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          Kroos and Falcao to Real Madrid

          • ESPN staffJul 1, 2014, 04:02 AM

          It's July 1, which means one thing (no, not USA vs. Belgium) -- that's right, the summer transfer window is open for business. We will be here every day, every step of the way, through done deals, delicious rumours and the downright ridiculous. Let the conjecture begin!

          23.07 BST: That's all from Transfer Talk for now, but we'll be back before long with all the latest gossip from Wednesday's papers.

          23.05 BST: DONE DEAL. Newcastle have completed the signing of Siem de Jong from Ajax. FULL STORY HERE.

          22.46 BST: Some interesting developments in the Luis Suarez transfer saga for you now... According to the Guardian, Liverpool have agreed to open talks with Barcelona over the Uruguay international. The Spanish club have not been put off by Suarez's four-month ban for biting Italy's Giorgio Chiellini at the World Cup, and a delegation led by Barca's director of football management, Raul Sanllehi, will meet with Liverpool's chief executive, Ian Ayre, on Wednesday. Liverpool are apparently holding out for a bid that meets the striker's release clause of around 80 million pounds, although they are keen to include Barca winger Alexis Sanchez as part of any deal. ESPN FC contributor Graham Hunter wrote on his Twitter account: "I'd expect formal club to club talks over Suarez in London on Weds."

          22.30 BST: With James Rodriguez currently impressing over in Brazil at the World Cup, there has been plenty of talk that the Colombia international is set for a big move this summer. Real Madrid are just one of the names to be linked with the Monaco man, and according to his club teammate Borja Lopez, he will soon be departing the Ligue 1 side. "I'm convinced he'll join a big club within the next two or three years at the most," Lopez told Marca . "I'm not the least bit surprised by what James is doing at the World Cup because he played at this level throughout the season."

          22.10 BST: Some news coming out of Everton up for you next... Tony Hibbert has followed in the footsteps of fellow right-back Seamus Coleman by signing a new deal with the Toffees. The club announced that Coleman had put pen to paper on a five-year contract last week, and they have now revealed that Hibbert has done the same, signing on until 2016. Elsewhere, young striker Conor McAleny has also committed his future to the club until 2015.

          21.30 BST: According to the Chronicle, Newcastle United are closing in on completing the signing of Siem De Jong from Ajax. If the newspaper is to be believed, De Jong has held talks with Newcastle and is keen on a move to St James' Park, while a deal should be confirmed soon.

          20.55 BST: DONE DEAL! Napoli have completed the signing of Kalidou Koulibaly from Genk, with the centre-back penning a five-year deal. And it's been a busy day all round for the Serie A outfit as goalkeeper Roberto Colombo and right-back Giandomenico Mesto have also renewed their contracts with the club.

          20.05 BST: With Manchester City having allowed Costel Pantilimon to leave for Sunderland, you would think the Premier League champions would be interested in another goalkeeper to provide competition for Joe Hart... Well, according to Football Espana, Malaga's Willy Caballero is set to sign for the club and will cost them in the region of seven million euros.

          19.10 BST: Over at the Camp Nou, Barcelona sporting director Andoni Zubizarreta has revealed that the club are weighing up several offers for reported Liverpool target Alexis Sanchez. "There have been offers from clubs [for Sanchez], but I don't know how it will end," he said in quotes reported by AS.com. "We're looking for a solution that will be good for everybody." Meanwhile, Zubizarreta added that Pedro Rodriguez is one Barca player that is going nowhere.

          18.25 BST: Premier League new boys Queens Park Rangers have announced that a whole host of players have been released by the club, including the likes of Aaron Hughes, Stephane Mbia and Andrew Johnson. Those also departing Loftus Road include Benoit Assou-Ekotto, Ravel Morrison, Tom Carroll and Kevin Doyle following the expiry of their loan deals. QPR are, however, in talks to extend the contracts of Rob Green, Bobby Zamora, Armand Traore, Alejandro Faurlin and Gary O'Neil. Phew!

