Bayern Munich have been left with a hole after Robert Lewandowski's exit for Barcelona.

Sadio Mane moved to Munich from Liverpool in the close season but he is not a like-for-like replacement.

Bayern have started the new Bundesliga campaign in indifferent form, following up three wins with as many draws.

TOP STORY – NEGOTIATIONS UNDERWAY BETWEEN KANE AND BAYERN

Harry Kane is increasingly open to the idea of making the move to join German champions Bayern Munich, claims Sky Sports.

Sky Sports' Florian Plettenberg reports that negotiations have already been held by Bayern and Kane's brother Charlie, who represents him.

Bayern have made the Tottenham striker their number one target and can offer him the likelihood of silverware, in comparison to Spurs.

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– Fabrizio Romano reports that Lionel Messi will not make a decision on his future until after the World Cup, but Paris Saint-Germain are planning to offer him a new deal, while Barcelona are interested in re-signing him. Messi is contracted until 2023 but there is the option of another year in Paris.

– Jude Bellingham's list of suitors is growing with Chelsea, Manchester City, Manchester United and Liverpool all keen on Borussia Dortmund's English talent according to AS.

– New Chelsea boss Graham Potter has approved the club's pursuit of RB Leipzig defender Josko Gvardiol, with the club to try to sign him again in June 2023 reports Fichajes.

– Germany international forward Max Kruse's contract with Wolfsburg is set to be mutually terminated during the Bundesliga break, claims Sport.

– The Guardian reports that Lens head coach Franck Haise is under consideration for the vacant Brighton and Hove Albion managerial post, along with Bodo/Glimt's Kjetil Knutsen and ex-Shakhtar Donetsk boss Roberto De Zerbi.

Atletico Madrid are not negotiating with Barcelona over a permanent move for Antoine Griezmann, according to the club's chief executive Enrique Cerezo.

Speculation mounted on Tuesday that Atleti were in talks with Barca to sign the forward permanently.

Griezmann re-joined Atleti on loan from Barca last year, after spending two largely forgettable seasons at Camp Nou following a €120million move in 2019.

The France international featured 26 times in LaLiga last season, making 21 starts and scoring three goals.

He has not started any of Atleti's six games across all competitions this term, playing just 165 minutes, with Diego Simeone suggesting finances are a factor.

Atleti will reportedly owe Barca €40m if Griezmann plays over 50 per cent of the minutes in matches and, as such, the 31-year-old has consistently been subbed on after the hour.

It has not impacted his form, however, with Griezmann taking up a super-sub mantle, scoring three goals, including a 101st-minute winner against Porto in the Champions League last week.

Amid speculation of Barca taking legal action, talks between the clubs were said to be under way over a permanent move, but these rumours were shot down by Cerezo.

As reported by Marca, Cerezo said: "We haven't met with Barcelona nor do we have news that we are going to meet.

"The Griezmann issue is very clear, you already know it or you can imagine it. So until everything is resolved, if there is something to solve, we are at the same point.

"At the moment we are at the same point, nothing has changed with Barca on Griezmann. Right now there is nothing, it is the same as when we started the season."

Atleti face Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday in their second Champions League outing of the campaign.

Griezmann has been involved in 28 goals in 35 group stage appearances for Atleti, scoring 20 times and providing eight assists.

He has scored in their second match of the tournament in his last three seasons with the club, against Chelsea in 2017-18, Club Brugge in 2018-19 and Milan last term.

Spain striker Raul de Tomas has agreed to return to Rayo Vallecano after a deal was confirmed with Espanyol.

The 27-year-old spent two seasons on loan at Estadio de Vallecas from Real Madrid between 2017 and 2019, before making a permanent move to Benfica, and then Espanyol.

However, as his move back to Vallecano has been completed outside the transfer and registration window, the player cannot feature for his new team until January. A lack of match action in the coming months means it is unlikely De Tomas will be named in the Spain squad for the World Cup later this year.

