Transfer news...

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Following his up and down managerial career at Argentina, Diego Maradona is now set to take on a new challenge in Dubai Last Modified: 16 May 2011 14:18 Email Print Share Feedback ​

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[TD="class: articleTitle"] Maradona appointed coach of Dubai's Al Wasl [/TD]

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[TD="align: center"] It remains unclear whether Maradona can be a successful manager without an adoring nation behind him [GETTY]
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Argentinean legend Diego Maradona has signed a two-season contract to coach Dubai's Al Wasl, the club announced on Monday.
"Al Wasl can now confirm soliciting the services of one of the greatest footballers of all time."
The deal was finalised "after lengthy negotiations held with Maradona" said the club, adding that they hoped the 50-year-old former Argentina captain would take the team to new heights.
Maradona's name had been mentioned in connection with several coaching jobs since he was sacked as Argentina coach in 2010, notably in the English Premier League and in Iran, but nothing came of these speculations.
Lucrative contract?
Details of Maradona's contract will be revealed at a news conference next month when he's introduced to the club.
"The value of the contract is worthy of the stature and reputation of the great legend," Marwan Bin Bayat, chairman of Al Wasl Football Co, said.
A source told Reuters on Sunday that the deal was 85 percent done.
Maradona captained Argentina to World Cup glory in 1986 and during his 21-year playing career won 91 caps and scored 34 goals.
His coaching career started at Textil Mandiyu in 1994, moving onto Racing Club the following year before he took charge of the Argentina national side in November 2008.
He subsequently oversaw an occasionally chaotic World Cup qualifying campaign that included a record 6-1 drubbing at altitude in Bolivia.
Initially, the side played well in South Africa and won all three group matches before beating Mexico in the last 16, but Germany thrashed the two-time champions 4-0 in the quarter-finals and Maradona was given the boot soon after.
The Argentine Football Association made the decision not to renew his contract when Maradona objected to changes in his backroom team.
While the passion Maradona installed in the Argentina players was evident for the world to see, his tactical skills as a coach have been largely untested.
The appointment of the outspoken Maradona is likely to capture the attention of Dubai's sports media with the player considered one of football's most controversial and newsworthy figures.
Following Argentina's qualification for the 2010 World Cup, Maradona was banned from all footballing activity for two months after using abusive language at a live post-game press conference.
Flexing finances
Maradona takes up the job with Al Wasl, who are fourth in the domestic league, 16 points behind leaders Al Jazira, with five matches to go.
Signing Maradona is the latest move by Dubai to flex its football muscles after a private firm Royal Emirates Group bought struggling Spanish La Liga club Getafe for up to $127.1 million last month.
Former Italy World Cup-winning captain Fabio Cannavaro plays for Dubai rivals Al Ahli.
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[Rutashubanyuma]

Former coach of Argentina accuses top football official of spreading false information about drug and alcohol addiction. Last Modified: 24 Dec 2010 15:54 GMT Email Print Share Feedback ​

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[TD="class: articleTitle"] Maradona 'to sue' AFA president [/TD]

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[TD="align: center"] Maradona said that he had not taken any drugs or alcohol for six years [GALLO/GETTY] [/TD]

Diego Maradona has said that he will be taking Julio Grondona, the president of the Argentine Football Association, to court, accusing him of spreading false information about his problems with drugs and alcohol.
In an interview published on Friday, Maradona told Clarin, a newspaper in Argentina, that he had not taken any drugs or alcohol for six years.

Grondona, 79, had implied in a television interview this week that Maradona was using them again.
"There are reasons for what happens [with Maradona] and everybody knows them," Grondona said.
Maradona said he had contacted his lawyers about filing a case, though the timeline for legal action is not clear.
Maradona and Grondona have been at loggerheads since July, when Maradona's contract as national team coach was not renewed.

Grondona, who had initially hired Maradona in 2008, had offered to keep him on, but on the condition that he fire some of his assistants.
When Maradona refused, he was dismissed and replaced by Sergio Batista. He has been unable to find work since then.
Maradona has repeatedly accused Grondona of "betrayal," and has also railed against Carlos Bilardo, the general manager of the Argentina team.

In an interview on Monday, Maradona accused Grondona of being senile, calling him "gaga" in Spanish and suggesting he was receiving treatments several times a year at an expensive Swiss clinic.
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[Rutashubanyuma]

[h=1]Scott Parker completes £5.5m switch to Tottenham from West Ham[/h] • Parker seals move ahead of transfer deadline
• 30-year-old joined West Ham for £7m in 2007

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• David Hytner
• guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 31 August 2011 14.56 BST Article history
  
  
  Scott Parker has completed his move to Tottenham. Photograph: Mike Hewitt/Getty
  
  Scott Parker has completed his protracted move to Tottenham Hotspur for £5.5m to the delight of Harry Redknapp, who had been hoping to sign him since the end of last season.
  The West Ham United midfielder becomes Redknapp's third significant addition of the summer, following Brad Friedel and Emmanuel Adebayor, and the captures reinforce the sense that Redknapp has managed to persuade the chairman, Daniel Levy, to alter his transfer market vision. Levy has tended to prefer young players with potential sell-on value.
  Redknapp has made no secret of his admiration for Parker, who was voted as the Football Writers' player of the season despite West Ham's relegation, but he feared that Parker's £70,000-a-week wages, together with the requirement to give a long-term contract to a 30-year-old, would make the deal impossible.
  Tottenham have looked elsewhere for midfield reinforcements, principally to Real Madrid for Lassana Diarra, but they had always kept Parker on their list of targets. Redknapp said after Sunday's 5-1 home loss to Manchester City that "the place needs a lift and I've told that to the chairman", and Parker, a boyhood Tottenham fan, who has been linked to the club on numerous previous occasions, has now helped to provide it.
  Tottenham want to play Parker alongside Luka Modric and behind Rafael van der Vaart in a midfield of genuine quality. Aaron Lennon and Gareth Bale provide the width. Adebayor's arrival will give Redknapp the option of using a 4-2-3-1 formation.
  Tottenham will be Parker's fourth club in the capital, after Charlton Athletic, Chelsea and West Ham, while he has also had spells at Newcastle United and Norwich City on loan. He has found himself in the difficult position this summer of wanting the transfer to Tottenham, who are West Ham's local rivals, but having to wait for it and being able to say nothing.
  Sam Allardyce, the West Ham manager, has long since accepted that Parker would leave but he had consistently said he did not want to leave the business until too close to the transfer deadline. But that can be wishing thinking when dealing with Tottenham and so it has proved.
  Parker sat out West Ham's 4-1 win at Nottingham Forest on Sunday and he has felt that, despite his affection for the club, he could not play in the Championship this season if he was to remain in the plans of the England manager, Fabio Capello, plans for Euro 2012.
  
