Transfer news – Gabriel Paulista granted work permit for Arsenal move – as it happened

http://www.theguardian.com/football/live/2015/jan/26/football-transfer-window-news-live

Version 0 of 1.

5.29pm GMT17:29

And on that bombshell, Aha!

That is officially all folks. Thank you ever so kindly for reading and all your messages and please do join my colleague Alan Smith who will be in the chair tomorrow.

But before I depart, a brief summary of today’s biggest news:

5.17pm GMT17:17

Perhaps Tottenham’s pursuit of Mattia Destro does have legs because Roma have agreed personal terms with the Brazilian Luiz Adriano, the top scorer in this year’s Champions League no less, according to Tuttosport. The Italian side are yet to agree a fee with Shakhtar Donestsk which suggests Douglas Costa may also have something to do with this one but it represents quite the signing for Roma – the 27-year-old has struck nine times in the Champions League this term.

If you don’t believe me, watch this …

Updated at 5.20pm GMT

5.09pm GMT17:09

Robin van Persie is rarely one to sugarcoat things and again he has given a frank and honest assessment of his contract situation. His current deal ends in the summer of 2016 and the 31-year-old says he has no idea if he will renew it. Unsurprising with United’s transfer policy under Louis van Gaal but Van Persie is not ready for pasture just yet.

“It is not up to me,” he said. “For the moment I am staying here for 18 months. That is it really. I can’t look into the future. I don’t know what is going to happen after that. We shall have to wait and see.”

5.01pm GMT17:01

They may not be permitted to add to their squad due their transfer ban but that hasn’t stopped Barcelona making a new signing today. Barça have agreed a sponsorship deal with Tenys Pé Baruel, the foot deodorant used by Neymar and the Brazil national team.

<Insert hilarious foot pun here … >

4.52pm GMT16:52

And here is today’s Fiver to read should you wish?

“It’s the good thing about playing consecutive matches without many days in between,” said José Mourinho after his Chelsea side had let slip a two-goal lead to lose 4-2 at home to Bradford City, his attention turning already to tomorrow’s Carling Cup semi-final, second leg against Liverpool. “It’s the good thing that, when you lose, you have to focus immediately on the next game.” Probably the only good thing to come out of that game then, José.

“We respected them – or at least I respected them – in the way we prepared the game,” Mourinho insisted. And therein perhaps lay the problem. At their best this season Chelsea have romped forward without a care in the world, treating their opponents as no more than a minor inconvenience, something that can perhaps slow them down but has no chance whatsoever of stopping them completely. At their best, Chelsea’s relationship with opponents is like a skydiver’s with a parachute: not to be treated with contempt, exactly – it’s fairly important, for things to go well, that it exists – but when it comes to it there’s zero chance of it stopping them getting where they’re going. It would have been interesting to see what the score might have been had Chelsea not respected them; had they treated Bradford with complete contempt.

The only contemptuous dismissal The Fiver has found from Saturday’s match at Stamford Bridge came before kick-off: “I came out of the tunnel and he started screaming my name,” reported one player, after a member of the other team’s staff accosted him on the pitch. “I was trying to get in the zone and didn’t know where to look. It was a bit awkward.” That’s not one of Chelsea’s stars shrugging off the attention of a giddy League One fanboy, though, it’s Chelsea-reject-turned-goalscoring-Bantam Felipe Morais talking about Mourinho.

But the teams that had the most humbling weekend were those at the BBC and BT Sport. Given a full draw to choose from, the FA’s partner broadcasters gave the good ones a miss and, with four of the five televised games now completed, can so far boast two goalless draws and three victories by the favourites. There was a grand total of one goal in the BBC’s two big games, while the red-card-and-goal-jamboree that was Blackeye Rovers v Swansea was only considered worthy of being shown to Welsh people.

