Transfer news live: Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool chase Thomas Lemar, Mourinho and Guardiola talk tunnel fight

Good morning and welcome to today's Independent transfer live blog.

The winter transfer window is now just around the corner with some of world football's biggest names possibly on the move.

Neymar smashed the world transfer record by swapping Barcelona for Paris Saint-Germain in the summer but with money seemingly to burn January could be the biggest ever with many closer to home possibly following the Brazilian in making multi-million pound moves.

We'll bring you all the latest news, done deals and breaking rumours throughout the day right here so don't touch that dial.

Tuesday morning gossip round-up

Shall we take a look at what the papers are saying this morning?

Arsenal are making a last push to keep Mesut Ozil, the Mirror reports. The paper says Arsene Wenger is still hoping a new round of negotiations will persuade the 29-year-old Germany star to stay at the club. Manchester United and Barcelona are both said to be interested in Ozil, who is free to sign a pre-contract with foreign clubs from January 1.

Chelsea are looking to entice Everton and England midfielder Ross Barkley to Stamford Bridge, according to the Daily Mail. The paper says the club is preparing another bid for the 24-year-old, who snubbed the Premier League champions on deadline day in August as he wanted to move to Tottenham. Spurs did not make a move at the time as Barkley was facing months out with a hamstring injury but could still be interested, the paper reports.

Crystal Palace are reportedly confident of signing European Cup-winning goalkeeper Diego Lopez. According to the Mirror, Roy Hodgson is keen to agree a deal with the 36-year-old Espanyol player, with Julian Speroni and Wayne Hennessey his current options.

Arsene Wenger insists Olivier Giroud will not be sold in January as he looks to give the striker more Premier League minutes after his late leveller at Southampton.

The France international is yet to start a league game for the Gunners this season but scored an 88th-minute equaliser off the bench as Arsenal salvaged a point in a 1-1 draw at St Mary's on Sunday.

Giroud, 31, was close to moving to Everton in the summer but remained at the Emirates Stadium, where he has largely featured in the Europa League as club-record signing Alexandre Lacazette keeps him out of the Premier League side.

Twenty different Manchester United and City players and staff were involved in an extraordinary tunnel melee after Sunday’s hard-fought match between the two sides, with Jose Mourinho at the heart of the fracas.

Here's what really happened:

Mauricio Pochettino has warned chairman Daniel Levy thatTottenham Hotspur must learn the lessons of their transfer market failings of last summer.

Tottenham might have broken their transfer record in signing Ajax defender Davinson Sanchez for £40m, as well as back-up strikerFernando Llorente, in the summer window, but their squad looks light compared to their big-spending rivals.

Now Pochettino on Friday ruled out a January signing spree as he focuses his attentions on long-term solutions rather than short-term fixes, citing Dele Alli signing a £5m pre-contract deal from MK Dons back in February 2015 as a blueprint to use again next month.

Manchester United now see Juventus' Alex Sandro as their primary left-back target for January, as there is a growing belief it could be difficult to prise Danny Rose out of Tottenham Hotspur.

Jose Mourinho is determined to solve a position that has been a problem for a long time at Old Trafford, even allowing for Ashley Young's impressive displays there is a stand-in, and sees it as his main task for the mid-season window.

It had for a long time looked like Rose could be that option, given the has fallen out of favour at Spurs due to injury and the connected issues of a controversial interview about the club's transfer policy at the start of the season.

Arsene Wenger has been speaking about Olivier Giroud's Arsenal future once again in his morning press conference.

"Not a sub for me, he is a regular player," he says. "I have plenty of good strikers and you can't play them all together.

"It is very difficult to speak what we talk about openly. He is a very important player and I have big respect.

"Look how many France caps he has got."

Wenger has also revealed that Arsenal are in talks to keep Mesut Ozil at the club.

“Negotiations are always going on with everybody. Our door is always open," he says.

“For the rest, I can not tell you much more.”

Manchester City will return with a big offer for Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez in January, as they attempt to finally clinch the deal thatPep Guardiola was desperate for in the summer.

While City have been in supreme attacking form despite the failure to land the Chilean on deadline day in August, Guardiola is said by sources to feel that the unbeaten Premier League leaders can do a double of domestic title and Champions League this season, so wants to press home with the purchase and add real strength in depth to his squad to seize the opportunity.

Arsene Wenger's position is still that Arsenal do not want to sell despite the 28-year-old's contract running out at the end of the season, but that stance was shown to be malleable in the summer when the London club ultimately agreed to sell the striker on the provision that they would be able to bring in a replacement.

Liverpool's Daniel Sturridge is considering a move abroad in the January transfer window, the Daily Mail says.

The England international is reportedly open to the chance to play in Europe, with clubs such as Real Betis and Valencia said to be particularly keen.