Welcome to Sports Mole's live transfer blog on Monday, July 20.
With less than three weeks to go until the new season begins, football squads up and down the country and around Europe are beginning to take shape.
Plenty of deals have been completed already, but with the transfer window staying open for business until the start of September, there's time for more arrivals and departures.
As the day progresses, we will keep you updated with all the latest transfer developments.
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Good morning everyone! Next month is when focus turns to matters on the pitch as the football season gets underway in the UK and abroad. While many clubs will try to get the majority of their transfer business done before their campaigns begin, the summer window does not close until the start of September, so expect plenty more deals to go through.
One line coming out of Manchester United this morning is that manager Louis van Gaal is reportedly unlikely to sign a new striker in this window. The Red Devils have been linked with Edinson Cavani, Robert Lewandowski and Harry Kane, but according to PA Sport, Van Gaal is happy to stick with what he has. Apparently, the Dutchman plans to play captain Wayne Rooney as his main striker for the upcoming season.
Let's stay in the Premier League, but switch to Aston Villa. The Midlands outfit have reportedly opened talks with Tottenham Hotspur regarding the availability of striker Emmanuel Adebayor. Villa are believed to be keen on the Togolese forward as a replacement for Christian Benteke, who is on the verge of signing for Liverpool. Is Adebayor a worthy replacement, Villa fans?
One player who has been heavily linked with a switch to Manchester United is Valencia defender Nicolas Otamendi. However, according to reports in Spain, United's fierce rivals Manchester City are also interested and both clubs intend to launch their respective bids this week. It is believed that the centre-back has a €50m (£34.7m) release clause in his contract.
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Stoke City have been linked with Dynamo Kiev's Andriy Yarmolenko, with reports previously stating that the Potters were in talks with the Ukraine international over a move. However, Kiev boss Sergei Rebrov has insisted that he has not heard any official news on the proposed move.
One player who looks to be on the move this summer is Adam le Fondre. The Cardiff City striker has revealed that he has come to an agreement with the Championship side that will now see him playing his football elsewhere.
Could new Leicester boss Claudio Ranieri be about to raid former club Chelsea to strengthen his squad? According to a newspaper report, the Foxes have approached the Premier League champions about signing forgotten pair Nathan Ake and Oriol Romeu on loan.
AS Monaco midfielder Joao Moutinho has reportedly been told that he is free to leave the club this summer, which has prompted plenty of speculation over his next destination. According to a newspaper report, Arsenal are keen to sign the Portuguese international, although Chelsea could rival the Gunners for his capture.
More now on John Stones and his future at Everton. Former Toffees striker Andy Gray has suggested that the young defender would be an ideal replacement for ageing Chelsea captain John Terry. The Blues have reportedly had a £20m bid for Stones turned down by the Merseysiders.
Could Crystal Palace boss Alan Pardew be about to raid former club Newcastle United for a new signing? According to a report, the Eagles boss is keen to sign his former captain at St James' Park, Fabricio Coloccini. More here.
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Into the Championship for the moment, where Queens Park Rangers boss Chris Ramsey has been speaking about Leroy Fer's situation at the club. The Dutch international has been linked with a move away from Loftus Road, but Ramsey has revealed that the club have received no bids for the midfielder.
We've got two lines to bring you now. One comes from Barcelona boss Luis Enrique, who has told reporters this morning that new signings Arda Turan and Aleix Vidal will not be loaned out this season. The other piece of news is closer to home as Loic Remy has insisted that he has no plans to leave Chelsea, despite being linked to clubs elsewhere.
It appears that Stefan Savic is edging closer to his move to Atletico Madrid. The Fiorentina man touched down in Madrid this morning before finalising the transfer, which is expected to cost the former La Liga champions around £8m.
We have a Christian Benteke update for you! Well, that's slightly misleading - what we actually have is Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers refusing to give a Christian Benteke update... After the Reds sealed a 2-0 win over Adelaide United, the Irishman was asked about the club's reported pursuit of the Belgian, but he played dumb.
Switching to Real Madrid now, and according to beIN Sports correspondent Tancredi Palmeri, the Spanish giants have opened talks with Borussia Dortmund regarding a deal for Marco Reus. The injury-plagued German has been linked to numerous clubs around Europe, but are Madrid on the verge of sealing his signature? Time will tell.
