Transfer news LIVE updates: Messi tells Barcelona player to leave; Man Utd, Chelsea latest

Transfer news LIVE updates: Follow all the latest news and gossip

Thursday September 14

Enrique snub

07:51: Jose Enrique has revealed how Arsenal twice failed to sign him during his time at Newcastle United and Liverpool.

Enrique was asked on Twitter by a journalist: "Wish you all the best after retirement. Great Premier League player. Question for you: Did Arsenal ever approach you at #NUFC?"

And Enrique responded: "Thanks a lot for your message. Yes they did mate the same summer I went to Liverpool and when I play for Liverpool too. Twice they did."

Messi tells Alcacer to go

07:36: Lionel Messi has told Paco Alcacer to leave Barcelona, according to claims in Spain.

Messi has been utilised as a ‘false nine’ by new Barca boss Ernesto Valverde this season, with Luis Suarez and new signing Ousmane Dembele flanking him in the 3-0 win over Juventus on Tuesday night.

That has left little room for striker Alcacer, who is facing a battle to make it into Julen Lopetegui’s Spain squad for the 2018 World Cup in Russia next summer, unless he finds more game time at the Nou Camp.

And according to Spanish website Don Balon, Messi has made it clear that if the 24-year-old is looking to play regularly this season he needs to leave Barcelona.

Thursday September 14

Van Dijk to Liverpool claim

01:00: Liverpool should sign someone like Virgil van Dijk as they need to tighten up in defence, according to Lee Dixon. 

“There attacking prowess is brilliant, it has been all season - the way they hit you on the break,” Dixon said after the Reds’s 2-2 draw with Sevilla in the Champions League. 

“But playing against the better teams in the Champions League and in the Premier League they are going to have to tighten up at the back.” 

When asked about the prospect of signing Van Dijk, Dixon added: “I think signing one player of his quality would improve you, but it is a mentality thing.” 

Wednesday September 13

Coutinho to Barcelona in 2018

20:40: Matt Le Tissier believes Philippe Coutinho will join Barcelona in 2018.

“I think to give themselves the best chance possible of succeeding in any of the competitions, you want your best players at your football club,” he said on Sky Sports.

“He’s got a long enough contract behind him that Liverpool were able to go ‘do you know what, no, not this summer.

“We need you in the squad, we want to push forward ourselves as a football club and get better and the only way we can do that is to keep our best players’.

“The length of contract was the key for me. I think if he would have had two years left, maybe even three years left on his contract, it may have been a little bit of a different situation.

“But because they had that really long contract behind him, Liverpool thought they could do that.

“If he has a good season this season, they will probably sell him for even more next summer than what they turned down.

“That’s a similar situation to Virgil and my club.”

Howedes wanted

13:48: Leicester, Roma and Arsenal wanted Germany defender Benedikt Howedes before he joined Juventus on deadline day, according to his agent.

“Of course, we were also contacted by other clubs,” Volker Struth told SportBild. “There were talks with AS Roma, Leicester City and Arsenal.”

Horn snub

11:10: Timo Horn has revealed he turned down the chance to join Liverpool as a teenager.

Cologne goalkeeper Horn told The Independent: “In principle the thought of moving to England is appealing.

“But it’s not something I’m thinking about right now. I can’t rule it out completely.

“I often had chances and offers to move to England as a youth player, but in my opinion the best goalkeeping education is here in Germany which is why I’ve always stayed.

Timo Werner latest

09:00: Timo Werner says he will consider offers from Europe’s elite clubs if he decides to leave Germany.

RB Leipzig forward Werner has already scored four goals in four outings this season.

The 21-year-old’s future is secure for now - he is contracted until 2020 and does not have a release clause.

"So far, I have progressed very well with Leipzig,” he told Sport Bild.

“That is why I do not think what is ahead in one, two or three years.

“Of course I want to play at a big club. But, we have not yet come to terms with the development at Leipzig. Perhaps RB will be a big club too - I'm quite sure.

"In Spain there are a maximum of three clubs with Barca, Real and Atletico Madrid. In England there are a few more: Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham, Liverpool, Manchester United and Manchester City.

“FC Bayern is also a big club, but for me it is not a topic that I am concerned with."

