It's time to better legislate soccer's transfer market, which is dishonest at best and harmful at worst

The rules on tampering, or tapping-up, the practice of poaching another soccer club's players when their contracts aren't expiring, are quite clear.

"A club intending to conclude a contract with a professional must inform the player's current club in writing before entering into negotiations with him," stipul ates Regulation 18.3 in FIFA's rulebook. And even then, the current club must consent if the contract isn't in its final six months.

And here's the Premier League's wording on the matter, per Section T of its rules: "A club shall be at liberty at any time to make an approach to a player with a view to negotiate a contract with such a player … if he is an out-of-contract player; or in the case of a contract player, with the prior written consent of the club to which he is contracted."

Yet these rules are rarely enforced, and the gray area of flirting with a player without technically negotiating is largely left unaddressed.

Which is what gives us the barely regulated transfer market fueled by winks and hints and back-channel communication between agents and sub-agents and intermediaries. Of coaches sending thinly veiled messages through the me dia, or suggestively congratulating opponents after games.

All the cloak and dagger makes for great drama and spectacle, but it's also one of the soccer's most damaging issues.

It makes for a charade that is at best dishonest and at worst harmful. It needs to be handled.

Here, we turn to Zinedine Zidane and Paul Pogba. France's best playmaker of the past and its generational midfielder of the present. World Cup champions both, having led their nations to the highest accolade in soccer in spite of the controversy surrounding them. In Zidane's case, it was a bit of a dirty streak that led to occasional red cards and a national debate in France over the place of second-generation immigrants in the national team. In Pogba's, it's that showmanship and apparent aloofness that can give some the wrong impression about him.

Zinedine Zidane seems to be openl y recruiting Manchester United's Paul Pogba. Why is it allowed to go unpunished? (Reuters)

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At any rate, Zidane manages Real Madrid, newly re-installed after resigning over the summer and now with a great deal of power and leverage, as the team's savior following a disastrous first three-quarters of the season. Pogba remains at Manchester United, where he was, for a time, the wo rld's most expensive player. He's never entirely convinced his critics over there, in spite of semi-frequent evidence of his genius and a broken-down relationship with his now-fired coach, Jose Mourinho.

Zidane wants Pogba in Madrid.

Pogba wants to play for Zidane.

"All players dream of playing for a club like Real Madrid," Pogba said a month or so ago, according to AS. Then, last week, he repeated ambition of eventually playing for Real and Zidane.

"I like him a lot, that is nothing new," Zidane responded a few days ago, per ESPN. "I know him personally. He is a truly different player. Few players can do what he can. He is a midfielder who can defend, attack, do everything. But he is not my player, he is at Manchester. He has always said that, after Manchester, Madrid has always interested him. So when his experience at Manchester ends, why not come here to Madrid?"

When his experience at Manchester ends. Whenever that may be … *wink wink*

That forced n ow-permanent United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to address the rumors and to downplay what Pogba said, insisting that he was just being polite.

"I've had my chat with Paul and we're fine," he said, via the Guardian. "He's going to do his utm ost here because he knows I'm very fond of him as a player and a person and he is important for us. There is no issue. … Paul's happy here, he's going to be a big part [here]. I've said before you like to build your team around him and that hasn't changed at all."

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These open overtures, these negotiations without negotiating, plainly break the rules. But Real almost certainly won't be punished. Such discipline is exceeding ly rare. But this is nevertheless how the outlines of potential deals are sketched. Pogba's superagent Mino Raiola, for his part, has already gotten word out that he expects 10 percent of what would almost certainly be a nine-figure transfer fee. Of course.

It's the lack of transparency in the market, the lack of enforcement of rules that are unambiguous, that make it such a cesspit of graft, manipulation and shady characters.

It's also what allows agents and a coterie of intermediaries to drain enormous sums of money out of the sport, often for having done very little. When there isn't just one club making an approach to another and a player agent working out a contract when a fee has been negotiated, you enable all sorts of profiteering.

A shadowy netherworld of dealers and fixers, who have previously trafficked underage players and outright extorted players and clubs, kicks into gear. And this global meat market has , on occasion, even proved dangerous.

The travel arrangements following the late Emiliano Sala's transfer from Nantes to Cardiff City were sketchy at best. (Associated Press)

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When Argentine striker Emiliano Sala was sold from Nantes to Cardiff City in January, the little private plane that would plunge into the Atlantic as he traveled to complete his transfer was arranged by a string of connections in this Byzantine network of agents – that is no longer even licensed by FIFA, as it once was.

According to ESPN's reporting, a well-known agent who had no involvement in the deal arranged a plane for Sala through his son, who actually played for Cardiff himself. The son then booked return flights through a pilot who often did these kind of jobs, but who then delegated the actual flying to a second pilot. Sala was alarmed by the ri ckety airplane and was, as it all tragically turned out, right to be.

Certainly, there's no telling if a better-regulated market would have saved Sala. That's probably a stretch. But the point stands that a cleaner transfer system would weed out a good amount of the sketchy figures and operators.

There's a model for this. In Major League Baseball and the NBA, players, coaches and executives simply aren't allowed to recruit anyone from other teams, whether publicly or privately. In a recent memo to players, the NBA reiterated that, "Conduct that interferes with contractual employment relationships is prohibited." Those kind of Zidane-Pogba exchanges wouldn't be permissible.

The punishments are modest in North American sports, but it creates a clear framework for what's allowable and what isn't. In the NFL, there's even an anti-tampering rule barring interviewing of front office members of other teams if they have roster-decision powers. It doesn't always work – tampering has been rampant in the NBA lately – but at least there's an effort to get it under control.

A little more oversight on transfers won't clean up a pervasively crooked sport like soccer, but it's a start. And it would do right by the players.

The rules are clear. Now let's abide by them.

Leander Schaerlaeckens is a Yahoo Sports soccer columnist and a sports communication lecturer at Marist College. Follow him on Twitter @LeanderAlphabet.

