OK, on that positive note I think we’ll sign off for today. There haven’t been a great number of sure things, have there? But here’s a quick rundown:
- Sunderland appear to have signed the Bordeaux midfielder Wahbi Khazri – we await confirmation
- No further news yet on the Suarez/Emenike/Dembele moves to Watford/West Ham/Spurs – or, for that matter, Alberto Paloschi’s move to Swansea
- Alexandre Pato’s loan to Chelsea remains on course
- Sandro is expected to join West Brom on loan from QPR
- Newcastle are strongly in the market: Guilherme Siqueira is set to join on loan and Seydou Doumbia has just been linked
- Leicester’s move for M’Baye Niang seems like a dead duck
- Liverpool would have to stump up a huge amount of cash for Alex Teixeira
- Leicester, in our only top-flight Done Deal, have signed the young Danish goalkeeper Daniel Iversen
- Arsenal are close to signing two Nigerian starlets
That can keep you going over the weekend. Have a good one, whatever you’re up to – and enjoy whatever games you might be watching. Thanks for all your interaction today. Nick Miller and Alan Smith will be sharing the transfer blog load on Jim White Day, a mere three sleeps from now – so please remember to join in the fun with them.
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And it looks as if Newcastle might just have their left-back! They’ve been linked with several over the last few days but reports suggest they’re close to a loan deal for Atletico Madrid’s Guilherme Siqueira. He’s a 29-year-old Brazilian who has also spent time with Udinese, Ancona, Granada and Benfica. Let’s see if they can close that one out.
A signing in Belgium for Genk. They’ve snapped up the Tanzanian striker Mbwana Samatta from the Congolese giants TP Mazembe.
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One megabucks agreement appears to have been struck – Real Madrid, god love ‘em, are apparently to announce football’s first £1bn kit deal.
From Dan Moore: “It appears that even the Guardian is capable of succumbing to the beast of the namesake, in particular when searching Google images for a picture of a new signing. God knows how I came across this but delving through my somewhat murky memory of dodgy signings led me to Adrian Lopez (Piscu) and his woeful time at Wigan. Somebody, somewhere, got caught out by this and used a picture of Adrian Lopez of Atletico Madrid and Porto fame. I think I need a day off and a lie down...”
You are not the only one, Dan.
It’s easy to forget that, in the mild breeze that this transfer window has so far been, it might only take one butterfly to flap its wings and create a hurricane. Plenty of deals will be dependent on others. Onder Susam writes in with an example:
“There have been strong rumours in Turkish media about Doumbia being loaned to my beloved Fenerbahçe (who need another striker) for the past two days. Roma and Fenerbahçe are said to have agreed on the loan. If Newcastle are also involved in Doumbia, this could have an impact on the Emenike transfer from Fenerbahçe to West Ham.”
Could Neymar be about to leave Barcelona? Read this and make your mind up.
Philippa Booth on the risks involved in signing namealikes:
“This may already have come up but there are two Mamadou Samassas, both Malian internationals, playing in France. One is a goalkeeper for Guingamp, one a centre forward for Brest.
“I almost hope there’s a bid for one of them, just to check out how good a club’s scouting system is: ‘OK, Mamadou, get your gloves on and we’ll put some crosses in for practice.’ ‘Erm...’ ‘Oh FFS.’”
Interesting ... Sky Italia reckon Newcastle have made a bid for the Roma striker Seydou Doumbia. More if we get it...
In Scotland, Falkirk have signed the striker Myles Hippolyte from Livingston. That’s also a good name – as is that of his father’s cousin, the former non-league legend Johnson Hippolyte.
The one I really thought would be over the line by now is Mario Suarez to Watford. About 40 minutes to shoehorn it in ... can they manage it? Or has there been a late hitch?
More on Leeds and Leeds – they also employed Ryan Hall and Ryan Hall at the same time. Fancy that.
@NickAmes82 Adding to the Dembele pile. Leeds Utd and Leeds Rhinos were managed simultaneously by Brian McDermott.Talk about double jobbing.
— Chris Jackson (@chris_jacksoc) January 29, 2016
Oh, very good indeed!
