LIVE Transfer Talk: Juventus see Martial, Icardi, Lacazette as Vlahovic alternatives

The summer transfer window was unlike any other; see all the major deals and check out how we graded the biggest signings. And just because the window is shut until January, that doesn't mean the rumours won't keep coming. Here is the latest gossip and speculation. 

TOP STORY: Juventus making contingency plans for Vlahovic

Juventus have shortlisted five strikers they would like to sign if they miss out on Fiorentina's Dusan Vlahovic, according to Calciomercato.

The report says that the Serie A side have plans to sign the 21-year-old but with interest from every other top club in Europe they may lose out on a deal. PSG's Mauro Icardi, Benfica's Darwin Nunez, Arsenal's Alexandre Lacazette, Man United's Anthony Martial and Sassuolo's Gianluca Scamacca are the five players they are reportedly monitoring as a backup.

Vlahovic won't sign a new contract at Fiorentina and Atletico Madrid, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur have been linked with an €80 million January move for the Serbia international.

Paris Saint-Germain striker Icardi is listed as an option, with the Argentine reduced to substitute appearances for the Ligue 1 side due to the front four of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Neymar and Angel Di Maria ahead of him.

Lacazette is out of contract in the summer, and has been linked with moves to Atletico Madrid and Newcastle as of late, while Martial has had few opportunities at Man United so far this season, racking up just under 250 minutes in all competitions. The France international joined from AS Monaco in 2015 but he could leave in search of game time.

Meanwhile, Benfica striker Nunez has previously been linked with a move to Barcelona and a number of Serie A clubs have eyed a move for Scamacca, a young talent for Sassuolo and the Italy national team.

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LIVE BLOG

22.00 GMT: We'll end the blog with an intriguing one, as Calciomercato suggests that midfielder Adrien Rabiot could leave Juventus for €15m during the January transfer window. There has been contact with Newcastle United, but the France international would prefer to play at a higher level and it is suggested there could be a road to Carlo Ancelotti's Real Madrid.

21.27 GMT: Amid reports that Arsenal are among the clubs looking at Dusan Vlahovic, Fabrizio Romano states that there are no talks ongoing between the Serbia international's agents and the Gunners board. Fiorentina are said to be demanding a transfer fee of between €70m and €80m to let the striker leave in January, while he would be a free agent when his contract comes to an end during the summer.

20.54 GMT: Torino sporting director Davide Vagnati has flown to South America on a scouting mission after seeing the weekend's 1-0 defeat to Spezia, according to Tuttosport. While there are no individuals mentioned in the report, he is said to be in Argentina before flying to certain countries within the continent, while full-back and midfield are particular positions of interest.

20.21 GMT: Fabrizio Romano has offered an update on those at Juventus, stating that the club is looking to find a new home for Aaron Ramsey in January, with the Wales international firmly out of Massimiliano Allegri's plans and looking for a new challenge. It is also suggested that Juan Cuadrado and Paulo Dybala will both soon be renewing their respective contracts.

19.48 GMT: West Ham United could be forced to sign another centre-back after Angelo Ogbonna damaged his anterior cruciate ligament during the Hammers' 3-2 win against Liverpool, reports the Star.

They already have Craig Dawson or Issa Diop to partner Kurt Zouma, but it is suggested that they could look to bring in another face as they aim to challenge on various fronts. The Athletic reports that the Italian's contract will be extended if he is out for the season.

19.15 GMT: Arminia Bielefeld have announced the signing of 17-year-old Burak Ince. The midfielder plays his football for Altinordu in the second tier of Turkish football, and will make his move to the Bundesliga in January.

18.42 GMT: A number of clubs are looking at Stade Rennais defender Warmed Omari, which is leading the Ligue 1 outfit to take action in an attempt to keep him, according to Le10 Sport. The 21-year-old's contract runs until the summer of 2024, but they are already offering a new one, having seen Eduardo Camavinga join Real Madrid during the summer.

18.09 GMT: Internazionale have not yet given up on signing Nahitan Nandez from Cagliari, feeling that he could help solve problems in midfield and at right-wing-back, reports Calciomercato.

Cagliari sit bottom of Serie A, but there is still plenty of interest in the Uruguay international, with Napoli also monitoring him. The 25-year-old's contract comes to an end in 2024, and the Rossoblu reportedly would be willing to sanction his departure for a transfer fee in the region of €25m to €35m.

17.36 GMT: Gustavo Bou has signed a new two-year contract with New England Revolution, keeping him in Massachusetts through the 2023 MLS season, the club has confirmed. This comes after the 31-year-old forward scored 15 goals and assisted a further nine to help the Revs win their first Supporters' Shield and a record number of points in a single MLS season.

17.03 GMT: AS Roma are on a run of three games without a win in all competitions, and Calciomercato reports that Jose Mourinho is already looking for reinforcements in January.