De Tomas – who has four caps for La Roja –scored 17 goals in 34 LaLiga appearances for Espanyol last season, but was keen to move to Vallecano before the transfer window closed.

That was not possible as negotiations stuttered, though they continued after the window closed, even leading to the player's agent Ivan Garcia being accused of headbutting Vallecano's president Raul Martin Presa, with the club releasing a statement on Saturday saying: "Ivan Garcia assaulted Raul Martin Presa, hitting him in the face with his head on Thursday night.

"Precisely because he was attacked, Raul Martin Presa called the police, went to the emergency room of a hospital centre to receive medical assistance and immediately filed a complaint against Ivan Garcia at the police station."

Nevertheless, Vallecano announced on Tuesday that a deal had been agreed to sign De Tomas, with reports suggesting the fee to be around €8million, with a further €3m in add-ons, and the club confirmed he had signed until 2027.

That falls some way short of Espanyol's supposed initial valuation of €30m, but the writing seemed to be on the wall when the player fell out with head coach Diego Martinez, and he has not featured for the Periquitos this season.

De Tomas made his Spain debut last November in the 1-0 win away to Greece in World Cup qualifying, and has since played for the national team against Sweden, Portugal and Czech Republic.

Cristiano Ronaldo's future at Manchester United was a major source of speculation during the transfer window.

The 37-year-old Portuguese forward reportedly wanted to leave United in order to fulfil his desire to play Champions League football and challenge for trophies in the top leagues.

However, Ronaldo was unable to secure a move, with the likes of Napoli, Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid publicly distancing themselves from him following links, which may have led to another option being considered down the line.

TOP STORY – RONALDO TO RE-VISIT SAUDI OFFER IN JANUARY

Cristiano Ronaldo is reconsidering a lucrative offer from an unnamed Saudi Arabian club and could move in January, according to The Mirror.

Ronaldo had a stunning £211million Saudi offer during the transfer window but declined the move as he remained focused on playing in Europe.

But he will re-visit that in January after failing to secure a move, as he comes to the realisation his desire to play Champions League football and win trophies in top leagues may be fading.

Ronaldo has also struggled for game time this season at United under new boss Erik ten Hag, starting just one out of six Premier League games so far.

ROUND-UP

– L'Equipe claims that Kylian Mbappe's Paris Saint-Germain contract expires in 2024 and not 2025, as that final year is at the sole discretion of the player. Mbappe was close to joining Real Madrid last term before signing a lucrative extension with PSG.

– Inter are eager to work on a contract extension for defender Milan Skriniar who is out of contract at the end of this season, reports L'Interista. The Slovakian defender was pursued by PSG during the last transfer window, while Tottenham were also credited with an interest.

– Arsenal will look to loan out 19-year-old Brazilian winger Marquinhos in order to gain first-team experience and game time, reports FourFourTwo. As a result, the Gunners will aim to bring in a short-term replacement in January.

– N'Golo Kante has declined a new two-year deal with Chelsea and is out of contract in 2023, claims The Athletic.

– UOL says  Brighton and Hove Albion are interested in hiring Palmeiras boss Abel Ferreira to replace Graham Potter, who exited for Chelsea last week.

Newcastle United have signed Loris Karius to a short-term contract after back-up goalkeeper Karl Darlow sustained an injury in training.

Eddie Howe's side were in a strong position in their goalkeeping department in the final days of the transfer window.

Nick Pope, signed from Burnley, had an immediate impact in the Newcastle starting XI, displacing Martin Dubravka to leave Darlow as third-choice.

However, Dubravka headed to Manchester United on loan, and Darlow was then injured after the window closed.

Newcastle have instead been forced to turn to the free agent market, with Karius released by Liverpool at the end of last season.

The former Germany youth international had not appeared for Liverpool since the 2017-18 Champions League final, in which he suffered a concussion and committed two awful errors that allowed Real Madrid to win 3-1.

Karius was subsequently replaced by Alisson, spending the next two seasons on loan at Besiktas and the following campaign with Union Berlin.

He joins Newcastle after a year back at Liverpool, where he was no longer considered part of Jurgen Klopp's first-team plans.

