Manchester City have completed the signing of defender Manuel Akanji from Borussia Dortmund for a reported fee of £15.1million (€17.4m)

The Switzerland international has put pen to paper on a five-year deal for the Premier League champions, and will wear the number 25 shirt at the Etihad Stadium.

Akanji will provide further competition for a place in the heart of Pep Guardiola's defence, with Aymeric Laporte and Nathan Ake injured.

The 27-year-old, who was into the final year of his contract at Signal Iduna Park, is the second player to swap Dortmund for City during this window after Erling Haaland, alongside whom he won the German Cup in 2021.

Akanji played 158 times for BVB across all competitions after arriving from Basel in 2018, scoring four goals, but had not appeared under new head coach Edin Terzic at the start of this season.

"I am delighted to be here, and can’t wait to get started," Akanji told the club's official website. "City have been one of the best teams in Europe over the last few seasons.

"They are brilliant to watch, play an exciting brand of football and compete for trophies year in, year out, so coming here feels like the perfect next step in my career.  

"Pep Guardiola is an exceptional manager, and this is an exceptional squad of players, so this is an exciting opportunity for me. 

"I am really looking forward to testing myself in the Premier League and I will do everything I can to help this club be successful."

Akanji could make his City debut on Saturday when Guardiola's men travel to struggling Aston Villa in the Premier League.

Manchester United have confirmed the capture of Brazil international Antony from Ajax, with the Premier League club expected to pay an £81.3million (€95m) fee for the winger.

The Selecao star has been a long-term target of former boss Erik ten Hag following his move from the Eredivisie to Old Trafford, and now the 22-year-old will follow the Dutchman to rejoin him on a five-year deal.

The deal, which was struck earlier this week after Ajax turned down multiple offers from United, becomes the fifth major signing of the transfer window for the club.

"This is an incredible moment in my career to be joining one of the most iconic clubs in the world," Antony told United's official website.

"I'm thankful to everyone who has believed in me, especially my family, and all my coaches and team-mates, because I could not have got here without them.

"Playing under Erik ten Hag at Ajax was perfect for me and my development. His style of football brings out the best in me, and I am excited by what he has told me about his plans and ambitions in Manchester.

"My time at Ajax was fantastic and I will always be grateful for the trust they put in me, but now I am ready for the next challenge.

"I can't wait to join my new team-mates and play my part in bringing success to Manchester United."

Antony has 31 goals and 27 assists in 134 club appearances for Ajax and Sao Paulo, and was a two-time title winner with the former, as well as a gold medalist at Tokyo 2020 with the Brazil Olympic squad.

He joins former club-mate Lisandro Martinez and international team-mate Casemiro among the new faces at Old Trafford, with Christian Eriksen and Tyrell Malacia also signed under Ten Hag.

Following two opening league defeats, United have since responded with two victories, in which the Dutchman has benched both veteran forward Cristiano Ronaldo and captain Harry Maguire.

The former's future at the club remains up in the air after reported attempts to force an exit to play Champions League football this term, with Antony's arrival potentially paving the way for the forward to get his wish.

Manchester United have confirmed the capture of Brazil international Antony from Ajax, with the Premier League club expected to pay an £81.3million (€95m) fee for the winger.

The Selecao star has been a long-term target of former boss Erik ten Hag following his move from the Eredivisie to Old Trafford, and now the 22-year-old will follow the Dutchman to rejoin him on a five-year deal.

The deal, which was struck earlier this week after Ajax turned down multiple offers from United, becomes the fifth major signing of the transfer window for the club.

"This is an incredible moment in my career to be joining one of the most iconic clubs in the world," Antony told United's official website.

"I'm thankful to everyone who has believed in me, especially my family, and all my coaches and team-mates, because I could not have got here without them.

"Playing under Erik ten Hag at Ajax was perfect for me and my development. His style of football brings out the best in me, and I am excited by what he has told me about his plans and ambitions in Manchester.

"My time at Ajax was fantastic and I will always be grateful for the trust they put in me, but now I am ready for the next challenge.

"I can't wait to join my new team-mates and play my part in bringing success to Manchester United."

Antony has 31 goals and 27 assists in 134 club appearances for Ajax and Sao Paulo, and was a two-time title winner with the former, as well as a gold medalist at Tokyo 2020 with the Brazil Olympic squad.