  

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

[h=1]Scott Parker completes £5.5m switch to Tottenham from West Ham[/h] • Parker seals move ahead of transfer deadline
• 30-year-old joined West Ham for £7m in 2007

• • reddit this

• David Hytner
• guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 31 August 2011 14.56 BST Article history
  
  
  Scott Parker has completed his move to Tottenham. Photograph: Mike Hewitt/Getty
  
  Scott Parker has completed his protracted move to Tottenham Hotspur for £5.5m to the delight of Harry Redknapp, who had been hoping to sign him since the end of last season.
  The West Ham United midfielder becomes Redknapp's third significant addition of the summer, following Brad Friedel and Emmanuel Adebayor, and the captures reinforce the sense that Redknapp has managed to persuade the chairman, Daniel Levy, to alter his transfer market vision. Levy has tended to prefer young players with potential sell-on value.
  Redknapp has made no secret of his admiration for Parker, who was voted as the Football Writers' player of the season despite West Ham's relegation, but he feared that Parker's £70,000-a-week wages, together with the requirement to give a long-term contract to a 30-year-old, would make the deal impossible.
  Tottenham have looked elsewhere for midfield reinforcements, principally to Real Madrid for Lassana Diarra, but they had always kept Parker on their list of targets. Redknapp said after Sunday's 5-1 home loss to Manchester City that "the place needs a lift and I've told that to the chairman", and Parker, a boyhood Tottenham fan, who has been linked to the club on numerous previous occasions, has now helped to provide it.
  Tottenham want to play Parker alongside Luka Modric and behind Rafael van der Vaart in a midfield of genuine quality. Aaron Lennon and Gareth Bale provide the width. Adebayor's arrival will give Redknapp the option of using a 4-2-3-1 formation.
  Tottenham will be Parker's fourth club in the capital, after Charlton Athletic, Chelsea and West Ham, while he has also had spells at Newcastle United and Norwich City on loan. He has found himself in the difficult position this summer of wanting the transfer to Tottenham, who are West Ham's local rivals, but having to wait for it and being able to say nothing.
  Sam Allardyce, the West Ham manager, has long since accepted that Parker would leave but he had consistently said he did not want to leave the business until too close to the transfer deadline. But that can be wishing thinking when dealing with Tottenham and so it has proved.
  Parker sat out West Ham's 4-1 win at Nottingham Forest on Sunday and he has felt that, despite his affection for the club, he could not play in the Championship this season if he was to remain in the plans of the England manager, Fabio Capello, plans for Euro 2012.
  
  

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

[h=1]Transfer deadline day – part one[/h] • This blog has ended. Coverage continues here

• Joe Cole joins Lille on season-long loan
• All today's completed deadline day deals

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'Move, move quick, you've gotta move. Come on it's through, come on it's time …' Photograph: Philippe Huguen/AFP/Getty Images

Morning all. Ah, Transfer Deadline Day. The final gleaming of summer tittle-tattle before the window slams shut and we leave the lush, verdant fields of idle speculation where gossip grows on trees like golden fruit and enter the apocalyptic post-window landscape – barren, windswept, desolate, with nothing but the odd loan-deal-to-Bristol-City scuttling under the nearest rock. You may have read this intro before - here - but I quite enjoyed it the first time, and it saves me a job. Anyway here is a recap of what happened on Tuesday and a scene-setter for today's events:
• Manchester City are convinced Owen Hargreaves can resurrect his career at the Etihad Stadium as they prepare to hand the former Manchester United midfielder a surprise one-year contract.
• Per Mertesacker, Park Chu-young and André Santos are to all join Arsenal. Chris Samba, Yann M'Vila and Marvin Martin could follow before tonight's 11pm BST deadline.
• Lille are on the verge of completing a season's loan for Joe Cole, thereby satisfying Liverpool's desire to save at least some of the 29-year-old's weekly wage of £90,000. Liverpool have also completed the signing of the Uruguay international defender Sebastián Coates "on a long-term contract" from Nacional.
• Sunderland have resurrected their interest in Peter Crouch before what promises to be a frantic deadline day at Tottenham as Harry Redknapp makes room for the arrival of Scott Parker from West Ham.
• Newcastle United could turn their attention towards Manchester United's Federico Macheda after completing the signing of Davide Santon from Internazionale on a five-year contract.
• And Rangers have rejected a bid worth £6.5m from Leicester City for Nikica Jelavic.
8.50am: Of course, today is the day live sports news channels come into their own. Well, sort of. Let's see which reporter comes out on top in my patent Transfer Deadline Day Report Scoring System™:
1pt - Reporter standing outside stadium
2pt - Reporter standing in lay-by near training ground
3pt - Use of the word "sources"
5pt - Snatched conversation with manager through car window
7pt - Sighting of players' family member
10pt - Use of the phrase "We don't know"
8.58am: We've just had a 7pt score on Sky Sports News. Nicklas Bendtner's father has been spotted at Stoke.
9.02am: I've had two emails so far, both of them arriving at exactly 8.49am, both concerning Darron Gibson. I smell a conspiracy. AND HERE'S HARRY REDKNAPP THROUGH THE CAR WINDOW! Scott Parker due in and Luka Modric stays "1,000,000%".
9.04am: It seems Redknapp has a left-hand drive motor vehicle. Either that or Sky have filmed their interview with him in a mirror.
9.05am: "Three signings for Arsenal, plus all their injured/banned players back, and they can still mount a serious challenge for the league," writes Jairzhino, below the line. "Yep, i said it. Laugh all you like."
9.12am: "That points systems is all well and good on a base level, but what about the vagaries of the moronic SSN outside reporter?" writes Stephen Holford. "How many points, for instance, would Jim White score as he arthriticly chases a blacked-out Range Rover from the barrier at Wigan's training ground in the vague hope that one of Steve Bruce's remaining Central American Fancy Dan/Cloggers is inside and on their way to West Brom and will stop and say: 'Yes mad Scottish hyperbole man, I am getting six Mars bars and a bag of Mitre balls to sign on'? Nil, maybe."
9.13am: News from the Sky Sports Yellow Ticker of Doom: Stoke have agreed a fee with Birmingham for Cameron Jerome, Blackburn have agreed a fee with Birmingham for Scott Dann and Wigan have agreed a fee with Celtic for Shaun Maloney.
9.16am: So what's happening outside the Premier League? "Brighton, currently top of the Championship (forgive me - it makes me smile to write that...) are signing a striker today, according to Gus," writes Dan Coomber. "Problem is there are so many rumours about who it is - I've heard Billy Paynter, Luciano Becchio, Lukaku on loan (after his Stoke loan was blocked; imagine him in the Championship?!), Benik Afobe & Jordan Rhodes. Any ideas/news from your end?" I think Daniel Bogdanovic would be a perfect fit. Meanwhile, Leicester can't wait to spend big with some people on Twitter sources suggesting a £10m spree and Millwall are looking to make three signings, according to @aldo_slp.
9.20am: And in Europe: Atletico Madrid are keen on Wolfsburg's Diego, Milan want Barcelona's Maxwell and next-big-thing Miralem Pjanic looks set to leave Lyon for Roma.
9.26am: Here's our man in the Midlands, Stuart James, on what lies ahead today:

