Today marks the deadline day for winter transfers in Europe’s top leagues, meaning the last chance teams have to add players from other teams until the summer. The action is already hot and heavy, with deals flying left and right and we’ll try to keep you updates on all the action as it happens.
As you know by now, David Beckham has signed with Paris St. Germain earlier today in what will be the most high-profile move of the day, but it certainly won’t be the last.
Among the deals to watch for today are the Brek Shea move to Stoke City, and Kei Kamara’s loan move to Norwich City. Both are contingent on them securing work permits, and both will learn if they have secured their work permits today.
MLS deals are not limited to today’s deadline. The MLS transfer deadline is May 6th for players to sign with MLS teams, but today is the deadline for MLS players to make moves to most European leagues.
We will be running a list of transfer/loan moves, and updating the list throughout the day, so check in here for all the transfers as they happen.
Enjoy the Deadline Day action (Live Transfer Updates after the jump):
TRANSFER DEADLINE DAY UPDATES:
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6pm– Thanks for joining us today on another crazy transfer deadline day.
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5:50pm– Peter Odemwingie was hoping for a move to Queens Park Rangers, but West Brom wasn’t having any of it, and now the Nigerian striker is in a bit of limbo.
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5:40pm– The rumored Simon Dawkins to Aston Villa loan move has been completed. Dawkins won’t be with San Jose to start the MLS season, but he could re-join them once the EPL season is over.
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4:55pm– Southampton winger Steve De Ridder has joined Bolton on a month-long loan deal.
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4:40pm– QPR striker DJ Campbell has signed for Blackburn on a two and a half year contract.
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4:25pm– West Ham have said there have been no bids today for Mohamed Diame, despite heavy rumors a Premier League side had triggered his release clause.
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4pm– Odemwingie’s move to QPR is contingent on the team finding a replacement, which they haven’t found yet. Tick, tick, tick.
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3:45pm– Aston Villa put out a tweet suggesting they were looking into a loan for a player who has done well in MLS. Reports are circulating that the player is Simon Dawkins.
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3:30pm– Brek Shea has his very own Sky Sports parking lot car interview. He’s officially made the big time.
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3:05pm– Some transfer deadline drama as West Bromwich Albion has issued a statement saying they haven’t gotten any closer to a deal to send Peter Odemwingie to Queens Park Rangers. Why is that dramatic? Odemwingie just gave an extensive interview where he talked as if a QPR deal was very close. West Brom isn’t happy with idea that one of their players had direct contact with another club.
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2:56pm– Arsenal have reached agreement on a fee for Nacho Monreal from Malaga.
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2:52pm– Funny scenes of Jermaine Jenas arriving at Loftus Road to find the front door closed.
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2:20pm– The Peter Odemwingie to Queens Park Rangers move is still in play. Not finished yet, but the Nigerian striker has arrived at Loftus Road.
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2:00pm– We missed it earlier but we should note that Malaga’s Argentine winger, Diego Buonanotte, is heading to Granada on a transfer.
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1:52pm– Paul Robinson to West Ham is not happening, while Middlesbrough has added Keiron Dyer on a short-term loan.
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1:40pm– Rumors of a potential Wilson Palacios loan to Aston Villa from Stoke City. Too bad Maurice Edu wasn’t set up with that move.
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1:30pm– Not only was Maarten Stekelenberg denied a move to Fulham, he had already boarded the plane heading to London. Now he will have to head right back to Rome. Rough day for the Dutchman.
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1:20pm– Sounds like Junior Hoilett will be staying at QPR after plenty of rumors suggesting he would move.
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1:15pm– Fernando Gago has joined Velez Sarsfield on loan from Valencia.
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1:05pm– Brek Shea’s work permit appeal was granted and he has finalized his transfer move to Stoke City.
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12:55pm– Maarten Stekelenberg’s move to Fulham is off. Roma pulled out after being unable to find a replacement goalkeeper.
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12:41pm– Sky Sports is reporting that Tottenham’s move for Leandro Damiao won’t happen.
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12:37pm– Finally, some news for Arsenal fans. Spanish reports suggest the Gunners are closing in on Malaga left back Nacho Monreal.
