Right, since if you’re really desperate to find out about the Tiago Ilori deal you can probably discover through another source, it’s probably best to knock this on the head now.
Thanks to everyone for reading. Stick around on the Guardian football page for the details of everything that did, or did not go through in the end. Good night.
“Interesting that Liverpool have let Ilori, Coates & Glen Johnson leave,” muses Niall Mullen. “Presumably that means there were at least 3 defenders worse than Lovren at the club.”
Sure. Just a relief that there’s someone actually out there, really. Be rubbish if I was just howling into the void here.
Hello? HELLO?
Done deal - Everton sign Aaron Lennon...
...on a permanent deal from Tottenham. Three-year contract, apparently the fee is about £4million.
Quick rundown of a few deals that haven’t yet happened, but might do in the next 20 minutes or so:
- Aaron Lennon from Tottenham to Everton (permanent)
- Tiago Ilori from Liverpool to Aston Villa (loan)
- Allan Rodrigues de Souza from Internacional to Liverpool (permanent)
- Emmanuel Adebayor from Tottenham to West Ham (permanent)
Missed anything?
And, because the beauty in life is all about timing, here’s a box-fresh Daniel Taylor piece about the De Gea affair:
After all the finger pointing, the headlines of “Ridículo” in two of Spain’s leading dailies and an escalating dispute that has caused enough friction between Manchester United and Real Madrid to jeopardise future dealings between the clubs, the bottom line for everyone at Old Trafford is that they should be grateful the Spanish authorities have refused to bend in the way their English counterparts almost certainly would have.
Plainly, it is not going to be easy de-cluttering David de Gea’s brain after the tortuous, sometimes torturous, process that ended with his transfer unravelling so spectacularly there is concern among United’s directors that it could have ramifications the next time they go back to Madrid for Gareth Bale or, the ultimate target, Cristiano Ronaldo.
Yet it is also fair to assume the Old Trafford crowd will feel considerably more assured should De Gea return to the team for their next game, against Liverpool on Saturday week, providing the Spaniard, to use the phrase of this transfer window, is in the right frame of mind.
Wheeeeeeey, Manchester United have released a statement about the David de Gea business. Here it is, and guess where their Big Finger Of Blame is pointing:
• It is our understanding that the deals couldn’t happen because:
- Real Madrid didn’t upload David’s documents onto TMS in time (Manchester United did)
- Real Madrid didn’t upload David’s documents to the Spanish league in time, per reports it seems some 28 minutes after the deadline • The fact that Manchester United filed the papers on time was acknowledged by the Football Association, who offered to support that claim in any discussions with FIFA. The Club offered this assistance, as well as its own timestamped documents to Real Madrid but they have chosen not to go down this route.
Manchester United acts appropriately and efficiently in its transfer dealings. The Club is delighted that its fan-favourite double Player of the Year, David de Gea, remains a Manchester United player.
Shall we have a song?
Gone a bit quiet. What are you all up to tonight? Sunderland fans will be on the ale celebrating the DeAndre Yedlin deal, presumably.
Done deal - Leicester sign Nathan Dyer...
...on loan from Swansea for the season. That helicopter was put to good use.
Word for Championship bods from Mario Guerreiro: ‘Portuguese media are also reporting that Benfica is about to ship Dutch international Ola John to Reading on loan, and Portuguese international Nelson Oliveira (last season seen sometimes in a Swans jersey) to Nottingham Forest.'
Jonathan Walters will be staying at Stoke, despite talk of a move to Norwich, which obviously didn’t happen, and some hoopla about his contract. Here’s what Mark Hughes said about the whole thing the other week:
Jonathan wants a little bit more in terms of the lengths of a new contract, but we are hopeful we can come to an agreement. But if we don’t, then we will probably keep him and let his contract run down.”
Done deal - Reading sign Matej Vydra...
...on loan for the season. A handy day of ins and outs at Vicarage Road.
Done deal - Bournemouth sign Joe Bennett...
...on loan from Aston Villa. Only until January that one, and he’s also signed a one-year extension to his Villa contract.
Live footage on Sky showing Tiago Ilori arriving at the Villa training ground in a taxi. What a time to be alive.
Jeremy Peace loves a club statement, and he’s released another one on the West Brom website. And here are his thoughts on Saido Berahino:
We have a key player who has been very unsettled by antics which were designed to get him out of our club cheaply.
“Those tactics have continued despite my making our position clear in my first conversation with Daniel Levy on this subject in mid-August.
“I said selling Saido so late in the window was not on our agenda.
“Tottenham’s offers failed substantially to reflect Saido’s true value while the timing made no allowance for our own recruitment of a suitable replacement for a proven Premier League goalscorer.
“Saido has been unsettled to the point where our Head Coach has not felt able to select him for our last three games.
“We are now left with the task of repairing the damage created by this unfortunate episode.”
Have we mentioned that Villa were talking to Dimitar Berbatov earlier? Well, they were, but they couldn’t sort anything out. Doesn’t really strike you as a Tim Sherwood player, does he?
Looks like Lennon to Everton should happen without too many problems. Should.
Aaron Lennon's permanent move to #EFC also has until 8pm to go through. Paperwork submitted and accepted by PL.
— Andy Hunter (@AHunterGuardian) September 1, 2015
Here’s the big West Brom twitter moment from the day. Should be noted that the first version of this one referred to ‘West Brown’.
Just to let you all know that it wasn't any offer from westbrom for me.I'm happy to stay and fight for my place. #YNWA
— José enrique (@Jesanchez3) September 1, 2015
Just to clarify, and I’m sure you already know this, but the 6pm deadline isn’t hard and fast. Clubs need to have submitted a ‘deal sheet’ for any moves by 6pm, which is basically a note to say ‘We’re going to sign this player’, then they’ve got another two hours to get everything else sorted. So 8pm is the deadline, really.
I need a drink.
Couple of signings for Preston - they’ve bought Stevie May from Sheffield Wednesday, and loaned Eoin Doyle from Cardiff for the season.
So, just to clear everything up - Louis van Gaal didn’t think Manchester United needed another central defender, Daniel Levy/Mauricio Pochettino didn’t think Tottenham needed a proper holding midfielder or another striker, and Arsene Wenger didn’t think Arsenal needed any outfield players at all.
Cool.
That Berahino tweet is still up there, despite everything and all that. This was the previous tweet. Happier times.
Up close and personal with the lions this afternoon 👌🏻#WestMidlandsSafari pic.twitter.com/BhvG2oqeVC
— Saido Berahino (@SBerahino) August 18, 2015
A couple of Liverpool bits from the Press Association, now:
‘Our man in Liverpool Carl Markham reports: PL ‘deal sheet’ gone in for Tiago Ilori loan to AVFC. Now 2 hourrs to complete deal. £1m fee + clause to allow permanent move in summer.
