Transfer news and rumours LIVE: Zidane wants Pogba at Madrid

Barcelona and PSG also eye Spanish midfielder

Real Madrid are stepping up their interest in Napoli midfielder Fabian Ruiz, according to Sport.

The Spanish giants have been linked with the Spain international for several months, but face competition from rivals Barcelona and French giants Paris Saint-Germain.

And Madrid are looking to get ahead of their competitors by reaching out to his agents to discuss a potential move and he is open to a move.

However, he will have several big offers and Napoli want him to extend his contract.

Sporting Kansas City have confirmed the signing of Roberto Puncec.

The 28-year-old centre-back had been playing for Croatian side HNK Rijeka but has opted for a switch to MLS.

“Roberto has significant experience playing in Europe over the last several years,” manager and sporting director Peter Vermes said. “He is very excited to be here and we look forward to him integrating into our club and our city.”

Teams from England, Germany and France will be on alert in January as Barcelona are preparing to offload Jean-Clair Todibo.

Mundo Deportivo reports the Spanish giants are hoping to let the 19-year-old go on a temporary deal, but are prepared to sell him outright if necessary, and there are several sides from the Premier League, Bundesliga and Ligue 1 showing an interest.

Atletico Madrid have made contact with Edinson Cavani's agents over a potential switch from Paris Saint-Germain.

The Uruguayan striker's contract expires at the end of the season and AS reports the Spanish side want to land him on a free deal.

Leeds and Swansea are considering loan offers for Liverpool youngster Rhian Brewster, The Times reports.

Liverpool are prepared to send the 19-year-old on loan when the transfer window opens again and several teams have already made contact.

Ansu Fati has signed a new contract which sees him tied to Barcelona until 2022.

The 17-year-old winger's release clause now stands at 170m (£144m/$188m) and will go up to €400m (£338m/$443m) when he signs a professional deal at the age of 18.

Read the story on Goal

Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho is eager to sign Barcelona centre-back Samuel Umtiti - according to Don Balon.

The Portuguese want to strengthen his defensive ranks in January, with the 26-year-old top of his list of targets.

Umtiti, who has only featured four times in La Liga for Barca this season, is currently valued at around €60 million ($66m, £51m).

Manchester City are interested in signing Inter striker Lautaro Martinez - according to Sky Sports Italia via ESPN.

Barcelona, Real Madrid and Manchester United have also been linked with the Argentine, who has a €111 million ($123m, £94m) buy-out clause in his current contract.

Lautaro has contributed eight goals and one assist to Inter's cause in 14 Serie A appearances this term.

He's baaaaaaaack!#NERevs // @krowe210

— New England Revolution (@NERevolution) December 4, 2019

Besiktas have identified Brescia striker Mario Balotelli as a transfer target - according to NTV.

The Italian striker's current employers are happy to sanction his departure for nothing in January, with the Turkish outfit eager to swoop in and secure his services.

Balotelli has scored twice in eight Serie A outings for Brescia this season.

Nashville SC have signed Honduras international Brayan Beckeles, it has been confirmed.

The 34-year-old right-back last played for Honduran side Olimpia but has opted to join the incoming MLS club ahead of the new campaign.

"Brayan has been a standout at the domestic and international levels," general manager Mike Jacobs said. "His ability to defend at a high level in Liga MX, as well as throughout CONCACAF representing Honduras, makes him someone who would slot in nicely into our back line."

🇭🇳➡️🎸

We're excited to announce the signing of Honduran international Brayan Beckeles (@BrayanBeckeles)#BandTogetherNSC | https://t.co/vcBgQcLRNs pic.twitter.com/F0lko849il

— Nashville SC (@NashvilleSC) December 4, 2019

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer needs to bring in a new striker and an extra midfielder in January, according to Gary Neville, who has advised the Manchester United boss to "spend the owner's money".

The Red Devils have endured their worst start to a top-flight season since 1988-9, slipping eight points behind fourth-place Chelsea in the race for the final Champions League spot.

