Mario Balotelli remains linked with AC Milan, though rivals Inter insist they have first refusal on the striker. Wesley Sneijder is still holding out hope of a move in the other direction to the Premier League, while it could be the end of the road for Nicolas Anelka after quitting Shanghai Shenhua.

PA PhotosMario Balotelli's future has been the subject of intense speculation

23.59 GMT: That's it for another day of transfer news. Stay tuned for Saturday's paper round-up.

23.46 GMT: Spurs midfielder Jake Livermore is expected to join ex-boss Harry Redknapp on loan at QPR for the rest of the season.

23.08 GMT: LA Galaxy have signed Gyasi Zardes as a Homegrown player.

22.28 GMT: Jay Tabb has been told he has no future at Reading and is free to leave the club this month.

21.45 GMT: Time is running out to pick your Premier League fantasy team for the rest of the season. It's open to those who have been playing all season and new players too. Sign up right here before Saturday's free transfer deadline.

21.22 GMT: It looks like Nikola Zigic will be staying in English football at Birmingham City until the end of the season with his agent rejecting talk of a move to Villarreal.

20:47 GMT: The agent of Manchester City striker John Guidetti - who impressed at Feyenoord last season - says the player wants to go out on loan for the second half of the season. "Now he is back after injury and he's looking for a team, but I think his most likely destination will be in England," according to the player's agent Roberto De Fanti. "A move to Italy could be possible for next season."

20:13 GMT DONE DEAL: Reading have confirmed the signing of full-back Stephen Kelly from Fulham on a two-and-a-half year deal for an undisclosed fee.

20:01 GMT: Despite reports earlier in the day that US International Juan Agudelo was closing in on a move to Scottish Champions Celtic, sources close to ESPN have indicated this is not the case, describing the claims as 'premature'. The forward is currently with MLS side Chivas USA and spent November training with the Glasgow club.

19:35 GMT: The President of Al-Hilal, Abdulrahman bin Musa'ad, has confirmed that Abdou Mangane is set to leave the club on Saturday and complete a move to Sunderland: "Mangane's transfer to Sunderland is on the verge of completion, it is just awaiting his signature," he said after Al-Hilal’s game against Al-Ahly on Friday. The 29-year-old, formerly of Rennes, has been keen to secure a move to the Premier League.

19:09 GMT: News of a likely transfer in the Championship now, and La Liga side Almeria have agreed terms with Brighton & Hove Albion for the sale of striker Leonardo Ulloa who will now fly to England for talks.

18:40 GMT: Clubs tracking Jeremie Aliadiere have been given a hands-off warning by Lorient coach Christian Gourcuff. "I know Jeremie's wife is missing England a lot but I know Jeremie will still be here on February 1st," Gourcuff told L'Equipe. "Losing such a decisive player in the middle of a season would be an aberration.

18.19 GMT DONE DEAL: West Ham have confirmed the signing of Cruzeiro striker Wellington Paulista on an initial six-month loan deal, with the option to make it a permanent transfer on a three-year contract.

17:55 GMT: Alfred N'Diaye is available for Sunderland's Premier League clash with West Ham on Saturday after receiving his international clearance.

17:42 GMT DONE DEAL: German champions Borussia Dortmund have brought Nuri Sahin back to the club on a long-term loan, after his temporary spell at Liverpool from Real Madrid was cut short.

17:38 GMT: An update on the Wesley Sneijder situation, with his agent saying the player could complete a move to Galatasaray from Inter Milan on Saturday. Quoted in the Gazzetta dello Sport, Lerby said: "The talks started yesterday and today a delegation from the club arrived to meet him. Now the decision lies with him, anything is possible in football and Turkey is fast becoming a hot destination. If everything goes to plan the deal will go through. We will wake up tomorrow and everything will be more clear."

17:32 GMT: Eintracht Frankfurt have dismissed reports that Sebastian Rode will be leaving them to join Bayern Munich at the end of the season. Director of sport Bruno Hubner insists he will be staying put, at least for the next 18 months: "There is a lot of speculation right now because we have played such a good first half of the season, therefore it is normal."

