Highly-Rated Bilbao Star Snubbed Former Boss Valverde & Barca Move in Hope of Real Madrid Switch

Athletic Bilbao defender Aymeric Laporte is reported to have snubbed various advances from Barcelona in favour of eventually joining La Liga champions Real Madrid - despite previously having worked with current Blaugrana boss Ernesto Valverde.

Madrid and Barça have both endured opposing starts to their current league campaigns. With the high-flying Catalonians holding a perfect record of three wins in three matches.

However, Spanish outlet Don Balon report that 23-year-old Laporte would rather move to the Bernabeu than Camp Nou.

It's been widely-reported that Barca's Lionel Messi has been nagging the club's board to sign the promising centre-back, but advances from Barcelona have been to no avail over the last few months.

Laporte's current deal with Bilbao runs out in 2020, and the Frenchman has a reported release clause of £57m - which, in this day and age, could figure to become somewhat of a steal for a very talented young centre-half.

He is said to be keen to link up with French compatriot Zinedine Zidane rather than former Bilbao boss Valverde and is waiting in hope that a a move to the Spanish capital materialises.

Laporte has made a total of 199 appearances for Bilbao, where he came through the club's heralded youth system. However, he could soon find himself competing for a starting place with the likes of Sergio Ramos, Raphael Varane and Nacho Fernandez, if he gets his wish.

Liverpool and Juventus Target Stalls On New Contract After Disagreement Over Buyout Clause

Liverpool and Juventus Target Stalls On New Cont

ract After Disagreement Over Buyout Clause

​Lazio's in-demand defender Stefan De Vrij has reportedly stalled on contract talks with the Serie A club due to a disagreement over the release clause set to be inserted into his new deal.

The 25-year-old has been on the receiving end of substantial interest from both Liverpool and Juventus over the last few months, though nothing came to fruition over the summer transfer window.

According to Italian outlet CalcioMercato, talks between the player and Lazio have reached an impasse over the prospected buyout clause for the player. The club wish to set the amount at €30m, whereas De Vrij believes a clause of €25m to be the best option.

With the defender's current deal running out in the summer, both Liverpool and Juventus will be circling like sharks during January for the 25-year-old and his current side will be eager to tie him down to a new contract as soon as possible.

Regardless of the interest being shown in De Vrij, the Dutchman is believed to be happy to sign a new contract, claiming this week that he and the club are on 'very good terms'.

The centre back moved to Serie A in 2014 from Feyenoord for a reported fee of around €7m and has been a hit at the Stadio Olimpico since his arrival.

De Vrij has featured in all five of Lazio's matches this season, including their three Serie A games. Lazio currently sit fourth in Italy's top flight with two wins and one draw in their opening three matches.

Alexis Sanchez Tipped to Snub Real Madrid Interest in Order to Join Man City as Planned

Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez will reportedly snub apparent interest from Real Madrid to make sure he eventually gets the move to Manchester City next summer he so desperately wanted to happen on transfer deadline day last month.

Sanchez seemingly still has no intention of extending an Arsenal contract that is due to expire at the end of the season, with reigning European champions Real potentially interested in his services if speculation is recent days is to be believed.

The Chilean would actually be eligible to openly negotiate with Los Blancos, or indeed any foreign club, from 1st January when he enters the final six months of his current deal and sign a pre-contract agreement that would seal a move in advance.

But, according to the Daily Mirror, Sanchez has made his mind up on City and is 'keen to join' when the transfer window re-opens in January or as a free agent at the end of the season.

Sanchez, who formerly worked with City manager Pep Guardiola at Barcelona, has apparently given 'strong indications' that the sky blues will get his signature, while the Mirror also states that the Manchester club are 'super confident' of agreeing a deal.

Sanchez was just hours away from joining City on the final day of the summer transfer window this year in a £60m deal. The club had sent officials to South America, where the player was serving international duty with Chile, in order to complete the final paperwork.

