With the transfer window closing on Thursday, some clubs will be scrambling to assess their options.

There may be some movement of free agents still, while clubs who missed out on targets will be weighing up their chances in January with contractual situations evolving.

Inter defender Milan Skriniar is one player who was heavily pursued without success and who will have only six months left on his contract at the turn of the year. 

TOP STORY – PSG TO PERSIST IN SKRINIAR PURSUIT IN JANUARY

Paris Saint-Germain will revive their failed pursuit of Milan Skriniar in January, according to L'Equipe.

PSG made three offers for the Slovakian defender which were rebuffed by the Italian giants, including one worth €50million.

Skriniar is into the final year of his Inter deal and PSG boss Christophe Galtier had been eager to bring him to the French capital.

ROUND-UP

– Napoli will try to sign PSG goalkeeper Keylor Navas again in January after missing out on him, reports L'Equipe. The report claims the Costa Rica international and PSG may opt to terminate his contract by mutual consent before January.

– Marco Asensio had been linked with Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool in recent weeks but he has committed to seeing out his Real Madrid contract which expires in mid-2023, according to Mundo Deportivo.

– The Telegraph reports Blackburn Rovers will be open to pre-contract offers to their hot property forward Ben Brereton Diaz in January after rejecting bids from Fulham and Everton. The Chile international has less than 12 months remaining on his deal at Ewood Park.

Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos has revealed his surprise at the departure of former team-mate Casemiro to Manchester United.

The Brazil international ended his nine-year stay at the Santiago Bernabeu when he swapped LaLiga for the Premier League earlier this month for a reported fee of £60million (€70m).

Casemiro, who made his United debut as a substitute during Saturday's 1-0 win at Southampton, enjoyed a trophy-laden stint alongside Kroos in the heart of Los Blancos' midfield.

Together, they won four Champions League crowns and two league titles, and the 30-year-old's decision to leave the Spanish capital was one that came out of the blue, according to Kroos.

Speaking on his podcast Einfach mal Luppen, Kroos said: "The decision surprised me to do that. He has made the decision for himself to do something new again.

"He's 30 and knows for sure that he won't need to do that in two or three years. There were more and more reports, it somehow got hotter.

"In the beginning, I would not have expected it at all, I thought it was just a rumour at first. But there are one or two newspapers here that are a bit better informed.

"As more and more people reported and talked about details, I was awake at three or four o'clock at night when I was sick. Then I just wrote to him [asking] if he would really leave me alone."

Real Madrid have signed Barcelona youth product Iker Bravo from Bayer Leverkusen on an initial season-long loan deal.

The 17-year-old spent more than a decade in Barca's famed La Masia academy prior to joining Leverkusen last year.

Bravo, capped by Spain at various age levels through to Under-19, made two substitute appearances for Leverkusen in all competitions last season.

Bundesliga club Leverkusen confirmed on their official website on Monday that an agreement had been reached with Madrid for the teenage forward to return to Spain.

Carlo Ancelotti's side are said to have seen off competition from Atletico Madrid and are reported to have the option to make the deal permanent at the end of the season for €6million.

Bravo is expected to spend the 2022-23 season playing for Los Blancos' reserve side Real Madrid Castilla.

Carlo Ancelotti emerged with a sense of personal satisfaction after Karim Benzema's two late goals secured a 3-1 win for Real Madrid at Espanyol.

The head coach saw his substitutes come good in the closing stages of the game to pave the way for Benzema's heroics.

Regarded as a humble man, this time Ancelotti was happy to take credit for the decisions that saw him shuffle his Madrid pack in the second half of a hard-fought contest.

He brought off Luka Modric and Federico Valverde in the 58th minute, introducing Eduardo Camavinga and Rodrygo, before replacing Toni Kroos with Dani Ceballos.

Camavinga brought fresh vibrancy to the Madrid midfield, Rodrygo set up Benzema's first goal in the 88th minute, and Ceballos was fouled for the free-kick that led to a red card and Benzema's late clincher.