Meanwhile, the most exciting avalanche of Cup football in living memory was played out at 3pm on a Saturday afternoon. At the time, the Beeb was treating the nation to obscure Italian 1960s war thriller Suicide Commandos, in which a low-budget group of guerilla fighters attempted to sabotage the theoretically-impregnable compound of a considerably more advanced and lavishly-resourced army. It’s a shame the Fiver was too busy enjoying the football to see it, because in many ways the plot sounds rather promising. And also a little familiar …

Read the rest of today’s Fiver here. Or just go the whole hog and subscribe!

4.42pm GMT16:42

And like clockwork, just when there’s a bit of a lull in the transfer latest, Football Weekly drops! The podders – namely AC Jimbo, Barry Glendenning, Paolo Bandini and Philippe Auclair – discuss, among other topics, the wealth of weekend giantkillings in the FA Cup while Jonathan Wilson also drops in to answer your Africa Cup of Nations questions. Feast your ears …

4.29pm GMT16:29

First it was Pep Guardiola and now it’s Bastian Schweinsteiger who will not be rushed into signing a new contract with Bayern Munich. The 30-year-old’s current deal is up at the end of next season but Schweinsteiger is not to be hurried.

I have no pressure,” he told Sport 1. “I know what Bayern Munich means to me and Bayern Munich also knows what they have in me. We know each other very well.”

Knee injuries may have slightly slowed him but it would be a joy to see Schweini in the Prem.

4.15pm GMT16:15

Here’s the one you’ve been waiting for!.

Sydenhams Premier Division outfit Moneyfields have swooped for the former Juventus and Portsmouth striker Vincent Pericard. Remember him! According to the Southern Daily Echo, Pericard is now involved in education but will juggle those commitments with helping Moneyfields’ title assault. Manager Miles Rutherford said: “Luckily, a family within our club has close contact with Vincent and they asked him on our behalf whether he would be interested.”

4.05pm GMT16:05

DONE DEAL! Millwall have announced the signing of the Dutch defender and eternal optimist Jos Hooiveld, who, upon joining a club third bottom in the Championship, said: “I want as much success as possible – as many wins and as many clean sheets as we can - which is just what every footballer hopes for.”

NEWS | #Millwall have signed Jos Hooiveld on loan from @SouthamptonFC for the rest of 2014/15: http://t.co/LbO8VbeUWY pic.twitter.com/DpiMJzZRjN

3.53pm GMT15:53

Confirmation that John Carver stays as Newcastle manager until the end of the season from the club. Firstly, from managing director Lee Charnley:

John has a long history with the Club and has the full support of the board. Our goal for the season of a minimum top ten finish remains unchanged and we are confident that John, supported by the backroom staff, will be able to deliver this.”

Conversely, they are 33-1 some bookmakers for the drop.

Carver adds:

I have worked with, and learnt from, the best manager that this football club has had in Sir Bobby Robson. I know what this Club means to this city and its people. I believe in my players and the staff I have around me .”

3.48pm GMT15:48

More from Juan Roman Riquelme following the 36-year-old’s retirement and it won’t make easy reading for Manchester United fans. Asked what his biggest regret was, Riquelme told Panenka.org:

Perhaps the day I said no to Manchester United. It was was before the Champions League semi-finals against Arsenal in 2006. Ferguson came to see me in the hotel and I asked the [Villarreal] president if he would sell me. He said: ‘I would sell the full squad but not you.’ So my answer could not be anything else but no thanks.”

Updated at 3.51pm GMT

3.38pm GMT15:38

CHELSEA UPDATE! And it’s not good news for the Blues, whose moves for Juan Cuadrado and/or Douglas Costa may have hit the dreaded stumbling block. It’s not secret that Andre Schurrle’s potential move to Wolfsburg is key but the German club have turn the cold tap on and poured cold water all over said speculation.

There’s nothing to it,” the Wolfsburg sporting director Klaus Allofs is quoted as saying in the German daily WAZ.

Wolfsburg coach Dieter Hecking also chimed in, labelling the Schurrle link ‘pure speculation’.

3.25pm GMT15:25

Almost done deal!

Here’s the latest from Dominic Fifield on Gabriel Paulista’s move to Arsenal …

Arsenal are to complete the signing of Gabriel Paulista from Villarreal, subject to the player passing a medical, for around £11.3m after the Brazilian was granted a work permit under the Football Association’s “exceptional talent” guidelines.

