Former Borussia Dortmund defender Dan-Axel Zagadou has signed for Stuttgart on a free transfer.

Zagadou, an ex-youth international for France, left Dortmund at the end of last season.

The 23-year-old's time at Signal Iduna Park was plagued by injuries, with a serious knee problem seeing him miss the end of the 2020-21 campaign and the start of the following term.

Having made his Bundesliga debut at 18, Zagadou went on to play 67 times in Germany's top tier for Dortmund.

Zagadou was unable to find a new club during the transfer window but has now joined Stuttgart, who sit 16th in the Bundesliga, having failed to win any of their opening seven matches.

He has signed a four-year deal with Stuttgart, and he told the club's official website: "I'm very happy to be here.

"I'd like to thank those in charge at VfB for the faith they've shown in me. I'm really looking forward to being out on the pitch with my new team-mates soon."

The club's sporting director, Sven Mislintat, added: "Daxo has all the qualities a top-level centre-back needs. He's athletically strong, is a good passer and has gained valuable experience domestically and at European level over the past few years."

Youri Tielemans is grateful for the respite the international break has provided from a "tough" start to the season at Leicester City, though he does not regret staying at the club.

Leicester have managed to take just one point from seven matches in the Premier League, losing each of their past six.

Among those defeats have been respective 5-2 and 6-2 losses to Brighton and Hove Albion and Tottenham, with the latter result on Saturday significantly increasing the heat on under-pressure manager Brendan Rodgers.

Tielemans was strongly linked with a move away from Leicester during the most recent transfer window, with the Foxes facing the prospect of losing a valuable asset for nothing when his contract expires at the end of the season.

Although no move materialised, Tielemans does not regret staying at the King Power Stadium – but the midfielder, the scorer of Leicester's winning goal against Chelsea in the 2020-21 FA Cup final, is relieved to get away from the negativity after joining up with Belgium.

"I'm happy to get a bit of fresh air here [on international duty] because it's tough at Leicester right now," he said at a press conference ahead of Belgium's Nations League games against Wales and the Netherlands.

"It's clear that things are not going well at the club. We are doing everything we can as a team.

"At Leicester, the consecutive defeats have affected us as a group. We need to benefit from this break to recharge our batteries.

"It's hard to get it off my mind as it keeps running through my head. Only my kids sometimes prevent me from thinking about it."

Arsenal were among the clubs heavily linked with Tielemans during the transfer window, and he promises to attract plenty of interest again in January if he does not sign a new contract beforehand.

Nevertheless, Tielemans feels Leicester's form and his contractual situation are completely separate subjects.

"I'm not going to speak too much about my contract at the moment," he continued. "I didn't leave Leicester in the summer as I always said the project had to be the right one.

"Just because things are getting worse now at Leicester doesn't mean I should regret [staying at the club]."

Arsenal were heavily linked with Manuel Locatelli more than 12 months ago and look set to revive their interest.

Locatelli won plenty of admirers with his performances for Italy at Euro 2020.

Among them was Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta, but at the time Locatelli preferred to join Juventus.

TOP STORY – GUNNERS TO REVIVE LOCATELLI INTEREST

Premier League leaders Arsenal will renew their pursuit of Italy international Manuel Locatelli in the near future, claims Calciomercato.

The Gunners have previously been linked with the 24-year-old Juventus midfielder, who is on loan from Sassuolo.

Locatelli was signed by the Bianconeri in August 2021 on a two-year loan, with Juventus holding the obligation to purchase him for €25 million payable over three years plus €12.5m in potential add-ons.

ROUND-UP

– Real Madrid will not stand in the way of Mariano Diaz should he decide to exit the club across town to join Atletico Madrid, according to El Nacional. It has previously been reported Atletico are targeting the 29-year-old striker.

– Madrid will not pursue a deal for Paris Saint-Germain attacker Kylian Mbappe if he has no interest in signing, according to Marca. Mbappe was close to joining the Spanish giants in the off-season as a free agent after a long chase, before signing a lucrative extension with PSG.

