Chelsea forward Callum Hudson-Odoi has completed a season-long loan move to Bayer Leverkusen.

Hudson-Odoi has struggled for game time at Stamford Bridge since the arrival of Thomas Tuchel as head coach in January 2021, and is yet to feature at all this season.

The 21-year-old has played 126 times for Chelsea in all competitions since making his debut in 2018, with 37 goal involvements (16 goals, 21 assists).

The Premier League club confirmed they have the option to recall the player in January.

Several clubs in England and Germany were credited in the media with an interest in Hudson-Odoi, but the winger has opted to join Gerardo Seoane's team for the campaign.

Speaking to the club's website after the move was confirmed, Hudson-Odoi said: "The move to Germany is really exciting for me and I can play in the Champions League with Bayer 04 Leverkusen. 

"That combination is really attractive and I'm keen to get to know the club, the fans and the Bundesliga. [Chelsea team-mate] Kai Havertz only had good things to say about it to me."

Leverkusen secured their first victory of the Bundesliga season on Saturday as they won 3-0 at Mainz, having lost their first three games.

Three-cap England international Hudson-Odoi – who was close to joining Bayern Munich in 2019 – could make his debut on Saturday when Freiburg visit the BayArena.

Negotiations are taking place for Martin Dubravka to join Manchester United, Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe has confirmed.

Dubravka joined Newcastle from Sparta Prague in January 2018 on an initial loan that was later made permanent, but the goalkeeper has fallen down the pecking order at St James' Park after the arrival of Nick Pope from Burnley before the new season.

Reports suggested the Slovakia international could be on his way to Old Trafford – also on an initial loan – to provide competition for David de Gea.

Howe provided some clarity on the matter at a press conference on Tuesday ahead of his team's trip to face Liverpool, telling reporters: "Discussions have taken place between the clubs. I don't think anything has concluded as I sit here now.

"From my perspective, I'm sad if Martin does leave, sad to see him go. It's not something we necessarily wanted but we understand there's always two sides to every story."

Dubravka has played 130 times for Newcastle in all competitions, keeping 37 clean sheets.

Howe hopes to have new signing Alexander Isak available for Wednesday's clash at Anfield, though remained unsure if his work permit would be granted in time, and also suggested the Sweden striker is likely to be the last arrival of the transfer window, which closes on Thursday.

Newcastle have signed Pope, Isak and Sven Botman since the end of last season, while also making Matt Targett's loan from Aston Villa permanent.

"I don't expect to be [active again in the window] to be honest," Howe said. "We're very pleased with the business we've done.

"The injuries we have we believe to be short-term so there might be a bit of short-term pain around the squad. Longer term, when those bodies are back, we're very strong.

"That's not to say we're totally closed off. We're obviously still looking but I don't expect any major business to be done."

Tottenham have announced the permanent signing of Cristian Romero from Atalanta on a five-year deal following the defender's successful spell on loan.

The 24-year-old joined Tottenham 12 months ago on an initial season-long loan with the option to make the move permanent.

Argentina international Romero featured 30 times in all competitions last season and started Spurs' opening two Premier League games this campaign prior to sustaining an injury.

Tottenham confirmed on their official website on Tuesday that Romero has now agreed a deal that will run through until the end of the 2026-27 campaign.

Romero, who is in contention to be part of Argentina's World Cup squad later this year, has also previously represented Genoa and Juventus in Serie A.

Chelsea head coach Thomas Tuchel has been open about his desire for more signings ahead of the closure of the transfer window.

The London club have been one of the big spenders during this transfer window but Tuchel believes they need more reinforcements to be competitive in the title race.

The Blues have lost Andreas Christensen, Antonio Rudiger, Emerson Palmieri and Timo Werner, while Romelu Lukaku departed on loan and Marcos Alonso is expected to join Barcelona.

TOP STORY – CHELSEA PLOTTING AUBA SWOOP

Chelsea are plotting a deadline day move to land ex-Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from Barcelona, reports The Guardian.

