Time to sign off, with one more done deal – although not confirmed by the clubs yet, Leon Bailey’s move from Genk to Bayer Leverkusen is looking nailed on:
Done deal: Jamaican talent Leon Bailey to Bayer Leverkusen for £11,5m. He signed until 2022. 🇯🇲 pic.twitter.com/2sBIQogdBt
— Kristof Terreur 📰 (@HLNinEngeland) January 30, 2017
Marcus will be back tomorrow, as 14 Premier League teams try to conclude their January business while also playing a match. That should be interesting. Bye for now.
Updated
We’ll be pulling down the shutters in a few minutes, ready for the big day tomorrow. Before we go, here’s a done deal: Chuba Akpom has joined Brighton on loan from Arsenal.
The full story on the arrival of Chuba Akpom from Arsenal. #BHAFC https://t.co/019ykaJ8Od pic.twitter.com/GwSxFaxbpA
— BHAFC ⚽️ (@OfficialBHAFC) January 30, 2017
Crystal Palace are very much our go-to guys as the transfer window inches shut. Reports in France claim they’ve made a bid for Liverpool’s Mamadou Sakho...
[Indiscrétion EDS et Damien Degorre] - Une offre de Crystal Palace pour @mamadousakho ! #EDS pic.twitter.com/nUrWDkdVSX
— L'ÉQUIPE du soir (@lequipedusoir) January 30, 2017
Wigan have issued a tersely-worded statement in a bid to hang on to Yanic Wildschut, who has handed in a transfer request in an effort to force through a late move.
“This is not the way to repay the faith we have shown in him. I’ve always had a good relationship with Yanic and I feel he has let the club, his team mates and our supporters down” said chairman David Sharpe.
Norwich are thought to be Wildschut’s likely destination, with Wigan set to turn to Eastleigh’s Mikael Mandron and Grimsby striker Omar Bogle on deadline day in an effort to bolster their forward line.
Updated
Chelsea in talks with Inter over loan move for Biabiany
Chelsea are in talks with Internazionale over a loan move for French winger Jonathan Biabiany. The 28-year-old has yet to make a Serie A appearance for Inter this season and had been interesting Atalanta. But it is understood that Antonio Conte is keen to boost his attacking options and is a big fan of the player who has also had spells at Parma and Sampdoria.
Updated
Better late than never, Blackburn have made their first January signing. Angola-born Portuguese forward Lucas Joao joins on loan from Sheffield Wednesday.
Rovers have made their first signing of the January transfer window with the capture of forward Lucas Joao. https://t.co/GEXLKj3ooT pic.twitter.com/knvRlWfjLC
— Blackburn Rovers (@Rovers) January 30, 2017
Milan have been busy today, following up a loan move for Lucas Ocampos by letting Brazilian defender Rodrigo Ely go on loan to La Liga side Alavés. It’s probably not what you were staying up, but beggars can’t be choosers.
FICHAJE | Rodrigo Ely cedido del @acmilan hasta final de temporada !! Bienvenido a #Mendizorrotza▶https://t.co/Yijc2KGl4s 🔵⚪#GoazenGlorioso pic.twitter.com/gRqzRpegKi
— Deportivo Alavés (@Alaves) January 30, 2017
It looks like being another busy transfer deadline day for Crystal Palace, with Martin Caceres and Luka Milivojevic both set for medicals on Tuesday. Their potential arrivals could spell the end for several fringe players in Sam Allardyce’s squad including Jordon Mutch and Lee Chung-yong. Mutch is expected to join Reading on loan until the end of the season while South Korea forward Lee is likely to move to Birmingham on a similar deal.
Palace are also weighing up whether to offer young winger Sullay Kaikai to Brentford as part of their attempt to sign striker Scott Hogan. The 20-year-old spent the first half of this season at Griffin Park but was recalled by Palace earlier this month. Any deal for Hogan may also rest on allowing Andros Townsend to rejoin Newcastle, although Palace are thought to want to recoup the £13m they paid the Championship side for the England international in the summer.
Updated
Nottingham Forest may not have a manager, stability or any kind of plan going forward, but what they do have is Aaron Tshibola, who has signed on loan from Aston Villa. They could add West Ham’s Reece Oxford, also on loan, before the window shuts – but one major target, Burton manager Nigel Clough, appears to have got away.
Updated
“Walace and Gremio?” chuckles Peter Oh. This clip is actually a pretty neat summary of how the transfer window really works:
Zing!
