Welcome to Sports Mole's live transfer blog on Monday, August 24.
Football clubs home and abroad have just over one week remaining to bring in or offload players in their squads.
More than £500m has been spent by Premier League clubs alone so far, and with a flurry of late deals expected to come, the total amount could rise significantly.
We will gather all of the latest developments as they happen throughout the day.
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Good morning everyone! The clock is ticking! There are just eight days left in the summer transfer window, so can we expect a late surge of business? Have some clubs left it too late to get their deals over the line? Those questions will be answered over the next week. Speculation continues to do the rounds, and it is likely to intensify as we reach the closing stages of the window. Stick with us and you won't miss a thing!
Let's kickstart the day with that shock rumour that Manchester United are trying to sign Barcelona star Neymar. Surely this couldn't happen? Well, Barca boss Luis Enrique was asked about the speculation on Sunday, and the Spaniard said that he was "not interested" in addressing the rumours.
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Now, where does everything stand with regards to Chelsea's pursuit of Everton defender John Stones? From the Merseyside club's perspective, the England international is not for sale. The Premier League champions have reportedly had three bids rejected, and according to Everton director Jon Woods, Stones will not be sold before next week's deadline. Is that the last development of this story then? I highly doubt it.
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Fancy catching up on all the stories that you may have missed overnight? Well, lucky for you, we have produced a neat roundup for you to look through. Click here for our 8am update.
There's more news developing on the 'Neymar to Manchester United' front. According to The Guardian, the Brazilian is considering a move to Old Trafford, but nothing is likely to happen until next summer. It is believed that the 23-year-old is attracted to the prospect of playing in the Premier League, but it's worth noting that there are suggestions that Neymar could be using United as a bargaining tool to get a more lucrative contract out of Barcelona. Who knows at this point, but if Neymar ends up at United, it will be one of the most shocking transfers in recent times!
Sticking with Manchester United, and talkSPORT are reporting that West Ham United will try to sign Adnan Januzaj on a season-long loan before next week's deadline. The Belgian's future at Old Trafford appeared to be in doubt not so long ago, but manager Louis van Gaal has started the 20-year-old in three of United's games so far this season. Will the club still be willing to send Januzaj out on loan? Time will tell.
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It had been reported over the weekend that Norwich City had rejected two bids for striker Lewis Grabban. Now, manager Alex Neil has confirmed that the story is true. The frontman has been linked with a return to Bournemouth.
West Bromwich Albion have fended off one Tottenham Hotspur approach for Saido Berahino, but it appears that they will have to do it again if they want to keep hold of him. According to a newspaper report, Spurs will make a £21m bid for the frontman.
Let's turn our attention to Liverpool. They have already bought seven new faces this summer, but could there be an eighth before the transfer deadline? According to Marca, the Reds are preparing a £15m bid for Real Madrid midfielder Asier Illarramendi after Rafael Benitez told him to search for another club.
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DONE DEAL! Ipswich Town confirm the signing of 20-year-old striker James Alabi on a one-year contract. Read more.
Breaking news: Striker James Alabi signs one year deal at Portman Road. Full story on Club website. #ITFC pic.twitter.com/E1uVa5OBUd
— Ipswich Town FC (@Official_ITFC) August 24, 2015
Some news to bring you from League Two now, where Northampton Town have added Port Vale defender Adam Yates to their squad. The 32-year-old joins the Cobblers on a one-month loan deal. Read more.
Leicester City's Riyad Mahrez has arguably been the player of the season so far in the Premier League, which has inevitably seen him linked with a move away from the King Power Stadium. However, Foxes boss Claudio Ranieri has reiterated this afternoon that his star player 'is not for sale'.
BREAKING NEWS! There has been plenty of speculation concerning Saido Berahino throughout the day, and the saga has now taken a fresh turn. Click here for the latest developments.
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Well Manchester United's goalless draw with Newcastle United on the weekend surely underlined that a new striker needs to be brought in this summer. We take a look at three potential players on the market for Louis van Gaal ahead of next week's transfer deadline.