Neville, who earned legendary status at United after 19 trophy-laden years on their books, thinks Solskjaer will have to strengthen his squad in the new year in order to turn the club's fortunes around and silence speculation over his future.

Read the full story on Goal.

Wolves also want AC Milan midfielder

West Ham are leading Wolves in the battle to sign Franck Kessie from AC Milan in January, Milan Live says.

The 22-year-old has struggled for playing time at San Siro this season and the club are determined to offload him in the next transfer window.

While West Ham are at the front of the queue, Wolves are also interested, but he is expected to cost upwards of €30 million (£25m/$33m).

Everton are ready to sell midfielder Beni Baningime in January, according to Football Insider.

The 21-year-old has not made an impact at Goodison Park since his return from a loan spell at Wigan.

He came close to joining Danish side Brondby last summer but the deal fell through and a January exit seems likely.

Swedish centre-back Axel Sjoberg has joined Columbus Crew, it has been confirmed.

The 28-year-old spent four years with Colorado Rapids before moving to Ohio.

Welcome to Columbus, @SjobergAxel!#Crew96

— Columbus Crew SC (@ColumbusCrewSC) December 4, 2019

MLS expansion side Inter Miami have continued their squad building ahead of their debut campaign with the signing of goalkeeper John McCarthy.     

The 27-year-old is the second goalkeeper to join the club this week, following the arrival of Luis Robles on Monday.

Depth in Net.

Goalkeeper @jmacdaddy77 brings MLS and USL experience to #InterMiamiCF

🗞️- https://t.co/dBew1SpCWG pic.twitter.com/5BvMWJ39hb

— Inter Miami CF (@InterMiamiCF) December 4, 2019

German side Schalke are set to sign Switzerland full-back Ricardo Rodriguez from Milan in January, according to SportMediaset via Calciomercato.

The 27-year-old has not featured for the Rossoneri since September, with summer signing Theo Hernandez preferred at left-back by coach Stefano Pioli.

As a result the club are ready to sell Rodriguez next month, with Schalke leading the chase for the former Wolfsburg player. 

Oscar Pareja has signed a deal to become Orlando City coach.

Pareja will succeed James O’Connor, who was sacked in October after failing to secure a play-off place in the Eastern Conference.

The 51-year-old left Mexican side Club Tijuana last month and was widely tipped to return to MLS.

NEWS: Orlando City SC Names Óscar Pareja as Head Coach. #VamosOrlando

— Orlando City SC (@OrlandoCitySC) December 4, 2019

Chelsea have made Leicester left-back Ben Chilwell a prime transfer target, according to The Athletic.

The Blues hope to hear whether their two-window transfer ban will be reduced to one by the Court of Arbitration for Sport in the coming days.

If their ban is lifted, then they will press ahead with their attempts to lure the England international from the King Power Stadium to Stamford Bridge.

Krzysztof Piatek wants to stay at Milan amid reports the club are ready to sell the Poland forward, according to Calciomercato.

The 24-year-old has scored just three goals in 14 appearances for the Rossoneri this season, with the club ready to move him on when the transfer window opens next month.

A return to former club Genoa has been mentioned, but Piatek sees that as a backward step and is ready to fight for his future at San Siro.

Everton are ready to offer Lucas Digne a new long-term contract, according to the Mail.

The France international has impressed in a blue shirt since joining from Barcelona in August 2018, winning the club's player of the year award last season.

As a result the Toffees, who value Digne at £70 million ($92m), are keen to award the 26-year-old with fresh terms in a bid to ward off potential suitors.

Chelsea are ready to break their transfer record in the pursuit of Borussia Dortmund's wantaway forward Jadon Sancho and are confident about their chances of landing him ahead of Manchester United either in January or next summer.

Get the full story here!

Long-time Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone is heading for a departure from the club, according to Marca.

The board are unimpressed with recent results, which means that Argentine could depart sooner rather than later.

