Relive Deadline Day: Sanchez, Lemar, Van Dijk, Llorente

Matt Stead

23:04 ZAPPACOSTA IS DONE
Antonio Conte finally has his right wing-back. He had to wait longer than he wanted and it isn’t his first choice, but Davide Zappacosta is his man.

 

23:00 AND THAT IS THAT
Was fun before it got really quiet, wasn’t it?

 

22:51 BRIGHTON SIGN KRUL
Congratulations to Newcastle for allowing another player to leave without any intention of replacing them. Tim Krul has joined Brighton on a season-long loan. Backup to Mat Ryan?

 

22:45 DRAGOVIC DEAL DONE

Hot take: He is a bad defender

 

22:41 NEWCASTLE SHIP OUT ANOTHER
Serie A side Beneveneto have completed a loan move for Newcastle United’s Achraf Lazaar. Presumably Newcastle will now go mad and sign three playe… Oh.

 

22:37 PALACE EYE DANISH KEEPER
Crystal Palace are trying to sign Denmark international Frederik Ronnow. They don’t have long to get it over the line.

Nottingham Forest were close to signing Ronnow on Wednesday.

 

22:20 WELL THIS IS JUST SILLY
And you thought things NOT happening couldn’t be exciting…

“The two clubs agreed a deal of £35m and personal terms were agreed and after the medical we heard from Ross Barkley’s agent that he had changed his mind. He told us he wanted to reconsider and stay with us for the time being,” Everton owner Farhad Moshiri said.

“It was a big surprise but that is football. It has been a very busy transfer window, we have brought in a lot of players especially in attacking areas. We have a lot of new players and it will take some time to gel. We are very happy with business. These are all Ronald Koeman’s signings.”

 

22:09 EVERTON CLOSE TO FULHAM KID
See, ye of little faith. According to Sky Sports, Everton are close to signing 18-year-old midfielder Dennis Adeniran from Fulham. Nope, us neither.

 

22:00 ONE HOUR TO GO
It’s currently quieter than Bjork doing a sponsored silence, but you never know. There are deals bubbling, we’re sure.

 

21:48 DRINKWATER AT COBHAM
Danny Drinkwater is going to be a Chelsea player by the morning. He is at Chelsea’s training ground for a medical ahead of a move from Leicester City. No issues about international duty for him.

 

21:39: TRANSFER NEWS AT ARSENAL
Joel Campbell has officially been loaned out to Real Betis. Just got to bed, Arsenal fans.

 

21:24 LEICESTER WILL SIGN DRAGOVIC
It’s not quite what we had hoped and dreamed, but Leicester seem to be the busiest club as the window draws to a close. As well as the Andre Silva/Danny Drinkwater issue, they are close to signing Aleksandar Dragovic from Bayer Leverkusen on loan.

 

21:13 ARSENAL AND LIVERPOOL FANS: CRY NOW

 

21:03 LITTLE ROUND-UP OF LATEST NEWS
Llorente is joining Tottenham.

Virgil van Dijk is not getting his wish.

Everton have signed their striker.

 

20:47 MANCHESTER CITY’S BUSINESS IS DONE
Eliaquim Mangala’s proposed transfer to Crystal Palace is off, say Sky Sports. The knock-on effect of that is that City will not move for Jonny Evans, and so he will stay at West Brom.

Why are all the big moves off? Why have they done this to me?

 

20:42 KENT OFF TO GERMANY
Following the trend of English players moving abroad, Liverpool winger Ryan Kent has moved to Freiburg on loan for the season. That will disappoint a number of Championship clubs who were interested.

 

20:27 SILVA TO LEICESTER
It’s a story that John Percy brought us earlier, but Adrien Silva has been granted permission to leave Portugal’s training camp to undergo a medical at with Leicester.

Will that mean Danny Drinkwater goes to Chelsea?

 

20:12 EVERTON GET THEIR STRIKER
Ronald Koeman has been looking for a striker for the last few days, and he has finally got his man. Nikola Vlasic has joined from Croatian side Hajduk Split on a five-year deal.

It isn’t quite the big name they might have liked, but Vlasic and Sandro Ramirez could be a useful couple of options.

“I am very excited about the opportunity to play for this big club,” the 19-year-old said.

“The Premier League is the best league in the world and this is one of the top clubs in England. It is such a big honour for me to be here.

