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Transfer news, rumours LIVE: Manchester United vetoed Raphael Varane move, Paul Pogba offered to Barcelona, Kurt Zouma to Everton, latest rumours, gossip


The Premier League transfer window may be shut but there’s still plenty to follow as European clubs look to finalise their plans this summer, while the deadline day fallout continues to be revealed with the details on every move that did and didn’t happen leaking out.

Everton and Fulham got their cheque books out to dominate the headlines, with the Toffees landing Fc Barcelona duo Yerry Mina and Andre Gomes, as well as Shakhtar Donetsk forward Bernard. They could yet sign Kurt Zouma from Chelsea on loan, with confirmation yet to come on the late, late talks. Fulham meanwhile broke their transfer record with the signing of Andre Frank Zambo Anguissa for around £30m, while Timothy Fosu-Mensah, Luciano Vietto, Sergio Rico and Joe Bryan also moved to Craven Cottage.

Then there’s Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur, who failed to sign anyone on deadline day – the latter becoming the first club not to sign a player in the summer at all since the transfer window was introduced – and we’ll bring you the latest fallout from the disappointing wiundows.

With the European transfer window still open, we will have all the latest news, late done deals plus all the latest reaction right here so don't touch that dial.

Live Updates

CHELSEA NEWS One for Chelsea fans While Chelsea were unable to wrap up a deal to sign Nabil Fekir after late interest, or bring another striker through the doors at Stamford Bridge, their best bit of business was keeping Eden Hazard. After guiding Belgium to third place in the World Cup, Hazard said that it might be time for him to move on from Chelsea. "After 6 wonderful years at Chelsea it might be time to discover something different. Certainly after this World Cup," he said. "I can decide if I want to stay or go, but Chelsea will make the final decision - if they want to let me go. You know my preferred destination." LIVERPOOL NEWS Klopp on Sturridge Daniel Sturridge managed to remain at Liverpool and is hopeful of his first team chances this season. Jurgen Klopp remains hopefully of his fitness and the impact he can have this year after a good pre season. "He's still here and he played a good pre-season. He could do a lot of the sessions, there was only four or five days where he was out. I said it a few times: when Daniel is fit, nobody doubts him." SPURS NEWS Eriksen in Real Madrid's sights Real Madrid have identified Christian Eriksen as a possible replacement for Luka Modric should the Croatian midfielder leave the Bernabau, according to The Daily Mirror. Mateo Kovacic has joined Chelsea on loan, which leaves the European champions a little light in midfield. Modric, who left Spurs in 2012, is being linked with a move to Inter Milan, who are preparing to offer him a significant wage hike. Madrid have until August 31 to complete any business, and will need to prepare a mega offer to tempt Spurs to part with this star man. BOURNEMOUTH NEWS Bournemouth record signing left out of opening side Eddie Howe says it would be "foolish" to throw record signing Jefferson Lerma into Bournemouth's Saturday's Premier League opening match against Cardiff. Colombia midfielder Lerma completed his £25million move from Levante this week, but Howe has revealed the World Cup star is not ready for play. "Jefferson's only had one training session with us," said Howe. "He's come to us off the back of not training after the World Cup so that will be an issue for us, in the sense we've got to build up his fitness and help him acclimatise to the team and the squad. "So there may be a period where people don't see him, but we want to get him up to speed. "I'm sure there's other players who were at the World Cup who won't play this weekend. "The difficulty for us is that Jefferson just hasn't trained. "So to involve him ahead of players who have played a full pre-season would be foolish." MANCHESTER UNITED NEWS Manchester United target signs deal Croatia winger Ante Rebic has signed a four-year deal at Eintracht Frankfurt after being linked with some of Europe's top sides. He had previously hinted that he was considering offers from Manchester United and Bayern Munich, but is remaining with the DFB Cup winners. He recently said: “I am obviously glad to hear and read about how many big coaches and clubs are asking about me. Honestly, I think I deserved it." LIVERPOOL NEWS Jürgen Klopp has addressed the Liverpool exit of Emre Can earlier this season, with the Germany international leaving the club on a free transfer to join Juventus after his contract expired. The Liverpool boss has taken a very measured approach to Can's decision, and made it clear there is no ill-feeling between him and the midfielder. Speaking to the Liverpool Echo, Klopp said: We always had and still have a good relationship. I have no problem with a player leaving. The only problem I had for the club was that I wanted to get some money: 'Sign a new contract and then we'll sell you!' But that wasn't really realistic. There was never a problem between Emre and I. Emre is 24 now. Playing in another country can be a life target: 'I've spent four years in England, now I want to go somewhere else.' Why not? He's a top player and he's gone to a top club, it's all good. EVERTON NEWS BREAKING The Independent understands that Everton are confident that they have already done enough to sign Kurt Zouma on loan for the rest of the season. Both Everton and Chelsea submitted deal sheets last night before the 5.00pm deadline, and although they have been forced to wait for the green light, Everton believe that Zouma will become their latest signing later today. Kurt