Valencia expect to complete the signing of former Manchester United and Paris Saint-German striker Edinson Cavani, according to head coach Gennaro Gattuso.

Cavani has been without a club since leaving United as a free agent in July, having scored 12 goals in 41 Premier League appearances during a two-year spell at Old Trafford.

The Uruguay international's 200 goals for PSG, meanwhile, make him their all-time top goalscorer, and he turned down a return to Ligue 1 after attracting interest from Nice earlier this month.

Nice president Jean-Pierre Rivere said Cavani's desire to move to Spain was the reason those transfer talks broke down, and the 35-year-old now appears close to getting his wish.   

Speaking ahead of Monday's clash with Atletico Madrid in LaLiga, Gattuso said: "I am optimistic by nature, we are working, talking, I think we have possibilities. 

"[Valencia owner] Peter Lim is working hard, and I think we are going to sign Cavani because Lim, at the moment, believes a lot in this possibility.

"When you talk about Cavani, he is not a normal player, he has played for big clubs and at the highest level for a long time. He is 35 years old but has an incredible mentality, I am talking about the technical part, not money, that is not a problem, there are two different things. 

"The problem is that a lot of people talk in an operation and it's not easy to close it in two minutes.

"We are working on it for two or three weeks, but we are going to wait and I hope that it will close in a positive way for us. We have done everything to solve it and I hope that the signing will be closed.

"We are talking about a champion, a footballer who has played in teams of a high level, I am also excited that he comes here."

Los Che, who have taken three points from their first two league games this season, are also set to conclude another loan deal for Tottenham's Bryan Gil, who spent the second half of last campaign at the Mestalla.

Gattuso revealed his belief the deal will go through when Spurs bring in a replacement, adding the young playmaker was "99 per cent" likely to make the move. 

Sampdoria director Carlo Osti has confirmed the club are set to sign Harry Winks on loan from Tottenham.

The Spurs academy graduate has fallen down the pecking order under Antonio Conte, leading the 26-year-old to seek further playing opportunities.

Capped 10 times by England, most recently in 2020, Winks started only nine Premier League matches last season and the signing of Yves Bissouma from Brighton and Hove Albion has provided further competition in midfield.

Winks was reportedly holding out for a loan move to a Premier League side but suitors had not come forward, which appears to have resulted in him taking the opportunity to move to Italy.

Speaking following Sampdoria's 4-0 defeat to Salernitana, which left the side with just one point from their opening three Serie A matches, Osti confirmed Winks is due to arrive imminently.

"We have an agreement with Tottenham, we are defining the last details with the agents, we hope to conclude as soon as possible," he Sky Sport Italia.

Winks will join a growing British contingent in Serie A which includes Fikayo Tomori at Milan and both Tammy Abraham and Chris Smalling with Roma.

Jude Bellingham has no interest in leaving Borussia Dortmund this window amid reported interest from Liverpool, according to BVB sporting director Sebastian Kehl.

Liverpool are rumoured to have turned their focus to the England international in order to bolster their midfield ranks prior to Thursday's transfer deadline.

However, Kehl insists there has been no formal approach made for Bellingham as he categorically ruled out a sale in the final days of the transfer window.

"There has been no request for him," Kehl told Sky90. "Honestly, I know that from the player and his family. 

"Jude has no interest in going anywhere this summer. He will stay with us. That I can guarantee to you today. I can see he feels super comfortable with us."

 

Bellingham has made a big impact for the Bundesliga giants since arriving from Birmingham City two seasons ago.

Despite only turning 19 in June, Bellingham started 44 games for Dortmund in all competitions in the 2021-22 season – four more than any other player.

He has also racked up 15 senior caps for England and became the youngest player to represent the Three Lions in a major tournament at last year's Euro 2020.

With Bellingham's reputation continuing to grow after he impressed across BVB's first four games of the new season, it has also been reported that Liverpool are prepared to wait until January to bring him in.

Asked if he expects the teenager to be at Dortmund at the end of the season, Kehl replied: "I hope so," adding the youngster will "want to take the next step at some point."

Dortmund have started the 2022-23 season with three wins and a defeat, leaving them a point off early pacesetters Bayern Munich and Union Berlin.

Cody Gakpo has claimed Manchester United "are a serious option" as the transfer window draws to a close.

The window shuts on Thursday, with United set to be one of the busier clubs.