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MLS cult heroes: The players who stood out for reasons other than soccer

In its 24th season, Major League Soccer is a relatively young league. It lacks the history of its contemporaries in Europe and South America, or even its rival sports in North America.

Yet in that span of time, there have been a handful of players who have transcended the league's limitations, players whose reputations have been woven into the fabric of MLS folklore. ESPN FC asked its contributors which players never quite established themselves as superstars on the pitch, but whose personalities made them cult heroes to all who watched them.

Fredy Montero | Forward | 2009-2014, 2017, 2019-

Why he's a cult hero: Seattle's first MLS iconMLS clubs played for: Seattle Sounders, Vancouver Whitecaps

Seattle was a soccer-crazy town, searching for a cult hero. Fredy Montero arrived on loan in 2009 and immediately took up the mantle.

He thrived in the dark, rainy, cold climate, very different from his native Colombia. Finding the back of the net translates across borders. Montero scored nine goals in his first nine preseason games, then tallied the first and third goals in the club's MLS franchise history and won the league's Player of the Week for his efforts in the debut and Player of the Month for the inaugural month of the campaign. In total, he'd score 47 goals in four seasons for the Sounders, still atop the team's MLS goals chart.

Fredy Montero established himself in the first years of the Seattle Sounders' MLS existence. Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports

He did little things, too, such as honoring Venezuelan Felix Hernandez's perfect game during a goal celebration in August 2012. Montero's uneven play and long, drawn-out loan and transfer saga hurt his standing some, but once a cult hero, always a cult hero. He bounced around after leaving Seattle -- Colombia to Portugal to China. Now, of course, the three-time MLS All-Star is back in MLS, playing for the loathed Vancouver Whitecaps. As if the Cascadia Cup needed any more drama.

-- Noah Davis (@noahedavis)

Why he's a cult hero: The homegrown ZlatanMLS clubs played for: LA Galaxy, Chivas USA, Toronto FC, San Jose Earthquakes, Colorado Rapids, Chicago Fire

There's a little bit of Zlatan Ibrahimovic in Alan Gordon. The height's about the same, as are the free-flowing locks. Both players produced goals upon goals upon goals; Zlatan's 500-plus far outpacing Gordon's 76, obviously, but if your Major League Soccer team needed a last-ditch tally, the target man from Long Beach, Calif. was your guy for a decade and a half. (He was also an underrated passer, his deft touch to Eddie Johnson that produced a game winner in Jamaica and helped the United States qualify for the 2014 World Cup serving as a shining example.) And they both found team success, Gordon winning MLS Cups with the LA Galaxy in 2005 and 2014, a Canadian Championship with Toronto FC in 2011, and the Supporters' Shield in 2012 with the San Jose Earthquakes.

But the closest similarity is the joy with which they played and the fun they had, on and off the field. Soccer is a serious business, a high-pressure job. It's also a game. Gordon recognized these competing realities, delivering between the lines, appreciating the success the former sixth-round pick made through his effort, desire, heart, and skill, and letting fans enjoy the ride along with him.

Alan Gordon became an MLS folk hero through his timely goals and larger-than-life personality. Tim Heitman/USA TODAY Sports

For proof, look no further back than 2015 when Gordon, along with Dan Gargan, starred in a web series in which they, among other things, hung out in a hot tub and got Sebastian Lletget to teach them how to take a selfie. Perhaps in retirement he can bring the show back, starting with a certain Galaxy star from Sweden?

-- Noah Davis (@noahedavis)

Steven Lenhart | Forward | 2008-2016

Why he's a cult hero: The blue-collar Bash BrotherMLS clubs played for: Columbus Crew, San Jose Earthquakes

One half of the San Jose Earthquakes forward duo known as the "Bash Brothers," Lenhart was the kind of player who drove opponents absolutely nuts with play that straddled the line between physical and dirty. Former LA Galaxy and current Atlas defender Omar Gonzalez said of Lenhart, "You just get checked by Lenhart or something. It's just dumb s--- like that happens every time, and that's not the way the game should be played." Another rival manager once derisively referred to Lenhart as "the checking line."

But Lenhart was adored in San Jose, with his blue-collar ethos meshing perfectly with the fans that occupied Buck Shaw Stadium, the team's amenity-free home at the time. This was especially true during the magical Supporters' Shield-winning season in 2012 when Lenhart, fellow Bash Brother Alan Gordon, and that year's league MVP Chris Wondolowski, led the Quakes to an astonishing 72 goals. Lenhart's style was no frills, pure physicality, with his prowess in the air helping him score 10 goals that season. More importantly, he created loads of space for the stealthy Wondolowski.

Steven Lenhart's blue-collar play endeared him to the San Jose Earthquakes faithful. Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

That year witnessed Lenhart at his peak, with injuries limiting him to 35 league appearances across the next two seasons, and no appearances at all in the two years that followed. But San Jose fans will long have warm memories of a player who sparked the Quakes to a brief revival.

-- Jeff Carlisle (@JeffreyCarlisle)

Clint Mathis | Forward | 1998-2003, 2005-2010

Why he's a cult hero: The swashbuckling SouthernerMLS clubs played for: LA Galaxy, New York/New Jersey MetroStars, Real Salt Lake, Colorado Rapids, New York Red Bulls

After "Waldo," and before "Deuce," there was "Cletus."

Clint Mathis arrived on the MLS scene in 1998 when he was drafted by the LA Galaxy, where his Southern drawl from his Georgia upbringing saw teammates hang the nickname "Cletus" on him. He was a rising talent when a midseason trade to the MetroStars in 2000 -- so that the Galaxy could get their hands on Mexico international Luis Hernandez -- put Mathis' career into overdrive, and revealed a player that American fans hadn't often seen.

He was a brash, swashbuckling, fiercely competitive performer who scored some jaw-dropping goals, including a half-field slalom through the Dallas Burn defense in 2001 that earned him that season's Goal of the Year award. He was quintessentially American in a manner similar to what Eric Wynalda provided in the preceding decade, someone who could deliver the unexpected and then tell everyone about it.