"I'm excited," Karius said upon signing a deal until January, which could be extended to the end of the season.

"It's a good opportunity for me and a great project to be part of. It didn't take me long to make a decision.

"Newcastle have a great coach and play really attractive football. I felt it was the right project for me and I'm excited to work with the coaches and my new team-mates."

Wolves have signed Diego Costa on a free transfer after losing fellow striker Sasa Kalajdzic to an anterior cruciate ligament injury.

Kalajdzic, a £15.4million (€18m) arrival from Stuttgart in the recent transfer window, was substituted at half-time on his Premier League debut, a 1-0 win over Southampton at Molineux.

With the Austrian expected to miss the majority of the campaign, Wolves have turned to former Chelsea and Atletico Madrid striker Costa, whose contract will run until the end of the season.

Chairman Jeff Shi said: "We are absolutely delighted to welcome Diego Costa to Wolves, and back to the Premier League.

"A serial winner with a wealth of experience at the highest level, Diego will bring something unique to our dressing room and on the pitch, and we look forward to his impact at Molineux and Compton this season."

Costa, who has scored 10 goals in 24 senior appearances for Spain, won two Premier League titles during a successful three-year stint with Chelsea between 2014 and 2017.

Costa scored 52 goals in 89 Premier League appearances for Chelsea – during his three seasons as a Blues regular, only Harry Kane (75), Sergio Aguero (70), Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez (both 53) hit the net more often in the competition.  

Having been frozen out by then-Chelsea boss Antonio Conte in 2017, Costa returned to Atletico Madrid, for whom he had scored 64 goals in 135 appearances before moving to England.

The fiery 33-year-old then helped Atletico Mineiro to the Brazilian title in 2021. He departed as a free agent in January, paving the way for his arrival at Molineux, which remains subject to international clearance.

Cristiano Ronaldo would be welcomed to the Saudi Pro League with open arms if he were to leave Manchester United, according to the president of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation Yasser Almisehal.

Ronaldo reportedly asked to leave United after they missed out on Champions League qualification last season, but was unable to secure an Old Trafford exit before the transfer window closed.

A host of potential suitors including Bayern Munich, Atletico Madrid and Napoli all publicly ruled out signing the five-time Ballon d'Or winner, who has endured a frustrating start to the new campaign.

Since Erik ten Hag took charge at United, Ronaldo has started just one of the Red Devils' six Premier League games, while fellow forwards Marcus Rashford (523), Jadon Sancho (423) and Anthony Elanga (215) have all bettered his 207 minutes of league action.

Amid a lack of takers in Europe, Ronaldo was also linked with Saudi Arabian outfit Al Hilal, and Almisehal hopes a deal to take him to the country can still be struck.

"We would love to see a player like Cristiano Ronaldo playing in the Saudi league," he told The Athletic.

"It would bring a huge positive feedback and it would be big news for everyone. I'm sure everyone knows the achievements and records of Cristiano Ronaldo, but also as a player who is a great role model.

"Why not? I'm sure it would be a very expensive deal, of course, but we can see our clubs getting higher revenues in the past couple of years. 

"We have already seen some big players who used to play in the Premier League come to the Saudi league. I like Cristiano Ronaldo as a player and I would like to see him play in Saudi Arabia."

Asked whether bringing the legendary 37-year-old to Saudi Arabia was a realistic proposition, Almisehal added: "To be honest, I don't have the answer. 

"If I was the president of a club, I could give you the answer. But my colleagues at the clubs don't have to share their negotiations with me.

"It wouldn't be an easy transaction for a Saudi club or even for him, but we would love to see him or even some other top players of the same level."

After making a terrific start to the season, Arsenal are reportedly looking to bolster their squad further in the January transfer window as they weigh up a move for Barcelona winger Ferran Torres.

Torres, 22, was acquired by the Spanish giants this January after emerging at Manchester City as one of Spain's top young talents, costing €55million.