“When I heard that Everton were interested in me, I knew straight away I wanted to come here. Whenever someone called my manager or my father, I told them I only wanted to come to Everton.

“The ambition of the Club is to ultimately play in the Champions League and I want to help achieve that goal. I believe in myself and in this team – I think we can do great things together.”

 

19:54 ZAPPACOSTA JETS IN
One deal that will happen tonight is Chelsea’s move for Davide Zappacosta. Sky Sports report that he has landed into the UK in the last hour to complete his move to Chelsea from Torino for £23m.

A better option than Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain for a lot less money? And a specialist right wing-back?

 

19:47 LEICESTER 2016 EXODUS CONTINUES
Leicester’s last summer window went seriously badly, and they have spent much of this window moving on some of those mistakes.

The latest is Nampalys Mendy, who has now joined Nice on loan. That’s official. Mendy basically flattered to deceive, and looked way too lightweight in possession. Shame.

 

19:40 WATFORD HAVE LOANED THEIR SECOND PLAYER OF THE DAY FROM…
…UDINESE! Who would have thought it, eh. Defender Molla Wague joins on a season-long loan. Watford’s squad is now monumentally big. Someone is surely going to miss out on the 25-man Premier League squad?

 

19:36 THE NEWS NO NEWCASTLE FAN WANTED TO HEAR, BUT EXPECTED

 

19:30 BRIGHTON SIGN SCHELOTTO
Brighton have gone and done some bloody business. Every supporters is waiting for a striker, but the latest arrival is Ezequiel Schelotto from Sporting, and he is a defender. Does that get you excited, Hove Albioners?

 

19:20 BOJAN LEAVES AGAIN
Bojan only came back from a season-long loan, but he’s leaving Stoke again. Slightly weird one this, as he’s joining Alaves on another long loan deal. If you don’t want him, why not just get rid?

 

19:13 BONY GOING BACK HOME
We called it in our top ten on Tuesday, and we might actually get something right. Wilfried Bony is currently having a medical at Swansea ahead of a £12m move back to the club he left to join Manchester City.

Meanwhile, I’m about to have salmon and noodles and do myself another Beecham’s max strength.

 

19:01 ‘ARRY HAS BEEN ‘ARRY
Birmingham City have confirmed the signing of forward Jota from Brentford for a club-record fee. Since moaning about the lack of signings at Birmingham, Redknap has signing Carl Jenkinson on a loan deal worth £43,000 a week, enquired about Jack Wilshere and spent a massive chunk of money on Jota. He has now signed 12 players in the window.

 

18:51 ADRIEN SILVA TO LEICESTER
John Percy is here to save the evening, and it might just save Chelsea’s deadline day too:

Definitely one to keep an eye on.

 

18:40 SAKHO TO PALACE IS ON
According to a whole raft of Merseysode journalists, Mamadou Sakho will finally get his move to Crystal Palace, joining them in a £26m deal after a fee was finally agreed. De Boer war is postponed.

 

18:37 MBAPPE DEAL TO PARIS ST GERMAIN IS DONE
Kylian Mbappe has joined PSG in a fairly outrageous loan deal, which will be made permanent next summer. The move is hardly a secret, but still absolutely bonkers when you think about it. An 18-year-old moving for a potentially massive amount of money, and he joins on loan initially. Sheesh.

“It is with great joy and pride that I join the Paris Saint-Germain,” Mbappe told the club’s website. “For any young person from the Paris region, it is often a dream to wear the red and blue jersey and to taste the unique atmosphere of the Parc des Princes.

“I was seduced by the project of the club, it is one of the most ambitious in Europe. Along with my new teammates, I intend to continue my progression today while helping the team to achieve the very big objectives it has set itself.”

 

18:26 DONE DEALIO: DENAYER OFF ON LOAN AGAIN
Jason Denayer has joined Galatasaray from Manchester City on a season-long loan deal. He is destined to forever be caught in a loan cycle because he isn’t good enough for City but they are unable to get good fees for their players.

 

18:20 REMY OFF TO LA LIGA
We thought that Loic Remy might end up at another Premier League club this evening, but it now looks like Las Palmas might be his new destination.

Sky Sports are reporting that Remy will move to Gran Canaria on an initial loan deal, with an option to buy.

 

18:15 WATFORD SIGN A DEFENDER
Watford have confirmed the signing of defender Marvin Zeegelaar from Sporting. We wondered whether Marco Silva might play his ‘I’m going to sign a player you have never heard of but will turn out to be decent’ card, and here it is.