Clint Mathis was one of MLS' most fierce, outspoken competitors. Stephen Dunn/Getty Images

Mathis was never quite the same player after tearing his ACL in 2001, but he still managed to provide some magical moments, ones that were later replicated by Clint Dempsey. There was the goal that the Mohawk-adorned Mathis scored in the 2002 World Cup in a 1-1 tie against hosts South Korea, a result that helped the U.S. progress to the knockout stages.

Later, during a stint with German club Hannover 96 came the most "Cletus" moment of all. Upset that he hadn't started a match against Schalke, Mathis came off the bench and scored, and then ran over to manager Ewald Lienen and pointed at an imaginary watch on his wrist, as if to say, "You should have put me in the match long ago."

Mathis bounced around MLS in his later years, although he was part of Real Salt Lake's MLS Cup-winning side in 2009. Yet his style and personality, for both club and country, made him beloved everywhere he went.

-- Jeff Carlisle (@JeffreyCarlisle)

Roger Levesque | Forward | 2003-2005, 2009-2012

Why he's a cult hero: Scrapping his way into Seattle loreMLS clubs played for: San Jose Earthquakes, Seattle Sounders

Levesque managed a feat very few players have over the course of modern MLS history: He made the move up with a lower-division club who jumped to MLS, then stuck around for more than brief cameo. Levesque earned the love of Sounders fans as a reminder of where the team came from and because of his knack for scoring goals in big moments. Despite never being a regular with the club post-MLS move, or even being sure of a contract from year to year, Levesque scrapped his way to a place in Sounders lore.

Levesque scored against Portland -- often enough to elevate a player into the Seattle sports pantheon -- and made his goals count with inventive celebrations that will long outlive the man. Levesque's "tree chop" celebration (assisted by Nate Jaqua) after scoring 48 seconds into a 2009 U.S. Open Cup match against the Timbers in Portland is one of the most epic trolls in the rivalry's history. His "scuba diver" celebration against the Red Bulls, in the only multi-goal game of Levesque's MLS career, got international run.

Roger Levesque was among the most beloved Seattle Sounders in the club's formative years in MLS. Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images

Levesque played the game with an infectious joy. His success at the second-division level prior to the Sounders' MLS move meant he might have extended his career, and scored more goals, if he left Seattle. But he stayed, taking the role offered, and made the most of it. There's nothing fans love more than a player who shows a love of the club and leaves it all on the field. That was Levesque.

-- Jason Davis (@davisjsn)

Tommy McNamara | Midfielder | 2014-

Why he's a cult hero: Unconventionally flashyMLS clubs played for: Chivas USA, New York City FC, Houston Dynamo

The Legend of Tommy Mac began at Chivas USA, a team that drifts further and further into American soccer mythdom with each passing year. In a team wheezing its way toward an ignominious death, McNamara was a bright spot that burned white hot: unconventional, flashy, with a haircut more typically seen on aging '80s rockers than modern soccer players, McNamara provided a few moments of creative magic before a knee injury ended his season after just six appearances.

McNamara's status as a cult hero followed him to New York City FC after Chivas USA's dissolution. McNamara is a New York kid and fit in perfectly with the idea of the new MLS club as the team of the blue-collar Bronx. Even when McNamara cut off his trademark mullet, he remained a beloved figure that fans pushed to get more time.

Tommy McNamara quickly became a legend at New York City FC. Adam Hunger/USA TODAY Sports

McNamara's status as one of the last two original NYCFC players (the other being David Villa) when he was let go last year will keep him in the hearts of New York fans even as he now plays for Houston. The magic of McNamara is his skill level is just high enough to charm the fans, while not crossing over into full-blown must-start stardom and the demands that status brings. It's a good gig if you can get it, and is the sweet spot where cult heroes live.

-- Jason Davis (@davisjsn)

Juan Toja | Midfielder | 2007-2008, 2012-2013

Why he's a cult hero: The magical mulletMLS clubs played for: FC Dallas, New England Revolution

The mullet. It evokes memories of the 1970s through the '90s, especially in the world of soccer. But after Y2K, the mullet was mostly just a memory, exorcised by buzz cuts and ponytails. Yet one man had the courage to bring it back, and he did so in glorious style in 2007 in MLS.

All hail Colombian midfielder Juan Toja, whose season and a half at FC Dallas is still fondly remembered by the Texas faithful. A player who looked straight out of a 1989 North Texas mall dressed in a denim jacket bearing a Metallica patch on the back, the follically endowed Toja inspired Juan Toja Wig Night, plus a good amount of ribbing from teammates in the training session prior.

Juan Toja's hair and creativity captures the imagination of MLS. Rick Yeatts/MLS

He was also a really good player, known to get physical, while also playing inch-perfect passes on the field. A two-time All-Star in 2007 and 2008, Toja had eight goals and three assists in 43 games with Dallas, before returning to the league in 2012 with the New England Revolution, with whom he played 23 games.

Yet while the hair was flashy and its style matched the panache of his soccer, his personality was much more understated and modest, thus endearing himself to others even more, giving him MLS cult-hero status.

-- Arch Bell (@ArchBell)

Digital Takawira | Forward | 1996-2000

Why he's a cult hero: Capturing the innocence of MLS' early yearsMLS clubs played for: Kansas City Wizards

It is only fitting that one of MLS' early cult heroes was a man whose name was synonymous with the year. The Digital Revolution began to take hold in 1996, and so it was only natural that the first-year league boasted a player by that name: Digital Takawira of the Kansas City Wizards.

However, the Zimbabwean striker hardly played at the 28.8K dial-up speed that was typical of the time. His quick movement and reactions in front of goal made him the perfect poacher in four seasons with the Wizards. He suited up in the franchise's first game back on April 13, 1996, and scored its first ever goal, which would be followed by another 29 over the course of 100 regular season and playoff matches.