Talking of explosive Argentinian centre-forwards, I think I could watch this on a loop 100 times and not get bored:
Does your club wish it could sign someone like Gonzalo Higuain? What a season he and Napoli are having – and here Blair Newman, for the Guardian Sport Network, tells you about it:
Higuaín has reached a new level under his new coach. In his first season in Italy he scored 17 goals; in his second he went one better. Having just passed the halfway mark of this term, “Pipita” has already blitzed both of those tallies. He is on course for the most productive season of his career. His anger continues to simmer throughout his play, but he is less of a chore to play alongside. He is finally channelling his emotion, inflicting it upon opposition defences. In many games he has been simply irrepressible.
Here, as promised, is Ed Aarons with more about M’Baye Niang. The gist, Leicester fans, is that you shouldn’t worry too much just yet – Niang probably won’t happen but you’re still interested in Ahmed Musa, although time is tight.
@NickAmes82 Djibril Cisse signed for QPR in Jan '12 and either scored a goal or got a red card every game in their survival push
— Robert Baker (@kerba1123) January 29, 2016
Definitely few dull moments for the erstwhile Lord of the Manor of Frodsham.
More on Pato to Chelsea, courtesy of Dom Fifield again. He’s having his work permit hearing this afternoon, and Guus Hiddink does not regard the deal as a gamble.
“It’s at the paperwork stage,” said Hiddink, who will not have the player available until after Sunday’s FA Cup fourth round tie against MK Dons. “We’ll see how long it takes to solve before he gets on the pitch. It’s not a gamble. Coming on loan makes it possible for us to have a good view of him, and see whether he’s able to adapt to the high demands of the club and the league. We’ll give him all the support in this, but it’s up to him.
More from our friends at Turkish Futbol, who I mentioned earlier. Manchester City are chasing Caglar Soyuncu, a highly-rated young defender who has also caught the eyes of Bayer Leverkusen, Cologne and Valencia. He currently plays for Altinordu.
Talking of failed Leicester bids, Giulio Ongaro has written in about Eder’s transfer to Inter:
“A little baffled by the Eder move. Sampdoria sits fourth from the bottom, although 5 points clear from the relegation zone, and not doing particularly well, and they give away their best forward? Their president is a rabid fan (known as “Er viperetta” or “The little asp”) and keeps talking about his aspirations for the team. Baffling. Hope he got a lot of money for Eder.”
Hearing that Leicester’s bid for M’Baye Niang has hit the skids – Milan see him as important to their future and have no wish to sell. Ed Aarons is your man for this story and will have more shortly...
Again not strictly transfers but another fine read from the site – Dom Fifield goes behind the scenes at Oxford United:
Did you wonder whether Bayern Munich, who lost Jerome Boateng to injury recently, were going to enter the transfer market to replace him? They say they won’t be – which might be a risky move Champions League-wise, at least. I’d have thought they’ll find a way to squeak home in the Bundesliga.
“David Dein” (and were it actually the former Arsenal head honcho then his sign-off about Daniel Levy, which I won’t print here, would very much be worth printing) is on Team Peace:
“I’m going to lend my support to Jeremy Peace, Daniel Levy is a bully and has demonstrated time and again a scant regard for honesty, integrity and fulfilling promises. As a matter of principle we should stand up to these people and I applaud Jeremy Peace for making a stand for the good of the game.”
Tony Pulis’ words about Berahino continue to draw plenty of comment. Here is Benjamin Wickens’ take:
I am a West Brom fan and I in no way want Berahino to leave. The comment at 1404 suggesting that Spurs stumped up the transfer cash in the summer is incorrect. The deal was a small amount of cash with the remainder in instalments. This wouldn’t have given us the funds to bring in 2 or 3 more players as the comment suggests.
The kid hasn’t covered himself in glory, but there needs to be an element of rational thinking over this. A club like Albion is at risk of being fleeced for its star assets, which is what would happen more often than not without Peace in charge. Therefore, if Berahino is sold (likely this summer), it will have to be early or not at all in order to fund the replacements. I like Rondon but he’s never going to score 15 in a season and ‘Neech’ isn’t really up to it at prem level (the occasional false dawn notwithstanding), so we will need another high grade forward.
What’s certain is that he’s the most intriguing and gifted player we have had in a long time who looked pure class head to toe last year before this whole saga took hold.