Erik ten Hag's side are reportedly closing in on the signing of Ajax forward Antony, which could see them splash out £85million (€100m) on the 22-year-old.

Gakpo has also been mentioned as a target, with the winger – who plays for Ajax's rivals PSV – possessing a similar style to Antony.

On Sunday, Gakpo provided a timely reminder of his quality with two assists and a goal in a 6-1 rout of Excelsior, and subsequently suggested United are still interested in his services.

The 23-year-old also claimed United are one of several options, though he is not averse to staying at PSV.

"There are also other options, United are a serious option," he told ESPN. "I can hear it all. I try to shut myself off from it, but it's difficult.

"It's going to be hectic, I think. I can't say anything about it at the moment. As I said before, the whole picture has to be right. It is a puzzle and in the coming days I will see which puzzle fits best.

"For me it is certainly not a punishment to stay at PSV. I'll hear about it all in the coming days."

Asked if he had any thoughts on Antony's potential switch to United, Gakpo said: "It's nice for him, but it has no influence on me."

Roma have completed the signing of free agent Andrea Belotti on a one-year deal.

The Italy international is the Giallorossi's sixth arrival of the transfer window after Nemanja Matic, Mile Svilar, Zeki Celik, Paulo Dybala and Georginio Wijnaldum.

Striker Belotti could sign a two-year contract extension with the Eternal City giants, dependent on performance-related criteria.

Belotti, who departed Torino when his contract expired in June, arrives off the back of a successful seven-year stint with Il Toro, for whom he scored 113 goals in 251 appearances across all competitions.

The 28-year-old will bolster Jose Mourinho's attacking options, providing competition for the likes of Dybala, Tammy Abraham and Eldor Shomurodov.

And the Euro 2020 winner is excited to get down to work in the Italian capital.

"The ambitions and growth of Roma are there for all to see, and have exerted an incredible fascination in me," he told the club's official website.

"At this point in my career, I want to continue to improve, day after day, and I am happy to be able to do it with this new shirt.

"Now, I can't wait to hear the anthem at the stadium, in front of our fans."

Belotti could make his Roma debut when the Giallorossi welcome Monza to Stadio Olimpico in Serie A on Tuesday.

Ajax head coach Alfred Schreuder has lamented "everything is about money", as winger Antony reportedly nears a move to Manchester United.

The Brazil international looks to be on the brink of moving to United, with the clubs reportedly close to agreeing a fee rumoured to be worth £85million (€100.1m).

United manager Erik ten Hag worked with him during his time as Ajax head coach, and the wide-man has been open in his desire to reunite with his former boss.

Antony went public about wanting the move in an interview with journalist Fabrizio Romano, saying: "I'm not asking Ajax to release me.

"I'm asking Ajax to sell me with the highest bid ever for Eredivisie player. I've been insisting on this theme since February so that the club could rebuild the team with peace of mind.

"I was very happy in Amsterdam, I won titles at Ajax, made friends and built part of my career, but now I reinforce that I am ready and full of motivation to follow my story and my dreams."

The 22-year-old was left out of Ajax's squad for their 2-0 league win over Utrecht as it appears his wish to move looks close to coming to fruition, and Schreuder is disappointed with the situation.

After Sunday's victory, Schreuder told ESPN.nl: "Everything is about money. I think this is sad.

"But this is our world. It's very sad and I don't approve that these things at all."

Atletico Madrid head coach Diego Simeone will not be put off signing Sergio Reguilon as a replacement for Renan Lodi, despite the defender's affiliation with Real Madrid.

Spain international Reguilon is out of favour under Antonio Conte at Tottenham, and is seeking a move away prior to next Thursday's transfer deadline.

Atletico are reportedly eager to bring in the 25-year-old on an initial loan with a view to making the deal permanent at the end of the season.

Reguilon spent 15 years of his career on the books of Atletico's fierce rivals Real, where he emerged through the youth system and made 22 first-team appearances.

But as Atletico look to sign a full-back to replace Nottingham Forest-bound Lodi, Simeone pointed out his side have had success when recruiting former Los Blancos players in the past.

"The club's working on signing a replacement for Lodi – let's see what happens in the next four days of fun," Simeone said at a press conference ahead of Monday's trip to Valencia.

"Juanfran had previously played for Real Madrid, as had Filipe Luis – both are now part of the history of this club.

"Even today, Alvaro [Morata] is doing well; Mario [Hermoso] gave a lot to the title-winning squad two seasons ago. 

