Transfer Talk: Real Madrid eye Lewandowski if Haaland bid fails

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: Madrid eye Lewandowski if no Haaland

Real Madrid will pursue Bayern Munich’s Robert Lewandowski if the club falls short in their pursuit of Erling Haaland next summer, according to AS.

The Poland international star is the latest player to be added to the shortlist at the Santiago Bernabeu as the club continues to plot an injection of investment to improve the squad’s starting XI.

It has been reported that the club will prioritise moves for Paris Saint-Germain’s Kylian Mbappe and Haaland, but with the Borussia Dortmund frontman set to be at the centre of a transfer tug-of-war, Los Blancos see the Bayern sharpshooter Lewandowski as an ideal alternative.

The 33-year-old Ballon d’Or contender is still firing on all cylinders for the German club, breaking Gerd Muller’s 49-year record by scoring 41 goals in the Bundesliga last season.

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21.30 BST: That concludes another round of transfer gossip and speculation. Check back soon for more!

21.25 BST: Shinji Okazaki has completed his move to Segunda Division side FC Cartagena, as confirmed by the club.

The Japan international forward, who played a part in Leicester City’s shock Premier League victory of 2015-16, was most recently at Huesca.

“I am very happy to be in Cartagena,” Okazaki said after signing a one-year deal. “I wanted to play in Spain and the Club called me, presented me with the project and here I am.”

21.09 BST: Austin FC have confirmed the signing of 16-year-old Owen Wolff as the first homegrown player in the MLS club’s history.

The 16-year-old midfielder, who is the second-oldest son of Austin head coach Josh Wolff, signed a deal that runs until 2025 with the option for another year. Wolff has trained with the first team since preseason and made his debut in a friendly against Tigres UANL.

20.55 BST: Football Insider reports that West Ham United manager David Moyes maintains hope of signing Jesse Lingard in the winter window after the midfielder rejected a new contract at Manchester United.

Lingard will be a free agent next summer, but the Hammers are open to moving before that in order to bring in the 28-year-old, who impressed so much during a nine-goal loan spell at London Stadium last term. However, Lingard is said to be reluctant to move to the south of England.

20.13 BST: MLSsoccer.com reports that LAFC have signed free agent goalkeeper Jamal Blackman.

The 27-year-old had been with Chelsea player his whole career, but spent most of that time on loan at clubs including Leeds United and Vitesse Arnhem. His contract was not renewed after his latest loan to Rotherham United, leaving the 6-foot-6-inch stopper free to join the MLS side, where he will compete with Thomas Romero and Pablo Sisniega for the starting spot.

19.40 BST: Juventus are turning their attention to contract negotiations with Paulo Dybala, according to Tuttosport.

The Argentine’s deal runs until the summer of 2022, which means he will be free to discuss joining other clubs in four months. However, there is a relaxed approach to negotiations from both sides, despite a gap of €2m per season in terms of what is being offered and what is expected.

18.56 BST: Premier League newcomers Brentford have confirmed the signing of Danish centre-back Mathias Jorgensen, better known as Zanka.

The 31-year-old, who has previously played for Huddersfield Town in the English top-flight, was a free agent after leaving Fenerbahce during the summer and has signed a one-year deal.

18.19 BST: Minnesota United defender Michael Boxall has signed a two-year contract extension that commences in 2022, confirmed the MLS club.

The New Zealander joined in 2017 and has since made more appearances than any other Loons player. Head Coach Adrian Heath said of Boxall: “Delighted that he’s got a contract that he fully deserves. He’s earned his reward of a new deal.”

17.59 BST: Leicester City could make a move for Sassuolo’s wantaway star Domenico Berardi in the January transfer window, according to Calciomercato.

Having seen fellow Italy international Manuel Locatelli join Juventus in the summer, the winger has expressed a desire to leave, and it is stated that €35m will make a deal happen. However, there is likely to be competition from Milan and Fiorentina.

17.10 BST: Kingsley Coman looks unlikely to renew his Bayern Munich contract, which currently keeps him in Bavaria until 2023, according to Le10Sport.