In defence, Sampdoria's Bartosz Bereszynski and Galatasaray's Marcao are said to be of interest. As previously mentioned in our blog, they are keen on Borussia Monchengladbach's Denis Zakaria, but it is also mentioned here that Aston Villa's Douglas Luiz is seen as an alternative. Luis Diaz of FC Porto is also being looked at.

16.30 GMT: Could Lionel Messi return to Barcelona in 2023?

Marca claims that new manager Xavi will make an effort to bring his 34-year-old former teammate back to Camp Nou after he ended 21 years at the club by signing for PSG on a free transfer in the summer.

Messi has a two-year contract at PSG with the option of an extra year, but has struggled with injury since landing in Paris.

15.28 GMT: "Steven Gerrard is ready to tell Rangers he wants to become the new Aston Villa manager," says Football Insider.

Liverpool legend Gerrard, 41, could take over following the sacking of Dean Smith last Sunday.

Gerrard has managed Rangers for three-and-a-half years, winning last season's Scottish Premiership title and ending Celtic's hopes of landing 10 in a row in the process.

14.13 GMT: Manchester United have been informed Paul Pogba could be out for two months with a thigh injury ahead of performing their own assessments on the midfielder, sources have told ESPN's Rob Dawson.

Pogba has withdrawn from the France squad after suffering a thigh injury in training on Monday.

Initial tests undertaken by the French FA and reported to United have indicated Pogba could be sidelined for between six and eight weeks. The 28-year-old is set to return to Manchester for further scans to give club medical staff a clearer picture of the problem.

14.00 GMT: Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Denis Zakaria is being tracked by a host of clubs as his contract expires in the summer.

Zakaria, 24, has been linked with Arsenal and Man United, but Calciomercato claims that Juventus and Roma are leading the race.

Roma boss Jose Mourinho wants the Switzerland international instead of Arsenal's Granit Xhaka and Juventus are looking to Zakaria as an alternative to Borussia Dortmund's Axel Witsel.

12.57 GMT: Brahim Diaz said he's feeling "happy and confident" after an impressive start to the season with AC Milan led to his first senior Spain call-up, but refused to be drawn on a possible return to Real Madrid.

Diaz, 22, has scored four goals so far this campaign and has become a key player for the Serie A club since first joining on loan in September 2020 -- before returning on a two-year loan deal last summer.

Those negotiations saw Milan come away with the option to make Diaz's move to San Siro permanent for €22m, while Madrid also retained an option to re-sign him for €27m.

"I'm a Milan player, I'm at Milan and that's all," Diaz said in a news conference with Spain on Tuesday. "The most important thing now is the present... It's about getting minutes and games, and I'm getting that and showing my qualities."

12.35 GMT: AS claims that former USMNT coach Bob Bradley is set to become the new Toronto FC manager.

Bradley has been at LAFC for the past four years and won the first trophy in the history of the club: the 2019 Supporters' Shield. But LAFC missed the playoffs this season and the American will reportedly move on for a new challenge.

11.48 GMT: ICYMI - Ole Gunnar Solskjaer expects to survive the international break and remain in charge for Manchester United's next game against Watford, sources told ESPN.

The Norwegian has spoken to executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward since the demoralising 2-0 defeat to Manchester City on Saturday but has so far been given no indication he is set for the sack.

Sources close to Solskjaer, 48, accept that he is vulnerable after a run of six defeats in 12 games but insist he has been told to begin preparations for the trip to Vicarage Road on Nov. 20 and that he remains confident of turning the situation around.

Norwich City and Aston Villa have used the international break to part company with Daniel Farke and Dean Smith, respectively.

United's participation in the Champions League means they will not have another significant gap between fixtures for six weeks when they play Brighton at home on Dec. 18 and Newcastle United away on Dec. 27.

Sources have told ESPN that the club's preference is to keep Solskjaer in position until at least the end of the season but there is a growing feeling that stance would have to change if United's place in next season's Champions League was threatened.

11.32 GMT: How involved will new manager Eddie Howe be in the future of Newcastle? And which players should he target in January?

10.50 GMT: Alexander Isak has told Marca he's "very happy" at LaLiga leaders Real Sociedad after signing a contract extension last summer despite interest from a number of big clubs.

Isak -- who spoke to the newspaper ahead of Spain's World Cup qualifier with Sweden on Sunday -- agreed a new deal in July until 2026 with a €90m release clause.

The 22-year-old forward has been linked to Barcelona, Liverpool and Arsenal in recent months.

"I had a good season with La Real and with Sweden too at the Euros" Isak said. "In the end I decided to sign here because I'm very happy at this club. We have a great team, a club that's growing every year. That's very important. The ambitions are high, there are a lot of possibilities to keep doing important things, and as I'm happy that's why I renewed."

10.03 GMT: Rayo Vallecano are close to agreeing a deal to keep Radamel Falcao at the club for another year, COPE radio reports, after the veteran forward made a sensational start to life back in LaLiga.