Mario Balotelli is said to be on the verge of a loan move back to AC Milan, having fallen completely out of favour at Liverpool this season. According to one report, terms have been agreed between both clubs, with a switch now imminent.
The big transfer news of the day centres around West Bromwich Albion - or more specifically Saido Berahino's decision to hand in a transfer request. There has been further developments at The Hawthorns today, meanwhile, as Joleon Lescott has reportedly been told that he can leave the club.
After being left out of Real Madrid's squad last night, Karim Benzema's future looked even more unclear. He has taken to Twitter this afternoon to effectively rule out a move to Arsenal, though, while also taking a swipe at the "clowns" who suggested he wanted to leave.
UPDATE! Well it has certainly been a busy few hours or so, with big developments over the futures of Mario Balotelli, Saido Berahino and Karim Benzema. As ever, we have rounded up all the day's activity in once place, which can be viewed by clicking here.
DONE DEAL! Fulham have signed goalkeeper Joe Lewis on a season-long loan from Championship rivals Cardiff City. The 27-year-old, who spent most of last season on loan at Blackpool, is expected to provide cover for Marcus Bettinelli, who has damaged knee ligaments.
Rangers defender Darren McGregor has departed Ibrox only months after being named player of the year by both the Glasgow club and his Gers teammates. A club statement said that he has left by mutual consent.
Celtic assistant manager John Collins has expressed his hopes that Virgil van Dijk will be at the Glasgow club "long term". The defender has reportedly been on the radar of Southampton and Arsenal over the last few months.
Reports have emerged from Brazil of Manchester United having tabled a £140m bid for Barcelona forward Neymar. This would eclipse the world record for a transfer by some distance.
St Johnstone defender Frazer Wright has left the Perth club only two months after signing a new one-year deal, citing the need to "move on". The 35-year-old had faced competition from Tam Scobbie, Dave Mackay and summer signing Brad McKay for a starting place in the Saints' XI.
West Ham United have expressed an interest in signing Chelsea striker Victor Moses, according to reports. The 24-year-old signed for the Blues in 2012 but has found himself somewhat of a peripheral figure at Stamford Bridge, spending the past two seasons on loan at Liverpool and then Stoke City.
Brighton & Hove Albion defender Lewis Dunk has committed his future to the South Coast club by signing a new five-year contract at the Amex Stadium. The 23-year-old was said to be on the radar of Premier League Newcastle United and Championship rivals Fulham.
Real Sociedad have reportedly agreed a deal to bring Real Madrid midfielder Asier Illarramendi back to the Anoeta Stadium. The combative midfielder is thought to have been deemed surplus to requirements at the Bernabeu by manager Rafael Benitez.
Arsenal have reportedly turned their attentions to Edinson Cavani. Wenger seems to have targeted the striker after Karim Benzema earlier ruled out a move away from Real Madrid.
Just five days ago, it looked like this deal was dead in the water, but Emmanuel Adebayor's loan move to West Ham United could be back on. More on that one here.
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Another deal which, just a few days ago, looked like it wasn't going to happen was Federico Fazio's proposed move to West Bromwich Albion. Think again. That one could still go through as well.
Joey Barton is still yet to find a club this summer, and won't be signing for Rotherham United. They "can't afford his petrol" according to manager Steve Evans.
Fabio Borini's Liverpool career looks like it could be over after he reportedly told friends that he will sign for Inter Milan within the next 48 hours.
Adnan Januzaj was linked with a loan move to West Ham United this morning, and now Everton have reportedly joined the race for his signature. Read more on that here.
Brentford have £9m in the bank after selling Andre Gray to Burnley last week, and boss Marinus Dijkhuizen has said they want to sign two strikers before the transfer window closes.
It's been a busy day for today's transfer news, with speculation surrounding possible moves for Saido Berahino and Neymar, but that's it for tonight. Come back at 7am for all of Tuesday's transfer news as it happens.
Written by
Danielle Joynson
Danielle Joynson