Arsenal and Everton are closely following developments.

Former Man Utd boss Jose Mourinho has increased his chances of defeating the Old Trafford club with his new side, Tottenham, due to how bad he was with the Red Devils.

Alexander Netherton takes a look...

Bayern Munich winger Kingsley Coman says he wants to follow in the footsteps of compatriot Franck Ribery and stay at the club “for a long time”.

Get the full story here...

Barcelona and Juventus are interested in signing teenage Metz defender Lenny Lacroix, according to Mundo Deportivo.

The 16-year-old has yet to make an appearance for the French outfit but is regularly training with the senior squad.

His potential has attracted the interest of Barca and Juve scouts, with the duo keen to sign the France under-17 international for their academy.

England boss Gareth Southgate is a contender for the Manchester United job if the club sack Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, according to The Sun.

Solskjaer is under pressure with the Red Devils 10th in the Premier League having made their worst start to a top-flight campaign since 1988.

Southgate has emerged as a contender should United make a change at the end of the season, though former Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino is also strongly tipped to take the top job at Old Trafford if the club sack Solskjaer during the campaign. 

Juventus are keen on signing Chelsea defender Emerson in January as they seek cover to Alex Sandro, according to Corriere Dello Sport.

Bianconeri boss Maurizio Sarri knows Emerson well having worked with the Brazilian-born player during his time at Stamford Bridge last season.

However, any deal could be held up by the fee, with Chelsea wanting £30 million ($39.1m) for 25-year-old while Juve would prefer an initial loan deal.

Birmingham have confirmed the appointment of Pep Clotet as permanent head coach.

Clotet has been in caretaker charge of the Championship club since the departure of Garry Monk in June.

OFFICIAL: Blues are delighted to announce that @pepclotet has been appointed Head Coach

Full details 👉 https://t.co/ZQmrFq1t9b

Congratulations, Pep!#BCFC pic.twitter.com/16o5jwqUNR

— Birmingham City FC (@BCFC) December 4, 2019

Thomas Tuchel could take charge of Bayern Munich along with Hansi Flick next season, Sport Bild says.

The Paris Saint-Germain boss finds his future determined by his side's Champions League performance and if he were to depart Bayern would be an option.

Hansi Flick, a friend of Tuchel, is currently in intermin charge of FCB following the departure of Niko Kovac, though his long-term future is up in the air.

PSG have made contact with Carlo Ancelotti over a return to Parc des Princes next season, Foot Mercato reports.

With the Italian under pressure at Napoli, the Ligue 1 giants have sounded him out over the possibility of a move back to Paris at the end of the season.

Currently PSG boss Thomas Tuchel is under no pressure currently but that could change depending how the Champions League campaign unfolds.

Eriksen among trio eyed by Madrid

Real Madrid are eyeing three players to strengthen their squad, including Tottenham midfielder Christian Eriksen, according to Marca.

With the Denmark star out of contract next summer, the Spaniards are set to swoop for him.

Additionally, Fabián Ruiz (Napoli) and Donny van de Beek (Ajax) are being closely followed, with the state of the latter deal left advanced last summer by the club.

Carles Alena wants to leave Barcelona in January, AS reports.

Barca, for their part, seem quite happy to allow the young midfielder, who has played only 45 minutes this season, to depart, though they have to decide whether it will be a loan or a permanent deal.

Tottenham have previously been linked with the 21- year-old.

Zizou desperate for Blancos to sign Man Utd ace

Zinedine Zidane wants Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba to sign for Real Madrid, Marca reports.

Zidane is not necessarily backed by his board on the deal, however, as they do not know how he would fit into the squad. They have Donny van de Beek down as their top midfield signing.

Pogba, for his part, has Madrid at the top of his shortlist if he were to leave the Red Devils.

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is hoping the club can complete its player transfers quicker next summer, after describing the previous window's dealings as 'late'.

Get the full story here...

Enfield Town forward Muhammadu Faal is attracting interest from Norwich City, Watford and Crystal Palace, reports The Sun. 

