Transfers

Ruben Amorim has been accused of "taking the p*ss" when it comes to his treatment of young midfielder Kobbie Mainoo. The 20-year-old has struggled for game time under Amorim and has been linked with a transfer away in a bid to get his career back on track. Former Manchester United wonderkid Ravel Morrison believes Mainoo should feature more and that Amorim is wrong to keep him on the bench.

Barcelona midfielder Pedri is more than receptive to the idea of playing alongside Lionel Messi again in the future. The two were team-mates at Barca for the 2020-21 season before Messi's contract expired and couldn't be renewed due to financial restrictions, leaving on a free transfer for Paris Saint-Germain instead. Ever since his emotional departure, the Argentine has been linked with a return to Catalunya.

Chelsea have become the latest club to express interest in Bournemouth star Antoine Semenyo. The forward is also being chased by Manchester United, Liverpool and Manchester City ahead of the opening of the January transfer window and is expected to leave in a transfer worth £65 million. The Blues have made an initial enquiry for Semenyo as the race for his signature hots up.

Cristiano Ronaldo has been handed a timely boost in his bid for Saudi Pro League title glory, with Al-Nassr seeing a transfer ban lifted by FIFA. World football’s governing body had announced that a number of teams in the Middle East would be prevented from registering new players across several windows. Ronaldo and Co no longer form part of that pack.

Jamie Carragher has suggested that Mohamed Salah’s mooted January exit is now effectively off the table, arguing that Alexander Isak’s serious injury has left Liverpool with little margin for manoeuvre in attack. The Reds edged Tottenham 2-1 in their latest Premier League outing, but the result was overshadowed by the sight of their record signing limping away in distress.

Manchester United's reported stance on Kobbie Mainoo's future has been revealed, with Ruben Amorim seeing his midfield options reduced further after a serious injury to Bruno Fernandes. The playmaker suffered what has been described as a "soft tissue" problem that forced him to come off at half-time in United's 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa. The injury is expected to sideline Fernandes for several weeks, while Mainoo missed the Villa game entirely due to a calf issue.

Manchester United are preparing to invest in a new midfield partnership next summer as part of a planned overhaul under Ruben Amorim. United have been monitoring several Premier League midfielders, including Elliot Anderson, Adam Wharton, Carlos Baleba and Alex Scott, as they assess long-term changes in the centre of the pitch, with the futures of Bruno Fernandes, Casemiro and Kobbie Mainoo unclear.

Lyon have reached an agreement with Real Madrid over a loan move for Brazil wonderkid Endrick. The Ligue 1 side were seeking a striker following the departures of Alexandre Lacazette and Georges Mikautadze during the summer window, and are set to reinforce their ranks for the second-half of the season with Los Blancos' young forward on his way to France.

Liverpool have opted against accelerating their interest in Antoine Semenyo, despite holding initial discussions with the player's camp, allowing Manchester United and Manchester City to move into stronger positions in the race for the Bournemouth forward. The Reds were keen to explore a move for the in-form Ghana international, but have now pulled out, simplifying matters for the forward.

Borussia Dortmund are facing the prospect of losing Aaron Anselmino as early as January after details emerged of a clause in his loan agreement with Chelsea. According to reports, Chelsea have the option to recall the 20-year-old defender during the winter window if he has not reached an agreed minimum number of playing minutes for Dortmund.

Liverpool star Florian Wirtz has been warned patience may be starting to run thin at Anfield after a slow start to his career on Merseyside following his £116m transfer from Bayer Leverkusen. The Germany international is still yet to open his account for the Reds and former midfielder Didi Hamann says he really needs to start coming up with the goods for his new club.

Vinicius Junior has been advised to “not do what Neymar did” when it comes to pushing for a move away from a European superpower. The Brazil international remains tied to Real Madrid for now, but talk of a transfer to the Saudi Pro League being completed refuses to go away. Fellow countryman Sandro believes Vinicius should stay put and compete for future Ballons d’Or.

Harry Kane is being tipped to remain at Bayern Munich for “a long time to come”. If that predication proves to be correct, then transfer talk surrounding the England international striker will quieten quickly. He has seen a return to the Premier League mooted, while also being linked with Barcelona, but is fully focused on events in Germany for the foreseeable future.

Arsenal are reported to have stepped up their interest in Borussia Dortmund-owned goalkeeper Diant Ramaj - who is currently on loan at Heidenheim. It is claimed that the Gunners have sent several scouting missions to Germany. David Raya remains No.1 at Emirates Stadium, with Kepa Arrizabalaga filling back-up duties, but further additions between the sticks are being considered.

Premier League teams have been warned off a move for Neymar, as he prepares to hit free agency, with clubs in England being told that any approach for the Brazil international would be “about how many shirts they sell”. Despite being a modern day great, Neymar is now 33 years old and has struggled with injury of late - leading to questions of what he has to offer in a sporting sense.

Ruben Amorim fears Manchester United are going to “struggle” after club captain Bruno Fernandes was added to their list of absentees, but the Portuguese will not be demanding that club bosses make funds available in the January transfer window. Instead, in a bleak warning to supporters, the Red Devils are planning to battle through with what they have.

Real Madrid are reportedly set to join Manchester City in the race for Bayern Munich winger Michael Olise, with Europe’s elite circling one of the Bundesliga’s standout performers. However, Die Roten have made their stance clear as they view the France international as untouchable amid plans to secure his long-term future at the Allianz Arena.