The Frenchman hasn’t made any starts in the early stages of this season, and having also represented Paris Saint-Germain in the past, now wishes to play in England. The report claims that Liverpool and Man City are interested in the winger.

16.26 BST: Barcelona are hopeful of renewing the contracts of four of their young stars — Ansu Fati, Pedri, Ronald Araujo and Ousmane Dembele — sooner rather than later, AS reports.

Ansu’s deal expires at the end of the season, although the fact he has inherited the No. 10 squad number from Lionel Messi is a strong indication that the 18-year-old is willing to commit his future to the club.

Pedri’s current contract runs until 2022, with an option held by the club to extend it by a further two years.

Although defender Araujo’s hopes of more game time have been hit by the arrival of Eric Garcia, AS reports that the 22-year-old has indicated his desire to stay at the club and renew his contract past 2023.

Dembele is another player out of contract next summer, but he is reportedly likely to commit to the club until 2025.

15.35 BST: Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has hinted that former midfielder Jack Wilshere could make a shock return to the club.

Wilshere, 29, was one of English football’s most promising young talents when he graduated from Arsenal youth set-up to the first team in the 2008-09 season. However, his career was blighted by injuries, limiting him to 92 Premier League starts in a decade at the club before leaving to join West Ham in 2018. His spell there and subsequent move to Bournemouth did not reinvigorate his career, and he was released by the latter club at the end of last season.

A move to Serie B side Como had looked on the cards, but the Italian club were unable to sign the former England international because he does not hold an EU passport.

When asked about his former teammate, Arteta said: “He’s someone that I know, that I shared a dressing room with. He’s so loved around the club with every person here. Our doors are always open.”

14.23 BST: Even in a summer transfer window full of surprise moves, Antoine Griezmann‘s return to Atletico Madrid is right up there as one of the most unexpected. How will it work out for the France forward, second time around?

13.27 BST: Chelsea striker Timo Werner has been discussed as a possible signing at Bayern Munich, according to Sport1.

Werner joined Chelsea from RB Leipzig in the summer of 2020, and won the Champions League in his first season at Stamford Bridge. However, despite ending the season as Chelsea’s top scorer with 12 goals in all competitions, the Germany international has found his first-team place put under pressure following the arrival of Romelu Lukaku.

Sport1 reports that Bayern have discussed Werner as a potential recruit ever since his former boss at Leipzig, Julien Nagelsmann, took over at the Bundesliga champions this summer. However, Bayern would struggle to match the 25-year-old’s €15m-a-year wages at Chelsea.

– RB Leipzig vs. Bayern Munich: Stream LIVE Saturday at 12:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+ (U.S.)

12.30 BST: Ajax director of football Marc Overmars insists he has no plans to leave the Dutch club to return to former team arsenal.

Former Arsenal winger Overmars has been touted as a potential replacement for Edu, who has come in for criticism for Arsenal’s transfer business this summer.

“As I’ve said before a number of times we’re really enjoying ourselves,” Overmars told Ajax TV. “We’re moving in the right direction. The four of us form good management and that’s important.

“We’re like a family, we’re close. And that’s important too. And who knows, we might have some good news soon.

“I’m not getting any younger. I’ve been offered the opportunity to go elsewhere too. That’s what happens and it’s always good to consider a move. But then I just think about how well things are going here. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it. If your old shoes are still comfy, keep wearing them.”

11.36 BST: The 2022 summer transfer window is almost a year away, but already Europe’s top clubs are jostling for position to sign Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland.

10.42 BST: Chelsea are set to revive their interest in Jules Kounde during the January transfer window if Sevilla lower the desired transfer fee back to around €50m where the two clubs almost found an agreement this summer, sources have told ESPN’s James Olley.

Sources told ESPN that Kounde is keen on a move to Stamford Bridge and the 22-year-old is believed to have agreed the framework of a four or five-year contract.

Chelsea remain interested in pursuing an agreement but continue to be reluctant to pay Kounde’s €80m buyout clause. They will, however, return in January if there are signs Sevilla are willing to revive negotiations at the reduced figure.

09.49 BST: AC Milan midfielder Franck Kessie has turned down the offer of a new contract from AC Milan, according to Tuttosport.