Gabriel was undergoing medical tests at the club’s London Colney training complex on Monday afternoon with Arsenal hopeful the centre-half will be available for Sunday’s visit of Aston Villa to the Emirates stadium. The 24-year-old has not been capped by Brazil at any level, meaning he did not qualify for a work permit to play in this country, but Arsenal successfully appealed on his behalf, arguing he was of sufficiently high calibre and would “contribute significantly to the development of the game” in England.

Read the full story here .

3.22pm GMT15:22

They may however, be the last signings made by Real Madrid for a while. Reports in Spain are suggesting Real could be hit with a transfer ban similar to that of Barcelona.

Real Madrid could face a transfer ban, similar to the one imposed on Barcelona, after Fifa opened an investigation into the deals involving under-age players, according to reports in Spain by AS.

The investigation is centred on the signing of two 12-year-olds, Manuel Godoy and Fernando Macías, brought from Venezuela in 2012 via Miguel Ángel Coira, an ex-Argentinean footballer who now resides in Spain and has a football school for young players in Madrid.

The club have since terminated their relationship with Godoy as well as with Coira, who is now with Rayo Vallecano. Both were being scouted by other clubs at the time.

Read Ian McCourt’s story in full here.

3.19pm GMT15:19

A bit more from Real Madrid now and their two recent signings have been discussing their moves to the Bernabeu.

Teenager Martin Odegaard has insisted his reported £34,000 a week wages had nothing to do with his decision to join the European champions.

It [money] has not been an issue at all for me,” he told AFP. “It was not an issue in my discussions with various clubs. I chose what was best for me in sporting terms.”

While Lucas Silva has revealed his mind was made up long ago.

I’ve always liked Real Madrid, since I was young,” he said. “When I play video games I always choose Real.”

3.09pm GMT15:09

More on Fabian Delph’s decision to sign a new deal at Aston Villa and the midfielder has revealed his team-mates greeted the news with shock.

As soon as I told some of them they looked at me shocked to start with,” said Delph, his head seemingly expanding with every word uttered. “They see a lot in me and how dedicated I am and how I want to push on. They’re delighted to keep someone like me here.”

3.04pm GMT15:04

The appointment of John Carver at Newcastle till the end of the season has been met with mixed response from supporters …

This Dele Alli signing is obviously the positive to go with the negative that Carver has the job

2.56pm GMT14:56

DONE DEAL! Toronto FC have confirmed the signing of Poland international defender Damien Perquis.

NEWS: Toronto FC Sign @damienperquis24 - http://t.co/nHla3raOr6 pic.twitter.com/AXbsnzsoFz

The club have announced the signing on their website, complete with a handy little guide to help with the pronunciation. “Dah-me-an Pear-kees” apparently.

2.49pm GMT14:49

Here’s more from our very own Louise Taylor on the news John Carver will remain in charge of Newcastle until the end of the season.

John Carver will remain in charge of Newcastle United for the next four months with the club set to confirm they have postponed appointing Alan Pardew’s successor until the summer.

It is understood the 50-year-old will continue as caretaker for the final 16 games of the season, with an official announcement expected on Monday afternoon.

Carver, who has served as caretaker coach since Pardew’s defection to Crystal Palace, wants the job long term and believes that between now and the end of the season he will prove he is the outstanding candidate.

Read the full story here.

2.47pm GMT14:47

Finally, some news to bring you from White Hart Lane. SportItalia are reporting that Spurs are in talks with Roma over striker Mattia Destro but much hinges on whether Vlad Chiriches will move in the other a direction. Destro in, Chiriches out … win, win for Tottenham, surely?

2.43pm GMT14:43

Andrew Banks has been in touch with some more info on Swissquote …

When I first saw Swissquote were with Manchester United, my first thought was of Swiss Tony.

