Hello and welcome to
Sports Mole's live transfer blog. We're now eight days into the window and speculation surrounding some of world football's biggest names is continuing to intensify.
Whether it's Lionel Messi's proposed move to Chelsea, Martin Odegaard's switch to Real Madrid or Manchester City's reported £30m capture of Wilfried Bony, we will keep you updated with any deals throughout the day.
We brought you news yesterday surrounding the future of former Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdes, who is said to be close to completing a move to Manchester United. Well the Red Devils have been linked with another keeper overnight in the shape of Newcastle United's Tim Krul.
It is claimed that Louis van Gaal could make a move for his former Netherlands stopper, as speculation linking David de Gea with the Old Trafford exit continues to intensify.
As previously mentioned, there's been plenty of transfer speculation emerging overnight regarding some of the world's most sought-after players, which we have neatly rounded up in our
morning update.
Not quite a done deal just yet, but there's some good news for Arsenal supporters as highly-rated Polish youngster Krystian Bielik confirms that he intends to join the club this January.
A transfer thought to be worth around £2m has yet to have officially gone through, although the midfielder is "confident" that the Gunners and current club Legia Warsaw can reach an agreement in the coming days. Read more on that developing story right here.
There's news of another deal which looks likely to go through in the next 24 hours now, as Leicester City dot the i's and cross the t's in their
club-record move for Andrej Kramaric.
Croatian club Rijeka revealed that an agreement had been reached yesterday, but we are still waiting for confirmation on behalf of the Foxes, who are thought to have splashed out £9.7m for the reported Chelsea target.
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Right, that's all from me for the time being, so I'll now hand things over to Danielle Joynson who will be with you through to midday.
Thanks Dan! Right, let's switch our attention to the Championship as Wolverhampton Wanderers have just announced some transfer news...
One of the big stories from yesterday involved Manchester United and their reported interest in former Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdes. The Spaniard is believed to have agreed an
18-month deal at Old Trafford, which has sparked questions over David de Gea's long-term future.
As mentioned earlier, United are believed to be monitoring Newcastle United keeper Tim Krul, however, the club are reportedly confident that De Gea will sign a new deal.
Luis Suarez was regularly linked with a transfer during his time at Liverpool, but it appears that the Uruguayan isn't far away from the gossip pages in Barcelona either. According to the
Daily Mail, Suarez's future at Camp Nou is uncertain, which has left Arsenal, Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea on alert. Could the controversial star return to the Premier League?
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This morning, reports in France have claimed that Arsenal are
no longer interested in signing Saint-Etienne defender Loic Perrin. The 29-year-old claimed earlier this week that he had been approached by the North London outfit, but it appears that the Gunners have ended their pursuit.
QPR manager Harry Redknapp has addressed the media this morning in his weekly press conference, and as expected has been asked about his activity in the transfer market. Following the
loan signing of Mauro Zarate from West Ham United, Redknapp has suggested that
permanent signings are unlikely to be made this month.
UPDATE! Arguably the biggest transfer of the window so far is Wilfried Bony's imminent move to Manchester City from Swansea City. The details are yet to be finalised, but according to
BBC Sport, Man City are hopeful of agreeing a £27m fee, which is £3m less than what the Swans initially wanted.
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UPDATE! It seemed as though convicted rapist Ched Evans was close to returning to football with League One side Oldham Athletic, but according to
Sky Sports News, the
deal is off.
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Moving to the Premier League now, and there's another outgoing at Chelsea. Highly-rated teenager Lewis Baker has
signed a loan deal with Sheffield Wednesday for the rest of the season.
Mario Balotelli only joined Liverpool five months ago, but the controversial Italian has been linked with an early exit. Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain are reportedly
considering a move for the striker, who has scored just twice since his £16m move to Anfield from AC Milan.
Right, that's me done for the time being, but I shall leave you in the capable hands of my colleague Dan Lewis, who will keep you updated with all the transfer news and gossip that emerges in the next three hours. Enjoy!
DONE DEALS! Thanks Danielle! I'll begin my stint by bringing you news of a couple of deals that have gone through over the last 30 minutes or so.
Sheffield Wednesday have taken Chelsea youngster Lewis Baker on loan for the remainder of the season, while Stoke City's 20-year-old striker George Waring has agreed to a one-month stay at Barnsley.
