summer like other teams they have had a lot of players sign new contracts. The one that is yet to sign is Mo Salah,” Carragher said on Sky Sports. “Now, he obviously wants a few quid. And rightly so. Good luck to him. He deserves it. He deserves to be one of the highest paid players in the Premier League for what he has done since he came to Liverpool, he really does.

“He is never injured and year after year he is top goal scorer. He just is. That is what he is.”

Carragher added: “I think Mo Salah is as professional as [Cristiano] Ronaldo, he looks after his body and I think there are a lot of years left in Mo Salah so I just hope this gets sorted sooner rather than later.

“You always debate about money, the player wants a bit more, the club wants a bit less, but that needs to be sorted. Fingers crossed it will because he deserves it for what he has done for Liverpool.”

Liverpool have recently agreed fresh long-term deals for midfielder Fabinho and goalkeeper Alisson, along with defenders Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold, while Klopp has said captain Jordan Henderson is likely to follow suit.

10.44 BST: Jack Wilshere said he hopes to take up Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta’s offer to train at his former club while he continues his search for a new team.

Wilshere, 29, recently opened up in an interview with The Athletic about the impact on his mental health of struggling to find a club since he was released by Bournemouth in the summer, and how he has even considered retiring.

The midfielder spent a decade at Arsenal after coming through the club’s youth ranks, but his time at the Emirates was plagued by injuries and those issues continued during subsequent spells at West Ham and Bournemouth. As such, clubs have been wary of signing him despite being a free agent.

After hearing of his plight, Arteta said he would welcome his former teammate back to Arsenal to help him while he searches for a new contract, and Wilshere is hopeful that comes to fruition.

“It can only help me,” Wilshere said at an event for mental health charity CALM. “Being around good players, training with world-class players and as well just being in a team environment is something I’m interested in.

“I’m sure that I’ll have a conversation with someone at the club over the next couple of days.”

09.51 BST: Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr. has said that he is “a fan” of Paris Saint-Germain striker Kylian Mbappe, who Los Blancos tried to sign in the summer transfer window.

Sources told ESPN’s Alex Kirkland and Rodrigo Faez last month that Madrid made an offer worth €200m to PSG for Mbappe but received no reply, leading them to put their bid to land the France international on hold.

Mbappe, 22, is out of contract next summer, and could agree a precontract with Madrid or other foreign clubs from Jan. 1.

“He’s a really great player, I like him a lot, I’m a fan of his,” Vinicius told AS. “I’m sure he’ll have a great season at PSG and do well. We’ll see what he does in the future.”

09.00 BST: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says it’s down to his star-studded squad to show Paul Pogba that Manchester United is the place to win trophies.

Pogba has stalled on signing a new contract at Old Trafford and could leave for free at the end of the season.

Solskjaer insists the additions of Cristiano Ronaldo and Raphael Varane mean United are capable of winning silverware, but ahead of their Champions League kickoff against Young Boys in Switzerland on Tuesday, the Norwegian says his players have to prove it.

“It’s up to us now to get results and to prove to ourselves we can win trophies,” Solskjaer told a news conference in Bern on Monday. “Everyone who signs for Manchester United wants to win trophies. To be a part of a winning Man United team, it’s the most magical feeling in the world. Everyone’s just focusing on doing our best and let’s see where we go.”

PAPER GOSSIP (by Luke Thrower)

– Manchester United are in talks with Bruno Fernandes over a new contract, with the club hoping he extends by the end of the year. Fabrizio Romano reports that the 27-year-old wants to stay at the club, who’ve made contract renewals for the Portugal international and Paul Pogba a priority.

– Atletico Madrid are already looking ahead to January with the hopes of moving on three players in Hector Herrera, Ivan Saponjic and Sime Vrsaljko. That is according to Calciomercato, which reports that Diego Simeone is hoping to trim his squad slightly once the window opens again.

– Manchester United defender Axel Tuanzebe is hoping to make his loan move to Aston Villa permanent, according to the Sun. The 23-year-old is on his third short-term spell at Villa Park and is willing to put pen to paper in a move to the West Midlands.

– Internazionale are looking into the goalkeeper market in search of a replacement for Samir Handanovic. That’s according to Calciomercato, who reports that the 37-year-old has conceding a few questionable goals this season, with Inter looking at Ajax Amsterdam No. 1 Andre Onana as their top target.

– Internazionale are looking at a possible move for Robin Gosens should Ivan Perisic leave at the end of the season, according to Calciomercato. Perisic’s current contract runs out at the end of the season, and there has been no movement in talks over a renewal. Gosens would be the possible replacement on the left-hand side with his contract at Atalanta expiring in 2023, allowing room for negotiation between the parties.

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