If the deal for Luka Milivojevic goes through, Crystal Palace will have spent more than £30m in this window – a fair chunk of cash for which the owners will be expecting survival in return.
Some more Crystal Palace news, as free agent Martin Caceres is set for a medical tomorrow. Ed Aarons can also add a spooky twist:
Martin #Caceres and Luka #Milivojevic to have medicals at Crystal Palace tomorrow. Both happen to be born on 7 April (my birthday!) #cpfc
— Ed Aarons (@ed_aarons) January 30, 2017
An interesting move in Europe, with PSV’s Davy Propper, a target for many a Premier League side, set to join Zenit. If the fee really is 16 Euros, they’ve got themselves a bargain, chortle, wheeze, etc.
🔴PSV and Zenit have agreed the transfer of Davy Pröpper for a reportedly €16 transfer fee. https://t.co/LP4fcfCdhE
— Stefano Conforti (@confortistefano) January 30, 2017
One deal that appears to have inched over the line is Hamburg’s move for Gremio midfielder Walace. He’s signed a four-and-a-half year deal.
Jetzt ist es fix: Willkommen in Hamburg, #Walace! ⚓
— Hamburger SV (@HSV) January 30, 2017
Der 21-jährige Mittelfeldspieler unterschreibt bis zum 30. Juni 2021. #nurderHSV pic.twitter.com/cChqPlfGE5
Chelsea are facing a battle to sign the Bosnia defender Sead Kolasinac from Schalke before Tuesday night’s 11pm cut-off, as a replacement for Zenit-bound Branislav Ivanovic. Kolasinac, like Ivanovic, is out of contract this summer, but the German side would prefer to keep him until then. The 23-year-old, who has 17 caps for Bosnia and Herzegovina, had been expected to join Juventus at the end of the season but is understood to be interested in the chance to move to the Premier League. Chelsea have offered to pay around £6m for a player who was capped at under-20 level by Germany and who can operate at centre-half, left-back or, potentially, central midfield to offer various options for manager Antonio Conte.
West Brom make £10m bid for Southampton's Jay Rodriguez
West Brom have tabled a £10m bid for Southampton striker Jay Rodriguez, with the England striker thought to be open to a move to the Hawthorns. Claude Puel’s side have agreed a deal with Napoli to sign Manolo Gabbiadini for £14.6m with a further £2.6m in performance-related bonuses, meaning there may be limited opportunities for the former Burnley striker.
Having failed with an attempt to sign Abel Hernández from Hull, Tony Pulis has switched his attention to Rodriguez as he attempts to find a replacement for Saido Berahino. It remains to be seen whether Soputhampton accept their opening offer, however, with two and a half years still left on Rodriguez’s contract at St Mary’s.
A few intriguing Premier League rumours out there, not least the news that Leicester are trying to tie up a loan deal for Udinese’s Molla Wagué, a Malian defender who featured at the Africa Cup of nations. Burnley could make a £5m bid for Aston Villa’s Ashley Westwood, which seems about right, and Arsenal striker Chuba Akpom is set for a loan move to Brighton. Southampton, meanwhile, are hopeful of bringing in Nice goalkeeper Mouez Hassen.
Martin Vivers is troubled by the Dembélé developments:
“There is no need for him to sign on at Stamford Bridge to be benched or worse if he doesn’t score 20 goals in his first three games – another 18 months at Celtic and he will have his pick of the Spanish giants to move to. You’ve got years left to make this move Moussa, don’t become another statistic because you went too soon and too young to a club where an injury or loss of form is a career death knell...”
Staying in Scotland, and Hearts manager Ian Cathro has pulled off a tidy hat-trick of transfers today. Greek duo Alexandros Tziolis and Anastasios Avlonitis have been joined this evening by Anothorsis Famagusta striker Esmael Goncalves.
Hearts sign Esmael Goncalves in 200,000 Euros transfer | https://t.co/jYfHnAa1lh pic.twitter.com/Ak7yvJeLrX
— Heart of Midlothian (@JamTarts) January 30, 2017
A bit of business from north of the border: Rangers have signed Port Vale goalkeeper Jak Alnwick on a three-and-a-half year deal.