Digital Takawira had a name and a presence that encapsulated the early years of MLS. Stephen Dunn /Allsport

Most memorable, though, was his goal-scoring celebration, the "Digital Crawl." After scoring, Takawira would get on all fours and start walking as teammates joined in, grabbing Takawira's ankles and forming a human caterpillar.

While opponents and rival fans didn't take kindly to it -- he claimed that Algeria fans hurled cans at him during an international match -- it was just the type of fodder that embodied the awkward yet innocently fun early days of MLS.

-- Arch Bell (@ArchBell)

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Season preview with Coyotes soccer coach Justin Graham

This year marks the inaugural season of girls soccer at Williston High School. With the first game of the year set to take place at Bismarck on Friday, April 5, we asked Coyotes head soccer coach Justin Graham, who was also an assistant coach on the Coyotes girls golf team in 2018, about his thoughts on the upcoming season.

What are your expectations heading into this year?

Graham: My expectation is for our girls to become competitors and learn what it means to compete and to put in the effort to compete every game. Our girls will become familiar with the wonderful game of soccer and become familiar with the culture of soccer.

Who are some of your top players this year, and what makes them so good at what they do?

Graham: We are a new team, however, we have a few players that we will count on to step up and lead the team in both maturity and knowledge of the game. Jenna Sims, Abigail Martin, Laura Hamlin, Gracie Hamlin and Maria Petrazzini just to name a few. We even have a few underclassman like Sarah Ewert, Tegan Graham, Lexi Christenson and Kadrian Odegard that will be given opportunities to contribute.

What specific team goals do you have for 2019?

Graham: Being this is our first season and not knowing what to expect, our goals will be the following: learning the game of soccer, instill in the girls a desire to be their personal best, and have a desire to win, and have the girls learn to compete every day and every game. Our team also needs to have fun and learn to enjoy the game of soccer.

What is your favorite part about gearing up for the spring sports season?

Graham: We love getting the opportunity to put in all the offseason work and preparation that has happened by many of the girls. We love the opportunity to compete with other schools, create lasting relationships and create good work ethics that will transfer not only on the soccer field, but in to all aspect of our student athletes life’s moving forward. We love our soccer season (sports in general) as it give us each an opportunity to be a part of something special and bigger then we are by ourselves.

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Europe's Next Big Soccer Stars Will Come From … Major League Soccer

Marcus Samuelsson, the New York restaurateur of Red Rooster and Food Network fame, is seated on a soccer ball, smiling for cameras while trying not to visibly shiver from the cold. His hot pink sweater and New York City Football Club (NYCFC) scarf are no match for the 30-degree winds blowing through Rockefeller Plaza this Friday afternoon in Manhattan. Next up, he'll take a few shots in a 24-hour exhibition game where the club's players and New Yorkers will mix it up over a day's play. Some of those players might not be at the club next year. But don't shed tears. For the club, and for Major League Soccer, that's an even bigger sign of success than endorsements from celebrities like Samuelsson.

Historically a subpar professional league known as a pit stop for aging stars like David Beckham, today's MLS is increasingly becoming the source that's sending bright young stars to the world's biggest leagues, developing a reputation as a sought-after developmental league. In January, Atlanta United sold Paraguayan attacking midfielder Miguel Almirón to Newcastle United in the English Premier League for $27 million — an MLS record. Almirón is one of seven MLS players acquired by major international clubs since the start of 2018.

I think people [around the world] acknowledge MLS as a league to be reckoned with.

Alexander Ring, New York City Football Club captain

NYCFC sold Jack Harrison to Manchester City last January. The same month, Mexican club UNAM purchased Houston Dynamos' Erick Torres — he has since moved to Club Tijuana — and Turkish club Besiktas bought Orlando's Cyle Larin. In August, Alphonso Davies, a 17-year-old product of the Vancouver Whitecaps' youth academy, was sold to Bayern Munich for a then MLS-record $13.5 million. In December, Manchester City bought Columbus Crew goalie Zack Steffen. And earlier this year, New York Red Bulls sold Tyler Adams to Germany's RB Leipzig.

"I think people [around the world] acknowledge MLS as a league to be reckoned with," says Alexander Ring, NYCFC captain and Finnish midfielder. "It's better than the Dutch or Belgium leagues already. You can see by the transfers that the league is attracting good players you wouldn't have seen even four years ago."

Those incoming funds are helping close the loop on a sustainable player development model that the MLS and its clubs are now building: Buy young players with potential, watch them accrue value as you win games and sell them. Then cycle those returns back into another batch of youth prospects and foreign imports that will one day become sellable.

American soccer fans might prefer to see MLS become more of a powerhouse feeder system for U.S. soccer and less of a rental league for foreign players, but the two go hand in hand. The MLS began requiring teams to operate academies in 2006, and each team now oversees hundreds of youth players. Most have dedicated training facilities and residency programs, with annual costs averaging $3 million to operate. Transfer profits go a long way toward building out those programs — and improving the overall quality of players in the league.

"The level of soccer that's being played now is completely different from when I joined [the MLS] in 2010," says NYCFC and U.S. men's national team goalkeeper Sean Johnson. "You see that with the new players coming in, and with the higher-quality, aggressive coaching around the league. That helps us compete on an international level."

One homegrown player reaping the benefits of MLS growth is NYCFC midfielder Keaton Parks, a Texas native on loan from Portuguese club Benfica. Second-year coach Domènec Torrent was a key catalyst in Parks joining the American club. After winning 24 trophies in 11 years coaching alongside Pep Guardiola at Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Manchester City, Torrent took the head job in New York last season. He's the type of high-level coach that the MLS never would have attracted when resources were thinner in years past.

"[Torrent] has a long record of success with the biggest clubs in the world," says Parks. "I think we can all agree that European soccer is the best in the world, but there's a lot of American players going to play in Europe now, and I think [the rest of the world] is learning that U.S. soccer and the MLS are quality."

