Live Coverage: Transfer Talk - July 23

Welcome to Sports Mole's live transfer blog on Thursday, July 23.

Speculation surrounding potential player arrivals and departures continues to dominate the headlines as we gear up for the new football season.

Many clubs home and abroad have already strengthened their squads significantly, but with more than five weeks to go until business must cease, there is plenty of time for more money to be spent.

Throughout the day, we will update you with all the latest transfer developments.

1.56amThank you all for joining us today. We'll be back in the morning with more news and gossip as the summer transfer window continues to rumble on...

1.53amOne more story before we head off tonight. Hibernian coach Alan Stubbs has moved to fend off any interest in midfielder Scott Allan from Rangers. Stubbs has insisted that the 23-year-old will not be sold to the Ibrox club.

1.18amSouthampton have been rocked by the news that young centre-back Florin Gardos could face up to seven months out with a knee injury, which may force Ronald Koeman to delve into the transfer market a little deeper than he might have expected.

12.24amMore exciting gossip coming out of Old Trafford now... Several outlets are carrying a report that the Red Devils have offered Paris Saint-Germain striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic a three-year contract worth around Â£7m to join the former Premier League champions.

11.55pmUnited's reported attempts to sign a striker have been the subject of intense debate over the past few days. This evening the Manchester Evening News has suggested that the club are now working on a deal to bring Cristiano Ronaldo back to Old Trafford this summer.

11.25pmSpeculation has continued to mount regarding Ashley Young's contract situation at Manchester United. According to one report this evening, his former club Aston Villa are watching his position closely.

10.58pmBenjamin Stambouli completed a move from Tottenham Hotspur to Paris Saint-Germain earlier this week, but he admits that the French moneybags have taken a "gamble" on signing him.

10.24pmIf you missed it a litter earlier, Crystal Palace today completed the signing of Alex McCarthy from Queens Park Rangers. The 25-year-old joins the Eagles for a fee in the region of Â£3.5m.

9.33pmNicolas Otamendi has been heavily linked with Manchester United of late, but Paco Alcacer has stressed that his Valencia teammate should stay put this summer.

9.06pmCardiff City midfielder Peter Whittingham may have dropped below his best levels over the past couple of seasons, but according to Russell Slade the Englishman is still very much in demand. Two clubs have had bids knocked back for the former Aston Villa man, who could play a key part for the Bluebirds once more this coming season.

7.40pmRangers have certainly been active of late, but they have reportedly had a second bid for Hibernian midfielder Scott Allan rejected this evening. Don't worry, the same report suggests that a third bid is imminent.

6.55pmTRANSFER UPDATE! With the sun setting on another busy day in the summer transfer window, why not take a look at our nightly roundup? All of Thursday's deals and gossip so far can be found here.

6.42pmBurnley defender Luke Conlan has joined St Mirren on a season-long loan. More here.

6.20pmSaint-Etienne defender Florentin Pogba has extended his stay with the Ligue 1 club until 2018. The 24-year-old scored one goal in 22 appearances for Christophe Galtier's side last season.

6.01pmSome news from Spain now as Levante defender Ivan Lopez signs a new contract with the La Liga club until 2020.

5.39pmRobbie Fowler has claimed that Christian Benteke should be a success at former club Liverpool. The Belgian striker joined the Reds from Aston Villa on Wednesday for a fee of around Â£32.5m.

5.15pmDerby have also been busy in the transfer market today, bringing in defender Jason Shackell from Burnley.

BREAKING: #DCFC has today completed the permanent signing of Jason Shackell from @BurnleyOfficial #SkyBetTransferFund pic.twitter.com/PK8DpNkoEY

— Derby County (@dcfcofficial) July 23, 2015

5.10pmDONE DEAL! Crystal Palace have completed the signing of goalkeeper Alex McCarthy from QPR. You can read more about that story here.

4.48pmDerby County have reached an agreement with Burnley for the transfer of Jason Shackell. The 31-year-old defender is now free to discuss personal terms with the Rams, who he will rejoin three years after being signed by Burnley.

4.22pmPreston North End boss Simon Grayson has hinted that the club is considering a fresh bid for Chesterfield defender Tendayi Darikwa.

4.02pmDONE DEAL! It's been made official in the last few moments - West Bromwich Albion goalkeeper Boaz Myhill has signed a contract extension with the club. You can read all about it here.

3.51pmWest Bromwich Albion have reportedly entered an "advanced stage" of discussions over a new contract for goalkeeper Boaz Myhill.