.@RangersFC can tonight confirm the signing of goalkeeper Jak Alnwick from @OfficialPVFC https://t.co/01qoGPLQjc pic.twitter.com/ogLYIjAh1k
— Rangers FC (@RangersFC) January 30, 2017
West Ham co-chairman David Sullivan is on Radio 5, if you fancy feasting on the very sourest of grapes. He’s revealing a few interesting details on the Dimitri Payet deal, including that the player was not paid in January, and spent the last six weeks separated from his team-mates.
David Sullivan on 5live says Marseille were "lucky" to get Payet for £25m. Also says player did not get any wages for January #whufc
— Ed Aarons (@ed_aarons) January 30, 2017
Does Sullivan regret giving Payet a £1m bonus in August? Obviously No, it was part of his wages, and kept him at the club after the summer window, he says. What if Payet came back with Marseille? “We’re all professional, we’ll be polite, but the fans will probably boo him.”
Everyone loves a swap deal, right? Well, Benfica and Sampdoria have just announced one. Filip Djuricic, who was briefly at Southampton in 2015, is making his loan move to Samp permanent, with full-back Pedro Pereira going the other way.
📝 #Djuricic è un calciatore della #Sampdoria, #Pereira va al #Benfica ➡️ https://t.co/TZzaoBMnUM pic.twitter.com/7ha8d1Qa4Z
— U.C. Sampdoria (@sampdoria) January 30, 2017
Updated
Thanks Marcus. I’ll kick things off with a little more on Chelsea, who have pretended to chase Fernando Llorente and Craig Gordon all window, only to potentially come on strong with a big-money move for Celtic’s Moussa Dembélé:
Right, that’s it for me. Niall McVeigh will be here soon to pick up the baton and guide you through the latest moves.
Alexandre Pato to Tianjin Quanjian is official! Fabio Cannavaro has welcomed the former Milan player to the club.
Ben-vindo ao Tianjin Quanjian família💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳 @AlexandrePato pic.twitter.com/muhJPwAIce
— Fabio Cannavaro (@fabiocannavaro) January 30, 2017
Chelsea consider making £30m bid for Celtic's Moussa Dembélé on deadline day
Chelsea have expressed an interest in Celtic’s Moussa Dembélé and have been made aware of the Scottish champions’ valuation of the striker, with the Premier League leaders now weighing up whether to lodge a formal bid in the region of £30m before Tuesday’s transfer deadline or defer their interest until the summer.
Dembélé, a France Under-21 international, began his development at Paris Saint-Germain before joining Fulham’s academy at 16 and has been prolific in Scottish football since signing a four-year contract at Celtic last summer. His haul of 20 goals in 38 appearances included an eye-catching brace against Manchester City and an equaliser, from the penalty spot, at Borussia Mönchengladbach in the Champions League, with the forward maintaining the progress he had demonstrated in the Championship last term.
OK, someone needs to stop this now. Another signing!
Monaco confirm signing of Jorge from Flamengo. Rio club's biggest ever sale https://t.co/HFCoZeohf9
— Jack Lang (@jacklang) January 30, 2017
And Milan announce the arrival of Lucas Ocampos - the Marseille player who has been playing for Genoa – on loan until the end of the season.
Official Statement
— AC Milan (@acmilan) January 30, 2017
➡ https://t.co/kCCiB2MP6u
Comunicato Ufficiale
➡ https://t.co/vBHOSCjXnx pic.twitter.com/hyMx8VVPHC
Oh and Juventus have finally announced the signing of the extremely talented Riccardo Orsolini for an initial fee of €6m from Ascoli.
UFFICIALE - Riccardo Orsolini è bianconero https://t.co/Q96qhwMWEX #BenvenutoRiccardo pic.twitter.com/2UPKI4adq9
— JuventusFC (@juventusfc) January 30, 2017
Bournemouth news! Max Gradel is expected to join Hull City on a permanent deal while Marc Wilson is set to join West Bromwich Albion on loan.
Quiz time as we wait for the Moussa Dembélé news …
Scott Hogan update
With a little over 24 hours to go until the end of the transfer window, Brentford have still to receive an offer that matches their £15m valuation of striker Scott Hogan. West Ham were the big favourites to sign the 24-year-old former Rochdale striker and has a series of bids rejected for him, with the last worth up to £12.5m. But despite managing to complete the sale of Dimitri Payet to Marseille on Monday, it is understood that Slaven Bilic’s side have yet to return with an improved offer as the manager has reservations about spending such a large fee on a player with limited experience. Crystal Palace and Aston Villa, who appear set to lose Jordan Ayew to Swansea in a swap deal for Neil Taylor, have also registered an interest but are yet to submit a bid.
