Good morning and welcome to Sports Mole's transfer blog on Wednesday, August 20.
There are now just 12 days left for clubs to conclude their business before the window slams shut, so we expect more and more deals to be completed in the near future.
Here, we will have all the big transfers, plus all the latest fresh speculation covered throughout the day. Stay tuned.
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Morning all. We expect Manchester United to complete the signing of Marcos Rojo today for a reported £16m, but will any club top that fee? Rest assured, should it happen, we will keep you in the loop right here.
Let's start, though, with a look at some of the stories that have been making the headlines over the last few hours:
Marouane Fellaini departure delayed by injury?
Valeri Bojinov in talks with West Ham United?
Bolton Wanderers to sign Jordan Ibe on loan?
Arsene Wenger: "We are short at the back"
Premier League trio target Lucas Silva?
BREAKING NEWS! Could Hull be about to go back into the transfer market? The club have just confirmed that summer signing Robert Snodgrass will be out for up to six months with a knee injury. Perhaps manager Steve Bruce will now be back in the market for a new winger.
Staying in the Premier League and Petr Cech - surely he will not remain at Chelsea as the number two goalkeeper behind Thibaut Courtois, will he? According to one report, Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain are preparing a bid for the 32-year-old.
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It's been a frustrating summer as far as Manchester United are concerned. Their fans want new faces, but Thomas Muller has revealed that he recently rejected a move to Old Trafford from Bayern Munich. The German international has insisted that Bayern are his club and that he never wanted to leave.
BREAKING NEWS! Some positive news coming out of Spain for Real Madrid concerning Luka Modric. The 28-year-old has extended his contract at the Bernabeu until 2018. More here.
BREAKING NEWS! More big news from Spain, this time involving Barcelona. FIFA have rejected the club's appeal against their transfer ban. More to follow.
As promised, here is a bit more on the news of the transfer ban that will hamper Barcelona from January 2015.
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DONE DEAL! It's all happening at the moment! Back in the Premier League, Swansea City have announced that they have completed the signing of Argentina defender Federico Fernandez from Napoli. The story is developing here.
VINE: @pajarofernandez completes #Swans switch https://t.co/7TglWFZPwL
— Swansea City FC (@SwansOfficial) August 20, 2014
And that is my first stint on this blog done for today, but don't fear because for the next couple of hours Jack Prescott will be guiding you through all the done deals and speculation. Over to you, Jack.
Hello there! Right, let's get the ball rolling with a bit of gossip coming out of Sunderland, who are reportedly considering a move for Manchester United striker Danny Welbeck as their pursuit of Fabio Borini continues to stall. The Black Cats agreed a reported £14m fee with Liverpool earlier this summer for the 23-year-old, who spent last season on loan at the Stadium of Light.
Liverpool have reportedly submitted a £17.5m offer to AC Milan for Mario Balotelli. The Reds are believed to be in the market for a new striker following Luis Suarez's departure to Barcelona earlier this summer.
Atletico Madrid head coach Diego Simeone believes that Angel di Maria is the "best player" in the Real Madrid squad. Reports have suggested that following the signing of James Rodriguez for a reported £70m earlier this summer, Di Maria had been deemed surplus to requirements at the Bernabeu, which is said to have alerted Manchester United.
DONE DEAL! Former Swansea City loanee Jonathan de Guzman has finalised his switch from Villarreal to Napoli.
La #SSCNapoli ufficializza l'acquisto a titolo definitivo di @jdeguz #BenvenutoJonathan pic.twitter.com/wXCJtKZVF3
— Official SSC Napoli (@sscnapoli) August 20, 2014
Manchester United are understood to be ready to offer Tom Cleverley a new five-year contract. The midfielder, 25, has been linked with a move away from Old Trafford this summer following the arrival of Ander Herrera.
More from Manchester United now, with it being reported that the club is hopeful of signing Fiorentina winger Juan Cuadrado by the weekend. When recently asked about the speculation that had linked the Colombian international with a move to Old Trafford, La Viola head coach Vincenzo Montella insisted that he expected the 26-year-old to stay put.