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Back to the Premier League, and will Norwich be doing some more late business? They’ve been linked to both Patrick Bamford and Mame Biram Diouf – another forward of that calibre could, after Steven Naismith’s impressive debut at the weekend, leave them looking fairly potent.
A new club for Philippe Senderos! I’d literally forgotten about him until Aston Villa let him run free earlier in the week. But L’Equipe says he has signed a six-month deal with Grasshopper back in Switzerland.
Something that did go through over lunchtime was Wolves’ move for the Newcastle defender Mike Williamson on an 18-month contract. That one was all but done yesterday.
Were we expecting a bit more this January, deals-wise? Not too many of the big hitters have done much at all. Yet.
“The WBA fans want Berahino to leave; the player himself wants to leave - the only person who doesn’t is a chairman who would normally sell his granny if he thought he could get a tax break on the deal. Utterly ludicrous,” rages Adam Timmins.
Pochettino is right. Imagine if his job was to hear rumours and ours was to try for success at Tottenham and to work hard.
Here are some fresh Mauricio Pochettino quotes on the rumours linking him with Chelsea:
“It’s the same with any rumours about players, there’s a lot of names in the media now. My focus is here, to try for success at Tottenham and to work hard.
“That’s all about rumours. I always work for the present and the future. I’m very happy here. We’ve created after 18 months a very good group, with a strong basis for success in the future and I’m very happy. My job is to be focused, not to hear rumours.”
“I don’t agree that when a player wants out they need to be sold - at least not right away,” opines Peter Raleigh on the Berahino issue. “I think that’s a piece of conventional wisdom that’s been disproved by the likes of Modric, Suarez, etc. The key is that if you’re going to keep a wantaway player, particularly if the money on offer is good, *you have to actually want to play them*. Otherwise the exercise is just idiotic.”
Also suggestions that the ex-AC Milan midfielder Kevin Constant, most recently seen at Trabzonspor, is to return to Italy with Bologna.
Remember Liverpool’s move for Piotr Zielinski, the Udinese midfielder on loan at Empoli? It’s apparently gathering speed – we’ll let you know when there is anything more to report.
On the subject of namealikes (haven’t really covered that, have we?) did you know what there is a Costa Rican player called Kenny Cunningham?
Enes Ünal is on his way to NAC Breda. He will join the Dutch club on loan. He played for Genk the last 6 months. #mcfc
— Kristof Terreur (@HLNinEngeland) January 29, 2016
Unal, of course, is on Manchester City’s books.
News from Italy! Inter have confirmed the signing of Sampdoria striker Eder, who had been interesting Leicester. That’s a good buy for Roberto Mancini – Eder has been in prolific form and a shot-shy Inter have seen their title bid wobble.
Some Manchester City news, courtesy of Jamie Jackson. They won’t be signing anyone despite Kevin de Bruyne’s injury.
Yet despite his prolonged absence, including for next month’s Capital One Cup final against Liverpool, Pellegrini is clear he will not add cover before the transfer window closes on Monday.
“No, it’s not our intention to bring in anyone,” said the manager. “The squad is doing very well so far. In some moments this season we could not play with David Silva and Sergio Agüero, now we are going to play without Kevin. I trust in my squad and I hope we are going to continue to be a competitive team.
Let’s see if anyone else wants to talk Berahino. What’s the right thing for West Brom to do? It’s all been a bit of a mess, frankly, with all parties managing to cut their noses off to spite their faces.
Thinking of that Yilmaz (not) to West Ham story – we’ve not heard much on the Emenike front today, and nor have we heard who the mysterious other parties interested in the striker might be. Who else could do with an Emenike?
Who is Moussa Dembele? We’ve been discussing that at quite some length over the past 28 hours or so, haven’t we? Here, though, is a conclusive answer:
#Sassuolo, oggi le visite mediche di #Rogerio https://t.co/msIQPakr2W
— Gianluca Di Marzio (@DiMarzio) January 29, 2016
This says that Sassuolo, in Italy, are likely to sign the young Brazilian defender Rogerio. It also points out that Sassuolo have a close “cooperation” with Juventus, who have also been strongly linked to the player.
Elliott Carr-Barnsley asks: “Not a transfer per-se, but may involve a change of situation for someone, is today the day we find out if the Man U players are behind LvG? Anything less than a win will not do, hence why I’ve put United in a bet for tonight. Either I win or LvG goes.”
