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 might be closed across the top leagues in Europe, but here are the best rumours from around the globe.
TOP STORY: Atletico can't close deal for Kondogbia
Following Thomas Partey's exit from Atletico Madrid to Arsenal, the Spanish club were left with €50 million in the bank but some hard feelings over how the deal was finalised. Even though they were able to secure the services of Lucas Torreira on loan from Arsenal, the brass at the Wanda Metropolitano remained in pursuit of replacing the outward-bound Ghana international following his last-minute exit to the Emirates.
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La Liga rules specify that clubs have 30 days to replace a player whose buyout clause is paid -- provided the prospect plays within the league -- and Diego Simeone's side were therefore eyeing Valencia's Geoffrey Kondogbia as an viable replacement. But according to Marca, that raid won't happen until at least January due to the hardball being played at La Mestalla.
While the money from the Partey deal will give Atletico some flexibility in the upcoming winter window, it now seems they will need to make due with the players they have as they juggle domestic and Champions League competitions.
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09.27 GMT: Sheffield United midfielder John Lundstram, who is in the final year of his contract at the club, has rejected the offer of a new deal.
Lundstram, 26, can leave Bramall Lane as a free agent next summer, and is free to open talks with clubs outside of England from Jan. 1.
Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder said: "It has been frustrating for me personally. I wanted John to stop here. We have discussed for a few months about him stopping.
"We have offered him an attractive contract, up there with the top players at the club."
Asked if he would still select Lundstram as the contract talks continue, Wilder added: "I have to think hard about it and I am frustrated. John should have signed it. Players have committed to us. Should I be beside those, or a player who has not committed?
"We will invite offers for a good young player who did well in his first season in the Premier League.
"He is still a Sheffield United player and available for selection. We are coming into a period where it is straightforward, He runs down his contract, that is not ideal for us."
08.46 GMT: Napoli sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli is confident Gennaro Gattuso will remain at the club beyond this season.
Gattuso replaced Carlo Ancelotti at the helm of Napoli in December 2019 and steered the Naples-based club to a seventh-placed finish last season.
Giuntoli told reporters when asked about Gattuso's future: "As I've always said, when there is a will from both sides to continue together, there are no problems.
"I think that soon there will be an agreement reached. Could an agreement be done in 2020? It could be, why not?"
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08.00 GMT: One of the likely candidates to be Barcelona's next president says he wants Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola and other club legends to return to Camp Nou.
Josep Maria Bartomeu resigned as Barcelona president on Tuesday rather than await a fans' vote of confidence on his future at the club. The rest of the board of directors have stepped down alongside Bartomeu, and an election will be scheduled within the next 90 days to appoint a new president.
And Victor Font believes that the best way to restore the club to its former glory and to convince Lionel Messi to stay is to bring back the coach who won two Champions Leagues in four years, as well as a host of his most senior former players.
"It is our intention to build a very strong and competitive project and we are very lucky at Barca that we inherited a style of play that Johan Cruyff instilled throughout the organisation," Font told Sky Sports. "And most of the best professionals who know about this style are also fans and love the club - like Pep Guardiola, Xavi [Hernandez], [Andres[ Iniesta, [Carles] Puyol.
"They are all legends that love Barcelona but do not work for Barca today -- we need to bring them back to ensure we will have a very competitive project.
"The only thing Messi needs is to know he is part of a competitive project that aspires to win the next Champions League. We have no doubt that if we basically have the honour to take the helm of FC Barcelona we will be able to achieve that [Messi staying]."
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PAPER TALK (by Nick Judd): Origi eyes Anfield exit amid Belgium worries
Divock Origi could be on the move in January, a result of him having fallen further down the pecking order at Liverpool, reports the Liverpool Echo.
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Origi is finding game time hard to come by this season. Last week, when Jurgen Klopp changed his entire strike force in the Champions League match against Ajax Amsterdam, Origi watched on as Diogo Jota, Takumi Minamino and Xherdan Shaqiri replaced the usual trio of Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino.
Origi was always the first man called upon when Klopp wanted to switch things up in attack, and now he's seventh in line. Not only that, but Liverpool are in need of defensive reinforcements, and so would welcome a fee for the Belgian striker.
Moreover, Origi wasn't selected for Belgium's international matches in September, so he'll also need to fight his way back into Roberto Martinez's thoughts too.
Tap-ins
- Marseille are hoping to lure Nikola Maksimovic away from Napoli, reports Calciomercato. The centre-back has been left out in recent weeks by Napoli boss Gennaro Gattuso and he is approaching the end of his contract. Marseille's head of football Pablo Longoria believes it would be a solid move for his club, but he faces pressure from Inter Milan who are also keen.
- Manchester City's hopes of signing Lionel Messi next summer could depend on who is elected as Barcelona's next president, reports The Athletic. Messi had indicated he was ready to leave the Catalan club after having fallen out with Josep Bartomeu, but he could now be used as a political weapon by potential incumbents to the president's hotseat, and commit his future further, if he can be convinced by the club's new masterplan to win back the Champions League.
Source: espn.co.uk