Burnley have reportedly made a new bid for Wigan Athletic midfielder James McArthur. The Premier League newcomers failed with an attempt to sign the Scotland international last week.
That's all from me for now, but Liam Apicella has made his triumphant return to the blog to keep you updated with all of the latest transfer news and gossip for the next couple of hours. Enjoy!
Thanks Jack and afternoon all. Let's begin with some Manchester United news and it won't be positive for many supporters. A report has suggested that the Glazer family have no plans to sell the club until 2019 at the earliest. Of course, that could have big implications on United's ability to sign players in the future.
It would seem that Jozy Altidore will not be leaving Sunderland this summer. Reports had suggested that he had failed to settle at the Stadium of Light, but manager Gus Poyet has insisted that the USA international is "really happy" on Wearside.
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DEVELOPING! A report from Italy earlier today claimed that Liverpool had made a bid for Mario Balotelli, but the striker's club - AC Milan - have this afternoon denied those reports. However, vice-president Adriano Galliani stopped short at confirming if the club wanted to keep hold of the former Manchester City frontman.
Down in the Championship, Norwich City defender Michael Turner has committed his future to the Norfolk-based club by signing a new contract until the summer of 2016. More here.
Back in the Premier League - could Manchester City striker Alvaro Negredo be about to return to his native Spain? The Manchester Evening News has claimed that Valencia want to sign the centre-forward, but because of his current foot injury, the move might not go through until the January transfer window.
And that concludes my stint on this blog for today. Jack Prescott will be returning now, so, over to you, Mr P...
Hello again! Yep, more gossip coming out of Manchester United. The club has reportedly started negotiations with Inter Milan regarding the availability of Fredy Guarin. The Red Devils have been linked with a move for Juventus midfielder Arturo Vidal for the majority of the summer, but in recent days that speculation has died down, with the Old Lady thought to be determined to keep hold of the Chile international.
Victor Moses has revealed that 'a few other clubs' were interested in signing him before he joined Stoke City on loan. The Chelsea winger, 23, moved to the Potters on a season-long deal last week.
DONE DEAL! Norwich City have confirmed the signing of former Sunderland defender Carlos Cuellar. The Spaniard, 32, has penned a one-year deal with the option to extend his stay by a further 12 months.
West Bromwich Albion boss Alan Irvine has revealed that he expects to add to his squad "sooner rather than later". The Baggies have signed eight new players so far this summer, including former Manchester City defender Joleon Lescott.
Southampton defender Jose Fonte has urged Morgan Schneiderlin to stay with the club this summer. The France international has been linked with Tottenham Hotspur in recent weeks, though manager Ronald Koeman made it clear that he will not be allowed to leave.
Juventus director Giuseppe Marotta has insisted that no discussions have been held with Manchester United regarding the transfer of Arturo Vidal. The Red Devils have been linked with the Chile international for the majority of the summer, with some reports having suggested that United striker Javier Hernandez could move in the opposite direction.
Sunderland midfielder Emmanuele Giaccherini has insisted that he is happy at the club, despite some uncertainty over his future. The Italian international, 29, has been repeatedly linked with a move to Fiorentina this summer.
BREAKING NEWS! Good news if you're a Manchester City fan because Edin Dzeko has signed a new four-year deal with the club. You read more on that developing story here.
MORE BREAKING NEWS! QPR have been busy in the transfer market this summer, and they've done a bit more business this afternoon with the signing of Leroy Fer from Norwich City. Check out the details of that switch here.
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Brighton & Hove Albion have signed Aston Villa defender Joe Bennett on a season-long loan deal. The 24-year-old underwent a medical on Wednesday afternoon before agreeing to join the Championship club.
QPR boss Harry Redknapp on new signing Leroy Fer: "Leroy's arrival is a massive boost for us. He's another excellent signing and I'm delighted we've been able to get him to QPR. He played for Holland in the World Cup this summer and has all the attributes you'd be looking for from a central midfielder."