Not expecting anything too exciting in the Midlands region today (cue Lionel Messi signing for WBA at 11pm) but Villa and Stoke are, on the face of it, likely to be the busiest clubs in the area. Alex McLeish wants a replacement for Luke Young, with the Aston Villa manager expected to sign Alan Hutton from Tottenham for £3m. He is also after a midfielder and has looked at Middlesbrough's Rhys Williams, who can play in a number of positions. What they really need, though, is a No10 to pull the strings behind Darren Bent… isn't that what Stephen Ireland is supposed to do?
Stoke have endured a largely frustrating window up until now but the signing of Wilson Palacios for £8m from Spurs should go through despite all going quiet over the past 24 hours. Tony Pulis, the Stoke manager, is also in the market for a striker, possibly Birmingham's Cameron Jerome, and a winger to offer cover for Jermaine Pennant and Matthew Etherington. Birmingham's left-back Liam Ridgewell is also of interest.
Mick McCarthy likes to get his business done early in the window (if only they were all like that, says a hack that wishes the shutters came down a month ago) but there is a chance the Wolves manager will try to bring in a striker, maybe on loan, because of the ankle injury Sylvan-Ebanks Blake suffered last week.
Albion could well shift some dead wood – Marek Cech and Roman Bednar come to mind. Ridgewell is also on their radar.
As for Swansea (which I've been told comes under the Midlands – must remember to take a map into the office next time I venture down to London), Brendan Rodgers, their manager, is desperate to bring in a midfielder and, in particular, a couple of defenders. The latter has become a more pressing need because of Alan Tate's freak accident on the golf course.
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9.44am: Here's our man in the north, Ewan Murray, with what could be on the cards today:

Blackburn could step up their interest in Scott Dann today. Steve Kean is also looking for a striker- Luca Toni and Yakubu the latest big names to be linked with Rovers. Bolton also have an interest in Dann, although that is linked to the potential departure of Gary Cahill...
Barring late and unlikely disaster, Shaun Maloney will sign for Wigan from Celtic. Georgios Samaras could also leave Parkhead although to date Celtic have had no more than basic enquiries for the Greek striker. Celtic are desperate to sign a left back, Liam Ridgewell and Nicky Shorey linked with them again this morning, and potentially another forward.
Rangers' biggest fear is that Leicester come back with an improved bid for Nikica Jelavic after £6.5m was knocked back yesterday. Steve Davis has also been subject of continued admiring glances from England; Leicester, Blackburn Rovers and Aston Villa among those who like the Rangers midfielder.
Newcastle and Sunderland both in the market for strikers. Nile Ranger expected to leave St James's Park for Birmingham with Alan Pardew declaring an interest both in Federico Macheda and Sochaux's Modibo Maiga. Peter Crouch remains firmly on Steve Bruce's radar despite scepticism over whether or not he would move to the north east.
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9.45am: And here's our London football correspondent, Dominic Fifield:

Chelsea's attempts to strengthen will most likely concentrate on striking a deal with Porto for Alvaro Pereira, though the clubs are still apparently some distance apart in their valuations of the Uruguayan. He still appears the most probable of the potential new arrivals, with interest in Luka Modric and Raul Meireles effectively knocked back by Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool respectively. I wouldn't see either deal being completed.... then again, I did envisage Spurs and Manchester City drawing 0-0 at White Hart Lane on Sunday, so what do I know? Chelsea will try and trim the squad, with the likes of Yossi Benayoun, Alex and Florent Malouda effectively available if acceptable offers (or, indeed, any firm offers) actually materialise. Expect the likes of Ryan Bertrand (Nottingham Forest), Ulises Davila (Vitesse Arnhem) and maybe even Patrick van Aanholt to go out on loan deals either now or when the emergency loan window opens next month.
Both Fulham and Queen's Park Rangers have an opportunity to demonstrate their own ambitions today. Martin Jol will hope Bryan Ruiz completes a £10.6m move from FC Twente - an eye-catching signing - and maybe Andre Pierre Gignac in from Marseille on a season-long loan. QPR, bolstered by Tony Fernandes' finances, retain interest in Peter Crouch at Spurs, Anton Ferdinand at Sunderland and Shaun Wright-Phillips at Manchester City, any of whom would represent a fine addition for the struggle against relegation to come.
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9.47am: Here's our Merseyside and Manchester man, Andy Hunter:

At Manchester United, Sir Alex Ferguson opens a stack of begging letters from his mates in the LMA asking for a loan of, well, anyone. He pens another polite rejection letter to Big Sam but sits back to consider offers for Federico Macheda, Mame Biram Diouf, Darron Gibson and others.
Over the road at City, Roberto Mancini's in a foul mood because he can't spend any more after today, but cheers himself up by typing 'Owen Hargreaves Fitness' into YouTube.
At Wigan, Roberto Martinez will complete the signing of Shaun Maloney from Celtic and hypnotise him into thinking he's Charles N'Zogbia.
Kenny Dalglish has instructed the ground staff at Melwood to put 'No Golf' signs on the training pitches in case Craig Bellamy gets a golden handshake from Manchester City. There's still room for a few more in at Liverpool, despite Sebastian Coates becoming their sixth signing of the window last night, and there are fingers-crossed that Joe Cole, Christian Poulsen and David Ngog will be on their way.
And then there's Everton. Jagielka, Baines, Rodwell, Fellaini and Arteta all linked with big money exits, Yakubu refusing to budge on the remainder of his lucrative contract (and who can shift him?) and poor old Joseph Yobo fretting over an on-off-on-off move to alleged match-fixers Fenerbahce. But you may as well have Chief Wiggum from The Simpsons stood outside Finch Farm than a Sky reporter today. "Move along, nothing to see here."
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9.53am: A few rumours doing the rounds on Twitter: Keisuke Honda is being linked with Arsenal, Stoke are distancing themselves from link to Cameron Jerome, Aston Villa are in talks with three players and Mauro Zarate could be on the move.
10.04am: Timo Staudacher writes with news from Germany: Hamburg's Eljero Elia has joined Juventus, while Michael Bradley has swapped Borussia Moenchengladbach for Chievo Verona.
10.09am: Crystal Palace's Wilfried Zaha, also linked with Fulham over the weekend, has tweeted to ease the minds of Eagles fans. "On my way to paint balling today...can't wait 😀"
10.05am: Andre Pierre Gignac is apparently notable by his absence from Marseille training today - Fulham has been suggested as a possible destination.
10.12am: Sky Sports News are reporting that QPR are in talks with Craig Bellamy.
10.16am: Here's Stuart James with news from St Andrew's: "Reliably told that Birmingham have not yet received any bids for Cameron Jerome, Scott Dann or Liam Ridgewell." Could be a very bad day for Blues transfer-wise. Jean Beausejour was linked with Wigan in one of the tabloids this morning. Exodus on the cards?
10.19am: More Twitter news: @BelgoFoot: "French media saying #lfc want option on Hazard to be in the loan deal for Joe Cole to Lille." DJones_People: "Let's see what happens with Clint Dempsey today. Three clubs definitely interested - could be a disaster for Fulham if they bid." MirrorAnderson: "David Ngog has agreed to join Bolton from Liverpool for £4m." And perhaps most intriguingly: @TomHuddlestone6: "Can't believe who just sneaked into the training ground the back way! Wow"
10.25am: Sky's man on the spot in Swansea has nabbed Brendan Rogers for a chat in the car park. "Lots of calls, busy time, speaking to lots of people." Defender a priority, says the Swans manager.
10.30am: Watch Sky Sports News, check Twitter and read this blog while listening to this. Works a treat.
10.33am: Here's our man Dominic Fifield on Twitter: "I may have to turn SSN off. It's making me feel anxious. And Jim White hasn't even started his shift yet…" Apparently Mr White won't be making his appearance til 8pm tonight, running the last leg of the proverbial relay.
10.36am: "Do you think we should have a clubs' and managers' transfer deadline day too?" wonders Gary Naylor. "On a designated Thursday, various shifty looking billionaires could assemble in a big London hotel and pair off into darkened rooms that might have a whiff of the private lap dance about them, before they emerge smiling, arms around shoulders and agreeing to drive lorryloads of lucre to each others' estates. Having settled that on the Thursday, the Friday would be managers' deadline day when they would have to parade in front of the owners (possibly once in bathing suits and once in evening dress) before being given their club for the season. I think Jesus Gil used this method to good effect in the 80s. Finally, when the music stops, the first manager to blink gets Craig Bellamy."
10.37am: A done deal. Gillingham's Simon King joins Plymouth on loan. He was something of a lower-league next-big-thing a year or two ago.
10.40am: The Gary-Cahill-to-Spurs-o-meter has gone through the roof. Rumours abound that Bolton have accepted a bid.
10.45am: Another confirmed deal: I have just sealed a move for a latte. Unfortunately a late bid for a croissant collapsed.

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

10.48am: A bit more on what is pretty much the only concrete news so far: Simon King to Plymouth. "Was highly influential in our promotion season three years ago and looked like he would be playing in the Championship sooner rather than later," writes Gillingham fan Owain Cooke, "but injured his ankle in the following pre-season and has been out for the best part of the two years since. Fingers crossed this will help him get back to where he should be." Also outside the top-flight, rumours are that Joe Garner is going to swap Nottingham Forest for Watford. Always as strange semi-vital day for teams in the Championship, League One and League Two this, what with the loan window still to come. A lot of sides more concerned with hanging on to what they've got than adding anyone new.
10.56am: "#CFC will offer £30m plus Florent Malouda to #THFC in exchange for Luka Modric. #THFC have asked for Didier Drogba," reckons journalist Ian McGarry on Twitter.
10.59am: "A latte John?! And a croissant?" writes an incredulous and mysterious 'Simon'. "And just how are these fancy foreign imports going to fare on a cold night in February at Stoke? Eh? Eh? What you need is a mug of British Bovril and a Ginster's."
11.02am: Footballers aren't always the most insightful or erudite on Twitter – although Tom Huddlestone deserves a hat tip for his apparent little wind-up earlier on – but this tweet from Forest's Joe Garner (@Garns14) just about sums up the day so far.
11.08am: Here's our man with his head metaphorically through Harry Redknapp's car window, David Hytner:

Tottenham are the undisputed masters of last-gasp deadline day shenanigans, good and bad, and it will be another frantic day for them, with Harry Redknapp desperate to strengthen. After Sunday's 5-1 home defeat to Manchester City, he noted that "the place needs a lift and I've told that to the chairman".
It's worth noting, as things stand at around 11am, that Redknapp has 29 senior players (this number includes Ben Alnwick and Jake Livermore, who is not an under-21) and so the manager has to trim before he can buy. Wilson Palacios is Stoke City-bound and plenty of others have been pushed towards the door, chief among them Peter Crouch (Stoke or Sunderland) and Alan Hutton (Aston Villa). Redknapp would dearly love to get rid of David Bentley and Giovani dos Santos while Alnwick, Sebastien Bassong and Jermaine Jenas are being hawked around although, frankly, everyone at the club has his price.
Scott Parker is ready to join from West Ham United while Redknapp also wants to add Lassana Diarra from Real Madrid and Craig Bellamy from Manchester City. The Bolton Wanderers centre-half Gary Cahill would be the dream deadline day capture.
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[Rutashubanyuma]

11.10am: And here's Stuart James with more news on Nicklas Bendtner:

Sources in Denmark tell me that Bendtner is training with the national team right now and that he has refused to comment on his future until tomorrow. I was told yesterday that it was "very unlikely" Stoke would sign him... which in football speak means he'll be unveiled at the Britannia Stadium in the morning. If he does move to another club, his new shirt number will be intriguing given those vicious rumours that the 52 on his back at Arsenal is his weekly wage.
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11.11am: "Is Bovril and a Ginster's not a little bit too much English grit for a title challenge?" writes Chris Cheetham. "They'd surely come unstuck in the latter rounds of a European campaign? Perhaps the answer could be the hard work of the Bovril with the continental flare and guile of a croissant if you're going to break down a stubborn German defence come May..." Bovril and and croissant can't play together surely?
11.15am: A conspiracy theory doing the rounds: Mario Balotelli's player profile page on the Manchester City website isn't working. Which, of course, can only mean one thing: he's off to Spurs.
11.20am: My colleague Penny Woods points me towards the Transfer Gossip section of the Liverpool website.
11.22am: "Exciting news for Manchester United fans!" squeal Sky Sports News. "We will bring you the news as soon as we get it." Eh?
11.23am: Something fishy going on at Spurs – is that a diminutive Croatian midfield schemer?
11.24am: Sky sources reckon Aston Villa are in talks with Joe Cole. Think that was a mentioned possibility yesterday.
11.27am: "Bovril and Croissant can't play together, no," writes Elliot Carr-Barnsley. "If you look at how well the Cappucino has settled into the British game, it's not a stretch to see an Espresso and a high end shop bought Ploughmans sandwich linking well together." Fair point.