According to Johnson, a turning point for MLS came after the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. A strong showing from the CONCACAF nations (USA, Mexico and Costa Rica all advanced through the group stage) led to a surge of excitement about soccer in the U.S. "There was a real buzz around the country," says Johnson. "Since then, there's been exponential growth in terms of attention paid to the league and a commitment to watching soccer in America."

For sure, prioritizing investment in MLS youth academies pays dividends much slower than recruiting a player like Almirón from Paraguay before selling him for a huge profit two years later. But globally, no league has succeeded without a strong domestic set of players who can compete on par with international stars. And the MLS needs to look only at its own recent history to see how investing in local talent makes sense. Before USMNT striker Jozy Altidore was an internationally known star, he was a homegrown New York Red Bulls teenager playing in the MLS. When Spanish side Villarreal purchased Altidore's contract for $10 million in 2008, it set the stage for what we're seeing now in a more diverse, deep MLS. Clearly, building a proven developmental league benefits American players as well.

Clubs know that, which is why they're tapping MLS academies more than ever before. In February, Sporting KC announced plans to launch an elite tournament, called the Patterson Cup, for youth academies both domestic and abroad. This type of invitational is typical in Europe but hasn't happened in MLS to date. "Our goal is to create high-quality competitions for MLS academy teams every year," Sporting KC Academy Director Jon Parry said via statement. "With Sporting KC's access to the best soccer facilities in the Midwest, we are excited for the Patterson Cup to become a destination for MLS academies well into the future."

Such competitive youth tournaments are far from the finishing touch for MLS, but it's one more step in strengthening a new business model that's allowing American soccer to fly like never before. Celebrities donning MLS scarves are just the cherry on the cake.

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LIVE Transfer Talk: Real Madrid to swap Toni Kroos or Gareth Bale for Man United's Paul Pogba

The transfer window for Europe's biggest clubs is closed, but click here for all the deals. Transfer Talk will continue to scour the world's media and set correspondents loose to see what's on the agenda for the summer.

TOP STORY: United interested in swap deal

The Paul Pogba-to-Real-Madrid rumours have gathered momentum this weekend, with both player and interested manager expressing their mutual admiration.

Pogba admitted it would be a "dream to play for Madrid," while Blancos boss Zinedine Zidane said: "I really like Pogba. I know him very well."

And while United would be reluctant to let Pogba leave, they could be interested in a swap deal, so say the Express.

They're reporting that United could demand either Gareth Bale, a long-term transfer target, or Toni Kroos, in any deal that sees Pogba depart for the Spanish capital.

This is backed up by earlier reports from Spanish outlet AS, who suggested Zidane is looking to freshen up his squad this summer, which could spell the end for either one or both of Bale or Kroos.

With help from former Tottenham and Liverpool director of football Damien Comolli, we show you a step-by-step guide to a transfer.

FIFA have banned Chelsea for a period of two transfer windows. But what did they do wrong and how will the punishment play out?

FC Exclusives

On Monday morning, United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer insisted that Pogba was happy at Old Trafford despite his public flirtation with Madrid.

"I don't like to talk about other teams' players of course but this is another challenge with international breaks players are available all the time as well and it's a different environment," Solskjaer told a news conference ahead of Tuesday's match against Wolverhampton Wanderers.

"Paul is a very nice and polite man who then answered a general question on Zidane, who is an icon in France -- a fantastic manager and used to be a fantastic player.

"He's just politely answered that question but Paul is happy here. He is going to be a big, big part. You like to build your team round him and that hasn't changed at all."

LIVE BLOG

23.30 GMT: That will do it for tonight's edition of the Transfer Talk LIVE blog. We hope you enjoyed following the latest transfer rumours alongside us and remind you to check back shortly for the freshest transfer buzz. Goodnight!

23.00 GMT: After beating Newcastle on Monday, Arsenal are now up to third in the Premier League table. Away from the pitch the headlines are positive as well.

The Mirror says Bournemouth winger Ryan Fraser is a target for the Gunners, the Scot having impressed Unai Emery earlier this season. The diminutive winger has been a hit ever since breaking through at at the Vitality Stadium and is having a career year with seven goals and 11 assists for Eddie Howe and the Cherries.

Fraser, 25, is a quick and creative attacking player and with Arsenal strapped for cash, could be an attractive solution for Emery and Co.

22.10 GMT: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's first signing as Man United full-time boss?

The Daily Mail claims that it could be Crystal Palace full-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka, as Solskjaer is reportedly "desperate" to get his hands on the 21-year-old breakout star.

The report also states that Solskjaer has given the Man United chiefs the "green light" to pursue the England Under-21 international.

21.33 GMT: An update on a Wolves transfer target.

Marseille midfielder Morgan Sanson, who has been linked with a move to the Molineaux, has delivered some revealing comments about his future.

Speaking to Telefoot, the 24-year-old said "I extended a few months ago now. I feel good. I am happy in this club, and I want to progress myself with the club."

Judging on those comments, the Frenchman doesn't appear to be going anywhere anytime soon...

21.00 GMT: Is Ander Herrera to PSG a done deal?

The Daily Record claims that the Spaniard has already agreed to a deal to join the French champions when his contract expires at the end of the season.

The 29-year-old has been a fixture under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer but reportedly has not been impressed with United's contract extension offers. While the notion that Herrera has already signed a pre-contract at PSG is unlikely, the French giants' interest in the player makes perfect sense considering their lack of solidity in central midfield outside of Marco Verratti.

Solskjaer is a clear fan of the combative midfielder previously saying "His energy and tenaciousness is vital for us. And that's why he plays, more or less, every single game. He has loads of energy, he can cover the right-hand side, he runs forward."

Herrera's future figures to be a very interesting topic in England from now until the transfer window opens in July.

20.20 GMT: In a recent report the Times suggests Juventus have become a serious contender for Tottenham centre-back Toby Alderweireld.

The Belgian defender recently had a one-year extension clause activated in his Spurs contract but still could be allowed to move out of London this summer.