With his playing time inconsistent, and the numerous questions about Barcelona's finances and their need to sell players, it appears Torres is someone the club feels comfortable parting ways with less than 12 months after his arrival.

TOP STORY – ARSENAL WANT TO BRING TORRES BACK TO THE PREMIER LEAGUE

Torres has failed to establish himself as a regular starter, and with plenty of forward depth after the expensive additions of Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha – along with Ousmane Dembele and Ansu Fati already being on the books – Barcelona are said to be looking to recoup their spending.

Fichajes is reporting Barcelona will be setting their asking price at the full amount they paid City, but for a young player who already has 13 international goals in 28 caps for Spain, it is not an unreasonable figure.

Meanwhile, 90min claims Barcelona are still looking to cash in on Frenkie de Jong after a lengthy transfer saga with Manchester United ended with no deal, indicating they may need to sell at least one player to keep balancing their books.

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– Calciomercato are reporting Chelsea remain interested in United's Marcus Rashford, along with Atletico Madrid, if he does not receive a contract extension.

– According to The Sun, Wolves and Liverpool will both attempt to sign Benfica midfielder Enzo Fernandez, just months after he arrived from River Plate on a bargain €8million deal.

– Bayern Munich 's sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic has denied enquiring with Tottenham about the availability of Harry Kane, per Sport1.

– Corriere dello Sport is reporting Rafael Leao's contract demands with Milan have boosted his chances of leaving the club, with Chelsea named as the primary interested party. 

– Newcastle United's hunt for a goalkeeper did not end with their signing of free agent Loris Karius, with Portuguese publication JN reporting they are considering activating the £51m release clause for 22-year-old Porto goalie Diogo Costa.

Liverpool reportedly had a deadline-day bid for Moises Caicedo rejected by Brighton and Hove Albion.

The 20-year-old is hot property with a long list of suitors, after an impressive second half of last season in the Premier League.

Caicedo joined Brighton from Independiente del Valle in January 2021 on a four-and-half-year contract.

TOP STORY – BRIGHTON TO OPEN TALKS WITH CAICEDO

Brighton and Hove Albion will open contract talks with hot property Moises Caicedo according to The Mirror.

The Ecuadorian has interest from Liverpool, Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea.

The Seagulls are determined to fend off those suitors by pinning Caicedo down to a new contract.

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– Fichajes reports French giants Paris Saint-Germain will look to sign Antoine Griezmann after this season, as they begin planning for Lionel Messi's departure. Griezmann is currently on a two-year loan at Atletico Madrid from Barcelona. Messi is contracted until mid-2023 and view Griezmann as a suitable replacement if they cannot convince him to extend his stay.

– Barcelona will resume their chase for Manchester City's Bernardo Silva in January, reports Sport. LaLiga has increased the club's salary cap, allowing them to pursue the Portuguese midfielder again.

– The Telegraph claims that among those under consideration for the vacant Brighton managerial role are ex-Shakhtar Donetsk boss Roberto de Zerbi and Bodo/Glimt's Kjetil Knutsen.

– Carlo Ancelotti is set to be rewarded for his successful 2021-22 campaign with Real Madrid set to offer him a new contract, according to Marca. Ancelotti's current deal runs until 2024.

Chelsea's first big transfer splash under new boss Graham Potter could reportedly be RB Leipzig defender Josko Gvardiol, after the club had a £77million bid rejected before the deadline.

Gvardiol is young at 20, but he does not lack experience, having already been awarded 10 senior international caps for Croatia, as well as racking up 47 club appearances in all competitions last season for Leipzig.

He was one of many high-profile defenders to be enquired about during Chelsea's search that ended up landing Leicester City's Wesley Fofana and Napoli's Kalidou Koulibaly.

But with Koulibaly already 31 and Thiago Silva now 37, the club may feel it is best to figure out the succession plan sooner rather than later.

TOP STORY – CHELSEA PLAN BIG MOVE FOR GVARDIOL IN JANUARY

With over £150m spent between Fofana, Koulibaly and Marc Cucurella, while being tied with Manchester United for the fewest goals scored in the Premier League by a team in the top-half (eight from six games), it is curious to see the Stamford Bridge side still so desperate for defensive help.