BREAKING NEWS! Burnley have in the last few moments confirmed that defender Michael Keane has joined the club on a permanent deal. More on that to follow in due course.
More on Michael Keane's switch from Manchester United to Burnley now, with the defender agreeing a three-and-a-half year deal at Turf Moor.
The 21-year-old has impressed during his five months on loan with the Clarets, and Sean Dyche has made it clear in the past few weeks that he wanted to land the youngster on a permanent basis. Click here to read more.
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The big transfer news so far today concerns former Wales international striker Ched Evans, whose proposed move to Oldham Athletic has
reportedly been called off amid public outcry.
Oldham council leader Jim McMahon is the latest to have his say on the matter, calling on members of the public to "show some restraint and calm" over a matter that has "divided" the town.
There's a little more to bring you now on the whole Ched Evans saga, which continues to rumble on this afternoon. The Welshman, who was convicted of raping a woman in a North Wales hotel in 2011, has seen Oldham Athletic join former club Sheffield United in withdrawing a proposed transfer offer.
Amid continued public outcry, Evans has this afternoon released a statement via the Profession Footballers' Association, which can be viewed in full here.
Alan Pardew is in the middle of his first press-conference as Crystal Palace manager, while John Carver and Brendan Rodgers are also talking to the press this afternoon. They will each no doubt be asked about potential incomings and outgoings, and we will bring you updates on each as we get them.
BREAKING NEWS! Another manager being questioned this afternoon is Aston Villa's Paul Lambert, who has revealed that Ron Vlaar has been ruled out of action for "between four to six weeks".
The Dutchman has been strongly linked with a move to Manchester United in recent weeks, although that now looks to be off the cards. You can read more on that injury blow right here.
DONE DEAL! Liverpool supporters, look away now. Inter Milan have revealed that they have
reached an agreement with Bayern Munich over the services of midfielder Xherdan Shaqiri.
The Switzerland international has been strongly linked with a move to Anfield this month, although he appears to have slipped out of the Reds' grasp.
DONE DEAL! The deals are flying through this afternoon! As expected, Leicester City have
confirmed the capture of highly-rated Croatia international Andrej Kramaric. The reported Chelsea target joins for what is said to be a club record fee of around £10m.
And with that my stint on transfer watch for today comes to a close. Danielle Joynson will keep you updated with all the latest news for the next four hours or so, on what is turning into potentially the busiest day of the January window so far.
Thanks Dan! Yes, it does appear to be a hectic transfer day, and arguably the main story focuses on convicted rapist Ched Evans. The latest emerging from Boundary Park is that Oldham Athletic chairman Simon Corney has
NOT quit his role, despite reports suggesting otherwise after it came to light that a proposed deal to sign the Welsh forward was pulled.
Jermain Defoe never seems to be far from the gossip pages when the transfer window opens. This month, the striker has been linked to Queens Park Rangers and Liverpool. It has been confirmed today that the 32-year-old, who now plies his trade at MLS side Toronto, will return to former club Tottenham Hotspur next week... but
just to train. Defoe's long-term future remains unclear.
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DONE DEALS! The business continues to roll on, and it has now emerged that Swansea City youngster Rory Donnelly has joined League Two club Tranmere Rovers on loan, subject to international clearance, while Cardiff City's Etien Velikonja has completed a loan move to Belgium club K. Lierse S.K until June 30th.
We've got some reaction to Andrej Kramaric's move to Leicester City. The Croatian striker is believed to have rejected Chelsea in order to
sign a deal with the Foxes. This afternoon, Kramaric's new manager Nigel Pearson has claimed that the move
"speaks volumes" of the player.
CONFIRMED! Oldham Athletic will not sign convicted rapist Ched Evans after "vile and abusive" threats were made to board members and their families. The former Sheffield United striker has been searching for a new club since getting released from prison in October.
Read more.
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DONE DEAL! Let's turn our attention to the Championship, and former Aston Villa, Birmingham and West Brom player Liam Ridgewell has returned to England...
Wigan manager Malky Mackay has been speaking about Liam Ridgewell's six-week loan from MLS side Portland Timbers. The Scotsman
told the club's official website that the defender's experience will be "crucial" at this time of the Championship season.
DONE DEAL! As expected, former Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdes has signed for Manchester United on an 18-month contract.