Zouma is set to join Everton on loan for the season It's time for the most important part of the transfer window - the post-deadline day rankings! Jack Lang guides you through all 20 Premier League clubs, rating their ins and outs and how they will affect the season ahead. Unsurprisingly there are a few gimmes, but also a few shocks along the way. Premier League transfer rankings - Manchester United and Spurs fall flat in window to forget MANCHESTER UNITED NEWS Mourinho has also had to contend with suggestions that he has fallen out with certain players at Old Trafford this summer *ahem Paul Pogba ahem* But the Manchester United manager came out swinging yesterday by hitting out at "lies" in the media, and said that he actually does like his players. Who knew? Jose Mourinho insists he 'likes' Manchester United squad and hits outs at 'lies' MANCHESTER UNITED NEWS Another issue for Manchester United is the presence of Mino Raiola. The 'super-agent' responsible for handling Paul Pogba's affairs has caused a bi of a stir this summer, and according to The Times, Jose Mourinho believes he has damaged the reputation of United by offering the France midfielder to both Barcelona and Juventus. Barcelona are known to be keen on Pogba and want him to try and force his way out of the club, but United are adamant that they will not sell him under any circumstances. That said, a face-off between Mourinho and Raiola could develop, and no one wants to be in the middle of that feud. MANCHESTER UNITED NEWS Everton were also in the hunt for Manchester United defender Marcos Rojo, who looked for all certainty to be on his way out of Old Trafford., But United's failure to bring in a replacement yesterday led to the move collapsing, according to the Daily Mail, with United pulling the plug on his move to Merseyside. The Argentine could still push for a move abroad this month if he struggles for first-team football, but whether his club would be willing to let him leave without the chance to bring anyone in is another matter. EVERTON NEWS However, there could yet be one more arrival at Everton. The club filed a deal sheet to the Premier League before yesterday's 5.00pm deadline after agreeing to take Kurt Zouma on loan from Chelsea. The move is yet to be announced though, with the centre-back currently in limbo as he faces a frustrating season at Stamford Bridge if the loan did not go through in time. More on this one as we get it. EVERTON NEWS Everton proved to be one of the busiest clubs on transfer deadline day, with Marco Silva's influence helping to bring Yerry Mina, Bernard and Andre Gomes to the club. Bernard has signed a four-year deal with the Toffees after joining on a free transfer from Shakhtar Donetsk, while Andre Gomes - who attracted interest from Arsenal earlier in the window - joins on a season-long loan worth around £2m. Mina meanwhile attracted interest from Manchester United, but they are understood to have pulled out due to a disagreement over agent fees. That left Everton in the clear to sign the Colombia international on a £27m deal, although Barcelona have a buy-back clause believed to be worth just over £50m that they can activate in the future. Everton sign Bernard on free transfer and £27m Yerry Mina as Andre Gomez joins on loan SPURS NEWS Tottenham were also strangely quiet on deadline day - even for them. Having finished last season in fourth, many believed they would need to strengthen to get back to the title-challengers that they were the previous two years, but instead they became the first side since the dawn of the Premier League summer transfer window in 2003 not to sign a single player. It has left many fans scratching their heads, but manager Mauricio Pochettino claimed the decision was "brave" and was a result of the new £1bn stadium at White Hart Lane, new training facilities and a consequence of the Brexit vote. As excuses go, it's a good one. Pochettino blames Brexit and new stadium costs for Tottenham's transfer window MANCHESTER UNITED NEWS It caps a miserable start to the season for Manchester United, and begs the question: how long will Jose Mourinho remain manager? Northern football correspondent Mark Critchley takes a look at the landscape at Old Trafford. Why Manchester United ended the window without the defender Jose Mourinho wanted MANCHESTER UNITED NEWS Where else to start than with Manchester United? The summer proved to be a difficult one, with their three signings all coming early in the window in the form of Fred, Diogo Dalot and Lee Grant. The likes of Toby Alderweireld, Antoine Griezmann and Gareth Bale were teased, but in the end not a single player arrived on deadline day, much to Jose Mourinho's frustration. And now it's been revealed that United blocked a £100m move for Real Madrid defender Raphael Varane over fears that Jose Mourinho was starting to waste their money. The Times reports today that United put the brakes on the offer after Madrid stressed the World Cup-winner was not available for any price, leaving United without the centre-back that Mourinho wanted. Good morning and welcome to The Independent's transfer live blog, where we'll bring you the latest updates on the day after the night before. Deadline day didn't prove to be the blockbuster event that it was build up to be, with neither Manchester United nor Tottenham signing any players and Arsenal and Liverpool wrapping up their business early. But Everton and Fulham took centre stage to make a wrath of signings, while there are still a few deals yet to be clarified - has Kurt Zouma joined Everton? There's also the small matter of the European transfer window, with clubs in Spain, Italy, France and the likes still able to sign players from the Premier League. Will there be any high-profile departures? Follow all the latest here.