The old insurance bet. Well, I’d expect an expensive Derby side to give them a good game. Could go to a replay.
@NickAmes82 Surely Suarez to Liverpool is the last major impact January signing?
— Oliver (@MrOlliB) January 29, 2016
Might clinch it.
And another Sam – this time Sam Beales – offers us this:
“How about Gary Cahill and his collection of silverware? A £7 million bargain in January 2012, going from a relegation battle at Bolton to winning the Champions League and FA Cup at Chelsea a few months later. According to Wikipedia, after winning the league last season, he now holds the record for a player to win every major trophy in the quickest time in Premier League history…”
Samuel Duncan (if it’s the Samuel Duncan of my acquaintance then hello), points out:
“A signing that had a huge, if delayed impact was Torres who got Chelsea through THAT champions league semi final in Barcelona; surely one of the great footballing smash and grabs but also a supreme display of defending.”
Bordeaux confirm they have rejected the chance to sign Mexican GK Guillermo Ochoa - https://t.co/SlqxXH9Cei Via @MRodden. #FCGB #ElTri #Memo
— Jonathan Johnson (@Jon_LeGossip) January 29, 2016
Remember him? Ochoa, that is. Great World Cup but has struggled since.
A bit of West Ham news (thanks to the excellent @Turkish_Futbol on Twitter). They wanted to loan the Galatasaray striker Burak Yilmaz, but the club have rejected their bid.
Fatih Isbecer, the Galatasaray general secretary, is quoted as saying: “We were made a loan bid from West Ham but we are after a permanent transfer deal so the deal fell through”
@NickAmes82 Jon Stead to Blackburn in 2004. Winners in 4 games kept us up.
— Simon Elliott (@simeonides) January 29, 2016
That seems a long, long time ago now.
Leicester are the source of today’s only Done Deal, and that was right at the top of the show. Thought we might at least have had a Mario Suarez klaxon by now – all quiet on that one since he went for his medical, but haven’t heard anything untoward – and you’d think that Sandro to WBA may be close. They’d been hoping to get it done by midday.
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@NickAmes82 Re January impact signings; Dele Ali to Spurs! Heping us to be come the least Spursy team in a long time
— John Browne (@JFBBear) January 29, 2016
True. He was loaned back to MK first but yes ... fair to say you won’t get too many January signings like Alli.
Nottingham Forest are apparently sniffing around the Galatasaray defender Lionel Carole – but have had a bid rejected. Forest are unbeaten in 13, which has happened rather quietly, but still a little off the pace in the Championship.
@NickAmes82 Big impact January signing? Look no further than Robert Huth at #LCFC Key player in the miracle escape and now a regular starter
— Rob Hickling (@Rob_Hickling) January 29, 2016
Yes! In terms of expected vs actual impact, can’t get much better.
@NickAmes82 When was the last time a January signing made a truly big impact on a club, Nick? Cisse at Newcastle (and that was short lived)?
— Matt Collins (@charitychap) January 29, 2016
Now that’s a good question. Send in your best shouts. A year ago I was plumping for Dame N’Doye...
More here on Nemanja Vidic’s retirement. By all means email with any memories of his career – good, bad or ugly.
Some more reading for you this lunchtime. It’s not about transfers – please take five minutes to look at this remarkable interview by Stuart James with Bournemouth’s Harry Arter, who tragically lost his daughter last month:
Useful note from Andrew Simmons about that Joe Mason move to Wolves:
“Plymouth Argyle are entitled to a sell on clause put in place when Cardiff bought him from us when we were in financial trouble. I imagine that may have also helped inflate his price.”
Striker leaves Leicester! Calm down ... it’s a loan move for the 21-year-old Harry Panayiotou to Raith Rovers.
Test your January transfer knowledge – and quite a bit more besides – with Paul Campbell’s fiendish Sports Quiz of the Week:
News of a high-profile retirement. Yesterday Robert Earnshaw and Darius Vassell passed from football’s mortal coil – today it’s Nemanja Vidic, whose contract with Inter Milan was terminated earlier this month. What a career that man has had.
@NickAmes82 If Mousa makes more so than Moussa will Mousa be Mou$a or will Moussa be Mou$$a? The World's Funnest Game! Let's Spell Mous(s)a!