He joins former club-mate Lisandro Martinez and international team-mate Casemiro among the new faces at Old Trafford, with Christian Eriksen and Tyrell Malacia also signed under Ten Hag.

Following two opening league defeats, United have since responded with two victories, in which the Dutchman has benched both veteran forward Cristiano Ronaldo and captain Harry Maguire.

The former's future at the club remains up in the air after reported attempts to force an exit to play Champions League football this term, with Antony's arrival potentially paving the way for the forward to get his wish.

Chelsea are expected to be one of the major players on deadline day, having completed a deal for Wesley Fofana on Wednesday.

The Blues have been one of the big spenders during the transfer window and owner Todd Boehly is eager to bolster his squad after a slow start to the season.

Barcelona forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has been linked with the Blues, along with Anthony Gordon, although Everton boss Frank Lampard insists he is not for sale.

TOP STORY – CHELSEA OFFERED CHANCE TO SIGN PSG'S NEYMAR

The Daily Mail claims Chelsea have been offered the chance to sign Neymar, but the Times reports that Paris Saint-Germain are now refusing to sell him in an apparent U-turn.

The 30-year-old Brazil international had been linked with a move away from Paris during the off-season, although nothing substantial materialised.

Chelsea were approached about Neymar, with PSG potentially open to letting him go as they seek to avoid any issues with UEFA's Financial Fair Play guidelines.

ROUND-UP

– Chelsea have made a €50 million (£43m) bid for Ajax centre-back Edson Alvarez, according to the Telegraaf. The Blues have already added Fofana but want more reinforcements, with the Mexican able to also play in midfield.

– Chelsea are also interested in Aubameyang, with Fabrizio Romano claiming negotiations are progressing with Marcos Alonso involved in a deal with Barcelona. The Blues have also been linked with Milan's Rafael Leao, according to The Times.

– Mundo Deportivo reports that Barcelona and Inter have agreed to a deal for full-back Jordi Alba to join the Nerazzurri on loan. The deal is on the basis that Robin Gosens leaves Inter for Bayer Leverkusen.

– Milan are set to win the race to sign Barcelona's Sergino Dest, beating out interest from Manchester United, claims Gianluca Di Marzio. Dest will join the Rossoneri on a season-long loan with the option of a permanent deal.

– Newcastle United are in the race to sign Leicester City midfielder Youri Tielemans, claims the Mail. Arsenal are also interested in the Belgium international.

– Fulham have submitted a bid for Blackburn's Chile international Ben Brereton Diaz according to The Athletic. Rovers boss Jon Dahl Tomasson has said he would cost a lot of money, with Fulham's offer not disclosed.

– PSV have opted against selling 23-year-old Netherlands international Cody Gakpo amid interest from Leeds United and Southampton, reports The Athletic.

Napoli sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli says the Serie A outfit have never made a concrete offer for Cristiano Ronaldo, as the striker looks increasingly likely to stay at Manchester United beyond the end of the transfer window.

Ronaldo reportedly declared his intention to leave Old Trafford after United failed to secure Champions League qualification last season, and with Napoli back among Europe's elite after finishing third in Serie A last term, southern Italy was touted as a possible destination.

Despite Ronaldo only making one Premier League start this season – in a humiliating 4-0 loss at Brentford – United have continually reaffirmed their desire to keep him.

On Wednesday, Erik ten Hag declared he and Ronaldo were "on the same page" and claimed the Portuguese legend remained happy at Old Trafford.

With the transfer deadline fast approaching and the likes of Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich ruling out a deal for Ronaldo, his options appear to be dwindling.

And while Giuntoli emphasised his respect for Ronaldo, he told DAZN a move to Naples had never been on the table. 

"He is an extraordinary player and we can only exalt him," he said.

"There is nothing true, we have an excellent relationship with his agent but there has never been anything concrete."

Meanwhile, Ronaldo's former Real Madrid team-mate Keylor Navas had also been linked with a move to Napoli, but Giuntoli ruled out signing another goalkeeper after Luciano Spalletti's men brought in Salvatore Sirigu.

"We have two goalkeepers and they are very good, so at 99 per cent [chance], we will keep the current squad," he added.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp could not hide his delight with Fabio Carvalho's last-gasp winner against Newcastle United on Wednesday.

The 20-year-old came off the bench to fire in a 98th-minute goal to give the Reds a 2-1 win at Anfield, as they came from behind having conceded to Newcastle debutant Alexander Isak in the first half.