It remains to be seen what kind of budget Potter will be allowed to use in the January window, given all the recent signings had been under Thomas Tuchel's guidance, and it is also fair to assume a potential Gvardiol deal would not have this season's results in mind, given their previous offer included loaning him back to Leipzig.

Ownership's willingness to open up the cheque book in January would have likely been discussed during their recruitment of Potter, and Bild remain convinced Chelsea's interest with the young Croatian is far from over.

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– According to The Mirror, Arsenal and Newcastle United will compete for the signature of 26-year-old Benfica left-back Alex Grimaldo, who is said to be available for £8.6m due to being in the last year of his contract.

– The Metro is reporting United full-back Diogo Dalot turned down a move to Milan, instead wishing to fight for his spot at Old Trafford.

– According to inews, Newcastle are joining the race for Vasco da Gama teenager Andrey Santos, who reportedly has a £30m price tag and is a target of Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona.

– Jordi Alba is unsettled at Barcelona amid interest from Inter, but remains committed to the club where he now has to contend with Alejandro Balde and Marcos Alonso for the starting role, according to Marca.

Chelsea have reportedly held an emergency call with new signing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to reassure him of his future with the club after Thomas Tuchel's surprise sacking.

Tuchel was removed from his position after Chelsea's 1-0 loss to Dinamo Zagreb in their Champions League opener, in a move that will carry a heavy financial cost, according to reports from the Daily Mail and The Mirror.

Tuchel and his backroom staff are said to be receiving £15million in pay-outs, and Brighton are set to claim £20m in compensation after Graham Potter took over.

One of the main selling points for Aubameyang to come to Stamford Bridge was his relationship with Tuchel, who had coached him at Borussia Dortmund, and the Telegraph claims Chelsea's ownership group went out of their way to reassure the 33-year-old striker about his decision after cutting ties with Tuchel.

TOP STORY – CHELSEA OWNERS REASSURE AUBAMEYANG OF HIS ROLE AFTER TUCHEL FIRING

According to the Telegraph's report, controlling owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Egbali addressed the Chelsea squad on Wednesday after Tuchel's sacking took place that morning, but there was also a separate individual chat with Aubameyang.

They reportedly told the signing from Barcelona that they "believe he can flourish under new head coach Graham Potter", and the Gabon international is said to have no second thoughts about his decision.

While he was clearly a player Tuchel pushed for, Aubameyang was assured he was "a club signing", and the report claims he "is thought to have been appreciative of the explanation".

In his one game for Chelsea under Tuchel, Aubameyang was substituted in the 59th minute.

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– BILD has confirmed once again that Liverpool have their sights set on a massive move for Borussia Dortmund's 19-year-old English midfielder Jude Bellingham in 2023. 

– A report from Sport claims the rise of 18-year-old Barcelona left-back Alejandro Balde has complicated the arrival of Marcos Alonso, who was brought in to be the main competition to Jordi Alba, but he is now behind Balde as well.

– Fabrizio Romano is reporting 21-year-old Shakhtar Donetsk winger Mykhaylo Mudryk wants a move to Arsenal alongside his Ukrainian compatriot Oleksandr Zinchenko, and that it could be possible in January.

– JuveLive claim Juventus are prepared to offer 22-year-old striker Moise Kean to Aston Villa in a straight swap for 24-year-old midfielder Douglas Luiz.

Galatasaray have had a busy end to the Turkish transfer window, adding former Manchester United and Chelsea midfielder Juan Mata on a permanent deal, as well as Paris Saint-Germain striker Mauro Icardi on loan in a flurry of moves.

Icardi appears to be the jewel of their significant haul, still aged 29 with plenty of big-match experience, with Galatasaray able to position themselves as the beneficiaries of the Ligue 1 champions' abundance of forward talent.

