Hello and welcome to Sports Mole's live transfer blog on July 30.
The summer transfer window has now officially been opened for almost one month and a whole host of big deals have already been completed.
Many more expected to be finalised before the end of August, though, and should any get over the line today, we will keep you updated right here.
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That's all we have for you tonight, but be sure to check out Sports Mole tomorrow for all of the latest transfer news and live coverage of the Coomonwealth Games. Many thanks for joining us!
Manchester United flop Marouane Fellaini is said to have agreed to join Serie A outfit Napoli, but must wait for the two clubs to settle on a fee before completing his move. United are holding out for £18m, but the Italians are understood to be keen on a loan deal.
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Leeds United are said to be ready to open contract talks with troubled striker Nile Ranger, who was sacked by Swindon Town earlier this year. Whites owner Massimo Cellino is expected to fly in on Friday to open negotiations.
Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard has hinted that he could do a Frank Lampard and finish his career abroad. The Reds captain has one year remaining on his current contract and is yet to enter official talks about a possible extension.
And now some words from Ryan Bertrand, who hailed Southampton as a "fantastic club" and heaped praise on manager Ronald Koeman after completing his season-long loan switch from Chelsea.
As promised, here is what Ronald Koeman had to say following Southampton's loan capture of Ryan Bertrand. The Dutchman described the wingback as "a top player" and praised his attitude.
Thanks, Paul. I'll be here until closing with all of the latest transfer-related gossip, starting with Southampton boss Ronald Koeman's reaction to the loan signing of Ryan Bertrand.
Well, that's all from me, it's been a busy night from an Everton point of view. I'll leave you in the capable hands of my colleague Mark Langshaw. He'll keep you updated on all the latest transfer news through until 2am. Goodbye for now.
As promised here's that full story from Jose Mourinho on Lukaku's move. The Chelsea boss claims that a lack of motivation kept the striker from breaking into the first team at Stamford Bridge. A parting shot for sure. Full story is here.
Interesting comments from Jose Mourinho on Lukaku's move this evening. Speaking to reporters after watching his team beat Vitesse 3-1, the Portuguese coach claimed that the Belgian didn't want to fight for his place at Stamford Bridge. Story to come...
Meanwhile, Lukaku isn't the only player heading out of Chelsea this evening. Ryan Bertrand has agreed to join Southampton on loan for the coming season.
Everton boss Roberto Martinez believes that Lukaku will develop into one of the finest strikers in world football at Goodison Park. Read the full story here.
A clearly delighted Lukaku has been expressing how happy he is to be joining Everton permanently. He's currently talking to reports at the club's Finch Farm training complex. We'll have the full story to come...
CONFIRMATION! Lukaku finally completes his move to Everton, and it is a higher fee than most had imagined. The Blues have shelled out a cool £28m for the powerful marksman. Catch the full story here.
PHOTO: Roberto Martinez welcomes @RomeluLukaku9 back to Everton #welcomehomeRom pic.twitter.com/hhQp8b2bZl
— Everton (@Everton) July 30, 2014
The deal to sign Romelu Lukaku is reportedly being held up due to a paperwork issue. Everton are still expected to announce the signing imminently. Aalthough Toffees fans are being made to wait for the news they all want to hear. Stay with Sports Mole, we'll have the news with you as soon as the Blues confirm it.
In case you missed it, here's our 7pm Transfer Talk Update, featuring the likes of Leroy Fer, Marco Reus and the aforementioned Lukaku.
Well, while we wait for this confirmation of Romelu Lukaku's move, there's a line from Sunderland to bring you. Manager Gustavo Poyet has confirmed that the club have held talks with Liverpool striker Fabio Borini, and that deal may still be on the cards. Full story here.
That's all from me for today, but Paul Gorst will now be with you through until 11pm to keep you up to date with all of the comings and goings in the transfer window. Goodbye!
Burnley goalkeeper Tom Heaton has reportedly agreed a three-year contract extension with the club. The 28-year-old was an ever-present for the Clarets during their promotion-winning campaign last season following a summer move from Bristol City.
Chesterfield chief executive Chris Turner has revealed that the club has turned down a bid from Leeds United for defender Liam Cooper. The 22-year-old joined the Spireites from Hull City in January 2013 following a loan spell at the Proact Stadium.
Not transfer news as such, but we've got live text coverage of Chelsea's pre-season friendly against Vitesse this evening (KO 6.30pm). You can keep up to date with the match by following this link here. Filipe Luis, Cesc Fabregas and Diego Costa all start the the Blues.
Swansea City boss Garry Monk has revealed that Ki Sung-yueng will be offered a new contract with the club. The midfielder, who spent last season on loan with Sunderland, has one year remaining on his current deal at the Liberty Stadium.
Doncaster Rovers have completed the signing of free agent Cedric Evina. The 22-year-old had been without a club since the end of last season following his release by Charlton Athletic.
Middlesbrough have confirmed the signing of wing-back James Husband from Doncaster Rovers on a four-year deal. Curtis Main has moved the other way, joining Doncaster on a three-year contract.
Pedro has conceded that he will miss Cesc Fabregas's presence at Barcelona next season. The Spanish midfielder made 40 appearances last term, but he was granted permission to join Premier League side Chelsea earlier this summer in a deal thought to be worth around £30m.
Stuttgart defender Antonio Rudiger has insisted that he is not concerned by speculation linking him with a move to the Premier League. Both Newcastle United and West Ham United are thought to be keen on signing the 21-year-old German international this summer.