Roberto Firmino equalised after the break before Carvalho's late winner as he slammed in a loose ball off the crossbar following a corner.

Speaking at his post-match press conference, Klopp conceded his team had not been at their best as the visitors tried to stifle them, with Liverpool having just five shots in the first half.

"During the game we should have played more football," he said. "We told the boys in the first half, always when we played football it looked really good, we were dangerous, that was fine.

"Newcastle did really well how they put us under pressure; they had to invest a lot and I think we could see it was really a lot in the last 20, 25 minutes when they started struggling a little bit with the intensity. But we should have done better.

"So we scored the equaliser and then it was just a difficult game to play because we didn't play a lot. All of your colleagues asked me now about it, that's why I mention it, everybody asked me about it – it was just interrupted constantly for some reason and that doesn't give you the momentum. There was no chance to gain any kind of momentum.

"In the end, I was really happy in the moment when we got this last corner in the 98th minute. What Mo [Salah] and Fabio made then of it was obviously absolutely outstanding, a wonderful goal. A perfect moment; that we scored it after 98 minutes, I thought, is the perfect response to everything that happened during the game."

Carvalho joined Liverpool at the end of last season from Fulham and the goal came just four days after his first strike for the club in the 9-0 hammering of Bournemouth, and a day after his 20th birthday.

"He scored now twice in the last two games," Klopp added. "Yesterday, birthday. So it's probably a better week.

"He is an outstanding player, wonderful talent, very mature in a lot of departments already. So I'm really happy for him. Harvey [Elliott] was the best player on the pitch and Fabio decides the game. That says a lot about the talent of the boys."

The German coach did not have everything to smile about though as he revealed his captain, Jordan Henderson, went off with a hamstring injury.

Liverpool are already without Thiago Alcantara, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Naby Keita from their options in midfield, while Curtis Jones was named on the bench for the first time this season, though was not brought on after only just coming back from injury himself.

Klopp had previously indicated he wanted to sign a midfielder before the end of the transfer window, which closes on Thursday, but seemed pessimistic about doing so in spite of losing Henderson to injury.

"I don't think so," he said when asked about making a signing on Thursday. "But as long as there is time we should not close the door completely.

"Obviously Hendo is injured, he got a hamstring [injury], which is absolutely not helpful.

"[It was] that serious that he couldn't carry on, so it was no tactical change [when he was substituted for Carvalho]."

Ajax have moved to replace Manchester United-bound winger Antony by sealing a season-long loan deal for Sevilla's Lucas Ocampos.

The Eredivisie giants will have the option to make Ocampos' stay permanent for a reported €20million at the end of the season.

Ocampos made exactly 100 league appearances for Sevilla after moving to Spain in 2019 from Marseille, though his best form came in his first season at the Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan, when he scored 17 goals in all competitions.

The 28-year-old has 10 senior caps for Argentina, the most recent of which came earlier this year.

The addition of Ocampos will come as a relief to the Dutch champions, who have seen several key players leave during the transfer window.

Antony's departure follows those of Lisandro Martinez, Sebastien Haller, Ryan Gravenberch, Noussair Mazraoui, Andre Onana and Nicolas Tagliafico. 

And the exodus could be set to continue amid reports Chelsea have made a £43m (€49.7m) bid for midfielder Edson Alvarez ahead of Thursday's transfer deadline. 

Chelsea have already spent big in their first transfer window under the ownership of Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital, but reports suggest head coach Thomas Tuchel is keen to bring the 24-year-old in to ease a growing injury crisis at Stamford Bridge.

Fellow Ajax midfielder Mohammed Kudus, meanwhile, is reportedly being targeted by Frank Lampard's Everton.

Antonio Conte says English football "must learn to use VAR the right way" after Tottenham had a penalty decision overturned in Wednesday's 1-1 draw with West Ham.

Referee Peter Bankes awarded Tottenham a spot-kick early on at London Stadium after Harry Kane's downward header struck the arm of Aaron Cresswell.

However, after a VAR check spanning four minutes, Bankes was instructed to view the incident on the pitchside monitor and decided the ball had inadvertently hit Cresswell's arm.

Conte was furious with the decision, although his side did go on to open the scoring before half-time when Thilo Kehrer turned Harry Kane's delivery into his own net.

Spurs were on course to make it 13 points from their first five Premier League games at that point – which would have been a club record – only for West Ham to hit back.