– The Sun claims that Leicester City may be forced to stick with manager Brendan Rodgers as it will be too expensive for the club to sack him amid their awful start to the new Premier League season. According to the report, the Foxes would need to pay Rodgers more than £10 million to sack him, with three years left on his deal.

– Chelsea's overhaul continues with the club on the cusp of appointing Christoph Freund as their new sporting director, claims The Guardian. Freund is with Austrian champions Salzburg. The Blues recently replaced Thomas Tuchel with Graham Potter as head coach.

Todd Boehly made it clear to Callum Hudson-Odoi that he wants the Chelsea loanee to return to Stamford Bridge after gaining experience with Bayer Leverkusen.

The 21-year-old was left frustrated during his time with the Blues under former coach Thomas Tuchel, moving to Leverkusen on loan in August after failing to make an appearance for Chelsea this season.

A lack of opportunities was the driving factor for the loan spell in the Bundesliga, where Hudson-Odoi has appeared three times and assisted once.

Chairman Boehly acknowledged in recent weeks Chelsea have too often lost bright young prospects, such as Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku, and does not want to make the same error.

That is the reason Boehly refused to include a buyout clause in Hudson Odoi's loan to Gerardo Seoane's side, insisting he wants the forward to return to west London next season.

"It's definitely different," he said. "When a club is trying to get a player [on loan], they always want that option to buy at the end of the season. Todd was saying: 'Listen, we want you back here.'

"You're still on the radar of being wanted by the club. The way he's trying to set it up, there are a lot of young players he's trying to buy for the next few years.

"It shows he wants to integrate the players into the team and help them develop."

Tammy Abraham, Fikayo Tomori, Marc Guehi and Jamal Musiala are all more recent examples of players to leave Chelsea for more opportunities, and Hudson-Odoi is aware of the benefits his loan can have.

"It's good for young talents to come here, play games and experience something new," he added. "Sometimes you're from London, you want to stick to that.

"But it's time to come and develop, try something new and be open to it."

Tuchel was dismissed from his role shortly after Hudson-Odoi departed for Germany, though the latter holds no grudges against his former boss.

He added: "It was one of those difficult moments when you look at yourself and say, 'What am I doing wrong? Have I done anything wrong to not even be in the squad?'

"I would never say anything bad about Thomas, he was a good guy, a good manager. [But] the first game of the season, it was frustrating. Any footballer that isn't in the squad would understand how frustrating it is.

"Regular football gives you consistency and the more games you play, the more consistent you become, the more form starts to kick in.

"You feel fresher, you feel better, you feel like… not that you're getting treated fairly but that you've got the trust from the manager to push you and kick you on. You don't want to be on the bench thinking, 'Why am I not playing?'

"And then it becomes weeks and weeks and the legs are rusty when you do play. The most important thing is consistent football. That's what I'm getting here and it's making me feel better.

"Right now, playing games, momentum is kicking on and you feel refreshed: new country, brand-new experience. It's definitely refreshing to know I get an opportunity to play games week in, week out, enjoying it and smiling!"

Manchester United have identified Leicester City midfielder Youri Tielemans as a key target in January, filling one of the three gaps the club reportedly believe they need to address at the next opportunity.

Tielemans, 25, has already earned 52 international caps for Belgium and fits the bill as a creative technician in the middle of the park, with Fichajes claiming United feel Christian Eriksen is their only current option for that role.

Leicester have been unwilling to part ways with one of their best players, but with his contract set to expire at the end of this season, January will be their last chance to cash-in before he can leave on a free transfer.

TOP STORY – UNITED EYE TIELEMANS AS THEIR NEXT MIDFIELD MAESTRO

Due to Tielemans' contract situation, United may be able to scoop him up for well under his market value, although the player himself will ultimately have all the leverage if he chooses to wait things out and become a free agent.

As well as a central midfielder, the report also includes United are aggressively hunting another right-back – particularly in the Dutch market – and a forward.

Their January budget is said to be at £70million, but if they can find a team to take Cristiano Ronaldo off their books then that number will rise to £100m.

