Barcelona and Real Madrid Keep Tabs on Haaland at Anfield as Chelsea Lines Up Alex Scott Bid

While Erling Haaland was opening the scoring in Manchester City's 3-0 win over Liverpool at Anfield, not all eyes were on the ball. Up in the stands, scouts from Barcelona and Real Madrid were taking notes on the Norwegian striker, according to TEAMtalk. Nothing new there, really: both Spanish clubs have long kept tabs on a possible future deal, especially after City's guilty verdict on hundreds of financial charges, a ruling that could reshape the English club's outlook in the medium term.

But the trip to Anfield wasn't just about Haaland. Barcelona also used the occasion to check in on Ronald Araújo, their own defender, who is on loan at Liverpool. Madrid, meanwhile, had their attention on two names from England's midfield: Alexis Mac Allister and Florian Wirtz. Three birds with one stone for two clubs that never stop looking beyond their own borders.

Chelsea Has the Checkbook Ready for January

At Stamford Bridge, things are getting serious with Alex Scott. Chelsea are growing increasingly confident they can land the Bournemouth midfielder during the January window, according to the same source. The thinking is that the 23 year old would find it hard to turn down a move of this magnitude, and the Blues are reportedly willing to meet Bournemouth's asking price, a figure believed to be around £100 million. The Cherries already turned away any approaches over the summer, but Scott's contract runs until 2028 and, so far, the Englishman has held off on signing an extension.

Chelsea also have another name in mind to bolster the midfield: Frenkie de Jong. According to Football Insider, the London club will need at least £50 million to convince Barcelona to part with him in January. The 29 year old Dutchman is being eyed as a replacement for Enzo Fernández, who departed for City over the summer. The complication is that De Jong, who has been dealing with an injury, is nearing his return to action, which could make things trickier still, since Barcelona are eagerly awaiting his comeback.

Young Prospects on Europe's Radar

Borussia Dortmund continue to track Malik Jakupovic, the 17 year old American forward who plays for the Philadelphia Union, according to Sky Germany. Dortmund already put in an offer in the summer worth between 2 and 3 million euros, which was turned down, and contact has continued, though the competition is fierce: Chelsea, RB Salzburg and Stuttgart are also in the race, and Eintracht Frankfurt showed interest in the past as well.

In Italy, AC Milan have a name their coach is quite fond of. Ruben Amorim wants the club to sign Darryl Bakola, the Sassuolo midfielder, after being impressed by the 18 year old Frenchman's quality in a 1-1 draw against Sassuolo, a match in which Bakola was named player of the game. Roma and Juventus are also circling. Sassuolo signed him just a year ago for 10 million euros plus 2 million in add-ons, and could now ask for more than 30 million for him.

On the completed deals front, former Real Madrid right back Dani Carvajal has signed with Getafe as a free agent.

There's more movement to watch elsewhere: Arsenal are monitoring Michael Olise's contract renewal talks with Bayern Munich while they continue their search for wingers, and they still haven't settled on the future of their academy product Max Dowman, who is drawing interest from Celtic and Rangers for a loan move. In South America, several major clubs, including Atlético de Madrid, AC Milan and Napoli, have their eyes on Palmeiras right back Agustín Giay. Brighton, for their part, see Bartosz Mazurek of RB Salzburg as a firm option for January, though they face competition from Benfica and Porto for his signature.