Blues boss Tuchel has asked owner Todd Boehly to free up £200million with three targets in mind before Thursday's deadline, headlined by the Gabon international.

Chelsea are set to close out a deal for Leicester City defender Wesley Fofana for £70m, while Everton's Anthony Gordon is also on their wish list.

Aubameyang has only been used once for eight minutes off the bench this LaLiga season, with Robert Lewandowski starring up front for the Blaugrana.

ROUND-UP

–  Liverpool are pondering a late £42m bid for Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder Moises Caicedo,  according to The Sun. Brighton, however, believe that the Ecuador international is worth almost double that price.

– Metro reports  Cristiano Ronaldo could seal a move from Manchester United to Napoli this week. Ronaldo's agent Jorge Mendes is working on a swap deal, possibly involving Victor Osimhen .

– La Gazzetta dello Sport claims  Paris Saint-Germain 's €23m offer with add-ons for Napoli midfielder Fabian Ruiz has been accepted and he will undergo a medical on Tuesday. The Spaniard has been frozen out after refusing to extend his contract, which has less than 12 months to run.

– Tottenham have revived their interest in Atletico Madrid winger Yannick Carrasco,  according to the Telegraph. The 28-year-old Belgian has two years to run on his contract.

– The Sun claims  Wolves have rejected a bid worth £8.5m from Everton for midfielder Leander Dendoncker .

– Barcelona and Manchester United have not reached an agreement on a deal for USA international Sergino Dest , reports Cadena COPE.

Valencia have confirmed the capture of Uruguay international Edinson Cavani, with the former Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United forward joining on a two-year deal.

Cavani had been a free agent after his contract expired at Old Trafford earlier this year, and the 35-year-old has since been courted by numerous European clubs.

But it is the LaLiga side the veteran attacker has opted to join, linking up with Gennaro Gattuso's team on a free transfer, with his contract set to run until June 2024.

It is a transfer that means Cavani will have played in four of Europe's five major leagues. He left Danubio in his home country to join Palermo in Serie A, before subsequent spells with Napoli, Paris Saint-Germaiin and United.

A six-time Ligue 1 winner at the Parc des Princes, he departed as the club's all-time top scorer, with 200 goals to his name, when he switched to the Premier League in 2020.

Struggles with injuries and fluctuating form saw him net just 12 times in 41 top-flight appearances for United, with the nearest he came to silverware being the 2021 Europa League final loss to Villarreal.

At international level, Cavani won the 2011 Copa America with Uruguay, and has been a member of three World Cup squads, including the team that finished fourth at South Africa 2010.

Having helped them qualify for the Qatar 2022 World Cup later this year, he will hope to make a fourth appearance at the tournament following his arrival at Valencia.

Villarreal have confirmed Barcelona target Juan Foyth is facing a lay-off with a knee injury.

Barca had been trying to land Foyth before the transfer window closes on Thursday, but they were unable to agree a fee with their LaLiga rivals.

The Argentina defender will almost certainly not be on the move this week after he damaged his left knee during a goalless draw at Getafe on Sunday.

Villarreal said in a statement on Monday: "Medical tests have confirmed that Juan Foyth suffered a post-traumatic contusion in left knee in last Sunday's match against Getafe CF at the Coliseum Alfonso Pérez.

"The recovery time of the player will depend on how he reacts to treatment. Villarreal CF would like to send the Argentine defender best wishes and hopes to see him back on the pitch as soon as possible."

Foyth's injury blow comes after the Yellow Submarine increased his release clause from €42million to 54.6m.

It has been reported the full-back could be out for two months.

West Ham have signed Brazil midfielder Lucas Paqueta from Lyon for a club-record fee.

Paqueta moves to east London from Lyon for a reported £36.5million (€43m) fee in a deal that is said to also include a further £14.4m (€17m) in potential add-ons.

The 25-year-old has signed a five-year contract with an option for further year. Paqueta had previously been linked with a reunion with former Lyon team-mate and fellow Brazil international Bruno Guimaraes at Newcastle United.

However, he will now be a rival to his compatriot after becoming West Ham's eighth signing of the transfer window.