"But there is no truth in the rumours. We have not had any actual contact with Bayern. The 22-year-old defender has a contract with the Eagles until 2014 and they are keen to extend that deal rather than sell the player."

"We have agreed that Rode is not for sale at any price,'' added Hubner to Hessische Rundfunk radio. "He will definitely be playing with us until the end of his contract, no matter what. We knew that we would be confronted with such speculation given the season we have played, but we need to support our players and make sure they don't get carried away."

17:30 GMT: ITV are reporting that Anzhi Makhachkala are going to offer David Beckham a two-year contract in Russia. They reportedly hope he will thereafter join former teammate Roberto Carlos in an administrative role at the club.

17:28 GMT: Along with signing Nuri Sahin on loan. Borussia Dortmund have signed Marcel Schmelzer up to a new contract until 2017.

17:25 GMT: Toulouse midfielder Moussa Sissoko has revealed he will wait until his current contract expires at the end of the season before deciding which club to join, with the 23-year old giving a subtle indication that it may be Newcastle. The French international is reportedly being chased by Juventus, Tottenham, and the Magpies, with current club Toulouse recently admitting they would accept a fee of just ¬3.5million for him in January.

"I will wait until the end of the season and decide what to do," said Sissoko."I might stay here, who knows. In football, strange things happen. Newcastle are a good team with some French players, so they are attractive to me, but at the end of the season we will see what happens."

17:12 GMT: DONE DEAL: Southampton defender Ryan Dickson has joined Bradford City on loan until the end of the season.

17:00 GMT: Ibtimes.co.uk are reporting that Ajax will look to bring Assaidi back to the Eredivisie from Liverpool. The 24-year-old made his name at Heerenveen before switching to Anfield.

16:45 GMT: BREAKING Now confirmed by ruhr nachrichten. Nuri Sahin will be joining Borussia Dortmund on loan with an option to buy.

16:30 GMT: Another quote from AC Milan CEO Adriano Galliani: "We’ve turned down Zenit’s offer for Abate, we won’t sell him."

16:25 GMT: Fiorentina have ruled themselves out of making a move for Frank Lampard. Sporting director Daniele Prade is quoted as saying: "Lampard is not part of our plans in both the economic sense and due to his age as he is a player who wants a contract for several years."

16:10 GMT: Rayo Vallecano forward Leo Baptistao is set for summer switch to Atletico Madrid, according to AS.

15:50 GMT: Earlier today Birmingham City rejected a bid for Chris Burke from Nottingham Forest. Former Blues boss Alex McLeish came in with a £300,000 offer for the winger, who is out of contract at the season's end.

15:40 GMT: More on Taison deal. Shakhtar Donetsk paid £12.4 million for the Brazilian. FULL STORY HERE

15:35 GMT: More and more talk of what we reported earlier (see 14:15). Nuri Sahin looks like he's returning to Borussia Dortmund for sure. The news will be announced at 17:00 GMT in Dortmund's press conference.

15:20 GMT: DONE DEAL: Walsall have completed the signing of West Bromwich Albion midfielder Sam Mantom on a free transfer.

15:05 GMT: Does Taison moving to Shakhtar Donetsk free up space for Willian to leave? Spurs and Chelsea will be interested.

14:50 GMT: DONE DEAL: Chelsea target Taison has signed a five-year deal with Shakhtar Donetsk.

14:40 GMT: TalkSPORT are reporting that Fulham are no closer to getting Brede Hangeland to sign a new deal. Manager Martin Jol also expressed his admiration for Tottenham midfielder Tom Huddlestone, "If Tom is fit he is always in the back of my mind. But I don't want to speculate."

14:25 GMT: Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard has been amusingingly linked with Stoke City but boss Tony Pulis believes that the Britannia Stadium will not be a likely destination for Lampard: "I think if he doesn’t sign for Chelsea, Frank will have other options and ideas in his mind. He has played down south all his life and I can’t see him wanting to move up north. I think if Frank was going to go anywhere, I’m sure it would be down south."

