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Diego Godin rejects Man City move; Sergio Ramos offers Man United hope

As always, Transfer Talk has its finger on the pulse when it comes to all the latest rumours and gossip. See all the latest deals here.

TOP STORY: Godin snubs Man City move

There's something about Spain-based defenders moving to Manchester today... Marca reports that Diego Godin has snubbed a move to solve Man City's defensive crisis and will instead pen a new deal with Atletico Madrid.

The paper suggests that City had been willing to trigger the 29-year-old's €40m release clause and offer him a €6.5m-a-year contract, although the Uruguay international will reportedly opt to stay at the Calderon.

Marca reports that both the club and the player are appreciative of each other's respective attempts to prolong their relationship, and Godin will sign a new deal in the coming days. That's how you make it work, people!

LIVE BLOG:

22.21 BST: That's going to do it for Friday's live edition of Transfer Talk. Thanks very much for joining us, and be sure to check back in just a few hours as we return with the juiciest gossip pulled from the headlines of Saturday morning's papers.

22.02 BST: DONE DEAL Colorado Rapids have announced the signing of former Hull City defender Maynor Figueroa.

21.43 BST: DONE DEAL Olympiakos have announced the signing of Esteban Cambiasso on a free transfer after the Argentine midfielder spent last season at Leicester City.

21.24 BST: DONE DEAL Liverpool have secured a deal to sign 14-year-old Norwegian midfielder Edvard Tagseth. Read more.

21.05 BST: West Ham are close to a deal to acquire Mexican international forward Raul Jimenez on loan from Atletico Madrid, manager Slaven Bilic has confirmed. Read more.

20.46 BST: Arsenal have been linked with Real Madrid's Karim Benzema all summer, and recently whispers have grown louder that the North London club could add a "mystery" world-class striker before the transfer window closes. Now comes this tweet from BT Sport football presenter Jake Humphrey:

20.27 BST: DONE DEAL MLS side Sporting Kansas City have announced the signing of Barcelona academy graduate Jordi Quintilla, who was out of contract after playing for Ligue 2 side Ajaccio last season.

20.08 BST: Despite odds being slashed on Charlie Austin moving to Everton by the end of the transfer window, the striker is expected to start for QPR at the weekend, reports the Liverpool Echo.

19.49 BST: AC Milan CEO Adriano Galliani will meet with Roma sporting director Walter Sabatini at the weekend to discuss the finer points of the transfer of Alessio Romagnoli, reports Italian outlet Sport Mediaset. The Italian under-21 international is expected to move to the San Siro in a deal worth around €25 million.

19.30 BST: DONE DEAL MLS side Seattle Sounders have added Nelson Valdez from Eintracht Frankfurt as a designated player. Further details of the deal were not disclosed.

19.11 BST: DONE DEAL Chelsea have announced that Jose Mourinho has signed a fresh four-year contract that will keep him at the helm of Stamford Bridge through 2019.

18.52 BST: DONE DEAL United States international striker Herculez Gomez has returned to Major League Soccer, joining Toronto FC on Friday. Read more.

18.33 BST: DONE DEAL Stoke defender Marc Muniesa has agreed a new four-year contract with the Premier League club. Read more.

18.14 BST: Mario Balotelli has rejected a move to UAE side Al-Ahli, the Mirror cites Sky Sports Italia as reporting.

"We thought about Balotelli and we even had a discussion with his agent Mino Raiola," Al-Ahli manager Cosmin Olaroiu is quoted as saying. "But Balotelli turned down our proposal because he wants to play for another."

17.55 BST: The Express reports that Wolfsburg director Klaus Allofs has denied that Kevin De Bruyne has submitted a transfer request.

"We haven't received an offer for Kevin De Bruyne," he said. "He didn't come to us and ask if we would agree to let him go."

17.36 BST: Barcelona technical director Robert Fernandez has confirmed that La Masia starlet Sergi Samper will remain with the Catalans this season amid interest from Arsenal, TalkSPORT quotes Sport as reporting.

17.17 BST: Baba Rahman -- will the Augsburg defender join Chelsea, or won't he? Edwin Kurt Okraku, a member of his entourage, told German newspaper Bild: "The clubs are still negotiating. Baba wants to join Chelsea -- that's clear. The situation is putting a strain on him, and we need a quick solution."