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TRANSFER DEADLINE DAY is upon us with players coming in and leaving clubs all around the county but what are the mega moves we could see in the final few hours?

Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool are all looking for last-minute deals as they try and close the gap on Premier League champions Manchester City. And Tottenham who have been quiet all summer are another side who could make a late swoop. Meanwhile, Everton, Newcastle and West Ham will look to bridge the gap to the ‘big six’ with some late moves. Starsport explore five of the biggest deals that could go through before 5pm.

Toby Alderweireld to Man Utd Jose Mourinho is desperate to add a central defender to his ranks before the window shuts. Alderweireld has been linked with an Old Trafford switch all summer long and don’t rule out a late move from the Red Devils. United’s late attempt to Diego Godin looks to have failed.

GETTY Transfer news: Anthony Martial could move in a swap deal with Tottenham

Anthony Martial to Tottenham A move for Alderweireld to United could lead to Spurs signing Anthony Martial. The France international wants out of Old Trafford after seeing his playing time diminish under Jose Mourinho last season. Tottenham have failed to sign Jack Grealish and could now turn their attention to Martial.

GETTY Transfer news: Christian Pulisic could make a shock move to Liverpool or Chelsea

Christian Pulisic to Liverpool or Chelsea The USA international and Borussia Dortmund starlet is admired by Jurgen Klopp. Liverpool have had a busy summer but Maurizio Sarri could well make a late move to add some exciting talent to his squad as well. Indeed transfer expert Duncan Castles believes both Liverpool and Chelsea could make a bid for Pulisic.

Ousmane Dembele to Arsenal Barcelona star Ousmane Dembele has been linked with a move to the Gunners this summer. Despite saying he is focused on staying at the Catalan club, Arsenal could still test the La Liga champions with a late offer. Dembele would be more likely to move to the Emirates on loan than in a permanent deal though.

GETTY Transfer news: Willian has been linked with a move from Chelsea to Man Utd


Media playback is not supported on this device Everton signing Mina's three World Cup goals

Everton, Fulham and Leicester all made big-money signings as the earliest transfer deadline in Premier League history came to life late in the day.

However, the amount spent in the window by Premier League clubs fell for the first time in eight years, to £1.2bn.

Tottenham and Manchester United made no signings on 9 August.

Spurs became the first Premier League club to not make a summer signing since the current transfer window system was adopted in 2003.

The deadline was moved from 31 August to the day before the Premier League season starts after a vote by clubs.

Yerry Mina's £27m move to Everton from Barcelona was the day's big transfer.

The deadline also applied to English Football League clubs - although they can still sign free agents and loan players until 31 August.

Premier League and EFL clubs voted - although not unanimously - to close the transfer market earlier this season to avoid disruption to the opening weeks of the season.

However, it was only introduced in England, with Spanish, German, French and Scottish clubs able to sign players until the end of the month.

Italy has a deadline of Friday, 17 August - the day before Serie A starts.

Players could still leave the Premier League - with Chelsea's Eden Hazard a reported target for Spanish giants Real Madrid, although the Blues would then not be able to sign a replacement.

