DANI ALVES has completed an emotional free transfer back to Barcelona.
But his new team-mate Sergio Aguero is at risk of never playing football again after an irregular heartbeat was discovered.
The Argentina will have to sit out a minimum of three further months of action.
Meanwhile Frank Lampard has rejected the chance to take over Norwich at the 11th hour.
As a result of the former Chelsea boss’ decision, the Canaries are set to offer recently dismissed Aston Villa chief Dean Smith the manager’s job.
Norwich sacked Daniel Farke last week, despite him earning a crucial first win of the season at Brentford away.
But one manager who will be going nowhere is England’s Gareth Southgate.
The FA are set to tie Southgate down to a new deal which will take him through to Euro 2024 and make him one of the highest paid Three Lions bosses ever.
We’ve also got all the latest on a potential transfer for Declan Rice as well as updates from Chelsea, who are eyeing a swoop for Attila Szalai in January.
Get all the latest football news, updates and transfer gossip below…
LOAN STAR – By SunSport’s Charlie Wyett
Hakim Ziyech looks set to leave Chelsea on loan in January.
Dortmund are interested in landing the Moroccan forward who has featured just 10 times for Thomas Tuchel this season.
Blues manager Tuchel was already considering letting Ziyech leave before the end of the August window but a move failed to materialise.
Dortmund were one of the clubs interested in signing the former Ajax star, 28, when Chelsea paid £33.3million for him in the summer of 2020.
Ziyech has three years remaining on his deal at Stamford Bridge, making a loan deal the most likely option.
The Bundesliga side are likely to be joined by other sides in the January window looking to sign him.
Tuchel has preferred to hand minutes to Ross Barkley and Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who were both loaned out under Frank Lampard last season, over the Moroccan.
OLE RODGERED – Exclusive by Neil Custis
Brendan Rodgers has been put forward as the No1 candidate to take over at Manchester United.
A leading agent has been sounding out potential successors to under-fire boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
As SunSport revealed last month, the Red Devils board have a four-man shortlist to replace Solskjaer if they decide to sack him.
They were Leicester boss Rodgers, Antonio Conte, Zinedine Zidane and Erik ten Hag.
Former Chelsea title winning boss Conte was interested but was not prepared to wait around once the Tottenham offer came along.
Out-of-work Zidane guided Real Madrid to three Champions League titles in two spells but indicated that he would not be interested in the Old Trafford hotseat.
There was a cool reception from Ajax coach Ten Hag who did not want to discuss any hypothetical openings with the agent.
But United have been informed he is confident they could get Rodgers out of Leicester.
HE’LL DU – By SunSport’s Paul Jiggins
Tottenham are plotting to snatch Serbian sensation Dusan Vlahovic from under the noses of rivals Manchester City and Arsenal.
New Spurs boss Antonio Conte wants another striker in January to take the weight off Harry Kane.
The ambitious Italian only took charge of the North Londoners at the beginning of this month.
But he has already made it clear to chairman Daniel Levy and managing director of football Fabio Paratici that he needs more options in attack.
Vlahovic is top of Conte’s shopping list after bagging 21 goals for Fiorentina in Serie A last season.
The frontman, 21, has netted eight goals in 12 league games this term and Italian giants Juventus are also keen.
He was already on Paratici’s radar when the Italian joined Spurs as their new recruitment guru last summer.
With Vlahovic’s contract due to expire in 2023, Fiorentina are said to be willing to cash in on their £65million-rated marksman.
UNITED FRONT
Arsene Wenger’s plans to host a World Cup every two years have been dealt a blow by unimpressed Premier League clubs.
The ex-Arsenal boss had put forward a scheme to play the tournament biennially rather than once every four years as it currently is.
The Frenchman is now Fifa’s chief of football development and has also suggested extending international windows.
But all 20 top flight clubs have unanimously rejected the proposals amid concerns for player welfare and a packed domestic calendar.
