The coronavirus pandemic made the summer transfer market unlike any before it, but there were still plenty of deals done, and you can check out the major ones here. The window is closed across the top leagues in Europe, but here are the best rumours from around the globe.
TOP STORY: Blues target Haaland along with Rice
Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland has emerged as another summer target for Chelsea, according to Angelo Mangiante of Sky Sports.
The Blues’ interest in West Ham United‘s Declan Rice has been well documented, but Haaland teaming up with the likes of Timo Werner, Christian Pulisic and Hakim Ziyech would be a very intriguing one.
Bringing in those two players will be an expensive proposition for Stamford Bridge, with the Hammers eyeing £70 million for Rice and Haaland having a £68m release clause. Complicating a potential swoop for Haaland is that the clause reportedly can’t be activated until 2022.
Having spent £220m on new players last summer, Mangiante suggests that Chelsea will potentially offload Antonio Rudiger, Andreas Christensen, Jorginho, Marcos Alonso, Ross Barkley, Danny Drinkwater and Victor Moses to fund the splurge.
Haaland has been linked to moves with Real Madrid and Manchester City.
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08.42 GMT: Bayern Munich have all but given up on left-back David Alaba signing a new contract, according to club executive Oliver Kahn.
The Austria international’s contract with the European champions expires in the summer of 2021 and he can sign a pre-contract at his new club from Jan. 1 on ahead of a free transfer in July.
Sources told ESPN’s James Olley last month that Chelsea are keeping tabs on Alaba, 28, but face competition from Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid for his signature
“We rolled out the red carpet for him and for his agent, Pini Zahavi, in particular. But they did not go over it. And so we packed up the red carpet again,” former Bayern and Germany goalkeeper Kahn has told Sport Bild, adding that he “wouldn’t know right now” if contact would be renewed between the parties. “David has been here for 12 years, 10 years as a pro. And he’s looking elsewhere now. We must accept it.”
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08.00 GMT: Manchester United are confident of securing a work permit for Atalanta winger Amad Diallo in order to add the teenager to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s squad during the January transfer window.
Sources have told ESPN’s Mark Ogden that United are now in the process of applying for his Governing Body Exemption with the English Football Association.
United completed a deal worth an initial €21m for Diallo on the final day of the summer transfer window in October, but were unable to fly the 18-year-old to Manchester due the Ivory Coast-born player’s ongoing wait for an Italian passport.
Sources told ESPN that the passport issue has now been resolved, with Diallo being granted his Italian documents earlier this month. But he is yet to receive clearance to play in England and is still waiting for United’s request for a work permit to be cleared by the UK government. Sources said, however, that United have been given positive indications that Diallo will be given the necessary paperwork in the coming weeks.
PAPER TALK (by Danny Lewis)
Liverpool show interest in Grealish
Liverpool are the latest admirers of Aston Villa talisman Jack Grealish, as has been reported by the Mirror.
Manchester United and Manchester City have already shown an interest in him — it is the red side where he has been most heavily linked in the past.
The 25-year-old’s performances have only got better this term, which has naturally seen more clubs take notice.
However, it is recent reports around Mohamed Salah that have made Liverpool start seriously considering Grealish, with the Egyptian refusing to rule out a move to Real Madrid or Barcelona.
Man United join race for Alaba
Real Madrid are the favourites to sign Bayern Munich‘s David Alaba, but Manchester United are looking to hijack the deal, according to the Daily Star.
The Austria international has decided to leave Bavaria after failing to agree on a new contract. While there is understandably plenty of interest in the versatile defender, United are said to be “confident” that they’ll be able to sign him.
Alaba is free to talk to clubs from on Jan. 1 and Bayern’s chief executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has accepted the notion that the defender will leave.
Tap-ins
– Tottenham Hotspur remain interested in Lille centre-back Sven Botman but Foot Mercato are now suggesting that there is also an interest from Liverpool in the Dutchman. Internazionale are also said to have asked for information about the 20-year-old with the possibility of making a move for him.
– Inter Milan are also prepared to accept Cagliari‘s Leonardo Pavoletti as part of a swap deal for Radja Nainggolan, reports Calciomercato. It is suggested that they would usually aim higher when looking for a striker but have taken the current market into account. They are also desperate to offload Nainggolan, and this is seen as a way of helping to make that happen.
– Bayern Munich youngster Angelo Stiller will not renew his contract with the club, reports Bild. The 19-year-old’s contract will come to an end and he will leave at the end of the season, despite earning game time in the Champions League against Atletico Madrid. The signings of Marc Roca and Tiago Dantas in his position are said to have played into this decision.