From what Jose Mourinho told his Friday news conference, that solution could soon be reached. "We need a left-back, the board know that, and my feeling is that we are going to have one," the Chelsea boss said.

17.03 BST: Speculation in Spain suggests that Barcelona want to sign Nolito from Celta Vigo when (and, of course, if) Pedro moves to Manchester United.

Nolito was coached by Barcelona's Luis Enrique during his time at Celta, but his current coach Eduardo Berizzo doesn't want him to go. He said: "Between any Barca player and Nolito, I would stick with Nolito."

16.19 BST: Sky Sports reports that Bournemouth have made a bid for Crystal Palace striker Glenn Murray -- the Premier League newcomers must now wait to see whether that is accepted.

16.19 BST: Hull may have signed Brentford full-back Moses Odubajo earlier on Friday -- but it appears their move for his former Griffin Park colleague Andre Gray is off.

The Tigers made a £9 million joint offer for both players, but are now reported to have shelved their attempts to bring in Gray.

15.58 BST: Sunderland boss Dick Advocaat has told a news conference that hopes of bringing Netherlands international Leroy Fer to the club from QPR are over after he failed a medical on Wednesday.

15.50 BST: He was linked with a move to Spurs earlier in the summer, but Everton winger Kevin Mirallas has decided that Goodison Park is the place to be after all and signed a new three-year contract:

15.34 BST -- DONE DEAL: The Serge Ganbry to West Brom loan deal is confirmed by the Baggies:

15.33 BST: Edin Dzeko is poised to complete his move from Manchester City later on Friday, sources have told ESPN FC, after he passed a medical.

15.30 BST -- DONE DEAL: A new addition for League Two Acrrington Stanley:

15.20 BST: The Birmingham Mail reports that West Brom could be ready to part with around £15 million -- breaking their transfer record -- in order to bring in striker Salomon Rondon from Zenit St Petersburg, who has managed just the 28 goals in 57 games for the Russian club.

14.50 BST: Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers, asked at his Friday news conference about the future of Mario Balotelli, said only this: "[There is] Nothing on outgoings at this stage. Every player knows exactly where they stand. It's unfair to talk about any individuals."

14.30 BST: Stoke are reported to be in talks with Barcelona striker Adama Traore, but boss Mark Hughes is warning fans not to get too carried away:

14.00 BST -- DONE DEAL: Hull have wrapped up the singing of Moses Odubajo from Brentford, but have yet to do the same with his team-mate Andre Gray. The Tigers made a joint £9 million bid for the Bees pair:

13.50 BST: Las Palmas have reached an agreement to sign former Manchester City and Lazio left-back Javier Garrido.

The 30-year-old, available on a free transfer after leaving Norwich, has agreed a one-year deal with the newly-promoted La Liga club, with the option to extend it by a further season.

13.30 BST: Here's Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino telling a news conference about the remainder of his summer: "I think you know we need to bring some players, and we work very hard for that." But he would not be drawn on speculation that West Brom striker Saido Berahino is one of those targets, saying: "I never speak about rumours."

13.25 BST: Mathieu Valbuena is one of a trio of creative midfielders targeted by Lyon as they bolster their squad for next season's Champions League challenge.

Last season's Ligue 1 runners-up, are without Clement Grenier, who has been ruled out for four months after rupturing a thigh tendon.

13.19 BST: Norwich City boss Alex Neil says he wants to bring in more new faces before the window closes, telling a news conference: "It is difficult. Things are ongoing and it changes from day to day with different targets and speaking to different people. We are working on things."

13.15 BST: Raul Jimenez is close to a move to West Ham -- the Atletico Madrid striker would be new arrival number nine of the summer -- manager Slaven Bilic has said:

13.00 BST: Sunderland boss Dick Advocaat is pleased with his summer's work:

12.28 BST -- DONE DEAL: Remember Alberto Aquilani? The one-time Liverpool midfielder is now in Portugal, having signed for Sporting Lisbon:

12.12 BST: Crystal Palace boss Alan Pardew is pretty adamant about the rumours surrounding a move for Eagles winger Yannick Bolasie -- they are baseless.