          17.50 BST: Read the full story here on Diego Costa's move to Chelsea. Also a full run-down on Chelsea's comings and goings so far this summer and a mysterious lack of a goodbye for club legend and top goalscorer ever Frank Lampard. Conspiracy?

          17.47 BST: Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa of Newcastle United is determined to return to the North-East of England and prove his doubters wrong. The £6.7 million man has struggled for the Magpies with reports from the Newcastle Chronicle claiming he had been offered around Ligue 1 for a transfer. But the defender has posted a picture of himself returning to Newcastle to kick-off pre-season training on Friday.

          17.41 BST: It looks like Belgian journalist Sven Claes seems to know where Romelu Lukaku's future lies. Disappointing news for Spurs and Everton fans.

          17.34 BST: A player who Manchester City agreed to sign from Racing Club a year ago, and who hasn't actually signed with the club yet (expected next week), is already being touted for a loan move to La Liga. Bruno Zuculini is interesting Deportivo La Coruna and Villareal who want to take the young Argentine on loan.

          City are also set to offload John Guidetti on loan to Feyenoord for a season but the Dutch club want guarantees about the player's injury history before signing him.

          17.28 BST: DONE DEAL! We reported earlier SC Bastia would be signing Rennes winger Floyd Ayite. Well it has been made official in the past hour.

          17.26 BST: Spurs look set to make their first signing of the summer with Inter Milan's Esteban Cambiasso joining the Lilywhites' ranks in the next few days. His contract had run out at the San Siro and the highly-decorated Argentine is looking for a new challenge at the back end of his career.

          17.20 BST: And it looks like Manchester City will be able to announce a huge signing of their own in the coming days after reports from Goal.com claiming Lille defender Marko Basa is set to join Roma as a replacement for Premier League bound Mehdi Benatia. The Montenegran defender will sign on a three-year deal for around £3 million.

          17.15 BST: And our sincerest apologies to Tiago who has signed a two-year deal with Chelsea.

          17.11 BST: DONE DEAL! It has finally been done! Diego Costa has signed for Chelsea after they London club agreed to pay his entire buy-out clause, rumoured to be in the £30 millions.

          17.10 BST: DONE DEALS! Couple of transfers completed in the Bundesliga. 1860 Munich have signed 23-year-old Japanese striker Yuya Osako on a three and a half year deal from the Kashima Antlers. Frankfurt have also signed on loan for the season Kaiserslautern forward Andrew Wooten.

          17.04 BST: As reported earlier Roma are intent on signing Alessio Cerci from Torino but now face stiff competition from Everton according to a report from TalkSport. It is thought Roberto Martinez is keen to bolster his attacking options having lost Romelu Lukaku and Gerard Delofeu from their loans at the club but Cerci's £16 million price tag could prove a sticking point.

          16.57 BST: More to what we reported earlier in the blog it looks like there will be a complete overhaul at Real Madrid. In terms of goalkeepers anyway...

          16.55 BST: AC Milan have dropped their interest in Adel Taarabt and will allow the Moroccan to move to Napoli as they do not wish to agree a deal with his parent club QPR who they loaned him from last season.

          16.47 BST: Swansea have denied reports Michu is set for a move to Napoli and has been with the Partonepei for a medical. Chairman Huw Jenkins told the South Wales Evening Post: 'From the point of view of the club I can say that we have not received any request for Michu. The only thing I can say is that Garry Monk Michu meet and talk with him about these issues.'

          16.40 BST: Valencia and Monaco are set to battle it out for the signature of Atletico Madrid's Spanish striker Adrian Lopez. He is determined to leave the Vicente Calderon and has an £18 million release clause which can be met by both clubs. El Mundo Deportivo say the player is unhappy at his status within the squad at Atletico despite playing an important role in their run in to the title last season.

          16.32 BST: Remember that young Spanish defender Arsenal had who was supposed to be pretty good but hasn't really done much in the first-team? Yes, Ignasi Miquel. Well, he is being linked with a move to Espanyol after his contract ran out this summer. But with Arsenal not including his name on a list of players they have released, confusion has reigned and it looks like Espanyol may miss out on their man while Arsenal try and thrash out a deal for the 22-year-old.