The 22-year-old has scored 18 goals across 19 games this season playing in England's seventh tier. 

Faal is a second cousin of Liverpool defender Joe Gomez and is being eyed as the next Jamie Vardy. 

Juventus and Everton are in the mix to sign Portuguese wonderkid Matchoi Bobo Djalo, reports Football Insider. 

The 16-year-old winger is turning heads this season in his homeland playing for Pacos de Ferreira and a number of scouts have been keeping track of him. 

Juventus, Everton and Southampton are all now reportedly keeping tabs on him. 

Any club that wants to bring in Rafa Benitez must pay in excess of £20 million, reports the Daily Mail.

The Spanish manager is currently in charge of Chinese side Dalian Yifang, who have placed the world-record release clause into his contract. 

Premier League sides Arsenal and West Ham have been linked with possible interest in Benitez but his price tag will likely put any club off for now. 

Wolves manager Nuno Espirito Santo has refused to be drawn on speculation linking him to Arsenal.

Following the sacking of Unai Emery, Nuno's name has been thrown in the ring but the man himself has taken no notice. 

"I still have a contract," Nuno said on Tuesday. 

“I live on a daily basis. For me it’s more important I focus on what I have to do today." 

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has admitted that the club's transfer business in the previous window was 'late'.

Most notably, United lost Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez to Inter late in the window and were unable to bring in any replacements.

Read Solskjaer's thoughts on United's transfer business right here

As they look to strengthen in January, Tottenham have set their sights on a new centre-back.

Jose Mourinho wants to sign Norwich City defender Ben Godfrey, according to Football Insider.

Godfrey, 21, has made 14 appearances in the Premier League this season. He also played a crucial role in the Canaries' promotion from the Championship last term.

Given that he is one of Norwich's most impressive young players, Tottenham would have to pay around £25 million ($32m) to secure his services. Mourinho is looking to replace Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen, both of whom are out of contract in the summer.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has all but confirmed his next playing stint will take him back to Italy's Serie A.

The 38-year-old has been a free agent since calling time on his stay with MLS side LA Galaxy, with a number of clubs scrambling for the veteran striker's services. 

Italian clubs have shown the most interest, with AC Milan and Napoli both strongly linked, and Ibrahimovic has now suggested that Serie A will be his next stop. 

“I will join a club that must get back to winning, that has to renew its history and is in search of a battle against everyone and everything,” Ibrahimovic told GQ Italia.

Read the full story on Goal.

Former Burnley and Bolton manager Owen Coyle has been appointed the new boss of Indian Super League side Chennaiyin FC.

Welcome to the #CFCKudumbam Owen Coyle!

Read more - https://t.co/Hvq2s67tAD#AattamReloaded pic.twitter.com/HnXpoaqpow

— Chennaiyin FC 🏆🏆 (@ChennaiyinFC) December 3, 2019

The 53-year-old replaces John Gregory, who parted company with the club last week after a poor start to the season that sees them second bottom of the table.

Coyle, who has agreed a deal until the end of the season, told the club's media team: 'I am incredibly proud to join Chennaiyin FC as their head coach." 

The German star is wanted in Spain

Atletico Madrid have lined up RB Leipzig's Timo Werner as their primary attacking target in January, as reported by Cope.

Reports say the Germany international has already agreed to join the La Liga side, though Werner is contracted to the Bundesliga outfit until 2023. 

Any January deal could depend on the fitness of Atletico's Diego Costa, who is likely to be out until at least February.

Chelsea will listen to offers for Olivier Giroud in January, leaving Michy Batshuayi as the club's only cover for Tammy Abraham if their transfer ban is not lifted, reports the Daily Mail. 

Head coach Frank Lampard believes Christian Pulisic is more of a mobile option than Giroud in his system.

On Saturday Giroud, whose contract expires at the end of the season, made his first start for the club since August 18 as Chelsea lost to West Ham.