Transfer news and rumours LIVE: Cuadrado, Vermaelen and all the day's done deals
It's another day that ends in Y, so we'll be keeping you updated with all the transfer latest throughout the day here
- Transfer news and gossip from today's papers
- Vermaelen edging towards Barcelona? Arsenal transfer wrap
- Liverpool round-up: Alonso coming back?
3:14 pm
In the Championship, Blackpool continue their mad transfer dash to have a full match-day squad in time for their opening fixture away to Nottingham Forest on Saturday.
To that end, the Seasiders have announced two more signings today, striker Ishmael Miller on a free transfer and midfielder John Lundstram on a season-long loan from Everton.
England Youth international Lundstram, 20, has previously been loaned out to Doncaster Rovers, Yeovil Town and Leyton Orient
He told the club website: “It’s a Championship club, which is where I want to be playing, so I’m really excited to get started."
3:01 pm
Conor Coady looks like he’s on his way out of Liverpool, with Huddersfield Town his probable stop.
The Merseyside club have had an offer accepted for the prodigious England Youth international, according to murmurs coming out of Twitter.
It is believed that the 21-year-old product of the Liverpool's world-famous Youth Academy will make the move for a fee starting at approximately £500,000, assuming he passes a medical.
2:43 pm
Sagna relishing new challenge
Bacary Sagna has spoken for the first time as a Manchester City player.
The former Arsenal right back said he was ready for a new challenge after seven years with the Gunners and is looking forward to reuniting with teammates Samir Nasri and Gael Clichy on the pitch.
"Players are here to work and to win trophies," he told the club website, praising the Etihad Stadium and the training facilities at Carrington.
"I was watching them (City) celebrating last season and I wanted to celebrate at the same time and win trophies, and the best way to do that is to work, to wake up every day and give the maximum," the 31-year-old said.
He also pledged to give his full if selected in City’s fourth fixture of the new season, away at Arsenal, adding: "To me, it’s a normal game."
2:25 pm
Iranian World Cup hero Reza Ghoochannejhad has joined Kuwait Sporting Club on a season-long loan from Championship side Charlton.
The 26-year-old came within inches of scoring against ultimate finalists Argentina in a group game at the tournament that was only settled by Leo Messi at the very death, you may very well remember - or not, if you were imbibing copious amounts of alcohol during the summer festival of football.
His move away from the Valley may be unexpected, but manager Bob Peeters says the player wanted to leave and he will now search for a replacement.
"It was Reza’s decision to leave," he said. "He told us that, after the World Cup, he wanted to go to another country and that was Kuwait."
2:10 pm
Jim Daly
Here's a confirmed transfer to make you all feel super old.
Fiorentina have completed the signing of young Sporting Picentia midfielder Michele Martiniello.
That's all fine until you learn that Martiniello was born in the year 2000!
Blimey! I was failing my GSCE's and taking Margate to the Champions League final on Championship Manager at the turn of the century.
Now I feel veeeeeeerry old
Oh well.
To be honest though none of this matters cos we'll ll be dead from Ebola soon anyway.
Happy Wednesday folks!
1:56 pm
Jim Daly
Some big transfer news coming out of Old Trafford where Howard Webb has announced his retirement from refereeing.
The 43-year-old has been blowing his whistle and showing three yellow cards to players for a quarter of a century.
He's finally hung up his cards to take up a role as ... *deep breath* ... Technical Director of Professional Game Match Officials Limited.
*exhales*
It will be a huge blow for new United boss Louis van Gaal as he prepares for the new season.
1:45 pm
Atletico Madrid are looking to further bolster their attacking line with the acquisition of Chelsea’s World Cup winner Andre Schurrle.
According to Spain’s AS, the German wide-man is their number one target as they look to defend their Spanish Liga crown.
After losing Diego Costa to Chelsea, Atleti are certainly in no danger of lacking bite this season - they’ve already completed the captures of Mario Mandzukic from Bayern Munich ant Antoine Griezmann from Real Sociedad.
1:29 pm
More on Reds' Manquillo capture
Javier Manquillo has been speaking following completion of his loan move to Liverpool from Atletico Madrid.
At his unveiling, the 20-year-old full-back spoke of his joy over his move to Anfield.