Brighton manager Sami Hyypia on bringing in Aston Villa defender Joe Bennett on loan: "I'm delighted we have agreed with Joe and Aston Villa to bring him here on a season-long loan. He is a dynamic left-back, who's very comfortable on the ball. He's very mobile and will suit the way we want to play. He is a good footballer, who knows how to use the ball and I hope he will be a very good player for us."
That's all from me for this evening, but Paul Gorst will now be with you for the next few hours to guide you through all of the latest news and gossip that's coming out of the summer transfer window. Goodbye!
Thanks a lot Jack. Evening all! Let's get things rolling with our 7pm Transfer Talk Update, featuring the likes of Mario Balotelli, Fredy Guarin and Alvaro Negredo. Catch the very latest here.
Manchester United have completed the signing of Sporting Lisbon's Marcos Rojo - more to come on that!
BREAKING: Marcos Rojo is a Red. The Argentina defender has signed for #mufc on a five-year contract. #RojoIsRed pic.twitter.com/aLcnbC7BR0
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) August 20, 2014
As part of the Rojo deal, Nani will join Sporting on loan for the season. As promised, the full story is here.
Louis van Gaal has been having his say on what he feels Rojo will bring to Old Trafford this season. The Dutchman outlined the Argentina international's versatility and thinks that the World Cup star is ideal. We'll have the full story to come...
Here's the Van Gaal quotes on the new £16m man in full here.
Reports have emerged this evening linking Liverpool with a £12m loan move for Monaco striker Radamel Falcao, as they look to sign a striker before the closing of the transfer window. We'll have that full story with you shortly.
Here's the story of Liverpool reportedly lining up a move for Monaco's Falcao in full.
Cameron Jerome has joined Norwich City from Stoke City for an undisclosed fee. We'll have that story to you shortly...
Here's more on Jerome's move to Norwich. Canaries boss Neil Adams has been outlining what the forward will bring to Carrow Road.
Ajac chief Marc Overmars has claimed that they are no longer interested in Samuel Eto'o. The Cameroon striker is a free agent after leaving Chelsea earlier this summer, but the Dutch giants have dropped their interest now. Full story is here.
Hull City are reportedly chasing Jordan Rhodes to fill the void left by Shane Long's departure to Southampton. The Irishman left for the Saints for around £12m last week, and the Tigers want the Blackburn Rovers striker to replace him. More to come...
DONE DEAL! Leeds United have completed the signing of Italian striker Mirco Antenucci from Ternana. The veteran sounds like a decent coup for the Whites, having hit 19 goals in Serie B last term. He could make his debut against Watford this weekend!
Here's a quick recap on the biggest transfer-related story of the evening, in case you missed it... Manchester United have completed the signing of Sporting Lisbon's Marcos Rojo in a deal that sees winger Nani move in the opposite direction. You can read the full details here.
We've got a bit of a shock one for you here, as Manchester United have been linked with a surprise move for Real Madrid's Xabi Alonso. Should the former Liverpool favourite join the Red Devils, Arsenal and Chelsea's plans to recruit fellow midfielder Sami Khedira could go up in smoke.
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AC Milan would have you believe that Liverpool made no approach for Mario Balotelli, but a new report suggests that a deal to bring the striker to Anfield was discussed. The Reds apparently called for a good behaviour clause to be included in the player's contract, but the Italian giants refused to play ball. Read the full details here.
Arsenal could face competition for the services of Newcastle United holding midfielder Cheick Tiote from filthy-rich Russian club Lokomotiv Moscow. They are said to have had an offer rejected, but could return with an improved bid.
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger could be forced back into the transfer market to bring in midfield reinforcements following the new that Mikel Arteta will be out for at least two weeks with a sprained ankle. The Gunners have been linked with Real Madrid star Sami Khedira and Sporting Lisbon's William Carvalho of late.
Roma has allegedly enquired about the availability of Chelsea striker Fernando Torres and are ready to offer Mattia Destro in a part-exchange deal for the Spaniard.
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And that's all we have time for this evening. Be sure to join Sports Mole from 9am tomorrow for all of the latest transfer gossip live. Many thanks for reading!