          16.24 BST: Italian transfer market expert Gianluca Di Marzio is sure Napoli will attempt to sign Tottenham fan-favourite Sandro. He claims Napoli are willing to pay £18 million plus add-ons despite Spurs putting a £25 million price tag on the Brazilian midfield enforcer. Not sure this one would go down too well with the Spurs faithful.

          16.20 BST: DONE DEAL! It looks like Ben Davies' proposed move to Tottenham will go through sooner rather than later as Swansea have confirmed the signing of Falkirk's teenage defender Stephen Kingsley on a three-year deal.

          16.13 BST: Newly promoted Deportivo La Coruna are looking busy in the transfer market already. They are close to signing Jose Carlos from Rayo Vallecano according to Marca and are also reportedly interested in young Barca prodigy Isaac Cuenca. If the winger wants the move he will be expected to buy out the remainder of his contract allowing Deportivo, who are in financial difficulty, to sign the youngster on a free transfer.

          16.08 BST: With Ivan Rakitic's official unveiling at Barcelona today, AS are reporting Sevilla have stepped up their efforts to sign a replacement midfielder and have enquired after Atalanta's Chilean Carlos Carmona. They are hoping to wrap up a deal in the coming weeks.

          16.01 BST: And Kaka's move to Orlando City from AC Milan was also confirmed five minutes ago.

          16.01 BST: Barcelona and Spain legend Xavi could be staying at the club despite reports strongly linking him with a move to New York City FC. The Manchester Evening News have quoted Andoni Zubizarreta as saying: 'Today Xavi is still our player and the number six shirt is still his. We spoke to him before the World Cup and when he returns from holiday we will speak to him again. For Xavi any news will be good for us. If he wants to stay that will be excellent news and if he wants to go we will part ways in the best way possible.'

          15.57 BST: Sky Italia have reported Inter Milan have told Atletico Madrid any attempts to sign Mauro Icardi or Samir Handanovic will be rebuffed. Unless the Spanish champions stump up £40 million for the Argentine forward there will be no sale.

          15.50 BST: DONE DEAL! French outfit Dijon have signed Romain Almafitano from Newcastle United. The 24-year-old spent last season on loan at the French club and impressed enough that he was signed on a permanent deal on a free transfer.

          15.46 BST: Mikel Arteta's agent has re-iterated his client will not be leaving Arsenal this summer. He told El Mundo Deportivo: 'This is totally false. Mikel has no interest in leaving Arsenal.'

          15.40 BST: Newcastle fans rejoice! Looks like the Magpies might actually be looking to spend some money this summer!

          15.34 BST: DONE DEAL! Juventus are delighted to announce they have signed Genoa midfielder Stefano Sturaro for £5.5 million. He will immediately be loaned back to Genoa for next season but has a bright future with the Bianconeri as he has put pen to paper on a five-year deal.

          15.30 BST: Spurs could be about to hand over £50 million to Swansea in order to secure deals for Wilfried Bony, Ben Davies and Michel Vorm according to Wales Online. Swansea want to hold on to Bony and are hoping a £25 million price tag will scare off any suitors. Davies and Vorm are more likely to leave the club should the clubs reach an agreement.

          15.23 BST: Mexico's hero goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa has not been the subject of any bids would you believe according to his agent. Read the full story here.

          15.17 BST: Just had a small technical error so a quick update on the past 45 minutes or so...

          Roma have agreed a £35 million fee with Manchester City for the signing of Mehdi Benatia but the deal will only go through if Roma can find a replacement for the Moroccan.

          Barca director Andoni Zubizarreta has confirmed the club have received bids for Alexis Sanchez but they do not know yet whether the player will leave. Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal and Juventus are all keen.

          Liverpool's long term target Will Hughes has penned a new deal with Derby County keeping him at the club until the summer of 2018.

          14.32 BST: This guy's name is not a joke but Sega Coulibaly is set to sign for a Premier League club. His real name is actually Sega and he plays for Rennes at the moment though Sky Sports claim Liverpool and Newcastle are keen to sign him but they face competition from Fiorentina and Sevilla for his signature.

