TRANSFER NEWS never sleeps and before we know it the January window will be opening once again - Express Sport is on hand to bring you all the latest rumours and gossip.
Costa to Atletico confirmed
20:30: Chelsea have confirmed Diego Costa has completed his move back to Atletico Madrid.
The 28-year-old’s time at Stamford Bridge was ended when he was told by text message from Antonio Conte he was not wanted.
Costa is not eligible to play for his new club until January 1 due to a transfer ban.
Liverpool not big enough
18.00: Brian McBride has told Christian Pulisic to aim higher than Liverpool.
The American sensation was on the Reds radar last year but McBride thinks he should be looking at the big European clubs for his next move.
He said: “No disrespect to Liverpool, but he probably has his sights set even higher. I’ve heard that [Barcelona or Real Madrid] is part of the plan.”
Mourinho requests Griezmann
14:55: Manchester United are weighing up a €100million (£88m) move for Atletico Madrid star Antoine Griezmann next summer after Jose Mourinho requested a deal be completed.
United will have to fork out £88m to meet Griezmann’s release clause but Atletico could be willing to do business at the end of the season.
The Red Devils’ chances of signing Griezmann have been given a boost with the impending arrival of Diego Costa.
Chelsea and Atletico have agreed terms over his transfer and the Spaniard is expected to sign in the New Year.
With a new striker on Simeone’s books and the club able to sign players once again as of January, Atletico will have plenty of time to find a replacement for Griezmann if he leaves.
Griezmann’s current contract at the Wanda Metropolitano runs until 2022.
United scout Diatta
13:50: Manchester United have stepped up their interest in highly-rated teenager Krepin Diatta.
The Red Devils had scouts present in Norwegian club Sarpsborg 08’s clash with Odd on Monday.
ESPN claim the 18-year-old remains on United’s radar and they will continue to monitor his progress.
Marcos Alonso to Atletico
12:55: Atletico Madrid may well rue the one that got away when Marcos Alonso runs out for Chelsea at the Wanda Metropolitano tomorrow night.
Alonso is a boyhood Atletico fan. His dad Marcos Alonso Pena played for the club in the late 1980s, while also managing them during the 2001/02 campaign which ended in a failed promotion from the Segunda Division.
Alonso has red and white - yes, he really does - blood running through him. The club is in his DNA.
Alonso is a boyhood Atletico fan. His dad Marcos Alonso Pena played for the club in the late 1980s, while also managing them during the 2001/02 campaign which ended in a failed promotion from the Segunda Division.
Alonso has red and white - yes, he really does - blood running through him. The club is in his DNA.
Zidane eyes Draxler
12:40: Zinedine Zidane is keen to sign Paris Saint-Germain star Julian Draxler.
Real Madrid have got off to a slow start and the French boss is already weighing up his options ahead of the January transfer window.
And according to Spanish outlet Don Balon, Draxler tops his wishlist.
Drawler came close to leaving the French capital in the summer and is likely to have plenty of interest from European clubs in the New Year.
Liverpool's Van Dijk blow
11:36: Southampton have no plans to sell Virgil van Dijk to Liverpool in January, nor in the future.
Southampton blocked a deal in the summer after being angered in Liverpool’s approach towards their defender.
Liverpool were forced to publicly apologise after Saints accused them of illegally tapping up their player.
That didn’t put the Reds off trying to close a deal before the deadline though, and Liverpool could renew their interest in January when the transfer window reopens.
But according to the Gambling Times they’ll be disappointed in their pursuit.
They state Southampton have no interest in ever selling Van Dijk to Liverpool after becoming incensed with their behaviour over the summer.
Southampton sources believe that Van Dijk will remain at the very least for the rest of the season.
Everton eye Cavani
10:30: Everton have had a meeting with PSG to discuss a stunning move for Edinson Cavani, according to European transfer website Tuttomercatoweb.
Ronald Koeman is still looking for a replacement for Romelu Lukaku following his £90million move to Manchester United this summer.
