LIVE Transfer Talk: Barca eye Moukoko for post-Lewandowski plan

The summer transfer window is closed for the major leagues in Europe. However, with an eye on January, there’s plenty of gossip swirling about who’s moving where. Transfer Talk brings you all the latest buzz on rumours, comings, goings and, of course, done deals!

TOP STORY: Dortmund’s Moukoko to Barcelona?

Barcelona see Borussia Dortmund striker Youssoufa Moukoko as the eventual replacement for Robert Lewandowski but face competition to sign him, as has been reported by Diario Sport.

Barcelona have already made efforts to put themselves in a position to sign the 17-year-old Moukoko, but the likes of Juventus, Real Madrid and Liverpool are also interested.

Lewandowski only signed for the Blaugrana for €45 million from Bayern Munich in the summer, but the club are already thinking about what they will do when the 34-year-old’s contract ends in 2026.

Moukoko has captured the attention of scouts, having impressed for Dortmund with his six goals and four assists in 12 Bundesliga appearances this term. This is the striker’s second season as a professional, but he is already used to filling big shoes, as Erling Haaland‘s €60m summer departure to Manchester City has played a part in him getting more minutes this season.

Aside from his impressive performances on the pitch, a factor that will have various big-name clubs looking at Moukoko is that his contract is set to end in 2023.

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08.55 GMT: Villarreal coach Quique Setien says he has faith he can turn things around despite his dismal start at the club.

Villarreal fans booed Setien, who replaced Unai Emery (who joined Aston Villa) on Oct. 25, and fans chanted “Quique leave!” during Sunday’s 2-0 home loss to Mallorca, their third straight defeat.

The Yellow Submarine have drawn one game and lost three since Setien’s arrival, conceding six goals and failing to score in the last three games.

“The fans have reason to be angry and I can’t say anything,” Setien said in quotes reported by AS. “You have to respect, and I understand that they get angry. All I ask is that they have patience and faith, as I have. We have to improve and now fortunately we are going to have a break that will give us room to work on many things that we have not been able to work on.

“The club that hired me knows my proposal and I don’t like to commit suicide. I am a man of faith, and this situation can happen, because football is not an exact science. We have to improve and adapt to what we are proposing. We’ve been eight days, at most ten, we haven’t been able to train to organize ourselves better. This is a strong setback, but the team will improve, for sure.”

08.33 GMT: Luis Suarez bade an emotional farewell to Nacional three months after returning to the club, helping them win the league title.

Suarez, 35, joined Nacional as a free agent after his contract with Atletico Madrid expired last summer. The Uruguay international decided to go back to the club where he began his career in 2005 in order to prepare for the World Cup in Qatar and scored eight goals in 14 games.

“It’s a goodbye, I’m not going to play [here] again, but I will return to the club at some point,” a tearful Suarez said. “The time has come and first of all I want to thank you for everything. As I said some time ago, I was coming back because of you and because I wanted to come back.

“Each one of you must continue to be proud that we are at a world-class level and people talk about what Nacional’s fans have done, and that is your merit.”

The former Barcelona star, a reported target of MLS clubs, thanked his teammates, especially Emmanuel Gigliotti, who will now wear the No. 9 jersey after offering it to Suarez when he arrived.

08.00 GMT: Philadelphia Union midfielder Paxten Aaronson is set to sign for Europa League champions Eintracht Frankfurt after the two clubs agreed a fee for the United States youth international, a source has confirmed to ESPN.

Aaronson, brother of Leeds United’s Brenden Aaronson, is set to be transferred to the Bundesliga club for an initial fee of $4 million plus add-ons and a percentage of any future sale, pending completion of a medical and agreement of personal terms.

Details of the transfer were first reported by MLS reporter Tom Bogert.

Paxten Aaronson, 19, captured the attention of many after winning the Golden Boot and being voted as the tournament’s best player at this summer’s CONCACAF U-20 Championship, when he scored seven goals to help the U.S. qualify for the 2024 Olympics.

PAPER GOSSIP (by Danny Lewis)

– There have been complications in AC Milan‘s contract negotiations with Rafael Leao, reports Sky Sports Italia, with the forward’s deal ending in 2024. The first issue faced is Leao’s change of agent, while there is also €19m owed to Sporting CP, which has factored into the Portugal international demanding wages of €9m to €10m per year — a sum that Milan have never given any player.

– Arsenal scouts watched defensive midfielder Ibrahima Bamba during Vitoria‘s 3-0 defeat against Sporting, according to Ekrem Konur. The 20-year-old, who has previously been linked with a move to Italy, played the full 90 minutes and picked up a yellow card.

– Napoli are showing an interest in signing Empoli left-back Tommaso Baldanzi and Udinese midfielder Lazar Samardzic, according to Calciomercato. Baldanzi’s goal and performance against Sassuolo on Saturday has helped convince Napoli of his talent, while Samardzic is someone they are interested in. A valuation of over €20m for Samardzic’s transfer, however, could prove to be an obstacle to any potential move.

– Bayern Munich sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic has told Sky Sports Deutschland that Alexander Nubel won’t return to the club in 2023. Nubel is on loan at AS Monaco but with goalkeepers Manuel Neuer and Sven Ulreich entrenched at Bayern, Nubel’s future is unclear. Regarding striker Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, Salihamidzic said they will meet with his agent over a potential extension on his contract, which ends this summer.

– Robin Gosens could leave Internazionale to join Bayer Leverkusen in January, according to Calciomercato. The Germany international full-back has been struggling for meaningful minutes with Inter and could move to the Bundesliga, as Leverkusen are set to move for him again after attempting to do so in the summer.