The transfer windows in Europe’s top leagues are closed, but it’s never too early to look forward to January. Click here to view the latest transfers, and keep up to date with the newest gossip below.

TOP STORY: Pogba not playing to force Madrid move

Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba is refusing to play for the club — despite being fully fit — in order to push through a January move to Real Madrid, according to The Sun which has picked up a report from Spanish radio station Cadena COPE.

The 26-year-old has been on the sideline since September because of a foot injury suffered in the 1-1 draw with Arsenal, and footage has emerged of the Frenchman playing basketball in Miami as he continues his rehabilitation.

United manager Ole Gunnar Solkjaer, who is reported to be unimpressed by Pogba’s antics, said: “He’s not ready to train. He had another test and scan, and it’s not healed yet.”

Former Juventus man Pogba has been the subject of constant speculation linking the midfielder with a move to Madrid, with Los Blancos manager Zinedine Zidane believed to be a huge admirer of the World Cup winner.

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10.57 GMT: Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane has said he is “in love” with Kylian Mbappe as his team prepare to host Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Madrid were beaten 3-0 by PSG in September in a disastrous opening Group A game that Mbappe — a long-term target for Real — missed through injury.

“I’ve known him for a long time” Zidane told a news conference ahead of the game at the Bernabeu. “I’ve been in love with him for a long time, but as a person first.

“He came here for a trial a long time ago. Tomorrow he comes here as an opponent.” He added: “What’s important to me is what we are going to do. We know the player he is and his importance to his team. We have to be ready.”

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10.21 GMT: Manchester United defender Timothy Fosu-Mensah is set to have a one-year contract extension triggered at Old Trafford as he closes in on a return from injury, The Sun reports.

The 21-year-old’s current deal expires in the summer, meaning he can open talks with clubs in other top European leagues from Jan.1.

But United plan to give the Netherlands international a new short-term contract in order to keep him from leaving, before offering him a long-term deal.

Fosu-Mensah has not played since April, when he suffered a cruciate knee ligament injury during s season-long loan spell at Fulham.

09.46 GMT: Barcelona trio Ivan Rakitic, Carles Alena and Jean-Clair Todibo continue to draw interest as the January transfer window approaches.

Rakitic has fallen out of favour at Camp Nou and has started just one game all season. He has been linked with Juventus and Inter Milan in Italy, but a return to former club Sevilla has also been mooted. However, Sevilla’s sporting director Monchi, despite admitting interest, has said it’s unlikely they will be able to re-sign the Croatian in January.

Todibo, meanwhile, is wanted by German side Bayer Leverkusen, sources have told ESPN FC. Barca are open to letting the 19-year-old defender leave but are reluctant to do so without the inclusion of a buyback clause in any potential deal.

Getafe are looking to take Alena on loan, according to COPE. The midfielder has not featured since the opening day defeat at Athletic Bilbao and would be open to linking up with former Barca B teammate Marc Cucurella in Madrid.

09.03 GMT: Ajax have joined the race to sign River Plate midfielder Exequiel Palacios, according to TyC Sports.

The Dutch giants have been monitoring the Argentina midfielder for several months and are ready to make an offer. River would reportedly be willing to sell Palacios if his release clause of €15m is met. Palacios, 21, is tied to River until June 2021.

A target of Real Madrid last year, Palacios started in his team’s 2-1 defeat to Flamengo in Saturday’s Copa Libertadores final and was sent off in the late stages of the game.

08.35 GMT: Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho — who himself ruled out a move to sign Ibrahimovic on Monday — has admitted that the uncertainty over Christian Eriksen‘s future at the club could affect his place in the team.

Eriksen is out of contract in the summer and went public with his desire to move on at the end of last season, even going as far as to namecheck Real Madrid as a potential destination. Sources told ESPN FC last month that Real Madrid president Florentino Perez is considering a move for Eriksen in January, but manager Zinedine Zidane’s priority remains Manchester United’s Paul Pogba.