That final goal of the game came 10 minutes into stoppage time, after a marathon delay for the VAR to resolve the moment when home goalkeeper Benjamin Lecomte clattered Ceballos. Lecomte was sent off and home captain Leandro Cabrera, a defender, took over in goal, Benzema taking advantage by firing home from the set-piece. 

"We won the game because of that energy. That of Camavinga, Rodrygo or Ceballos," Ancelotti said. "The game was slow and we changed it. Each game has its own story."

He said it was impossible to know how the game would have flowed had he fielded his substitutes from the start, allowing the likes of Modric and Kroos to come on and change the game in the second half.

"Sometimes team selection is a gamble and today I think the Real Madrid coach has gambled well."

The veteran Italian coach said Madrid had started brightly, as was exemplified by the sharp movement that brought about Vinicius Junior's early goal.

Former Madrid reserve striker Joselu equalised with his seventh goal in nine LaLiga matches against Los Blancos, before Benzema's double provided the late twist.

Three days after picking up the UEFA men's player of the year award, Benzema showed why he is earning such accolades at this stage of his career. He turns 35 in December but shows no sign of slowing down.

Benzema has scored 28 goals for Madrid in 2022 across all competitions, the joint highest of all players from Europe's top five leagues. It puts him alongside Paris Saint-Germain's Kylian Mbappe, who snubbed a move to Madrid in favour of signing a new PSG deal in May.

In all, Benzema had eight shots, the highest of any player in a single game during the opening weeks of the LaLiga season.

The late show poured salt on Espanyol wounds, with the team from Barcelona having now failed to win in their last 10 league games, going back to last season.

Kroos told Movistar: "It's to be expected that we suffer against a great rival, also away from home. We controlled the game until their goal. We suffered a bit in the second half, but in the last 30 minutes we regained control.

"They looked tired and we took advantage of that. Winning away is not easy and we have done it three times in a row."

Madrid's first three league assignments have indeed come away from the Santiago Bernabeu, while work is carried out on the stadium, and wins over Almeria, Celta Vigo and now Espanyol have made it an ideal start.

Madrid sit top of the table but are joined on nine points by Real Betis, the team they host next Saturday.

Kroos says Madrid are braced for a busy run of games, as the Champions League group stage begins.

He said: "Every three to four days we are going to play against difficult opponents and there are always times when we are going to have to suffer."

Captain Karim Benzema scored twice in a wild finish as Real Madrid won 3-1 at Espanyol to preserve their 100 per cent record after three games of the LaLiga season.

Vinicius Junior's tidy finish was cancelled out by a goal from Joselu, who has made a habit of scoring against Madrid since spending three years early in his career with the capital club's 'Castilla' B team.

Benzema had a goal ruled out after the break, while Joselu almost pinched another, before Benzema turned in a cross from Rodrygo to snatch the points. Espanyol goalkeeper Benjamin Lecomte was sent off in stoppage time and Benzema added his second from the subsequent free-kick as the game ended chaotically.

The result means Madrid move level on nine points with Real Betis, the next opponents for Carlo Ancelotti's team and the only other side with a perfect record.

Vinicius fired Madrid into a 12th-minute lead, meeting a smart pass from Aurelien Tchouameni close to the penalty spot and tucking a first-time shot past Lecomte and into the bottom-left corner.

However, it was Espanyol who struck next, equalising in the 43rd minute. Joselu took Oscar Gil's throughball on board and scored at the second attempt after Courtois made an initial save, with the ball rebounding kindly off Eder Militao for the home striker.

Joselu was in the thick of the penalty-area drama again just before the hour mark when Courtois had to desperately push away his left-footed strike amid a scramble.

Lecomte repelled a 20-yard curling strike from Benzema at the other end, before Madrid's talisman and captain had a goal disallowed for offside after he prodded in a low ball from Toni Kroos.

As the game entered its closing stages, Benzema met Rodrygo's expertly crafted cross from the left, tucking in a close-range volley at the far post to thoroughly deflate the hosts.