How you ask? Well activating that extension through 2020 also sets into motion a separate clause which would allow Alderweireld to leave for €30 million (about £26 million) as long as the move came at least 14 days before the close of the summer transfer window.

Juventus' Giorgio Chiellini (34) and Leonardo Bonucci (nearly 32) are not getting any younger so seeing Juve linked with centre-backs like Raphael Varane and Alderweireld is not too surprising.

19.36 GMT: Wilfried Zaha back to Old Trafford?

Zaha's former Crystal Palace manager Ian Holloway thinks a reunion would make sense for both sides.

"I've never worked with someone as talented as him [Zaha]. It was always about putting those pieces together," Holloway told TalkSPORT .

"When you've got the amount of skill Wilfried has, it's about when to use it. If they're [Man United] going to go to a 4-4-2, they should definitely sign him."

Zaha, who is never far removed from links with clubs in the top six, permanently left United for Palace in Feb. 2015 but has to this point remained at Selhurst Park.

18.51 GMT: Staying with Arsenal for a moment, the Sun claims that Arsenal are in the advanced stages of inking highly-rated Brazilian teenager Gabriel Martinelli.

The 17-year-old has scored 10 goals for Ituano in the fourth tier in Brazil, with Arsenal reportedly ready to pay an initial £6.5 million for the forward.

Martinelli previously spent time on trial at Man United and Barcelona, and is working to secure an Italian passport -- which would allow him to push through his move before his 18th birthday.

18.20 GMT: North London rivals Arsenal and Tottenham are often times competing over the same players in the transfer market and a report in the Mirror suggests they are about to do so again this summer over a Premier League star.

Everton centre-back Michael Keane is the player on the wishlists of both London clubs, with both Spurs and Arsenal having recently scouted the defender. Purchased from Burnley in 2017 for £25 million, Keane, 26, has become a regular with both Everton and England and is now valued at £50m.

17.31 GMT: Everton boss Marco Silva has made it clear his hope is to sign Andre Gomes permanently from Barcelona.

"It's a very, very good opportunity for us." Silva said. "Let's see what the position is of his own club, we know our position and we know Andre's position also, so let's see what we can do.

"But what we have inside our squad, even if he is a loan player, a player with high quality, high quality as a football player, high quality as a professional, a fantastic teammate for all his colleagues and he is everything we expect coming from a player of his quality.

"Let's see if we can have Andre permanently in our club."

Gomes, 25, is on loan from Barcelona for the season.

16.41 GMT: Raphael Varane is unhappy with Real Madrid and keen for a "change of scenery," according to AS.

The article suggests he is disappointed at not having received any special tribute for winning the World Cup with France in the summer.

Samuel Umtiti was recognised by Barcelona, as Antoine Griezmann and Lucas Hernandez were by Atletico.

15.45 GMT: Ajax defender Matthijs de Ligt will be one of the main players in this summer market, with plenty of potential suitors -- and Barcelona reportedly leading the chase.

Catalab-based Mundo Deportivo report it will be the defender himself who has the final say on his destination, and is likely to choose a move to Camp Nou.

De Ligt's agent, Mino Raiola, is working on getting his client the best possible deal, but it will be the 19-year-old to make the decision.

14.47 GMT: It's looking like the end of Gareth Bale's time at Real Madrid, if reports in Marca are to be believed.

The Madrid-based outlet claim his relationship with the supporters continues to worsen and he endured another difficult game, against Huesca.

Despite having played every game since Zinedine Zidane's return as coach, this could well be his last season with the club.

13.58 GMT: Former England boss Steve McClaren has left his position as manager of QPR.

13.05 GMT: Sticking with Atletico Madrid, reports in AS suggest the Rojiblancos are close to completing a double swoop from Porto.

The signing of midfielder Hector Herrera has been much spoken about in recent weeks, but the report adds teammate Alex Telles is also close to agreeing a move to the Wanda Metropolitano, with the two clubs in "very advanced discussions."

12.08 GMT: Atletico Madrid's Gelson Martins will remain at Monaco beyond the end of his loan spell, Cadena COPE report.

There is a verbal agreement for a five-year deal, which will cost the Ligue 1 side €32m in total -- with €20m of it going to Martins' former side Sporting.

11.15 GMT: Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon is close to a contract extension to 2021 with the French champions, sources have confirmed to ESPN FC.

Buffon signed an initial one-year contract with an option for a second last summer, and that option is being taken up by PSG with the intention of adding a potential third, which would take him to the age of 43.

10:20 GMT: After leading Borussia Monchengladbach close to the top of Bundesliga with nine goals in his first 16 matches of the season, Belgium international Thorgan Hazard's unclear contract situation has seen his form decline dramatically.

Under contract at Gladbach until 2020, he has refused to put pen to paper on a new deal and has been linked with a switch to Borussia Dortmund or Atletico Madrid. But on the pitch Hazard, 26, has become the symbol for Gladbach's downfall in recent weeks.

Ten points clear of fifth placed Eintracht Frankfurt and second in Bundesliga in early February, Gladbach have picked up only five points from their last seven matches and slipped out of the Champions League spots.

On Saturday, a 3-1 defeat at local rivals Fortuna Dusseldorf put Gladbach into full crisis mode and Hazard was made the scapegoat when substituted four minutes before half-time.

"I could have taken him off after 10 minutes," coach Dieter Hecking said and the club's sporting director Max Eberl added: "Of course, his unclear future is on his mind."

09.30 GMT: One-time Liverpool target Nabil Fekir remains enigmatic about his future, telling French TV he has started talks with Lyon though won't reveal about what.

The 2018 World Cup winner had been set to join Liverpool last summer only for the deal to collapse. Fekir has also been linked to Chelsea and, with just over a year left on his current deal with Lyon, could move in the upcoming transfer window. The midfielder told Telefoot the two parties are now talking, but he refused to say which issues are up for discussion.