He said: “I think it’s one of the biggest (clubs) in Europe. Any footballer would want to come and play here.
“When they tell you Liverpool want to sign you, I think like any player, you are going to be absolutely amazed and you don’t think of anything else than going straight there."
1:20 pm
Lampard pictured training at Carrington
Here it is, the sight that many thought they would never see - Frank Lampard training with one of Chelsea’s Premier League rivals.
Following his short-term loan move to Manchester City, the midfielder could be all set to make his debut against Arsenal in the Community Shield this weekend.
It’s certainly been a busy summer for the 36-year-old.
After a disappointing World Cup campaign which could prove his last international outing for England, he signed for New York City FC, before this week agreeing to a six-month loan deal to sister club Manchester City ahead of his Transatlantic sojourn.
1:06 pm
Liverpool have confirmed the capture of Spanish youth international Javier Manquillo from Atletico Madrid.
The Reds have been chasing the talented right back for some time and managed to secure his services for a two-year loan deal, with reports suggesting they also have an option to buy.
Manquillo, 20, is Liverpool’s seventh signing of the summer so far.
12:46 pm
QPR agree loan deal for Isla
Mauricio Isla of Juventus will play for QPR next season, after the west-London club tied up a year-long loan for the 26-year-old, pending confirmation of a work permit.
The Chilean can play in a variety of positions across defence and midfield and his move is expected to be signed-off shortly, now that he has completed a medical.
Everyone’s favourite footballer-philosopher Joey Barton made sure he was among the first to welcome Isla to Loftus Road on Twitter yesterday ahead of completion of the deal, although his tweet was subsequently deleted.
12:36 pm
Arsenal and Manchester City could both give new signings a run-out for this weekend’s Community Shield.
The FA Cup holders have certainly been busy, with Alexis Sanchez, Mathieu Debuchy, David Ospina and Calum Chambers all coming in.
Could we catch a first glimpse of Ospina between the sticks? The Colombian had a slight injury that ruled him out of last weekend’s Emirates Cup.
City, who are hoping to defend their Premier League crown, have been the relative spendthrifts so far, with Bacary Sagna, Fernando and Willy Caballero coming in for less than £20 million combined and Frank Lampard confirmed on a short-term loan.
That could all change if they capture Porto’s £30 million man Eliaquim Mangala.
Make sure you don’t miss the curtain raiser for the new season!
12:22 pm
For Southampton fans trying not to think about Morgan Schneiderlin becoming the latest big name to join the St Mary’s exodus, how about a bit of news on your incoming transfers instead?
The Saints have unveiled numbers for Dusan Tadic, Graziano Pelle and Ryan Bertrand, who will wear numbers 11, 19 and 21 respectively next season.
Now, with several positions still to fill (shirt numbers 5 and 7 are up for grabs!), who will new manager Ronald Koeman go for next?
Fraser Forster could be Southampton-bound if Celtic fail to turn around their 4-1 first leg deficit with Legia Warsaw and progress with qualifications for the Champions League.
12:12 pm
With Jack Rodwell calling time on his unproductive-yet-highly-lucrative time at Manchester City and moving to Sunderland where he may actually get a game, we’ve once again been reminded about the dangers facing young players who move to the big clubs too early.
Check out our pick of five other once-bright prospects who saw their careers fall to the wayside, temporarily at least, after failing to secure regular football with the big boys.
11:58 am
Liverpool signings 'imminent'
Good news for Liverpool, who are close to completing the capture of Alberto Moreno and Javier Manquillo.
According to Brendan Rodgers, the finishing touches are currently being put on Manquillo’s two-year loan deal from Atletico Madrid, with reports suggesting it contains an option to buy.
Now, it is believed that the Reds have finally agreed a fee with Sevilla for left-back Moreno, haggling down his £20 million price tag to somewhere around £16 million.
11:40 am
Borussia Dortmund look set for another clash of heads with bitter rivals Bayern Munich, this time over the future of their star man Marco Reus.
Club chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke has criticised the German champions following comments by his opposite number Karl-Heinz Rummenigge on the subject of the German star’s 25 million euro release clause.
Bearing in mind that Dortmund have recently lost World Cup goal hero Mario Gotze and striker Robert Lewandowski to their Bundesliga rivals - the latter on a free, no less - it’s unsurprising they appear so spiky on the topic of Reus’s future.
