The Transfer Window

It’s the final countdown. Duh du du duh duh, de den den den (or something like that).

By Conor Hogan

The final day of the transfer window, and there should be plenty of excitement. Not as much at Man City as you might expect, though, as Shay Given will be staying at Eastlands, as should Emmanuel Adebayor. Given was linked with a loan move to Fulham, but has decided to fight for a place with Joe Hart.

Adebayor, on the other hand, was linked with a shock loan move to this year's eventual Champions League winners Tottenham Hotspur. That’s the same Tottenham whose fans penned a song about the Togolese striker that wasn’t at all racist. Wheeler dealer Harry Redknapp made an enquiry, but City were hardly going to let him go to a rival for a top 4 place. Or Tottenham.

Some big moves today in Europe

Two players who should definitely be leaving Eastland’s are Robinho and Roque Santa Cruz, to AC Milan and Lazio respectively. Man City are going to take a combined £31million hit on those two players. Given’s decision to spend the rest of the season on Manchester City’s bench may scupper Arsenal’s £4million move for Mark Schwarzer. Arsene Wenger has finally matched Fulham’s valuation, but if they cannot get a replacement for the Australian, they might decide to block the transfer. And that of course would mean that Manuel Almunia wouldn’t be going anywhere either.

Former Arsenal player Alexander Hleb is in talks with Birmingham over a £4million move, and the Blues are also trying to hijack Juventus’ loan move for Arsenal’s Armand Traore, and are also targeting right backs Alan Hutton and Kyle Walker from wheeler dealer Harry Redknapp’s Tottenham Hotspur. Also linked with a move away from White Hart Lane are Robbie Keane and Jamie O’Hara, to West Ham. Redknapp is hoping to use his wheeling dealing powers by using those two players to eke out a deal for Scotty Parker.

Wheeler dealer Harry Redknapp

Redknapp is also hoping to wheel and deal with Everton by offering David Bentley in exchange for Steven Pienaar. He is also trying to get his hands on Inter Milan’s Sulley Muntari. They are the deals we know of – who knows what else that wheeler dealer has up his sleeve. Speaking of Everton, David Moyes has seen his odds to become the next manager of Aston Villa slashed from 50/1 to 11/4. Surely that would be a sideways step for the Scot.

Randy Lerner’s announcement that he wanted someone with Premier League experience has seen ex-Birmingham manager Steve Bruce and current Birmingham manager Alex McLeish linked. I’m sure that would go down well. Liverpool are the latest club to be linked with Utrecht’s prolific cartoon character Ricky van Wolfswinkel. He should work out at around £9million. Liverpool are still hoping to sign West Ham’s Carlton Cole.

Also linked with Wolfswinkel are Newcastle. Wigan are hoping to sign Franco Di Santo for £1.5million, Blackpool are after Strasbourg’s Mamadou Bah, Joseph Yobo is joining West Ham on a free, Liverpool’s Daniel Ayala could be joining Hull, Vennegoor of Hesselink has joined Rapid Vienna, Fulham could sign Eidur Gudjohnsen or someone else on loan from Monaco, Paul Scharner has joined West Brom on a free. And Asamoah Gyan could join Sunderland for a club record £12million.

And Padraig Amond is currently on a plane to Portugal as he prepares to complete his move from Sligo Rovers to Pacos Ferreira, who started their new season with a victory over Sporting Lisbon.

SPL in a bucket

Celtic have all but completed the signing of Anthony Stokes for £900,000 plus add-ons from Hibernian. Neil Lennon is also trying to make a 12th summer signing, in the guise of Aston Villa’s Curtis Davies on loan. The ex-West Brom man once cost Martin O’Neill £10million. Ranger’s sporting Kyle Lafferty is a loan target for Ian Holloway’s Blackpool, while Bears’ Lithuanian reserve Andrius Velicka has rejected a loan move to Kilmarnock.

To follow JOE's live tracker of Transfer deadline day click here.