‘He added: Liverpool ‘deal sheet’ also gone in for Internacional Allan Rodrigues de Souza, who has been training with club. Brazilian likely to go on loan.’
Sounds like there were plans of a mild clear-out at Palace today, but no dice...
Looks as if Dwight Gayle's proposed move to #NCFC, discussed all day, was ditched when #CPFC could not secure a replacement
— Dominic Fifield (@domfifield) September 1, 2015
Done deal - Derby sign Bradley Johnson...
...from Norwich for a ‘club record’ fee. They just don’t give a stuff, do they?
Updated
Tottenham's strikers pose together. #COYS pic.twitter.com/wkpWqHvgO2
— James Maw (@JamesMawFFT) September 1, 2015
Don’t worry, Arsenal fans. Diaby will be like a new si...oh.
The transfer window is closed!
Although not really. We could still be here for a while yet. Stay with me. Please.
Two minutes. Seriously, I really don’t think this Berahino deal is going to happen...
And more...
West Brom, Palace and Norwich tried to take Leonardo Ulloa on loan but Leicester only wanted to sell
— Ed Aarons (@ed_aarons) September 1, 2015
Stoke were said to be looking at Mile Jedinak, but....
Looks as if Mile Jedinak is staying at #cpfc
— Dominic Fifield (@domfifield) September 1, 2015
A tactic to cure the melancholy in Islington...
Maybe Arsenal could re-unveil Petr Cech
— Barney Ronay (@barneyronay) September 1, 2015
Done deal - Chelsea sign Michael Hector...
...from Reading. The fee is around £4.5million, he’s signed a five-year contract and he’s gone straight back to Reading on loan for the season.
Southampton have chosen this moment to announce that Victor Wanyama has left to join up with the Kenya squad for their international games against Zambia and Equatorial Guinea. Which suggests he’s not leaving for Tottenham. Although Tottenham not making a bid for him would probably be a bigger suggestion.
Ten minutes to go. Starting to think the Berahino deal isn’t going to happen.
And another from the Championship, where Hull have signed striker Adama Diomande from Stabaek.
One in, one out at Nottingham Forest - Chris O’Grady is in from Brighton, Jamie Paterson is out to Huddersfield. Both loans for the season.
Sky are going reasonably big on talk that Aaron Lennon could be about to sign for Everton on a permanent deal. Around £4million, apparently.
Yer man David Hytner has some more details on the Saido Berahino hoo-ha...
Done deal - Watford sign Victor Ibarbo...
...on a season-long loan from Roma. That’s Watford done. I think. Maybe not, actually. Who knows?
Some adorable Gooner optimism here, from Admir Pajic: “May I offer a consolation to Patrick McCabe as one Gooner to another, by saying that Arsene Wenger’s only big signing in the summer 2003 was a 33-year-old goalkeeper Jens Lehmann? We now what happened next.”
You just keep telling yourself that chief. And Arsenal have already lost this season. Other than that...
Done deal - Watford sign Adlene Guedioura...
...on a three-year contract from Crystal Palace. He was on loan at Vicarage Road last season, and I know Watford fans who are twirling their shirts around their heads and knee-sliding at this news.
Updated
Done deal - Sunderland sign DeAndre Yedlin...
...on loan from Tottenham. Maybe it’s sorting the finer details of that deal that has prevented Spurs from signing a striker.
Niall Mullen has them peeled: “Anyone else enjoy reading Berahino’s Twitter profile? Don’t lose your soul...@nikeuk.”
“As shots go, threatening not to star in a football chairman biopic is hardly likely to be heard around the world,” chortles the splendidly-named Dunstan Kesseler.
Done deal - Manchester United sign Anthony Martial
Never in doubt...
#mufc is pleased to announce French forward @AnthonyMartial has completed his transfer from Monaco. #WelcomeMartial pic.twitter.com/Eohl6tMOOz
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) September 1, 2015
Martial, in case you’re interested, has signed a four-year contract with an option for another, assuming things go well. Although if things actually do go well obviously his agent will be hammering on Ed Woodward’s door after about 18 months.
Updated
Nice try Saido, but you’ll never beat the leader in the Footballer v Club/Chairman on Twitter stakes, from 2009...
SHOTS FIRED
Sad how i cant say exactly how the club has treated me but i can officially say i will never play Jeremy Peace.
— Saido Berahino (@SBerahino) September 1, 2015
Quick line from PA on Adebayor, who wants to go to West Ham, apparently. Thing is, they can’t have more than two loans from Premier League clubs, and they’ve already got Victor Moses and Carl Jenkinson on borrows. So he needs to be released from Spurs, but...
Tottenham striker Emmanuel Adebayor will not be allowed to leave the club unless he backs down on £5million demand to terminate his contract, Press Association Sport understands.
People are still flinging around wildly different fees for Anthony Martial. Shall we just agree that nobody actually knows and just watch some football?
Meanwhile, an hour to go and he still hasn’t signed. Tick bloody tock, lads.
Meanwhile, Leicester sent a helicopter to pick up Nathan Dyer. Which does of course sound utterly ludicrous, but the owner routinely parks that thing on the pitch to skip the traffic after games, so if you’ve got a chopper you might as well use it for something useful. Like collecting a half-decent winger from Swansea.
And if you’d like to laugh at Tottenham, some more stuff about the Saido Berahino farrago.
Obviously I’m going to look fairly silly if this actually works. But it won’t, will it?
Have some details on Watford’s business, specifically their move for Belgian whipper snapper Obbi Oularé.
Done deal - Celtic sign Ryan Christie...
...from Inverness Caledonian Thistle. The 20-year-old midfielder will go back to Caley on loan for the rest of the season.
Amazing.
UPDATE : #wba We understand from our colleague @patmurphybbc that #coys offered £5m upfront with the rest in instalments and incentives.
— BBC WM Sport 95.6 (@sportbbcwm) September 1, 2015
Sky Sports reporting Obika to Sheff Utd a done deal – shurely they've not been duped by a fake Swindon account … pic.twitter.com/MgZE70Ea35
— John Ashdown (@John_Ashdown) September 1, 2015
Salomon Rondon is a pleasing name to say. Salomon Rondon. Rondon. Salomon Rondon. It’s good. Just roll it around your mouth for a bit. Salomon Rondon.
No more deals in or out at Southampton - Les Reed, their Executive Director of Football, whatever that might be, has confirmed as such. So everyone can go to bed on the south coast. Well, maybe not go to bed, given that it’s 4.40pm. Maybe go for some tea somewhere instead. Although they’d call it dinner down there. I’m getting side-tracked.
“Adebayor making a sensational return to the Spurs squad after a third failed Berahino bid has all the grim inevitability of another Spider-Man movie franchise.” Patrick Crawford is rather melancholy, it seems.