In a statement on the club’s website, Watzke said: "We are sure that it is quite clear to anybody interested in football what intentions lie behind such remarks.
"Karl-Heinz Rummenigge is also fully aware that his behaviour is only going to further damage an already tense relationship between Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich."
Fighting talk indeed.
11:29 am
Time running out for Vidal’s United move
Arturo Vidal’s proposed move to Manchester United appears in doubt, with Louis van Gaal said to have concerns over the midfield maestro’s fitness.
Specifically, the new Old Trafford head is worried about the 27-year-old’s right knee, according to Chile manager Jorge Sampaoli.
The international coach told local daily El Mercurio that a potential $80 million (£47 million) switch is now in jeopardy, thanks to fears that the surgery Vidal underwent in May might not have solved the underlying issue.
11:17 am
Bayern finalising Reina capture
One player finally out the exit door at Anfield is Spanish goalkeeper Pepe Reina. After a year out on loan with Napoli, the 31-year-old looks set to make a switch to German champions Bayern Munich, subject to a successful medical.
The Merseyside club have accepted a bid in the region of £2 million for the wantaway keeper, who will serve as understudy to World Cup champion Manuel Neuer.
Munich chief executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said in a to-the-point kind of way: “Reina is an established and very experienced player that meets the management's requirements."
11:05 am
Zlatan Ibrahimovic says he wants to go back to Juventus, according to Tuttosport’s front page this morning.
Not sure how reliable this one is, as it reportedly comes from a call between the prolific Swede and coach Stefan Hansson, who managed the striker when he was a youth at Malmo.
The fact the article says the call took place on Skype is a nice touch though, and it's good to see Zlatan saving money where he can. Those international call charges can quickly rack up, especially with Hansson currently in Indonesia with Super League side Mitra Kukar.
Ibra was at Juve from 2004 to 2006 and won back-to-back Scudettos, but it wasn't a pleasant time for the striker - both league titles were later stripped from the club following the Calciopoli scandal, which saw them relegated to Serie B after being accused of fixing matches by selecting favourable referees.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic at PSG
10:38 am
Elsewhere, reports suggest Liverpool may be giving some of the £75 million they received for Luis Suarez back to Barcelona… in exchange for Brazilian right back Dani Alves.
The 31-year-old has been linked with a move away from the Nou Camp all summer and Brendan Rodgers is believed to be an admirer of the attacking full-back.
According to the grapevine, the Liverpool manager will face stiff competition from Inter Milan if he does make Alves his man.
10:30 am
Falcao to... City?
It looks like Manchester City’s claims to be done in the market may not have been entirely true. The blue side of Manchester has been heavily linked with defensive reinforcements and Porto’s Eliaquim Mangala is believed to be the man coming in.
However, Italian paper Gazzetta dello Sport claims that City are also preparing an audacious bid for Monaco’s star man Radamel Falcao, with Alvaro Negredo injured for the start of the season and Sergio Aguero looking out of form during the World Cup.
City are keen to hit the ground running this year, and the Colombian striker could just be the man to help them defend their Premier League crown for the first time.
Falcao only managed 17 Ligue 1 appearances last term, but still managed to bag nine goals and was on target against Arsenal at the Emirates Cup this weekend.
10:17 am
At least one person thinks that the tumbleweed currently in danger of blowing through Southampton’s Staplewood training ground could be a good thing in the long run.
Club chairman Ralph Krueger has seen a host of stars leave this summer, following sales of Luke Shaw, Adam Lallana, Rickie Lambert, Calum Chambers and Dejan Lovren.
But he believes the Saints will come out of the summer all the stronger for it, telling the Press Association that new manager Ronald Koeman needs a cadre of players who want to be at the club.
"Of actual centrepieces of the club, a few have gone. Not all five were centrepieces or irreplaceable, but you know there were a couple,” he said.
"For me, if in the end a few players are disgruntled or maybe not sure about it, you can swallow that up. You can handle that, but you can't have half the team. You can't have a brand new manager (dealing with that).
"In the end, that's something we couldn't do to Ronald, to have a dressing room like that.”
9:55 am
As you may have seen last night, Barcelona appear to have confirmed they got new star man Luis Suarez to commit to a switch to the Nou Camp before the World Cup finals were underway.