There was still time for more drama, Lecomte red-carded in stoppage time after a wild attempted tackle on Dani Ceballos just outside the penalty area. Benzema fired the set-piece from 20 yards beyond stand-in goalkeeper Leandro Cabrera, the captain and defender not quite up to the job.

Atletico Madrid head coach Diego Simeone will not be put off signing Sergio Reguilon as a replacement for Renan Lodi, despite the defender's affiliation with Real Madrid.

Spain international Reguilon is out of favour under Antonio Conte at Tottenham, and is seeking a move away prior to next Thursday's transfer deadline.

Atletico are reportedly eager to bring in the 25-year-old on an initial loan with a view to making the deal permanent at the end of the season.

Reguilon spent 15 years of his career on the books of Atletico's fierce rivals Real, where he emerged through the youth system and made 22 first-team appearances.

But as Atletico look to sign a full-back to replace Nottingham Forest-bound Lodi, Simeone pointed out his side have had success when recruiting former Los Blancos players in the past.

"The club's working on signing a replacement for Lodi – let's see what happens in the next four days of fun," Simeone said at a press conference ahead of Monday's trip to Valencia.

"Juanfran had previously played for Real Madrid, as had Filipe Luis – both are now part of the history of this club.

"Even today, Alvaro [Morata] is doing well; Mario [Hermoso] gave a lot to the title-winning squad two seasons ago. 

"[Marcos] Llorente was off the charts when we won the title. I look at all these as football players."

Reguilon, who spent the 2019-20 season on loan with Sevilla, made 67 appearances in his first two seasons with Spurs, but has not yet featured this campaign.

It has been the same story for Lodi, who has yet to play any minutes in the 2022-23 season, and is eager to move on with an eye on Brazil's World Cup 2022 squad.
 
"Renan wants to play continuously. Because of his situation, that is not happening," Simeone said. "He is looking for a club where he believes he can get that.

"There are people who like to compete and others who prefer to change teams to get the minutes that theoretically gets them in a better position for the World Cup."

Carlo Ancelotti has ruled out signing a replacement should Marco Asensio leave, as Real Madrid "do not need" another forward.

Spain international Asensio has been repeatedly linked with a move away, but remains a Madrid player with less than a week of the transfer window to go.

The 26-year-old, who has just started his seventh season at the Santiago Bernabeu, is reportedly a target for Premier League pair Arsenal and Manchester United.

Asensio has featured for just eight minutes across Madrid's three matches this campaign, and Ancelotti is not ruling out an exit in the coming days.

"There is nothing new with regards to his situation," Ancelotti said at a press conference on Saturday ahead of his side's trip to Espanyol.

"He is evaluating his situation and we are waiting. On September 2, if he is still here, he will be an important player in our squad. I'd be delighted because he contributes a lot.

"But if Marco leaves, we are not going to sign anyone because we don't need them."

Dani Ceballos is another who is into the final year of his contract and had been expected to depart the Spanish capital this month, but Ancelotti has put an end to those rumours.

"Dani is going to stay, there is no doubt," the Italian said. "He wants to stay and we are delighted. 

"He hasn't played much yet, but next week we have three games, and he will have more minutes because he deserves it."

Madrid are looking to maintain their 100 per cent record at the start of this season when they travel to RCDE Stadium, where they have lost on two of their past four league trips.

Los Blancos have made a perfect start after two matches for the 34th time in their history, and a first time since the 2018-19 campaign.

It is a third successive away game to begin the season for Madrid due to renovation works at the Santiago Bernabeu, and Ancelotti says his side have had to adapt.

"When you're travelling so often, there is not a lot you can do," he said. "We do intense work for those who have not played, while the others must rest.

"We have had to do a little more video work than usual. But the less you work, the less damage you can do."

Manchester United new boy Casemiro hopes Cristiano Ronaldo stays at Old Trafford as the Portuguese forward continues to be linked with a move away.

Casemiro was reunited with former Real Madrid team-mate Ronaldo when he completed a £60million (€70m) move to Old Trafford on Monday.