ROUND-UP

– The Liverpool Echo is reporting a bidding war is set to break out between United and Liverpool over 21-year-old Flamengo midfielder Joao Gomes, who is believed to be valued at over £30m.

– According to Ole, Moises Caicedo is keen to follow former Brighton manager Graham Potter over to Chelsea. 

– Chelsea are locking up 18-year-old midfielder Lewis Hall on a contract that will keep him tied to the club through 2025, per Football London.

– Arsenal are joining Manchester City, Juventus, Barcelona and Bayern Munich in the hunt for Eintracht Frankfurt midfielder Jesper Lindstrom, who Calciomercato are reporting is worth £17m.

– Transfer Tavern is reporting West Ham will make another run at Torino full-back Ola Aina in January after having their interest rebuffed the last time around.

Real Madrid have joined the race to land Inter centre-back Milan Skriniar, with the 27-year-old's contract set to expire at the end of this season.

Skriniar has been one of the most in-demand defenders in the world this year, with numerous bids coming during the last transfer window from Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Tottenham.

While Inter are keen to fend off the outside interest and lock him into a new contract, the fact that he will be able to leave on a free transfer at the conclusion of the campaign could force their hand.

TOP STORY – REAL MADRID HOPE TO SECURE SKRINIAR ON FREE TRANSFER

Madrid took advantage of the free agent market this past window, signing Antonio Rudiger when his Chelsea contract finished, and Football Insider claim they have similar plans for Skriniar.

Inter reportedly turned down bids worth in the €60million range from PSG with the hope an upgraded contract could keep Skriniar in Italy long-term, but with time running out, Tuttosport is reporting the French giants will return with a bid of €30m in January.

The Football Insider report also stresses how important Tottenham's Antonio Conte views the big Slovakian, having started 31 out of 38 league games for Conte when he was with Inter for their Serie A title in 2020-21.

ROUND-UP

– 90min is reporting Arsenal are considering a move for 27-year-old free agent midfielder Xeka after his contract with Lille recently expired.

– According to The Mirror, Liverpool are leaning towards terminating the loan of Juventus' Arthur Melo just weeks after the 26-year-old midfielder arrived at Anfield.

– After an impressive loan stint at Fiorentina last season, Real Madrid right-back Alvaro Odriozola has caught the eye of another Italian club, with Juventus said to be interested in a January move in the range of €15m.

– Leicester City centre-back Caglar Soyuncu has decided to sign with Atletico Madrid when his contract finishes at the end of the season, per Mundo Deportivo.

– The Independent is reporting Everton are preparing a new contract offer for Anthony Gordon that will pay him six times his current salary.

Paris Saint-Germain did not have a good transfer window, according to the club's football advisor Luis Campos.

The French champions underwent a significant overhaul following the departure of Mauricio Pochettino, with Campos arriving and swiftly appointing Christophe Galtier as the Argentine's successor.

PSG's new hierarchy then brought in a wealth of additions, including Vitinha and Fabian Ruiz, but were unable to complete a move for Inter defender Milan Skriniar.

That defensive gap is one of the reasons why Campos was left underwhelmed by the club's business in the transfer window.

"We are coming to the end of the transfer window without the perfect balance. We have a huge quality in the squad, no doubt. In the end, it was not perfect," he told RMC Sport.

"It's always hard to have perfection. But we work to be as close as possible to perfection. This is a serious problem for us.

"When we have three central defenders and we started playing with three central defenders, it puts us in difficulty. I'm not going to talk about names. We didn't just talk to Skriniar. If we are missing a piece, the puzzle is not complete.

"We did not have a good transfer window. The transfer window is a long time. The first week, we managed to make Vitinha. After that, we have six or seven weeks without anything. In the last week, everything is much more expensive."

Campos also detailed the vast amount of work that he and Galtier inherited at the French capital, with the squad requiring a significant cull.

"When I arrived, there were 54 players and no second team. With Christophe, we said we had to be ourselves. We wanted to have 21-22 players," he explained.

"With 54 players, PSG has the obligation to ensure financial fair play, which is complex. Complex measures have been taken. We created different model.