Messi contract update

07:44: Lionel Messi has signed his new four-year contract at Barcelona, says president Josep Maria Bartomeu, even though the club are yet to make an announcement on the deal.

Messi’s future is in question as Barca continue to refrain from announcing his new contract, even though they say he’s signed it.

He is not the only player whose contract expires next summer, with the future of Andres Iniesta also up in the air.

But Bartomeu, himself under pressure from supporters following Barca’s disastrous transfer window, is adamant both men will stay and the club and says Messi’s terms are already agreed.

“Messi? He has a four-year contract. He’s the best ever and played for us since he was small and we enjoy watching him play because he’s unique,” Bartomeu told reporters after Barca’s 3-0 win over Juventus, where Messi’s scored twice.

“Contracts for Messi and Iniesta? The club members can rest easy.

“We’ve already said Messi’s renewal is signed and that he’ll be at Barca for as long as he wants, the same with Iniesta.

“[Iniesta] has extraordinary quality. He was here when Ronaldinho was and now he’s with Messi. He’s crucial for us, he had a great game.”

Tuesday September 12

Zidane’s Morata regret

21:25: Zinedine Zidane has admitted Real Madrid might be short of a striker after selling Alvaro Morata to Chelsea this summer.

"Maybe you can say that we are missing a nine," Zidane said. 

"It would have been nice to have kept Morata, but we have to understand that he wanted to play more minutes and wanted to leave.

"It turned out that we couldn't add another player and that's it."

Seri to Barca in Jan?

16:27: Barcelona have a deal in place to sign Nice midfielder Jean Michael Seri in January, according to claims in Spain.

Seri was a target for Barcelona during the final weeks of the summer transfer window but said he had “turned the page” after his move to the Nou Camp fell through.

But according to Spanish newspaper Sport, Barcelona are planning to make a fresh move for Seri in January and already have a deal in place.

It is claimed Barca had agreed a fee worth around £36m (€40m) for Seri during the summer and could revive that deal in the New Year.

Lineker expects Real Madrid and Barcelona dominance to end

13:20: Real Madrid and Barcelona will struggle to replace Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, according to TV pundit Gary Lineker. 

“Real Madrid and Barcelona have a magical appeal to players all over the world and can generally sign any player they want, which is a major reason why they have won the Champions League more than any other team in recent years,” he told Yahoo Sport.

“Yet the big factor they have on their side is that they have had Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi at their peak for the last few years, which has been a deciding factor in so many big games.

“The two magnificent players now getting towards the back end of their careers and when they go – which sadly for all of us they will -it is going to be impossible to replace them. 

“The exit of Ronaldo and Messi will equalise things quite significantly because those two players have been so far above everyone else in the world game for an extended period of time over the last decade.

“These things are cyclical and we have been through a period of domination of our own not so long ago when we were very strong and had two and three teams in the semi-finals of the Champions League on a regular basis.”

Conte not happy

11:45: Chelsea’s squad is nowhere near as good as Antonio Conte wants it to be, according to Duncan Castles.

Chelsea spent around £200million on new players in the summer, including club-record signing Alvaro Morata from Real Madrid in a £60m deal.

But Conte is said to be unhappy with the board’s efforts during the window, according to Daily Record journalist Castles.

Castles said on the Transfer Window Podcast: "Chelsea, as we've discussed several times, are nowhere near where Antonio Conte wants them to be as a squad.

"There are still huge divisions between Conte and the board which will have to be dealt with one way or another.

"So, you just have to look at the squad.

"They've lost the Premier League's best striker from their own mishandling of him in Diego Costa and replaced him with Alvaro Morata who is a good striker but Real Madrid were quite happy to let him to go.

"They've handed Nemanja Matic to Manchester United and replaced him with Danny Drinkwater.

"Drinkwater is a good player but is he on the level of Matic? No I don't think so."

Costa finally gets Atletico deal

10:30: Atletico Madrid are set to close a deal for Diego Costa this week as Chelsea finally listen to offers for the striker.

Chelsea rejected Madrid’s advances this summer with the striker AWOL in Brazil.

Costa was desperate to seal a return to Madrid after being frozen out by Chelsea.

And Spanish paper Marca claim the deal is close as Costa prepares to return to Europe.