Footmercato reported earlier this week that Paris Saint-Germain are ready to make a move to sign the Ivory Coast international as a free agent next summer. The Parisians made great use of the free agent market, bringing in Lionel Messi, Georginio Wijnaldum, Sergio Ramos and Gianluigi Donnarumma without paying any transfer fees. And it seems as though they will be looking to use the same tactic next year, with Kessie’s contract coming to an end in 2022.

Footmercato states that PSG have already started work on a deal for Kessie by offering a yearly salary of €9m — €2.5m more than Milan’s latest proposal, which Tuttosport reports the 24-year-old has rejected.

08.52 BST: Real Madrid are one of a number of clubs keeping tabs on Fulham youngster Fabio Carvalho, the Daily Mail reports.

Carvalho, 19, is enjoying a fine start to the season in the Championship, scoring three goals in five matches so far this term.

The Mail reports that the England youth international is on the radar of several top Premier League clubs as well as Spanish giants Madrid.

Carvalho’s contract expires at the end of the season, and Fulham are keen to give him a new long-term deal.

08.00 BST: Paris Saint-Germain have hit back strongly at LaLiga chief Javier Tebas after he mocked the age of their players and the spending of the French club, saying he should deal with the debt and “mismanagement” in LaLiga.

Tebas, a long-standing critic of Qatar-backed PSG’s spending, told a news conference that the French club’s spending was dangerous for football after they signed 35-year-old Sergio Ramos from Real Madrid and 34-year-old Lionel Messi from Barcelona during the recent transfer window.

“PSG looks like the league of legends given the age of some players. LaLiga has young players like Vinicius Junior. The problem of PSG, we will solve it. What PSG are doing is as dangerous as the Super League,” Tebas said. “We will continue to grow despite the departure of Messi. We will work against the club states. These clubs are as much enemies as the Super League.”

A letter from PSG general secretary Victoriano Melero, seen by Reuters, said Tebas was engaged in “diversion” from Spanish football’s own problems and that he should also deal with rebel clubs Real Madrid and Barcelona who remain committed to a breakaway European Super League project. Tebas, who also taken aim at Abu Dhabi-backed Premier League club Manchester City’s spending, has frequently questioned how PSG, who are owned by Qatari Sports Investments, are able to comply with UEFA’s Financial Fair Play regulations.

“Time after time, you allow yourself to publicly attack the French League, our club, our players — together with players of other clubs — and the fans of French football; while constantly posting insulting and defamatory statements insinuating that we do not conform to the football financial regulations, amongst other unsubstantiated statements,” Melero wrote in a letter on Wednesday.

PAPER GOSSIP

– Former Liverpool defender Steven Caulker is set to join Gaziantep from fellow Turkish club Fenerbahce, writes NTV Spor. The centre-back will join on a loan deal after failing to nail down a place in the first team since joining the Yellow Canaries from Alanyaspor. The 29-year-old enjoyed some of his career’s best form in the Turkish Super Lig last season, helping his side to a top-seven finish after spending some time at the top of the table.

– Manchester City are keen on AC Milan’s Theo Hernandez, according to Manchester Evening News. Pep Guardiola currently has one first-team left-back at his disposal in Oleksandr Zinchenko, with Benjamin Mendy’s legal proceedings still ongoing. The 23-year-old Hernandez enjoyed an impressive campaign last season, registering seven goals and five assists across 33 games in Serie A.

– Arsenal could look to recall Miguel Azeez from his loan move at Portsmouth to help with squad depth when the African Cup of Nations takes place, according to Football.London. The tournament is set to take place in January which will force a number of the stars from the Premier League away on international duty. It is reported that a clause was inserted into the deal to allow the highly-rated 18-year-old to return to the Emirates if required by Mikel Arteta.

– Ousmane Dembele is attracting interest from Juventus as the club continue to rebuild after Cristiano Ronaldo’s move to Manchester United. Calciomercato writes that the Old Lady are keen to add a forward in January, and see the France international as a strong fit. Despite reports that the 24-year-old would sign a new deal with Barcelona, the Blaugrana are yet to finalise a deal that would see Dembele remain at Camp Nou beyond next summer.

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