 

18:09 PALACE FINALLY GETTING THEIR STRIKER
Crystal Palace have agreed a deal with Everton for striker Oumar Niasse, according to Sky sources. The deal is subject to personal terms being agreed and passing a medical, but should go through.

 

18:04 NO MORE INCOMINGS BUT PEREZ LEAVES
Arsenal bod John Cross has just tweeted that there will be no incomings at Arsenal on Deadline Day, which should make all supporters very happy. But they definitely came close to signing Lemar.

Anyway, one player leaving the Emirates is Lucas Perez, who has joined Deportivo on loan with a view to a permanent deal.

 

17:50 COULD SANCHEZ STILL HAPPEN?
A possible change up here. According to a few reporters in Manchester, City have far from given up on Alexis Sanchez. Arsenal’s pursuit of Thomas Lemar might be dead in the water, but City feel that Arsenal have a player in Sanchez who already had one foot out of the door.

With that in mind, would a bid of £60m straight cash persuade Arsenal to sell?

 

17:23 CHELSEA AGREE MAHREZ FEE
Now here is a good one. All day we have been hearing that Riyad Mahrez is in various European airports trying to engineer a move away from Leicester City having been granted permission.

The latest update is that BeIN Sports are reporting that Chelsea have had a £45m bid accepted by Leicester, and that Mahrez will now agree personal terms and complete a move.

 

17:09 THE STATE OF PLAY
After that mad half hour, where are we?

– Alexis Sanchez stays at Arsenal, because they left it too late to move for…

– Thomas Lemar, despite having a bid of £90m accepted. Anyone who sees that as evidence of Arsenal being prepared to spend is an idiot.

– Nowt on Virgil van Dijk. So that one looks dead.

– Nowt on Philippe Coutinho, although Barcelona have until tomorrow.

 

16:48 ARSENAL PULL OUT OF LEMAR DEAL?
We’re struggling to keep up with Arsenal’s incompetence. 

Having been told that a fee had been agreed with Monaco for Thomas Lemar, the Guardian’s David Hytner reports that Arsenal have now pulled out of the deal because they do not believe there is enough time to complete it. That means Sanchez stays.

Not like they have had all summer.

“It’s such a bloody shame. We really wanted to spend £100m like the other big boys, but there was just no time. So annoying because we really wanted to spend it. Honest.”

 

16:38 LIVERPOOL ANNOUNCE SIGNING (BUT NOT IN A GOOD WAY)
Hey, remember our feature of all the players who hadn’t even made the bench this season? Good, it was a great feature.

Anyway, Allan was on that list for Liverpool, and now he’s been sent to Apollon Limassol on loan for the season.

Ever get the feeling it isn’t going to work out, big Al?

 

16:23 ARSENAL AGREE LEMAR FEE!
That is according to the Telegraph’s James Ducker, who is hardly one of those who spews transfer rumours for fun. So Arsenal would pay £90m for a player they offered £31m for at the start of the summer? Gee.

 

16:15 SOME PROBABLE GUFF ABOUT WILLIAN TO MAN UNITED
Good on Neil Custis and The Sun for trying to eke out another bit of Manchester United traffic in this transfer window. Nobody reasonably expects United to do anymore business, but Custis claims that Jose Mourinho has made an attempt to sign Willian.

‘Mourinho always said he had four targets this season and had completed the transfer of three with striker Romelu Lukaku, defender Victor Lindelof and defensive midfielder Matic,’ Custis tells us.

‘He was still looking for a wide right man to play in a 3-4-3 as well as the 4-2-3-1 he usually employs. Willian, 29, could also play as a wing back in a 3-5-2- although it would not be his preferred position.’

Sure. A wing-back. A position he hasn’t played in a system Manchester United don’t use and a player Chelsea won’t sell. Apart from that.

 

16:03: SAKHO HEADS TO THE HORSES
Despite travelling to France and setting up a medical on his own accord, Diafra Sakho is unlikely to be getting his move to Rennes this summer.

West Ham co-owner David Gold tweeted “Diafra Sakho is not for sale in this transfer window he is an integral part of our first team squad and will play a part in our recovery.”

However, it gets better. His advisor, who is trying to aid his escape from West Ham decided to stop off at Chelmsford race course on Thursday as he had a horse running in the 3.20.