“You see Louis van Gaal, having a solid defence is like making love to a beautiful woman....... <insert lewd punchline here>”

2.40pm GMT14:40

Some more managerial news now and John Carver will be, as had been widely reported, in charge of Newcastle until the end of the season. How do Newcastle fans, still reeling from the news that Shola Ameobi is not likely to re-sign, feel about that then?

John Carver will be confirmed shortly as #nufc head coach. More to follow http://t.co/u9ascB4tnc

2.31pm GMT14:31

Does anybody know if Swissquote can play at centre-half?

2.30pm GMT14:30

An, er, done deal at Old Trafford …

Manchester United sign up Swissquote as their "first Official Global Forex & Online Financial Trading Partner"

2.29pm GMT14:29

Marcelino, the former Spain defender, had some words for Sky about Gabriel Paulista:

His strengths are that he’s a very good, quick defender. [He is] quite aggressive in the air as well. His weaknesses are on the ball – I don’t see him as the type of player who’s really gifted for playing the ball from the back which is something that Arsenal like to do.

Guardian regular and transfer master, Tor-Kristian Karlsen, has also given an insight into a player who cannot get a game with one of Brazil’s weakest ever teams …

More of a utility defender at Villarreal rather than undisputed regular at cb. Still very raw, prone to making rash/ill-fated decisions(4/6)

2.17pm GMT14:17

Big

news in Holland!

@alansmith90 Hope you don't forget the mention of the steaming move of the day: FC Twente's Tim Breukers on loan to former club Heracles.

2.16pm GMT14:16

There had, of course, been some questions raised over Gabriel Paulista’s eligibility for a work permit because he had not played 75% of matches for his national team, Brazil, in the past two years. But Arsenal argued that he was a player of the highest calibre and the Home Office have duly granted the permit. And, assuming the move will now be completed without a glitch, can we safely say that Arsène Wenger’s business this month has been completed?

Updated at 2.17pm GMT

2.09pm GMT14:09

A deal nearing closer … Gabriel Paulista’s work permit has been granted and he is, reportedly, currently undergoing a medical at Arsenal before his £11m move from Villarreal.

2.04pm GMT14:04

In the absence of any actual news, here is five minutes of Alli in action against Manchester United in that totally forgettable League Cup tie. And just 18 too!

2.01pm GMT14:01

MK Dons’ Dele Alli has been linked with several Premier League sides this month but Newcastle appear to be among the front runners as reported round here at the end of last week. And in another development (yes, we are digging deep for news) the Newcastle Chronicle is reporting that if a move goes through, he would likely be loaned back to Karl Robinson’s team for the remainder of the season.

1.49pm GMT13:49

DONE DEAL! And some actual money is swapping hands. Real Madrid have dotted the i’s and crossed the t’s and snapped up Lucas Silva for a reported £9.7m.

Here he is posing for the obligatory thumbs up with loads of cables attached to his chest picture, also known as a medical.

Lucas Silva satisfies doctors his thumb is in fine working order at his medical this morning. @sidlowe. pic.twitter.com/US775UthPu

1.41pm GMT13:41

LIONEL MESSI NEWS! Or non-news, depending on how you look at it but Bayern Munich will not be signing Messi – because he will never leave his ‘marriage’ with Barcelona, according to club suit Karl-Heinz Rummenigge. Lionel Messi’s Instagram page did not immediately respond to requests for a comment.

1.32pm GMT13:32

CHELSEA UPDATE! Now of course we cannot* discuss Juan Cuadrado and Douglas Costa without mentioning Andre Schurrle and his protracted move to Wolfsburg.

As reported in these online pages, Schurrle is warming to a move back to Germany and according to Felix Magath, it is a no-brainer.

“With a transfer as huge as a Schurrle you could send out a signal to the competitors,” he pot-stirred to goal.com. “The rumours are circulating for a while now and the timing now is just right. I am confident they can become a serious rival for Bayern in the long-term.”

*we can, but transfer news, in the strictest sense of the word, is somewhat thin on the ground at present.

1.20pm GMT13:20

Ask and you shall receive. Ollib would like to know what the below translates to.