He told London's Evening Standard: "I am pretty confident of keeping him. We have had no bids for him. None. Not one phone call for Yannick Bolasie."

12.04 BST -- DONE DEAL: And a new signing for QPR, too:

11.48 BST -- DONE DEAL: A new signing for Yeovil Town:

11.23 BST: Brighton chairman Tony Bloom has warned fans that there are no guarantees sought-after defender Lewis Dunk will stay in Sussex.

Dunk has been linked with Fulham and Newcastle, and Bloom, reported in the Brighton Argus, said: "It would be ridiculous for me or any owner to say that a player is never for sale. There's always a price for any player.

11.10 BST: It's a crazy old world, says Louis Van Gaal, who stresses that he still has transfer market work to do: "The squad is still in process because we are living in a crazy football world. The transfer window is still going on and competition starting. You never know what happens."

10.55 BST: Former West Ham midfielder Alessandro Diamanti is on his way to Watford, Sky Sports reports, saying that he has passed a medical. He will become Watford's 100th signing of the summer (approximately).

10.33 BST: A big line from the Louis van Gaal news conference, and one that will do nothing other than stoke David De Gea to Real Madrid talk even further: the goalkeeper will not be starting against Spurs at Old Trafford tomorrow amid ongoing transfer speculation.

10.30 BST: Arsenal winger Serge Gnabry is poised to join West Bromwich Albion on loan, Arsene Wenger has said. Wenger said Gnabru had undergone a medical, with the move likely to be confirmed later today.

10.25 BST: Here's Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal's reaction to the news that Ashley Young has signed a new deal: "We are delighted. Ashley is a very multi-functional player. He took to the wing-back position with great confidence and flourished on the wing throughout last season. "

10.15 BST: Here's Aston Villa manager Tim Sherwood, speaking at his news conference, confirming that the Emmanuel Adebayor deal "isn't happening at the moment." A Villa deal that is happening soon, though, is a loan move for Callum Robinson to Bristol City.

10.00 BST: Here's someone who won't be going anywhere: Manchester United winger Ashley Young has committed his future to the club:

09.40 BST: His former star man Thierry Henry has been taking about what a good addition Karim Benzema would be for Arsenal. He's not been the only person saying that, but here's what Arsene Wenger had to say about the ongoing rumours: "It's just media talk."

09.35 BST: Nobody talks about Pedro to Manchester United much, do they? Barcelona's technical secretary Robert Fernandez has said he hopes to persuade the player to stay, explaining: "His buyout clause is €30 million. He's a player that has performed fantastically for Barca.

"Both the manager and I want him to stay. We don't want to lose him, but we know that this is a risky situation and we'll have to wait. If he goes, we'll lose a lot of things."

09.30 BST: Aston Villa look set to miss out on Tottenham's Emmanuel Adebayor as the striker is Emmanuel Adebayor won't be joining Aston Villa -- because he doesn't want to live in the Midlands, the Birmingham Mail reports.

Spurs striker Adebayor has long been linked with a move to Villa, where he would have been reunited with his former Tottenham boss Tim Sherwood, and had passed a medical and agreed personal terms.

09.15 BST: Sticking with Gazetta, it suggests that Fabio Borini's return to the Italian game is moving closer -- he will join Fiorentina on loan for the season in a deal that could be made permanent for around £4 million next summer.

09.00 BST: Esteban Cambiasso, the star of Leicester's show in their fine run to Premier League safety last season, is set to sign for Greek side Olympiakos, Italian paper Gazzetta dello Sport has reported.

08.53 BST: Here's Arsenal legend Thierry Henry on the possible purchase of Karim Benzema: "Sometimes you need a different type of striker and I think that, if they can get Benzema, suddenly they are a real title contender and also in the Champions League." Full story

08.35 BST: Schalke's Horst Heldt says that there is no news on Gokhan Inler's transfer. Schalke have registered their interest with Napoli, but are yet to enter negotiations over the 31-year-old midfielder.

08.15 BST: Valencia winger Pablo Piatti has signed new deal with club. The 26-year Argentine told VCFplay and VCF Radio after the deal was reached that "today is one of the happiest days of my career, and I am really motivated to continue at the club."