We’ll also have a Moussa Dembélé-Chelsea update soon. In the meantime, we’ll have to do with the news that Firmin Mubele has signed for Rennes from Al Ahli
Hull sign Inter's Andrea Ranocchia on loan
And Hull have agreed a deal with Inter to bring in Andrea Ranocchia on loan for the rest of the season. He has been at Inter since 2011 and has 21 caps for Italy. Good player although he has lost his way a little in the past few years.
Crystal Palace agree £11m fee for Olympiakos's Luka Milivojevic
More news! Crystal Palace has agreed a fee with Olympiakos for Luka Milivojevic, the Serbian midfielder, who is now set to become the club’s third new signing in this window.
Luka Milivojevic is close to joining Crystal Palace for around £11m from Olympiakos #cpfc
— Ed Aarons (@ed_aarons) January 30, 2017
Updated
Alexandre Pato – aka the duck – is on his way to China. What a weird signing that was last year when Chelsea got him in on loan. Either way, he is now set to join Chinese side Tianjin Quanjian from Villarreal for a fee of €18m. Crazy money.
It’s been a good three days for Wolves. Costa looks a superb player. What a coup
✍️ We are delighted to announce that Helder Costa has signed for Wolves on a four-and-a-half-year deal. #CongratsCosta pic.twitter.com/jLt0fgVfQh
— Wolves (@OfficialWolves) January 30, 2017
At last, this transfer window is gathering pace. Another done deal, Moritz Leitner is joining Augsburg from Lazio in a deal worth £2m.
Managerial news then. Nigel Clough has turned down the chance to take over at Nottingham Forest and is staying at Burton Albion.
Club statement: Nigel Clough stays with Burton Albion Football Club.
— Burton Albion FC (@burtonalbionfc) January 30, 2017
Read more ➡️ https://t.co/SR3cW8OT9P#BAFC pic.twitter.com/ksJbDp7iyG
More news from Italy. Hull have entered negotiations with Inter about the possibility of signing the Andrea Ranocchia on loan for the rest of the season.
Hull’s dealings so far:
Updated
Here is the full story
Southampton agree deal to sign Manolo Gabbiadini from Napoli
Southampton have agreed a deal to sign Manolo Gabbiadini from Napoli for €17m plus €3m in add-ons. Big signing for them but a bit of a risk as well, if you ask me. Not entirely convinced he will be suited to the Premier League.
Updated
Looks like the transfer of Manolo Gabbiadini from Napoli to Southampton is edging closer. Sky Sport in Italy, who seem less reliable on sources (ie other journalists’ stories) than their counterparts here in Britain, are reporting that Southampton have increased their initial bid from €16m to €17m.
#UltimOra @sscnapoli, più vicina cessione @Mgabbia23. Il @SouthamptonFC aumenta offerta a 17 milioni più 3 di bonus ⚽️ #SkyCalciomercatoDay pic.twitter.com/MLVnj57mNY
— Sky Sport (@SkySport) January 30, 2017
Sunderland sign Bryan Oviedo and Darron Gibson
Sunderland have completed their double swoop
And the full-back is joined by Darron Gibson who has signed an 18-month deal.
— Sunderland AFC (@SunderlandAFC) January 30, 2017
➡️https://t.co/wNV08QNVvB pic.twitter.com/Q51wFiVfu3
Chelsea hope to sign Schalke's Saed Kolasinac for £8m
Chelsea are talking to Schalke about a possible transfer of Saed Kolasinac. The Bosnian international is out of contract in the summer, but Chelsea are looking to sign him for a fee this month, likely to be around £8m. He can operate at left-back, centre-half or central midfield.
Branislav Ivanonic is likely to join Zenit St PEtersburg on a two-and-a-half-year contract
Updated
Oh dear. Leonardo Ulloa has not taken well to the news that a bid from Sunderland has been turned down (if it is, indeed, his account, where is the blue tick Leonardo?)
With all respect for LCFC FANS.
— Jose Leonardo Ulloa (@Ciclone1923) January 30, 2017
I feel betrayed by Ranieri and let down by the club. I will not play again for them...
The Italian goalkeeper Gianluca Curci is leaving Mainz. He had a contract until the end of the season but the sporting director, Rouven Schröder, said: “It hasn’t worked out this co-operation. It is best for both parts if we go our separate ways. He now has all the freedom to decide where he wants to go next. We wish him all the best.”