Premier League chief executive Richard Masters confirmed the united front and warned against tinkering in future.
He said: “The Premier League is committed to preventing any radical changes to the post-2024 Fifa International Match Calendar that would adversely affect player welfare and threaten the competitiveness, calendar, structures and traditions of domestic football.”
KANE IS ABLE
What a goal this was by Harry Kane!
The moment the Spurs man sealed his perfect hat-trick tonight
FULL TIME: ENGLAND 5 ALBANIA 0
The Three Lions ease through the second-half to seal an excellent 5-0 victory over Albania at a packed Wembley Stadium.
Harry Maguire set Gareth Southgate’s side on their way in the ninth minute, nodding home Reece James’ delivery.
Harry Kane then made it 2-0 with a close range header, before teeing up Jordan Henderson to make it three.
The Spurs star then made it 4-0 with a left-footed drive, before sealing his perfect hat-trick with an excellent right-footed volley on the stroke of half-time.
A low-key second-half was to follow, but fans were treated to the international debut of Emile Smith Rowe, with the Arsenal star coming on for Raheem Sterling in the 77th minute.
GUNNER BE SPECIAL
Emile Smith Rowe is on for his England debut!
Arsenal’s No10 replaces Raheem Sterling in the 77th minute for his first Three Lions senior appearance!
Still 5-0 at Wembley.
NOT KEANE?
Manchester United legend Roy Keane believes there is ‘something going wrong’ regarding the club’s England representatives.
Discussing Mason Greenwood, Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho on ITV prior to the Three Lions’ clash against Albania, Keane said: “Every case is different, Sancho hasn’t been getting many minutes recently.
“The issue I suppose with Rashford and Greenwood is that whenever they’re selected it seems to be an issue.
“I know they’ve had injuries, I understand that, but we know their quality and when Gareth is asked about them he says ‘yeah I spoke to Marcus…’ It seems like a big conversation.
“It’s as if there’s something going wrong, there’s something amiss with some of these United lads.”
He added: “They’re young and hungry but a change of scenery will probably do them the world of good, there’s negativity around United at the moment with the bad results.
“There’s this idea that they need to save their club and do something about it on the training pitch there.
“I think for the two young lads to come here, change of scenery and again, get some minutes under your belt.”
KEANE TO CRITICISE
Here are Roy Keane’s full quotes regarding Harry Maguire’s first-half celebration.
The Man United legend huffed on itv: “He thinks he’s shutting the critics up. But I think It’s embarrassing.
“He’s been a disgrace the last couple months for Man Utd.
“He thinks if he scores there, he’s going to shut his critics up. Embarrassing.”
‘EMBARRASSING’
Roy Keane has labelled Harry Maguire’s celebration against Albania tonight as ’embarrassing’.
The Man United cupped his ears after scoring England’s first tonight.
But Keane felt the gesture was ’embarrassing’, as one goal doesn’t make up for his ‘disgraceful’ Man United performances.
Fellow itv pundits Jermain Defoe and Ian Wright were also critical of the red Devils skipper.
ROY RAGE
Manchester United legend Roy Keane made a cheeky dig at Tottenham prior to tonight’s England clash with Albania.
Referencing Kane’s slump after not getting a move to Manchester City, the Irishman said: “He’s got to liven up. He’s got to liven up.
“He’s got to look at himself and say, ‘get over these disappointments’.
“Listen, he plays for Spurs he should be used to disappointment.”
HALF TIME: ENGLAND 5 ALBANIA 0
Wow, what a perfect start for the Three Lions at a sold out Wembley Stadium tonight.
Manchester United star Harry Maguire nodded them into the lead in the ninth minute, before a Harry Kane double either side of a Jordan Henderson strike put Gareth Southgate’s side into a commanding position.
The Spurs man then made it a perfect hat-trick, when he volleyed home a corner on the stroke of half-time.
This could finish any number!
GOAL! HARRY KANE HAT-TRICK!!! 5-0!
