Chelsea head coach Thomas Tuchel has been open about his desire for more signings ahead of the closure of the transfer window.

The London club have been one of the big spenders during this transfer window but Tuchel believes they need more reinforcements to be competitive in the title race.

The Blues have lost Andreas Christensen, Antonio Rudiger, Emerson Palmieri and Timo Werner, while Romelu Lukaku departed on loan and Marcos Alonso is expected to join Barcelona.

TOP STORY – CHELSEA PLOTTING AUBA SWOOP

Chelsea are plotting a deadline day move to land ex-Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from Barcelona, reports The Guardian.

Blues boss Tuchel has asked owner Todd Boehly to free up £200million with three targets in mind before Thursday's deadline, headlined by the Gabon international.

Chelsea are set to close out a deal for Leicester City defender Wesley Fofana for £70m, while Everton's Anthony Gordon is also on their wish list.

Aubameyang has only been used once for eight minutes off the bench this LaLiga season, with Robert Lewandowski starring up front for the Blaugrana.

ROUND-UP

–  Liverpool are pondering a late £42m bid for Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder Moises Caicedo,  according to The Sun. Brighton, however, believe that the Ecuador international is worth almost double that price.

– Metro reports  Cristiano Ronaldo could seal a move from Manchester United to Napoli this week. Ronaldo's agent Jorge Mendes is working on a swap deal, possibly involving Victor Osimhen .

– La Gazzetta dello Sport claims  Paris Saint-Germain 's €23m offer with add-ons for Napoli midfielder Fabian Ruiz has been accepted and he will undergo a medical on Tuesday. The Spaniard has been frozen out after refusing to extend his contract, which has less than 12 months to run.

Tottenham have revived their interest in Atletico Madrid winger Yannick Carrasco,  according to the Telegraph. The 28-year-old Belgian has two years to run on his contract.

– The Sun claims  Wolves have rejected a bid worth £8.5m from Everton for midfielder Leander Dendoncker .

– Barcelona and Manchester United have not reached an agreement on a deal for USA international Sergino Dest , reports Cadena COPE.

Valencia have confirmed the capture of Uruguay international Edinson Cavani, with the former Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United forward joining on a two-year deal.

Cavani had been a free agent after his contract expired at Old Trafford earlier this year, and the 35-year-old has since been courted by numerous European clubs.

But it is the LaLiga side the veteran attacker has opted to join, linking up with Gennaro Gattuso's team on a free transfer, with his contract set to run until June 2024.

It is a transfer that means Cavani will have played in four of Europe's five major leagues. He left Danubio in his home country to join Palermo in Serie A, before subsequent spells with Napoli, Paris Saint-Germaiin and United.

A six-time Ligue 1 winner at the Parc des Princes, he departed as the club's all-time top scorer, with 200 goals to his name, when he switched to the Premier League in 2020.

Struggles with injuries and fluctuating form saw him net just 12 times in 41 top-flight appearances for United, with the nearest he came to silverware being the 2021 Europa League final loss to Villarreal.

At international level, Cavani won the 2011 Copa America with Uruguay, and has been a member of three World Cup squads, including the team that finished fourth at South Africa 2010.

Having helped them qualify for the Qatar 2022 World Cup later this year, he will hope to make a fourth appearance at the tournament following his arrival at Valencia.

Edinson Cavani is relishing a new challenge in LaLiga after agreeing to join Valencia.

The striker had been linked with the likes of Villarreal, Real Sociedad and Nice after his Manchester United contract expired.

Cavani has opted to join Gennaro Gattuso's side on a free transfer and arrived in Valencia to undergo a medical on Monday.

The 35-year-old Uruguay international is raring to go as he prepares to start another chapter of what has been an illustrious career.

He told reporters: "We are going to see how everything goes in the next few hours and I am happy to come here.

"I have been a bit out of [speaking to] the press, because it has been a decision that was important to me.

"What is [important] is that Valencia have given me a lot of confidence and I will try to give him everything on my part to be able to leave a good image in this club and the best of me."