          14.25 BST: Former Barcelona stopper Victor Valdes is reportedly off for a medical tomorrow at Monaco ahead of a proposed free transfer from the Catalan club. New manager Leonardo Jardim is said not to be a huge fan of Valdes but the club's board have pushed hard to get the goalie to the club. A deal is still far off though and it could be scuppered should the medical prove Valdes' long term knee injury is a problem.

          14.17 BST: Galatasaray have not got a manager yet but that hasn't stopped them releasing a statement saying they have begun negotiations with Trabzonspor for winger Olcan Adin. Rumours suggest a fee of £4 million plus Salih Dursun for the Turkish international.

          14.10 BST: Pulling up slightly more trees but also one we sort of already knew about. De Telegraaf are reporting Liverpool are the latest club to contact Ajax about signing impressive young defender Daley Blind. The fee would be in the region of £10 million but with interest from Arsenal and Manchester United this transfer could rumble on and on.

          14.00 BST: Hardly pulling up trees but mid-table French side SC Bastia are in the running to sign Rennes winger Floyd Ayite.

          13.53 BST: Not sure there is much else to say except Barcelona director Andoni Zubizarreta said this about some Uruguayan forward everyone has been talking about recently.

          'Suarez has shown he is humble enough to admit an error, which is very important. Everyone knows that Luis is an excellent player, everyone knows last season he played in various positions in attack, but everyone also knows that he is a Liverpool player.'

          That translates roughly from director-speak as: 'Yes we are going to sign him.'

          13.48 BST: Southampton may be losing players by the minute but it appears new boss Ronald Koeman isn't just overseeing a clear-out. According to Voetbal International, Saints are close to signing FC Twente winger Dusan Tadic for around £12.5 million. The Serbian winger has 29 goals and 28 assists in 70 appearances for the Dutch side. Adam Lallana who?

          13.45 BST: Reports breaking that Tom Ince has rejected a move to Inter Milan and the bright lights and steeped history of the San Siro for a move to... Hull City. Think the below tweet probably sums it up.

          13.37 BST: Probably the best rumour of the day so far for so many different reasons but Darren Bent is being touted for a move to Trabzonspor in Turkey should they not be able to entice Algeria's World Cup star striker Islam Slimani from Sporting Lisbon. Portuguese daily Record is reporting the Turkish club are hoping Bent can be prized away from the Premier League where he has struggled for the past few seasons.

          13.31 BST: Chelsea are going to utilise that handy relationship with Vitesse Arnhem in Holland again. This time young full-back Wallace is going to be sent on loan there after a disappointing spell at Inter Milan last season.

          13.24 BST: Arsenal fans, don't pull your hair out because he is not a superstar, but the Daily Mail are reporting the Gunners are set to sign a teenage striking sensation from Anderlecht. His name is David Henen and he will cost Arsene Wenger £1 million. He was on loan at Monaco last season and is being tipped to make as big an impact as Adnan Januzaj did last season, should he join the North London club.

          13.15 BST: A few rumours and quotes from the Bundesliga coming up....

          Firstly, Borussia Munchengladbach sporting director Max Eberl has confirmed PSV Eindhoven are interested in their centre forward Luuk de Jong. He said: 'It is true that they are interested.'

          Rapid Vienna in Austria confirmed USA international Terrence Boyd has signed for RB Leipzig in the German Second Division.

          And finally, Bild are reporting that Pierre-Michel Lasogga will move from Hertha Berlin to Hamburg for around £8 million although people are unsure as to how HSV have managed to raise the funds with suggestions the sale of Hasan Calhanoglu to Bayer Leverkusen should produce enough revenue.

          13.09 BST: Everybody's favourite full-back Glen Johnson could be the spark that ignites a transfer merry-go-round between Liverpool, QPR and Benfica. If Liverpool can agree a deal with Benfica for Maxi Pereira to replace Johnson at full-back then that would pave the way for Harry Redknapp to take Johnson to QPR. Nice and simple according to the Daily Express.