Just to hark back to the David De Gea thing again, have a look at how the Spanish papers reacted to that particular clusterballs.
The very state of Tottenham Hotspur...
Spurs have had a third bid for Berahino turned down. Doesn't look like the deal is going to happen. Time almost up ... #thfc #wba
— David Hytner (@DaveHytner) September 1, 2015
...unless they have something else up their sleeve. In which case we’re sorry, Mr Levy.
“I think I speak for all Arsenal fans when I say that we would appreciate some manufactured talk about possible signings,” pleads Patrick McCabe. “Conjecture or half truth or whatever, have fun with it.”
OK. You’re signing Karim Benzema. He’s on a plane now. Nailed on. Saw it on Twitter somewhere.
A few little nuggets from Dominic Fifield about Crystal Palace:
Palace’s squad trimming has continued with Adlene Guedioura joining Watford on a three-year deal for an undisclosed fee. The Algerian spent time on loan at the Vicarage Road club last season. The Wales international Joe Ledley is now expected to stay at Palace despite interest from the likes of West Bromwich Albion and his former club, Cardiff City.
Remains to be seen whether Mile Jedinak and Dwight Gayle remain at Selhurst Park given interest from Stoke City and Norwich City respectively.
Ha! Remarkable stuff from Spurs. Apparently they have made a third bid for Saido Berahino, which has been promptly rejected by West Brom, as they have promised to do.
You can just picture Daniel Levy pressing send on the fax machine, sitting back with his arms crossed and a delighted smirk on his face. “Plan B? Why would I need a Plan B? This is bound to work!”
Done deal - Watford sign Obbi Oularé...
...so that’s one of those three deals mentioned earlier officially confirmed.
Done deal - West Ham have signed Michail Antonio...
...which we knew anyway, but it’s officially official now.
Two hours to the deadline, and Anthony Martial’s move still hasn’t been confirmed. Could there be a delay in the paperw....no. Surely not. Surely that’s too much to hope for...
Nick Ames, who did the early stint on this blog, is still here and working on other things, but he’s found time to bring me a cup of tea. He’s a class act. All about teamwork, this game.
Speaking of job-lots, Sky reckon Watford are set to complete the signing of three (3 (three)) players today - Adlene Guedioura will sign a three-year contract, Víctor Ibarbo is on his way from Roma, while young Club Brugge striker Obbi Oulare is also knocking around. That’s 15 new signings for the summer, at Vicarage Road. Bloody nora. Matej Vydra is on his way to Reading, while Miguel Layun did one in the direction of Porto earlier too,
Done deal - Joleon Lescott signs for Aston Villa...
...to become roughly their 65th centre-back, and they’re apparently keen on Tiago Ilori from Liverpool, too. Ye gads.
BREAKING TRANSFER NEWS: Huge welcome to new signing @JoleonLescott. #AVFC #DeadlineDay pic.twitter.com/Xb03iXUkg8
— Aston Villa FC (@AVFCOfficial) September 1, 2015
Good to see Villa have recreated the scene from the film ‘The Mask’ when Cameron Diaz entered for the first time, there.
“Happy. No major injuries, hope to be back for our next Spurs game!” That’s word from Mousa Dembele, who was taken from the field on a stretcher in Tottenham’s last game. So problems solved then, eh Tottenham fans?
Poor ol’ Max Gradel is out for what’s been described as a ‘lengthy spell’ with a knee injury, so there might be another in at Bournemouth before the day is out. Shame, as he’s looked excellent in their first few games.
Sky’s man in a Leicester car park reckons Nathan Dyer is on his way to sign for them Foxes. Since Dyer is fairly fleet of foot...
“Can you check in at Spurs Lodge and see if the lights are on?” asks Eric Breitman. I’ve just had a look and Daniel Levy is taking a nap under a desk, George Costanza style, and Mauricio Pochettino is sitting in a massage chair reading a copy of ‘Infinite Jest’.
On a serious note, it is something of a shambles that they’ve left Harry Kane as their only viable centre-forward. Given Kane didn’t really have a summer break and, of course, only actually has about 2/3 of a season of success behind him, that’s quite the gamble and burden to place on his shoulders.
Such is the way with these things now, Charlie Austin appears to have confirmed his future on Twitter. Firstly, he tweeted this...
🔵⚪️🔵⚪️ #9 #QPR big season ahead
— Charlie Austin (@chazaustin9) September 1, 2015
...then retweeted the Independent’s (and soon to be Dail[Snip! - Guardian Media Rumours Dept]) football correspondent Sam Wallace, saying he was staying put at Loftus Road. Weird, the internet, isn’t it?
“Any word on why Bristol City’s new loan signings are both wearing shirts and holding them?” asks Tom Fleuriot, quite reasonably. “Is this the next step up to show commitment to their new team mates? Or is each holding a shirt ready for yet more signings? Or is our photographer out of scarves? I think we should be told.”
Perhaps this is a theme of the transfer window. Guillem Balague was on Sky earlier wearing what appeared to be two jackets simultaneously. Doubling up all round, then, possibly for warmth, possibly in case one item tears. Perhaps it’s a reflection of the prevailing tactical trends of the time, which are generally quite cautious. Anyone else got any theories?
NEWS: #BristolCity secure the season-long loan signing of Aston Villa defender Nathan Baker. http://t.co/lnMZNyQFwi pic.twitter.com/Vac7kt8asv
— Bristol City FC (@bcfctweets) September 1, 2015
Big one this - Burnley have cancelled Marvin Sordell’s contract by mutual consent. Remember when he was in the Great Britain squad for the 2012 Olympics? Salad days.
Let’s just try to head this one off at the pass, to those people emailing in asking to be updated on transfers and such: if we’ve got any updates, I’ll put them in the blog. Which is sort of how this is supposed to work. Good. Glad to clear that up. Cheers.
“Is there any chance that Chelsea’s new possible signing, Michael Hector, is related to Kevin Hector,” asks Charles Antaki, “who my memory vaguely recall played in a Chelsea team with, what was it, six other players whose names began with H? Houseman… Hollins… erm… I suppose I could look it up, but I’m supposed to be working.”
Interesting point, Charles, and I can help you there - no, he isn’t, but it’s important to distract ourselves from the grotty business we’re all here for. So anything we can do in order to feel better.
This day is enough to make anyone feel pretty grubby about this business of football, so to cleanse yourself and feel a little bit better about the game, and life in general, watch and listen to this. If thousands of Hibs fans singing ‘Sunshine On Leith’ doesn’t give you tingles, you’re in some trouble.
Some three hours after Nantes confirmed it, Chelsea have announced the signing of Papy Djilobodji. A leisurely approach on this most frantic of days.