"The economic and sports must work together. We are a football club. The priority has been the economic filter, for me it is very clear.

"When the club thinks of only sports and forgets the economic, it is a disaster. The opposite is the same."

Barcelona succeeded in their push to sign Keira Walsh after using "really aggressive" transfer tactics, according to Manchester City boss Gareth Taylor.

The England midfielder, who shone for the Lionesses in their Euro 2022 trophy success, joined Barcelona on September 7.

The Catalan giants were reported to have paid a world-record fee of around £350,000 (€400,000) to secure Walsh's signature, although that has been cast into some doubt by subsequent comments from Barcelona.

Walsh left City a day before the Women's Super League transfer deadline, and Taylor said the timing was "down to Barcelona and nothing to do with us".

"I always believe that you want players who want to be here. Keira had given eight solid years of service and probably her last season developed into one of her best seasons for the club and on the international stage," Taylor said.

"When you have that and another project comes along, that was a real opportunity for her: a different league and a different country."

She pushed for the move, Taylor added. At that point City had little option but to negotiate the best possible deal.

"The last thing you want is a player who's going to stay because we made a decision to not take a world record fee and being really disgruntled; I don't think anyone really gains from that," Taylor said.

"We tried to support Keira the best we could while trying not to kill ourselves. Some of the earlier bids were of that mind where we weren't comfortable with that.

"But towards the end it was really aggressive bidding from them."

Taylor said the fee, which has not been officially disclosed, was high enough to show "we're doing something right here at the club".

He said signing a like-for-like replacement at close to Walsh's world-class level might cost City as much as they received for the 25-year-old, who has been reunited with England team-mate and former City colleague Lucy Bronze at Barcelona.

After a summer of big-name exits, with Bronze going to Barcelona and Georgia Stanway and Caroline Weir also departing to join Bayern Munich and Real Madrid respectively, and Ellen White retiring, it remains to be seen how City cope in the new WSL season, which gets under way this weekend.

On deadline day, City plugged a hole in their squad with the signing of Japan midfielder Yui Hasegawa from West Ham.

Taylor takes his team to Aston Villa on Sunday for their opener, after last week's programme of games was postponed following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

Sergino Dest is ready to give "100 per cent" in order to secure his long-term future at Milan following his loan move from Barcelona.

The United States international is on a season-long loan in Serie A, with a purchase option, following a frustrating 2021-22 campaign under Xavi at Camp Nou.

A pair of Champions League appearances has seen the 21-year-old on European rotation so far, but there are suggestions he will be given his chance to prove his worth with the club.

Asked ahead of this weekend's crucial clash with Napoli what he must do to earn a longer stay, Dest spoke of his commitment to the Rossoneri cause, adding that he is settling into life in Italy.

"What I can do is give 100 per cent so that Milan can decide to keep me," he stated. "Settling into Italy is going well, it has all be very fast.

"I haven't had much time to look around and visit the city, but everyone in the team is very welcoming. It's not easy to remember all the names, but the coach helps me."

Dest was included in the latest USMNT squad for their final matches ahead of the Qatar 2022 World Cup later this year.

Though his place is likely secure on the plane, the right-back will hope for a string of impressive performances at club level to cement his spot.

Bundesliga sensation Jude Bellingham has a long list of admirers back in England.

The Three Lions midfielder's contract at Borussia Dortmund runs until 2025.

Bellingham left England when he moved from Birmingham City for Dortmund in 2020.

TOP STORY – REDS LEADING BELLINGHAM PURSUIT

Liverpool are leading the race to sign teenager Bellingham from Dortmund, reports The Telegraph.

Manchester United are also interested in the 19-year-old, who has started all nine of Dortmund's games this season.

Bellingham may be allowed to leave Dortmund in 2023, and the German club are expecting a bid from the Reds.

ROUND-UP

– The Mirror claims Liverpool are also mulling over a move for new Wolves signing Matheus Nunes as an alternative to Bellingham, should they miss out.

– Rafael Leao has attracted interest from Chelsea and Manchester City but will snub both to stay with Milan on a new long-term deal, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport.