Mata, 34, is clearly closer to the end of his career, but with 41 international caps for Spain and over 50 Premier League goals, he will bring a valuable level of experience to a side currently sitting seventh on the Super Lig table through five games.

Adding to their influx of talent, Galatasaray also paid €6million to secure 19-year-old winger Yusuf Demir from Rapid Vienna, and €1.75m for 21-year-old centre-back Mathias Ross from the Danish Superliga.

Their late activity caps off a transfer period where they were also able to add former Napoli winger Dries Mertens on a free transfer, Arsenal midfielder Lucas Torreira for €6m and Benfica striker Haris Seferovic on a €1m loan.

Milan midfielder Rade Krunic has agreed a new deal at San Siro that will run through until June 2025.

The Bosnia and Herzegovina international joined Milan from Empoli three years ago and has made 91 appearances for the Serie A giants in all competitions.

Krunic's previous deal was due to expire at the end next season, but he has agreed to extend his contract by a further year.

Milan are also in talks with Rafael Leao and Sandro Tonali over extending their stays at the club.

Chelsea dismissed Thomas Tuchel on Wednesday following their 1-0 Champions League loss to Dinamo Zagreb.

New Blues owner Todd Boehly wielded the axe after a slow start to the 2022-23 season for the London club.

Several names have been linked with the vacant post already, including Mauricio Pochettino and Graham Potter.

TOP STORY – VERBAL AGREEMENT IN PLACE FOR CHELSEA AND POTTER

Chelsea will formally offer their vacant manager role to Brighton and Hove Albion's Graham Potter, according to several UK reports.

Brighton had granted Chelsea permission to speak to Potter, with the two parties locked in talks on Wednesday evening following Thomas Tuchel's dismissal.

Ben Jacobs from CBS Sports claims that a verbal agreement is agreed between Chelsea and Potter, with Sky Sports' Rob Dorsett stating he could be unveiled as their new boss on Thursday.

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– The Sun claims that Manchester United are ready to open discussions with Marcus Rashford on a new deal. Rashford, who has three goals this season, is contracted until mid-2023.

– The Sun also reports Wilfried Zaha is set to be offered a new deal by Crystal Palace. Zaha, who has been linked with Arsenal and Chelsea, is into the final year of his contract at Selhurst Park.

– Juventus are preparing for a straight swap deal in January with Aston Villa, which would see Moise Kean and Douglas Luiz trade places, according to JuveLive. Douglas Luiz's contract at Villa Park expires at the end of this season.

–  Everton and Arsenal both remain interested in Mykhaylo Mudryk but Shakhtar Donetsk want more than £30m (€34.5m) for the 21-year-old Ukrainian winger, claims Gianluca di Marzio.

Galatasaray like to make their incoming transfer business known and, ahead of the Turkish window closing on Thursday, the Super Lig giants are set to be busy.

Mauro Icardi is the headline name of four players who are close to joining the Istanbul club.

Former Inter captain Icardi has agreed to join Gala on loan from Paris Saint-Germain, where he has fallen well down the pecking order.

Icardi, who was one of Europe's most prolific strikers while at the peak of his powers at Inter, has not made an appearance for PSG this season and has not even featured in a matchday squad under Christophe Galtier in Ligue 1.

The 29-year-old arrived in Turkey to much fanfare on Wednesday, and is set to be joined at Gala by Juan Mata.

Gala confirmed on their official social media channels that they were in negotiations with the former Chelsea and Manchester United playmaker, who left Old Trafford at the end of last season after the expiration of his contract.

Yusuf Demir, who spent half of last season on loan at Barcelona, is also moving to Gala, joining from Rapid Wien, reportedly in a €6million deal, while centre-back Mathias Ross Jensen arrived in Istanbul ahead of sealing a transfer from Danish club Aalborg.

Gala, who have won three of their five Super Lig matches this season but will not be competing in Europe after finishing 13th last term, have also been linked with 2014 World Cup golden boot winner James Rodriguez.

James left Everton for Al-Rayyan in Qatar in September 2021, but is reportedly pushing for a move back to Europe.