Afternoon. Paul Doyle has disappeared into the cool night and now it’s Nick Miller to take you home, to the bitterest of ends. If we stay strong, we can get through it together.
Jack Payne joins @leytonorientfc on loan until the end of the season with a view to a permanent move subject to FL approval #DeadlineDay
— Peterborough United (@theposhofficial) September 1, 2015
Looks like Uefa has been put in its place.
Our tweet earlier today about @D_DeGea was posted in error. Apologies for any confusion. Please follow @ManUtd and @realmadrid for updates.
— Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) September 1, 2015
Aston Villa have signed goalkeeper Matija Sarkic from Anderlecht. if that doesn’t excite you, then allow Villa’s official website to explain why it should: “The 18-year-old stopper has penned a three-year deal with the claret and blues. He has come through the youth system at the Belgian club - which oversaw the development of Vincent Kompany and Romelu Lukaku - and has been playing for their U19 team.”
CONFIRMED: #SaintsFC completes the #deadlineday signing of @VirgilvDijk from @celticfc on a five-year contract. https://t.co/2Oj5TEzyin
— Southampton FC (@SouthamptonFC) September 1, 2015
David Hytner deals in facts and he says this: “QPR is poised to take Gabriele Angella from Watford on a season-long loan.”
Updated
David Sullivan’s son, Jack, has confirmed the signing by West Ham of Michail Antonio from Nottingham Forest on a four-year deal. Emmanuel Adebayor is believed to have begun humming a song...
Leicester are about to get Nathan Dyer on loan from Swansea. Solid acquisition, that. Meanwhile, Liam Moore has left the Foxes on loan and joined Bristol City.
Updated
Let us pause.
Updated
Here’s a surprise: “Real Madrid have defended their conduct over the failed bid to sign David de Gea and accused Manchester United of holding up the deal.” Sid Lowe is still on the case: read more here.
It seems that Virgil Van Dijk’s transfer from Celtic to Southampton is on track, according to FC Groningen’s big cheese, Hans Nijland. Thanks to Koeien below the line for pointing to a report on how Nijland tweeted that he received a text from Ronald Koeman declaring his joy at the deal. Groningen, where Van Dijk played before moving to Scotland, stand to scoop around £700,000 as part of the deal.
Updated
The jostling for Jonathan Walters is becoming increasingly frenetic as clubs attempt to make him feel at home. Following a reported bid from Leicester, Tony Pulis has somewhat inevitably waded into the fray on behalf of West Brom, and Norwich continue to mill about too.
Dom Fifield has more on the Michael Hector to Chelsea move. Sounds like he’s set to become another asset in the club’s ever-expanding buy-to-let property portfolio.
The Reading defender Michael Hector is set to complete a £4m transfer to Chelsea later on Tuesday, though the Jamaica international is then expected to remain at the Championship club on loan for the rest of the current season.
The Glenn Murray to Bournemouth transfer has been officially confirmed, with a photo of the striker posing with his new club’s shirt and everything. But I’m suddenly very reluctant to post photos so you’ll not be seeing it here.
What this blog needs right now is a graphic. Or maybe not ...
Nope, nothing whatsover wrong with this image pic.twitter.com/KWBe2YPAVg
— Ian Prior (@ianprior) September 1, 2015
“Spare a thought for my country-fellow Camilo Zúñiga, who has suffered the same fate as De Gea,” pleads Euclides Montes. “Napoli and Sampdoria cocked up the transfer by four minutes and now Zúñiga (who famously came in like a wrecking ball and ended Neymar’s World Cup last year) is stuck in Napoli. Unlike with De Gea, the Napoli coach has already told poor Camilo that he won’t be part of the squad at all.”
QPR are looking to shift Junior Hoilett ... and word is Swansea might make their wish come true. And that, surely, is beyond Hoillet’s wildest dreams, given how he’s performed at Loftus Road. Mind you, there’s definitely talent there and if there is one top club that has proven its ability to get the best out of players, it’s canny Swansea.
Updated
Reports seeping out that Chelsea are lining up another defender, namely Michael Hector, who could join from Reading for around £4m after previously being linked with Crystal Palace. I’ve seen very little of the 23-year-old this season, mainly because he’s been kept out of the Reading team by Anton Ferdinand and Paul McShane.
Updated
Here’s Sid Lowe’s full lowdown on the De Gea/Real/United botch-job. As an aside, I should add that Sid filed this article well ahead of deadline. Putting Real and United to shame, so he is.
Real Madrid will not fight to complete the signing of David De Gea after they were unable to register the goalkeeper with the Spanish league before the country’s midnight deadline on Monday.
Despite having initially briefed that they had not given up hope, Madrid will not appeal against the decision meaning that De Gea will remain at Old Trafford with Keylor Navas, who was to go in the opposite direction in a deal worth £29.3m to United, to continue at the Santiago Bernabéu. He is out of contract next summer and will be able to leave United on a free transfer.
Little Peeved
Javier Hernandez has spoken of his reasons for leaving Manchester United for Bayer Leverkusen, saying he needed to feel happy again. It seems The Little Pea became a Little Peeved at being shunned by The Big Tulip at Old Trafford. “I want to go back to feeling important and happy,” Hernandez said. “I want to find happiness. Bayer made me feel important and loved and coming here was not a difficult decision to make. They made me feel wanted. I want to help and achieve important things. I have felt very loved. I hope to accomplish things in my head and in my heart.” And on the pitch; don’t forget about on the pitch, Chicharito.
Izzy Brown, like Victor Moses, signs a new four-year contract at #CFC. Currently on loan at Vitesse Arnhem http://t.co/V0JrGdoVkQ
— Dominic Fifield (@domfifield) September 1, 2015
I’m not sure whether that last entry constituted good news or bad news - or, dare we say it on this most holy of days, irrelevant bunkum - for Arsenal fans, but here’s something that will definitely deflate Gooners. “There will be no deals in or out at Arsenal today,” says the Guardian’s man in the know, David Hytner. “Even Joel Campbell is staying. Arsene Wenger has bemoaned the weirdness of the market, with too much money and not enough talent.” Are you sure he was talking about the transfer market? ‘Too much money and not enough talent” could equally apply to Arsenal, some might say.
Updated
“My mate swears that he saw Troy Deeney near Arsenal’s training ground this morning!” gasps Chris Anderson. “Have you heard anything about Wenger wooing him?” Who, Deeney or your mate? As it happens, there’s an excellent change that your chum is telling the truth and that he really did see Deeney heading towards Arsenal’s training ground, but only because Arsenal’s training ground is right beside Watford’s training ground. Remember that if anyone tries to tell you that Heurelho Gomes is poised to oust Petr Cech at Arsenal.