All that needed to happen for Sanchez to sign with City was for Arsenal to complete their own business and bring in an 11th hour replacement. That was supposed to be Thomas Lemar after a £92m deal was agreed with Monaco, but the player apparently had doubts and it fell through.

As soon as Lemar was off, there was no time for Arsenal to find another replacement and Sanchez's move was also called off as well.

Julian Draxler Was 'Waiting' for Barcelona Move as Catalans Struggled With Coutinho

Paris Saint-Germain winger Julian Draxler was reportedly waiting for Barcelona to approach him ahead of the summer transfer deadline last week after the Catalan giants had been unable to prise primary target Philippe Coutinho away from Liverpool.

According to a claim from Mundo Deportivo (MD), Draxler informed his agent to 'cool' interest from 'several' un-named Premier League clubs as he waited for Barça to make a move.

Barça had been unable to convince Liverpool to part with Coutinho, despite multiple enormous offers, ahead of the close of the English transfer window on 31st August.

The Spanish window remained open for 24 hours longer, but with Liverpool then unable to buy in a replacement at that point, any deal for Coutinho was suddenly even more difficult.

Draxler, whose place at PSG has been challenged since the arrival of Neymar, seemingly felt he could be an alternative option to the Liverpool #10. But it was not to be.

MD suggests Barça declined the chance to approach Draxler, while it is also said that PSG also actually decided against letting him go after the departures of Grzegorz Kyrchowiak and Blaise Matuidi from the midfield ranks to West Brom and Juventus respectively.

The suggestion is that coach Unai Emery was therefore keen to keep hold of Draxler so as to keep at least some strength in depth in his Champions League squad.

Rumours surrounding Barça this summer suggested that the club view Coutinho as a potential long-term replacement for legend Andres Iniesta in a creative midfield role, rather than Neymar as a wide forward. Ousmane Dembele, signed for an initial €105m, has replaced Neymar.

Atletico Madrid President Reiterates Club's Intention to Sign Diego Costa in January

Atletico Madrid president Enrique Cerezo has extended an arm to Chelsea outcast and former Rojiblancos hero Diego Costa after publicly expressing hope that the controversial striker will return to the club when the transfer window re-opens in January.

Costa had been pining for a move to Atletico, with whom he spent four years from 2010 to 2014, ever since being coldly informed by Chelsea boss Antonio Conte in June that he would be surplus to requirements at Stamford Bridge this season.

The striker then returned to his family home in Brazil and refused to return to London when pre-season began, accusing the Premier League club of treating him like a 'criminal'.

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Wantaway Chelsea Striker Diego Costa 'Returns to London' in Bid to Finally End Chelsea Exile http://ow.ly/iMP450dRoRF 

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Wantaway Chelsea Striker Diego Costa 'Returns to London' in Bid to Finally End Chelsea Exile

​Diego Costa has returned to London, as he bids to end his exile and seal a move back to Atletico Madrid, according to Spanish newspaper Marca. Earlier in the...

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"We cannot sign anyone until January, hopefully by then Costa and many other will come," Enrique is quoted as saying by Marca as the club celebrated the opening of their new Wanda Metropolitano stadium - ahead of the first game to be played there on September 16.

Atletico's transfer ban did not completely prohibit them from signing new players this summer, only from registering them. As a result, there were suggestions that a deal for Costa might be completed anyway, but with the 28-year-old  ineligible to play until the ban expires.

It was also mooted at one point that he could sign for Atletico and spend the first half of the season on loan elsewhere to keep him in match condition, but that scenario also never came to pass.

Having been rumoured to be a Besiktas target earlier in the summer, Costa had been linked with a move to Fenerbahce this week as the Turkish transfer window remains open until Friday evening. Instead, the Istanbul giants have landed Spurs forward Vincent Janssen.

Fenerbahce Confirm Agreement to Sign Spurs Flop Vincent Janssen on Turkish Deadline Day

​Istanbul giants Fenerbahce have confirmed that an agreement is in place to sign Dutch striker Vincent Janssen from Tottenham on the final day of the Turkish transfer window.