Curci trained with Cardiff earlier this month.
The Paris St-Germain director of football, Patrick Kluivert has been speaking about their January signing, Gonçalo Gudes
Kluivert on Guedes: "He is 1 of the most talented Portuguese players. He can play in 3 roles across midfield & in attack." #PSG
— Jonathan Johnson (@Jon_LeGossip) January 30, 2017
Gabriel Obertan could be back in Europe. According to France Football two Ligue 1 clubs are interested in signing the former Manchester United player, with Montpellier being one of them. The 27-year-old was recently released by Anzhi Makhachkala.
I can’t believe he is still only 27.
Oh dear. It really isn’t a good window for Sunderland…
Leicester have rejected a new £7m bid from Sunderland for Leonardo Ulloa #safc
— Ed Aarons (@ed_aarons) January 30, 2017
Good lord. It is all happening now. Five days with nothing happening and then this. I need a break. Either way, Raffaele Palladino is joining Genoa, the club he played for from 2008-2011, from Crotone. He said earlier that that it would be a “dream” to join Genoa.
Watford have accepted a bid worth £20m from Chinese Super League side Changchun Yatai for striker Odion Ighalo but it is understood the Nigeria striker is reluctant to join them. Having added M’Baye Niang and Mauro Zarate to his ranks, Walter Mazarri is willing to let Ighalo leave the club, with Watford pushing for a permanent sale. However, Ighalo would prefer to stay in the Premier League, with an unnamed club willing to offer him a loan deal with an option to make the deal permanent at the end of the season.
My Spanish is not great but is the Las Palmas president saying here that the transfer of Jesé Rodríguez is practically done AND that they have a total agreement for it?
El presidente Miguel Ángel Ramírez en #UDRadio: "La operación de @JeseRodriguez10 está prácticamente terminada, hay total acuerdo".
— UD Las Palmas (@UDLP_Oficial) January 30, 2017
Updated
Our weekly French blog is here and is on the subject of why PSG, for all their money, are still so reliant on one player, the one and only Marco Verratti. It is a good question. Love Verratti, what a player.
What about Hull City then? It has been a thoroughly depressing transfer window so far and it could still get worse. Burnley are prepared to pay £10m for Andy Robertson and it sounds as if Hull are prepared to sell him too (having already sold Jake Livermore and Robert Snodgrass). One player who could come in, meanwhile, is Watford’s Adlene Guedioura, after Hull had a £3m bid for the player accepted.
Talking of Payet, here he is
Updated
A message from Karren Brady:
Morning, bring back your Payet shirt to any of the club shops & you will get a new replacement for £25, full details on WHU web site today. https://t.co/i9BPrS6YG1
— Lady Brady (@karren_brady) January 30, 2017
Wolfsburg have made another signing. Ashkan Dejagah, who had a spell at Fulham, has joined the club he played for between 2007 and 2012. He has joined from Al-Arabi until the summer with an option to extend his spell.
Quiz time!
Virgil van Dijk will be sidelined for “at least a few weeks”, according to the Southampton manager, Claude Puel. The Dutchman left St Mary’s in a protective boot following a clash with the Leicester City striker, Jamie Vardy, last weekend. Van Dijk, recently named captain at Southampton, has been quite magnificent this season. “We know Virgil will stay weeks out of the team, and it’s important to find a good balance without him for at least a few weeks,” Puel said. “Perhaps we will look at possibilities at the end of this transfer window. It’s important to look at possibilities in this position.”
Ronald Koeman has said that Burnley’s Michael Keane is a player who interests him, but that other clubs are likely to want him too. Says that he is not planning to bring in a goalkeeper in January but “maybe” in the summer. The Everton manager also ruled out a bid for Ashley Young of Manchester United.
Dimitri Payet has been speaking:
Dimitri Payet: "I do not have to justify my behaviour with West Ham... I spoke to the manager Bilic."
— Get French Football (@GFFN) January 30, 2017
Rejoice Sunderland fans. It’s happening …
#safc boss David Moyes confirms Bryan Oviedo and Darron Gibson are on Wearside and close to signing.
— Damian Spellman (@DamianSpellman) January 30, 2017
Southampton’s manager, Claude Puel, has been speaking about the Nice goalkeeper Mouez Hassan, who looks as though he is on his way to St Mary’s.