You now that balloon of hope to which David De Gea may have been clinging since last night? It’s been pricked. Our man in Spain, Sid Lowe, says that Real Madrid have accepted that there is no point seeking dispensation for the belated conclusion of the deal. Furthermore, Uefa have reportedly declared that De gea “will 100% remain a Manchester United player”, though that statement has not been officially confirmed. But it sure looks like De Gea is staying at Old Trafford. For how long and with what degree of rage, we can’t say for now.
Updated
Hello. Doyle here, with heavy news: the end of one of an era may soon be upon us. Yes, Jonathan Walters’ days of galumphing heroically around the Britannia Stadium could shortly be over, as Leicester City have reportedly made a bid for the rampaging forward. Here is an old tribute to a player who has not always been as appreciated as he should be.
Ok, that’s me done, handing over now to Paul Doyle, who will guide you serenely through the choppy waters – or whatever liquid of more questionable provenance it might be – of the afternoon’s transfer comings and goings. Play nicely.
C Gardiner points the way to a dark night of the soul: “Windows can be such delightful things, you can gaze out them and see how they frame a wonderful view, such as star player turning up with a magical glint of sun reflecting off it and promising a bright future; a young blonde Torres arriving at Liverpool; a twinkle toed Aguero smiling back at you etc. But they can also be terrifying portals in to the depraved elements of society. Does anyone want the sinister figure of Adebayor appearing in a flash of lightening at a rain soaked window as the darkness and deadline approach?”
Cards on the table from Big Cup.
Confirmation that @D_DeGea will 100% remain a @ManUtd player #UCL #DeadlineDay pic.twitter.com/HWkys4KzYv
— Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) September 1, 2015
Busy old few hours, no? But is YOUR club going to make a late dash to buy Adobe Reader for the fax machine?
We’ve planned the journey from #Heathrow to the Emirates for @Arsenal’s new striker…if one ever arrives #DeadlineDay pic.twitter.com/YFyMVzt90Z
— Heathrow Airport (@HeathrowAirport) September 1, 2015
Is this a new high or a new low?
A fascinating update from Andy Hunter about Everton’s signing of Ramiro Funes Mori – if the suggestions prove true, this is a quite mindboggling state of affairs:
It is being suggested that the reason Ramiro Funes Mori’s price increased from £6.25m to £9.5m was because his River Plate contract entitled him to 50% of any transfer fee and, rather than risk the deal collapsing, Everton decided to pay the extra £3.25m with no central defensive alternatives lined up at this late stage in the window. Also claimed Everton only became aware of Funes Mori’s entitlement late last week. Everton have not confirmed or denied the allegation.
And one more Palace morsel from Dom Fifield, which should offset some of the pain of Antonio’s departure for Forest fans:
“Jonny Williams joining Forest on loan, linking up with his former Palace manager Dougie Freedman, rather than Wolves.”
Manchester United’s striker exodus looks likely to continue – Jamie Jackson has news that they are looking to send James Wilson out on loan.
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Some clarity from Dom here on Michail Antonio, as well as another possible Palace move:
“Michail Antonio still likely to join West Ham, not Palace as had been suggested in some places. Michael Hector at Reading remains an option for Palace. Young centre-half, recently made captain. If they don’t sign him in this window, they’ll most likely revisit it in future.”
Dom has sent in an update on Joe Ledley’s situation, too. Looks like he’s off on loan:
“Joe Ledley has been granted permission to leave the Wales set-up to address his future: think he is likely to move on loan with a number of clubs, including West Bromwich Albion and Cardiff, having expressed an interest. Palace want £4.5m plus for Ledley to leave them on a permanent deal.”
Updated
Done deal – Glenn Murray joins Bournemouth from Crystal Palace
That’s what I’m hearing from Dominic Fifield. Does this mean Palace will go in for another centre-forward now?
Another done deal in the Championship, which seems to be where the cream of the Eredivisie wind up nowadays. The Excelsior winger Jordan Botaka has just signed for Leeds.
We like it when we receive local #insight, and here is some from Frederik de Brant on potential Watford signing Obbi Oulare:
“Watford target Obbi Oulare (19) is a raw talent. He’s a tall and strong target man (6ft 5in), but at the same time quite fast. Just last weekend he scored a goal with a massive strike. So, where’s the catch? Well, he lacks stamina. Over the last year it has become a topic in Belgian media. The physios at Club Bruges have been working a full year on his stamina, but Oulare still isn’t able completing 1 half of football. Even getting cramps after 40 minutes. In the Belgian league that is. So I guess he’ll last about 15 minutes in the Premier League.”
Lots of people suggesting Papy Djilobodji wasn’t exactly fancied by several other Premier League clubs – so what brought Chelsea to his door?
Here’s a trip down memory lane. Joaquin has just re-signed for Real Betis from Fiorentina. Let’s see how he dovetails with fellow gifted veteran Rafael van der Vaart.
Just heard from Danny Taylor that a Berbatov move to Villa is indeed possible. More as we get it....
Done deal – Chelsea sign Papy Djilobodji
And FC Nantes confirm Papy Djilobodji is a #CFC player, at around £2.7m and on a four-year contract... http://t.co/XW0gTvcGQJ
— Dominic Fifield (@domfifield) September 1, 2015
Tell us how you think he’ll do.
Our West Ham story from earlier this morning now has more on the Jelavic deal.
But have Arsenal signed anyone yet?
Done deal – West Ham sign Nikica Jelavic from Hull
Two-year deal for the Croatian, and the Hammers’ third confirmed signing of the day after Moses and Song.
Uncomfortable reality of Adebayor situation for Levy: Does he really want to pay 100k-a-wk for a player who will not play?
— David Hytner (@DaveHytner) September 1, 2015
The spectre of Adebayor has loomed in the darkness behind everything in this window, hasn’t it? A few have been linked, and perhaps have even dabbled properly, but nobody has signed him. And Spurs clearly won’t be playing him. What to do? It’s a strange, strange situation.
And a little bit more from David Conn:
With all eyes feverishly on the huge money Premier League clubs get to spend on players - and pay to players in wages - due to their TV money, worth reading this excellent corrective piece by Barney Ronay. A reminder that the TV money paid to clubs by Sky and BT comes from you, us, the fans, the people, charged ever more to watch the national game - as the Thierry Henry Sky advert cheerfully proclaims - for all 23 years since the Premier League breakaway of 1992. Twenty-three years, and never a single top flight league game shown live on BBC or ITV.
Food for thought while we gape at today’s merry-go-round.
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Transfer fee inflation, TV deals ... if it’s all tying you in knots, you’ll be glad that none other than David Conn has just emailed to clear a few things up:
The perception that transfer fees this summer have inflated due to the new TV deal do not appear to be quite right. Confusing, but it is important to realise that the new TV deal, of which the £5.136bn from Sky and BT is only for the UK live rights, does not start until next season; it runs from 2016-19. The Premier League is expecting a further £3bn from overseas TV companies for the rights to broadcast (and charge viewers for) our globally ubiquitous league, so the TV money will increase 60% from next year.