14:15 GMT: BREAKING: Borussia Dortmund have called a press conference, and are reportedly set to announce the return of Nuri Sahin to the Bundesliga champions. More on this as it happens.

14:10 GMT: BREAKING Thomas Hitzlsperger's stay at Everton has been extended until the end of the season.

14:05 GMT: Sky Sports are reporting that Wellington Paulista has passed his medical at West Ham and is expected to complete his move by the end of today.

13:50 GMT: DONE DEAL: Colchester United have signed young Chelsea midfielder Billy Clifford on loan for one month.

13:45 GMT: Various sources reporting that Napoli and Arsenal have joined Newcastle and QPR in the race to sign Loic Remy from Marseille.

13:20 GMT: BREAKING It's been confirmed that Fulham defender Stephen Kelly is undergoing a medical at Reading ahead of a permanent move.

13:10 GMT: Udinese are expected to sell midfielder Willians back to Brazil to Internacional, according to Football-italia.net.

12:55 GMT: More on the Negredo to Spurs story. Ibtimes.co.uk are reporting that Negredo is reportedly close to joining Tottenham for £15m after the Spanish club's president, Jose Maria del Nido, flew to London on Thursday night. The 27-year-old is also a target for Arsenal. Negredo is quoted as saying: "The Premier League is a great competition, I really like it and I think my style of football would be well-suited to it."

12:40 GMT: Moyes on the Ross Barkley deal: "The boy is going to be a very good player but he is still young and still young, maturity wise, and we have to be wary of that. We’ve no problem with boys making mistakes, but you don’t want to make mistakes that cost the team, especially when we are in such a good position."

12:30 GMT: Reports from DailyExpress.co.uk suggest Real Madrid have opened negotiations with Ashley Cole over a summer move to start the race for the England full-back’s signature.

12:17 GMT: QPR boss Harry Redknapp has insisted he will not be buying Stoke’s former Tottenham midfielder Wilson Palacios. "I had Wilson at Tottenham. If I wanted to I could speak to Tony [Pulis] about him, but no."

12:08 GMT: Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has insisted there is "nothing to report" with regard to January signings. He told a press conference on Friday: "It is January. You (the media) are all getting a bit desperate." FULL STORY HERE

11:55 GMT: DONE DEAL: Everton youngster Ross Barkley has signed a loan deal at Leeds United.

11:40 GMT: Bayer Leverkusen have said they have no interest in allowing Sidney Sam to join Schalke.

11:30 GMT: Steve Clarke has vetoed the possible January departure of Jerome Thomas from West Bromwich Albion and challenged the winger to win a new contract at the club.

"This is a great chance for him. He will get chances to play, be in and around the team and it’s up to him to show the form he has in the previous seasons because he’s been a good servant for the Albion," said Clarke.

Clarke also admitted Albion will still be looking to allow Graham Dorrans to leave the club this month if they can reach an agreement which suits all parties. "If it’s good for the club and it is good for Graham we will do something in January. If not, he will stay with us until the rest of this season."

11:22 GMT: Roberto Mancini has insisted that he will not sell Mario Balotelli to AC Milan and said he is "very happy" to keep the striker at Manchester City.

It is believed City would be willing to let Balotelli leave if the right offer came in but Mancini said: "It is not true. I am very, very happy [to keep him]." Last week, Mancini pledged to give Balotelli "another 100 chances" despite their training-ground clash, when the manager was pictured grabbing the forward by the bib.

Mancini added: "He went with the Under 21s because he needed a game after four weeks without a game. He played one game and he played well."

11:15 GMT: Borussia Dortmund were linked with a move for Eintracht Frankfurt midfielder Sebastian Rode earlier this week, but Bild reports that Bayern Munich have entered the race for his services. Frankfurt chief executive Heribert Bruchhagen is quoted as saying: “Rode is sheer quality. He is basically involved in every Eintracht goal. Therefore it is important to note that every offer, high as it might be, bears no proportion to the economic risk we take by getting relegated for the second time. As a result, it might be that he leaves on a free in 2014.”

11:02 GMT: Sky Sports are reporting that Sunderland have agreed a loan deal to sign Kader Mangane, with the move set to go through once the Senegal international has passed a medical.