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

11.33am: So a quick recap of the big deals so far:
• Erm …
• Ah …
• Well, there's … erm …
• And that's about it.
But there is, of course, plenty of speculation and near-deals doing the rounds:
• Joe Cole seems to be in talks with Aston Villa
• Craig Bellamy is wanted by QPR
• Gary Cahill is in line for a move to Spurs
• Peter Crouch is heading to Stoke or Sunderland
11.41am: The Press Association have news on Newcastle target Papiss Demba Cisse – and he seems to be going nowhere. "The issue has been dealt with," said Freiburg's wonderfully-named director of sport Dirk Dufner. "He is a very special lad and we are fortunate that he is with us. We want to enjoy this fortune for a little while longer."
11.43am: Here's our man with his finger on the Arsenal pulse, David Hytner:

Arsenal seem to have taken a leaf out of Tottenham's book and they are currently casting about the market. They have three bites in the shape of Per Mertesacker, Park Chu-young and André Santos and plenty more fish in the sea. The biggest ones, though are expensive; Yann M'Vila, Marvin Martin, Mikel Arteta, Eden Hazard …
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11.45am: Sky Sports News haven't come back on their "Exciting news for Manchester United fans" line.
11.48am: "Scott Dann now in talks with Blackburn," writes our ITK man Ewan Murray.
11.49am: The Rumour-o-meter has gone up a notch. Sneijder to Manchester United, Mario Balotelli out of Manchester City, and the Modric-to-Chelsea deal not as dead as it seemed. Classic pre-lunch escalation.

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

11.33am: So a quick recap of the big deals so far:
• Erm …
• Ah …
• Well, there's … erm …
• And that's about it.
But there is, of course, plenty of speculation and near-deals doing the rounds:
• Joe Cole seems to be in talks with Aston Villa
• Craig Bellamy is wanted by QPR
• Gary Cahill is in line for a move to Spurs
• Peter Crouch is heading to Stoke or Sunderland
11.41am: The Press Association have news on Newcastle target Papiss Demba Cisse – and he seems to be going nowhere. "The issue has been dealt with," said Freiburg's wonderfully-named director of sport Dirk Dufner. "He is a very special lad and we are fortunate that he is with us. We want to enjoy this fortune for a little while longer."
11.43am: Here's our man with his finger on the Arsenal pulse, David Hytner:

Arsenal seem to have taken a leaf out of Tottenham's book and they are currently casting about the market. They have three bites in the shape of Per Mertesacker, Park Chu-young and André Santos and plenty more fish in the sea. The biggest ones, though are expensive; Yann M'Vila, Marvin Martin, Mikel Arteta, Eden Hazard …
​

11.45am: Sky Sports News haven't come back on their "Exciting news for Manchester United fans" line.
11.48am: "Scott Dann now in talks with Blackburn," writes our ITK man Ewan Murray.
11.49am: The Rumour-o-meter has gone up a notch. Sneijder to Manchester United, Mario Balotelli out of Manchester City, and the Modric-to-Chelsea deal not as dead as it seemed. Classic pre-lunch escalation.

 

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11.52am: "Bovril and croissant can't play together?" chides Simon Essex. "Rubbish! I'm sure the same people were poo-pooing the notion that Ciabatta and Earl Grey could work together, and now look at them. The problem in this country is the lack of progressive thinking. It's holding us back. Back the croissant up in midfield with a strong cheddar and a slice of Wiltshere smoked ham and he and Bovril will prove you all wrong." Earl Grey? He'd be nowhere near my first XI, rotting in the Reserves with expensive Chinese flop Lapsang Souchong.
11.54am: Here's Andy Hunter with some news from Goodison: "Everton news! Of sorts. Arsenal have made an enquiry for Mikel Arteta but the proposed fee is not even being considered by Everton. Dismissed out of hand and Arsenal have not come back with a higher offer. Looks unlikely at this stage."
11.55am: And more from Ewan Murray: "Chat at the Scotland hotel this morning is that Aston Villa have competition for Alan Hutton from another Premier League club."
11.57am: "Balotelli update!!!!" woops Josh Halliday on email. "But not the one we were hoping for. His profile page is borked because of a "problem with Opta reference", according to the web wonks that run the MCFC site." Ah, well.

 

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11.59am: Ooh, I like this. More conspiracy fun: "If you go to the Manchester United official website (not the splash page), a pic of Wesley Sneijder comes up for about a second above the news column," writes Alexander Smith. "A web admin having some deadline-day fun, or a significant update?"
12.07pm: "Sounds to me like people are so desperate to fit Croissant into the team they've forgotten all about poor Danish Pastry, who can link up fabulously with either Espresso or Orange Juice," writes Mark Jackson. "Either duo will far outclass Bovril and Croissant. Danish has had problems with fitness, sure, but if Hargreaves can sign for City I say give the boy a chance..." And, in other news, Shaun Maloney is having his medical at Wigan.
12.11pm: Ah. "''A web admin having some deadline-day fun, or a significant update?'" writes Dave Willbe, widdling on our collective Sneijder-related chips. "Neither - it's the picture associated with the fourth news story on the column immediately to the right of the picture which, not entirely shockingly, is on transfer deadline day gossip. The reason for the brief flash is because the site is loading four pictures in that space, seemingly in reverse order. Wait on that page for all of about 30 seconds and you'll see it cycle through in a perfectly ordinary rotation."

 

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12.14pm: Here's our Midlands man Stuart James with more on Aston Villa's move for Joe Cole. "Just been told that Aston Villa have made an approach to sign Joe Cole but they fear the former England international has already decided to join Lille."
12.22pm: Sky Sports News reporting that Stoke have agreed a fee with Birmingham for Cameron Jerome, but have fallen behind Sunderland and QPR in the chase for Peter Crouch, and aren't keen on Nicklas Bendtner.
12.32pm: For the second time today I get to use my "deal done" handshake icon: Joe Cole has joined Lille on loan. Here's the official word from Liverpool.
12.39pm: Sky Sports reporting that Sunderland and QPR have agreed a fee for Anton Ferdinand. Which gives me a chance to use my "Fee agreed" icon.
12.44pm: "Time for another "deal done" icon," writes Mike Griffiths. "Macclesfield Town's Emile Sinclair has signed a three-year deal with Peterborough United. Undisclosed fee."
12.51pm: A bit of a lull has emerged. So a bit of news from outside the top flight: Leeds have released Mike Grella, it's going to be a quiet day at Burton Albion, but a busy one at Scunthorpe.
12.57pm: "Is it just me, or do Aston Villa need a kick up the arse for their attempts to sign Joe Cole?" writes Reggie Lawless. "Even the most lamentable viewing of the Guardian's football section in recent months would have alerted them to the fact he's been available all summer. All summer. Then today, when he seals the deal with Lille they appear on the horizon watching forlornly as their love interest is swept away by some French lothario."