Although the fees are huge this summer, the money being spent now comes from the final year of the 2013-16 deals, which were £5.5bn altogether, for UK and overseas rights. That is still hugely more than any other league in Europe, and the Premier League is financially dominant in the market for players, but the money being spent this summer is broadly on a par with last. Accountants Deloitte have just issued their running total, reckoning that Premier League clubs’ gross (perhaps in both senses of the word) spending, with seven hours to go till the window closes, is currently £790m, still £45m short of the £835m set in the Angel di Maria summer of 2014.
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A done deal in the Championship: Wolves have signed Swindon winger Nathan Byrne on a three-year contract.
Potentially big news from Madrid on De Gea, brought to you by the Spanish newspaper El Pais via our man Sid Lowe...
The newspaper quotes LFP (Spain’s football league) as saying: “Rules are for everyone ... FIFA has no jurisdiction.” It means they are refusing to register De Gea,
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David Hytner has a further morsel for us on Alex Song and West Ham:
“Alex Song would have preferred to join West Ham on a permanent, long-term deal but he understands that with his injury as it is at the moment, the club had to err on the side of caution with the loan. After a summer of uncertainly, he is just happy to have his immediate future sorted.”
It appears Dimitar Berbatov is in Birmingham today and looks like signing for Villa on a free transfer. Medical may be an issue though #avfc
— Ed Aarons (@ed_aarons) September 1, 2015
Who had ‘Villa’?
Worth pointing out that Moses signed a new four-year contract at Chelsea before that loan to West Ham, thus rendering him unsellable for a further ... let’s say ... three years and condemning him to spells with Leicester (2016-17) and Southampton (2017-18).
Done deal – Victor Moses to West Ham on loan
BREAKING: The Hammers are delighted to confirm the arrival of @VictorMoses on loan. http://t.co/N1l1JM9ZZu #WHUFC pic.twitter.com/qFCnjkeI6L
— West Ham United FC (@whufc_official) September 1, 2015
Victor Moses loves a loan.
Jamie Jackson has news of a forward who won’t be joining Manchester United:
“In news that may - or may not - disappoint/cheer/confuse/leave non-plussed the global Manchester United fan base the club have indicated there is no interest in landing Atletico Madrid’s Antoine Griezmann, who is a forward and goalscorer of some accomplishment...”
“I’m afraid that no mention of insanity in this transfer window can made until we reach peak Odemwingie,” Mark Smith observes. “What will we see? John Stones hiding behind the bins at Stamford bridge hoping to ambush Jose while he’s on the way to his office?”
Me, I have particularly high hopes of seeing Saido Berahino frantically flagging down the 259 from King’s Cross to Tottenham High Road later.
Liverpool news just in from Andy Hunter. Is Jose Enrique going to West Brom?
The ‘Melwood 3’ could all be released by the end of today. Mario Balotelli, Fabio Borini and Jose Enrique have spent most of their summer training apart from Liverpool’s first team squad as Brendan Rodgers does all he can to usher the trio - bought by the Anfield club for a combined cost of £32.5m - out of the door. With Borini sold to Sunderland and Balotelli loaned to Milan, Enrique is the last man standing (or just lounging back and taking photos of himself on instagram) but is now in talks over a move to West Bromwich Albion. Liverpool have happily given the left-back permission to discuss a transfer and it now rests on whether Enrique can agree personal terms and pass a medical.
Wondering what you can expect from new boy Dieumerci Mbokani, Norwich fans? Wonder no longer...
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The Scottish transfer window closes at midnight, allowing for some late tomfoolery north of the border. Kevin Montgomery has been kind enough to round up some of the key concerns for Celtic:
“Hoping the revolving door at Celtic Park brings in more quality after our disappointing Champions League exit. Apparently Croatian Centre-half Jozo Simunovic arriving on a 4 year deal for £5 million (sadly unsure if this is inflation adjusted) from Zagreb.
“Ryan Christie also arriving from Inverness for the princely net spend of £500k. Taxis arriving at Celtic Park for Virgil Van Djik (Southampton bound apparently) and misfiring striker Stefan Scepovic who goes to Getafe on season long loan.”
That Van Dijk story is certainly one that could well develop during the day – stay close.
My inbox is currently approximately 1200% busier than when there’s some football on.
.@nickames82 Credit to Everton for trying to sign a Jorge Luis Borges short story. #FunesMori
— nshearing (@medazzanick) September 1, 2015
Now this is the standard of interaction you should be aspiring to.
Another Everton update from our man Andy Hunter has just landed in my inbox. Technology really is this simple, United fans!
At a sudden £9.5m, Ramiro Funes Mori is the most expensive defender in Everton’s history. The 24-year-old is also the costliest defender that Roberto Martinez has signed in his managerial career. The former River Plate centre-half meets one of Martinez’s three requirements before the end of this window but it remains to be seen whether Everton will also land the ‘number 10’ playmaker and striker their manager wants. Aaron Lennon in on a permanent deal from Tottenham and Aiden McGeady out on loan could materialise, however.
The Belgian journalist Kristof Terreur says talks are ongoing between Watford, who are behaving chaotically in this window, and representatives of Club Brugge striker Obbi Oulare.
Craig Fawcett is, so to speak, on the money:
“I feel that inflation-indexed net spend chats are dull. Surely the best and most appropriate way to measure fees is to index them to the most crazy transfer in the window, so Anthony Martial becomes 4 Andre Grays or 2.4 Mitrovics. Call it the Carroll scale.”
It should, indeed, be the trusted Andre Gray Scale we adopted last week.
This will reel ‘em back in – an update on the De Gea situation. Manchester United are relaxed about what has unfolded...
United view Real’s tactic of leaving their bid late for De Gea as having backfired on the Spanish side. It is understood the first bid they received for De Gea was at lunchtime yesterday. Real are considering an appeal to Fifa in the hope that can rescue the deal.
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I understand if this is alienating you, because it’s alienating me too, but this is from Siddharth Upasani:
“I think the term inflation-adjusted makes sense for football transfers. Obviously, the rate of inflation in European football (probably upwards of 10%) is much higher than that in the European economy (sub-2%) in general. What can be a measure of the European football inflation is the rate at which television money is increasing. TV money is the biggest source of income for clubs, at least those in England, and the premier league is setting the price levels, at least when they are involved in a deal. So the latest TV deal was for £5.136bn, 71% above last time around. Now with player wages forming around 50-60% of total income for EPL clubs, we can expect pan-European football inflation to be roughly in line (but less than) with the rise in EPL TV money, considering it dwarfs all other sources of revenue.