– Sport claims Barcelona are keeping an eye on Monaco's Brazilian left-back Caio Henrique.

– Free agent Danny Rose has verbally agreed to join AEK Athens, reports The Sun. The ex-Tottenham defender left Watford earlier this month.

Jose Mourinho admitted he was "a little scared" amid speculation of Nicolo Zaniolo leaving Roma, while he refuted suggestions the attacker was difficult to manage.

Zaniolo scored the winning goal as Roma ended a 14-year trophy drought, defeating Feyenoord in the inaugural Europa Conference League final in May.

But speculation persisted in the close season that the 23-year-old may depart the Eternal City, with Juventus reportedly the favourites to secure his signature.

Zaniolo dismissed the move as never likely ahead of Thursday's Europa League clash with HJK Helsinki, which Roma won 3-0 after goals from Paulo Dybala, Lorenzo Pellegrini and Andrea Belotti.

While the Italy international suggested a transfer was never on the cards, Mourinho acknowledged he was nervous he could lose one of his brightest prospects.

"The director [Tiago Pinto] never came to me to tell me: 'this possibility exists'. Never. You read so many things, especially in the summer," the Roma coach told reporters after victory over HJK. 

"I knew he was an important player for us, with different qualities than the others. He's the only one with this physical potential. Yes, I was a little scared.

"He's a good guy, they told me he was a disaster as a professional. Either it was lies or he changed. I have never seen him arrive late, never had problems."

Roma sit three points behind early pacesetters Real Betis in Group C, with Ludogorets in second after defeating the Giallorossi on matchday one.

Jose Mourinho admitted he was "a little scared" amid speculation of Nicolo Zaniolo leaving Roma, while he refuted suggestions the attacker was difficult to manage.

Zaniolo scored the winning goal as Roma ended a 14-year trophy drought, defeating Feyenoord in the inaugural Europa Conference League final in May.

But speculation persisted in the close season that the 23-year-old may depart the Eternal City, with Juventus reportedly the favourites to secure his signature.

Zaniolo dismissed the move as never likely ahead of Thursday's Europa League clash with HJK Helsinki, which Roma won 3-0 after goals from Paulo Dybala, Lorenzo Pellegrini and Andrea Belotti.

While the Italy international suggested a transfer was never on the cards, Mourinho acknowledged he was nervous he could lose one of his brightest prospects.

"The director [Tiago Pinto] never came to me to tell me: 'this possibility exists'. Never. You read so many things, especially in the summer," the Roma coach told reporters after victory over HJK. 

"I knew he was an important player for us, with different qualities than the others. He's the only one with this physical potential. Yes, I was a little scared.

"He's a good guy, they told me he was a disaster as a professional. Either it was lies or he changed. I have never seen him arrive late, never had problems."

Roma sit three points behind early pacesetters Real Betis in Group C, with Ludogorets in second after defeating the Giallorossi on matchday one.

James Rodriguez has signed for Olympiacos after terminating his contract with Qatar Stars League club Al-Rayyan.

The Colombia international joined Al-Rayyan from Everton in September 2021, a little over a year after he had joined the Premier League side, with Rafael Benitez having deemed the playmaker surplus to requirements.

James made just 12 league appearances for Al-Rayyan, scoring four times, and on Thursday the club confirmed the mutual termination of the 31-year-old's contract, enabling him to sign for Greek giants Olympiacos on a free transfer.

Olympiacos teased the arrival of the attacker, who claimed LaLiga and Bundesliga titles with Real Madrid and Bayern Munich respectively, with a shirt featuring the number 10, before officially confirming the signing later on Thursday.

James starred at the 2014 World Cup, winning the Golden Boot and earning a switch from Monaco to Madrid, but he will not be making a swift return to Qatar later this year, with Colombia having failed to qualify for the tournament.

With Olympiacos featuring in the Europa League, James will be in line to make his first appearance in a UEFA competition since October 2019, when he played in the Champions League for Madrid.

Across his appearances in the Champions League, Europa League and the Super Cup, James has scored six goals and provided 12 assists.