AVSLÖJAR: Efter en veckas provträning vill West Ham att Marcus Nilsson stannar. - Spelstilen passar mig, säger han. pic.twitter.com/GRg0kDKxe1

And our very own Marcus Christenson has the answer …

REVEALED: West Ham want Marcus Nilsson to stay after week’s training with them

1.15pm GMT13:15

DONE DEALS! A couple of moves have been rubber-stamped. Briefly dashing back to the Football League and Scunthorpe have snapped up goalkeeper Joe Anyon until the end of the season.

And Reuters are reporting that Swedish champions Malmo have secured the services of ther former Manchester United youngster and Norway midfielder Magnus Wolff Eikrem, who was not long ago seen turning out for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Cardiff.

1.03pm GMT13:03

Harry Redknapp has been unusually quiet so far this January but contrary to some reports, he is not being held under lock and key in a disused first world war bunker until the window slams shut. No, instead, QPR are changing tack and will invest in youth from now on.

“The academy is going to be the culture. If that’s the last thing I do it is going to be that players come through our academy,” says R’s chairman Tony Fernandes.

Oh, and QPR have failed in their attempts to sign 32-year-old former Chelsea midfielder Michael Essien.

12.51pm GMT12:51

Some West Ham bits and bobs for you to digest …

The Guardian’s Jamie Jackson reports that the Hammers want to have Manchester United’s Darren Fletcher and not pay anything for him. Hold on, not as ludicrous as it sounds. Fletcher’s contract is up in the summer but a switch to London now may suit all parties.

West Ham United want to sign Darren Fletcher on a free transfer from Manchester United with the east London club hopeful the midfielder can be released early from his contract, which expires in the summer.

Fletcher earns around £90,000 a-week so would be due close to £1.8m in the last five months of his deal, from February to the end of June. United would have to weigh up whether this saving would counter-balance any minimal fee the club would receive if Fletcher was sold.

Read the full story here.

Sam Allardyce is also hoping to secure Alex Song on a permanent deal, so impressive has he been on loan from Barcelona this season. He’s not likely to be the only though:

He told talkSPORT: “It depends on whether Alex wants to stay. We want him to stay and I certainly want him to stay. But that lies with the financial side and the chairman with the negotiations.

“Whether that is financially feasible is another matter and if other clubs of a greater size entice him away. It will depend on if he feels comfortable enough to further his career at West Ham based on what we have done this year

Updated at 12.54pm GMT

12.37pm GMT12:37

While we wait for confirmation of Arsenal’s capture of Gabriel Paulista, let’s here what Joel Campbell has to say about moving in the other direction to Villarreal.

“Playing at Villarreal for the rest of the season means a lot to me, I’m very happy for this opportunity,” Campbell said. “It will be a pleasure for me to play at Villarreal, a great team well placed in the league table. They have a style of play that will suit me well.”

And on the topic of Gabriel, how will he fit in at Arsenal? Rivals Spurs signed Federico Fazio from Spain over the summer but after 14 red cards in his first 12 matches La Liga defenders’ stock fell somewhat …

12.26pm GMT12:26

An interesting tale in Spain now, pointed out by one of our readers.

Not the retirement story of Riquelme, but Fernando Morientes came out of retirement yesterday to play amateur football in the fifth tier in Spain. Santa Ana is the name of the team. Interesting story. He had some very good years at Real Madrid.

Marca has more here.

12.23pm GMT12:23

DONE DEAL! Brushing off the departure of Maloney, Wigan have secured the services of Aston Villa defender Chris Herd on loan until the end of the season. Malky Mackay has long been an admirer.

He said: “I’m delighted that Chris has been able to join us on loan until the end of the season, he’s a player I’ve looked at a lot over a period of time. I feel that his energy, his athleticism and his tenacity will be things that can really help us out.”

Things may get worse for the Latics however. Callum McManaman appears to be nearing a £4.5m switch to West Brom.

12.14pm GMT12:14

Alan Pardew’s Crystal Palace are flying at the moment and in particular his strikers – both Yaya Sanogo and Marouane Chamakh were on target at the weekend while Dwight Gayle is also in form. The Shields Gazette however, reports that Pardew is set to swoop for free agent Shola Ameobi, six months after releasing him from Newcastle.