“In response to Rory Mcgee (0949): The supply of footballers is not limited, not even effectively. If anything, it should rise in line with the increase in world population, adjusted for the proportion of people who end up pursuing football seriously. While that may be a small number in absolute terms, you compare it to the number of people of playing football, it would definitely make a difference. As we can see, clubs are becoming more aggressive in buying younger and younger talent. That can only happen if the supply of footballers was increasing every year.”
The transfer deadline might bring you to tears, but it has provoked Barnaby and his band, SDSS, into song:
I remember a simpler time, a day of snow and Andrey Arshavin and a broadcaster’s sources saying he was on a flight back to St Petersburg.
In the Championship, Reading seem ready to spend some cash. They’ve signed Chelsea’s Lucas Piazon on loan, are in for Benfica’s Ola John and are now being linked with Watford’s Matej Vydra. I can’t see what can possibly go wrong for half of the Championship this season.
More net spend transfer news! Here’s an update to our earlier West Ham/Alex Song story, confirming that Victor Moses is poised to join him. When it’s a Done Deal you’ll see it in big writing here.
@NickAmes82 An alternative way is to measure against the club income. Zidane €75m / 138m RM income = 54%. Martial €80m / 518m MU inc = 15%
— malhussaini (@malhussaini) September 1, 2015
I can’t take this.
Prashan Hirant asks: “Even after signing of Martial, Man Utd look too light upfront. Have you been hearing any murmurs regarding potential deals for attacking players/strikers?”
I encourage you, and everyone else, to scroll back half an hour or so. Jamie Jackson thinks there may yet be more mischief afoot at Old Trafford....
Sunderland struggling to offload Will Buckley due to high wages. Leeds move on loan is now very unlikely #safc #lufc
— Ed Aarons (@ed_aarons) September 1, 2015
You sense that Sunderland will be counting the cost of a couple of years’ frankly disastrous transfer dealings for some time to come.
@NickAmes82 On a scale of Evra to Falcao, how do you think @ManUtd's latest recruit from Monaco will fair?
— Fail Much (@FailMuchLive) September 1, 2015
It’s hard to say, ‘Fail Much’. Potentially towards the Evra scale, but there are so many variables at this age. I’m no expert on Martial but have seen him five or six times: he’s definitely exciting, quick, strong, direct and can finish, but still needs to do quite a lot of work on his all-round game as far as I can tell. This looks like a lot of money for a “perhaps”, in all honesty.
I’m still talking about net spend.
Just remember, talk about net spend https://t.co/1x0J6D7PuF
— Jacob Steinberg (@JacobSteinberg) August 25, 2015
Is “inflation adjusted” the new “net spend”, fella? Rory McGee tells us that it is:
“Can we have a moratorium on the term inflation adjusted? It’s the new net spend and about as informative. It’s obvious that football prices have risen at a faster rate than standard prices. Adjusting them with CPI or RPI is clearly stupid. It might matter for a discussion about the largesse in football or the sickening amount of money, but when we weigh up transfers it ignores something key. There is effectively a limited supply of footballers and football clubs, for whom the outside value of the money doesn’t matter as much. When you buy your ‘NextBigThingTM’ thanks to the generous backing of ‘SugarDaddyOwner’ or ‘FansOverpayingForTV’ it only really matters who else you could have bought for that money, i.e. the price of ‘OverTheHill’.”
News of a pretty significant transfer in Italy: Juventus have signed Hernanes from Inter Milan for an initial €11m on a three-year deal. It’s a welcome reinforcement given that the likes of Andrea Pirlo, Arturo Vidal and Carlos Tevez have left the Champions League runners-up this summer.
How are you spending this deadline day? Full marks if you can present evidence of waiting outside a training ground gate.
@NickAmes82 Surely someone has to buy Charlie Austin? Your best guess? Or is QPR blocking any move?
— Thomas Krantz (@thomaskrantz) September 1, 2015
I think Austin would be sold for the right price, Thomas, which seems to be £15m. He’d have struck me as a good signing for someone like Norwich, but I’m not sure if they’re on for another striker after getting Dieumerci Mbokani (though I would be if I were them). As Dom says below, perhaps don’t rule out Palace – especially with Glenn Murray, who Alan Pardew said was his “number one No9” just three weeks ago, heading out of the door....
Two more imminent...
Told that fee for Michail Antonio from Forest to West Ham is an initial £6m. Expect deal to be announced later on #whufc #nffc
— Ed Aarons (@ed_aarons) September 1, 2015
Glenn Murray move from #cpfc to Bournemouth not completed yet but will be pretty shortly. Fee is £5m
— Ed Aarons (@ed_aarons) September 1, 2015
And more from Dom, this time on Chelsea. Quieter than Selhurst Park but one arrival should be rubber-stamped:
Chelsea should complete the arrival of Papy Djilobodji from Nantes for around £2.7m and may explore other incoming options, though their pursuit of more marquee signings – John Stones, Paul Pogba and the like - will presumably have to be put back until future windows. There will be further loan departures from Stamford Bridge: Victor Moses to West Ham United, Nathaniel Chalobah to Napoli, maybe exits for Islam Feruz and John Swift.
And a very interesting update just in from Jamie Jackson in Manchester. Who else could be coming through the door at Old Trafford, and who’ll be entrusted with sending those emails?
Despite – or maybe because of – the expected £36m spend on the potential of Anthony Martial, Manchester United remain open to signing a new forward, and possibly bringing in players in other positions before the window closes this evening.
Meanwhile, it could be a busy day for early high fliers Crystal Palace. Dominic Fifield has told us why:
It will be a day of trimming for Crystal Palace, initially at least, as they seek to bring their senior squad down to 25. Glenn Murray is currently undergoing a medical at Bournemouth in a deal that could amount to £5m - £3m up front and a further £2m linked to the Cherries staying up this season and next - while Barry Bannan departed for Sheffield Wednesday yesterday. Fraizer Campbell is interesting Wednesday and Norwich City, while Adlene Guedioura and Zeki Fryers are also available. Mile Jedinak is unlikely to be moving to Stoke, though there is interest from West Bromwich Albion and Watford in the Australia captain. One of Jedinak and Joe Ledley is likely to leave. Jonathan Williams has suitors in the Championship, including Wolverhampton Wanderers, who could take the Wales international on loan. A loan bid from Aston Villa for Dwight Gayle has been rejected. Once numbers have been reduced, Palace could then attempt to reinforce further with interest retained in Leonardo Ulloa at Leicester or, dare it be said, Charlie Austin at Queens Park Rangers.