Michail Antonio flicked the ball into the path of Tomas Soucek to fire in an equaliser for the hosts, who looked the more likely to win the match in the remaining 35 minutes.

Tottenham remain unbeaten after five Premier League games for just the third time, but Conte was not happy after the game as he took aim at the match officials.

"Honestly, at the end of the first half, I spoke with the referee and told him 'you have taken the right decision'," Conte told BT Sport.

"It's incredible that VAR looked again and called the referee. [The referee] can see it was the right decision and the call from VAR was strange.

"I can tell only that the referee has taken the right decision. Usually the VAR calls when the call is not right.

"In England they have to learn to use the VAR in the right way. You have to study very well and be more accurate. 

"If there's VAR, you have to utilise it in the right way or accept the decision of the referee. If you have a TV, you have time to see. It's difficult not only for me but every coach."

Elaborating on his comments at his post-match news conference, Conte said: "It's difficult to explain as you know very well that I don't like to comment on refereeing decisions. 

"I've never done this in England. But today I like to comment on the decision because it was the right one [initially].

"With a smile I told [the referee] you've taken the right decision. For sure VAR embarrassed the referee because to make him change the right decision was really, really strange."

Tottenham, who are now winless in their past three league trips to London Stadium, ended the contest with an expected goals (xG) return of 0.6 compared to 1.3 for West Ham.

While upset with VAR, head coach Conte accepts his side could have done more to see out the victory.

"Without the penalty, we still went 1-0 up. In my opinion maybe we can do better to kill the game," he said.

"If you stay and you keep your opponent in the game it can happen a corner, a throw-in, a free-kick, and especially against West Ham you can pay and we paid.

"I think we have to learn for next time, for the future. We are going step by step. I think that the team today showed also to be strong and to be difficult to play against.

"But at the same time, when you have the opportunity to get three points, you have to get three points."

Aston Villa head coach Steven Gerrard has conceded he is concerned about his position at the club amid a poor run of form.

A 2-1 defeat to Arsenal on Wednesday marked Villa's fourth defeat in the opening five matches of the Premier League season, sitting second last in the standings at this early stage.

Having been jeered by his own supporters following the loss to West Ham at the weekend, a third defeat on the bounce has increased the pressure upon Gerrard.

Premier League clubs infamously lack patience with those in charge, shown by Bournemouth axing Scott Parker with just four games played, and Gerrard admitted he fears he could find himself in a similar position.

"I am really honest and self-critical of myself. I will do my job the best I can, I will step forward, I will take the responsibility in the best way I can," he said after the loss at the Emirates Stadium.

"But if I stood here and said to you that I was not concerned, I think you would look at me as if I was from a different planet."

Villa's loss to Arsenal will be all the more frustrating as Gabriel Martinelli scored the winner just 151 seconds after Douglas Luiz had equalised for the visitors, who may well have marked his farewell in style.

The Brazilian has been heavily linked with an exit before the close of the transfer window on Thursday and Gerrard was unable to offer assurances that he will stay.

"I'm not in control of that. There are more than two people in control of that but I'm certainly not one of them," he added.

"That will be Douglas, that will be his agent's decision as to what happens around that. I'd like to keep him because he's a fantastic player. I've made that abundantly clear.

"We are not in a position where we need to lose our top players, but at the same time, Douglas has got a year to go, and it is one of those really touchy situations where the club have to do what is best for the club and not necessarily what's best for me."

Bernardo Silva has declared he will be "staying in Manchester", putting an end to rumours the Manchester City midfielder would be moving to Barcelona.

Silva has been an integral part of City's success under Pep Guardiola since arriving from Monaco in 2017.

The Portugal international has won four Premier League titles, four EFL Cups and an FA Cup in England, though has been heavily linked with Barca in the past couple of years.

Despite seeming to indicate he would like to play for the LaLiga giants one day, Silva has confirmed he will not be making the move in this transfer window, which closes on Thursday.

After grabbing an assist in Wednesday's 6-0 thrashing by City of Nottingham Forest in the Premier League, the 28-year-old committed to his team, telling Spanish outlet RAC1: "I'm staying in Manchester, here. I'm happy and the decision has been made."

Silva has scored two goals in five league appearances so far this season for City, with three starts.