          13.00 BST: Sticking with Porto, it appears their star striker and goal-machine Jackson Martinez is ready to quit the club in favour of a move to any one of Arsenal, Manchester United, Atletico Madrid, Inter Milan or Roma. It is his choice apparently. Any deal would have to be huge, with £30 million set to be the asking price, and it would have to be concluded after Colombia's participation in the World Cup, however long that may take.

          The 27 year old is keeping his cards close to his chest though and said: 'My agent is in charge of my future, for now I'm here and it is only after the World Cup that we will discuss what we have to deal with.'

          12.52 BST: Real Madrid's drive to bring in young Spanish players seems to have ended just a year after it began. Asier Illaramendi, the Basque-born midfielder heralded as the replacement for Xabi Alonso, has been mooted for a move to Porto. Marca claim the Portuguese giants are willing to take the Spaniard on loan for a season without a clause to make the move permanent. Apparently, that is a win for everybody.

          12.45 BST: Eintracht Frankfurt chief Heribert Bruchhagen on Marko Marin interest: "I don't know anything about an offer or an interest. It's right that I've talked to his agent once - half a year ago."

          12.32 BST: Porto midfielder Steven Defour is one player PSV Eindhoven definitely want according to sporting director Marcel Brands. He told De Telegraaf: 'His agent has informed him (of our interest), but we will not attempt to make a move during the World Cup.' It is suggested the Belgian midfielder will have to sacrifice his huge wages for first team football if he is to get a move to the Dutch giants.

          12.27 BST: Got to love a European love triangle for a young West African footballer. Olympiakos, Besiktas and Celtic are fighting it out for 20-year-old Guinea-Bissau international Sancindo Silva. The highly rated forward is currently at Benfica in Portugal but is looking to move in order to get more games according to the Daily Mail as his contract has run out at the Stadium of Light. He will be doing part of pre-season on trial with Celtic according to reports.

          12.20 BST: With Ross McCormack this morning reportedly set to sign for Fulham in a huge £10 million deal, it looks as though Norwich City have ruled themselves out of the running according to the BBC's Adam Pope.

          12.13 BST: Sky Sport Italia's Luca Marchetti has claimed Rubin Kazan will not sell Yann M'Vila to Inter Milan until a deal for Saphir Taider has been agreed to come the other way. The Algerian is the key to any transfer and with his World Cup now over, it looks like a deal might finally be decided. Whether he wants to go though, that is a whole other matter.

          12.08 BST: Several of the Premier League's big boys have been linked with a move for Belgian starlet Divock Origi, currently plying his trade with Lille in Ligue 1. Liverpool, Arsenal and Spurs have all courted the centre forward so why not read ESPN's Julien Laurens' profile of the hotly-tipped youngster here.

          12.01 BST: Very highly rated wing-back Stephan Lichtsteiner could be on his way out of Juventus after failing to agree a new contract. The 30-year-old wants a £3 million a year deal for two years while Juve have tabled just a £2.5 million deal. If a deal can't be agreed, it could see the Swiss international leave the Bianconeri.

          11.55 BST: Roma are looking to bring back a player they released when he was still a youth player. Alessio Cerci, currently at Torino, is said to to be the subject of a £12 million bid from the Rome club according to Gazzetto dello Sport. However Torino are keen to keep hold of their star man for another season and are demanding £20 million to prize Cerci away.

          11.48 BST: Southampton had a good season and are now losing their team. Atletico had one of the greatest seasons in the club's history and are losing theirs. Diego Costa already looks set to leave for Chelsea and veteran midfielder Tiago has also signed for the Blues. Left-back Filipe Luis is now kicking and screaming to get his move to the London club too, according to the Daily Express.

          Reports suggest the Brazilian full-back is refusing to answer calls from Atletico and has cut off all contact with the club until the transfer is pushed through. Atleti value their man at £19 million but Chelsea have yet to bid that much. It is claimed the Spanish champions are refusing to lower their valuation despite being furious at their player's behaviour.