Here is our man on Merseyside, Andy Hunter, writing for you on the Funes Mori deal:
Everton have completed their first signing of what might prove a hectic final day with Ramiro Funes Mori sealing his move from River Plate. Everton have stated the final fee is £9.5m (a sum that includes a necessary percentage to the Argentinian football federation) - a £3.5m increase on what was supposedly agreed for the 24-year-old central defender only 10 days ago. Seems it may not have been international clearance that was the cause of the hold-up after all. The Argentina defender was called up for forthcoming internationals having impressed in his previous club’s Copa Liberatores’ triumph this summer and is competition, not a replacement, for John Stones and Phil Jagielka.
@nickames82 "Plus cher que Zidane" - oh I don't know, even on inflation-adjusted basis? C'mon U're the journalist, clear that up 4 us!
— Thistlethwaite (@Thistleth) September 1, 2015
A mere football journalist, Thistlethwaite, but the thought had struck me too.
“Anything happening with the Gunners? Last rumour was Wenger in Paris?” asks Howard Grieve from New Zealand.
Probably too early to have fun with Arsenal fans yet but I’m sure we can get round to it.
Maajid emails with some insight on Funes Mori. We like insight. Here it is:
“He’s aggressive (sometimes needlessly), very good in the air, decent with the ball at his feet but that consistency suffers when he’s pressed aggressively, not the quickest on the half turn and his partner will have to cover in behind when he attacks aerial balls. More ‘Vidic’ than Rio, that’s for sure.”
That tickle you, Toffees?
Done deal – Newcastle sell Olivier Kemen to Lyon
Now you might not know a lot about Kemen, and I don’t really either, but he is a 19-year-old French midfielder who has been playing in Newcastle’s Under-21 team. No longer – Lyon have signed him for €700,000.
Speaking of incredulous-sounding foreign press, here’s L’Equipe on soon-to-be-United-new-boy Anthony Martial. Little explanation necessary:
Front page of @lequipe this morning pic.twitter.com/RCQB5Nv5gG
— Aidan Mac Guill (@aidanmacguill) September 1, 2015
Done deal – Everton sign Ramiro Funes Mori
Kept us waiting a little for that one, did the Toffees, but they’ve snapped up the River Plate defender for £9.5m on a four-year deal. If you’ve seen him play, tell us what you know.
“Are you going to widen the brief and keep us update on non-Premiership stuff? Otherwise it’s going to be very repetitive?” worries Mike Waring.
Think you might be looking for the rugby blog, Mike. But this is a broad church and we will get through what we can. But this is a broad church and we will get through what we can.
One possible exit from the Premier League today could be Norwich’s Bradley Johnson, who has been strongly linked with Championship spendthrifts Derby County. Just one of many to keep an eye on....
Happily, Alex Song to #WHU is a thing again. The purgatorial roundabout spins ever onwards. #DeadlineDay @NickAmes82 pic.twitter.com/CVESTaaxRQ
— Panini Cheapskates (@CheapPanini) September 1, 2015
If you missed it last week, this is by a husband-and-wife team who drew out all the stickers in the last Panini World Cup album. Think about that for a minute.
So what are the chances of the De Gea move going through? Very high, if you’re enough of an old cynic to believe that Real Madrid wouldn’t let a little thing like bureaucracy stop them getting exactly what they want. But there seems to be some precedent for this kind of thing not happening in the form of Bryan Ruiz’s broken-down loan from Fulham to Levante earlier this year. Back then, the paperwork was received – sound familiar? – one minute after the deadline and, despite an appeal, Levante weren’t allowed to get their man. But Levante are Levante and Real Madrid are....
Our man David Squires captures the essence of deadline day perfectly. Remember this masterpiece, from February?
Done deal – Alex Song back to West Ham
Bang. The winner of East London’s Best Dressed Deep-Lying Midfielder 2014 is back with us on another season-long loan.
Hello, world!
This is it. This is your reward, fanboys and fangirls, for your assiduous dedication to the transfer cause – whether it be this blog or the even greater good – since the window did the opposite of slamming shut on 1 July. Over the next 10 hours or so, yellow ties will be worn, “Email Attachments For Dummies” courses will be attended and plenty of people will do things they might come to regret in the morning.
Perhaps not quite as giddily as in previous times, as today’s window slams shut at 6pm UK time, which robs us of a late-night vigil at the altar of Andrey Arshavin and means any nutcase who has taken the day off work for this farrago might just get to grunt at their family a few times tonight.
We’ll have a lot to occupy us – that’s me, you, and my colleagues Paul Doyle and Nick Miller later on. It’s a marathon rather than a sprint, but that hasn’t deterred Manchester United from dashing headlong for the line and the shape they’ll be in by the day’s end is anybody’s guess. And should it have been a PDF or a .docx? That’s the burning question around the electronic faux pas that appears to have put the skids on the David de Gea and Keylor Navas deal with Real Madrid. In a footballing version of The Thick Of It, Ed Woodward would surely play himself.
Communications technology has affected this window in many forms. Saido Berahino for example, has taken to phoning it in over recent weeks, his state of mind not deemed sufficient for West Brom’s ends. Will Spurs step in and capitalise? That’s a deal you can certainly see trundling along to the last.
So let’s get started. Here’s how Marca reacted to the De Gea situation – although it might be equally applicable to the fact that any of this is happening at all:
#LaPortada 'Ridículo' pic.twitter.com/zm4WQzECSa
— MARCA (@marca) August 31, 2015
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Preamble
Hello. Nick will be here shortly to guide you through transfer deadline day. While we wait for deals to be inked and come-and-get-me pleas to finally be answered, here’s the latest nuggets of transfer news.
Only one place to start, and that’s with the last-minute additional chapter of the David de Gea saga. Farcical paperwork issues mean that the deal is hanging in the balance. It could be a morning of undignified wrangling, with both clubs planning to stamp their feet until they get their own way. United also need to get around to rubber-stamping the arrival of Monaco’s Anthony Martial, and could make more attacking additions with Adnan Januzaj and Javier Hernández heading off to the Bundesliga.
Elsewhere, Spurs are weighing up a third and final bid for West Brom’s Saido Berahino, and Chelsea are after Nantes centre-back Papy Djilobodji for a thrifty £2.7m. The promoted sides are also hard at work: Bournemouth are closing in on Crystal Palace’s Glenn Murray, while Norwich have brought in Dynamo Kiev’s Dieumerci Mbokani and are asking after Stoke’s Jonathan Walters.
West Ham could be busy today, with moves pending for Chelsea’s Victor Moses, Nottingham Forest’s Michail Antonio and Hull’s Nikica Jelavic, to go alongside a fresh loan deal for Alex Song. On the continent, Wolfsburg have broken into the Kevin de Bruyne transfer kitty to sign Schalke’s Julian Draxler. And finally, nobody has signed Emmanuel Adebayor. Yet.
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