3.27pmWest Ham United co-chairman David Gold has revealed that the club is hoping to sign up to two more players before the start of the season. More here.

3.04pmElliot Parish has signed a one-year contract with Colchester United. The goalkeeper had been a free agent since the end of last season when he was among a list of 17 players that was released by Blackpool.

2.30pmDiego Fabbrini and Robert Tesche impressed Birmingham City supporters last season and Blues boss Gary Rowett says that he is working on signing the pair permanently.

1.49pmOne of the three clubs relegated from the Premier League last season are reportedly interested in signing Ryan Taylor, who is a free agent after leaving Newcastle United this summer.

1.34pmRodolph Austin has captained Jamaica to a historic run to the final at the CONCACAF Gold Cup, but he is without a club after being released by Leeds United. That might not be the case for much longer, as six clubs are said to be interested in him.

1.24pmCould Abou Diaby be joining a Premier League club after leaving Arsenal this summer? Click here to find out who has been linked with a move for the midfielder.

1.11pmIt would be a big shock if Manchester United were able to poach Thomas Muller from Bayern Munich and these words from Karl-Heinz Rummenigge suggest that it's not happening this summer.

12.56pmBREAKING! Like Patrick Bamford, Tomas Kalas has signed a new three-year contact with Chelsea after being sent out on loan for the 2015-16 campaign.

12.39pmThere's said to be interest from Manchester Untied, but West Ham co-chairman David Gold insists that there are no plans to sell striker Diafra Sakho.

12.31pmClick here for the latest on Jason Shackell's mooted return to Derby County from Burnley. The Rams are certainly gearing up for a run at promotion after making several impressive signings already this summer.

12.16pmRemember Manucho? It didn't work out for the striker at Manchester United, but he has signed a new deal at his current club, so must be doing something right.

12.08pmStaying with Palace - one of their youngsters has been sent to Plymouth Argyle on a half-season loan. Find out who right here.

11.54amCrystal Palace winger Yannick Bolasie certainly caught the eye at the back end of last season, but could he be on his way out of Selhurst Park? According to this report, three Premier League clubs - Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United and Aston Villa - have each shown an interest in the DR Congo international.

11.35am"It is not clear if he will continue here" - the words of Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini when asked about the future of Edin Dzeko. Serie A side Roma are rumoured to be strongly interested in the Bosnian striker. Read Pellegrini's comments in full right here.

11.06amDropping down to the Championship now, and Brighton & Hove Albion appear to have pulled off a big coup by landing a Real Madrid striker. Okay, it may only be a Madrid Juvenile player, but Jack Harper joins the Seagulls with six years of experience under his belt at one of the world's biggest clubs.

10.36amAngel di Maria's future still appears to be unclear, with reports from the Middle East suggesting that Paris Saint-Germain - the frontrunners to sign him - have now withdrawn from talks.

9.43amNews of Wojciech Szczesny's switch to Roma hardly comes by surprise, but further details are emerging with regards to his contract at the Italian club. According to reports, Roma will pay Arsenal an initial fee of Â£250,000 to take the Polish stopper on a season-long loan. Read more.

9.17amSome big transfer news emerging this morning concerning Arturo Vidal, who has all-but completed a move to Bayern Munich. The Juventus midfield ace has agreed terms with the Bavarian giants, with only a medical standing between him and a Â£28m switch to the Allianz Arena.

8.07amChelsea's interest in Everton defender John Stones has been widely reported. There were reports that the Premier League champions are on the verge of increasing their initial Â£20 offer, which was rejected by the Toffees. However, during a press conference in the US last night, Blues boss Jose Mourinho claimed that a fresh bid has NOT been tabled and he is happy to start the season with the squad that he has now.

8.06amBefore we go any further, let's take a look at the stories that have dominated the transfer headlines over the past 13 hours or so. Click here to rummage through our roundup.

7.12amAn early line to bring you comes from the mouth of Real Madrid boss Rafael Benitez. Overnight, the Spaniard was asked about Sergio Ramos's current situation. If you're not aware (and if you're not, where have you been?!), Manchester United are reportedly keen to sign the defender, who is not believed to be the happiest of players at the Bernabeu currently. However, Benitez has told reporters that the Spain international is "100%" staying at the La Liga club. The transfer window can spring surprises on us, so despite Benitez's stance, this may not be the last we hear of this story.

7.00amGood morning everyone! We have less than six weeks to go before the summer transfer window slams shut, so there is plenty of time for clubs up and down the country, as well as abroad, to make additions to their squads. Will Manchester City's Â£49m fee for Raheem Sterling be bettered? Well, only time will tell.