It is claimed a fee worth £54.4m will be agreed and the deal could be complete this week.

Costa would then move to Atletico in January when their transfer embargo comes to an end.

Dybala coy on Barca link-up

08:00: Paulo Dybala refused to rule out a move to Barcelona.

Dybala was linked with Barcelona this summer and his close with international team-mate Lionel Messi.

When asked if he could become Messi's team-mate in future, Dybala said: "He's already my team-mate for Argentina but I'm really good at Juventus, although I don't know what's going to happen in the future. I'm very happy to wear an important shirt like the number 10.

"Nobody said anything to me [about a Barca bid]. The club never came to me to say there was an offer on the table.

"The only thing the club said to me is that they want me to be part of this project for a long time, and I'm happy about that. As long as the club and the president [Andrea Agnelli] want me at Juve, that's where I'll be."

Wilshere talks with Trabzonspor confirmed 

01:35: Jack Wilshere held direct talks with Trabzonspor over a summer move away from Arsenal.

“I held direct talks with Jack Wishere.” Trabzonspor chief Muharrem Usta told Turkish-Football. 

“We wanted him on loan and were close to a deal but the move stalled at the last moment.”

Monday September 11

Stan Collymore on Naby Keita

23:45: Stan Collymore admits he was surprised Chelsea didn’t try to sign Naby Keita in the summer. 

Antonio Conte missed out on a number of key targets, with Romelu Lukaku joining Manchester United from Everton, while Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain chose to join Liverpool instead of head to Stamford Bridge.

And Collymore is surprised that Conte didn’t push to sign Keita, who will officially join Liverpool next summer, and Leonard Bonucci, as he thinks the Blues could struggle in the Champions League.

“Even though Chelsea have won their last three games in the Premier League and things seem to have settled behind the scenes, I don’t think they have added to their squad enough for Conte’s liking when it comes to the Champions League,” Collymore told the Daily Mirror.

“I expected them to be in for a Naby Keita, a Leonardo Bonucci — players who were up for grabs in the summer — and they didn’t get them, even though I suspect their manager wanted them.”

Bale AND Griezmann to Utd

21.20: Manchester United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward is lining up a summer swoop for Antoine Griezmann AND Gareth Bale.

United have not been afraid to splash the cash since Jose Mourinho took charge at Old Trafford last summer.

And according to the Manchester Evening News, Mourinho could soon have Griezmann and Bale added to his ranks.

The Red Devils are reportedly riding the crest of a wave in terms of shirt sales and revenue generated from their big-name players.

And Woodward can now reportedly justify the huge outlay needed to bring players like Griezmann and Bale to Old Trafford and has a plan to do so.

Aurier joined wrong team - Drogba

20.00: Chelsea legend Didier Drogba has claimed Tottenham’s Serge Aurier has signed for the wrong team.

Drogba says he will offer him advice but jokingly claimed he should have joined Chelsea instead of their London rivals.

“He’s so happy to be in England and of course we’re going to help him," he said on Sky Sports.

“He’s my younger brother so I’m going to give him some tips. 

“He plays for the wrong team! But I’m happy for him, very happy for his move.”

West Ham missed out on Schurrle

19:55: West Ham reportedly missed out on signing Borussia Dortmund winger Andre Schurrle on deadline day.

The Hammers were said to be keen on signing a new winger in the summer, having failed in a late bid for Everton wide man Kevin Mirallas.

And now The Sun claim Borussia Dortmund’s Schurrle was offered to West Ham 24 hours before deadline day.

West Ham had the option to take the Germany international on loan for the season with a £26million obligation to buy next summer.

However, West Ham were apparently more concerned with getting a deal for Sporting Lisbon midfielder William Carvalho over the line - leaving Schurrle in limbo.

Arsenal right not to spend

19.15: Arsenal  were right not to spend excessive amounts of money this summer, according to Hector Bellerin.

"Football is not just about spending money," the defender told website IBTimesUK.

"There are some clubs paying £100m and £200m on players but I do not think that's the philosophy.

“The important thing is to build a good team, a good block and get results from there.

“What matters is that on the pitch we give the maximum to prove that money is not everything."

Berge won’t rock the boat

17:15: Arsenal and Everton target Sander Berge doesn’t mind his club Genk dismissing offers for his services.