 

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1.01pm: Swansea are in talks with Fulham defender Rafik Halliche over a possible loan move to the Liberty Stadium, according to the Press Association.
1.02pm: David Ngog has been filmed leaving Melwood with a black bin bag slung over his shoulder which Sky's man of the spot says contains "all his worldly possessions". Either he's the least materialistic footballer there is or the bin bag acts like Hermione's handbag.
1.07pm: Marca are reporting that Tottenham target Lassana Diarra has turned down a move to from Real Madrid to Milan.
1.11pm: Right, that's it from me for now. Simon Burnton will be guiding you through the next hour or so.
1.18pm: Hello world! Don't go anywhere – there'll be news of possible sightings of agents in talks regarding potential future transfer-related activity, or just stuff we've stolen from Sky Sports News correspondents in car parks, as soon as we get it. Which will be soon. Got that? Great.
1.21pm: Leicester are ready to pay £4m for Jermaine Beckford, it seems.
1.24pm: As Mark Sedgwick points out, it seems we haven't yet mentioned the possibility of Valencia's brilliant left-winger Vicente signing for Brighton. He won 38 caps for Spain but basically been injured for the last couple of years.

 

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1.26pm: Everton in signing shock! Calm down – it's not a proper, permanent one. It's Tigre striker Denis Stracqualuisi, who's all set to sign on loan. Check out nine and a half minutes of highlights we haven't had time to watch here. Or alternatively, spend nine and a half minutes trying to think of a word that rhymes with Stracqualuisi. Or is that too easy?
1.41pm: Various Twitter sources who aren't totally random but whose accuracy I can't really vouch for are linking Chelsea to Franck Ribéry and Carlos Tevez. Though not both at the same time.
1.34pm: Our man in Scotland, Ewan Murray, writes: All about what isn't happening in Scotland than what is, in many cases. Celtic have been rebuffed in a loan move for West Ham's Herita Ilunga as the player wants a long-term deal, rather than the six months Celtic would prefer. The Celtic striker Gary Hooper has been linked with Wolves but that move almost certainly won't happen unless an offer that can't be refused (circa £10m) is forthcoming. Leicester yet to bid again for Rangers' Nikica Jelavic but they retain an interest. Rangers insist offers for any of their top players wouldn't be welcome; Leicester, Aston Villa and Blackburn have been impressed by Steven Davis. Fringe players at Ibrox such as John Fleck likely to leave on loan.
1.46pm: Joe Cole is in France – and he looks right chuffed!
1.48pm: This just in from Andy Hunter in Liverpool: "Everton have not broken the mould by signing Denis Stracqualuisi just yet. They have received a £2.5m bid for Jermaine Beckford from Leicester but whether the suddenly coveted striker wants to drop down a division is another matter. They still need some money in, and several clubs are interested in Yakubu, before Everton's club secretary can blow the dust off a transfer form and invite Stracqualuisi to sign. With his own pen."
1.50pm: If Jermaine Beckford does move to Leicester, do you think he might actually update his website? Thanks to Ed Sutcliffe for pointing it out to me, by the way.

 

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1.54pm: Leeds United winger Max Gradel is also in France. And he looks even happier than Joe Cole.
2.00pm: I'm told (well, it's Twitter again) that Ajax ace Miralem Sulejmani landed at Gatwick airport within the last hour. He's been linked with Liverpool, Arsenal and Newcastle of late (and last year the Mirror reported that he'd signed for West Ham).
2.08pm: Scott Parker has moved to Tottenham – done deal!
2.02pm: Occasional Guardian contributor Jonathan Wilson tweets: "These rumours about Sulejmani … couldn't it be that he's in London because he's on his way to Belfast for the Serbia game on Friday night?" Yes Jonathan, it could.
2.09pm: And I'm handing back to John Ashdown. I'll be back in an hour or so.
2.11pm: Afternoon all. The big lunchtime news was my surprise swoop for a chorizo and cous-cous salad from St Pancras. He's going to make an impact, I'm sure.
2.16pm: The Ribery to Chelsea rumour is swirling with increasing force. A few thoughts from our very own Bundesliga boffin Raf Honigstein on Twitter (@honigstein): "A few initial thoughts. a) he's CL-tied. b) reported wages on offer far too low; c) German transfer list closed, so Bayern couldn't bring anyone in, even if they sold."
2.18pm: @The72football have just made me chuckle with this: Max Gradel looking gutted to leave Elland Road.
2.19pm: Here's Ewan Murray: "As speculated this morning, Blackburn make move for Yakubu and are understood to be talking to the player. Still no sign of movement by Spurs or anyone else on Gary Cahill. But a long way to go …"
2.21pm: And the BBC's Dan Roan (@danroan), also on Twitter, reckons that Chelsea's move for Alvaro Pereira has broken down.
2.22pm: "The man the forgotten man forgot about, Aleksandr Hleb, has joined Wolfsburg on loan as a reward for his none existent contribution to FC Barcelona's current standing as one of the greatest club sides of all time," writes David Gladwell.
2.25pm: "Just to let you know that Saint-Etienne have also signed the Romanian international Banel Nicolita from Steaua Bucharest (for €700,000)," writes Florin Faje. "This has prompted some interesting lines in Romanian sports press given that Nicolita is one (of the very few) highly popular Romas in Romania. Journalists were left to solve the paradox of a French institution actually paying a Roma to join in, at a time when the French state pays Romanian Romas to get out, a practice that got them into trouble with the EU."
2.30pm: Chelsea have confirmed 20-year-old Mexican midfielder Ulises Davila, who joined the Blues on a five-year deal from Chivas at the weekend, will spend the rest of the season on loan at Dutch club Vitesse Arnhem.

 