Sakho was spotted “keeping a low profile in the car park!” according to the Press Association while his advisors horse Siege of Boston grabbed a maiden victory.

Priorities…

 

15:36: SPURS V WEST HAM
Not content with potentially derailing Chelsea’s transfer plans over Fernando Llorente, Tottenham have now set their sights on messing up West Ham’s. To be honest, they need absolutely no help f***ing themselves over.

According to the Daily Telegraph, the two London clubs will do battle over Barcelona midfielder Andre Gomes. Unwanted in Spain, the player could find a loving – although temporary – home in the Premier League.

It is claimed that ‘there is growing confidence’ at Tottenham that they can beat West Ham to punch. What’s more, West Ham ‘privately believe he is likely to join their London rivals’.

 

15:26: INJURY WOE FOR BARKLEY
Ross Barkley likely to have to wait until the next transfer window to complete a deal to either Chelsea or Tottenham.

There is a high chance that the Everton midfielder would fail a medical as Sky Sports report his groin injury is understood to be more serious than first thought.

 

15:03: A LIVERPOOL LOAN
Divock Origi has joined Wolfsburg on a season-long loan. Looking at the competition for forward places at Liverpool, that is one sensible decision.

 

14:56: ALL’S WELLS THAT ENDS WELLS
Burnley will hope he has a particular…*ahem*…Nakh for scoring.

 

14:54: MARK HUGHES SHEDS A SINGLE TEAR
As if to prove the point that not every transfer deadline day move goes well, Stoke’s record signing, purchased on the final day of the 2016 winter window, is headed out of the Britannia Stadium.

Giannelli Imbula, signed for over £18million as many months ago, is headed to Toulouse on loan.

 

14:53: ARSENAL LET A PLAYER GO
And it’s a biggie…

 

14:46: SANCHEZ BID ACCEPTED?
Around an hour ago, a number of outlets reported at once that Alexis Sanchez was the subject of a second bid from Manchester City. This one was believed to be of around £55m, plus £5m in add-ons.

Now Arsenal have reportedly made a £90m offer for Thomas Lemar, it seems as though the Gunners are happy to negotiate a deal for Sanchez. The Daily Mirror claim that City’s second offer has been accepted.

 

14:45: A GRAY DAY
An update from Bournemouth…

 

14:39: HIT THE ROAD, JACK
As aforementioned, Jack Wilshere was one of the biggest stories on transfer deadline day last summer, which tells you plenty about the brilliance of this year.

West Ham were rumoured to be interested in the midfielder this morning, with Arsenal keen to offload him.

Well if Wilshere doesn’t fancy a move to the club bottom of the Premier League table, he’s in luck! Because the club who are 20th in the Championship want him.

Yep, that will be Birmingham, managed by Harry Redknapp, who wants to wheel and deal his way to bringing in an England international for his second-tier relegation battle. Oh, Jack.

 

14:34: YOU CAN TELL CONTE DOESN’T LIKE DIEGO…
…when he tries to sign a full-back called Zappacosta. Torino full-back Davide is Chelsea’s 427th option this summer, and the Blues are closing in on a deal.

Gianluca Di Marzio was one of the first to report that the Premier League champions have agreed a £23million fee with Torino.

The 25-year-old has four Italy caps, and would offer some delightful versatility down the right-hand side.

As has been identified previously, that really is a brilliant name. Next to Cesar Azpilicueta, who can beat them?

 

14:23: ONE FINAL UPDATE ON VAN DIJK?
The Daily Mail claims that Southampton are ‘99.9 percent’ sure they will keep Virgil van Dijk and that it would take a ‘ridiculous’ offer for Liverpool to land the centre-back.

The Reds are said to be targeting two more new players after landing Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain from Arsenal. Van Dijk and Lemar are though to be the other two targets.

 

14:15: GUNNERS LODGE MASSIVE LEMAR OFFER
Thomas Lemar has been a target of Liverpool and Arsenal for much of the summer but both sides have so far failed to make a breakthrough with Monaco.

A bid of upwards of £80million could persuade the Ligue 1 club to talk and that’s exactly what the Gunners have reportedly done with a £90million offer.

The Daily Mail claims that he would be a ‘a replacement for Alexis Sanchez’ and a deal would ‘placate fans’ if the Chilean was to leave.

 

14:06: DEAL OF THE DAY?
Linked heavily with the likes of Manchester United and Juventus for much of the summer, Euro 2016 winner Renato Sanches has completed a season-long loan move to Swansea City.