Janssen came close to leaving Spurs for Brighton ahead of the English deadline last week, only for the proposed move to fail to materialise late in the day.

But with Turkish clubs able to do business until Friday evening, Janssen, a disappointment after a high profile 2016 arrival in London as the Eredivisie's top scorer, will get a fresh start after all.

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The deal has not yet been finalised, but Fenerbahce state that terms with both Spurs and the player have been agreed 'in principle'. As such, 23-year-old Janssen is due to arrive at Istanbul's Ataturk Airport at 12.30pm local time to continue the final negotiations.

As is often the case for high profile signings in Turkey, he is likely to greeted at the airport by hundreds of excited fans.

Fenerbahce's deal for Janssen appears to have come after failing to land Chelsea outcast Diego Costa, who appears set to re-sign with former club Atletico Madrid in January.

In Turkey, Janssen will join international colleague and two-time Premier League Golden Boot winner Robin van Persie, as well as another former Spurs flop in Roberto Soldado.

Chelsea Outcast Diego Costa Reportedly Set for Medical With Turkish Giants Ahead of Loan Move

Chelsea outcast Diego Costa is reportedly set to undergo a medical with Turkish giants Fenerbahce on Thursday before sealing his move away from Stamford Bridge.

The striker was told by Blues boss Antonio Conte that he was surplus to requirements at the club earlier in the summer, where he has since gone off the grid in his native Brazil.

With the Turkish transfer window open until Friday, Costa still has a chance of leaving Chelsea this summer and Turkish outlet ​Hurriyet have suggested that the 28-year-old will arrive in Istanbul late on Thursday ahead of the potential move to Fenerbahce. 

It is understood that the striker will undergo his medical and then put pen to paper on a deal which will see him complete a loan move to the Super Lig side - barring he successfully completes the medical examinations. 

Although the move would see Costa out of the Chelsea dressing room this season, Hurriyet have reported that the Blues would still need to contribute 75% of his salary.

Costa's desire was to re-join Atletico Madrid, but with the Spanish side banned from making any signings until January due to a transfer ban a move was always going to prove difficult to get over the line.

With the writing firmly on the wall that his future is anywhere but Chelsea - after being omitted from the Blues Champions League squad - Costa's last hope is seemingly a move to Turkey.

The Brazilian-born forward has scored 52 goals in 89 appearances for Chelsea since joining the club in 2014.

Inter Reportedly Lineup Bayern Munich Defender Jerome Boateng as January Transfer Target

Inter are reportedly prepared to make a move for Bayern Munich defender Jerome Boateng in the January transfer window if he fails to regain his place in Carlo Ancelotti's side.

The 29-year-old was an integral member of the Bavarian side between 2011 and 2015, but has been plagued by injuries in recent seasons which has restricted the German international to just 32 appearances in the Bundesliga for Bayern in the last two seasons.

According to ​Tuttomercatoweb, with Boateng's position at Bayern under threat Inter's technicalcoordinator Walter Sabatini is set to meet with the club's owners in the coming days to discuss their transfer plans and budget for January.

This is reportedly where Sabatini is set to raise the prospect of Boateng as a key point of the discussion, after the Italian club are understood to have 'tested the waters' for the 29-year-old on deadline day.

The Nerazzurri are in the market for a centre-back after losing Jeison Murillo to Valencia over the summer, and it has been suggested that Inter will follow up on their summer interest if Boateng continues to struggle for a place in Acenlotti's starting lineup.

The German World Cup winner joined Bayern Munich in 2011 after spending just one season with Manchester City, where he since gone on to make over 190 appearances for the Bundesliga outfit.

The 29-year-old's last appearance for Bayern came in the last game of the Bundesliga season last term against Freiburg, where the defender was withdrawn from the action in the 32nd minute due to a thigh injury.