"I am extremely happy to be here. I hope it's the beginning of an enjoyable journey. I hope my time here is successful," Paqueta said.

"Last season, West Ham had a very good season and I hope they continue to enjoy more and more good seasons in my time at the club.

"I am excited to pull on the West Ham shirt and show the fans what I can do."

West Ham made a dismal start to the new Premier League season, losing their first three games without scoring a goal, but bounced back by beating Aston Villa 1-0 on Sunday.

They will look for Paqueta to greatly improve their creative output when he slots into the midfield alongside England international Declan Rice.

Paqueta scored nine league goals last season, with only five midfielders in Ligue 1 finding the net more often. He also laid on six assists and created 41 chances.

The former Milan playmaker, who will wear the number 11 shirt, could make his West Ham debut in the London derby with Tottenham on Wednesday.

Manchester United have confirmed midfielder Hannibal Mejbri will spend the 2022-23 campaign on loan with Championship outfit Birmingham City.

The Tunisia international, who has made three senior appearances for United since making his bow at the end of the 2020-21 season, is the latest player to make a temporary exit from Old Trafford.

Mejbri follows goalkeeper Dean Henderson and defenders Alex Telles and Eric Bailly as additional departures.

Birmingham's social media accounts celebrated the signing for John Eustace's side with an edited poster for the 1991 film 'The Silence of the Lambs', playing on the 19-year-old's shared name with the character Hannibal Lecter.

A clutch of pre-season appearances during the club's tour of the Far East and Australia suggested an increased role under Erik Ten Hag for Mejbri, but the teenager will now look to gain first-team minutes at St Andrew's instead.

The move will likely bolster the 19-year-old's hopes of cementing his place in the Tunisia squad for the Qatar 2022 World Cup, with the 16-cap international hoping to feature at the end-of-year tournament.

Real Madrid have signed Barcelona youth product Iker Bravo from Bayer Leverkusen on an initial season-long loan deal.

The 17-year-old spent more than a decade in Barca's famed La Masia academy prior to joining Leverkusen last year.

Bravo, capped by Spain at various age levels through to Under-19, made two substitute appearances for Leverkusen in all competitions last season.

Bundesliga club Leverkusen confirmed on their official website on Monday that an agreement had been reached with Madrid for the teenage forward to return to Spain.

Carlo Ancelotti's side are said to have seen off competition from Atletico Madrid and are reported to have the option to make the deal permanent at the end of the season for €6million.

Bravo is expected to spend the 2022-23 season playing for Los Blancos' reserve side Real Madrid Castilla.

Patrick Vieira had no intention to speak about players at other clubs when asked about Crystal Palace's rumoured move for Conor Gallagher.

The midfielder spent last season on loan at Palace in an impressive first campaign in charge for Viera.

His form for Palace saw the 22-year-old earn his first England call-up and the club's Player of the Year award.

Gallagher has since returned to Chelsea, but has found it hard to impose himself in the same manner so far this term.

An early red card after successive bookings at the weekend against Leicester City, on his second start of the season, has further highlighted his struggles and now reports have emerged of a £27million bid from Palace to bring him back on a permanent basis.

Vieira, however, refused to comment on whether any such move had been launched.

"The way that you are talking, it is like the £27million is on the table," Vieira quipped when asked if a move for Gallagher was on the cards.

"It is difficult to talk about players who are [at] other football clubs. You mention Conor, [but] Conor is a Chelsea player, and until Chelsea say otherwise, there is no point for us to think about what may not be possible to do."

Vieira acknowledged Palace are hopeful of concluding more business before the transfer window shuts on Thursday, adding: "We have people around the world working on trying to improve the squad.

"Like I said, we are short of numbers. We need players, and we will try to bring those players. If not, I am quite really happy with the players that we have, and we will try to win football matches."

Everton manager Frank Lampard has no concerns over Anthony Gordon refusing to play in order to force through an exit, amid continued speculation over a move to Chelsea.

Chelsea are reported to have already had multiple offers knocked back for the 21-year-old, the most recent of which was said to be worth £45million.

