Hello and welcome to the latest edition of
Sports Mole's live transfer blog. Yesterday saw plenty of movement once more, although the big stories surrounded speculation linking Chelsea with moves for Juan Cuadrado and Douglas Costa.
Could today be the day that the Premier League leaders splash the cash? Will Liverpool continue with their reported pursuit of Jay Rodriguez? Will the David de Gea saga finally reach some sort of conclusion? Stick with us throughout the course of the day to find out.
UPDATE! I mentioned a little earlier how it could be a big day for Chelsea with moves for Juan Cuadrado and Douglas Costa said to be close to being completed - well the latter of that duo has today revealed that it would be a "dream" to play his football at Stamford Bridge.
Shakhtar Donetsk are notoriously difficult to negotiate with, but Costa says that he will do his all to push through a switch to the Premier League. Read his comments in full right here.
David de Gea, Mario Balotelli and Gabriel Paulista have all been making the headlines overnight, and you can find out all the latest on each of those stars in our latest
Transfer Talk Update.
Saido Berahino's impressive form in front of goal this season has seen him linked with an array of Premier League clubs, and Tony Pulis admits that he
has a decision to make over the Englishman's future.
The Baggies boss told reporters: "How much is the TV deal next year? Hundreds of millions. You have to sit down and think about it. You'd have to look at how strong the squad was that he was leaving to agree to it."
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It's almost time to hand things over to Danielle Joynson for the next few hours, but before I do so here's a quick reminder of this morning's big transfer stories:
- Douglas Costa: 'Joining Chelsea would be a dream'
- Tony Pulis: 'No decision made on Saido Berahino future'
- Brendan Rodgers determined to keep Glen Johnson, Lucas Leiva
Thanks Dan! Good morning all. I shall begin my shift on transfer watch with news coming out of Manchester United. Annan Januzaj has been linked with a loan move away from Old Trafford, but reports have emerged claiming that the 19-year-old Belgian could be
used in a deal to sign Gareth Bale from Real Madrid in the summer. Who knows if United have a chance of signing the Welsh star, but stories regarding their interest are not going away!
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Staying with Manchester United and the uncertain future of Darren Fletcher. West Bromwich Albion boss Tony Pulis has
confirmed that they have had a "chat" with the midfielder regarding a switch to The Hawthorns, but the Scotsman, whose contract expires in the summer, is yet to make a decision. West Ham and Valencia have also been linked to the player.
CONFIRMED! Wigan Athletic midfielder Shaun Maloney is
close to joining MLS side Chicago Fire for an undisclosed fee. Latics manager Malky Mackay revealed the news in this morning's press conference. Maloney was close to signing for Leicester City earlier this month, but an agreement couldn't be reach with regards to personal terms.
Another Wigan player has also been linked with a move away from the Championship outfit. Callum McManaman is being pursued by Premier League club West Bromwich Albion, but Latics boss Malky Mackay has revealed that
four clubs in total are chasing the 23-year-old winger.
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We've got some more news on the future of Manchester United midfielder Darren Fletcher. West Ham United boss Sam Allardyce has confirmed that the club are interested in signing the Scotsman, but has suggested that he will
not "wait forever" for Fletcher to make up his mind.
That's all from me for the time being, but I shall hand you over to my colleague Jack Prescott, who will keep you updated over the next few hours.
Hello there! Right, let's start off the afternoon with some news not relating to the transfer window, but pretty big nonetheless. Leeds United have confirmed that Massimo Cellino has resigned as club president. You can read more about that developing story
here.
Veteran defender Nyron Nosworthy has
signed a contract extension with Blackpool until the end of the season. The 34-year-old joined the Championship strugglers on a short-term deal back in November.
Queens Park Rangers boss Harry Redknapp has
rejected speculation linking the club with Brazil forward Alexandre Pato. It was reported earlier this week that the R's were keen on signing the 25-year-old, who currently plays for Corinthians.
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has admitted that he
does not want winger Andre Schurrle to leave the club. The Germany international has been linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge this month, with Borussia Dortmund and Wolfsburg both thought to be interested in the player.
More from Mourinho's press conference now, with the Chelsea manager
playing down reports suggesting that he wants to sign Fiorentina winger Juan Cuadrado. It was claimed on Wednesday that the Blues had already opened talks with the Colombia international over a move to Stamford Bridge.
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Swansea City manager Garry Monk remains
"confident" that Bafetimbi Gomis will remain at the club this January, despite the player recently hinting that he could be on his way. The 29-year-old striker has mainly been restricted to appearances from the bench since making a move from Lyon in the summer, although the departure of Wilfried Bony last week has now opened up a gap.
Watford have
confirmed the signing of midfielder Ben Watson from Wigan Athletic. The 29-year-old could make his debut tomorrow when the Hornets host Blackpool in the Championship.
Coventry City have signed Preston North End goalkeeper Jamie Jones
on a 31-day emergency loan deal, with the option to extend it by a further two months. The 25-year-old moved to Preston in the summer following a six-year spell with Leyton Orient.
Former Hearts defender Ryan McGowan is reportedly
on the verge of joining Dundee United. The Australia international, 25, has spent the past two years playing for Chinese side Shandong Luneng Taishan.
That's all from me for this afternoon, but I'm pleased to say that Danielle Joynson will now be taking over to keep you up to date with all of the latest news and gossip from the January transfer window. Enjoy!