The former Paris Saint-Germain frontman added: "I wanted to be here and play in Spain and Valencia has opted for me.

"It is something that I have already said before, you have to go where they love you, where they show you love, because in reality you live from that, from the strength of the people, from the affection of the club, we come with a lot of desire and enthusiasm."

Cavani scored 12 goals in 41 Premier League appearances during a two-year spell at Old Trafford.

His 200 goals for PSG, meanwhile, make him their all-time top goalscorer.

Chelsea have reportedly locked in on Everton's Anthony Gordon and are desperate to get a deal done before the deadline, going as far as including both Armando Broja and Conor Gallagher in their latest offer.

Gordon - who scored his first goal of the season in his side's 1-1 draw against Brentford at the weekend - has seen his stature rise meteorically, with the 21-year-old now considered a real chance to represent England at the World Cup later this year.

Chelsea have already had an offer of £50million plus add-ons rejected, and after previous rumours hinted that Everton wanted one of Gallagher or Broja on loan to make it happen, a stunning new report claims the Stamford Bridge side are willing to take it a step further.

 

TOP STORY – CHELSEA WILLING TO PART WAYS WITH GALLAGHER AND BROJA IN GORDON DEAL

The report from Football Insider states Chelsea are willing to send Gallagher and Broja to Everton on permanent moves, as well as adding £25m in cash, making the total offer value in the range of £85m.

Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel has been clear about how highly he values 20-year-old Broja and 22-year-old Gallagher, with both players coming on as substitutes in the first two Premier League fixtures.

However, Broja has been left on the bench the past two games, and Gallagher's two starts have resulted in a 3-0 loss to Leeds United and a red card against Leicester City just 28 minutes into the action.

So far this season, only Raheem Sterling against Leicester has registered more than one shot on target in a single game, while Gordon has had at least two shots on target in each of his past three outings, including five against Nottingham Forest and four against Brentford.

ROUND-UP

– Sky Sports Italia is reporting Juventus have interest in Aston Villa's Douglas Luiz if they can not secure Leandro Paredes from Paris Saint-Germain.

– In their search for strikers, Chelsea are said to be considering Crystal Palace's Wilfried Zaha, although Barcelona's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang remains the priority, according to the Guardian.

– The Daily Mail claims that after reportedly accepting a deal in the range of £80m (€95m) from Manchester United for Antony, Ajax are hoping to bring Chelsea's Hakim Ziyech back to the Eredivisie.

Liverpool's midfielder hunt has brought them to Sheffield United's 24-year-old Norwegian international Sander Berge, per the Yorkshire Post.

–The Evening Standard is reporting Tottenham midfielder Harry Winks is finalising a move to Sampdoria after initially holding out hope of a Premier League club swooping in.

Paris Saint-Germain head coach Christophe Galtier was thankful for no more penalty drama after Neymar equalised from the spot in the 1-1 draw with Monaco.

Neymar and Kylian Mbappe clashed in the 5-2 win over Montpellier on August 13 after the France international tried to take the ball off Neymar for a penalty, having already missed a spot-kick earlier in the game.

The two reportedly resolved the issue after the match, but there was potential for the situation to flare up again as PSG won another spot-kick when 1-0 down at home to Monaco on Sunday.

Neymar won it after being fouled by Guillermo Maripan, and picked himself up off the floor to fire home from 12 yards to level things up, before celebrating with Mbappe.

And Galtier was glad there was no more disagreement over penalty duties, telling Prime Video: "On this match, Kylian Mbappe was the number 1 penalty taker and Neymar was number 2.

"After talking with Kylian, I saw that he had been happy to congratulate Ney[mar]. This is how it should be.

"They are great players, it's up to them to feel it. The important thing is that he scored and that Kylian came to congratulate."

Valencia expect to complete the signing of former Manchester United and Paris Saint-German striker Edinson Cavani, according to head coach Gennaro Gattuso.

Cavani has been without a club since leaving United as a free agent in July, having scored 12 goals in 41 Premier League appearances during a two-year spell at Old Trafford.

