Transfers

The mercurial Mario Balotelli needed just four minutes to get off the mark for new club Monza against Salernitana on Wednesday in Italy's Serie B. 

Balotelli had been without a club since the summer, when his contract with Brescia was terminated as a result of several missed training sessions. Serie B side Monza swept in to offer the forward a deal until the end of the season in early December. Monza is owned by Silvio Berlusconi, who previously owned AC Milan where Balotelli enjoyed some of the strongest spells of his up-and-down career. 

As the year draws to a close, Steven Gerrard's Rangers side is well-placed to end its 10-year run without a Premier League championship.

The Gers sit in first place with a 16-point lead over second-placed Celtic, although the Parkhead side has three games in hand. Rangers' rear guard has deservedly earned plaudits this season, having kept a remarkable 17 clean sheets in 21 games and conceded just five goals. 

A little less than a year ago, the Mal Pugh trade to Sky Blue FC upstaged the 2020 NWSL draft. The USWNT starlet left the Washington Spirit in exchange for four draft picks.

On Tuesday, Pugh was on the move again, this time sent to the Chicago Red Stars along with Sarah Killion Woldmoe for three draft picks and an international player slot. 

Chicago Acquires Mallory Pugh and Sarah Killion Woldmoe from Sky Blue FC

Atlético Madrid and Diego Costa are parting ways announced the LaLiga club on Tuesday. Costa’s contract that was set to run until Summer 2021 was mutually cut short and the striker can now leave on a free transfer in the upcoming winter window. This leaves fans wondering why did he leave and where will Diego Costa go?

In a 90-minute broadcast special that aired on both Telemundo and Universo on Sunday, Lionel Messi spoke with Spanish journalist Jordi Évole over what transpired this past offseason, how things are currently looking at Barcelona and what the future holds with his contract expiring next summer.

Barcelona forward Lionel Messi will miss Tuesday's match at home to Eibar due to an ankle injury, the LaLiga club said on Sunday.

United States international and twice World Cup winner Alex Morgan has ended her loan spell at Tottenham Hotspur and will return to the U.S., the Women's Super League (WSL) club said on Monday.

RB Leipzig made the first daring move of the winter transfer window on Thursday with the signing of Dominik Szoboszlai from Red Bull Salzburg. The Szoboszlai transfer fee is rumored to have been priced around $25 million with the Hungarian agreeing to a five-year contract.

Dominik Szoboszlai today flying back to Salzburg with his family and his agent @esterhazymatyas after signing as new RB Leipzig player.

Due to the scheduling havoc wreaked by COVID-19 and the resulting extension of the 2019-20 season, the summer transfer was extended until Oct. 5, but when does the January transfer window 2021 open? It’s been a wild ride, but some semblance of normality has returned to European football with the January transfer window set to open on Saturday, Jan. 2 and close on Monday, Feb. 1.

Has the January transfer window changed?

Mesut Özil hasn’t featured in an Arsenal game since March 7. The German midfielder has been shunned from the first team and was even left out of the Gunners’ Premier League and Europa League squads. With no playing time in sight, perhaps an Özil MLS move could happen in the near future.

According to an ESPN source, the 32-year-old said he is open to the idea of playing in the U.S. with an MLS club. His ludicrous £350,000-per-week contract with Arsenal ends in the summer, meaning a free transfer to MLS would be a real possibility.