The summer transfer window is closed for the top leagues in Europe! After a summer full of international football, countless clubs waited until the last minute to pull off their transfers. See all the major deals here and check out how we graded the biggest signings. But just because the window is shut until January, that doesn’t mean the rumours won’t keep coming.
TOP STORY: Dortmund see Werner as Haaland replacement
Borussia Dortmund have identified Chelsea striker Timo Werner as one of four potential successors to Erling Haaland if and when the Norway international leaves the club.
Haaland, 21, has attracted interest across Europe during the window, but Dortmund kept hold of the striker even though a €75 million release clause kicks in next summer. SportBild reports that Germany international Werner is a “surprising solution” for Dortmund.
Dortmund executive Michael Zorc has been tasked with finding a replacement that would fit the style of coach Marco Rose, and former RB Leipzig striker Werner has emerged as a target. However, the Chelsea striker is said to be on €20m-a-season on his Premier League deal, meaning a pay cut would be necessary if he were to switch to Signal Iduna Park.
Rivals Bayern Munich have also been linked with a move for Werner, who has seen his opportunities reduced by the arrival of Romelu Lukaku at Stamford Bridge. Werner scored an impressive 28 goals in 34 Bundesliga appearances for Leipzig but he couldn’t live up to that form in England, scoring just six goals in 35 Premier League outings.
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LIVE BLOG
08.30 BST: Leon Goretzka has officially signed a contract extension at Bayern Munich. The 26-year-old midfielder was into the final year of his deal with the Bundesliga champions, and is now committed to the club through to 2026.
“We’ve won everything there is to win over the past three years,” Goretzka said. “But what would be even better than winning titles is confirming and repeating these successes. We want to build on this in the coming years.
“The team, the club and the environment are not just highly professional, but also familiar. This mixture is one of the things that guarantees success at this club. I’m very happy to be extending my contract until 2026.”
Bayern signed the Germany international from Schalke three years ago, and during that time he has won a hat trick of Bundesliga titles, the DFB-Pokal twice, as well as the UEFA Champions League, the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup, scoring 25 goals in 118 games.
To keep on writing history! 🔴⚪ #LG2026 pic.twitter.com/gPDzFs0NoG
— FC Bayern English (@FCBayernEN) September 16, 2021
PAPER GOSSIP
– Inter Milan striker Lautaro Martinez is set to sign a new contract with the club after rejecting moves to Tottenham Hotspur and Atletico Madrid in the summer. Fabrizio Romano reports that the 24-year-old is going to extend his contract until 2026 with an increase in pay.
– Several unnamed Premier League clubs have joined Inter in monitoring Bologna’s Mattias Svanberg. Calciomercato reports that a lot of clubs are on the trail of the Sweden international midfielder, who turns 23 in January.
– Sevilla FC are eyeing a move for Torino striker Andrea Belotti, according to Tuttosport. The 27-year-old has less than a year left on his deal and a renewal is yet to move forward. Sevilla are hoping to land the Italy international to bolster their LaLiga title challenge next season.
– Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Tottenham and Inter are all interested in a move for defender Matthias Ginter, according to Calciomercato. The 27-year-old is out of contract at the end of the season with Borussia Monchengladbach with a renewal looking unlikely.
– Chelsea are looking to tie up new contracts for Jorginho and N’Golo Kante on top of deals for Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen, according to Fabrizio Romano. Jorginho and Kante both have contracts that expire in 2023 and the Blues will want to avoid contracts running down. Tuchel is currently tasked with sorting out the defence too, with three of his defenders’ deals all expiring at the end of the season.