          11.42 BST: And now something slightly less glamorous. Tottenham's stalwart defender Michael Dawson, who has been at the club for nine-years, looks set to move to Hull City. New boss Mauricio Pocchetino is looking to put his own mark on the squad and will allow the club captain to depart for around £5 million according to the Evening Standard.

          11.34 BST: Arsenal fans are always edgy at this time of year, not knowing what Arsene Wenger is thinking in the transfer market. One name linked with a move to the Gunners' is Lorenzo Insigne, the diminutive attacking midfielder from Napoli. But the Italian youngster's agent Fabio Andreotti told radio station Radio CrC: "We have not been contacted by Arsenal for Lorenzo Insigne and Napoli has not notified us of this interest."

          11.25 BST: It can be quite difficult to feel sorry for a man living in Monaco earning bucket-loads of cash tax-free (or at least, your employer is playing your tax). But do spare a thought for Radamel Falcao who wants to leave Monaco because he needs to play at a club with a more passionate following.

          Before you passionate fans of smaller clubs get too excited, L'Equipe claim Falcao is only willing to move to Real Madrid and it is thought the two clubs have already started negotiations just a year after the Colombian's £60 million move last summer from Atletico.

          11.16 BST: And Sheikh Mansour's football empire continues to rumble on. He owns Manchester City and just created a new MLS franchise in New York. He also has a rather large stake in Australian side Melbourne City who former Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard is set to join on loan for a season according to the Evening Standard. The idea is to keep his fitness levels up while New York City don't start pre-season until next year. All seems a bit pally-pally really but there we go... modern football, hey?

          11.10 BST: From one side of Merseyside to the other as Everton look in pole position to sign Gareth Barry from Manchester City on a free transfer. The Liverpool Echo claim the Toffees had tried to bring back Jack Rodwell but when the move fell through, opted for the experience of 33-year-old Barry instead.

          11.02 BST: DONE DEAL! Erm... as expected. Read the full story here.

          Liverpool have confirmed the signing of Adam Lallana from Southampton in a deal worth around £25m.

          10.54 BST: Oh dear. It is back. The Angel di Maria-Is-Going-To-Leave-Real-Madrid-For-Any-One-Of-Arsenal-Manchester-United-Tottenham-Manchester-City-Or-Chelsea rumour has reared its ugly head again. Except this time Juventus, Monaco and Paris-Saint-Germain have also been added to the list of clubs looking for his signature.

          Excuse my cynicism, and maybe it will finally go through, but this rumour has been doing the rounds since what feels like time began. With the Madrid interest in James Rodriguez, maybe, just maybe, this time it could actually happen, but for now this just looks like re-hashed old news.

          10.47 BST: Mark Hughes wants to sign VfB Stuttgart striker Vedad Ibisevic according to reports around Europe. Bild say Stuttgart are willing to accept £4 million for the Bosnian history-maker (first Bosnian to score at the World Cup finals... ever.). The Daily Mail claim Hughes has targeted him because he fell down the pecking order at the Bundesliga club last season and could be available.

          But then Stuttgart president Bernd Wahler described Ibisevic as a "Torgarant." Apparently in Germany this means a 'goal-guarantor' which would suggest he isn't that keen to sell.

          It all seems a bit soap opera-ish at the moment so we'll just have to wait and see how this one plays out. The Stoke Sentinel sum it up nicely here.

          10.41 BST: One of Real Madrid's highly rated youngsters could be available on loan next season. According to Tuttosport, Europe's biggest clubs are lining up moves for Brazilian midfielder Casemiro who Los Blancos want to go out and gain more first-team experience.

          Reports suggest a deal with Inter Milan has been agreed though the Italians want to take Casemiro on a permanent deal. If this was to happen then Madrid would demand to have a buy-back clause, much like the one which saw Daniel Carvajal return from Bayer Leverkusen last summer. Benfica are also in the running and would be Los Blancos' preferred destination for the player as they are playing Champions League football next season.

          This one could rumble on...

          10.34 BST: Swansea City fancy themselves a bit of Dimitri Payet from Marseille. Looks like Marcelo Bielsa's revolution is well and truly underway! Although the player doesn't want to leave which could make things a tad awkward.