Manchester United are reportedly ready for a major change, with Atletico Madrid goalkeeper Jan Oblak said to be a priority target.

Both Oblak, 29, and current United number one David de Gea, 31, are in the last season of their respective contracts. While a January move may be possible, it appears more likely United will try to bring in Oblak on an end-of-season free transfer, as Atletico will also want to hold onto their world-class keeper for as long as possible.

De Gea has publicly declared his desire to remain at Old Trafford, but if Erik ten Hag decides his time as the number one is coming to an end, then he will likely have to leave unless United want the most expensive backup keeper in the world.

TOP STORY – UNITED TARGET JAN OBLAK AS LONG-TERM GOALKEEPER REPLACEMENT

According to a report from French publication Jeunes Footeux, United are looking for a goalkeeper of international calibre and are willing to pay up for the man with 359 appearances for Atletico since 2014.

It claims United are willing to make an offer of €18million per season – almost double the current salary of the 29-year-old Slovenian – to convince him to make the jump to the Premier League.

The report includes a nugget of information about Paris Saint-Germain also being interested in securing Oblak's services, as questions continue to be asked about Gianluigi Donnarumma.

ROUND-UP

– GiveMeSport is reporting Arsenal are "very close" to securing a contract extension for 21-year-old Bukayo Saka.

– According to Calciomercato.com, Manchester City are joining Chelsea in the chase for Milan's Rafael Leao as he bides his time on signing a new contract.

– Calciomercato is also reporting Milan are looking for forward reinforcements after recent injuries to Divock Origi and Ante Rebic, with Club Brugge winger Noa Lang named as a possible future target. Lille's Jonathan David and Salzburg's Noah Okafor have also been linked.

– Brighton are offering new deals to Alexis Mac Allister and Leandro Trossard in an effort to fend off transfer offers, according to Ekrem Konur with Fichajes.

– After being one of the most in-demand centre-backs in the world this past transfer window, Inter's Milan Skriniar is expected to be awarded with a new and improved contract, according to Foot Mercato.

Roma's Nicolo Zaniolo remains relaxed about his contract situation and has refuted claims he came close to leaving the Giallorossi in the transfer window.

Zaniolo helped Roma end a 14-year trophy drought in May, scoring the winning goal as Jose Mourinho's men beat Feyenoord to win the inaugural Europa Conference League.

The attacker's contract in the Italian capital does not expire until 2024, but he was strongly linked with an exit during the recent transfer window.

Juventus were considered the most likely suitors for the 23-year-old, who has nine senior caps for Italy, but he insists a transfer was never likely.

Speaking at a news conference ahead of Roma's Europa League clash with HJK, Zaniolo said: "It was not a unique summer for me. It always seems that I always go and then I stay.

"These are inferences and thoughts that [the media] make. I still have a year and a half on the contract to be able to talk about it. This is not the time right now because we have HJK and Atalanta. 

"Roma has given me so much. It has given me everything and we hope to win other titles."

Zaniolo also outlined his appreciation for Mourinho's backing, adding: "I have to thank the coach because he's always been willing to give me a hand and a second chance. He's a great coach and a great person. I'm happy to have him."

Ahead of Thursday's meeting with the Finnish outfit, Roma are unbeaten in their past 19 home matches in European competitions (W13 D6), the longest such run in their history.

Roma did begin their Europa League campaign with a 2-1 defeat at Ludogorets, however, meaning Mourinho has lost his last two games in the competition (also 3-0 v Dinamo Zagreb with Tottenham in March 2021). Mourinho had previously lost just three of his 24 Europa League games (W17 D4).

The qualities of captain Lorenzo Pellegrini will be key to the Giallorossi's hopes of getting their campaign up and running on Thursday, and Mourinho wishes he could field him in multiple positions.

"Last year I talked about three Pellegrinis, who would always be starters because he can play three different roles and he does them all great. For his age, he has room for improvement but he's a top player," Mourinho said.

"It's a pity that there is only one – I would like three Lorenzos. We try to give him a role where he feels at ease.

"Lorenzo is the first to know that as a captain, the most important thing is to be available to the team."