Thanks Jack! I have some news regarding former Newcastle United forward Shola Ameobi. Remember him? Well you should do because he only left St James' Park last year! Reports have claimed that West Bromwich Albion are
on the verge of signing him on a free transfer.
DONE DEAL! We have an outgoing at Reading! As expected, Royston Drenthe has bid farewell to the Championship outfit. The club
confirmed this afternoon that the 27-year-old has joined Turkish side Kayseri Erciyesspor on a permanent deal.
Let's switch our attention to the old 'new Lionel Messi' (if that makes sense?) - Bojan Krkic. Recently, Liverpool were linked with a possible move for the 24-year-old attacker, but today, Stoke City boss Mark Hughes has
rubbished speculation by insisting that the Spaniard is "very happy" at the Britannia.
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My time on transfer watch today has come to an end, but never fear, Sian Cowper is here to keep you updated over the next few hours. Before I hand you over, why not catch up with all the latest headlines in our
Transfer Talk Update.
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti insists that Asier Illarramendi will
not be leaving the club this month following reports in the Spanish media that Arsenal have had a bid rejected for the 24-year-old.
Aston Villa have been in talks with Manchester City over winger Scott Sinclair, but manager Paul Lambert concedes that the deal is
not going to happen.
Bournemouth are yet to add to their squad since the transfer window re-opened. However, manager Eddie Howe insists that he is
happy with his squad if the club don't make additions this month.
Newcastle United striker Papiss Cisse is currently away on international duty, but the latest reports suggest that he might not be returning after the Africa Cup of Nations, as Galatasaray are reportedly
interested in signing the 29-year-old.
Aston Villa have announced that 16-year-old Easah Suliman has signed his
first professional contract.
Wolverhampton Wanderers winger Bakary Sako is currently away at the Africa Cup of Nations, and he looked sharp in Mali's opening match of the tournament. His performances for club and country have apparently caught the eye of West Bromwich Albion, as he is being linked with a
move to The Hawthorns.
Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba has been linked with a variety of clubs this window, including Real Madrid and Chelsea, but his agent insists that he
will not be leaving the Italian champions this month.
Aston Villa midfielder Daniel Johnson impressed during a loan spell with Oldham earlier this season, scoring three goals in five appearances. His stint clearly caught the eye of fellow League One side Preston, as they've signed the midfielder on a
two-and-a-half year deal.
Well that's all from me this evening, but stick around for the next few hours as Chris O'Keefe will be here to keep you up to date.
Thanks Sian! For the next three hours we will bring you all the best news and gossip from around planet football. We'll begin with reports from the East End of London...
West Ham's Ravel Morrison has been heavily linked with the Upton Park exit door, having failed to feature for Sam Allardyce's men since August. The youngster is reportedly willing to
wait until the summer before deciding his future, with clubs in Spain and Germany thought to be interested.
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At Liverpool as many as four players are out of contract in the summer, with another four stars entering the final 18 months of their current deals with the Reds. However, manager Brendan Rodgers has insisted that there will be
no player exodus at Anfield.
Chelsea have been heavily linked with a move for Fiorentina's Colombian midfielder Juan Cuadrado. However, Viola boss Vincenzo Montella may have scuppered that deal. Reports suggests that Montella
will quit as manager of the Serie A club if Cuadrado is sold to the Blues during the mid-season window.
A transfer of a different kind that you may have missed today. Adrian Chiles
has been dropped as ITV's main football presenter as the network shakes up its coverage of the beautiful game.
Mark Pougatch, who made his name as a presenter at BBC Radio Five Live replaces Chiles in the hotseat and will make his bow when the channel screens Chelsea's Champions League clash with Paris Saint-Germain next month. Do you think The One Show will take poor Adrian back?
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Crystal Palace manager Alan Pardew has been linked with a number of his former players at Newcastle United. However, one player is believed to be close to agreeing a move to Selhurst Park. More in a few moments.
The player reportedly set for a move to Palace is none other than Shola Ameobi, who spent 14 years at Newcastle before moving to Turkey in the summer.
Ameobi was thought to be closing on a deal with West Brom, but the Daily Mail claims that Palace have moved ahead of the Baggies.
Sergio Ramos's future at Real Madrid may be closer to being resolved after manager Carlo Ancelotti appeared to suggest that the Spanish defender is
close to signing a new deal at the Bernabeu.
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More news from Anfield and Liverpool's chances of signing Ezequiel Lavezzi have reportedly been boosted after PSG manager Laurent Blanc ordered the Argentine
attacker to be sold before the end of the mid-season window.
Across Stanley Park and Everton's ongoing saga regarding the future of Samuel Eto'o may be reaching its conclusion after the Cameroonian
reportedly travelled to Rome to complete a deal with Sampdoria and undergo a medical.
DONE DEAL! Real Madrid have
completed the signing of Lucas Silva from Brazilian side Cruzeiro for a fee believed to be around £10.5m. The 21-year-old has agreed a five-and-a-half-year deal with the European champions.
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Silva is Real's second signing of the January window after they captured Norwegian wonderkid Martin Odegaard earlier this week.
After that bit of late excitement we bring our day to a close at
Transfer Talk's live blog. However, we will have more transfer news and gossip throughout the night and another installment of
Transfer Talk Live will be available for your reading pleasure from 7am. Until then, good night!