The Brazilian could make his United debut on Saturday when the Red Devils travel to Southampton in the Premier League.

Enforcer Casemiro is the fourth major arrival at United during the transfer window, but manager Erik ten Hag's first few months at the helm have been characterised by constant speculation regarding Ronaldo's future.

Ronaldo reportedly declared his intention to leave United after they missed out on Champions League qualification last season, but many potential suitors – including Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid – have since ruled out signing the striker, who found the net 24 times in all competitions last term.

Ronaldo's future remains unclear with less than a week remaining in the transfer window, and he was dropped to the bench for United's 2-1 win over Liverpool on Monday – their first victory of the campaign.

Casemiro, however, is convinced of Ronaldo's continued importance, telling ESPN in Brazil: "The illusion of being able to play with him again ... he knows the respect I have for him.

"I hope he stays, because he is a player who gives you leadership, gives you many goals, is a winner and is very important to us.

"As we speak Portuguese too, we got closer. He was a guy who from the first day I arrived here, helped me a lot, gave me advice, is helping me a lot.

"He is a great player, one of the best of all time."

Having posted their lowest points tally (58) and worst defensive record (57 goals conceded) in their Premier League history last term, United will be featuring in the Europa League this season.

Casemiro, a five-time Champions League winner, is desperate to help United back into Europe's premier club competition, but he revealed the opportunity to play for one of the Premier League's biggest clubs was just as important in his considerations as he weighed up a move to United.

"I want to learn, United have always been very affectionate, from the first day, they made me feel comfortable," Casemiro said. "The coach was very attentive, charismatic from day one. They always showed interest. This is very important.

"The Champions League, of course, I want to win, if we don't play [in it], I'll be sad. I want to be there, even for the greatness of the club. But that happens with work and dedication.

"But the club has always shown a lot of affection, as well as Real. The feeling of being in a big club and being able to play in a big league like the Premier League, is very good and very important."

Manchester United have been offered the chance to add some more talent from Real Madrid, with Marco Asensio reportedly being put on the table.

The two teams recently agreed to a deal that sent Casemiro to Old Trafford, and their discussions must not have finished with the 30-year-old defensive midfielder, with 26-year-old Asensio also being made available.

Asensio is coming off a season where he netted 10 goals in 31 LaLiga appearances, but has found himself relegated to a bench role this campaign, playing a total of seven minutes from Madrid's first two league fixtures.

TOP STORY – UNITED LOOK TO MADRID FOR FURTHER REINFORCEMENTS

According to the Telegraph, United have been told Asensio will cost €30million, and Arsenal are also interested in the Spain international as he searches for playing time ahead of the World Cup.

However, further reporting from ESPN claims United will not pull the trigger on any move for Asensio until they figure out if Ajax winger Antony is attainable, with that move being their priority, and a price tag said to be in the range of €100m.

Ajax have been firm on their desire to retain the services of their 22-year-old Brazilian up until this point, and if they remain that way, Asensio would be a more-than-adequate contingency plan – if he wants to go there.

ROUND-UP

– The Times reports that Paris Saint-Germain had a £59m bid for Bernardo Silva turned down by Manchester City.

– According to AS Roma Live, Jose Mourinho views Arsenal midfielder Albert Sambi Lokonga as a potential replacement at Roma for the injured Georginio Wijnaldum.

– Cristiano Ronaldo's agent has reportedly made contact with Napoli, who would only be able to bring in the 37-year-old if they part ways with promising young striker Victor Osimhen, according to Gianluca Di Marzio.

– Foot Mercato is reporting Nottingham Forest have secured yet another signing, with former Villarreal full-back Serge Aurier agreeing to terms on a free transfer.

– According to the Telegraph, Newcastle United have moved on from their chase of Watford forward Joao Pedro, and are now hoping to bring in Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher on loan.

Manchester United have been offered the chance to add some more talent from Real Madrid, with Marco Asensio reportedly being put on the table.