He has not signed for the moment but this player can perhaps join this squad,” Puel said at his press conference on Monday. “It’s a possibility because [Alex] McCarthy is not available after surgery for two months and I think it was important to give opportunities and look at possibilities behind Fraser [Forster]. It’s important to see a solution until the end of the season.
Updated
Sam Allardyce has also said this about Martin Caceres (and playing on deadline day).
Martin Caceres (former Juventus defender) is one who may appear after the window as he’s not attached to a club. Yes, I have an interest. We’re still hunting for at least two players. We’re sitting with as many people as we possibly can. Whatever happens in the next 48 hours is frantic: could be many, could be none.
Playing a game right on the last day of the window affects the mentality of the players. Constant rumours are disruptive. It’s not very productive, trying to focus and prepare the team for one of the most important games of the season.
Antonio Conte on transfers
On Ivanovic, who is expected to complete a move to Zenit St Petersburg before the transfer deadline:
He played a lot of games for this club. He won a lot for this club. He’s 32 and, I think, he can play for many (more) years. He’s able to continue his career in the right way at the top level, yes. But it’s important also to respect the decision of the player, above all for this type of player: a legend of the club. If you are not playing a lot, you can decide to make another decision. To go in another team. But I have great respect for him and for this type of player.
On Begovic, with Chelsea no nearer as yet to securing a new No2:
Until now, I haven’t news about Asmir. I think we have to wait until tomorrow, and we’ll see the situation then. But the situation is the same: Asmir wants to go to play because he wants to play every game, but also Asmir knows really well our situation. If we are able to find a good replacement, he’ll go. Otherwise, he’ll stay with us and fight until the end with the other teams to win the title and find a place as champions.
Idion Ighalo is set to leave Watford. What a strange spell it has been for the Nigerian at Vicarage Road, so up and down. Changchun Yatai will be his new club. More details to follow.
The hugely talented Benedikt Gimber has renewed his contract with Hoffenheim and has also been loaned out to Karlsruhe.
Benedikt #Gimber verlängert bei der #tsg bis 2020 & wird bis 2018 an den @KarlsruherSC ausgeliehen. Zuletzt spielte er für @SV_Sandhausen. pic.twitter.com/sE1Kk6FBWJ
— TSG 1899 Hoffenheim (@achtzehn99) January 30, 2017
You can make January bargains that’s for sure, Philippe Coutinho being one of them. He joined Liverpool in January 2013 for £8.5m. An Inter director, Piero Ausilio, has now admitted that it was all a terrible mistake – but that they are dreaming of having him back one day.
It was a great regret for me to have to sell him, perhaps one of my greatest regrets in over 20 years at Inter. Now we have very strong owners, although Financial Fair Play does still have an impact on our finances, but I cannot exclude in future that this lad could end his career back here at Inter, it is something we can always hope for.
Middlesbrough rule out Gaston Ramírez sale in January
The Boro manager, Aitor Karanka, has ruled out letting Gaston Ramírez go in January.
There has not been another bid. I don’t care. He will be here at the end of January, 100 per cent. Gaston has been training with the team for the last two days, but the physio came to my office and said he couldn’t play tomorrow. That was a surprise.
Looks like Lukas Podolski is staying at Galatasaray after all. There have been rumours swirling (yes, swirling!) round regarding the former Arsenal striker all of January. One day he was going to China, one day he was going to Japan. And after all that he is going nowhere. What a waste of everyone’s time… This is what board member Levent Nazifoglu had to say on the matter
I have already said this before: none of our players are for sale and as long as Lukas Podolski wants to stay here, he stays here and remains our player. End of story.
Over in Italy, La Gazzetta dello Sport is saying that today may very well be the decisive day when it comes to Manolo Gabbiadini’s on-off move from Napoli to Southampton. Let’s recap. The Saints have offered €16m up front plus €4m in add-ons which seems perfectly reasonable for the 25-year-old forward, as far as I am concerned. But then I am not Aurelio De Laurentiis and the Napoli owner has decided that the Saints offer is not enough. For now. Let’s see if he still thinks that tomorrow afternoon with the prospect of not selling Gabbiadini at all.
Meanwhile in Germany, Hamburg are trying to buy their way out of trouble with the signing of the Brazilian Walace from Grêmio for €9.2m. Here he is at the airport. Welcome Walace! (It is 2C and raining today in Hamburg. Welcome indeed.