Speaking of Ameobi, this is special:

12.08pm GMT12:08

Back to Dortmund and Klopp, of course, is not the only one being linked with a move away. Mats Hummels, Marco Reus and midfielder Ilkay Gundogan have been touted as targets for Europe’s elite but Hummels has pledged his all in Dortmund’s battle to avoid the Bundesliga drop.

“It is not that things have never been written before about us. Even about me there are things being circulated but I am still here,” he told Bild.

12.03pm GMT12:03

CUADRADO UPDATE! Gazetta dello Sport can be a touch on the gung-ho side when it comes to transfer news but it is claiming that Chelsea have reached an agreement with the player’s agent, Alessandro Lucci. Fiorentina continue to play hardball over the fee and want Chelsea to meet to release clause of 35m euros but the Blues have reportedly upped their latest offer to 28m euros. Here’s the link for all you Italian speakers …

11.58am GMT11:58

I guess we take what presidential candidates say with a pinch of salt but Athletic Bilbao hopeful Fernando Garcia Macau has claimed he can bring Jurgen Klopp to the club.

11.49am GMT11:49

Birthday boy Brendan Rodgers has been discussing Mario Balotelli’s Liverpool future at his morning press conference and it doesn’t look like the Italian is going anywhere in January.

Ian McCourt has the latest.

11.43am GMT11:43

Valencia are preparing to extend the contracts of home-grown talents Paco Alcacer and Jose Gaya, the club football director Francesco Rufete has announced.

Alcacer, a Spain international, who was linked with a move to the Premier League earlier this season, has been offered a five-year contract extension which will see him remain at the Mestalla stadium until June 2020.

“There are still a few minor details yet to resolve after months of negotiations,” Rufete told Spanish TV station Canal+. “But everything seems to indicate that fairly soon we will be able to announce that Paco Alcacer will be a Valencia player for five years more (from his current deal).”

11.40am GMT11:40

If you missed Steven Defour’s red card for Anderlecht against bitter rivals and former club Standard Liege over the weekend, take a look here. A sobering tale of the pitfalls of transfers that all those players currently sitting by their phones would do well to heed.

11.31am GMT11:31

DONE DEAL! We’re hopping back over to Italy now and the Florentines have confirmed that the striker Alberto Gilardino has returned to the club on loan from Chinese Super League club Guangzhou Evergrande.

Gilardino scored 59 goals in 143 appearances between 2008 and 2012 and said: “I will return here with great desire. I say thank you to the president and the club staff who wanted me here.”

11.22am GMT11:22

Speaking of headline writing …

Tolgay Arslan. That may come as a blow to Arsenal, who have been linked with the 24-year-old but Gunners followers should have some news to cheer later today.

11.17am GMT11:17

Back to the emails and Michael Chilcott has this to say on transfer parlance:

I wonder if we should start referring to deals which fall apart at the last minute as being ‘thrown out’ of the transfer window....or ‘defenestrated’...

A fine idea Michael, and a headline writer’s dream

11.13am GMT11:13

Some more manager news now and a positively hirsute former Rangers player has expressed his interest in one day occupying the Ibrox dugout.

Find out which one here

11.04am GMT11:04

DONE DEAL! Besiktas have completed the signing of Hamburg midfielder Tolgay Arslan. That may come as a blow to Arsenal, who have been linked with the 24-year-old but Gunners followers should have some news to cheer later today.

10.57am GMT10:57

Sticking on the Chelsea v Liverpool theme and giving this Diego Costa piece by Nick Miller a read is thoroughly advised.

Here’s a little taster …

He’s 6ft 2in of walking aggro, a man just as ripe for a wind-up as he is likely to do the winding. He’s the sort of player you hate if he plays against you, but wish with every bit of your soul that he was in your team, and not just because he’s so good.