The two teams recently agreed to a deal that sent Casemiro to Old Trafford, and their discussions must not have finished with the 30-year-old defensive midfielder, with 26-year-old Asensio also being made available.

Asensio is coming off a season where he netted 10 goals in 31 LaLiga appearances, but has found himself relegated to a bench role this campaign, playing a total of seven minutes from Madrid's first two league fixtures.

TOP STORY – UNITED LOOK TO MADRID FOR FURTHER REINFORCEMENTS

According to the Telegraph, United have been told Asensio will cost €30million, and Arsenal are also interested in the Spanish international as he searches for playing time ahead of the World Cup.

However, further reporting from ESPN claims United will not pull the trigger on any move for Asensio until they figure out if Ajax winger Antony is attainable, with that move being their priority, and a price tag said to be in the range of €100m.

Ajax have been firm on their desire to retain the services of their 22-year-old Brazilian up until this point, and if they remain that way, Asensio would be a more-than-adequate contingency plan – if he wants to go there.

ROUND-UP

– The Times is reporting Paris Saint-Germain had a £59m bid for Bernardo Silva turned down by Manchester City.

– According to AS Roma Live, Jose Mourinho views Arsenal midfielder Albert Sambi Lokonga as a potential replacement at Roma for Georginio Wijnaldum.

– Cristiano Ronaldo's agent has reportedly made contact with Napoli, who would only be able to bring in the 37-year-old if they part ways with promising young striker Victor Osimhen, according to Gianluca Di Marzio.

– Foot Mercato is reporting Nottingham Forest have secured yet another signing, with former Villarreal fullback Serge Aurier agreeing to terms on a free transfer.

– According to the Telegraph, Newcastle United have moved on from their chase of Watford forward Joao Pedro, and are now hoping to bring in Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher on loan.

The draw for the group stages of the 2022-23 Champions League has thrown up major talking points with Robert Lewandowski and Erling Haaland set for reunions with their former employers.

Lewandowski's Barcelona will face Bayern Munich, while Haaland returns to Borussia Dortmund now donning the shirt of Manchester City.

Having scored 344 goals for Bayern, with whom he won eight consecutive Bundesliga titles and the Champions League in 2019-20, the German giants will be fearful of the threat Lewandowski will pose.

Players coming toe-to-toe with their former clubs is nothing new and Stats Perform has selected five memorable occasions from years gone by.

Cristiano Ronaldo

Having left Manchester United in 2009, Cristiano Ronaldo faced off against the Red Devils for the first time in the first knockout round of the 2012-13 Champions League, scoring in both legs.

Five years later, in the 2018-19 group stages of the competition, Ronaldo this time played against United for Juventus, scoring in a 2-1 defeat in Turin.

During his illustrious career, Ronaldo also went up against Sporting CP, the club where he started his career, scoring three goals in four matches.

Luis Figo

Luis Figo's controversial move from Barcelona to Real Madrid in 2000 is now the focus of a Netflix documentary and, to this day, still stands as one of the most shocking transfers in football history.

Two years later, in November 2002, Figo returned to Camp Nou for the second time and received a fiery reception from the home supporters, who threw numerous objects towards the Portuguese star. Most notable was a pig's head.

Figo spent five years in the Spanish capital, winning LaLiga twice and the Champions League in 2001-02.

Robin van Persie 

Signed as a youngster by Arsenal, Robin van Persie grew to become one of the greatest players in the Arsene Wenger era and captained the side from 2011 after Cesc Fabregas' move to Barcelona.

A move to Manchester United came just a year later, however, with the Dutch striker going on to score home and away against the Gunners, celebrating at Old Trafford after abuse from the visiting fans.

The biggest pain he inflicted on Arsenal came in the Premier League. United won the title following his signing, with the Arsenal squad giving them a guard of honour at the end of the campaign.

James Rodriguez

Signed by Real Madrid after starring at the 2014 World Cup, the Colombian's stint in the Spanish capital was not as he would have hoped. He became an expendable asset, which saw him sent to Bayern Munich for two years in 2017.