His goal in the 4-2 comeback win against Crystal Palace on Saturday was his 100th goal involvement for the club, with an even split of 50 goals and 50 assists, which became 101 on Wednesday in his 257th appearance with his assist for Joao Cancelo.

Manchester United forward Amad has joined Championship side Sunderland on loan for the rest of the 2022-23 season.

The Ivory Coast international joined the Red Devils in January 2021 from Atalanta, but he struggled to find a way into the first team at Old Trafford.

He was loaned out to Scottish Premiership giants Rangers for the second half of last season, scoring three times in 13 appearances across all competitions.

The 20-year-old will work under new Black Cats boss Tony Mowbray, who was appointed on Tuesday after Alex Neil left to join Championship rivals Stoke City.

"I feel good and very positive about this opportunity, so I'm happy to be here," Amad told Sunderland's official website.

"It was a great experience to play with Manchester United, but I'm here for a new challenge and I want to try my best to bring a lot of success to the club.

"I feel good physically and I think this is the best team for me to progress and although I've never been to the Stadium of Light before, I know the supporters are great so I hope we can win many games together."

Erling Haaland continued his incredible start to life in the Premier League with a record-setting treble in Manchester City's 6-0 thrashing of Nottingham Forest.

The Norway international made it two hat-tricks in the space of five days – and a perfect one at that, with his right foot, left foot and head – in City's latest statement victory.

Meanwhile, Liverpool left it late to see off Newcastle United 2-1 at Anfield.

There were goals and drama elsewhere on Wednesday, too, and Stats Perform unpacks the pick of the data.

Manchester City 6-0 Nottingham Forest: Haaland makes history

Haaland now has nine goals in five Premier League games since joining City from Borussia Dortmund – the best start of any player in the competition's history at this stage.

He surpassed the record of eight goals previously held by Micky Quinn and City great Sergio Aguero, the man he is effectively replacing at the Etihad Stadium.

The prolific striker is just the seventh player to score a hat-trick in back-to-back games in the competition and the first since Harry Kane did so for Tottenham in December 2017.

Fellow newbie Julian Alvarez also scored twice, while Joao Cancelo netted the other as City bagged five or more goals in a league game for the 32nd time under Pep Guardiola.

That accounts for 14 per cent of City's games under the Catalan coach in the competition, with that tally more than twice as many as any other side over that period (Liverpool, 15).

The only side to have exceeded the 18 goals City have scored after five games of a Premier League season were Manchester United, who had 21 to their name at this stage 11 years ago.

Liverpool 2-1 Newcastle United: Carvalho the late hero

Newcastle led with an hour played at Anfield, only for Roberto Firmino to level and Fabio Carvalho to fire home in the 98th minute to snatch all three points for Liverpool.

That was the 40th winning Premier League goal scored by Liverpool in the 90th minute or later – the most of any side – with three of those coming in this fixture.

Timed at 97 minutes and nine seconds, it was Liverpool's latest goal in the top flight since Dirk Kuyt's penalty against Arsenal in April 2011 (101:48).

Alexander Isak had earlier given Newcastle the lead with a debut goal, making him the sixth Swedish player to net on his Premier League bow.

Arsenal 2-1 Aston Villa: Martinelli keeps Gunners perfect

Arsenal dug deep to overcome Villa and make it five wins in a row to begin a league campaign for the first time since the 2004-05 season, when they went on to finish second.

Gabriel Jesus steered Arsenal ahead for his sixth goal involvement in his first five Premier League outings for the club, breaking Mesut Ozil's previous record of five.

Douglas Luiz equalised directly from a corner, but Arsenal hit back just 151 seconds later through Gabriel Martinelli, who converted Bukayo Saka's cross.

That was Saka's 17th Premier League assist – only Cesc Fabregas (38), Wayne Rooney (22) and Michael Owen (18) had more before turning 21.

West Ham 1-1 Tottenham: Soucek denies Spurs

Tottenham could not see out a lead at London Stadium as they were denied the chance to make their best start to a Premier League season after five games.

Thilo Kehrer turned a Harry Kane delivery into his own net, with that a league-high seventh own goal scored by West Ham since the start of the 2020-21 season.

Tomas Soucek levelled for West Ham with his 19th Premier League goal, each of those coming from inside the 18-yard box.

That strike was assisted by Michail Antonio on his 200th league appearance for West Ham, whose tally of two goals after five games is their fewest since 1994-95 (one).