10:55 GMT: Arsene Wenger on Theo Walcott: "We are on a good road with Theo. I was optimistic last week, but even more optimistic this week.

He continued: "I can see Theo Walcott playing more up front, but he never made it a condition to sign or not. He is happy to play on the wing as well. Walcott is a different animal now. His finishing has improved significantly and you can see a difference with the runs he makes." FULL STORY HERE

10:40 GMT: Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdes suggested a few weeks ago that he quite liked the idea of playing abroad, but the club’s director of football, Andoni Zubizarreta, has said: “The conversations we have had with his agent and with him are on the right road. I do not answer rumours or talk about them.”

10:30 GMT: There have been reports that Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas could be forced to seek a move, with the Spain international having spent time on the bench in recent weeks as a result of an apparent feud with Jose Mourinho. However, speaking at a PR event for Head and Shoulders, Casillas suggested he would stay on even if the coach does: “As far as I know, he has a contract until 2016. I also have a contract with the club and my intention is to fulfil it.”

10:18 GMT: Paris Saint-Germain forward Nene is 80% likely to join Santos, his agent has told RMC.

10:10 GMT: Lorient coach Christian Gourcuff has said Jeremie Aliadiere, a target for Newcastle, will not be leaving. "His wife misses England but Jeremie will be here on Feb 1,” he told L'Equipe.

10:00 GMT: Reports in France suggest talks have stalled as Fenerbahce look to sign Montpellier playmaker Younes Belhanda.

09:39 GMT: Santos star Neymar has said he does not “have a deal with Barcelona or any other team”, adding: “The only contract I have is with Santos until 2014, which I want to fulfil.”

09:30 GMT: Bild claims Mainz striker Adam Szalai has a €15 million release clause in his contract. The Bundesliga side denied claims earlier this week that Arsenal had expressed an interest in his services.

09:25 GMT: Arsene Wenger on Arsenal’s plans this month: “We are still working in the transfer market but we only want exceptional players.”

09:16 GMT: Sevilla have denied reports president Jose Maria del Nido was in London on Thursday attempting to drum up bids for Spain striker Alvaro Negredo. The Daily Mail had suggested Tottenham were in talks.

09:03 GMT: Polonia Warsaw winger Pawel Wszolek, 20, expected to sign for Hannover but was not on the flight to Germany on Thursday. “He should have been on that flight,” the Bundesliga side’s athletic director, Jorg Schmadtke, said. “It looks like he got cold feet.” Wzsolek trained with Polonia on Thursday. “It’s all a bit weird, really. Right now, it looks like the transfer is off,” Schmadtke added.

08:52 GMT: According to Bild, Tottenham are chasing Hamburg’s 20-year-old attacker Son Heung-Min. “Spurs always try to sign the best talents from all over the world,” Rafael van der Vaart is quoted as saying. “That’s why they are up there nearly every season.” Bild says Spurs would need to splash out €10 million for the 20-year-old, who is contracted until 2014.

08:40 GMT: The Daily Mail believes Nottingham Forest will make a move for Blackburn goalkeeper Paul Robinson, while Arsenal’s Lukasz Fabianski has also been suggested as a potential target. Forest’s current No. 1, Northern Ireland international Lee Camp, has been told he can leave the club, with his contract set to expire in the summer and the two parties having failed to agree an extension.

08:34 GMT: Inter Milan want to sign Gaston Ramirez from Southampton, according to the Daily Mirror, and would be prepared to include Ricky Alvarez in the deal. AC Milan had previously been linked with the Uruguay winger but vice-president Adriano Galliani dismissed the claims.

08:26 GMT: Galatasaray president Unal Aysal has apparently told Turkish television that the club is keen to sign Nacer Chadli from Twente, but the Belgium winger is apparently planning to stay put until the end of the season. This news is brought to you by Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf, which also believes Wesley Sneijder wants to wait until the end of the month before giving the Turkish giants a decision on his future, despite the club having said they expect a decision today.