— Hubert O'Hearn (@BTBReviews) January 29, 2016
This is like Groundhog Day, or that X Files episode that riffs on Groundhog Day.
Meanwhile, reports in the north-east suggest that Newcastle are in talks with Valencia to sign the Argentinian left-back Lucas Orban on loan. Will G-Nev do the Mags a turn?
Lukas Podolski offered €9m (after tax!) to see out his career in China. Bonkers... https://t.co/eR6kDGCTtz
— Marcus Christenson (@m_christenson) January 29, 2016
Well, well. All-round crazy guy Lukas Podolski could be the latest ineffectual ex-Arsenal forward to board the China gravy train!
Almost as if Spurs were reading this blog yesterday, isn’t it? Almost. Glad they’ve recognised the importance of keeping Senior onboard for Junior’s arrival, though.
Not a lot else breaking just now – I count a good three or four significant deals that could go through by the end of the day though.
BREAKING: Florent Malouda joins @WadiDeglaFC - https://t.co/CKCTJOltr4 By @Marwan_KF pic.twitter.com/PZJaL2ub0e
— KingFut.com (@King_Fut) January 29, 2016
This is Florent Malouda, gamely carrying on at 35, signing for the Egyptian club Wadi Degla.
Dembele signs deal at Spurs!
That’s Mousa, not Moussa. Mousa has just signed a new contract at Spurs until 2019, the club has announced. Moussa may well be signing from Fulham before Monday. Keep up.
Another young Nigerian on the move – Wolfsburg will sign the 17-year-old striker Victor Osimhen, who scored 10 goals at the Under-17 World Cup, on 1 January 2017 (the player only turns 18 three days before that).
@NickAmes82 We need to loan a lethal goalscorer - can you ask LVG to give us a call re: Januzaj & Nick Powell #transferwindow
— Punjabi Wolves Sptrs (@PunjabiWolvesSG) January 29, 2016
Not sure he’s picking the phone up to the media at the moment.
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One departure from Watford that you might have missed last night. The goalkeeper Giedrius Arlauskis has joined Espanyol on loan until the end of the season. We’re still waiting for the Hornets’ signing of Mario Suarez to be announced, but expect it later today.
More coming out on the Khazri deal – the fee is said to be £9m.
I’m informed by one Ed Aarons that the aforementioned Rennes signing’s full name is Kermit ROMEO Erasmus.
“I was just looking at the bottom five of the Premier League and totting up their spends for the season, including Summer and Winter windows,” emails ‘Oliver’. “It’s likely that three out of the five (Villa, Newcastle, Sunderland, Norwich and Bournemouth) will be relegated. Respectively, these five sides have spent £52 million, £81.6 million, £30.75 million (with £8.5 million to add for this Khazri fellow), £31.5 million and £41 million on new faces.
“Would the combined outlay this season of three of those clubs be the most to ever be spent by three relegated clubs in the season of their relegation? And is Newcastle’s outlay the most ever spent by a relegated club, if they were to go down?”
I’d have thought so, yes, but will get the number crunchers onto it.
In important name-related news, the beautifully-monikered Kermit Erasmus has signed for Rennes from South African side Orlando Pirates.
This is some very strong stuff just in from Tony Pulis on the interminable Saido Berahino saga:
We’ve got three days to go and I don’t think anything will change with anybody until the time runs out. Once time runs out if Saido is still here he needs to start recognising that this is affecting everyone and he’s got to get back to what it was. It’s been dreadful for us as a football club to have an outstanding player who’s just dropped off because of circumstances. Saido will recognise and realise he’s a footballer and he’s wasted three or four months. He can’t afford to waste any more time. The only time people will stop badgering him is when the window closes.
I’m not picking him because he’s not been anywhere near where he was last year. You have to make him understand that we’re playing at the top of our profession and you have to be on the top of your form. I like the kid and I spend a lot of time with him but my biggest worry with him is he has so many people out there who influence him.
This is all about finance. Forget everything else. The chairman will have the final say on finance - whether Saido stays, comes or goes. That’s down to Jeremy. Everything will be run the way he wants it to run so it makes a profit. That’s how he wants it to run.