The Uruguay international's 200 goals for PSG, meanwhile, make him their all-time top goalscorer, and he turned down a return to Ligue 1 after attracting interest from Nice earlier this month.

Nice president Jean-Pierre Rivere said Cavani's desire to move to Spain was the reason those transfer talks broke down, and the 35-year-old now appears close to getting his wish.   

Speaking ahead of Monday's clash with Atletico Madrid in LaLiga, Gattuso said: "I am optimistic by nature, we are working, talking, I think we have possibilities. 

"[Valencia owner] Peter Lim is working hard, and I think we are going to sign Cavani because Lim, at the moment, believes a lot in this possibility.

"When you talk about Cavani, he is not a normal player, he has played for big clubs and at the highest level for a long time. He is 35 years old but has an incredible mentality, I am talking about the technical part, not money, that is not a problem, there are two different things. 

"The problem is that a lot of people talk in an operation and it's not easy to close it in two minutes.

"We are working on it for two or three weeks, but we are going to wait and I hope that it will close in a positive way for us. We have done everything to solve it and I hope that the signing will be closed.

"We are talking about a champion, a footballer who has played in teams of a high level, I am also excited that he comes here."

Los Che, who have taken three points from their first two league games this season, are also set to conclude another loan deal for Tottenham's Bryan Gil, who spent the second half of last campaign at the Mestalla.

Gattuso revealed his belief the deal will go through when Spurs bring in a replacement, adding the young playmaker was "99 per cent" likely to make the move. 

Paris Saint-Germain were held to a frustrating 1-1 draw at home to Monaco as their 100 per cent start to the season came to an end.

PSG started the first half well, but a pinpoint Kevin Volland finish past Gianluigi Donnarumma put the visitors ahead at the break.

Christophe Galtier’s team pressed for an equaliser in the second period and found one when VAR awarded a penalty for a foul on Neymar, who stepped up himself to stroke home the spot-kick.

The hosts pushed for a winner, but could not find one as Monaco held on for a point.

PSG were ultimately frustrated not to pick up all three points, while Monaco will be glad to escape the capital with a draw.

The Ligue 1 champions dominated the early possession but fell behind after 20 minutes when Volland latched onto an Aleksandr Golovin throughball before rifling into the bottom-right corner.

Monaco nearly had a second before half-time, but Donnarumma scampered across his line just in time to tip Caio Henrique’s curling free-kick wide.

PSG hit the frame of the goal twice in quick succession in first-half stoppage time as a Lionel Messi drive rebounded off the left post straight to Kylian Mbappe, whose first-time effort hit the other upright.

Wissam Ben Yedder could have made it 2-0 after the interval when Donnarumma was caught well out of his goal, but the France international’s long-range shot went over the crossbar.

Neymar and Renato Sanches both went close to levelling for the hosts, but a combination of Alexander Nubel and poor finishing maintained Monaco’s lead.

Galtier’s men finally equalised when VAR awarded a spot-kick for a Guillermo Maripan trip on Neymar. The Brazil international fired the resulting penalty into the bottom-left corner.

Monaco came under increasing pressure in the remaining minutes as PSG hunted a winner, Achraf Hakimi being denied by the post, but Philippe Clement’s team held on for an impressive point.

Ander Herrera has returned to Athletic Bilbao after the club agreed a loan deal with Paris Saint-Germain.

Although the loan is initially for only the 2022-23 season, Athletic have the option to extend his stay for an extra year or make the arrangement permanent in 2023.

Herrera, 33, was born in Bilbao and spent three years at Athletic from 2011 after coming through Real Zaragoza's academy.

The experienced midfielder signed for PSG in 2019 after his Manchester United contract expired and made 95 appearances, winning Ligue 1, the Coupe de France and Trophee des Champions twice each, while also lifting the Coupe de la Ligue.

However, Herrera was never a regular starter for PSG and had been linked with a move away for much of the transfer window, with Christophe Galtier yet to call upon him this season.

Recent media reports suggested Herrera was likely to leave PSG on a free transfer, but the Parisians retain ownership of him for the time being.

Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain remain in negotiations for Leandro Paredes but his arrival may depend on players leaving first, according to Bianconeri chief executive Maurizio Arrivabene.

Massimiliano Allegri has bolstered his squad during the transfer window by signing Paul Pogba, Angel Di Maria, Bremer and Filip Kostic.

Adrien Rabiot was expected to depart Turin to join Manchester United, but the midfielder's move to Old Trafford fell through.

The France international may soon be partnered in midfield by Paredes, who has been frustrated by a lack of playing minutes for PSG.

Christophe Galtier has previously acknowledged Paredes could leave after falling down the midfield pecking order, with Arrivabene confirming Juve are looking to sign the 28-year-old.

"We are talking. But, I repeat, it is very important to make the exits," Arrivabene told DAZN when pressed for an update on Paredes ahead of Saturday's 1-1 draw with Roma.

Paulo Dybala, Matthijs de Ligt, Giorgio Chiellini, Aaron Ramsey and Merih Demiral are among those to leave the Allianz Stadium this transfer window.

However, Arrivabene expects more players to depart as he looks to balance assembling a squad with Allegri and financial constraints.

"We will be happy if we manage to carry out the exits that we intend to do in such a way that the sporting result is balanced with the financial one," he added.

Juve remain unbeaten in their opening three Serie A games this season, albeit with just one win and two draws, the most recent of which coming at home to Roma.

Chelsea could finally be set for a transfer breakthrough after reportedly agreeing to meet Leicester City's demands of around £70million for centre-back Wesley Fofana.

Fofana, 21, has been a key target for Chelsea in their bid to replace Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen, who departed for Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona earlier in the transfer window.

While the Blues have already spent £33m to secure 31-year-old Kalidou Koulibaly – who has started all three of their Premier League fixtures this season – Fofana is yet to enter his prime and could provide defensive security for the next decade.

 

TOP STORY – LEICESTER ACCEPT CHELSEA'S NEWEST BID FOR FOFANA

According to L'Equipe, Chelsea's successful bid for Fofana includes add-ons which could make him the most expensive defender in the history of football, surpassing the £80m Leicester received from Manchester United for Harry Maguire.

Leicester had been publicly declaring Fofana was not for sale, but the situation was accelerated by the defender missing a training session, leading to him being told to train with the Foxes' under-23s.

Fofana is yet to receive his first senior cap for France, but the increased visibility that will come with a move to Stamford Bridge could tee him up for a breakthrough World Cup campaign in Qatar.
 

ROUND-UP

– Ajax star Antony has engaged in a stunning interview with Fabrizio Romano, declaring his time in the Eredivisie has run its course amid strong interest from Manchester United.

– Marca are reporting Cristiano Ronaldo has decided his best option is to return to Sporting CP, where he began his career, despite the need to take a significant pay cut should he leave United.

– According to Calciomercato, Liverpool are considering including Roberto Firmino in their offer to Paris Saint-Germain for 28-year-old midfielder Leandro Paredes.

– Sky Sports claim West Ham have had an offer in the vicinity of £51m accepted by Lyon for their 24-year-old creator Lucas Paqueta.

Chelsea are set to trigger the £12.6million release clause for Dynamo Moscow's 19-year-old midfielder Arsen Zakharyan, per the Daily Mail.

Inter chief executive Giuseppe Marotta revealed the Nerazzurri are set to open contract talks with Paris Saint-Germain target Milan Skriniar after declaring the defender will "certainly" remain at San Siro.

Skriniar emerged as a top target for PSG after entering the final 12 months of his deal with the Serie A giants, for whom he has been a key figure since joining from Sampdoria in 2017.

The Slovakia captain has won one Scudetto and one Coppa Italia with the Nerazzurri and made his 175th league appearance for the club against Lazio on Friday. 

Only goalkeeper Samir Handanovic (188) has played more Serie A games for Inter in that time. 

While Marotta was unable to offer any guarantees over Skriniar's future when discussing the subject last month, coach Simone Inzaghi revealed the 27-year-old was set to stay last Saturday.