Pressesprecher Till Müller begrüßt den 9,2-Mio-Zugang. #HSV #Walace pic.twitter.com/wVkUE9Zeum
— BILD Hamburger SV (@BILD_HSV) January 30, 2017
Crystal Palace have signed Patrick van Aanholt today but it doesn’t look as if the Carl Jenkinson deal will go through. This is what Sam Allardyce had to say about the possibility of signing the Arsenal full-back earlier today.
Asked about Jenkinson, SA: We have other priorities at the moment. Who knows what might happen, but not for now.
— Crystal Palace F.C. (@CPFC) January 30, 2017
This, by the way, is a lovely interview by Sid Lowe with the former Arsenal player Lauren. Well worth a read. One of 22 siblings. Good lord.
Not that there is anything wrong with Mainz 05 - rather the contrary in fact, it is a very well run club – but this, by the one and only Ian McCourt, is topical today …
Updated
More on the potential Taylor-Ayew swap deal. Swansea say that the transfer deal with Aston Villa that would see Neil Taylor plus cash (up to £5m) go to the Midlands in exchange for Jordan Ayew is close to being finalised but not quite done yet. Ayew, who joined Villa from Lorient for about £12m 18 months ago, is currently on duty at the Africa Cup of Nations with Ghana and scored in the 2-1 quarter-final win over Democratic Republic of Congo on Sunday. Andre Ayew, his brother, also scored in that victory and, of course, used to play for Swansea.
Taylor has lost his place at Swansea because of the arrival of Martin Olsson earlier this month and has endured a difficult season. Ayew has not exactly been setting it alight at Villa but there is a feeling that he would be more suited to the Premier League, with Swansea viewing the 25-year-old as more of a winger than a striker.
Leicester City waiting to hear if £8m plus add-ons bid for Kara Mbodji has been accepted
More on Leicester. They have made a bid of £8m plus add-ons for Anderlecht’s Kara Mbodji. On Monday, the player retweeted a tweet from a fan who called him a ‘traitor’ and looks to be leaving the Jupiler League club. Leicester are also hoping to sign Gaston Ramírez from Middlesbrough.
Updated
Sunderland are in negotiations with Leicester over the signing of Leonardo Ulloa, with the latest offer of £5m plus bonuses expected to meet the Premier League champions’ valuation. The former Brighton striker has made no secret of his desire to leave the King Power Stadium having rarely featured for Claudio Ranieri’s side and with Victor Anichebe sidelined for at least two months, Ulloa fits the bill to replace him. Turkish champions Galatasaray are also understood to have made an offer but David Moyes is likely to add the 30-year-old to his squad, as well as Everton duo Bryan Oviedo and Darron Gibson.
Latest news from our colleagues over at Wales online and it appears Swansea City have agreed a swap deal with Aston Villa which would see Neil Taylor move to the Championship club and Jordan Ayew moving in the opposite direction.
Reading have signed the Romania international Adrian Popa on a three-and-a-half year deal from Steaua Bucharest. That’s an interesting one …
CONFIRMED | We’re delighted to officially welcome Adrian Popa to Reading! Bine ai venit, Adi! 🇷🇴
— Reading FC (@ReadingFC) January 30, 2017
Read in full: https://t.co/gIuzQx4rWp pic.twitter.com/O9CSvbmuvf
Marseille are being busy this transfer window. They have already signed Morgan Sanson, Patrice Evra and Dimitri Payet and have now agreed a deal to snap up Grégory Sertic from Bordeaux for €1.5m. Must admit I don’t know that much about Sertic. Good player? Does anyone out there know?
How many of this window’s 10 most expensive transfers (including a club from Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga and Ligue 1) can you name? Patrick van Aanholt, by the way, is No13 on the list at £10.2m. Click on our fancy interactive below and sort by price for the answer.
News from Spain then and it looks as if Jesé Rodríguez is on his way to Las Palmas – and not Middlesbrough. Should be interesting. It clearly hasn’t worked at all at PSG. Would have been interesting to see him in the Premier League though.
At Las Palmas he would join up with Alen Halilovic … Here is AS’s report on Jesé’s potential move to Las Palmas.
Here is the latest from France and Get French Football News
- Marseille will unveil £25m signing Dimitri Payet at 14:30 local time this afternoon after a deal was concluded on Sunday. The French international attacking midfielder underwent a medical with success last night and has already signed a 4.5-year deal with OM.
- Hull City have yet to give up on potentially convincing Cameroonian defender Nicolas N’Koulou to make a late move from Lyon. The player’s entourage has so far rejected the Premier League side’s advances, even though N’Koulou has been told to find a new club.