Everton spent nearly £150million on Wayne Rooney, Gylfi Sigurdsson, Sandro Ramirez, Davy Klaassen, Michael Keane and Jordan Pickford.
And Koeman remains on the hunt for a top striker and could look to lure PSG ace Cavani to Goodison Park in January.
Suarez on Barca future
09:10: Denis Suarez admits he had opportunities to leave Barcelona in the summer, but is determined to become a first-team regular.
"I never thought about leaving and although it is true that I had two offers, I did not consider either," the 23-year-old told RAC1.
"I didn't want to move from here, I know that I have the confidence of the coaching staff, of the players, and I believe I'll get opportunities and hope to make the most of them. My goal is to be important here and I will not stop fighting until I achieve that."
Aubameyang on Tianjin’s radar
07:45: Chinese Super League side Tianjin Quanjian still want to sign Borussia Dortmund striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
"He is worth €65m (£57m) to €70m (£61m),” the club’s billionaire owner, Shu Yuhui, is quoted. “I would pay that too.
“He would help us make the club and the Chinese league more internationally known.”
Gabriel Jesus could've signed for Man Utd
05:10: Gabriel Jesus could’ve been wearing Manchester United red in the summer of 2016.
German outlet Kicker claim United had the chance to sign the youngster for just £22million.
It is said Jesus had a clause inserted into his contract at Palmeiras which allowed United to have priority over signing the striker and should a bid be lodged the Brazilian side were obligated to accept.
But the Red Devils along with Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich apparently failed to come forward with an offer, which opened the door for City to sign him for £28m instead.
Youri Tielemans on rejecting Arsenal
02:00 Youri Tielemans has revealed he chose Monaco over Arsenal, because he would have more chance of getting regular first-team football.
The former Anderlecht star was on the Gunners’ radar, but instead completed a switch to Ligue 1.
Explaining his decision, he told Belgian paper Het Laatste Nieuws: “Monaco was just the best step for me. I knew that I could secure a place in the midfield because the vice-president had entrusted me with what he was planning.
“Could I have gone to the Premier League? Yes, but Monaco was the first and most concrete team.
“I knew there was not much going on with Arsenal's interest. The board wanted to keep the players they had together to finish higher in the Premier League.”
Monday September 25
Verratti revelation
22:30: Marco Verratti wanted a better contract at PSG which is why he kicked up a fuss in the transfer window, claims Carlo Ancelotti.
Barcelona were desperate to sign Verratti during pre-season.
But PSG refused to do business with the Nou Camp side after a public pursuit of the player.
Verratti has since settled back into life in Paris and Bayern Munich boss Ancelotti has revealed why he wasn’t happy.
"I don't like those things, that kind of behaviour” he said.
"Many players want to leave their clubs when the transfer window is open, but I don't know if they really want to leave just improve their contracts.
"Verratti? He wanted a better contract. I know him well!"
Real Madrid eye Draxler
17:52: Real Madrid will look to sign Julian Draxler next summer if they find it impossible to land Antoine Griezmann.
Griezmann is Atletico Madrid’s star striker but Diego Costa’s impending arrival could see the player sold at the end of the season.
Manchester United want to sign the France international and Spanish outlet Don Balon claim Real may give up their chase of Griezmann if a deal is too tricky to complete.
They would instead turn their attention to Draxler, who has found game time hard to come by this season.
Arsenal target issues contract ultimatum
16:50: Arsenal target Kepa Arrizabalaga has told Athletic Bilbao he wants a pay rise.
Arrizabalaga is one of the rising stars in Spanish football and has earned comparisons to Manchester United star David de Gea.
The 22-year-old is out of contract at the end of the season and in January he can sign a pre-contract agreement with another club.
Bilbao have been desperate to tie Arrizabalaga down to a new long-term deal and recently offered him a four-year contract.
But according to Spanish outlet AS, Arrizabalaga is demanding to be paid around £1.9m-a-year by Bilbao.
Arsenal, Real Madrid and Napoli are all tracking the young goalkeeper.
The report says the release clause in Arrizabalaga’s contract would be around £61million.