Falcao, 35, has scored five goals in eight appearances for Rayo so far this season -- including against Real Madrid on Saturday for his first ever goal at the Bernabeu, just seven minutes after coming off the bench -- after joining from Galatasaray on an initial one-year contract.

According to COPE, a verbal agreement is already in place to keep the Colombia international at Rayo until 2023, with an official announcement expected soon.

Falcao picked up a thigh injury in the Madrid game, and is expected to be out for the next three to four weeks.

09.47 GMT: Michael Emenalo has reportedly emerged has the frontrunner to become Newcastle United's new director of football, with Marc Overmars set to remain at Ajax after being linked with the role.

Newcastle named former Bournemouth coach Eddie Howe as the club's new manager on Monday, the first appointment at the club since the £305 million takeover by the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund on Oct. 7. He has signed a contract until 2024.

With attention at St James' Park now fully turning to the appointment of a sporting director ahead of the January transfer window, the Daily Telegraph reports that former Chelsea technical director Emenalo is now the leading candidate having travelled to Saudi Arabia to spoke to the club's owners last week.

Meanwhile, The Athletic reports that Overmars has chosen to stay at Ajax having long been one of the most prominent names in the mix for the job at Newcastle. Overmars had previously been heavily linked with a return to former club Arsenal, only for them to instead opt for another ex-player, Edu. 

- Darke: Which players could Newcastle target in January?

08.53 GMT: New Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez has said getting Ousmane Dembele a new contract is a "priority" for him.

Dembele is out of contract next summer, but Xavi made it clear just how highly he rates the France international as he urged club president Joan Laporta, seated alongside him, to renew his deal.

"That's a priority," he said when asked about extending Dembele's terms, turning to the president with a smile. "Coached well, he can be one of best in the world in his position. He has all the qualities to be a superstar."

Xavi also hit back at the idea that his friendships with former teammates will be a hindrance.

"For me, it's an advantage to have the relationship I have with Gerard [Pique], [Sergio] Busquets, Jordi Alba, Sergi [Roberto] and Marc-Andre ter Stegen. Everyone starts from zero, but the players that I know are the ones I will push the hardest. I want them to be the leaders and to take the bull by the horns at times."

Xavi's reign as Barca coach kicks off on Nov. 20 with a Catalan derby against Espanyol at Camp Nou. Three days later they host Benfica in the Champions League, knowing that a win will secure their place in the knockout stages of the competition.

08.00 GMT: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer expects to survive the international break and remain in charge for Manchester United's next game against Watford, sources told ESPN's Rob Dawson.

The Norwegian has spoken to executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward since the demoralising 2-0 defeat to Manchester City on Saturday but has so far been given no indication he is set for the sack.

Sources close to Solskjaer, 48, accept that he is vulnerable after a run of six defeats in 12 games but insist he has been told to begin preparations for the trip to Vicarage Road on Nov. 20 and that he remains confident of turning the situation around.

United's participation in the Champions League means they will not have another significant gap between fixtures for six weeks when they play Brighton at home on Dec. 18 and Newcastle United away on Dec. 27.

Sources have told ESPN that the club's preference is to keep Solskjaer in position until at least the end of the season but there is a growing feeling that stance would have to change if United's place in next season's Champions League was threatened.

They are sixth in the league table, nine points behind leaders Chelsea and five points off the top four.

PAPER GOSSIP (by Luke Thrower)

- New Barcelona manager Xavi is not interested in signing AC Milan's Franck Kessie, meaning Real Madrid are now eyeing a deal. According to El Nacional, Real Madrid president Florentino Perez is looking to revamp his midfield with Kessie out of contract in the summer.

- Premier League sides Newcastle United and West Ham United could be set to battle it out for the signature of Marseille defender Duje Caleta-Car. Calciomercato writes that the 25-year-old, who is out of contract in 2023, is a potential target for two sides looking to add to their defensive depth.

- LaLiga side Valencia are weighing up a potential move for Wolves winger Adama Traore, reports journalist Ekrem Konur. The 25-year-old's deal runs until 2023 with the club hoping to extend his contract for an extra three years. However, interest from the Spanish club could put them under pressure over his future at Molineux.

- Madrid president Florentino Perez is also hoping to sign Internazionale midfielder Marcelo Brozovic in the summer and could use Luka Modric to help him land the player. According to El Nacional, Los Blancos are eyeing a move for the 28-year-old who could leave Italy on a free transfer. The report claims that Modric, Croatia international teammate of Brozovic, could have a part to play in any move as the Madrid side look to beat other European clubs to the signing.

- Another from Madrid, as Real playmaker Isco will leave the club at the end of his contract in the summer, reports AS. The 29-year-old is not in Carlo Ancelotti's plans, seeing very few minutes since the Italian manager's arrival. As a result, neither the player nor the club wish to renew his deal that expires at the end of the season.