- Lille are expected to complete the signing of 20-year-old Brazilian youth international Gabriel from Avaí after a €3.5m deal was agreed yesterday. Gabriel is set to undergo a medical today before signing a 4.5-year-contract, as reported by RMC.
- OGC Nice goalkeeper Mouez Hassen arrived in England yesterday ahead of a proposed loan with option to buy move to Southampton, where he would join up with former boss Claude Puel, according to Nice-Matin.
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Ashley Young could leave Manchester United in this window
According to José Mourinho Ashley Young could leave Manchester United before the end of the season, the manager having said so after the win against Wigan.
There is also interesting mood music around Wayne Rooney and his future and whether he can leave for China by the close of their country’s transfer window next month. Both the club and Rooney’s camp hardly killed the proposition when it was put to each, and given how “exercised” these respective parties can be when they feel the need this piques interest.
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Crystal Palace sign Patrick van Aanholt for initial fee of £10.2m
Here is more on Palace
Crystal Palace have completed the signing of Patrick van Aanholt from Sunderland for an initial fee in the region of a £10m after the left wing-back spent the weekend completing a rigorous medical at the south London club. He attended Saturday’s FA Cup fourth round defeat to Manchester City at Selhurst Park.
Sam Allardyce still aspires to securing at least two more players before tomorrow’s deadline, with Palace understood to have sounded out Newcastle over Chancel Mbemba – eliminated from the Africa Cup of Nations with DR Congo yesterday, but with only one Championship appearance to his name since mid-September – and Liverpool over Mamadou Sakho, who has not played for the club since last April. Both inquiries were for loan moves.
The Arsenal full-back Carl Jenkinson continues to discuss personal terms ahead of a move to Palace for around £7m, with compromise expected to be reached before the deadline passes. Allardyce would ideally also like to add a defensive midfielder to his ranks, and may also seek to off-load some squad players as he seeks to trim the wage bill. Andros Townsend may have to stay put given the hamstring injury suffered by Jeffrey Schlupp on Saturday, but the likes of Jordon Mutch and Lee Chung-Yong could be moved on.
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This transfer has finally gone through ...
Confirmed: @pvanaanholt has completed his move to @CPFC for an undisclosed fee.
— Sunderland AFC (@SunderlandAFC) January 30, 2017
➡️️https://t.co/m3o3pOH4JF pic.twitter.com/Limgakasud
Max Gradel will probably leave Bournemouth on loan, with the Championship his likely destination. Aston Villa are among the clubs keen on the Ivory Coast winger. Gradel joined Bournemouth in 2015 but tore his cruciate ligament in August of that year and has only made 17 league appearances for the club so far.
The Rumour Mill has landed and the thought of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang at Liverpool may cheer up a few fans. Let’s be honest, it’s not been a good week for the club with Chelsea coming up tomorrow.
The Sunderland manager, David Moyes, meanwhile, is hoping to sign the Everton duo Darron Gibson and Bryan Oviedo. It doesn’t shout SURVIVAL to me but with hardly any money to spend there isn’t much he can do I guess. If the two of them join it will take the ex-Everton player count at Stadium of Light up to six (with Steven Pienaar, Victor Anichebe, Jack Rodwell and Joleon Lescott already there).
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And what about Kostas Manolas then? Left out of the Roma team that lost 3-2 to Sampdoria and could even be sold in the next two days. The manager, Luciano Spaletti, did not give a reason for the omission but the Greek did not look impressed and is now expected to look for a way out. Will a deal be done before Tuesday’s deadline? Unlikely - but he does look certain to leave in the summer. Inter, Chelsea and Manchester United have been mentioned as potential suitors.
So Dimitri Payet has moved to Marseille from West Ham for £25m and here is what David Sullivan has to say about it.
The club would like to place on record its sincere disappointment that Dimitri Payet did not show the same commitment and respect to West Ham United that the club and fans showed him, particularly when it rewarded him with a lucrative new five-and-half-year deal only last year.
I would like to make it clear that we have no financial need to sell our best players and that the decision to allow Payet to leave was in accordance with the wishes of the manager and the interests of squad unity. To be frank, my board and I would have preferred for him to have stayed in order to make an example of him, as no player is bigger than the club.
Full story below ...
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Hello. Marcus will be here shortly.
I can replace him, I don't mind not playing for a team for no apparent reason.