Is this the deal of the day? Or even the deal of the summer so far? All hail Paul Clement.

 

14:00: DONE DEAL AT WATFORD
Watford have signed Udinese goalkeeper Orestis Karnezis on a season-long loan deal and will compete for the No.1 jersey with Heurelho Gomes.

 

13:53: FEELING SORRY FOR MAHREZ
Poor old Riyad Mahrez. The player has carried on training and playing for Leicester, while itching to get a move away from the club. However, his patience and respect may not be rewarded.

Manchester United and Chelsea haven’t submitted offers for the Algerian and now Guillem Balague has confirmed that Barcelona aren’t interested.

So where is Mahrez off to?

 

13:42: OUT OF NOWHERE
Top quality cover in every position is essential if you have aspirations to be one of the top sides in your respective league. And that is no different for Bayern Munich, who have rejected a bid from Chelsea for their right-back Rafinha.

The Blues are on the lookout for cover for Victor Moses but after missing out on Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain they are finding it tough to land any of their targets.

Joshua Kimmich has been preferred to Rafinha this season so far under Carlo Ancelotti but the Italian wants to keep the Brazilian as cover.

 

13:29: DIRTY SANCHEZ
This seems cheap. Great deal for Manchester City though.

As an aside, Arsenal back in for Thomas Lemar is great. It seems like Liverpool have given up on that particular deal. They’re probably too busy trying to identify which car Virgil van Dijk is in.

Balague and Sky Sports are not the only ones reporting that City have made a second offer for Sanchez. Paul Hirst of the Times corroborates the claim, as does Jamie Jackson of The Guardian.

 

13:17: ON THE VIRG
We didn’t think this deadline day could get any better. We were wrong.

It’s on days like these when Sky Sports really are in their element.

For what it’s worth, almost everyone is reporting that Southampton’s stance has not changed, and Van Dijk is not for sale. We say ‘almost’, because Sky Sports are still busy filming moving cars.

 

13:00: RETURNING HERO
Swansea could already have landed one of the deals of the day if Renato Sanches completes his move from Bayern Munich, but the latest speculation ain’t bad either.

Wilfried Bony, who scored 35 goals in 70 appearances in all competitions during his first spell at the Liberty Stadium, could be on the way back after Swansea reportedly agreed a fee of £12million to take him back.

 

12:46: GET YOUR PHIL
Our favourite kind of transfer speculation is the kind that looks, smells and tastes like a piping hot mess. It seems as though Neil Custis has duly spent his lunchtime curling a piping hot mess over his desk at The Sun, because this is just wonderful.

According to the man himself, Barcelona will make an announcement at 7pm regarding Philippe Coutinho’s future. He will be confirmed as the Catalan club’s new signing for £138m.

Liverpool have rejected three bids so far this summer, but a fourth is due to be accepted. Perhaps signing Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain made them change their mind?

If this happens, fair f***ing play. But this is a) Neil Custis, who only tends to report on Manchester United, b) nowhere else, and c) The Sun reporting on Liverpool. The Sun. Liverpool. We have done the maths and it doesn’t add up.

 

12:34: SERGE OF ADRENALINE
Let’s see how well this goes down…

 

12:28: STICKY TOFFEES
Not heard too much about Everton, have we? Let’s rectify that.

Ronald Koeman’s side have already spent plenty this summer, and so perhaps that explains why their only late moves seem to be loan deals. One, for Thomas Vermaelen, has been rejected by Barcelona. We had no idea he was still there.

Another player Everton are interested in is Lucas Perez. The Arsenal forward has been courted by former club Deportivo La Coruna throughout the summer, but the La Liga side have yet to agree a fee with the Gunners. Newcastle emerged as potential suitors not long ago, and now The Guardian claim Everton want him.

 

12:21: FRESH DRINKWATER OFFER
Chelsea are understood to be edging closer to agreeing a deal with Leicester over the sale of Danny Drinkwater after making an improved offer for the midfielder.

The Foxes are understood to value the England international at around £40million and Chelsea have struggled to match their valuation.

However, Matt Law of the Daily Telegraph claims that a new deal of £27million plus add-ons has been submitted.

 

12:10: CHAMBERS BID REJECTED
Arsenal have rejected a £20million bid from Leicester City from Calum Chambers, according to Sky Sports.