Club president Josep Bartomeu said that the £75 million Uruguayan was approached earlier in the summer and told that he has what it takes to succeed with the Spanish giants.
“Playing at Liverpool gave him incredible performance and it was the right time for him to come to our club, to Barcelona,” said Bartomeu.
9:47 am
Agger linked with Gunners switch
Could Arsenal be about to replace one slightly crocked centre-back with a mistake in him for another?
With Thomas Vermaelen seemingly the latest in the long line of Barca-bound Gunners, the rumour gods have seen fit to link the North London side with Liverpool’s Daniel Agger in the headlines this morning.
Could that be a case of taking ‘replacement signing’ a bit too literally, Arsene?
The question remains if the Reds would be willing to sell to a Premier League rival, even if the Danish 29-year-old is deemed surplus to requirements by Brendan Rodgers following the arrival of £20 million man Dejan Lovren.
Agger’s former club Brondby are also believed to be interested in taking him back.
9:31 am
Super Frank speaks!
"Joining up with Manchester City is a fantastic opportunity for me to continue to train and play at the top level and make sure I am in top condition for New York City," he says.
"It has been an amazing few days for me since the unveiling in Brooklyn and everyone connected with both clubs has been fantastic to me. This is a new chapter of my career and I'm really excited about the experience.
"I met Manuel and some of the players in New York and I'm looking forward to getting into training and making a contribution for Manchester City ahead of my move over to New York."
9:21 am
*clears throat* *DONE DEAL KLAXON*
That's right folks, we've dusted it off early today.
Manchester City have confirmed the signing of Frank Lampard on a short-term loan.
As Mirror Sport revealed way back on June 1 the 35-year-old joins the champions for six months ahead of his switch to the MLS.
9:15 am
Aaaaaaaaand United ...
Louis van Gaal is ready to go in not once, not twice, but three times for stars of his Netherlands World Cup squad.
MARCA suggest that he is keen on deals for Daley Blind, Ron Vlaar AND Kevin Strootman.
The versatile Ajax man would help cover a number of positions while the Aston Villa central defender looks close to the exit door after a fine World Cup.
While the first two would be available this summer it seems the Roma midfielder may have to wait until January for a reunion with LVG.
The 24-year-old is still sidelined with an ACL injury and is unlikely to be fully match fit until some way into the season.
No monetary figure is quoted but at current market value a sum in the region of £50m would be needed to prise them away with their clubs keen to keep hold.
9:10 am
What's that? You want a Liverpool round-up? It's your lucky day ...
Liverpool are on alert after it emerged Xabi Alonso could be on the move this summer.
While Sami Khedira still looks the most likely to leave the Bernabeu but reports in Spain suggest his central midfield partner in crime could instead be the one to go.
El Confidencial report that boss Carlo Ancelotti would rather let the Spaniard leave despite him signing a new deal back in January.
They suggest that the midfielder has returned from the World Cup in poor condition prompting a drastic change of plans.
Liverpool are believed to be in the market for another midfield addition this summer with the 32-year-old surely keen on an emotional reunion with the club he left in 2009.
9:05 am
How about we start off with some club-by-club round-ups to get us in the zone?
First up Arsenal ...
Thomas Vermaelen's future is well and truly up in the air this summer.
Arsenal are keen to tie him down to a new deal but both Barcelona and Manchester United are chasing him hard.
And it appears it's the Blaugrana who have blinked first, with SPORT claiming they have submitted a €12million bid for his services.
The move seems a good fit with the Belgian looking for a way out and Barca in the market for another centre half.
It remains to be seen whether United step up to the plate and match their offer.
8:57 am
Good morning ladies and gentlemen, how are we all today?
Sleepy? Grumpy? Longing for the weekend? All of the above?
Well we've got the cure for what ails ya - transfer news by the barrel-load.
Yesterday saw *DONE DEAL KLAXONS* all over the place and today promises to bring more of the same with managers frantically scrambling to get their squads just so.
We're strapped into the Transfer Hotseat TM and will be plugged into every possible rumour, counter-rumour, tidbit and tittle-tattle throughout the day.
(Imagine Neo from the Matrix but slightly lower budget)
So keep it here for all the latest news as it breaks. Off we go ...
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