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.
ROUND-UP
– 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.
Chelsea 4-2 Brighton: Palmer makes Premier League history as Maresca's side fight back
Cole Palmer made Premier League history as Chelsea beat Brighton 4-2 in a six-goal thriller at Stamford Bridge.
Palmer became the first player to score four goals before half-time in a single Premier League game, helping Enzo Maresca’s side record their fourth straight victory in all competitions.
Brighton took an early lead through Georginio Rutter's header, but were powerless as Palmer took command of the contest.
His remarkable quadruple came in the space of 20 minutes - including a penalty and free-kick - with Carlos Baleba's strike to make it 3-2 swiftly cancelled out by Chelsea's talisman.
Nicolas Jackson and Palmer went close after the break for the hosts, who also had a Marc Cucurella goal disallowed for offside, but they held out for another victory.
The Blues climb to third place, a point behind pacesetters Manchester City and Arsenal, while Brighton drop to eighth after suffering their first defeat of the season.
Data Debrief: History-making Palmer does the damage once more
Palmer completed his third Premier League hat-trick - the joint-most by any Chelsea player along with Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard - in the space of only nine minutes and 45 seconds.
The Blues forward also hit the post, was denied by the offside flag and then slotted a decent opportunity wide after the break, so we could have been saluting the first player to score six or more goals in a single Premier League game.
His fourth goal was set up by Sancho, who became the third Chelsea player after Eden Hazard (2012) and Cesc Fabregas (2014) to provide an assist in each of his first three Premier League appearances for the club.
As for Brighton, they are now without a victory in each of their last nine Premier League visits to London, since a 3-0 win over Arsenal in May 2023.
Palmer makes Premier League history with four-goal first half in Chelsea win
Cole Palmer became the first player in Premier League history to score four goals in the first half of a game on Saturday, as Chelsea beat Brighton 4-2 at Stamford Bridge.
Palmer netted all of Chelsea's goals in a game featuring six first-half goals and none after the break, with Georginio Rutter and Carlos Baleba on target for the visitors.
No player had ever previously scored four times in the first half of a Premier League match, while Palmer's first three goals came within a span of just nine minutes and 46 seconds.
Only five other players have previously scored a quicker hat-trick in the competition, with Sadio Mane's remarkable two-minute, 56-second treble for Southampton against Aston Villa in 2015 the fastest.
Gabriel Jesus previously held the record for the quickest time to net four times in a Premier League game, doing so by the 53rd minute as Manchester City trounced Watford 5-1 in April 2022.
There were 19 minutes and 57 seconds between Palmer's first goal and his fourth, with Jermaine Defoe holding the record for the swiftest four-goal haul in Premier League history, needing 17 minutes and 56 seconds for Tottenham versus Wigan Athletic in 2009.
Things could have gone even better for Palmer, who also struck the post with a dinked effort and saw a close-range finish chalked off for offside with Chelsea 1-0 down in the first half.
Palmer has now scored three Premier League hat-tricks for Chelsea, the joint-most of any Blues player in the competition's history, level with Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard.
Hurzeler rues 'too many individual mistakes' in Chelsea defeat
Fabian Hurzeler acknowledged Brighton made "too many individual mistakes" during their 4-2 defeat against a Cole Palmer-inspired Chelsea.
The Seagulls suffered their first loss of the season after they were on the wrong end of a six-goal thriller at Stamford Bridge.
Brighton took a seventh-minute lead through Georginio Rutter's brave header, but were soon on the back foot as Palmer took command of the contest.
First, the Blues forward punished Adam Webster's loose back pass, before slotting home a penalty after Carlos Baleba fouled Jadon Sancho in the box.
He then bent a superb 25-yard free-kick into the top corner, and completed his quadruple following Bart Verbruggen's sloppy pass out from the back.
And while confident his players will learn from the experience, Hurzeler admitted they were the victims of their own downfall.
"We had a good start and controlled the game, had dominance in possession," he told Match of the Day.
"We scored but, afterwards, we had too many individual mistakes and with too many individual mistakes, you cannot win at Stamford Bridge.
"In possession, we were good but, to win games, you need to be good in both phases, and we didn't defend well.
"We are still in a process, and we have to learn from this quickly. Every time we made a mistake, they punished it and punished it quickly.
"We have to analyse, we have to be honest with each other, and be better next time.
"There are not many players like Cole Palmer in the Premier League, he is special."
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