Read on here

10.52am GMT10:52

While there’s a brief calm before the inevitable Monday afternoon storm at present, it’s time for another question. Today, BOTH Jose Mourinho AND Brendan Rodgers celebrate their birthdays. They’ve probably hired out a room at Yates’s for immediately after tomorrow’s second leg, but failing that, how do you think the pair are celebrating their big days? What will their players have in store? Which would you prefer to go for a pint with?

10.43am GMT10:43

Matthew Fagan-Curry, yes, Fagan-Curry, has been on the emails to inform me that ‘The transfer window is, of course, flung open’.

Of course Matthew, thanks for clearing that up.

10.37am GMT10:37

BREAKING! Perhaps one more likely to get the pulses walking at a brisk space rather than racing but Neil Lennon has been on Sky Sports News and said that he expects Adam Le Fondre to join Bolton on loan in the next day or two.

As an aside, Champagne Charlie Nicholas has also been on Sky Sports News, discussing the Capital One Cup semi-final second leg between Liverpool and Chelsea. Wondering what he’s thinking?

Updated at 10.57am GMT

10.33am GMT10:33

Yet more from Italy and it does not make good reading for Liverpool supporters. Lazio’s president Claudio Lotito has confirmed he has received offers for Nigeria international Ogenyi Onazi but he gives with one hand and takes with the other, insisting Onazi is going nowhere.

’Onazi is not for sale and I have received offers,’’ he no-nonsensed to mediasetpremium.it.

10.22am GMT10:22

More from Italy and Magnusson has raised an interesting point.

Is Levy in charge of Fiorentina? Last three transfer windows its been a long running saga with clubs (Barca, Chelsea) wanting to buy him and Fiorentina asking them ridiculous sums.

Well PA are reporting that it’s Andrea Della Valle who presides over the Florentines* and he says that they want to keep Cuadrado exactly where he is.

“The buy-out clause [£26.8m} is there. We put it (buy-out clause) high in order to keep him. I hope he will stay with us for a long time.”

*if that’s not their nickname it should be

10.16am GMT10:16

Akardyagain has questioned why there is an image of Paul Pogba without reference to the hurricane of speculation swirling around the Frenchman. Good things come to those who wait Akardy. The Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri has told Sky Sport Italia that everyone has a price and that the Old Lady must enjoy having Pogba while it lasts:

“Everything has a value in life, unfortunately, and the outstanding players are hard to replace, but things always move on in football. Of course, Pogba is only 21 and he’s got the quality to get even better. For now, let’s just enjoy having him. He is destined to become the best player in the world.”

10.08am GMT10:08

Gus Poyet accused Sunderland fans of living in the past after Saturday’s 0-0 draw with Fulham and of pining for the days when Kevin Phillips and Niall Quinn led the line. I wonder how many of them look back on this coup through rose-tinted specs?

ON THIS DAY IN 1998: Danny Dichio moved from Sampdoria to Sunderland. pic.twitter.com/35dtLk1Ym4

Updated at 10.33am GMT

9.57am GMT09:57

A spot of movement in the Football League now and Oxford United have had an offer for Tyrone Barnett accepted by Peterborough, reports the Oxford Mail. Barnett, of course, impressed while on loan at the Kassam Stadium earlier this season and the U’s are eager to secure the former Crawley man permanently.

While we’re in the Football League, why not have peruse the most recent exploits of the Guardian’s very own Jeremy Alexander, who saw Huddersfield compound Wigan’s woes on Saturday.

9.46am GMT09:46

More from Stamford Bridge now. With Fiorentina digging their heels in over Juan Cuadrado, Shakhtar Donetsk’s Douglas Costa has nipped down to the petrol station, filled up his can and poured it all over the flames of a reported potential move to Chelsea.

“To play at Chelsea is a dream for any player. It is standing next to some of the best players in the world and competing with the world’s best as well,” Costa come-and-get-me plea-ed to GloboEsporte.

Let’s take a look at him in action shall we?

Updated at 10.11am GMT

9.36am GMT09:36

Managerial news now and Pep Guardiola has pricked ears across Europe by revealing he’s in no hurry to pen a new deal at Bayern Munich.