More proof that modern valuations are unpredictable…

 

12:04: OXLADE-CHAMBERLAIN IS A RED
Liverpool have completed the signing of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain on a long-term deal from Arsenal.

Jurgen Klopp on the signing: “I remember the first time I saw him play live – it was at Dortmund in 2014 and he came on as a sub that day and made a big impact. He stood out immediately because of his pace and skills and his attitude in such a big game for a young player; I remember him chasing back to make a brilliant challenge on Mkhitaryan in the box to save a certain goal.

“We won that game but lost the return match at Arsenal when he started and played well, I think he hit the post. Since then I have followed him and when I heard it may be possible to sign him I didn’t need to think twice.”

 

11:43: QUIET DAY AT THE EMIRATES…
After all the hullabaloo of the last couple of weeks, it could end up being a snoozy end to the window for Arsenal. As previously reported, Alexis Sanchez looks set to stay at the club and now Shkodran Mustafi could still be a Gunner by the end of Thursday.

Sky Sports claim that Arsenal will not be letting Inter Milan target Mustafi leave before the deadline while the Serie A side’s director of football Walter Sabatini has said that they won’t be making anymore signings.

Meanwhile the report from Sky Sports continues by suggesting that Arsenal are happy with their two signings this summer and that they have no interest in making a bid for Leicester City winger Riyad Mahrez.

 

11:26: REMY ON HIS WAY TO LAS PALMAS
Gianluca di Marzio claims that Chelsea has given permission to Loic Remy – who we had genuinely forgot was still a Premier League player – to leave the west London club.

Despite reported interest from Swansea and Newcastle United, the striker is on his way to Spanish side Las Palmas where he will complete a medical and sign a two-year deal.

 

11:16: NO NEW BIDS FOR SANCHEZ
It doesn’t look like it matters what Alexis Sanchez wants this summer with Sky Sports claiming that the Gunners maintain they have had no new offers for the 28-year-old.

Arsenal have very little time to replace the Chilean and will not accept cash offers for the player, who is in the last year of his contract at the Emirates Stadium.

Raheem Sterling was reportedly offered to the Gunners as part of a player-plus-cash offer for Sanchez a couple of weeks ago but Sky Sports understand the winger will remain at the Etihad.

 

11:05: TWO IN AT BURNLEY?
The Daily Express understands that Burnley will complete a deal today for Huddersfield Town striker Nakhi Wells and that his medical shouldn’t be a problem despite him being injured.

Meanwhile, it’s that man again BBC reported David Ornstein with news that Aaron Lennon will also head to Turf Moor from Everton.

 

10:58:SANCHEZ STIRS THE POT?
Arsene Wenger has maintained Alexis Sanchez will be going nowhere this summer and the clubs stance in reportedly rejecting a bid from Manchester City for the Chilean seems to reinforce that.

However, this is transfer deadline day and ANYTHING can happen.

Remember when Gerard Pique posted a picture of himself and Neymar with the caption “he stays” before the Brazilian swiftly left for Paris Saint-Germain in a world-record deal?

Well the same photo has emerged with Sanchez’s face photoshopped in place of Neymar’s on Instagram and the Gunners striker has liked it from his official account. Let’s be honest: this is no hint, it just made him laugh.

 

10:40: PERISIC TIME?
It’s hard to stay away from Sky Sports News on deadline day as deadline day is Sky Sports News…we should all know that by now ?

Anyway, their reporter Alan Irwin has revealed that a deal for Inter Milan winger Ivan Perisic could still be on the cards for Manchester United with just over 12 hours to go until the end of the window.

“Mourinho had his targets and has pretty much achieved them all,” Irwin told Sky Sports.

“He did also want a wide player in Ivan Perisic, and that may still go through.”

 

10:32: ‘ARRY’S BACK
It wouldn’t be a transfer deadline day without Harry Redknapp rolling down the window for the assembled press.

Added to that a slip of the tongue from the former Birmingham…errr Bournemouth manager…

 

10:14: JANSSEN TO WEST BROM IF SPURS LAND LLORENTE
According to ESPN, Fernando Llorente’s move to Tottenham is understood to be dependent on Swansea securing a replacement for the Spaniard.

Which, in turn, could mean a move for Vincent Janssen after Spurs received an offer for over £23million for the Dutch flop.

 

10:06 SPURS TO TRUMP CHELSEA
Tottenham are now favourites to sign Fernando Llorente after a whole summer of speculation linking the Swansea striker with a move to Chelsea.