The talented Norwegian midfielder was linked with Arsenal, Everton and Sevilla but Genk decided to decline a big profit on the player they signed from Valerenga in January.

"It's a bit special", Berge was quoted as saying by Norwegian daily VG.

"I do not know if the club have put a specific price on me, but they have been clear that they want to keep players regardless of the price to fight at the top.

"I think it's nice that the club like what I'm doing", he added.

Bale: I took a 'lot of painkillers'

17:00: Real Madrid forward Gareth Bale has revealed he had to take a 'lot of painkillers' to be able to play last season and admits he should not have been so hasty in trying to come back from injury.

Bale has been plagued by fitness problems during his four years in Spain and underwent an ankle operation last November which sidelined him for three months.

Then, 10 games into his return to action, he suffered a calf tear during a match against Barcelona in April that kept him out for another six weeks,

The Wales international declared himself fit in the week ahead of the Champions League final in his home town of Cardiff, and the former Tottenham man concedes playing through the pain barrier was a mistake.

Bale told Spanish newspaper El Pais: "On one hand it's easy now to say that I should have rested more. But when you've been injured for three months and you see your team-mates playing, you really want to return and that's what I did.

"I had to take a lot of painkillers to be able to play. And yes, now I think I should have taken more time to recover so I could have played much better when I returned and be able to do all those things with the ankle which I wasn't able to.

"And yes, if I go back I would have taken more time to recover better."

Team News

16:40: Chris Smalling and Victor Lindelof will start Manchester United's Champions League opener at home to Basle.

The centre-backs will come in for the Group A clash as Eric Bailly and Phil Jones serve the final matches of their European suspensions, while Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Marcos Rojo remain absent through knee injuries.

The latter trained on the eve of the game along with Ashley Young and Luke Shaw, as did Marouane Fellaini after missing Saturday's draw at Stoke with a calf complaint. David De Gea will start in goal instead of Sergio Romero.

Provisional squad: De Gea, Romero, Valencia, Darmian, Lindelof, Smalling, Blind, Shaw, Young, Fellaini, Matic, Herrera, Carrick, Pogba, Mata, Lingard, Mkhitaryan, Lukaku, Martial.

Shaqiri: This is United’s weakness

16:15: Stoke winger Xherdan Shaqiri has some advice for his former club FC Basel on how to beat Manchester United.

The Switzerland international played during the weekend’s 2-2 draw at the Bet365 Stadium on Saturday evening.

And thinks United’s weakness lies with their backline.

He told The Mirror: “If they do have a weakness it’s with their defence. That’s what our goals have shown. If you play quickly and bravely, their defenders will have problems. At the back, Manchester are vulnerable. We are physical and tactical. We did not hide.”

Bellerin: Arsenal can replicate Chelsea 

16:00: Hector Bellerin believes Arsenal can look to Chelsea for inspiration in their quest to win the Premier League title.

The Blues took just 10 points from their opening six games last season, but completely transformed their fortunes midway through the campaign.

And Bellerin thinks Arsenal can follow suit.

He told IBTimes UK: “Look at how Chelsea began last season and how they ended up winning the title.

It doesn't only matter how you start but to be consistent. Check the Chelsea results at the beginning of last season. They had a difficult time too, they lost two games and won several games in the last minutes. 

“Then, they won 13 consecutive games and eventually won the Premier League. Manchester City, however, started very well and then faded out. The important thing is to be consistent throughout the season. We have had two bad games but we now have six points and we have to look forward.”

Done Deal: Scott Brown signs two-year contract

15:30: Celtic captain Scott Brown has signed a new two-year deal, the club has announced.

The Scotland international is in his 10th year as a Celtic player, and has agreed to extend his stay by a further two years after leading Brendan Rodgers' 'invincibles' to a domestic treble last season.

Defender Jozo Simunovic has also signed a new contract, with his four-year deal set to keep him at the club until 2021.

Benzema wants Gunners move

12:45: Real Madrid star Karim Benzema fancies a move to Arsenal.

That's according to Spanish outlet Don Balon.

The France international's future at the Bernabeu is up in the air.

And, if Real opt to sell him, then the Emirates is his favoured destination. 