It’s terrible marking but what a volley by Harry Kane!
The Spurs ace showed off acrobatic skills by volleying a corner home to make it a perfect first-half hat-trick!
What an opening 45 for Gareth Southgate’s men!
GOAL! HARRY KANE!!! 4-0!
33. England are running riot at Wembley!
Harry Kane certainly isn’t goal-shy tonight!
The Spurs man gets in-behind the Albania defence before shifting the ball onto his left-foot and rifling the ball home.
This could be any number!
GOAL! JORDAN HENDERSON!!! 3-0!
28. Jordan Henderson makes it 3-0 to England with just his second Three Lions goal!
The Liverpool midfielder one-twos with Harry Kane before slotting past the Albania goalkeeper.
England absolutely flying at Wembley!
DAN BUT NOT OUT
It’s official, Dani Alves is back at Barcelona!
The Catalan giants have confirmed that the 38-year-old has agreed a deal until the end of the season.
GOAL! HARRY KANE!!! 2-0!
18. England have grabbed a second, and it’s that man Harry Kane!
Jordan Henderson one-twos with Phil Foden before clipping an inviting cross into the middle.
And skipper Harry Kane makes absolutely no mistake from close range.
MAG-NIFICENT
Here’s that Harry Maguire header.
He definitely enjoyed that one!
GOAL! HARRY MAGUIRE!! 1-0!
Manchester United star Harry Maguire has nodded England into the lead at Wembley!
The big centre-back rises above his marker to meet Reece James’ free-kick and power a header past the helpless goalkeeper.
What a start for the Three Lions!
KICK-OFF!
England are underway against Albania!
A sell-out Wembley crowd seems right up for this!
BELE UP
Ousmane Dembele has become the first Barcelona star to fall foul of strict new boss Xavi after being fined for arriving 87 minutes EARLY for training.
The Nou Camp legend, 41, officially replaced Ronald Koeman as manager last week.
Xavi immediately introduced TEN golden rules his stars must abide by.
One of those was to ensure you arrive for training no later than 90 minutes before the usual 10am session.
Xavi is keen for the Barcelona squad to enjoy a light breakfast together before doing some individual gym work before the group session.
And unfortunately for Dembele, that means he technically arrived three minutes LATE after clocking in at 8.33am.
ESPN reporter Jordi Blanco Duch revealed: “Dembele will pay the first fine for being late.
“He arrived at the Sports City at 8:33 in the morning, when the deadline for arrival at the dressing room 8:30 – with training at 10:00.”
JU WISH
Paul Pogba has put Juventus at the top of his wishlist as he edges towards a free move away from Manchester United in the summer, according to reports.
The France midfielder, 28, is out of contract at Old Trafford at the end of the current season.
Pogba re-joined United in a then-world-record £89million move from Juventus in 2016.
And the 2018 World Cup winner wants a return to the Old Lady, according to Gazzetta dello Sport.
BULL FIGHT
Manchester United and Arsenal could be set to miss out on RB Leipzig’s talented youngster Dominik Szoboszlai.
LaLiga giants Atletico Madrid have entered the race to sign the 21-year-old and reports suggest they could be in pole position.
AS reports United are a more likely Premier League destination than the Gunners if Szoboszlai does favour a move to England.
The North London club tried to bring him to the Emirates last year but he opted for a five-year deal in Germany instead.
Any renewed offer would need to trigger the player’s reported €60million (£51m) release clause.
FULL TIME: MOLDOVA 0 SCOTLAND 2
That’s it! Scotland have booked their play-off place ahead of next year’s World Cup next year.
Without the suspended, in-form Lyndon Dykes, the Tartan Army managed to prevail courtesy of goals by Nathan Patterson and Che Adams.
Craig Gordon’s late penalty save ensured a comfortable finish in Chisinau.
ALBANIA XI vs England
And here’s how the visitors line-up for tonight’s World Cup qualifier against England at Wembley.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