Pick the bones out of that! I’m sure we’ll have more on this from one of our roving reporters before long.
If you’d like some 11 o’clock relief, what about this excellent Joy of Six on sporting pranksters by three of my esteemed colleagues?
Hebei China Fortune’s manager, I have just learned, is the former Everton and Sheffield United player Li Tie.
Il @acmilan ha deciso di bloccare la cessione di #Niang al @LCFC: tutto tra poco su @SkySport 24
— Gianluca Di Marzio (@DiMarzio) January 29, 2016
This says that Milan have decided to block Niang’s mooted move to Leicester. Where now, Foxes? Musa still a goer?
Gervinho has a new chum at Hebei China Fortune. He’s just been joined by ex-QPR favourite Stephane Mbia. Some big-hitting transfers to the Chinese league at the moment, no?
A bit of surprise around this Khazri move. He’s a Tunisian international who has had an excellent record in France over the past few years, and is still just 24. Could he be another Dimitri Payet? Certainly a big addition in Sunderland’s bid to stay up, and should provide some extra cutting edge and variation.
Looks as if Sunderland are about to make a deal. Thanks to ‘French Tony’, who has just sent me this report from L’Equipe. It says that Wahbi Khazri, the Bordeaux attacking midfielder, will join the Black Cats on a four-and-a-half year contract. There were a few murmurs about this yesterday, and it seems to have come to fruition.
Re: Joe Mason, unfortunately when you're a Championship club and you sell to a Premiership club for silly money, you have to spend silly money on a replacement from one of your rivals. Even signing Jordan Rhodes, more of a guarantee of goals, would've blown what they got for Afobe.
True. The Championship is ridiculous at the moment; either most of the top half have forgotten that only three teams can go up, or they’ve been tipped the wink that Financial Fair Play isn’t worth the paper it’s written on.
“Today its my 30th and my son Marloe’s 2nd birthday,” writes Joe Halstead. “Was hoping for a Teixeira shaped present this morning but looks like the Ukrainians have finally put the skids on that. Where next indeed? All of a sudden looking pretty barren out there right now. I guess it really is all downhill from here....”
If it’s any consolation, Joe, 31 felt much worse than 30, which was actually fine. Happy birthday to you and Marloe – and let’s hope Jurgen has a surprise up his sleeve for you.
Want to read more about Arsenal’s prospective new Nigeria Under-17 signings? Ed Aarons had the story a full 17 days ago.
A full write-up here on that Alex Teixeira news. Where might Liverpool turn their attentions next?
Luka Jović to join Benfica and Crvena Zvezda to keep €600k from the €8M transfer fee. Illustrates everything that's wrong in Serbian footie.
— Balkanfabrikken (@RunarNordvik) January 29, 2016
This is interesting because Jovic, who only turned 18 last month, is a marvellous prospect – I’ve seen this at first hand. Young striker with an excellent touch, physique and eye for goal.
Mike Waring is an unhappy Fulham fan:
“If (when) Dembele goes he is unlikely to be loaned back. The prospect of a disillusioned McCormack leading our attack for the rest of a season is a worry but it might just give Matt Smith a chance – which he deserves IMO. Not sure the gaffer agrees though. Could be a very worrying end of season. My how this club has lost its way Mr Khan!”
Not even a Time Lord can help Fulham if they lose both Dembele and McCormack – who put in a transfer request yesterday – over the next few hours or days.
@NickAmes82 McDermott may look scared if he's just watched Rakels in this Russian gangster movie ht @rightbankwarsaw https://t.co/wq58iBDckD
— The Spurs Report (@spurs_report) January 29, 2016
Around the two-minute mark. Film is actually Polish but he’s speaking in Russian.
A deal that went through in the Championship last night, by the way: Wolves have signed the Cardiff forward Joe Mason for an undisclosed fee thought to be around £3m. I think that’s hefty, but what do I know? Tell me why I’m wrong and it’ll be splashed up here straightaway.
Arsenal are close to making two signings! The transfer window would be nothing without the fun and amusement routinely provided by the Gunners, but this one has been quiet since their early swoop for Mohamed Elneny. However – Arsène Wenger has confirmed that the very highly-rated Nigeria Under-17 players Kelechi Nwakali and Samuel Chukwueze are on the verge of joining. Seasoned watchers of these two, please make yourselves known.
