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LIVE Transfer Talk: Real Madrid move for Chelsea's Rudiger could see Bale, Hazard leave

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: Bale, Hazard to make way for Rudiger?

Real Madrid are ready to part ways with four players to land Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger on a free transfer in the summer, according to AS.

Los Blancos have been monitoring the centre-back for a while, with the report saying Rudiger is looking to earn €12m-a-year in his next contract.

Chelsea are not willing to pay that, but Madrid are trying to work out the finances around it and Carlo Ancelotti will look to move on four senior players. Gareth Bale, Eden Hazard, Isco and Marcelo could leave -- all of whom have struggled to be part of Ancelotti's first-team plans.

Rudiger, 28, is one of several Chelsea players out of contract in the summer, with Thiago Silva, Andreas Christensen and Cesar Azpilicueta all potentially leaving from the defensive department.

Germany international Rudiger has become a key part of Thomas Tuchel's backline, helping his side win the Champions League last season. However, time may be running out on his career at Stamford Bridge.

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LIVE BLOG

21.12 GMT: That'll do it for another edition of ESPN FC's live Transfer Talk blog, but fear not, we'll be back with a look at tomorrow's paper rumours and do the live experience again on Sunday. Thanks as always for checking in!

20.33 GMT: Norwich City have sacked manager Daniel Farke despite the team securing their first win of the season at Brentford earlier on Saturday, the Premier League club said in a statement.

"In continuing to demand the very best for our football club, this decision was not an easy one," said Norwich sporting director Stuart Webber. "I know how determined Daniel and his staff were to succeed at this level, but we feel that now is the right time for a change to give ourselves the best opportunity of retaining our Premier League status."

Farke is the fourth Premier League manager to lose his job this season following Watford's Xisco Munoz, Newcastle United's Steve Bruce and Tottenham Hotspur's Nuno Espirito Santo.

Speaking of the Newcastle job, prospective manager Eddie Howe was in the stands for the team's draw with Brighton as his seemingly imminent announcement as Bruce's successor appears to be inching closer.

Howe has been out of management since leaving Bournemouth after being relegated in 2020.

19.46 GMT: What will Xavi's first moves be after he takes over at Barcelona this week? Well, according to Spanish outlet Sport, the new manager has identified Bayern Munich and France attacker Kingsley Coman as his top priority in the summer transfer window. The 25-year-old Coman joined the Bavarian giants on loan from Juventus in 2015 before the move was made permanent in 2017. However, the report says it's looking increasingly likely he'll trade Germany for Spain in the coming months if Xavi has his way.

18.59 GMT: Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer admitted his team's 2-0 loss to rivals Manchester City was a "big step backwards" for the club after the match on Saturday. The loss will not help under-pressure manager Solskjaer despite United beating Spurs 3-0 last weekend in the Premier League and drawing late away to Atalanta in the Champions League midweek.

ESPN writer Mark Ogden weighs in on the issues at Old Trafford and believes things won't change until the Norwegian is removed as United manager.

18.09 GMT: Arsenal are stepping up their pursuit of Fiorentina's Dusan Vlahovic, with FourFourTwo reporting that Gunners representatives have met with their La Viola counterparts in an effort to lay the groundwork for a move. The Serbia international has had a good season thus far in Italy, the striker scoring 10 goals in 12 appearances.

Manchester City and Liverpool have also show interest, says the report, but it appears Arsenal may have the inside track on a move for the 21-year-old.

17.20 GMT: In case you missed this earlier, Barcelona have confirmed that Xavi Hernandez will return to Camp Nou and succeed the sacked Ronald Koeman as coach.

Barcelona announced in the early hours of Saturday that Xavi has agreed to a contract through to 2024 after the former Spain midfielder was released by Qatari club Al-Sadd.

The club legend is walking into a mounting injury crisis as he takes over, with Ansu Fati and Nico Gonzalez both picking up knocks in a disappointing 3-3 draw with Celta Vigo on Saturday.

16.13 GMT: Tuttomercatoweb reports that Manchester United, Newcastle United, Paris Saint-Germain and Tottenham are all interested in midfielder Marcelo Brozovic.

Brozovic, 28, is available on a free transfer at the end of the season. 

15.08 GMT: Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has told Sky Sport Italy that it's up to Lorenzo Insigne if he wants to stay at the club.

Insigne, 30, is out of contract at the end of the season and he is weighing up his options. Reports say he wants more than the €5m-a-year he presently earns, in what his likely to be the last big contract of his career. 

But Napoli are more likely to offer him reduced terms, due to the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

"It doesn't depend on us. I've never forced anyone," De Laurentiis said in quotes reported by Calciomercato. "I let others democratically decide what is the best choice for their lives.

"If Insigne wants to stay, we are here to welcome him with open arms. Instead, if he thinks his journey in Naples is over, we'll deal with it and accept his decision."

14.21 GMT: The Daily Mail reports that Barcelona have sent scouts to watch Fleetwood Town centre-back James Hill.

Hill, 19, this week became the first League One player in over three years to be selected for the England Under-21 squad, and he could make his debut during the international break. 

Scouts watched him in action during Fleetwood's 1-0 loss to Burton Albion last month.

He is out of contract at the end of the season, and any club outside of England will be able to sign him from nominal training compensation.  

13.30 GMT: Jesse Lingard lost his place in the England squad this week, a spot he had won back after electric form on loan at West Ham in the second half of last season. 