"What will I do next year? I really don't know," he said. "I feel good at Lyon, the president has faith in me, everyone has faith in me. Each season is different. We have started talks with the president, we'll see. Are they talks to extend my contract? You'll see."

08.45 GMT: Real Madrid were very close to signing Pedro Guilherme from Fluminense last August before he paritally tore his right ACL, according to the striker's agent..

"At that time, we had everything agreed with Real Madrid," said Pedro's agent Marcio Giugni to Esporte Espetacular. "We had everything agreed with Fluminense, the family and the only thing that was missing was the signature."

The 21-year-old, who scored 12 goals in 37 league games last season, returned to train with Fluminense at the weekend, seven months after sustaining the injury.

Pedro got hurt in a league game against Cruzeiro on August 25 and underwent surgery. The Brazilian is expected to return to action in April.

08.00 GMT: Barcelona are hoping to take advantage of Juan Mata's contract stand-off with Manchester United by signing the midfielder for free this summer.

Mata's deal at Old Trafford expires at the end of the season, and as such he has been free to negotiate with clubs outside of the Premier League since the turn of the year.

The Sun reports that Barca have opened talks with Mata's father, who also acts as his agent, over a deal that would take the 30-year-old Spain international back to his home country after eight years in England with Chelsea and United.

PAPER TALK (by Nick Judd): Tielemans all yours... for £40m

Leicester City are extremely keen to make loan man Youri Tielemans' loan deal a permanent one, and they now know what it will take to make that happen.

The Daily Mail are reporting that it will take £40 million to secure the Belgian star on a long-term deal.

Tielemans was man of the match as Leicester beat Bournemouth 2-0 to climb to eighth in the table, the Monaco employee providing his fourth assist since his switch to Leicester in another vintage performance.

Tielemans made 70 successful passes in the win and it is this form that will see Brendan Rodgers eager to secure Tielemans before anyone else starts sniffing around his star man.

Juve target Real defender Varane

Juventus sporting director Fabio Paratici's shopping list is topped by Real Madrid defender Raphael Varane, according to Calciomercato.

Juve's current defensive duo Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini have been an integral part of the Serie A league leaders' remarkable domestic and European form this season, but with both aged 31 and 34, neither are getting any younger.

And it is for this reason that a central defender remains a top target for the Old lady. With Matthijs de Ligt seemingly Barca bound, French international Varane tops Juve's most wanted, and it is reported that contact between the two clubs has already been made. Real Madrid are reluctant to sell, though a price tag of €80m could seal the deal. That may prove too rich for Juve, though given the importance of the position they will no doubt be allocating serious funds for any acquisition.

Juve are not alone in their admiration for Varane. Even if they were to find the necessary budget, they will face competition from some of Europe's top clubs.

Tap ins

- Ander Herrera has reportedly demanded £200,000 a week to stay at Manchester United as French champions-elect Paris Saint-Germain step up their pursuit of the diminutive midfielder. Herrera's contract expires in the summer and PSG are hoping to snap up a summer bargain.

- Marco Silva has made no secret of his desire to sign loan star Andre Gomes on a permanent deal from Barcelona, and recent comments suggested he is doing everything he can to prompt the Everton board into making a tangible move. "It is a very, very good opportunity for us," said Silva, reported by the Liverpool Echo.

- Mauro Icardi's Inter future looks even more bleak, if that's possible, after manager Luciano Spalletti laid siege on the controversial striker following the side's loss to Lazio. "It is humiliating for fans to negotiate with a player to get him to wear the shirt they love," said Spalletti, among other things. Ouch.

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LIVE Transfer Talk: Sancho in Man United's sights as Solskjaer plans speedy front three

The transfer window for Europe's biggest clubs is closed, but click here for all the deals. Transfer Talk will continue to scour the world's media and set correspondents loose to see what's on the agenda for the summer.

Jad move on for United

How much longer Jadon Sancho remains at Borussia Dortmund is a source of endless pages of soon-to-be chip paper. So it's refreshing to see the online-only Independent getting involved.

The outlet claims that United are certain to make Sancho their No. 1 target this summer as new boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer looks to build what promises to be the fastest forward line in world football.

With help from former Tottenham and Liverpool director of football Damien Comolli, we show you a step-by-step guide to a transfer.

FIFA have banned Chelsea for a period of two transfer windows. But what did they do wrong and how will the punishment play out?

FC Exclusives

The Norwegian tactician wants the former City man to line up alongside Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial, which of course leaves no room for Alexis Sanchez. Not that his absence would be mourned by the Old Trafford faithful, who have long since grown tired of the Chile international.

United are likely to face opposition for Sancho's signature -- which could cost upwards of £100 million -- with both Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid keen on luring him away from the Bundesliga.

Regardless, the England starlet's proposed departure would represent a very healthy profit on the £8 million Dortmund shelled out for him in 2017. With three years left on his contract, it's the German side who hold all the aces.

Sancho himself is understood to be in no hurry to leave the club, hardly surprising given the 19-year-old's blinding form since he moved there.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has plans to make Man United's attack the fastest in world football, with Jadon Sancho the centrepiece. TF-Images/Getty ImagesLIVE BLOG

10.22 GMT: Staying in Germany, Borussia Dortmund's star forward Marco Reus is likely to retire at the club. This is at least according to BVB's CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke. Speaking about Reus's future to Eurosport, he said: "He's the captain. It's his club. Borussia Dortmund to him is more than just an employer."

Reus signed a contract extension last year which will see him stay until 2023 at least. He has echoed his CEO's claims to Sky Germany.

"This might very well happen. You never know what the future brings, but I am under a long-term contract. And thus nothing speaks against [ending career at Dortmund],"

09.40 GMT: Bayern Munich coach Niko Kovac has called Germany international Kai Havertz one of the future stars of football, a week after the Leverkusen midfielder was linked with a €100m move to the Bavarian giants in 2020.