While Spurs could not hold on for the win, they are unbeaten after five games in the competition for only the third time, having previously done so in 2004-05 and 2016-17.

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has claimed Cristiano Ronaldo is happy to stay at the club.

Ronaldo was widely reported to be pushing for an exit from Old Trafford due to his desire to play in the Champions League but offers were seemingly not forthcoming.

With the transfer window closing on Thursday, Ronaldo is set to remain at the club until at least January, barring any last-minute offers, but Ten Hag is adamant the 37-year-old is not disappointed by that outcome.

"We are on the same page. [He is happy to stay] otherwise he wouldn't be here," Ten Hag told reporters.

"From the start we said we planned with him, we are happy with him, he's happy to be here, and we want to make the season a success together."

Pressed on how Ronaldo – who has not started United's last two matches – could fit into his tactical approach, Ten Haag expressed confidence the former Real Madrid and Juventus superstar could settle into any system.

"The way of playing, the set of demands, you can see in training Ronaldo has the ability," he added.

"He will fit in because, I don't have to explain, he is a great player with great capabilities. He will fit in every system and every style. We are on one page, and he knows what the demands are."

Ten Hag has added to his ranks in the final days of the window with the capture of Antony, with the winger signing from former club Ajax for a fee of £85million (€100m).

Antony's arrival came just over a week after United had spent a reported £70m (€80m) on Real Madrid midfielder Casemiro, but Ten Hag made it clear such spending was necessary.

"All the top clubs in the Premier League spent a lot of money, that is how the market developed," he explained. "I can do nothing about it, no one can, it's just the market. We have to accept how it went.

"If you want to compete at the top, you don't have a choice. All the Premier League clubs spent this kind of money. If you want to fight for the top four positions you have to do it, and we have the ambition, especially over the long term, to play for trophies, so I think we had to do it."

United face Leicester City on Thursday, seeking a third Premier League win in a row after starting the campaign with back-to-back defeats.

Pep Guardiola labelled Erling Haaland a "special talent" after the striker scored a perfect first-half hat-trick in Manchester City's 6-0 thrashing of Nottingham Forest on Wednesday.

Haaland, who is averaging a goal every 43 minutes since arriving in the Premier League, has now made the most prolific start to a career in the competition on record.

His third goal against Forest, scored with a close-range header after 38 minutes, was his ninth in five Premier League outings, bettering the eight-goal hauls managed by Sergio Aguero and Micky Quinn through their first five appearances in the competition.

Haaland needed just 16 touches to score his treble, and Guardiola is delighted to see the striker sending records tumbling so early in his Premier League career.

"I know he is happy and scoring goals, but I think what he wants is to win," Guardiola told BT Sport.

"The records are okay, if you withdraw the records and he cannot score goals, we cannot win some games. I'm pretty sure he would not like it. 

"He's a special talent, he has an incredible sense of goals. He didn't touch one ball and his first touch is a goal, so... he is Erling.

"He's strong in all departments but especially in that sense, he smells in the box unlike anyone else and his finishing is so good.

"His work ethic as well is great. We are delighted about the way he has done it."

Haaland was not the only recent City arrival to make headlines on Wednesday, as Julian Alvarez marked his first Premier League start with a second-half brace.

And Guardiola says everyone at City will be proud of his contribution, adding: "He is new, he came from another continent. We see him every day, all of us. The work ethic and being a nice guy always pays off.

"There's not one person in the locker room, there's not one person in the backroom staff that is not happy for his two goals, for the incredible effort he has done."

Meanwhile, City's dominant display saw them maintain their unbeaten start to the Premier League season, and they have now scored 14 goals through their first three home games of the campaign.

While a 3-3 draw at Newcastle United means the champions have not opened the season in perfect fashion, Guardiola is satisfied by the levels shown by City thus far. 

"I think we've played really well all season so far. We conceded transitions against Newcastle and could not control [Allan] Saint-Maximin but apart from that, our level in all the games was high."

It has been a record-breaking transfer window across Europe, and one that has thrown up more than a surprise or two on the continent with numerous big-name players making fresh starts.

While the likes of Robert Lewandowski, Sadio Mane, Erling Haaland and Gabriel Jesus have all made fast starts to life at their new clubs, for others their futures remain unclear heading into the final day of the window.

As any football supporter will know, some of the biggest deals can often be left to deadline day – and occasionally even after the cut-off point, as long as an agreement has been reached and ratified with the relevant authorities.