Marotta has now confirmed reports Inter are seeking to offer Skriniar a new deal, too, telling DAZN ahead of the trip to Lazio; "I must say that he is a very decent boy, we will start a dialogue with him as soon as possible, a negotiation.

"We would certainly like to sign a contract that can bind him to Inter for many years. 

"I am confident in the seriousness of the boy, I believe that this veiled threat [of PSG being able to sign Skriniar on a free next year] is not enough to undermine the player's values.

"I can say that last week the owner made explicit the will not to be flattered by PSG's requests.

"I can say that Skriniar is a very important element in the team's playing system, as such he will certainly remain."

Chelsea lost 3-0 to Leeds United on Sunday and it would appear that defeat has sparked the Blues into action.

New owner Todd Boehly has been keen to make his mark since arriving at Stamford Bridge, bringing in Raheem Sterling, Kalidou Koulibaly and Marc Cucurella among others.

But head coach Thomas Tuchel wants more. Leicester City defender Wesley Fofana is a priority target for the defence, while last week Chelsea had two bids rejected by Everton for Anthony Gordon.

Now it would appear the Blues are confident of completing the signing, while they are also reportedly in talks to land a second attacker.

TOP STORY - CHELSEA IN FOR GORDON AND LEAO

The Times reports that Chelsea will this week push ahead and match Everton's £50million asking price for winger Gordon, who scored four goals in a breakthrough Premier League season last term.

Everton boss Frank Lampard stressed the importance of Gordon to his plans, and played the 21-year-old against Nottingham Forest on Saturday, but also suggested that a decision might have to be made if a bid was too good to turn down.

Gordon might also be joined in moving to Stamford Bridge by Milan star Rafael Leao. The Portugal international scored 11 times for the Rossoneri as they won Serie A last season, and the same report claims that Chelsea are in talks with the Italian champions over a move for the 23-year-old.

ROUND-UP

- Several outlets are reporting that West Ham have struck a deal with Chelsea to sign left-back Emerson Palmieri for around £13million.

- Eric Bailly is close to joining Marseille on loan from Manchester United, according to Fabrizio Romano.

- The Telegraph claims Newcastle United have been told they must pay £30million to buy striker Joao Pedro from Watford.

- Villarreal coach Unai Emery told El Larguero that Edinson Cavani could join the club, while he also said that Juan Foyth is of interest to Barcelona.

- Everton were hoping to have Idrissa Gueye and Mohammed Kudus signed but have bumped into difficulties with Paris Saint-Germain and Ajax respectively, says The Times.

- Fabrizio Romano also reports that Fulham and Roma will hold further talks this week over Justin Kluivert.

- Barca defender Samuel Umtiti will join Lecce, says Gianluca Di Marzio.

Manchester United are working overtime to land at least one of the Eredivisie's top stars, with their chase for Ajax's Antony and PSV's Cody Gakpo reportedly heating up.

Antony racked up eight goals and four assists in 23 league games last season, and has started the new campaign in hot form, collecting a goal and two assists from his first two fixtures.

Gakpo netted a brace in PSV's season opener against FC Emmen, and while the Telegraph claims United will only be able to afford one of the two wingers, a conflicting report from the Netherlands' De Telegraaf says that might not be the case.

 

TOP STORY – UNITED TO ADDRESS WINGER SHORTAGE WITH EREDIVISIE RAID 

The report from De Telegraaf says "it is not a question of [Antony or Gakpo], but the club wants to contract both players", which would mean well over £100million in transfer fees after their last offer of £68m for Antony was rejected.

Ajax have no interest in letting Antony leave, with the Brazilian's contract tying him to the club through 2025, but Goal is reporting he has missed recent training sessions, and the reason he was absent from his side's 1-0 win against Sparta Rotterdam on Sunday was due to him trying to force his way out.

The Telegraph claims United are "expected" to complete a £34m deal for Gakpo, but it remains to be seen if they are willing to pull the trigger on the Dutchman while they still believe they can land Antony.