08:09 GMT: Anderlecht are playing hardball over Argentina international Lucas Biglia, who has gone AWOL as he attempts to force a move, with various clubs - Arsenal among them - said to be interested. “We are not stupid,” the club’s general manager, Herman van Holsbeeck, said in De Standaard. “We know Biglia has been dreaming about a big transfer for a while, but those around him must realise Anderlecht aren’t under pressure to give him up. We’re willing to talk about a transfer in July, but there is no question of a January move, unless we receive the €8 million that we agreed when he signed his contract a year and a half ago. We won’t deviate from that.”

07:52 GMT: Despite the suggestions that Manchester United will face no competition in their bid to sign winger Wilfried Zaha from Crystal Palace, The Independent believes Arsenal are still in the mix.

07:43 GMT: The Independent has an exclusive on Newcastle defender Fabricio Coloccini: “The 30-year-old told club officials today that he wanted to return home to Argentina. His representatives flew to Tyneside for a meeting to tell the club that the player no longer felt he could stay and wished to leave before the end of the month.” It’s thought he is likely to join former club San Lorenzo, with the paper suggesting a loan deal might be in the pipeline.

07:30 GMT: Agent Mino Raiola has also claimed Robinho - who is apparently eager to secure a move back to Brazil - “will stay at Milan and could also extend his contract, which expires in 2014”.

07:23 GMT: On the Mario Balotelli to AC Milan rumours - which certainly seem outlandish given the finance involved, Silvio Berlusconi’s “rotten apple” remark and the fact Manchester City have said he is not for sale - the player's agent, Mino Raiola, has told Sky Sport 24: "There's a 0.0001% possibility of Balotelli returning to Italy in January."

07:13 GMT: Where is Edinson Cavani going to end up? On Napoli: “I hope to stay here for a long time. Naples has given me so much and that is why I am so happy here." On the prospect of linking up with Manchester City star, and apparent AC Milan target, Mario Balotelli: "I would certainly love to play alongside him. He is a champion and has proved that." His dad on Real Madrid in a Marca TV interview: "Madrid would be the ideal club for Cavani. Since he was a boy he has always had eyes for Real." In summary, it's hard to say.

06:11 GMT Widespread reports circulating that former Cordoba striker and Philipines international, Angel Guirado, has signed for Chinese Super League outfit Jiangsu Sainty.

05:16 GMT The Sun reports Chelsea may miss out on Metalist Kharkiv star Taison, with his club having opened negotiations with Shakhtar Donetsk over the player. It is said Metalist would prefer not to sell to Roman Abramovich.

04:07 GMT Plenty of movement at A-League leaders Central Coast Mariners. Following the news that Bernie Ibini will trial with Club Brugge comes the SBS report that goalkeeper Mat Ryan is close to a deal with Danish club Randers.

03:00 GMT Swansea are ready to land another Spanish star as they seem likely to sign Real Betis midfielder Jose Alberto Canas.

01:30 GMT And we're back with Friday's paper round-up. Keep an eye on all the transfer talk throughout the day.

AC Milan are set launch a bid in excess of £20 million for Manchester City misfit Mario Balotelli, according to widespread reports in the English press. The Daily Mail claims Robinho will depart the San Siro in order to make way for Balotelli's arrival. The reports come in the wake of owner Silvio Berlusconi calling Balotelli a "rotten apple", while Inter Milan maintain they have first refusal on the striker.

Inter's Wesley Sneijder appears certain to reply to Galatasaray's offer on Friday, but the Daily Mail states the midfielder is hoping for a last-gasp bid from Manchester United, City, Tottenham or Chelsea. It is believed the Premier League is Sneijder's first choice destination, but his wage demands have thus far scuppered any deal. Friday morning could prove pivotal if any of England's big clubs are willing to pay £200,000-a-week for the 28-year-old.

The career of enigmatic striker Nicolas Anelka is in the balance, with reports in The Sun suggesting the former France international is ready to announce his retirement. Anelka has left Chinese Super League club Shanghai Shenhua and is currently training with old boss Carlo Ancelotti at Paris Saint-Germain, but a move to Ligue 1 is considered unlikely.

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