Transfer news LIVE: Giroud Chelsea announcement, Ozil agrees new Arsenal deal, Aubameyang signs, Mahrez latest
Follow the latest from the final day of the January transfer window
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Your support makes all the difference.Welcome to our LIVE coverage of the very latest transfer deadline day news and rumours. Arsenal have completed the club-record signing of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang after getting the green light from Borussia Dortmund to announce the deal, with the striker joining for £56m, and have followed it up by agreeing a new three-and-a-half year contract extension for Mesut Özil that will see him paid £350,000-a-week.
The Gunners have put the 3-1 defeat by Swansea behind them on Wednesday by announcing a new club-record deal, with Olivier Giroud now expected to leave the club. Giroud looks certain to leave Arsenal for Chelsea after Blues agreed an £18m deal with the Gunners to keep him remain in the Premier League. Meanwhile, Dortmund are set to sign Chelsea’s Michy Batshuayi on loan until the end of the season, with the Belgian striker in Dortmund undergoing a medical.
Manchester City will continue their late pursuit of Riyad Mahrez, although Leicester City are believed to have rejected a third offer on Tuesday worth £55m, and have informed the Premier League leaders that it will take a lot more to tempt them into selling as they do not have enough time to find a replacement.
Tottenham will also complete their first bit of business this month after agreeing a deal worth around £28m wit Paris saint-Germain to sign Lucas Moura, with a medical already completed this morning.
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This picture of Olivier Giroud holding a No18 Chelsea shirt aloft has just emerged on Twitter.
Confirmation of that deal is imminent.
Jordan Hugill is set to make the step up from the Championship to the Premier League, leaving Preston North End and joining West Ham United.
The two clubs have agreed a fee and the 25-year-old striker is currently travelling down to London to finalise terms and complete a medical.
Bournemouth forward Lewis Grabban is set to join Aston Villa on loan until the end of the season, according to Sky Sports.
The 30-year-old, who hasn't played for Bournemouth since January 2017, spent the first half of the season at Sunderland, scoring 12 goals in 19 Championship appearances.
Neymar has leapt to the defence of Tottenham Hotspur’s new signing Lucas Moura after the criticism the Brazilian has received his announcing he would leave Paris Saint-Germain.
Lucas’ £25m move to Spurs will be announced on deadline day after he fell out of favour in Paris following the arrivals of compatriot Neymar and Kylian Mbappe, playing a total of only 79 minutes this season.
“I’m sad, because he’s a good friend, he’s a quality player who was rarely used. I think it’s very unfair,” Neymar said following PSG’s win over Rennes.
“He is my brother in football. I wish him the best. Whatever the destination, I hope he will score a lot and he will return to the Brazilian national team.
“He’s not just a friend, he’s a very good guy. Here he could have been used a lot more but I’m not the owner of the team, not the owner of Paris.”
There is significant interest in Lazar Markovic, believe it or not, with Swansea City and Wolfsburg both interested in the Liverpool outcast.
The Serbian winger could still go either way and if a deal is completed, either on loan or permanently, it will only come later tonight.
Chelsea have confirmed they have completed the signing of Olivier Giroud from Arsenal.
Giroud's transfer to Chelsea is official
Crystal Palace are confident enough on signing talented young forward Alexandr Sorloth that they are handing West Ham United a clear run at Preston's Jordan Hugill.
Sorloth, 22, is intended as back-up and competition for Christian Benteke. Negotiations with Sorloth's club, FC Midtjylland, should be eased by the fact that their owner, James Benham, and director of football, Rasmus Ankersen, are both London-based.
Manchester City have pulled out of the deal to sign Riyad Mahrez from Leicester.
Earlier today City tabled a player-plus-cash offer worth £95million for the Algerian winger but even that wasn't enough to persuade the Foxes to sell their star player.
City have now withdrawn their interest and it looks as though Mahrez will remain at the King Power Stadium until the end of the season.
DONE DEAL
Chelsea have confirmed the signing of Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud for £18m on an 18-month contract.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's move from Borussia Dortmund to Arsenal was confirmed this morning with the second part of the merry-go-round now complete with Giroud confirmed as a Chelsea player. The final deal will now see Michy Batshuayi, Chelsea's current back-up striker to Alvaro Morata, fill the void left by Aubameyang's exit at Dortmund.
Giroud said: “Chelsea is one of the biggest teams in the Premier League. They have won maybe the most trophies in the last six or seven years. It’s a massive club and I am proud to sign for Chelsea, and I’m looking forward to playing.”
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