The Blues had reportedly hoped to tie up a £15million deal for the Spaniard but now Spurs are confident of gazumping the champions to land the former Athletic Bilbao star.

And David Ornstein has claimed a bid has been accepted…

 

10:02: MANGALA TO PALACE?
Having almost given up on their long-term pursuit of Liverpool centre-back Mamadou Sakho, Crystal Palace have reportedly made a £23million offer for Manchester City centre-back Eliaquim Mangala.

However, the BBC understands that any deal is unlikely to happen despite Palace confident a bid will be accepted.

Leaving us to deduce that it is likely Mangala that doesn’t want the move and not City unwilling to sell…

 

09:44: OX IS OFF
This is a slightly clearer picture than the one offered at 07:07…

 

09:38: DELEGATIONS, DELEGATIONS EVERYWHERE
Football365 loves nothing more than a delegation being sent to sort out a transfer. Because we have been awfully good this year, deadline day brings us two such instances.

The Independent are reporting that Manchester City have sent ‘a team of legal and medical officials’ to Chile just in case their move for Alexis Sanchez advances. The Arsenal forward will play for his country against Paraguay in a World Cup qualifier on Thursday evening, so Pep Guardiola’s side had better act fast.

In addition to that, Liverpool ‘have medical staff on standby’ ready to travel to Paris in the event that they reach a breakthrough with Monaco over negotiations for Thomas Lemar.

The Liverpool Echo claim that the Reds ‘have yet to admit defeat’ in their pursuit of the winger, and that they are ready and willing to pay around £75m for him.

Reports elsewhere suggest the move is rather unlikely, such is Monaco’s stance, and the short amount of time Liverpool have left to persuade them.

 

09:24: DRINKWATER DEAL DEAD IN THE WATER?
Danny Drinkwater handed in a transfer request this week but it could be all for nothing as Chelsea are a long way off Leicester’s valuation, according to Sky Sports News reporter Aidan Magee.

Meanwhile Duncan Castles has insisted that Drinkwater is ‘not the player Conte wants as a second midfielder’ on The Transfer Window podcast.

Not looking likely…

 

09:16: AN IMPORTANT UPDATE
This just in…

Cheers, Rich.

 

08:56: SANCHEZ DEAL STILL ON?
Sky Sports football expert Guillem Balague has kindly used Twitter to provide an update on Mancheste City’s interest in Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez.

Sanchez is still desperate to leave, according to Balague, while the Citizens are hopeful of a deal despite wondering if the Gunners were ever interested in selling…

 

08:49: WHERE’S WILSHERE?
Fans of transfer deadline days will recall this time 12 months ago, when the headlines were dominated not by Alexis Sanchez or Thomas Lemar, but by Jack Wilshere.

The Arsenal midfielder was a wanted commodity last summer, courted by clubs throughout Europe and the Premier League. He eventually settled on a loan move to Bournemouth, which ended with him breaking his leg against Tottenham because Jack Wilshere cannot have nice things.

With only a year left on his Arsenal contract, and scarce playing opportunities on offer in north London, Wilshere will again be looking elsewhere for games. He won’t have to travel as far as the south coast this time however, if The Sun are to be believed. And they rarely are. But still.

They exclusively claim that West Ham will target the midfielder if they cannot complete a move for William Carvalho. ‘Jack Wilshere is being lined up for a dramatic deadline day switch to West Ham,’ they write, which at least suggests he will don Shakespearean garb as he strolls into the Olympic Stadium.

 

08:22: MORE ON MAHREZ
We genuinely can’t work out where Riyad Mahrez is off to. Arsenal? Chelsea? Manchester United? Barcelona? Paris Saint-Germain? Mansfield Town?

According to the ever reliable John Percy of the Daily Telegraph, no move is imminent just yet.

Someone should let the Algerian FA know.

 

08:14: THE ARSENAL ORACLE
ORNSTEIN HAS SPOKEN.

 

08:05: CAN YOU HEAR THE DRUMS, FERNANDO?
It wouldn’t be transfer deadline day without a good old hijack. This time last year, Tottenham commandeered Everton’s move for Moussa Sissoko. It did not end well. They will hope this goes a little better.

Fernando Llorente has been a reported Chelsea target since January, when the club reportedly lodged at least one failed bid. With Antonio Conte keen to bring in more squad reinforcements, the Swansea forward remains on his wanted list.