Muller considered United

10:15 Thomas Muller has admitted he contemplated a move to Manchester United two years ago.

Manchester United were heavily linked with a move for Bayern forward Muller during Louis van Gaal’s time in charge.

The Dutchman gave Muller his Bayern debut when in the Allianz Arena hotseat and the 27-year-old has since established himself as one of the best players in world football.

A move to Old Trafford failed to materialise in 2015 when talk was at its paramount.

And the Germany international has revealed he did think about linking up with Van Gaal once again - but Bayern’s support was enough for him to stay put. T

"There was a stage when the subject arose two years ago when I considered it, but then the club immediately backed me and I was told I belong here,” he told German magazine Kicker.

"I didn't have to think about it a great deal after Bayern said we are counting on you and that you are an important man for us."

Morata warned Perez

09.30: Alvaro Morata reportedly warned Real Madrid they would regret sanctioning his transfer this summer.

Real Madrid re-signed Morata from Serie A giants Juventus last summer, with the Spain international then going on to play second fiddle to Karim Benzema.

However, the lack of game time ultimately saw him depart 12 months later with both Manchester United and Chelsea battling it out to secure his signature.

United appeared frontrunners in that battle at first but Chelsea swooped to sign him after the Red Devils opted to go for Romelu Lukaku instead. 

And Spanish outlet Don Balon claims Morata warned club president Florentino Perez that he could regret letting him go.

Chelsea want wonderkid

08.45: Chelsea are ready to battle Spanish giants Barcelona in the race to land German wonderkid Atakan Akkaynak.

The Blues have had scouts watching the Bayer Leverkusen midfielder in action with a view to making a move for him when the transfer window reopens in January.

The German under-19 international is widely seen as one of the brightest talents in the Bundesliga and has been in Barca's sights for over a year.

The 18 year-old, who captained Germany’s under-18 side, holds dual German and Turkish citizenship and turned down the chance of a full cap with Turkey.

And most of the biggest clubs in Europe have sent spies to watch him in action at one stage or another in the last year even though he is yet to play a first team game.

Neymar eyes Champions League

07.45: Neymar insists PSG can win the Champions League after his mega money transfer  from Barcelona.

Neymar has made a blistering start to life in Paris after sealing a £198m move.

The Brazil star has scored four in four and has four assists.

And he believes the Ligue 1 side are equipped to win the Champions League.

“One of my biggest reasons for joining PSG was to help the club write history,” he told the Sun.  

“The Champions League is not the only trophy we want to win — but it is a very important trophy.

“The aim this season is to try and win it — that is the level the club are now at. I do believe we are capable of winning the tournament.

“Not only do we have the quality but we have the experience — the players who know what it takes to win the Champions League.

“I have won the tournament, Dani Alves has won it three times, Thiago Motta has won it at Barcelona and Inter, Angel Di Maria has won it with Real Madrid. We not only have quality but real experience.”

Lucky number seven

07.30: Manchester United have kept their no 7 shirt free for the arrival of Antoine Griezmann next season.

Griezmann was Jose Mourinho’s top target for the summer but opted to stay at Atletico Madrid after their transfer ban was upheld.

And United then moved for Romelu Lukaku in a deal worth £75m.

But the Daily Star claim United have kept their no 7 free and put aside £100m to bring Griezmann to Old Trafford next summer.

Costa moves to Madrid

07.15: Diego Costa has relocated his family to Madrid as he finally looks set to agree a move back to Atletico.

He was desperate to return this summer but was stopped by their transfer ban and has failed to return to Chelsea.

The striker has been AWOL in Brazil and is being fined for not turning up to pre season.

But Football 365 claim he is setting his family up in Madrid in the hope to push through a January move.

Costa was informed by Antonio Conte that he had no future at Chelsea earlier this summer and has since claimed to be being treated like a criminal.

Gunning for Sterling

07.00: Arsenal are interested in a January deal for Raheem Sterling.

The Manchester City ace was said to be part of a potential swap deal to see Alexis Sanchez leave Arsenal.

But the deal fell through and City wanted a straight cash transfer.

But the Mail on Sunday claim Arsenal remain interested in Sterling and could make a move when the window reopens.

City are expected to return with a January bid for Sanchez and could offer as a little as £20m when he will have just six months left on his contract.