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With so many rumours already doing rounds, it would be fair to say that the build-up to the winter transfer window has indeed begun. Without further ado, let's take a look at the top transfer news of the day which involves some of the biggest names in the footballing world including Leo Messi, Neymar and Paul Pogba among others.
Paris Saint-Germain will put Neymar for sale on January 1
After a drawn-out transfer saga that ended anti-climactically, it looks like Neymar and his exit rumours will continue to dominate tabloid pages even in the winter transfer window. Latest reports suggest that PSG director Leonardo wants Neymar to be put on the market from January 1- the date on which the winter transfer window opens.
Barcelona, Real Madrid and Juventus are reportedly interested in signing the Brazilian. However, Paris Saint-Germain are intent on recovering a major chunk of their initial investment in the Brazilian which stands at €222 million and that could be a major impediment for any team that's hoping to sign the Brazilian.
Leonardo recently told Tuttosport that the only reason why Neymar ended up staying at Paris Saint-Germain was that the club did not receive an acceptable offer from any of the parties interested.
"We're open to talking about players, but there was no agreement reached,"
"If someone wants to buy him then they can present an offer and we'll see if it satisfies all parties."
Neymar had reportedly told PSG that he wishes to leave and as such wasn't involved in their pre-season plans. There were several reports that also suggested that Neymar had given into Barcelona's demands and told PSG that he only wished to return to his former club and not join any other.
Barcelona's representatives were spotted in Paris on multiple occasions and they were expected to engineer a deal for Neymar. However, a lack of funds and PSG's reluctance to accept players in exchange became a major stumbling block and no move materialized despite the Barcelona fans waiting with bated breath on deadline day.
Florentino Perez reveals why Real Madrid couldn't sign Paul Pogba
It was being widely reported during the summer that Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane was desperate to bring Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba to the Santiago Bernabeu. However, the deal never worked out despite Pogba and Zidane airing their mutual admiration on more than one occasion.
There were also several reports that suggested that Zidane and Real Madrid president Florentino Perez were at loggerheads over who to sign. Perez reportedly wanted Christian Eriksen from Tottenham Hotspur while Zizou was insistent on getting Pogba.
However, neither deals worked out and both players ended up staying at their respective clubs. Now Perez has revealed that the only reason why Real Madrid did not sign Paul Pogba was that Manchester United were reluctant to sell him.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer believes in Pogba's ability and wants to build the team around him despite the Frenchman wanting to leave. Things could still change over the course of this season and Pogba could become a Real Madrid player next summer.
Sean Longstaff opens up about Manchester United rumours
Sean Longstaff was one of the surprising inclusions on Manchester United's list of potential signings in the summer. However, the Newcastle United midfielder ended up staying at Tyneside and has now opened up about the Manchester United links and how it acted as a 'distraction'.
Speaking to the club website, the youngster said,
“You can sometimes get distracted by the outside noise and maybe for a little bit in the summer I was a bit,”
“It’s hard not to whenever you go anywhere you see your face on the front of a newspaper and you turn the telly on people are talking about you. And it’s not like they’re talking about little things, they’re talking about things that can change your life really.
“The expectation is half what I’ve done and it’s probably a good thing. It does just go to show I did impress people when I got my chance last year. So for me, it’s about not listening to them and sticking to what I do. I speak to Matty Ritchie a lot, he’s someone I lean on in the squad. He tends to keep us grounded and he’s always there with good bits of advice.
“Sometimes you can get distracted by figures that are thrown out there and you’re doing things you wouldn’t normally try to do. I think I spoke to him about it and he said the reason people are speaking about you is because of what you did and keep everything so simple and ticking along and you’ve got the other stuff there if you need it."
Nabil Fekir's agent reveals why Liverpool move broke down
Nabil Fekir had come very close to signing for Liverpool 2 summers back and had even completed his medical at Anfield. However, the Reds pulled out of the deal in the very last minute. Fekir, however, has maintained that the speculation is untrue and insists that "a lot of lies were told".
The Frenchman surprisingly joined Real Betis this summer for an underwhelming £17 million. Now his former agent Jean-Pierre Barnes has revealed the two reasons behind the Liverpool move falling through. He said,
“He has to stop this show and stop taking people for fools,”
“Everyone knows what happened. The transfer to Liverpool has turned around for two reasons. The first is his knee, even though the English club’s leaders were willing to make an effort on this.
The second is the appearance of a foreign pseudo-representative who asked for the negotiations to be resumed from the beginning at the moment of signing. Between this episode and the medical visit, Liverpool’s leaders decided to abandon the case.”
Fekir and his former agent do not share a good relationship now and the latter has even commenced legal action against him. The issue is premature termination of Barnes' contract by Fekir's camp.
Barcelona vice-president and president says Messi can leave for free this summer
Jordi Cardoner, Barcelona vice-president, has shed more light on last week's discussions over a potential Lionel Messi exit in the summer. The Argentine has a clause in his contract that will allow him to leave the club for free next summer. Cardoner also said that Messi is in a position to do whatever he wants for the future.
However, Cardoner insists that Messi fans do not have to worry about this and that the Barca camp are relaxed about the situation. He said,
"We are calm and there is a lot of positivity, especially in the dressing room,"
"Leo will do what he thinks is fit, but Leo's contract is very special because he is who he is.
"It's a concession made to him and other players who deserve it.
"He can enter and leave the club when he sees fit.
"I'd love for him to stay for as long as he wants to play for our team."