Lampard's former side Chelsea could yet make another approach prior to Thursday's deadline, with boss Thomas Tuchel hinting he is hopeful of further additions.

While Wesley Fofana has been overlooked for selection by Leicester City ahead of a move to Chelsea, and Willy Boly allegedly refused to play against Newcastle United as he seeks a move away from Wolves, Lampard does not expect any such problems from Gordon.

"Anthony wouldn't, shouldn't, couldn't do that with me. If he did try and sit out a game he'd see a different side to me," Lampard told reporters. "There's no doubt about that and I think he knows that.

"I'm not playing the hard one – it's just that it would be so alien from what I'd expect from him. I just know that's not him. 

"At the same time he's not a robot and all this attention is difficult. I understand that – I was that ambitious young player.

"That's the beauty of Anthony. He's hard working and he wants to be better. He wants to do what he did [on Saturday], which is score goals, run for this team, and that’s why he's a delight to work with. So there was never any idea that Anthony would act that way."

Gordon's goal in Saturday's 1-1 draw with Brentford – extending Everton's winless start to the Premier League season to four matches – was his fifth in 64 appearances for the Toffees in all competitions.

He has played a full part in all four of this side's league games this term and Lampard intends to select the winger against Leeds United on Tuesday, regardless of the ongoing gossip.

"He's in the squad Tuesday, for sure," Lampard said. "His character's great. He's in the squad."

When it was put to Lampard that he had been in a similar position prior to leaving boyhood club West Ham for London rivals Chelsea in 2001, the former England international pointed out Gordon has only been a first-team regular for one season.

"I played three-and-a-half, four seasons for West Ham, so there's my answer for Anthony. He's played one for us," Lampard said.

"He's a huge player for us. We're getting towards the end of the window now and Anthony's a huge player for us and will be this season."

Lampard also confirmed Mason Holgate is expected to miss several weeks with a knee injury sustained against Brentford, while Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Abdoulaye Doucoure remain on the sidelines, but new signing Neal Maupay may feature at Elland Road.

Edinson Cavani is relishing a new challenge in LaLiga after agreeing to join Valencia.

The striker had been linked with the likes of Villarreal, Real Sociedad and Nice after his Manchester United contract expired.

Cavani has opted to join Gennaro Gattuso's side on a free transfer and arrived in Valencia to undergo a medical on Monday.

The 35-year-old Uruguay international is raring to go as he prepares to start another chapter of what has been an illustrious career.

He told reporters: "We are going to see how everything goes in the next few hours and I am happy to come here.

"I have been a bit out of [speaking to] the press, because it has been a decision that was important to me.

"What is [important] is that Valencia have given me a lot of confidence and I will try to give him everything on my part to be able to leave a good image in this club and the best of me."

The former Paris Saint-Germain frontman added: "I wanted to be here and play in Spain and Valencia has opted for me.

"It is something that I have already said before, you have to go where they love you, where they show you love, because in reality you live from that, from the strength of the people, from the affection of the club, we come with a lot of desire and enthusiasm."

Cavani scored 12 goals in 41 Premier League appearances during a two-year spell at Old Trafford.

His 200 goals for PSG, meanwhile, make him their all-time top goalscorer.

Chelsea have released Ross Barkley from his contract, with the England international becoming a free agent.

Barkley was not given a squad number for the new season, having made just six Premier League appearances last term.

The midfielder was signed from Everton in January 2018 but never managed to solidify his place as a regular starter under Antonio Conte, Maurizio Sarri, Frank Lampard or Thomas Tuchel.

He spent the 2020-21 season on loan at Aston Villa, where he appeared to be striking up a promising partnership with Jack Grealish, but his form tailed off and his move was not made permanent.

On Monday, three days before the close of the transfer window, Chelsea confirmed they had agreed to cut ties with the 28-year-old, whose deal was to expire at the end of the season.