"[Marcos] Llorente was off the charts when we won the title. I look at all these as football players."

Reguilon, who spent the 2019-20 season on loan with Sevilla, made 67 appearances in his first two seasons with Spurs, but has not yet featured this campaign.

It has been the same story for Lodi, who has yet to play any minutes in the 2022-23 season, and is eager to move on with an eye on Brazil's World Cup 2022 squad.
 
"Renan wants to play continuously. Because of his situation, that is not happening," Simeone said. "He is looking for a club where he believes he can get that.

"There are people who like to compete and others who prefer to change teams to get the minutes that theoretically gets them in a better position for the World Cup."

Alfred Schreuder says there has been no change of stance at Ajax over Antony's future, with the Manchester United target again left out of their squad.

Antony missed last week's win over Sparta Rotterdam and on Sunday was absent once more as Ajax faced Utrecht. 

The Brazil forward is a target for United, who have reportedly had several bids turned down for the 22-year-old, with speculation on Friday claiming a £76million (€89.4m) offer was rejected.

In an interview with journalist Fabrizio Romano, Antony pleaded with Ajax to sell him for "the highest bid ever for a player in the Eredivisie", as he explained he had made his desire to leave clear to the club earlier in 2022.

Antony's public request has not seemingly had the desired impact just yet, with the Eredivisie champions said to be holding out for a fee of £85m (€100m).

Speaking to reporters prior to the Utrecht match, Ajax head coach Schreuder said: "The situation is the same. We discuss this internally, also with the player. 

"The situation has not changed. He [is] at the club, we talked about it."

Schreuder did, however, suggest Ajax are readying themselves for life without Antony, by adding: "I want to focus on the guys who will be there."

Brendan Rodgers has suggested wantaway Leicester City defender Wesley Fofana is on the verge of completing a move to Chelsea.

Leicester rejected three bids from their Premier League rivals for Fofana, but they have reportedly agreed to sell the centre-back for a fee of £75million.

The 21-year-old Frenchman was not included in the Foxes squad for a 2-1 defeat at Chelsea on Saturday, as Rodgers says he was not in the right frame of mind to play any part.

Fofana has been training with Leicester's under-23 squad after making it clear he wants to join the London club before the transfer window closes on Sunday.

Rodgers has given a strong indication Fofana is close to getting his wish.

The Foxes boss said following the loss to 10-man Chelsea at Stamford Bridge: "It's the same with any player. For me if they decide they want to move and see their future elsewhere it is better to have it done as quickly as you possibly can.

"You have to prepare a team and a group of players and you have to maybe replace that player. Every coach will tell you the same. It doesn't benefit anyone if it drags on. So we will see what happens over the weekend."

Rodgers added: "No doubt that when the window shuts everything calms down.

"We have been unable to add [to the squad] and there has been a lot of speculation about our top players so there is no doubt it has been difficult. But it will stop on Thursday and then we can move on but until then we have to keep fighting."

Chelsea head coach Thomas Tuchel was tight-lipped over a move for Fofana, stating: "No, I can't tell you nothing about that."

Liverpool's hunt for midfield reinforcements is heating up, with the club reportedly investigating the possibility of bringing in Borussia Dortmund's England star Jude Bellingham in the January window.

As well as a Bellingham deal – which would likely have to exceed £100million – the Reds are also weighing up potential moves for Wolves' Ruben Neves and RB Leipzig's Konrad Laimer.

Football Insider is reporting Liverpool and Dortmund have reached a "verbal agreement" on a price for Bellingham, although the Bundesliga club has been consistent with their stance that they want to hold onto him for this season.

Laimer, on the other hand, only has one more year on his contract, and has told Leipzig he will not sign an extension, making him the most likely of the three to be on the move.

 

TOP STORY – LIVERPOOL LOOK AT LAIMER AND NEVES

Laimer, 25, is coming off a season with four goals and four assists in 26 Bundesliga games, and has shown he can produce against quality opposition, with a goal and two assists from his home and away fixtures against Bayern Munich.

The 90min report believes Laimer may be angling for a move to the Bundesliga champions after proving himself against them, but Liverpool could try and take him to Anfield.

Meanwhile, Wolves have been able to fend off interest for Neves from fellow Premier League clubs such as Manchester United and Arsenal, but with two years left on his deal, now would be the time to cash in if his long-term future is not at Molineux.