With less than 24 hours of the window to run across each of Europe's top five leagues, Stats Perform looks at the names that could yet be on the move on Thursday.

Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)

It has been quite the transfer window for Manchester United forward Ronaldo. Having only returned to Old Trafford last year, the Portugal international is reported to have informed the club of his desire to leave in early July, coinciding with the arrival of new head coach Erik ten Hag.

Ten Hag has repeatedly stated Ronaldo remains part of his plans, but the 37-year-old's lack of playing time this season suggests otherwise – albeit not helped by a disrupted pre-season owing to family reasons.

Ronaldo proved last season he is still capable of doing a job at the highest level, though finding a club willing to pay his huge wages – on top of paying a fee to United – is a different matter. Rumoured interest from Bayern Munich, Chelsea and even Sporting CP came to little, though talk of a surprise switch to Napoli persists.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Barcelona)

Just six months on from arriving at Barcelona as a free agent following a tumultuous end to his time with Arsenal, Aubameyang may well be on his way back to English football with Chelsea.

The Gabon international has slipped down the pecking order at Camp Nou following the arrival of Lewandowski and Barca could do with freeing up some funds, with Aubameyang one of a few players still in place that were expected to depart.

Chelsea head coach Thomas Tuchel previously worked with Aubameyang at Borussia Dortmund and recently said he feels like the striker is still one of his players. Having scored 68 goals in 128 Premier League games for Arsenal, Aubameyang already has proven pedigree in the division.

Anthony Gordon (Everton)

Given Chelsea's slow start to the 2022-23 season, it is perhaps no surprise that they are being linked with numerous names ahead of Thursday's deadline. Everton winger Gordon is high on the Blues' list of targets, with a couple of bids already reported to have been knocked back.

Everton boss and Chelsea legend Frank Lampard stressed once again on Tuesday that Gordon is not for sale, but one final push from the London club – and a word or two from Gordon, should that be what he wants – may well tempt the Toffees into a sale.

While the sums of money being discussed for a player with just 35 league starts to his name may be extortionate, Chelsea have clearly identified Gordon as a vital piece of their jigsaw and do not appear ready to give up on him without a fight.

Frenkie de Jong (Barcelona)

De Jong's name dominated the gossip columns for a large period of the transfer window, though things have gone a little quieter on that front after Manchester United instead moved for Casemiro.

That is not to say a move has been entirely ruled out, however, particularly when taking Barca's rather desperate financial situation into account. 

With Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain having also been linked with De Jong at various points, the Netherlands international may just have a big decision to make in the next 24 hours or so.

Pedro Neto (Wolves)

Jurgen Klopp has made no secret of his desire to bring another midfielder to Liverpool before the window closes due to Thiago Alcantara, Curtis Jones, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain all nursing injuries.

The club do not want to bring in a player for the sake of it, however, limiting themselves to just a few targets. RB Leipzig's Konrad Laimer and Inter's Nicolo Barella had been among those linked, but moves for both are said to have been ruled out.

Brighton and Hove Albion's Moises Caicedo and Neto of Wolves, the latter of whom is also supposedly on Arsenal's radar, are two other candidates to come in on deadline day. Time, though, is not on Liverpool's side.

Youri Tielemans (Leicester City)

Perhaps Liverpool would be wiser to move for Leicester midfielder Youri Tielemans, who could be available for as little as £25million if certain reports are to be believed.

Arsenal, too, could do with some further midfield competition and are known to have shown an interest in the talented Belgium international in the past.

Tielemans, capable of operating as a deep-lying midfielder or higher up the pitch, is due to become a free agent at the end of the campaign, meaning Leicester's hand is being forced somewhat.

Sergino Dest (Barcelona)

Them again! Despite their well-publicised financial issues, Barcelona have still managed to substantially strengthen their squad this window, and there could still be another arrival at Camp Nou.

An agreement is said to be in place to sign left-back Marcos Alonso from Chelsea, while Juan Foyth had been strongly linked prior to sustaining an injury for Villarreal. However, a move for either player is likely dependent on freeing up some cash first.

The departure of one of aforementioned duo Aubameyang or De Jong would help in that regard, as would exits for fringe players Martin Braithwaite, Miralem Pjanic and Ez Abde. At this stage, it appears Dest is the closest of Barca's first-teamers to leaving, with Milan his most likely destination.