Barkley has been linked with a move back to Everton and could be the first of several exits from Stamford Bridge this week, with Billy Gilmour, Conor Gallagher, Armando Broja and Trevoh Chalobah all drawing interest, according to reports. Callum Hudson-Odoi, meanwhile, is set to join Bayer Leverkusen on loan.

Brighton and Hove Albion head coach Graham Potter is confident the club will retain Moises Caicedo amid reported interest from some of the Premier League's big hitters.

The 20-year-old Ecuadorian has become a pivotal asset for the Seagulls since returning from a loan stint with Beerschot in January, scoring in the 4-0 victory over Manchester United at the back end of last season.

Following the departure of Yves Bissouma to Tottenham in June, Caicedo's importance has increased and he has been a mainstay in the club's stellar start to the season, which sees them sitting fourth in the Premier League with 10 points from four games.

Caicedo's exploits have not gone unnoticed, with United and Liverpool among those attributed with an interest in in him.

Potter is unconcerned about the prospect of Caicedo leaving before the transfer window closes on Thursday, though he does accept it is not an impossibility.

"It doesn't surprise me that people are looking at him because he's playing at a fantastic level and, as soon as you do your research on him, you realise he's a top kid," Potter said on Monday.

"Young, played in the Premier League, has all of the attributes to play at the highest level, so it's no surprise.

"But we know the position that he's in, we know the position that the club are in, which is that we don't want to lose him and we don't think we will. In football, you never know, that's how it is, but we're quite calm and confident."

Quizzed further on a reported £42million fee for Caicedo, Potter added: "I think you'd probably get his boots for that, maybe. It's not for me to talk about, it is what it is."

Brighton continue their Premier League campaign against Fulham on Tuesday, then tackling early strugglers Leicester City at the weekend.

Thomas Tuchel wants more signings before the end of the transfer window, but the Chelsea boss has said he will still be happy if no more players arrive.

Chelsea could be set to be one of the busier of the biggest Premier League clubs this week, with Tuchel's side in the market for several players.

Wesley Fofana's move from Leicester City is due to go through once the defender completes a medical, while the Blues are also interested in Everton winger Anthony Gordon and Barcelona striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Wilfried Zaha has also been mooted as a target.

There could be several outgoings as well, with Conor Gallagher, Armando Broja and Trevoh Chalobah drawing reported interest. Callum Hudson-Odoi, meanwhile, is set to join Bayer Leverkusen on loan.

Among others, Chelsea have brought in Raheem Sterling, Kalidou Koulibaly and Marc Cucurella, but Emerson, Timo Werner, Romelu Lukaku, Malang Sarr and Levi Colwill are among those to have left, either permanently or on loan.

"Right now I think we could need more players in some positions," Tuchel said in a press conference ahead of Tuesday's clash with Southampton.

"But it's very close to the end of the transfer window and when September 1 comes I will be a very happy coach whatever happens, and try to find solutions, not think what could have happened or what could be.

"Everything that matters is the moment, finding a way to win, stepping up individually, stepping up from my side and this is what we will do no matter if players come in or not."

Asked if he had to treat players whose futures are still uncertain differently, Tuchel replied: "It's maybe human, if there is a transfer window and the players are not only with us at Cobham. Once they leave the building they will have their phones on, get calls, maybe think about their future – there is a World Cup coming, which everybody talks about and everybody thinks about.

"At the moment I accept that it is like this and from September there are no more excuses and distractions, so I am very happy when the transfer window is over, because then the commitment has to be here 100 per cent and we will not accept 99.

"But the reality is that sometimes in the last days of the window you have to accept it, no matter what you wish for, it's the reality."

One player who has swiftly settled into life at Stamford Bridge is Koulibaly. The former Napoli defender was sent off in a 3-0 defeat to Leeds United on August 21, but had looked impressive in Chelsea's opening two matches.

"He's a fantastic player, a fantastic personality," Tuchel said of Koulibaly, who will be back in the fold against Southampton.

"I am so happy with what I see, not only that we managed to convince him to come to the club but also how he plays, how he trains, I see a lot of quality and I think when we play Southampton he will be on the pitch. He's a massive player for us."