          10.30 BST: DONE DEAL! It is all going on in Bristol as Rovers were said to be taking various clubs to a tribunal over the transfer fee owed to them for Brazilian born teenage prodigy Alefe Santos. Hull were thought to have agreed a deal with the 19-year-old but both Derby County and Scottish champions Celtic were looking to hi-jack the deal for the winger

          And as I write, it has just been confirmed the youngster has signed for Derby. What a circus!

          10.22 BST: Verona look set to lose star-man Juan Manuel Iturbe to Juventus after officials flew to the club to thrash out a deal. Gazzetto dello Sport and Tuttosport both claim Verona want £30 million for their man but the Bianconeri are confident a £21 million deal can be agreed in cash with a further £6 million in add-ons and possibly a player to exchange. Reports also suggest Verona are asking for a huge fee to encourage a bidding war between Juve and AC Milan, though the Rossoneri are likely to cool interest at such a cost.

          10.15 BST: Over in Italy, Lazio president Claudio Lotito has announced the signing of Italy international and Parma midfielder Marco Parolo. In a press release he stated: "A short while ago, the contract was agreed with Parolo and it will be formally announced after the medical."

          10.10 BST: It looks like Hector Moreno's dream move to the Premier League has been scuppered after breaking his leg against Holland while playing for Mexico at the World Cup. The Espanyol defender had been tipped for an £8 million move to Manchester United, Spurs or Hull City but his injury has put paid to that according to the Daily Star.

          10.01 BST: James, or "Hamez" to the more cultured among us, Rodriguez is set to do 'everything in his power' to earn a move from Monaco to Real Madrid according to Marca. They say the principality club are willing to sell and that the Colombian superstar also wants the move.

          Monaco paid around £40 million for James just a year ago and wold expect to recoup that money at least unless super-agent Jorge Mendes can work his magic and manufacture a cheaper move for his client. He is said to have a good relationship with Monaco after dealing with the transfers bringing James and Joao Moutinho from Porto to the Ligue 1 club.

          09.56 BST: DONE DEAL! Blackburn Rovers have confirmed the signing of free agent and former Leeds United forward Luke Varney after a successful loan spell last season.

          09.53 BST: Who ever said there was not enough young British footballing talent? Eighteen-year-old Ryan Gauld of Dundee United is now the subject of serious interest from Sporting Lisbon in Portugal. The Daily Record claim the teenager, dubbed Scotland's mini-Messi, is on a flight to Lisbon to thrash out a deal with Cristiano Ronaldo's former club. Ajax are also said to be interested but are unwilling to break the £2 million barrier which the Portuguese club are.

          09.45 BST: Ross McCormack of Leeds United is rumoured to be in talks with recently relegated Fulham over a £10 million move. No, you read that right, Ross McCormack of Leeds could be on his way to Fulham for £10 million. According to reports breaking this morning, the two clubs are close to agreeing a fee for the Scottish international.

          And if reports are correct it would mean McCormack is worth more than Mathieu Valbuena (read below). No disrespect to the Leeds forward but that is slightly ridiculous.

          09.40 BST: Remember the days when Paul Scholes was the shy, quiet type who endeared himself to the masses because of his apparent lack of courting the media? Well those days are over. He was given a blog with Paddy Power and has used it to slam new Man Utd boss Louis Van Gaal for not signing Toni Kroos. The Bayern Munich man is reportedly on his way to Real Madrid and Scholes has bleated: "I just wish Man United had signed him.Yes, it is good to see United bringing in new players, but they haven't signed anything like the quality of Kroos."

          09.31 BST: Nigeria striker Emmanuel Emenike could be on his way to London to sign for Chelsea according to a report in the Metro. The Nigerian has impressed Jose Mourinho during his country's run to the last 16 of the World Cup and his current club Fenerbahce are willing to sell. Reports suggest he has been offered to The Blues for £15 million.

          09.25 BST: This one has been doing the rounds but according to the Daily Star, Manchester United are close to completing their third signing of the summer with Arsenal club captain Thomas Vermaelen set to join the ranks. He has been playing second fiddle to Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny and has apparently agreed terms with the Red Devils.