 

ROUND UP

– The Mirror are reporting if Antony leaves Ajax , the Eredivisie champions will try to land Aston Villa's Anwar El Ghazi as a replacement.

– According to Sky Sports, Newcastle United goalkeeper Martin Dubravka has told the club he wants to be sold to Manchester   United .

– The Sun claims Chelsea are considering terminating Ross Barkley's contract, which pays him £200,000 per week.

Barcelona are working on moves for Bernardo Silva and Marcos Alonso , according to the Daily Mail. 

– talkSPORT report  West Ham are in talks with Adnan Januzaj to bring the 27-year-old back to the Premier League, as he is available on a free transfer after leaving Real Sociedad.

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag could not be certain Cristiano Ronaldo will still be at the club after next week's transfer deadline.

Ronaldo returned to Old Trafford a year ago and, although he finished the 2021-22 season as United's top scorer with 18 Premier League goals, he could not prevent the club having a dreadful campaign.

United registered their worst points tally in Premier League history and failed to record a positive goal difference for the first time in over 30 years.

As a result, United comfortably missed out on Champions League qulification for this season, which seemed to be the root of widespread pre-season reports suggesting Ronaldo wanted to leave.

He was linked with several clubs, including Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Napoli and Atletico Madrid, but no move materialised and he eventually linked up with Ten Hag's squad towards the end of pre-season after missing their tour of Australia and Thailand.

Although there are reportedly no clubs currently interested in him, uncertainty stoked by press speculation continues to cloud Ronaldo's future; and while Ten Hag says he wants the Portugal striker to stay, he was hardly convincing when asked if that will be the case.

Speaking following Saturday's 1-0 win at Southampton, during which Ronaldo endured an error-strewn second-half cameo, Ten Hag said: "We plan with him. So we want him to stay. So that is what we want."

Ten Hag was then asked if Ronaldo would definitely remain if he wanted him to stay, and the Dutchman looked unsure as he hesitated to answer.

With something of a shrug, he replied: "I hope so."

The transfer window closes on Thursday, and United are expected to be active in the market before then.

Ajax's Antony and Cody Gakpo of PSV are the two attackers who have been most prominently linked with United in recent weeks, with the former publicly pleading for his club to sell him on Friday.

Napoli coach Luciano Spalletti would love to see Cristiano Ronaldo move to Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.

He doubts it will happen before the transfer deadline on Thursday, but Spalletti made it clear he believes Ronaldo could make a big impact on his team.

Ronaldo is no stranger to Serie A after spending three seasons at Juventus, and Napoli have been linked with a move for the 37-year-old in recent days.

He continues to be linked with an exit after starting just once this season under new Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag, having joined the Red Devils when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was boss 12 months ago.

Dutchman Ten Hag said on Saturday, after Ronaldo played as a substitute in the 1-0 win at Southampton: "We want him to stay."

There is time for movement, however, before the exit door closes, with Ronaldo reportedly keen to play Champions League football in the new season, which is something United cannot offer.

Talk of a swap deal involving Napoli's Victor Osimhen was brushed aside by Osimhen's agent this week, with Roberto Calenda writing on Twitter: "No negotiations in progress, no exchanges."

Now Spalletti has offered his personal view on Ronaldo, saying on Saturday: "Anyone would like to coach him, but as Osimhen's agent said there is no negotiation. [Napoli owner Aurelio] De Laurentiis also confirmed this."

With the window closing, Spalletti added: "I see it as difficult."

Ronaldo has had little to say about his future. He has been tipped for moves to the likes of Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Chelsea, Sporting CP and Atletico Madrid in recent weeks, but nothing has materialised. Last season, he was United's 24-goal leading scorer across all competitions.

Spalletti is one of the first significant figures to openly enthuse about the prospect of signing the veteran former Real Madrid forward during this twilight phase of his rightly lauded career.

He sees no problem with integrating Ronaldo, should he ever become available to Napoli.

"We are talking about someone who has won more championships, scored more goals, has the quality to be anywhere on the pitch," said Spalletti, quoted by Corriere dello Sport, ahead of his team's match at Fiorentina on Sunday.

"He is someone who resolves things on his own. The problem would not exist in one way or another."

Ander Herrera has returned to Athletic Bilbao after the club agreed a loan deal with Paris Saint-Germain.

Although the loan is initially for only the 2022-23 season, Athletic have the option to extend his stay for an extra year or make the arrangement permanent in 2023.

Herrera, 33, was born in Bilbao and spent three years at Athletic from 2011 after coming through Real Zaragoza's academy.