ROUND-UP

– According to The Sun, United will block any moves for captain Harry Maguire after Chelsea expressed interest earlier in the week.

– Calciomercato is reporting Milan have approached Tottenham about a potential transfer for 23-year-old English centre-back Japhet Tangana.

Tottenham and Newcastle United are waiting to see if Juventus secure Barcelona's Memphis Depay, with the two Premier League clubs hoping to swoop in if the Bianconeri's deal falls apart, according to The Sun.

– Free agent Andrea Belotti has rejected an offer from Wolves, according to Calciomercato, instead preferring to wait for Roma to make room for him.

– Sport1 is reporting Paris Saint-Germain are planning a move for RB Leipzig defenders Josko Gvardiol and Mohamed Simakan, but the German side hope to retain both. 

Paris Saint-Germain boss Christophe Galtier is not remotely surprised by the stunning start to the season his side have made.

The Ligue 1 champions thumped Lille 7-1 at the Stade Pierre Mauroy on Sunday thanks to a Kylian Mbappe hat-trick, a brace from Neymar and a strike from Lionel Messi.

Mbappe's first came after just eight seconds, which was the fastest goal in Ligue 1 since Opta started recording data for the competition in 2006-07.

The result means PSG have scored 17 goals in three Ligue 1 games this season. Only Rennes in 1950-51 (18) have found the back of the net more often at the same point.

The win also saw them become the first team in Ligue 1 history to score at least three goals in six consecutive away games.

Galtier, who joined the club from Nice in July, has been impressed by his new side's start to the season, but it has not come as a surprise given the strength of their pre-season campaign.

Asked if he expected his side to be so dominant at this stage of the season, Galtier said: "Yes, because of the work we have done since July. Those who returned before the scheduled date prepared well before the season. 

"I saw players who wanted to start the season very strongly so I'm not surprised."

Galtier stressed that his side will not be complacent after their breathtaking start, and said he will be using the full depth of his squad to keep players on their toes.

Asked how they can maintain this form, Galtier responded: "The answer is simple: daily requirements. It is also important that everyone can participate in the sequence of matches. 

"You will have to agree to give up your place so that a partner can exist. Management is going to be important and that all the exchanges I will have with the group are very transparent, clear and precise. 

"The players may also have a little revenge to take on last season. The group must be able to live well together. We need happy and committed players in the locker room."

PSG are next in action on Sunday when Monaco visit the Parc des Princes.

Kylian Mbappe equalled the record for the fastest goal in Ligue 1 history as he struck just eight seconds as part of a hat-trick in Paris Saint-Germain's emphatic 7-1 win over Lille on Sunday.

The 23-year-old superbly lifted over Leo Jardim almost immediately from kick-off, with Ligue 1 announcing it matched Michel Rio's eight-second strike for Caen against Cannes in 1992.

That set the stage for an utterly dominant performance from the champions as Lionel Messi, Achraf Hakimi and Neymar all added goals before half-time.

Neymar and Jonathan Bamba exchanged goals shortly after the interval before Mbappe added two more in the final 24 minutes to cap a memorable display.

PSG started in some style as Mbappe latched onto Messi's ball over the top and lobbed Jardim inside 10 seconds.  

Mbappe hit the side netting after rounding Jardim midway through the first half, yet Messi doubled the visitors' advantage with a cool finish from 12 yards after a clever one-two with Nuno Mendes.

Hakimi then added a third six minutes before half-time with a composed finish having been played in by Neymar, who got in on the act four minutes later with a clinical strike after Messi's deflected pass fell kindly for him.

Neymar grabbed his second seven minutes into the second half following a wonderful dummy from Mbappe, before Bamba pulled one back for Lille with a close-range finish after Gianluigi Donnarumma had saved his initial effort. 

Mbappe and Neymar combined again superbly to make it 6-1 as the former lashed home. They were at it once more three minutes from full-time when Mbappe ran onto Neymar's pass to thump past a helpless Jardim and cap an emphatic victory.

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