Brace yourselves Man City fans! According to The Times, Italian champions Juventus have been given an indication that David Silva would be open to the prospect of a move to Turin. Read all about it here.
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Yet, while Silva is being linked with a move away from the Premier League, someone that has been tipped to arrive in England is Alexandre Pato - remember him?! A report has claimed that both West Ham United and Crystal Palace are in the running to sign the once AC Milan forward, who is currently on the books of Sao Paulo.
New Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri has been speaking about the future of Esteban Cambiasso. The veteran midfielder, who spent last term at the King Power Stadium, is currently a free agent. However, Ranieri has revealed that he is doing all that he can to convince the former Argentina international to sign another contract with Leicester.
Meanwhile, down in League One, Phil Brown is hoping to add to his Southend United squad. Find out how many players Brown wants here.
DONE DEAL! Staying in League One, Doncaster Rovers have completed the signing of Aaron Taylor-Sinclair from Wigan Athletic on a two-year deal. More here.
Wayne Rooney has confirmed that he will play for Everton again, but before you think it's the biggest transfer of the summer, it will just be for one game! The Manchester United skipper will feature for the Toffees in Duncan Ferguson's testimonial next month - just six days before the start of the Premier League season. One would imagine that Louis van Gaal will not be overly impressed!
Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Moussa Dembele has openly admitted in the past that he has grown frustrated with life at White Hart Lane, and his time in North London may now be coming to an end. Reports suggest that Sunderland are preparing a move for the Belgian, as they attempt to bolster their midfield ranks.
Speculation linking Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema with a move to Arsenal just won't go away. Fresh reports in Spain suggest that the Frenchman is indeed open to the possibility of making a switch to the Emirates Stadium. Watch this space, I guess...
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Julian Draxler, one of the brightest young talents in the game, could be on his way to Juventus this summer. The Old Lady are reportedly eyeing up a £17m for the Schalke 04 attacker.
BREAKING NEWS! Chelsea have reportedly reached an agreement with Atletico Madrid to sell full-back Filipe Luis for around £15m. Read more.
Why not catch up on all of the day's big transfer news right here with our evening Transfer Talk Update.
DONE DEAL! Queens Park Rangers have completed the signing of midfielder Tjaronn Chery from Eredivisie outfit Groningen. The 27 year-old has penned a three-year deal with the Championship club for an undisclosed fee, after his release clause was activated.
BREAKING: #QPR have signed Dutch attacker Tjaronn Chery from @fcgroningen: http://t.co/X66dCa7oR6 #WelkomChery pic.twitter.com/QMDe2WeWzn
— QPR FC (@QPRFC) July 20, 2015
Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been strongly linked with a move to his former club AC Milan this summer, and now Rossoneri midfielder Andrea Bertolacci has claimed that he would love the Swede to join him at the San Siro.
Aston Villa striker Christian Benteke is widely expected to join Liverpool this summer, and his former boss Paul Lambert has said that he thinks the Belgian will prove to be a big success at Anfield.
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Eibar have completed the signing of former Wigan Athletic defender Ivan Ramis. The 30-year-old has inked a one-year deal with the La Liga club, after passing a medical on Monday afternoon.
Bologna have announced the signing of former Italy international Matteo Brighi. The 34-year-old was released by Sassuolo earlier this summer, but he will now spend the next season with the newly-promoted club.
Here's some news from France, where defender Samuel Umtiti has extended his contract with Lyon. The 21-year-old has been linked with a move to Chelsea this summer, but he has now committed his future to the Ligue 1 club. Highly-rated midfielder Jordan Ferri has also extended his contract with Les Gones.
DONE DEAL! Bristol City have completed the signing of Jonathan Kodjia from Ligue 1 club Angers. The 25-year-old has inked a three-year contract with the Robins, for a fee of €3m (£2.1m).
NEWS: Jonathan Kodjia becomes #BristolCity's first summer signing. http://t.co/J5NeuxLyCR pic.twitter.com/dIrpfntxMp
— Bristol City FC (@bcfctweets) July 20, 2015
There are differing reports coming out tonight regarding Bayern Munich's Thomas Muller. First, German media reported that United have made a £70m bid for the 25-year-old, but that has reportedly been denied by a United official.
That is it for today, and it has been a rare, quiet day in the transfer window. We will be back from 7am though, for all of Tuesday's big transfer news.
Written by
Danielle Joynson
Danielle Joynson