In the semi-finals of the 2017-18 Champions League, the loanee faced his parent club and scored in a 2-2 draw at the Santiago Bernabeu, with there being no clause preventing him from featuring in the game.

Bayern lost 4-3 on aggregate, however, with Madrid going on to win the title that season.

Robert Lewandowski

Facing familiar opposition is nothing new for Lewandowski, who had to do it time and time again during his spell with Bayern Munich.

The Poland international was devastating against Borussia Dortmund for Bayern, scoring 27 goals in 26 games. That included two hat-tricks in the Bundesliga, one of which came in a 6-0 demolition in the 2017-18 season.

Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema has been named the 2021-22 UEFA Men's Player of the Year, beating team-mate Thibaut Courtois and Manchester City playmaker Kevin De Bruyne to the gong.

The France international solidified his status as the frontrunner for this year's Ballon d'Or with victory over the pair, with the award bestowed following the Champions League group-stage draw in Istanbul on Thursday.

Benzema, top scorer in both the Champions League and LaLiga last term as he guided Madrid to a double, netted 44 goals in 46 games across all competitions.

Coach Carlo Ancelotti also was feted at the ceremony, beating Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola and Liverpool's Jurgen Klopp to be awarded the UEFA Men's Coach of the Year Award.

Robert Lewandowski and Erling Haaland will swiftly come toe-to-toe with their former teammates following Thursday's group-stage draw for the Champions League.

Fresh from his move to Camp Nou in the transfer window, Lewandowski will return to familiar surroundings with Barcelona and Bayern Munich – who boast 11 Champions League titles between them – drawn in a tough Group C along with Inter.

And another reunion will see Haaland come up against Borussia Dortmund, whom he left to join Pep Guardiola's Manchester City. They find themselves in Group G alongside Sevilla and Copenhagen.

Another heavyweight clash will take place in Group H, with Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus set to lock horns.

Manchester City striker Erling Haaland has cited "insanely good" Karim Benzema as inspiration as he vows to never stop improving at the Etihad Stadium.

Haaland has made a solid start to life in England since his £51million (€60m) move from Borussia Dortmund, scoring three goals in as many Premier League games for the reigning champions.

City pipped some of the world's biggest clubs in the race to secure the services of the Norway international, including reigning LaLiga and Champions League winners Real Madrid.

Madrid talisman Benzema played an instrumental role during their successful 2021-22 season - top-scoring in both competitions along the way - while he recently surpassed Raul (323) as the club's second-leading marksman of all-time behind only Cristiano Ronaldo (450).

The 34-year-old appears certain to be in the running for the top prize at this year's Ballon d'Or awards, and his recent exploits have provided inspiration for a player 12 years his junior.

"I don’t know what will happen, but it must always be about learning, about developing," Haaland told FourFourTwo. "You can never stop looking for new ways to become better.

"Look at Karim Benzema at Real Madrid. He's 34 now and suddenly, he's developed into an even better player over the last couple of years – that's insanely good. I want to always do that."

Toni Kroos intends to finish his career at Real Madrid, while the former Germany international says he will not reverse his decision to retire from the national team ahead of Qatar 2022.

The veteran playmaker has completed a clean sweep of major honours with the LaLiga giants since arriving from Bayern Munich in 2014, shortly after helping Die Mannschaft to World Cup glory in Brazil.

Yet having hung up his boots for the national side following last year's Euro 2020 last-16 exit at the hands of England, Kroos admits he may well follow suit at domestic level sooner rather than later.

However, he will not be looking to wrap up his time on the pitch anywhere other than Santiago Bernabeu, regardless of time frame.

"I believe that the year 2023 is appropriate [to retire]," Kroos told Bild. "I will be 33 years old.

"I will decide whether I will renew for a season or two. That is still open for discussion, but I am completely sure that I will retire at Real Madrid."

Kroos will not walk back his decision to depart the national team, however, with the 106-cap veteran having no intention of making himself available for Hansi Flick's squad.

"The decision I made at that time stands," he added.