As has now been widely reported, they face some competition. Tottenham have moved in on the move, and hope to complete a deal for Llorente before the deadline. Poor Vincent Janssen.

 

07:42: ARSENAL’S LOW BLOW
Perhaps Julian Draxler won’t be rocking up at Arsenal any time soon. Germany manager Joachim Low says that Paris Saint-Germain “don’t want to sell” the winger.

That leaves Mahrez and Lemar. Or Kim Kallstrom.

 

07:14: MAN UNITED JOIN THE PARTY
They just can’t let everyone else have the fun, can they? Despite everything Jose Mourinho has said, and everything the club have leaked to the press, Manchester United might not have made their final signing of the summer transfer window.

Victor Lindelof, Romelu Lukaku and Nemanja Matic have all arrived at Old Trafford, and while Mourinho initially wanted four signings, he has publicly stated more than once that he will settle for three. Unfortunately, that doesn’t quite wash for some on transfer deadline day.

According to the Daily Star, the Daily Express and the Daily Mirror, United have made a bid for Marco Asensio of Real Madrid. The offer is of around £50million, and all three websites attribute their claims to Spanish outlet Diario Gol.

The only problem is that we can find no such story on Diario Gol, which really does make us wonder. Add to that the fact that the Star and Express say the bid was made during negotiations with Real over Alvaro Morata, and you start to wonder. The Mirror are the only ones to suggest the offer has been made recently.

‘Manchester United were thought to have done their business this summer, but Jose Mourinho may still pull a rabbit out the hat,’ they write. That sounds like wishful thinking.

It smells ever so fishy in here.

 

07:07: THE OX EDGES CLOSER
It’s deadline day, which means it’s time for some sneaky, grainy pictures captured at a weird angle by people who don’t want to be caught.

Red does suit him.

 

06:58: ARSENAL’S DIRTY SANCHEZ REPLACEMENT
It seems as though Arsenal’s stance on Alexis Sanchez is beginning to soften, as erotic as that sounds. Even before the start of this summer’s transfer window, the Gunners were adamant that the Chilean would not leave. They are at least entertaining the idea now.

Reports on Thursday claim that the north London club will demand £70million for the forward from Manchester City, who are offering around £50m as it stands. Just in case Pep and his boys stump up the cash, Arsenal have identified his potential replacement.

The Gunners, according to the Daily Mirror and a number of other outlets, have a shortlist of three to replace Sanchez. Julian Draxler, Thomas Lemar and Riyad Mahrez would all be considered. If there is a box, Arsenal are not thinking outside of it.

 

06:46: RIYAD’S ON THE ROAD
Where is Riyad Mahrez off to? Algeria have confirmed that the Leicester winger has been given permission to “formalise his transfer to his new club”.

Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United, Tottenham, Barcelona and Roma have been linked all summer. Who has won the race?

 

06:29: LIVERPOOL WANT THREE
Shall we start with Liverpool, whose move for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is almost certain to go through on Thursday? According to The Times, the Reds will not stop there.

They report that the Arsenal man ‘could be followed’ to Anfield by two more in ‘an unprecedented final-day spree’ for Jurgen Klopp.

You might recognise the two names involved: Thomas Lemar and Virgil van Dijk. Liverpool are ‘prepared to pay more than £70million’ for the former, as well as ‘a similar fee’ for the Southampton centre-half. That’s a lot of money.

Deals for either player will be ‘complicated’. Monaco are reluctant to lose yet another first-team player this summer, while Southampton’s stance on Van Dijk has largely been unchanged for the past two months.

The exit door at Anfield will not go unused on Thursday, mind. Divock Origi is off to Wolfsburg on loan for a £6m fee, Lazar Markovic is headed to Watford for a temporary spell, and West Brom and Crystal Palace are fighting it out over Mamadou Sakho.

 

06:27: STRAP IN, FOLKS…
Deadline day of the 2017 summer transfer window is here, and we’re all bloody excited.

For once, it feels like some actually decent moves might happen. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Alexis Sanchez, Riyad Mahrez, Kylian Mbappe, Danny Drinkwater, Virgil van Dijk, Thomas Lemar, and plenty more could all conceivably link up with new clubs before the window SLAMS SHUT. This page will keep you updated until 11pm, so do both us and yourselves a favour and have it on a constant refresh. Here we go…