Lingard, 28, returned to Manchester United in the summer in the hope of proving his worth again, but after playing well in the opening weeks of the season he has managed only 18 Premier League minutes in two substitute appearances since mid-September. He has only played 63 minutes in total. 

Eurosport reports that he could be prepared to head out in January, when he will have only six months remaining on his United deal. It is likely the Red Devils will look to receive a transfer fee, rather than loan him out and see him leave for free next summer. 

Lingard scored nine goals and provided five assists in 16 appearances for West Ham, and manager David Moyes could look to bring him back permanently. 

The Hammers are also linked with Andrea Belotti at Torino and Sparta Prague's Adam Hlozek.

12.42 GMT: Chelsea handed a new contract to centre-back Trevoh Chalobah this week, and boss Thomas Tuchel has suggsted his emergence could cool their interest in Sevilla's Jules Kounde.

Chelsea were widely tipped to sign Kounde before the transfer window closed on Aug. 31, but the Blues could not agree terms with the Spanish club. Instead it's Chalobah who has take his chance, handed his debut in August and taking his chance with both hands. In six Premier League matches, the 22-year old has kept five clean sheets and scored two goals. 

The England Under-21 international has been rewarded for his performances with a new deal through to the summer of 2026.

"I think every transfer period you need to evaluate again because you cannot say what we wanted in the summer we do in the winter or the next summer. It is not like this," Tuchel said.

"Your opinion changes, players change, you have evolvement in the group. You have atmosphere that you build, you see who is absolutely reliable and these connections build up and create something special, hopefully, in the group.

"So you cannot say what we tried in the summer did not happen so we will try again for sure in the winter. Sometimes it is like this if we see the same need, but clearly Trevoh is now here with us and he deserves to be here with us. It had nothing to do with if we can sign another central defender or not.

"But he stepped up. The responsibility was even more on his shoulders and he can handle it so far in a very impressive way. This is the situation and it has an effect on our next decisions in the next transfer period. It is always like this."

11.55 GMT: Liverpool travel to West Ham on Sunday, and Reds boss Jurgen Klopp has been speaking of his admiration for attacking midfielder Jarrod Bowen.

Bowen, 24, joined the Hammers from Hull City on transfer deadline day in January 2020 and has enjoyed a fine start to the 2021-22 season. He has been linked with a move to Liverpool in the past, and Klopp has admitted he is a fan of the player. 

"I like Bowen a lot," Klopp said. "He made his way up from Hull and took not too long to show exactly what kind of player he can be in the Premier League. He made big steps."

11.06 GMT: Bernardo Silva was linked with a move away from Manchester City in the summer following the arrival of Jack Grealish from Aston Villa in a £100m deal. The Portugal international eventually stayed, and he has told Sky Sports he is glad the rumours have ended. 

"I'm feeling happy right now," Silva said. "I love the club, I've always loved the club.

"I feel the love from the fans, from the staff and from my teammates and that was never the question."

10.19 GMT: Defensa Central reports that Luka Jovic wants to leave Real Madrid in the winter window ... but coach Carlo Ancelotti wants him to remain part of his squad. 

Jovic, 23, has failed to make an impression at Real Madrid after signing from Eintracht Frankfurt two years ago. The striker has scored only two goals for the club in 39 appearances in all competitions, and has only played seven games this season. 

He spent the second half of last season back at Frankfurt, and is eager for another move to revive his career with no way into the Madrid team past Karim Benzema.  

09.30 GMT: Everton sit 10th in the Premier League table, but doubts are creeping in after three defeats in a row. However, manager Rafa Benitez has warned there is no chance the club will be spending big in the January transfer window. 

"I think we will have some money to spend but I don't think that will be too much," Benitez said. "The point is if we consider that [Andros] Townsend is a free transfer or Demarai [Gray] is £1.7m, so maybe we can find the right players for us.

"It doesn't matter the price, it is more about the mentality. The fans they know because I could read the comments on the last six months. They know the kind of players that you need here, they know the kind of character that you need here and the quality that you are looking for.

"You need to find these players because they are in the market to find them. If we can buy them, fine. If not we can loan them and make sure that they can stay here with us in the future. We can find solutions and we will try our best."

PAPER GOSSIP

- Tottenham Hotspur are interested in signing AS Monaco defender Benoit Badiashile, according to Calciomercato. The 20-year-old has impressed since making the step up from youth football with the Ligue 1 side, with several clubs also reportedly weighing up a move for the youngster.

- Winger Ivan Perisic does not intend to renew his contract with Serie A side Inter Milan, reports Tuttosport. The Croatia international is out of contract in the summer and the report claims he is looking for a move to either the Bundesliga or the Premier League.

- Real Madrid will not stand in the way of Roma making an offer for defender Nacho. Calciomercato says that Jose Mourinho is looking for reinforcements for his defence, with the 31-year-old able to play at right-back and centre-back. It also states that Ancelotti doesn't plan to use him going forward.

- Barcelona will revive their interest in Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in January, according to journalist Ekrem Konur. The Gunners captain has been linked with a move to Catalonia in the past. However, a lack of firepower for the LaLiga side means they could make a move for the 32-year-old.

- Paris Saint-Germain youngster Xavi Simons is looking for a move away from the club, reports Mundo Deportivo. The 18-year-old joined the Ligue 1 outfit in 2019, leaving Barcelona in search of opportunities. However, he is yet to break through in the French capital and with a contract that expires at the end of the season, agent Mino Raiola is looking for possible destinations.

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