It’s been almost a week since the transfer window closed, and all over the country players are sheepishly returning to training. Virgil van Dijk is running extra hard at Southampton, and Diego Costa is jetting back to London, if only because Atlético Madrid are concerned that park football may not be enough to sustain his match fitness until January. Costa is not in Chelsea’s Champions League squad, but could throw his weight around in the Premier League once again.
Alexis Sánchez will be delighted to learn he’s been included in Arsenal’s Europa League squad, although he may not stay past the group stages, with Manchester City planning a £20m cut-price January move. One player apparently not prepared to buckle down is Philippe Coutinho. Spanish publication Sport claims that the Brazilian is still “monumentally angry” with Liverpool, and may even refuse to play in the Champions League.
The failure to sign Coutinho was the cherry on a cracking transfer window for Barcelona – and the bad news just keeps coming, with reports on the continent suggesting that the Catalan club turned down Juventus striker Paulo Dybala – twice – because Coutinho was coming. Still, there’s always next summer. Oh hang on, what’s this? Juve are keeping tabs on Gerard Piqué and Andrés Iniesta, who are both out of contract next summer and could leave for free.
Back to this summer, which still isn’t over at Leicester City who take the Benjani Award for the window’s most unnecessary last-gasp deal. The club asked for a two-hour extension to seal a £22m move for Sporting’s Adrien Silva – but Fifa have reportedly rejected the transfer paperwork. Both clubs are still striving to get it done, while Craig Shakespeare has advised Riyad Mahrez to “knuckle down” after failing to find a new club, despite supposed interest from virtually every team in Europe.
Paris Saint-Germain are taking this whole FFP investigation really seriously, and are planning to trigger Gianluigi Donnarumma’s £65m release clause the very second the window re-opens. In other news you’ll probably hear repeatedly over these lean autumn weeks, David de Gea is still keen on Real Madrid and is asking Sergio Ramos to put in a good word for him, while Gareth Bale has been linked to Manchester United for the 500th time.
In League One, Southend United manager Phil Brown says his side are in “pole position” to land Kieran Richardson. “He classes his best position as a No10,” Brown announced to stunned silence. Let’s finish with the rumour of the day: Julio Baptista, once of Arsenal and Real Madrid, now 35 years old and at Orlando City, is set for a move to Championship strugglers Bolton. What could possibly go wrong?