          Arsenal are said to want a fee in the region of £12 million while United have yet to offer over £10 million.

          09.15 BST: One of the more colourful rumours doing the rounds this morning is that France's minute midfield maestro Mathieu Valbuena could be on his way to West Ham. Yes, you read that right West Ham. According to the Daily Mail, Sam Allardyce is keen to bring the tricky winger to Upton Park in a cut-price £8 million move from Marseille.

          With Valbuena keen for a Premier League move after the World Cup and interest from Arsenal and Liverpool as well as Valencia, Fiorentina and Napoli, he should be able to get his transfer having spent eight years at Marseille.

          ROUND-UP

          Madrid in Kroos control

          We haven't been "treated" to a Toni Kroos transfer update in about three hours so kudos to Marca for keeping us informed of the Bayern Munich man's situation.

          They say the Manchester United target is all set for a switch to Spain to join the European champions and that will come as a blow to Chelsea as well, considering they are also meant to be keen. Kroos' arrival could also have repercussions for some of Madrid's squad, with the likes of Sami Khedira apparently weighing up their options.

          Alexis Sale not a certainty

          He may have fluffed his lines in the shootout despair to Brazil but Chile's Alexis Sanchez still enjoyed a fine tournament.

          He's also performed well at Barcelona, which makes it all the more surprising they're seemingly keen to get rid of him -- or are they?

          Mundo Deportivo have the scoop and say Sanchez's performances at the World Cup may have won Barca over. In any case, the club will now ask for even more cash -- possibly as much as 50 million euros, if a club wants to land the attacker.

          He could be used as a makeweight in their pursuit of Liverpool's Luis Suarez (remember him?) too. Regarding Suarez, the Daily Mail say Barcelona could make their move for him this week. Which would be nice, as it would end all this speculation.

          Navas in demand

          Keylor Navas has been a revelation for Costa Rica at the World Cup so far and in Transfer Talk's humble opinion, he's the best goalkeeper at the tournament. He starred for Levante before going to Brazil and he could be on the move this summer. Liverpool, Arsenal and Atletico Madrid are all tracking him, according to the Mail

          United favourites for Vidal

          This one has been bubbling away for a while now and Tuttosport, who have close links to Juventus, claim Arturo Vidal prefers a move to Manchester United over Real Madrid.

          While Tuttosport can be rather hit-and-miss, their information on Juve is always worth paying attention to. They also run some quotes from the central midfielder, who's going on holiday to get over his World Cup heartbreak.

          Curiously, he laughs and says, "Don't worry," when asked whether he is returning to Juventus after his break and the paper are unsure what that means.

          We're on top of this story as well -- and there's a lot of interesting detail you'll want to read here, including how much Juventus want, Thomas Vermaelen's future and news of a potential United departure.

          Wenger in for Debuchy

          If he's not playing beach football on the Copacabana or just lounging around, Arsene Wenger is scouring the market looking for players.

          He needs a replacement for Bacary Sagna -- not to mention a striker -- and it appears he may have found his man. There's plenty of talk that Mathieu Debuchy is Wenger's preferred choice and that a deal could be sorted once France say au revoir to the World Cup.

          Jermaine Jones en route to MLS?

          United States and Schalke 04 midfielder Jermaine Jones picked a great time to have a breakout World Cup. Jones, who'd been on loan to Turkish side Beskitas before the World Cup, has a deal with Schalke 04 that is set to expire next week, according to a Goal.com report.

          Jones was ready to make the move to MLS last winter but couldn't find anyone willing to pony up the rumoured 2 million dollars a year he was looking for in compensation. That could change with his cracker of a goal against Portugal and his overall play for the U.S. in Brazil this year.

          A possible landing spot? Sporting Kansas City. However, manager Peter Vermes denied his team was specifically targeting the 32-year-old, saying Sporting was "looking at a lot of players at the moment," but did reveal that Jones is in discussions with MLS...yet.

          Bits and Bobs

          Divock Origi's in the news again and news of Liverpool's interest is here along with lots of other interesting titbits.