We have more on Victor Valdes's move to Manchester United. The Spaniard has been telling the club's official website that the deal, which includes an option of a further year, is a
"dream come true".
Right, that's my stint over, but I shall hand you over to my colleague Giuseppe Labellarte, who will keep things ticking over for the next few hours. I'll leave you with a tasty
evening update, which rounds up all the transfer news that emerged throughout the day. Enjoy!
Thanks Danielle! Today's been quite a hectic day with regards to transfer news and speculation, and I'll be taking you through all the evening's developments. League One outfit Crawley Town have
agreed a deal to sign veteran Swindon Town defender Darren Ward on loan until the end of the season. The 36-year-old played for Millwall in their FA Cup final defeat to Manchester United in 2004.
Tottenham Hotspur winger Aaron Lennon is a name that will no doubt be featuring heavily in this month's
transfer talk bulletins following reports that he has been granted permission to leave White Hart Lane. Everton are the latest club
said to be interested in his signature.
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Now for some interesting news regarding Manchester City's Frank Lampard. It was believed that the ex-Chelsea midfielder was registered with MLS newcomers New York City FC, and was on loan at the Etihad. However, the Premier League has confirmed that
he is registered solely with Man City.
Arsenal and Manchester United have battled on the pitch and in title races over the years. Now, according to reports, the two Premier League giants are
set to do battle in this transfer window over the signature of German international Ilkay Gundogan, who is said to be on his way out of Borussia Dortmund.
Swansea City manager Garry Monk is not willing to let star striker Wilfried Bony go to Manchester City unless the Premier League champions are
prepared to meet the Welsh club's valuation for the Ivory Coast international - said to be in the region of £30m.
Edinson Cavani seems to have upset a few people at Paris Saint-Germain, with the club banning him and Ezequiel Lavezzi for two games after they missed a training camp in Morocco. According to reports, Arsenal
will be making a move for the Uruguayan once he is allowed to leave PSG in the summer.
Well folks, my time here this evening has come to an end, but fear not, because my colleague Mark Langshaw will take over and take you through the next few hours.
Thanks, Giuseppe. Right folks, I'm here until 2am to bring you regular updates from the transfer market, starting with some comments from Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers on the search for Steven Gerrard's successor. Stay tuned for those...
As promised, Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has declared that he is confident the club can attract a world-class midfielder to replace the outgoing Steven Gerrard, despite struggling to compete with some of their Premier League rivals on the financial front. You can read his comments
here.
It may not be transfer news in the traditional sense, but one man who could soon find himself at a new club is former Lyon coach Remi Garde, who is rumoured to be undergoing an interview to
become the next manger of Newcastle United. He could well be up against the likes of Frank De Boer and Christophe Galtier, as well as the Magpies caretaker boss John Carver for that role.
Burnley have received a boost following reports that striker Danny Ings has
pledged his immediate future to the club. The 22-year-old has been linked with Tottenham Hotspur and Leicester City, but it looks like he might be staying put in January.
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Manchester United's chances of signing Borussia Dortmund defender Mats Hummels look slender after the player's father and agent said he
will not be leaving the club in January. Rumours linking Hummels with the Dortmund exit have intensified due to the club's struggles on the pitch this season.
Again, this probably isn't the kind of transfer update you were expecting but reports suggest that
Match of the Day host Gary Lineker is
wanted by BT Sport. The former Tottenham Hotspur striker might even be willing to jump ship if the BBC fails to retain the rights to show Premier League highlights, it is claimed.
Chelsea striker Andre Schurrle has been
linked with a return to his homeland with Wolfsburg, who are said to be willing to shell out £23m to secure his services. Schurrle has been out of favour at Stamford Bridge, starting just five league matches this term.
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Time for a quick recap on one of the biggest transfer-related stories of the day. Convicted rapist Ched Evans's proposed move to Oldham Athletic collapsed earlier today after "vile and abusive" threats were made to the club's board members and their families. You can read the full story
here.
Big news if you happen to be a Liverpool fan. The Reds are
reportedly lining up a bid for Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen as a replacement for Simon Mignolet. They face competition from Arsenal and Manchester United, but are believed to be the frontrunners for his signature.
And that's it from me this evening. Be sure to join us when our live transfer blog resumes at 7am tomorrow morning. Many thanks for joining Sports Mole tonight.