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12:33pm– Still awaiting word on Brek Shea’s work permit appeal. Nothing going on there yet.
As for other Americans potentially moving, don’t expect anything to happen with Graham Zusi or Juan Agudelo. The Agudelo-Celtic thing was never really close to happening. He’s entering the last year of his deal and will be heading overseas a year from now.
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12:10pm– Things have gone pretty quiet. Nothing major happening at the moment. Interesting note on Beckham’s PSG contract is that he won’t receive a salary. Instead, his salary will go to a French children’s charity.
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11:51am– Beckham’s deal with PSG is for five months. He said he didn’t sign in the English Premier League because he would only play for Manchester United.
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11:41am– The Beckham press conference has begun, only 40 minutes late. The photogs are going nuts right now.
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11:34am– Not transfer news, but still news nonetheless, the English FA will NOT extend Eden Hazard’s suspension beyond three matches for his kick of a ball boy.
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11:32am– Fulham fans will be excited to hear that Roma goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenberg is in talks with the Cottagers. Martin Jol is looking to spend serious money this window.
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11:25am– PSG is clearing room for some Beckham minutes with the loaning of Mathieu Bodmer to Saint Etienne on a six-month loan deal.
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11:23am– Brek Shea’s work permit appeal hearing is starting shortly. Everything I hear is that he should be able to win his appeal rather easily. You can never take anything for granted though.
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11:11am– In a shocking development, reports emerging that Russian giant Anzhi is making a BIG transfer bid for Shakhtar Donetsk playmaker Willian. A 34 million-pound move. Crazy money but Willian is that good.
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11am– QPR boss Harry Redknapp just told Sky Sports that Peter Crouch will NOT be joining him from Stoke City. One player who is on his way to QPR apparently is Tottenham midfielder Jermaine Jenas. He’ll be reunited with Redknapp.
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10:56am– Nothing coming from the Arsenal camp as far as we can tell. I know, not all that shocking. We’ll keep an eye out.
Also, it looks as if Twitter crashed. Some people must be running for the hills.
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10:51am– One player we haven’t heard a peep about today is Kaka, who had been linked to a return to AC Milan. At this point it is looking like he’ll stay at Real Madrid. I still see him coming to MLS this summer.
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10:49am– Barnsley have signed Rory Delap, the long throw-in master, from Stoke City on loan.
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10:43am– Stoke City has finalized the signing of young English goalkeeper Jack Butland. Still waiting word on whether Brek Shea has secured his work permit.
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10:39am– Spanish journalist Guillem Balague has reported that the Arsenal bid for David Villa won’t produce a deal, and also stated that Sevilla’s Alvaro Negredo doesn’t look likely to move to England either because of Sevilla’s high asking price (Everton had been linked to Negred).
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10:33– Danny Graham leaves Swansea for Sunderland on a five million pound deal.
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10:29am– Queens Park Rangers has completed the transfer of defender Christopher Samba from Anzhi. QPR is VERY busy today as you might expect. They have also been linked to Peter Odemwingie.
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10:28am– Fulham is going after forward Bafetimbi Gomis. No deal done yet, but the Cottagers are on the hunt.
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10:25am– Mario Balotelli is training with AC Milan today, having completed his move.
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10:20am– The David Beckham press conference introducing him as PSG’s new player will begin in 30 minutes.
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LIST OF TRANSFERS
Chris Samba to Queens Park Rangers from Anzhi
Emre to Fenerbahce from Atletico Madrid
Reto Ziegler to Fenerbahce from Juventus
Marco Rigoni to Genoa from Chievo
Jack Butland to Stoke City from Birmingham
Raul Tamudo to Rayo Vallecano from Pachuca
Alexander Doni to Botafogo from Liverpool
Luciano Becchio to Norwich City from Leeds
Paul Sharner to Wigan from Hamburg
Urby Emanuelson to Fulham from AC Milan
Heurelho Gomes to Hoffenheim from Tottenham
Jermaine Jenas to Queens Park Rangers from Tottenham
Yacouba Sylia to Aston Villa from Clermont Foot
Momo Sissoko to Fiorentina from Paris St. Germain
DJ Campbell to Blackburn from QPR