Some insight from Below The Line about what Slimani could do for Everton. Lukaku replacement for the summer?
Slimani has turned his career around at sporting. before the world cup he was a bit part player for the club, but since then he has really pushed on. I was very impressed with him (and the rest of the algeria side for that matter), he seemed a good fit for English football with good strength, aggression and pace. A bit like a North African Diego Costa.
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News on Alex Teixeira, Liverpool’s top target, and it’s not particularly good if you support Klopp’s boys.
That report contains quotes from the Shakhtar Donetsk general director, Sergiy Palkin, saying that Liverpool’s last offer of €32m, with a “€4m bonus” was insufficient and that they will now only be willing to negotiate a transfer at the end of the season.
Unless – unless – someone is willing to meet a €70m release clause in Teixeira’s contract. Doesn’t sound as if Liverpool are.
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In Scotland, Billy King has completed a loan move to Rangers from Hearts and could make his debut against Falkirk tomorrow.
No truth in the rumour that Tottenham are about to raid Margate for Becka-Kah Dembele – mainly because I just made it up.
Usual drill today, by the way – I’d love to hear your insights, whether informed or wildly suppositional, into what is or isn’t playing out. Email nick.ames.casual@theguardian.com or tweet @NickAmes82
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Other deals we might hear conclusively about today: Mario Suarez to Watford, Moussa Dembele (the younger/the other one/II) to Spurs, Emmanuel Emenike to West Ham.
“Mathieu Debuchy might go somewhere but I don’t know where,” Arsène Wenger has just said about the out-of-favour right-back. Sunderland? Villa? They’d better get a wriggle on, whoever it may be.
Done deal! Leicester sign Daniel Iversen from Esbjerg
Bang! We’re up on yesterday already, and it’s a signing for Leicester – but not a striker. Iversen is an 18-year-old goalkeeper and the fee is around £200,000. We probably won’t see much of him for a while, but still...
Here’s a deal that went through after we knocked off yesterday. Now, when you look at this picture just remember we told you that Deniss Rakels was a player identified by Reading’s owners – or their scouts anyway – and not the manager Brian McDermott.
CONFIRMED: Deniss Rakels has today completed a transfer from Cracovia to join the Royals! https://t.co/EiT4gHTWNz pic.twitter.com/94SyYYZGZD
— Reading FC (@ReadingFC) January 28, 2016
One that should happen today: QPR midfielder Sandro is at West Brom ahead of a possible loan deal. It could go through before midday.
One that might not just yet: that Alexandre Pato move to Chelsea. I’m sure none of us could ever have imagined this one being complicated, but a couple of niggles have arisen with the loan fee for the Corinthians forward. Should still go through, though.
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Couple of bits to get you started. Leicester are quite nakedly looking for another forward to take the heat off Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez, and they’ve apparently made a €16m offer for the AC Milan front man M’Baye Niang – who is pretty versatile and probably fits the profile they need if they miss out on CSKA Moscow’s Ahmed Musa.
Reports in the Portuguese press, meanwhile, have it that Everton yesterday had an €18m bid turned down for the Sporting striker Islam Slimani. Interesting stuff. Any of that grab you, Foxes and Evertonians?
Updated
Hello again
Or, perhaps, for the very first time. This ought to be a day when things pick up a bit. Yesterday teased us, with the promise of a few Done Deals never quite blooming into something more glorious. We amused ourselves, didn’t we, with the prospect of Tottenham fielding two almost identically-named players. But that was about it. There have, though, been a few interesting rumblings overnight and I think one or two of Thursday’s near things should stumble over the line at last, too. I don’t know about you, but I think this is going to be a great day.
Nick will be here with you shortly. In the meantime you can enjoy Jonathan Wilson’s analysis of why the Premier League’s upstarts are here to stay:
West Brom should have sold Berahino last Summer, now they have a player they have been paying for 6 months who hasn't really been playing, and in all likelihood they will get less than the 25 million they were looking for last year...When a player wants out, he has to go, sad but true. The only guarante is that the club will lose!! Jeremy Peace has been cutting off his nose to spite his face. With 25 milion in the transfer kitty last Summer they could have bought 2 or 3 players, including a centre forward who wanted to play for them!