Mou wants fresh deals for duo
16:30: Jose Mourinho would like to reward Marcus Rashford and Marouane Fellaini with new contracts before the January transfer window opens.
Mourinho has already spoken about how highly he values the towering Belgian, whose contract is set to expire in June 2018.
Rashford only last year signed a new deal until 2020, but Jose understands the importance of keeping the young talent happy.
The duo could join Ander Herrera and David de Gea, who are also reportedly nearing news deals at Old Trafford.
Wenger disagrees with Jose and Pep
15:50: Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has said the club cannot afford to ignore any competition unlike rival managers who have questioned the value of the League Cup.
Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho suggested scrapping of the League Cup could help avoid fixture congestion and would help English clubs become more competitive in European competitions.
The Portuguese manager was also backed by Manchester City counterpart Pep Guardiola, who played down the significance of the League Cup.
"You cannot sacrifice deliberately any competition with the pressure that every club is under now," Wenger told reporters.
"You know that you could pay the price sometimes for it because you know that if you go further in the League Cup, at some stage you play in the semi-final - home and away in January. So you have the FA Cup, the Premier League and sometimes you lose players in these competitions."
Fabregas on Costa
14:55: Chelsea star Cesc Fabregas says he will miss Diego Costa with the striker set to join Atletico Madrid in the New Year.
“He will always be in my heart,” Fabregas replied when asked about Costa on Onda Cero.
“He’s a great guy, I spoke to him on Saturday when he was watching (Atletico’s) game – we enjoyed a spectacular connection both on and off the pitch.
“He is a great friend of mine and we spent three memorable years together in London, winning a lot and enjoying success. Right now he is very happy, obviously it’s been tough for him with the uncertainty of recent months but this is the best not just for Diego but for Chelsea.
“They (Chelsea and Costa) had a good working relationship so it was important it ended well for both. I’m sure Diego will enjoy lots more success with Atletico and will score plenty of goals.”
Sanchez focused on Arsenal - Koscielny
14:20: Alexis Sanchez is focused on being an Arsenal player after a frustrating summer that saw his proposed move to Manchester City blocked, says team-mate Laurent Koscielny.
Sanchez has scored one goal in five appearances for the Gunners in all competitions so far and Koscielny believes the 28-year-old is giving his all for the club.
“Alexis is an important player for us,” said Koscielny.
“I know it was a difficult situation with the transfer window but now it’s finished and I think he is focused on his job, on his performance and on his club.
“He’s an Arsenal player and he knows that he needs to play and he needs to score some goals and give assists to be better.
“He’s still working every day like he did before, so the most important thing is to keep his head cool and just play and enjoy.”
Chelsea still keen on Sandro
12:45: Chelsea and Manchester City remain keen on Juventus star Alex Sandro.
The Brazilian was strongly linked with a move to the Premier League in the summer with Antonio Conte desperate to sign him.
Juve were reluctant to sell though and their stance is unlikely to change in the January transfer window, Italian publication Tutto Mercato claim.
City and Chelsea have a greater chance in doing business with the Serie A champions next summer.
Triple manager exodus
11:22: It’s been a busy morning at three clubs today with Gillingham, Oldham and Ross County all parting ways with their managers.
Ady Pennock has left Gillingham by mutual consent, while Oldham confirmed the departure of John Sheridan following their 5-1 defeat to Rotherham at the weekend.
And in Scotland, Ross County have sacked Jim McIntyre after managing just four points from seven matches.
Coutinho could leave in January
10:15: Liverpool are prepared to sell Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona in January.
The Reds blocked Barca’s attempts to sign him in the summer but Spanish newspaper Sport claim Barca will finally get their man in the New Year.
Owners Fenway Sports Group have held meetings with Coutinho’s representatives and have agreed to listen to Barca when the transfer window reopens.
Sport reckons Liverpool won’t be mounting a title challenge this season and that case, the American owners will let the 25-year-old leave.
The report suggests suggest Coutinho has once again expressed his desire to move to the Nou Camp.
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