The experienced midfielder signed for PSG in 2019 after his Manchester United contract expired and made 95 appearances, winning Ligue 1, the Coupe de France and Trophee des Champions twice each, while also lifting the Coupe de la Ligue.

However, Herrera was never a regular starter for PSG and had been linked with a move away for much of the transfer window, with Christophe Galtier yet to call upon him this season.

Recent media reports suggested Herrera was likely to leave PSG on a free transfer, but the Parisians retain ownership of him for the time being.

Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain remain in negotiations for Leandro Paredes but his arrival may depend on players leaving first, according to Bianconeri chief executive Maurizio Arrivabene.

Massimiliano Allegri has bolstered his squad during the transfer window by signing Paul Pogba, Angel Di Maria, Bremer and Filip Kostic.

Adrien Rabiot was expected to depart Turin to join Manchester United, but the midfielder's move to Old Trafford fell through.

The France international may soon be partnered in midfield by Paredes, who has been frustrated by a lack of playing minutes for PSG.

Christophe Galtier has previously acknowledged Paredes could leave after falling down the midfield pecking order, with Arrivabene confirming Juve are looking to sign the 28-year-old.

"We are talking. But, I repeat, it is very important to make the exits," Arrivabene told DAZN when pressed for an update on Paredes ahead of Saturday's 1-1 draw with Roma.

Paulo Dybala, Matthijs de Ligt, Giorgio Chiellini, Aaron Ramsey and Merih Demiral are among those to leave the Allianz Stadium this transfer window.

However, Arrivabene expects more players to depart as he looks to balance assembling a squad with Allegri and financial constraints.

"We will be happy if we manage to carry out the exits that we intend to do in such a way that the sporting result is balanced with the financial one," he added.

Juve remain unbeaten in their opening three Serie A games this season, albeit with just one win and two draws, the most recent of which coming at home to Roma.

Erik ten Hag plans to keep Cristiano Ronaldo at Manchester United after their valuable win at Southampton, as he revealed his club are "alert" to the possibility of incomings.

Bruno Fernandes scored a terrific goal to guide United to a 1-0 win at St Mary's on Saturday, doubling their Premier League points tally for the season and handing Ten Hag his first back-to-back victories at the helm.

As well as claiming their first consecutive league wins since February, when they beat Brighton and Hove Albion and Leeds United, the Red Devils ended a seven-match away losing run. 

While United offered a glimpse of their potential under Ten Hag with a professional display on the south coast, movement is expected at Old Trafford before the transfer window closes on Thursday.

Ronaldo continues to be linked with an exit after starting just once this season, while Eredivisie duo Antony and Cody Gakpo have been touted as attacking targets.

While Ten Hag is still eyeing further additions, he insists Ronaldo remains in his thoughts, telling BT Sport: "We plan with him, we stick to the plan.

"If a good player is available, we will strike, because we want to strengthen the squad always. We will be alert until the last second of the window."

United have improved dramatically since they were comprehensively outplayed by Brighton and Brentford in Ten Hag's first two games in charge, and the Dutchman was satisfied with their latest performance.

"I think they learned some lessons from Brentford, it's quite clear. We were compact on their long balls, so that was quite good," he added.

"Of course, we are really happy with this result and also the goal we made. We also made two or three more really good chances, but you hope that you keep more control in the last 30 minutes of the game.

"Don't forget that before half-time we already had the biggest chance of the game, and it was three in one play! I was satisfied and at the start of the game, with better decisions and switches of play, we could have created more.

"But it's the start of the season. It's tough. You have to get into the season, and you have to fight and battle and we did that, then you get rewarded."

Fernandes was the star of the show on Saturday, scoring his 37th Premier League goal for United as he donned the captain's armband – only Mohamed Salah (54), Harry Kane (49) and Son Heung-min (45) have outscored the Portugal midfielder in the Premier League since his 2020 debut.

And Ten Hag said his well-worked strike typifies the style of football he wants to implement at Old Trafford. 

"It was a fantastic finish and I'm really happy for him, his first goal of the season, which is really good," Ten Hag said.

"But I think it was the best part from us, straight after half-time. That is what we demand, you get movement around, and straight after half-time we created three really good chances.

"That is how I see football, how I want us to play.

"There is still room for improvement, to control more, break more or keep better positions in some stages of the game. We are not that long in our way, like every team, but there we can improve."

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