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Belgian forward Gianni Bruno has joined Evian TG from Lille on a four-year deal. The 22-year-old graduated from Lille's academy in 2011, but a lack of first-team action has seen him depart the Stade Pierre-Mauroy.
Afternoon, all! Let's start with some gossip coming out of Manchester United. The Red Devils have reportedly received a boost in their pursuit of West Ham United youngster Oscar Borg. The 16-year-old has been on trial with the Red Devils for the past fortnight, during which time he has featured in three Under-18 friendly encounters.
And with that, my time on this blog is over for today. Don't fear, though, because Jack Prescott will be returning shortly. So, enjoy and over to you, Jack.
Back to a somewhat bigger story and Marco Reus's agent has been talking to the media. He has claimed that Europe's biggest clubs are interested in the German international. In recent weeks, the likes of Manchester United, Liverpool and Barcelona have been credited with an interest.
It might not be as big as the Lukaku deal, but St Johnstone have signed a striker of their own today. Former Derby County striker Callum Ball has agreed a 12-month deal at McDiarmid Park, with option to extend those terms by a further year.
Well, it seems that Manchester United midfielder Marouane Fellaini has let the cat out of the bag as far as Lukaku is concerned:
Here is our full story on that Lukaku tweet. There are strong rumours on Twitter this afternoon that Everton have won the race for his services.
Where is Romelu Lukaku off to then? One thing is for sure, he's leaving Chelsea:
Time to write a new chapter..... pic.twitter.com/1XNjbYXsl4
— R.Lukaku Bolingoli (@RomeluLukaku9) July 30, 2014
Thanks, Jack. Let's see what the next couple of hours has in store for us, then. Any chance of a couple of big deals being completed? We shall see.
That's all from me for now, but Liam Apicella will be with you until 4pm to keep you up to date with all of the latest news and gossip coming out of the transfer window. Goodbye!
Queens Park Rangers boss Harry Redknapp has admitted that he is interested in signing Norwich City midfielder Leroy Fer. The 24-year-old Netherlands international has been linked with a move away from the Canaries following their relegation from the Premier League last season.
Swansea City and Crystal Palace have reportedly expressed an interest in Southampton midfielder Jack Cork. The Saints have lost 10 players this summer, but speculation has suggested that more could follow out of the exit door over the coming weeks.
Ajax's director of football Marc Overmars has claimed that Queens Park Rangers are "pretty close" to matching the Dutch club's valuation of Kolbeinn Sigthorsson. The R's have been strongly linked with the Icelandic international for most of the summer, with numerous discussions said to have taken place regarding his availability.
1PM TRANSFER TALK UPDATE! You can catch up with all of the latest news and gossip from the transfer window with our afternoon roundup here.
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Norwich City midfielder Alexander Tettey has claimed that a Premier League club made an approach for his services earlier this summer. However, the Norwegian has further revealed that the Canaries turned down the offer.
Everton reportedly face being priced out of a move for Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku. The Belgium international forward spent last season on loan at the Toffees and impressed by finishing as the club's top scorer with 15 goals.
Howdy! Right, let's start off with a bit of news involving Arsenal and West Ham. Hammers boss Sam Allardyce has revealed that he is hoping to sign Arsenal defender Carl Jenkinson on loan in the next 24 hours. Hull City have also been linked with the 22-year-old full-back, though West Ham are thought to be leading the chase for his signature.
And with that, my first stint of the day on the blog is over. Coming up for the next couple of hours is Jack Prescott. Over to you, Jack.
Queens Park Rangers are also a Premier League side in need of additions, particularly up front. As it stands, Charlie Austin is the only fit striker at Loftus Road. In an interview that he gave last night, manager Harry Redknapp has conceded that the lack of centre-forward options is a cause for concern.
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Forgive me for pointing out the obvious, but Southampton need to sign some players! They've lost a number of key members of the squad this summer, but rumours are starting as to who is going to arrive. A report in Italy has suggested that Parma winger Jonathan Biabiany is a target of Ronald Koeman.
According to a report in Spain, Bayern Munich are already making plans for next summer! It's been claimed that the German side have asked Sami Khedira to run down his contract with Real Madrid so that he can join them on a free transfer. Sneaky!
While Borini appears to be staying in the Premier League, it would seem that England's top division could be about to lose Javier Hernandez. It's expected that the Mexican striker will leave Manchester United this summer and he has been linked with Atletico Madrid. To find out what Atletico head coach Diego Simeone has had to say about that speculation, click here.
Is Fabio Borini's move from Liverpool to Sunderland back on? Well, according to a report this morning, the Italian has opened the door for a permanent move to the Stadium of Light.
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Perhaps the biggest story from the last few hours involves Yaya Toure. It seemed for a while that the Ivorian wanted out of Manchester City, with the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain all thought to be interested. However, in an interview with the club's official website, the midfielder has insisted that he would like to remain at the Etihad Stadium for "as long as possible".
Let's start with some of the stories that have made the headlines on Sports Mole over the last few hours:
Steve Bruce targets deal for free agent Brede Hangeland?
Yaya Toure will stay at Manchester City for "as long as possible"
Swansea City chairman Huw Jenkins: Wilfried Bony could leave for "right offer"
Sunderland consider making bid for Luis Pedro Cavanda?
Barnsley sign Luke Berry from Cambridge United
Morning all. There was a flurry of deals completed yesterday and we are expecting more of the same today. We'll have it all covered right here so stay tuned.