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The story of transfer deadline day

As well as the earlier-than-usual date, the deadline also closed earlier in the day - 17:00 BST compared to the usual 23:00.

It looked as if this was going to be the quietest final day since the window was introduced in 2003 - with only eight signings confirmed by Premier League clubs before 17:00.

The highest-profile deal at that stage was midfielder Mateo Kovacic joining Chelsea on loan from Real Madrid - with goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois going the other way permanently.

But clubs had another two hours after the deadline to finalise paperwork - during which Everton signed Colombia defender Mina and midfielder Andre Gomes on loan from Barcelona - having signed free agent Bernard earlier in the day.

Fulham announced five players, all after the deadline - Marseille midfielder Andre-Frank Anguissa in a £22.3m deal, Bristol City left-back Joe Bryan for £6m and Sergio Rico, Luciano Vietto and Timothy Fosu-Mensah on loan. That made them the first promoted team ever to spend over £100m in the summer.

And Leicester City confirmed the signing of Freiburg and Turkey defender Caglar Soyuncu, in a deal thought to be worth up to £19m. Earlier on, they had bought defender Filip Benkovic from Dinamo Zagreb for a reported £13m.

The top 10 Premier League signings of the transfer window (based on initial transfer fees)

Some other moves included Danny Ings joining Southampton from Liverpool on a loan which will become permanent next summer, Jordan Ayew moving to Crystal Palace from Swansea for a season and West Ham signing Arsenal striker Lucas Perez and Fiorentina midfielder Carlos Sanchez.

The losers of deadline day?

Media playback is not supported on this device Tottenham will be competitive - Pochettino

Six clubs did not sign anybody on Thursday.

Tottenham are reported to be the first Premier League club to not sign a single player in a summer transfer window, although boss Mauricio Pochettino said he was not disappointed, with only two youngsters leaving the club.

"It's difficult to understand for people that Tottenham didn't sign or sell a player, but sometimes in football you need to behave differently and we're happy with our squad," he said.

Manchester United only signed three players all summer - all by early July. But they did also try to sign a centre-back and manager Jose Mourinho said on Sunday they faced a "difficult season" if they could not sign anyone else.

They had been linked with Tottenham's Toby Alderweireld, Leicester's Harry Maguire and Bayern Munich's Jerome Boateng over the summer.

And the Red Devils made a dramatic late approach for Atletico Madrid defender Diego Godin - but he is now expected to sign a new deal with the Spanish club.

Spurs were one of 14 clubs to vote for the earlier deadline last September, with United voting against it.

Arsenal and Liverpool were among the other clubs not to sign anybody - but they were not expected to, having each made several signings earlier this summer.

Record spent on signings from abroad

Figures released by Deloitte say summer spending dropped by £200m from last year's record of £1.4bn - and deadline-day spending was only just over half the 2017 total - £110m, down from £210m.

But Premier League clubs spent a record £880m to bring in players from foreign leagues - compared to £770m last summer. That was 72% of all money spent by English top-flight clubs - last year's figure was 54%.

Tim Bridge, director in the sports business group at Deloitte, said: "Premier League clubs' gross player transfer expenditure of £1.2bn continues to demonstrate the sheer purchasing power of the most commercially successful football league in the world.

"With Premier League clubs' aggregate revenues forecast to reach £5bn in 2018-19, clubs can well afford to significantly invest in on-pitch talent in the quest for both success and survival."

Some other findings included:

The next highest spending league is Serie A, with a reported gross spend of about £910m (including £99m Cristiano Ronaldo), followed by La Liga (£680m), the Bundesliga (£400m) and Ligue 1 (£350m) - but none of their windows have closed yet

Championship clubs spent £155m on transfers - a decrease from the £195m spent last summer

The Premier League's highest-spending clubs were Liverpool (£165m), Chelsea (£120m), Fulham (£105m) and Leicester City (£100m)

Only three clubs received more transfer fees than they spent - Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur and Watford

Why was this summer not as busy as previous years?

The flurry of late deals took deadline day above last year's total of 17 transfers - to 25, the highest amount since 2014 - but the total number of transfers in the window fell for the fifth year in a row.

Until the late rush, it had appeared it was going to the the quietest summer deadline day in Premier League history.

Football finance expert Rob Wilson of Sheffield Hallam University said: "Clubs invested heavily last year when we saw almost £1.5bn being spent. Without a new TV deal that increases the amount of cash available, this window was always due to plateau.