Amid Bayern's squad revamp, which has already seen the Bundesliga powerhouse land French World Cup winners Lucas Hernandez and Benjamin Pavard for a total of €115m in fees, Munich have also been linked with the new generation of Germany internationals in recent weeks. Among them Havertz, 19. Resembling a young Michael Ballack, the youngster has been tipped for a big career by many, and when quizzed about the midfielder in an interview with Sport Bild, Bayern coach Kovac joined the choir of the believers.

"He's an absolute talent, a great player," Kovac said. "Sooner or later, he will certainly leave Leverkusen. There's no doubt we are discussing a future top player."

Leverkusen's chances of convincing the Germany international to remain at the Bay-Arena will not improve should Leverkusen finish outside the European places. Seventh in the Bundesliga with 42 points, Leverkusen are in the middle of a pack of teams competing for the Europa League spots. They are already seven points away from Eintracht Frankfurt, currently fourth, the place securing Champions League football next season.

08.50 GMT: Brazilian club Flamengo have joined Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund in the race to sign Atletico Madrid left-back Filipe Luis, according to Globo Esporte.

The Brazil international, who is in his 15th season playing in Europe, is set to become a free agent this summer as he has so far failed to reach an agreement with Atletico over a new deal. Atletico offered Filipe a one-year contract extension but the 33-year-old wanted a longer contract.

According to Globo Esporte, the former Chelsea player has offers from several clubs, including Barca and Dortmund, to remain in Europe.

08.00 GMT: Manchester City are very interested in signing Atletico Madrid midfielder Rodrigo and are prepared to pay his €70m buy-out clause, Onda Cero reports. According to the Spanish radio station, City coach Pep Guardiola is a fan of the 22-year-old, who has similar qualities to Barcelona midfielder Sergio Busquets.

Rodrigo has scored two goals in 25 league appearances for Atletico. The Spaniard joined Atletico in a €20m transfer from Villarreal last summer and is tied to the Rojiblancos until June 2023.

"From an individual standpoint, I'm very happy with my path here," Rodrigo said on Monday. "To have arrived at a prestigious club being so young, to have to adapt to the ideas of a coach that I didn't know and to a system of play that I hadn't played before is not easy. I'm happy and proud of my development.

"I don't settle and I'm trying to work every day with the coach, who is teaching me a lot. I'm surrounded by world -class players that I can learn a lot from. I'm happy because I see that every day I'm growing more from a football standpoint."

Rodrigo could be one of two players to make the move from Atletico to City this summer sources told ESPN FC last month that the reigning Premier League champions are closing in on a move for midfielder Saul Niguez.

PAPER TALK (by Richard Edwards): Madrid in pole position in chase for Felix

Manchester United might be keen on bringing Sancho to Old Trafford, but the Sun reports that the Champions League quarterfinalists could be set to lose in the race to bring Portuguese wonderkid Joao Felix to the northwest.

The paper has been told that Madrid have been in touch with Benfica over the possibility of a summer move for a teenager who has been simply sensational in the Portuguese top flight so far this season.

Juventus are also believed to be keen on bringing him to Serie A, which could leave United and Manchester City languishing in their own attempts to lure Felix to the Premier League. City's director of football, Txiki Begiristain, went to watch him in the Europa League clash against Dinamo Zagreb last month, but neither Manchester club is understood to have made firm moves for the midfielder to date.

All of which leaves Juventus and Madrid in position A as the season draws to a close.

Hugo a-go-go?

The Sun reports that Spurs are keen on bringing Lazio keeper Thomas Strakosha to the club as a long-term replacement for Hugo Lloris, who had another shocker in Tottenham's 2-1 loss at Liverpool on Sunday.

Italian sources claim that Spurs scouts have been regular visitors to Rome to watch Strakosha play several times this season.

The outlet adds that the Albania international could be arriving in North London as soon as this summer, probably at a cost of around £35 million.

Tap-ins

-- Sky Sports reports that Ander Herrera and Juan Mata will be on their bikes and heading out of Old Trafford as soon as the final whistle blows on the season in May. Herrera is reportedly on his way to PSG, which has been on the cards for a while. Mata is reportedly moving home to Spain, with a deal with Barcelona mooted.

-- The Courier Mail says New Zealand international Dane Ingham wants to leave Brisbane Roar for soon-to-be A-League premiers Perth Glory.

-- With Zinedine Zidane keen to inject some youth into Los Blancos, the Spanish giants are targeting Esteban Aparicio from Rayo Vallecano and Rayo Majadahonda midfielder Fernando Delgado, according to Marca.

-- Zidane is in no mood to let Raphael Varane leave the Bernabeu, despite the French defender's noises to the contrary. The Sun reports comments from Zidane in the run-up to his club's La Liga clash with Valencia.

"I cannot imagine a future without Varane, and I don't want to," he said. "He's a young player, he has been here for eight years, and he is doing very well. I'm not going to comment on what is being said outside."

So there you go. Expect those rumours to stop forthwith.

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Soccer-England's lower leagues to vote for extended transfer window

March 22 (Reuters) - England's close season transfer window deadline could be split next season with League One and League Two clubs preferring to close their window at the end of August rather than Aug. 8, the deadline for the Premier League and second-tier Championship.

English Football League (EFL) clubs had last year voted to fall in line with their top-flight Premier League counterparts and close the transfer window for incoming permanent registrations on the opening day of the season.

The move was designed to prevent other clubs from approaching players and disrupting plans after the season was already underway.

However, the EFL said representatives from the 48 clubs i n the third and fourth tier of English football held discussions in recent months and backed a different approach, agreeing to move the deadline to the end of August for all signings.

"EFL clubs have been given the opportunity to determine the direction of travel, with our priority ensuring that everyone has a clear understanding of the arrangements as soon as possible so as to ensure plans can be put in place for next season," EFL chief executive Shaun Harvey said in a statement.

The clubs will be asked to formally vote on a finalized proposal for a longer window at the Extraordinary General Meeting next month. (Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru Editing by Christian Radnedge)

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