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1.54pm: Leeds United winger Max Gradel is also in France. And he looks even happier than Joe Cole.
2.00pm: I'm told (well, it's Twitter again) that Ajax ace Miralem Sulejmani landed at Gatwick airport within the last hour. He's been linked with Liverpool, Arsenal and Newcastle of late (and last year the Mirror reported that he'd signed for West Ham).
2.08pm: Scott Parker has moved to Tottenham – done deal!
2.02pm: Occasional Guardian contributor Jonathan Wilson tweets: "These rumours about Sulejmani … couldn't it be that he's in London because he's on his way to Belfast for the Serbia game on Friday night?" Yes Jonathan, it could.
2.09pm: And I'm handing back to John Ashdown. I'll be back in an hour or so.
2.11pm: Afternoon all. The big lunchtime news was my surprise swoop for a chorizo and cous-cous salad from St Pancras. He's going to make an impact, I'm sure.
2.16pm: The Ribery to Chelsea rumour is swirling with increasing force. A few thoughts from our very own Bundesliga boffin Raf Honigstein on Twitter (@honigstein): "A few initial thoughts. a) he's CL-tied. b) reported wages on offer far too low; c) German transfer list closed, so Bayern couldn't bring anyone in, even if they sold."
2.18pm: @The72football have just made me chuckle with this: Max Gradel looking gutted to leave Elland Road.
2.19pm: Here's Ewan Murray: "As speculated this morning, Blackburn make move for Yakubu and are understood to be talking to the player. Still no sign of movement by Spurs or anyone else on Gary Cahill. But a long way to go …"
2.21pm: And the BBC's Dan Roan (@danroan), also on Twitter, reckons that Chelsea's move for Alvaro Pereira has broken down.
2.22pm: "The man the forgotten man forgot about, Aleksandr Hleb, has joined Wolfsburg on loan as a reward for his none existent contribution to FC Barcelona's current standing as one of the greatest club sides of all time," writes David Gladwell.
2.25pm: "Just to let you know that Saint-Etienne have also signed the Romanian international Banel Nicolita from Steaua Bucharest (for €700,000)," writes Florin Faje. "This has prompted some interesting lines in Romanian sports press given that Nicolita is one (of the very few) highly popular Romas in Romania. Journalists were left to solve the paradox of a French institution actually paying a Roma to join in, at a time when the French state pays Romanian Romas to get out, a practice that got them into trouble with the EU."
2.30pm: Chelsea have confirmed 20-year-old Mexican midfielder Ulises Davila, who joined the Blues on a five-year deal from Chivas at the weekend, will spend the rest of the season on loan at Dutch club Vitesse Arnhem.

 

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3.54pm: We're back!
2.36pm: Here's Floin Faye once more: "I should have added that Nicolita was part of the great, until it got horrifying, Steaua Bucharest team of 2006 that made it to the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup, the team that got an hour of utter humiliation at the Riverside instead of the much hoped for final."
3.56pm: Apologies for our extended lay-off – technological gremlins to blame. I think an update is in order. Since we last spoke:
• John Ashdown has gone home
• Mateja Kezman has arrived at BATE Borisov
• Asamoah Gyan has asked to leave Sunderland
• Jim White has arrived at the Sky Sports News studios
• Former Birmingham City loanee Mauro Zarate has joined Inter from Lazio on a complicated borrow now, pay later agreement. Inter have also confirmed the signing of Diego Forlán
• André Santos has joined Arsenal from Fenerbahce for £6.2m
• Craig Bellamy has been linked with everybody, including Stoke, QPR and Liverpool
• Ayegbeni Yakubu Ayegbeni is set to sign for Blackburn
2.42pm: Good news for Everton – when you sign Denis Stracqualursi you get Thing from the Addams Family thrown in for free.
3.57pm: Here's Christian Poulsen, who adds to his string of recent failures defeat in this "who can look most miserable in this publicity photo" competition with that other bloke on the right.
2.45pm: Spurs have completed the signing of Scott Parker. Here's their official take. And it gives me a chance to piggyback on my colleague Simon Burnton's superior Photoshop skills.
3.58pm: Our man in Liverpool, Andy Hunter, writes: "Liverpool still confident of enticing Craig Bellamy back to Anfield despite the late interest from QPR and Stoke. He has still to settle on a pay-off from Manchester City though."
4.00pm: I don't really understand this Asamoah Gyan business. Surely 31 August is a terrible day to hand in a transfer request. Is there any hope of him pushing through a move to Turkey before 11pm? The Guardian's Ewan Murray tells us that "as recently as 48 hours ago, Steve Bruce was hopeful of landing both Crouch and another striker". Who could this other striker be?

 

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[h=1]Arsène Wenger makes leap of faith by bringing Mertesacker to Arsenal[/h] • Per Mertesacker, Park Chu-young and André Santos to join
• Chris Samba, Yann M'Vila and Marvin Martin could follow

• • reddit this

• Dominic Fifield
• guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 30 August 2011 22.30 BST Article history
  
  
  Per Mertesacker of Werder Bremen is a seasoned Germany international who could add steel to Arsenal's defence. Photograph: Stuart Franklin/Bongarts/Getty Images
  
  Arsenal's attempts to strengthen their beleaguered squad have taken on a rather frenetic feel with Arsène Wenger securing three players in relatively cut-price deals and still hopeful of adding an attacking midfielder and another centre-half to the club's ranks before Wednesday night's transfer deadline.
  With the humiliation endured in Sunday's 8-2 defeat at Manchester United still raw, Wenger has performed something of a U-turn by returning to Werder Bremen to sign Per Mertesacker for around €9m (£7.6m) despite having apparently previously been unconvinced that the 26-year-old, albeit an experienced and rugged performer, would thrive given the furious pace of the Premier League. Interest had been expressed last summer only to come to nothing while those doubts persisted and, even this time around, the Germany international had initially featured relatively low on Arsenal's list of potential recruits.
  Yet the centre-half is available at a relatively small fee for a player who boasts 75 caps, for his country given the financial problems being experienced by Werder, and should complete his move having broken away from international duty to fly to London and undergo a medical. Mertesacker will be followed to the Emirates by the South Korea striker Park Chu-young, a £1.8m signing from relegated Monaco, and the Brazil defender André Santos, a 28-year-old attack-minded full-back who is to join on a four-year deal for £6.2m from Fenerbahce.
  The Brazilian's arrival might be deemed surprising if only given Wenger's recent conviction that, in Kieran Gibbs and a combination of either Thomas Vermaelen or Bacary Sagna, he boasted enough cover at left-back to prioritise other areas of the team. Instead he will come as a direct replacement for the departed Gaël Clichy and Armand Traoré, who started in that position at Old Trafford, having been sold to Queens Park Rangers for around £2m.
  Yet Arsenal remain desperate to add experience to their options before Wednesday evening's 11pm cut-off. While interest in Bolton Wanderers' Gary Cahill has cooled since the arrival of Mertesacker, the club could yet test Blackburn Rovers' resolve to retain Christopher Samba even if the Ewood Park club would have to drop their £15m valuation of the Congolese defender for any deal to be concluded in this window. Samba would privately welcome the chance to compete in the Champions League and, like Cahill and Everton's Phil Jagielka, had been more of a priority than Mertesacker earlier in the summer, though the embarrassment suffered at Old Trafford appears to have shifted Wenger's outlook.
  Midfield options, too, need to be bolstered given the sales of both Cesc Fábregas and Samir Nasri, though none of the bids tabled by Arsenal have been accepted, with clubs clinging to their valuations, well aware as they are that the £59m raised in those outgoing transfers remains to be spent. Interest is strongest in the Rennes midfielder Yann M'Vila, for whom Wenger offered £22m only to be told that bids had to in excess of £30m to be considered.
  M'Vila is under contract until 2015 with Rennes and, like another target, the Sochaux playmaker Marvin Martin, is at Clairefontaine with the France squad for the Les Bleus' Euro 2012 qualifiers against Albania and Romania. Neither of the players' clubs appear open to allowing their prized asset to depart, while Lille's Eden Hazard, a long-standing target for Wenger, is likely to remain out of reach for another season with a Champions League campaign to come. Borussia Dortmund have also quoted an exorbitant ¤40m for their 19-year-old midfielder Mario Goetze.
  That could see Arsenal resorting to back-up targets including the Chelsea pair of Yossi Benayoun and Florent Malouda, both of whom are effectively available for transfer. No formal bids have been received for either player, though the Israeli is still courted by a handful of clubs and expects to leave Stamford Bridge before the deadline. Chelsea are likely to loan their new Mexican striker Ulises Dávila, a £5m signing from Chivas, to Vitesse Arnhem and may send Ryan Bertrand to Nottingham Forest, where the England Under-21 defender spent the first half of last season, on loan until January. Similar temporary moves may materialise for Patrick van Aanholt and Gaël Kakuta.
  Only a late weakening in the stance of the Tottenham Hotspur chairman, Daniel Levy, will see Chelsea's interest in Luka Modric come to fruition in this window, though a deal may be struck with Porto for Alvaro Pereira. Liverpool do not anticipate André Villas-Boas reviving his interest in his compatriot Raul Meireles who is set to remain a squad player at Anfield.
  