07.50 BST: Marseille coach Marcelo Bielsa insists he is yet to speak to anyone from the Mexican Football Federation about the national team job. "This shows that it's only an hypothesis, and I don't discuss hypothesis," he said on Thursday.

07.30 BST: Good morning one and all. While there''s just one day until the Premier League returns, the transfer window stops for no-one (expect, of course, on Sept. 2). So let's kick off with a deal you may have missed... Mohamed Salah has completed his move to Roma from Chelsea. Read more.

PAPER ROUND

Sergio Ramos gives Man Utd hope

The Sergio Ramos transfer rumours have died down somewhat since it became clear the defender was using Manchester United's interest to gain a better contract from Real Madrid, but a deal is yet to materialise.

Spanish radio station Cadena SER reports that Ramos is worried that Real have not been in contact since talks with Florentino Perez on the club's tour of Asia.

AS reports that a contract extension is "not even close" as the centre-back wants €10 million a year rather than the €8.5m on offer. United may well revive their interest if no new deal is signed -- particularly as David De Gea's future remains uncertain -- with Ruud Gullit imploring his compatriot Van Gaal to sign defenders.

Martinez warning over Stones

The John Stones saga is twisting and turning like an expensive serpent in the grass, with the latest salvo coming from Everton boss Roberto Martinez.

The Toffees boss has described John Terry's public overtures toward Stones as "illegal" and "disappointing", adding: "It is wrong and it shouldn't happen." That's about as strong as the likable Spaniard's warnings get.

Chelsea are thought to be preparing a third bid for Stones in excess of £30m, and this is one battle that will not be won or lost either way until the transfer window snaps shut.

United bartering for Pedro

Pedro, Pedro, Pedro ... will he ever join Manchester United? The Barcelona forward has long been linked with a summer switch to Old Trafford, but the Mirror reports that United officials have doubts over his sell-on value and want to pay closer to £17m rather than his £22m buyout clause.

Louis van Gaal has plenty of money to spend after selling Angel Di Maria to Paris Saint-Germain for £44m on Thursday, but it's also understandable that the Red Devils want to avoid being stung with an inflated fee once again.

But given that Pedro is currently available for half the price of Di Maria, Transfer Talk can only hazard a guess that most United fans will be screaming for Ed Woodward to push through a deal as soon as possible. Di Maria's "sell-on value" was minus-£16m, so sometimes it's simply worth having the player in the squad rather than worrying about how to discard them afterwards.

Meanwhile, AS reports that the good form of Keylor Navas and Kiko Casilla have seen Real cool their interest in De Gea.

Villa suffer setback

Aston Villa have been busy adding new recruits since the departures of star duo Fabian Delph and Christian Benteke, but it seems that Tim Sherwood's recruitment drive is about to hit a roadblock.

The Mirror reports that Villa have been dealt a "double blow" in their pursuit of Joleon Lescott and Emmanuel Adebayor, with the former offered a new West Brom deal and the latter reluctant to move to the Midlands.

There is better news for Villa fans in The Sun, with the tabloid reporting that Sherwood is ready to bid £5m to sign winger Aaron Lennon from Tottenham this summer.

TAP-INS

- It's not just players that suffer when transfers don't work out -- multiple British outlets are reporting that Tottenham have agreed to a severance package with sporting director Franco Baldini, who will leave on Sept. 1 after a disappointing recruitment drive over the past two summers following Gareth Bale's departure.

- Most loan deals offer players the chance to impress over an extended period, although Rafael Romo will have just a fortnight to catch the eye at Watford.

The Mirror reports that the Hornets are lining up the Venezuela international goalkeeper on a two-week loan deal to replace the banned Giedrius Arlauskis.

The 25-year-old will join from Udinese -- owned by the Pozzo family, who also control Watford -- on what is a glorified work experience deal, but his performances could ultimately prove vital to the club's Premier League survival hopes.

- Gokhan Inler is a popular man this summer -- the Daily Mail reports that Leicester are in discussions with Napoli over a potential £3.1m move, but the Foxes also face competition from West Ham, Schalke, Besiktas, Fiorentina, Werder Bremen and Hamburg for the 31-year-old Swiss international.