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Transfer Deadline Day: Live Commentary

FernandoTorres (GettyImages)

The European transfer season comes to a close today, making today one of the craziest days of the year.

Leading the transfer news is Spanish striker Fernando Torres, who has a move to Chelsea looming. It looks as if Liverpool has already found a replacement in Newcastle striker Andy Carroll.

American fans will want to know about American payers and today we should find out where Jozy Altidore will go on loan. Today should also give us the formal announcement of Michael Bradley's loan move to Aston Villa.

I will look to  keep people updated on today's transfer proceedings throughout the day so stay tuned here for steady updates.

Let's get started (and please feel free to share your thoughts, opinions and updates in the comments section below):

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7:05pm– Okay folks. Still no word on any other Americans making moves. If anything develops I will post on those moves seperately.

That's all for me today on what was a crazy day, the craziest transfer deadline day I can remember.

Fernando Torres to Chelsea

Andy Carroll to Liverpool

David Luiz to Chelsea

Michael Bradley to Aston Villa

Jozy Altidore to Bursaspor

Eddie Johnson to Preston North End

Those are the bigger moves of the day, both internationally and for American fans.

Please feel free to share your thoughts on today in the comments section below. Thanks to all of you for following along today.

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6:24pm– Jozy Altidore is heading to defending Turkish League champions Burzaspor on a six-month loan. Good team in Turkey, a chance for regular playing time in a title race.

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6:20pm– Still no word. Getting the feeling that a handful of Americans failed in their bids to make winter moves. Still think we'll hear of at least one or two moves.

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6:11pm– So the deadline has passed, but that doesn't mean there aren't deals that still haven't been announced.

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5:35pm– Eidur Gudjohnsen is heading from Stoke City to Fulham. 

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5:30pm– An erroneous Associated Press report had Jozy Altidore going to Levante, but that is false. AP cited an unverified La Liga Twitter account, which tweeted the deal, but has since retracted it.

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5:05pm– I'm now hearing that Charlie Davies will definitely be moving on loan. No details yet, but working on it.

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4:38pm– Altidore is NOT going to Levante, which shouldn't be a surprise given the Montero loan.

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4:30pm– Mexican star (and Tottenham benchwarmer) Giovani Dos Santos is heading to Racing Santander according to new reports. 

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4:17pm– The Jozy Altidore to Levante rumor is back, waiting for confirmation. Earlier today it was Jefferson Montero heading for Levante. Could Villarreal be sending both to the same club? Seems unlikely, but I'll do some digging.

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4:15pm– Daniel Sturridge has just joined Bolton on loan. Trotters need something. They're in tailspin mode.

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4:13pm– Making the rounds via phone/BBM/text, still looking for some updates on Americans. Stay tuned.

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3:57pm– Another American has made a move, former St. John's University player Eric Opsahl has signed with Reading, along with Canadian Under-20 captain Ethan Gage.

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3:32pm– Sorry for the lack of recent updates. I'm chasing some stories and waiting for updates like everyone else is. As soon as the confirmations and updates roll in I'll throw them up here.

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3:19pm– Still waiting on official word for Gale Agbossoumonde, Jozy Altidore, Charlie Davies and Eric Lichaj. Nothing new on their potential moves. 

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3:08pm– We (SBI) are reporting that Eddie Johnson is heading to Preston North End on a loan through the end of the season.

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2:15pm– Michael Bradley's loan move to Aston Villa is now official, complete with Bradley posing with the Villa jersey on the club's website.

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2:12pm– Royston Drenthe, who is currently on loan at Hercules from Real Madrid, is reportedly set for a move to Juventus. 

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1:57pm– Now reports suggest that Rossi isn't going anywhere. Does seem a bit late for such a huge move. Looks like Tottenham was a bit late to the party. 

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1:55pm– The proposed Giuseppe Rossi move to Tottenham is picking up steam and I can't help but wonder if that's holding up a potential Jozy Altidore loan. Can Villarreal really loan out Altidore AND Montero if Rossi leaves? Might depend on if Tottenham gives Villarreal back a striker in the deal. 

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1:40pm– The David Luiz transfer from Benfica to Chelsea is done. 20 million euros and Nemanja Matic. No word on whether Benfica will use some of that money to buy out Freddy Adu's contract.

All joking aside, Luiz is a top young centerback who should definitely help Chelsea's back-line immediately. Brazilian national team centerback who wasn't having the best year in Portugal, but probably because he's been eyeing a big move.

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1:31pm– Still nothing official on Altidore, Feilhaber or Lichaj. Reports continue to emerge from Turkey about Altidore heading to Bursaspor, but nothing new or all that enlightening.

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1:28pm– David Luiz to Chelsea for a reported $40 million. That's $120 million on two players. WOW. 

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1:24pm– Torres to Chelsea for $80.1 million. Nice bit of business by Liverpool. And Chelsea? Blues back to spending big, with Torres coming and their David Luiz bid back on.

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1:12pm– A source tells me Agbossoumonde's move to Swedish club Djurgarden is still in the works. It isn't dead.

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1pm– Breaking up the EPL/Americans Abroad string of updates, Inter Milan is closing in on Japanese left back Yuto Nagamoto from Cesena. 

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12:58pm– Reports out of Sweden suggest Gale Agbossoumonde's move to Djurgarden is in jeopardy because Traffic Sports, which is Gale's third-party rights holder, has upped the asking price. I'm looking to confirm.

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12:45pm– Andy Carroll to Liverpool for $56 million. Yes, that deserves a WOW.

Tottenham is clearly still trying to land a top striker and is in full panic mode as the deadline approaches.