"That, plus excessive fees being quoted, has probably restricted what some clubs are prepared to pay. Manchester United, for example, have spent much more modestly and would normally contribute to the overall total. I suspect that is due to clubs increasing their prices as the world's richest club came knocking and United simply refused to be held to ransom."

Wilson thinks Neymar's £200m world record move from Barcelona to Paris St-Germain last summer helped change the transfer market.

"It does seem to have shifted the market up, especially after Philippe Coutinho moved for £140m+ from Liverpool to Barcelona. It's meant fees in general have essentially doubled from what would have been expected before the last TV deal. It's indicative of fewer signings but higher fees too."

The rise in prices is backed up by the transfer fees previously paid for this summer's top 10 Premier League signings, with none of them costing more than £13m when they were last signed.


Media playback is not supported on this device Tottenham will be competitive - Pochettino

Tottenham "achieved their objective" and did a "great job" by keeping their best player in the transfer window, says manager Mauricio Pochettino.

Pochettino and striker Harry Kane signed new long-term deals this summer.

"I am not worried, I am not sad - I am so happy," said Pochettino, whose side were the only Premier League team not to add to their squad.

But the Tottenham Supporters' Trust said they want "a full and credible explanation of what has happened".

Spurs became the first Premier League club to not make a summer signing since the current transfer window system was adopted in 2003.

Pochettino could still lose players to overseas clubs as the deadlines for Europe's other majors leagues are later in August.

But the Argentine said: "We have a very good squad, we have very good players and it is not easy to add players that improve that.

"Of course we didn't sell players and with 25 players in the squad it's difficult to add.

"Our targets are always in the same level of Real Madrid or Manchester United or Manchester City, but for different circumstances we cannot achieve that.

"If you cannot add players who can improve your squad, the most important thing is to make sure you do not lose your best player.

"And I think that was a great job from the club to keep the best player and keep the manager."

Tottenham made a £25m bid for Aston Villa midfielder Jack Grealish, but were unable to conclude a deal.

Tottenham fans question lack of signings

Despite Pochettino's positivity on the eve of a new season in which Tottenham will play in their revamped stadium, the club's supporters want answers from chairman Daniel Levy.

A statement from the Supporters' Trust said: "We are told that we don't have to sign players because we develop our youth. Yet four of our most promising prospects left the club this summer (Reo Griffiths, Anton Walkes, Keanan Bennetts and Noni Madueke.) Of the current first-team squad, just two regulars have come up through the ranks.

"We love what has been developed, but for all the great football we've seen over the last few seasons, there are no trophies to show.

"We have the highest-paid chairman in the Premier League. Our fans pay some of the highest prices in world football. Our support for our team and our admiration for what has been achieved remains strong. However, we believe fans are entitled to a full and credible explanation of what has happened this summer."

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'Difficult situation for Tottenham'

Tottenham have achieved three consecutive top-three finishes and have retained all their first-team players, despite reports linking Kane with Real Madrid and defender Toby Alderweireld with Manchester United.

As well as Kane's new five-year contract, there have been extensions for Son Heung-min, Erik Lamela, Davinson Sanchez and Harry Winks.

Former boss Harry Redknapp believes the problem for Pochettino is that his first team is so strong that new signings are unlikely to disrupt a settled XI and may have to settle for a place in the squad.

"They have so many good players and their starting XI is fantastic, but they also have good cover," Redknapp told BBC Radio 5 live.

"It is a difficult one for Tottenham to sell the club to a player. Pochettino would tell a player he wants to sign them but they would ask, 'where would I play, where would I fit in?'

"The fans would love to have seen one or two news faces come in but the scouting system is excellent and they have not found anybody they feel can make a difference."

'They can invest more heavily next summer'

Media playback is not supported on this device Tottenham Hotspur are due to move into their new stadium in September 2018

The club's new £850m stadium will seat 62,000 spectators and be the second biggest club venue in England behind Manchester United's Old Trafford.

Former Tottenham winger Chris Waddle believes that is a key factor in their approach to transfers this summer.

"Tottenham have got the stadium to pay for so they will want to get through this first season and then next year they can probably invest in the transfer market a lot more heavily.

"But they will think that first of all they need to get themselves sorted out first in the new stadium and get themselves going, make it a fortress and then next year really have a pop."

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