Find out more here.

9.30am GMT09:30

Some good news for Chelsea supporters still reeling from Bradford’s quadruple balloon popping antics. Didier Drogba has said he wants to stay at Stamford Bridge beyond the end of the season. Fighting back the tears, he gushed:

“When I left this club (the first time), I was saying that I had done everything I wanted to do, but I think now that I did not do everything, I think there is more to do. I love this club and would love to be part of this club for the future, with the new players.”

9.25am GMT09:25

Tasselhoff has been in touch to inform us that Dugdale is off to Tranmere. We assume he means Adam, the Crewe defender who has previous been on loan at Rovers, not Paul Higgins’s meak civil servant from the somewhat creepy Channel 4 series Utopia.

9.21am GMT09:21

Good news! The Rumour Mill has landed. Here’s a brief summary of transfers that are definitely going to happen before the day is out*.

Read the Rumour Mill in full here.

*some might not happen until tomorrow.

9.09am GMT09:09

Firstly, a recap of the events over the weekend …

And a DONE DEAL to bring you up to speed with. Shaun Maloney, he of free-kick fame, has completed a move to the MLS and Chicago Fire for an undisclosed fee. The 31-year-old, whose Magnus Opus with Wigan came in the FA Cup triumph in 2013, has been described by Fire gaffer Frank Yallop as “a hard-working, attack-minded player”.

One player not going anywhere meanwhile, is Fabian Delph, who has signed a four-and-a-half year contract at Aston Villa. One ex-Villa star fears it’s a rouse however …

In reality it means we can get money for Fabian in the summer. Proper money.

And not transfer news per se but the retirement of Juan Roman Riquelme deserves a mention and warrants a quick peak at this video …

9.00am GMT09:00

Good morning! Well, what a weekend of FA Cup drama that was – banana skins have not been so perilous since the all-night Bowser Castle Fest of ‘97. And what better way to heal the bruised egos of those toppled big guns than to delve into the transfer market. There are only seven days to go until the window slams shut* and that means that by now even Daniel Levy, the baron of brinkmanship, will have a dialling finger as twitchy as Louis van Gaal’s backside.

Do get in touch with any transfer talk you want to get off your chest, via email, Twitter, carrier pigeon etc. Who do you want your club to sign? Who do you not want your club to sign? Who is going to make a move today?

*The transfer window always slams shut, it never goes quietly into the night. How does it open though? Does it swing? Is it prised? Jimmied?

9.00am GMT09:00

Gerard will be here shortly with all the latest transfer window news. In the meantime, here’s news of an ongoing Arsenal signing:

Villarreal have announced they have reached agreement in principle with Arsenal for the sale of the centre-back Gabriel Paulista, with the forward Joel Campbell heading to the Spanish club on loan for the rest of the season.

The La Liga side confirmed on Twitter that a deal had been agreed shortly before their Primera División match against Levante kicked off at the Estadio El Madrigal. “Transfer agreed in principle with Arsenal for Gabriel, who will bid farewell before the game. Much luck!” the club posted. “Welcome joel-campbell12! Agreement reached with Arsenal until the end of the season.”

Arsène Wenger had been cautiously optimistic on Thursday that a deal could be brokered. The club were said to be offering in the region of £10m to £11m, following add-ons to an initial down payment.

However, it was believed the move would need Home Office approval because the 24-year-old, who joined Villarreal in 2013 from the Salvador side Vitória, did not meet currently required international criteria for a work permit as he is yet to represent Brazil. As such, Arsenal could need to convince a Football Association hearing that the player is an “exceptional talent”.

Wenger admitted last week that it would be a gamble not to bring in a new defender this month. The north London side have regularly been left short of defensive cover this season with players such as Laurent Koscielny, Kieran Gibbs, Nacho Monreal and Mathieu Debuchy all suffering injuries, leaving Wenger with only six fit senior defenders at the club.

“So if we have another injury or two we will struggle. It is risky [not to sign anyone] – too risky,” the manager said.

Updated at 9.04am GMT