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12:40pm– Not transfer window related, but an update on the USA-Egypt friendly is coming soon. Safe to say the match won't be played in Egypt, if it's played at all.

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12:37pm– Now reports have Charlie Adam heading to Liverpool. The Reds are not playing around.

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12:26pm– Sky Sports reporting that Newcastle has accepted an offer from Liverpool from Andy Carroll. Price? One BILLION dollars. Just kidding. It's a lot of money. I'll find the exact amount shortly. 

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12:02pm– Robbie Findley's move to Nottingham Forest has finally cleared all its hurdles so he is free to play for his new club on a 2.5-year contract.

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11:57am– Freddy Adu's move to Turkish second division club Rizespor is official. For those wondering, Adu's Benfica contract runs through the summer of 2012.

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11:52am– Just as I say Adam to Manchester United seems unlikely, the rumors keep growing. So maybe it isn't dead. 

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11:45am– Daniel Taylor of the UK Guardian just shot down the Charlie Adam to Manchester United rumor. He's pretty plugged in so I'd believe him.

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11:44am– New rumor has Tottenham going after Diego Forlan.

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11:42am– According to fresh reports, Newcastle has rejected Liverpool's latest transfer offer.

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11:30am–  Newest rumor has Blackpool's Charlie Adam heading to Manchester United. Nothing official yet, but if a serious report emerges, I'll pass it on.

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11:25am– Stephen Ireland's loan move to Newcastle has hit a snag after he reportedly failed his medical. Aston Villa has long been ready to part ways with him. Not sure what's next for the former Manchester City midfielder.

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11:19am– Villarreal just loaned out a striker, but it was Jefferson Montero, who is heading to Levante. Still no confirmation on a Jozy Altidore move. Bursaspor and Sporting Gijon have been reported as destinations. 

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11:12am– No major updates yet, but then again we've got plenty of time between now and the official close of the window. I will update as soon as something emerges on either big names like Torres or Americans like Altidore and Lichaj. 

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11am– Anderlecht's Jan Polak is another player heading to Wolfsburg, according to reports in Germany. That move would free up more playing time for American midfielder Sacha Kljestan.

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10:50am– German club Wolfsburg has gotten around to spending some of that Edin Dzeko money, signing Korean midfielder Koo Ja-Cheol of Korea Republic (he was the leading scorer at the Asian Cup) and Venezuelan Yohandry Orozco, as well as German Patrick Helmes.

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10:48am– Hoping for some news on Eric Lichaj and a potential loan move, but as of now nothing has surfaced. If he stays put he could wind up spending four months on the bench rather than getting games in a lower division. 

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10:44am– American striker Mike Grella looks to be heading out on loan again, with Leeds working on a move for him after his loan to Scottish side Motherwell fell through. No word yet on where he'll wind up. 

For those asking about why he'd be able to go on loan after not being able to go to Motherwell, there seems to be a belief that Grella would be allowed a third club in England since his Carlisle United loan move was a short one.

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10:42am– Feel free to send some transfer-related questions my way in the comments section below. I'll answer some as we hit some lulls in the action.

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10:40am– For those who didn't notice this morning, Jozy Altidore seemed to confirm that he's heading out on a loan deal when he wrote "See you in July" to Giuseppe Rossi on Twitter. We've seen players throw misdirection tweets out there before, so we can't assume that's confirmation, but multiple reports out of Spain have Altidore heading out on loan.

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10:33am– Gerard Houllier has revealed what has been known for a few days now, that Michael Bradley is heading to Aston Villa on a loan for the rest of the season.

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10:28am- Nicola Legrottaglie has moved to AC MIlan from Juventus for you Serie A fans. As for Torres, reports suggest Nicolas Anelka could very well be heading to Liverpool as part of the transfer.

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10:16am– Those asking about Altidore to Bursaspor, they are in second place in Turkey and boast striker Kenny Miller up top to potentially partner with Altidore. Also, Bursaspor is NOT that close to where Freddy Adu's new club is located.

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10:12am– Still no official word of Fernando Torres' move to Chelsea being completed. Helicopter on the way?

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10:07am– Still no word on Benny Feilhaber, who seems destined to stay at AGF Aarhus until the summer. 

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10:05am– Reports have Jozy Altidore heading to Turkish club Bursaspor, while fresh reports in Spain claim he's heading to Sporting Gijon. I'm trying to track down a solid confirmation on where Altidore is heading so stay tuned.

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10am– The Times of London has just reported Liverpool buying Andy Carroll for 35 million pounds. No, you're not the only one amazed at that price.

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Comments

  1. If you are 3rd leading goal scoer in La Liga – after Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo – that’s kind of a hint you’re a good player.

    Ok he’s from Jersey so you can laugh all you want. But anyone prizing Rossi away from Villareal will have to offer serious $ or euros.

    Reply
  2. The last time you looked was before NESV bought Liverpool and NESV and the banks forced the prior owners to take a financial bath to get out of town?

    The new owners – maybe you noticed by now – aren;t afraid to spend $; prudently.

    Reply
  3. One interesting observation. Of all the transfers in and out of the FA and even worldwide, only four (4) transfers from the Bundesliga to the EPL. Half of those transfers were American!

    Reply
  4. Everyone thought Charlie was for sure going on loan and now silence…

    and now there is a 10 am press conference from MLS tomorrow….

    Reply
  5. I’m guessing that Jozy’s news is the last news. No moves for Lichaj or Charlie. Still overall pretty exciting moves for the yanks, looking forward to the 2nd half of the season.

    Reply
  6. …And Jozy confirms all the Bursaspor reports…

    Hopefully, he’ll get first-team PT there. Good place for him to refine his techniques. Turks have always seemed to me to have great technique. Feel free to disagree.

    Reply

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