  

 

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Series: Rumour Mill Previous | Index Football transfer rumours: Franck Ribéry to Chelsea? Today's fluff thinks you really should keep up to date with all today's latest transfer gossip and news in our live blog. reddit this John Ashdown John Ashdown guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 31 August 2011 08.25 BST Article history Franck Ribéry: off to Chelsea? Franck Ribéry: off to Chelsea? Photograph: Oliver Lang/AFP/Getty Images Ah, Transfer Deadline Day. The final gleaming of summer tittle-tattle before the window slams shut and we leave the lush, verdant fields of idle speculation where gossip grows on trees like golden fruit and enter the apocalyptic post-window landscape – barren, windswept, desolate, with nothing but the odd loan-deal-to-Bristol-City scuttling under the nearest rock. Still, let's not get ahead of ourselves. We still have today. And what a day it is going to be. In peace there's nothing so becomes a man as modest stillness and humility. But when the blast of Transfer Deadline Day blows in our ears, then imitate the action of the tiger; stiffen the sinews, summon up the blood, disguise fair nature with hard-favour'd rage, and turn on Sky Sports News watch someone asking Harry Redknapp through the window of his Ford Granada whether that Scott Parker deal has gone through yet. Chelsea will have to increase their £30m offer for Bayern Munich's Franck Ribéry by around £6m if they want to land the France playmaker. André Villas-Boas and Roman Abramovich are ready to hand the forward a £10m-a-year contract, reckons the Sun. Alvaro Pereira will be a Chelsea player by the end of the day. A £20m deal for the Porto man is all but agreed. Arsène Wenger has a list of 20 targets: Marouane Fellaini and Mikel Arteta are on there. As is Sochaux winger Marvin Martin. But their £35m offer for Borussia Dortmund Mario Götze has been laughed out of Westphalia. Sunderland have Peter Crouch's head, Stoke City have him by the ankles and the Tottenham Hotspur forward is warping like a Stretch Armstrong. Something will have to give today, with Crouch seemingly most likely to go pinging off towards the Potteries. Whatever Aston Villa said, whatever Aston Villa did, they didn't mean it. They just want Rangers' Steven Davies back for good. Want him back. Want him back. They want him back for good. Joe Cole will "end his Liverpool nightmare" by going on loan to Lille. The Mill's nightmares usually involve trolls with saucer eyes, carrots with teeth or Andy Townsend, rather than £90,000 a week to do nothing but mooch around Merseyside, but each to their own. CSKA Moscow want to add balance to their vowel-heavy squad with the signing of Manchester United's Tomasz Kuszczak. A conversation in the West Midlands yesterday: Liam Ridgewell: "Can I have a transfer please, Mr Hughton?" Chris Hughton: "No." Liam Ridgewell: "Ah, go on. Stoke and Blackburn want me." Chris Hughton: "I said no. And if you don't start behaving then I'll lock you in the shed again." At least, that's how we imagine these things work. Blues are also expecting offers from Bolton Wanderers and Blackburn Rovers for Scott Dann, while Jean Beausejour could be heading out of St Andrew's in a £3m move to Wigan Athletic. And in a rumour that fits neatly into the so-mundane-that-it-must-be-true category the Latics also want Celtic's Shaun Maloney. Leeds United's Max Gradel is set to join popular early 90s Indie dance act St Etienne. Newcastle United and Queens Park Rangers are going mano a mano over Manchester United's forgotten man Federico Macheda. Rangers also want Anton Ferdinand from Sunderland. Tottenham have entered the race to sign Bolton's Gary Cahill. Spurs want to swap David Bentley and Sébastian Bassong, but Wanderers want nothing but dosh. Craig Bellamy and Lassana Diarra are also on Harry Redknapp's wishlist. Galatasaray and Trabzonspor want Asamoah Gyan. £6m bids. Rejected. Enough said. Blackburn want to add heft to their frontline with the signings of Luca Toni from Juventus and Everton's Yakubu, while big-spending Leicester City reckon Jermaine Beckford is the man to fire them into the Premier League and have launched a £4.5m raid for the Everton man. Newcastle have waved £10m in Freiburg's direction for striker Papiss Demba Cissé. Fulham have lined up a £10.6m move for Twente's Bryan Ruiz and a season-long loan for Marseille's André-Pierre Gignac. Sulley Muntari wants out of Inter. Or maybe that should be Inter want out of Sulley Muntari. Either way Fulham, QPR and Newcastle are possible destinations for the former Portsmouth man. Keep up to date with all today's latest transfer gossip and news in our live blog.

 

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[h=1]Arsenal move for Everton midfielder Arteta[/h] Published 17:27 31/08/11 By John Cross

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http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/tra...n-midfielder-Mikel-Arteta-article793936.html#

Arsene Wenger has made a dramatic move to pull off a £10m deal for Mikel Arteta.
MirrorFootball revealed today Arsenal had made an enquiry to Everton for the Spanish midfielder.
Arsenal have now followed that up with a bid and are hopeful of getting the deal done before the 11pm deadline.
Wenger has been a long time admirer of Arteta, 29, and believes he is the man to help strengthen his midfield after selling Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri.

Arsenal had tried many options to strengthen their midfield but big money moves for Yann M'Vila, Juan Mata and Eden Hazard failed. They also made an enquiry on Manchester City's Adam Johnson.
But Wenger believes Arteta can be the best of the lot and he has the proven Premier League experience and quality to help satisfy the fans.
It takes Arsenal's spending higher this window after signing Andre Santos for £6m, Per Mertesacker for £10m, Park Chu-Young for £1.8m and Gervinho and Carl Jenkinson were snapped up earlier in the summer.