“My decisions about starting him or not starting, selecting or not select, will be based on a perspective of a future,” Mourinho said ahead of Tuesday Champions League game against Olympiakos. “I cannot hide that.

“We have a present and in football we have to focus on the present, in this case the game against Olympiakos, but it’s a club where you have to think about the future. These important decisions, obviously, they have an influence on my decisions as a head coach.”

Mourinho, who brought Eriksen on as a 79th-minute substitute in Saturday’s 3-2 win at West Ham, added: “Christian is a proper guy, loves the club, loves his colleagues, amazing colleague in the dressing room. So it doesn’t matter what — he’s one of us until the last day.

“The important thing is that he’s committed with us, so let’s not talk about his future. Is he leaving? Is he staying? Let’s talk about his commitment for the club and for his colleagues and for the project. He’s with us.”

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08.00 GMT: Has Zlatan Ibrahimovic revealed his next club? That certainly looks to be the case given his social media post on Tuesday morning.

The 38-year-old, who is a free agent having left LA Galaxy at the end of the 2019 MLS season, posted a short animation in which his name appears on the back of the shirt of Hammarby, a club based in his native Sweden.

So far, no further update from the striker or the Stockholm club has been forthcoming. Ibrahimovic has been known to tease fans with transfer news in the past, so this could all be a marketing stunt or just a plain old wind-up.

But, after scoring 52 goals in 56 games in MLS in the past 18 months, Ibra clearly still has a lot to offer.

PAPER TALK (by James Capps): AC Milan to dump Piatek and sign Ibra

Calciomercato claims AC Milan are set to ditch misfiring forward Krzysztof Piatek to fund a January move for free agent Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Poland international Piatek has scored just 11 goals since arriving from Genoa nearly a year ago, and sporting director Paolo Maldini is believed to be quickly losing patience with the striker. With January on the horizon, the Rossoneri are toying with the idea of cashing in.

Such a sale would free funds for 38-year-old Ibrahimovic, who is available on a free transfer after he left MLS side LA Galaxy in mid-November.

In addition to Zlatan, Milan are on the lookout for a new left-back, central defender and another forward, following a disastrous start to the season that sees the former Champions League winners sitting 12th in the Serie A table.

PAPER TALK (by James Capps): Serie A giants lead chase for Dujan

Serie A front-runners Juventus and Inter Milan are set to go head-to-head for the signing of highly rated Parma midfielder Dejan Kulusevski, according to reports at Tuttosport.

The 19-year-old is currently on loan at Parma from fellow Serie A side Atalanta, and his performances at his temporary home have alerted managers Maurizio Sarri and Antonio Conte, with both set to launch bids for the Swede in the New Year.

The midfielder rounded off an impressive start to the season with his first appearance for the Swedish national team earlier in the month against the Faroe Islands in a 2020 qualifier, adding to three goals in 13 appearances domestically.

Atalanta value their man at around €45 million, which is unlikely to deter the division’s two biggest hitters, but there is also believed to be interest from Premier League sides Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur.

Tap ins

— Juventus are keeping tabs on Barcelona youngster Jean-Clair Todibo, and Calciomercato claims the central defender is keen on a move to Turin. The 19-year-old has also been linked with Bayer Leverkusen, but the Serie A champions are believed to be in pole position for the Frenchman’s signature.

— Getafe are interested in signing Barcelona midfielder Carles Alena on loan in the January transfer window, but Spanish publication Sport claims the Madrid club are not the only La Liga side plotting a move for the 21-year-old. The Spaniard has struggled for regular game time at the Nou Camp since breaking into the first-team fold in 2016.

— Manchester United might call on the help of midfielder Juan Mata‘s father to secure a deal for Real Valladolid defender Mohammed Salisu, according to the Daily Star. The 20-year-old is represented by Mata Sr., which could swing negotiations in United’s favour.