David Villa has snubbed a host of premiership clubs to join Atletico Madrid, The Spain striker had just one year left on his deal at Barcelona, and moved to the Spanish capital for a fee of £4.5million.
Spurs and also Arsenal earlier this year, had tried to tempt the 31-year-old to England.
'The agreement and the signing of Villa as a new player at Atletico will be formalised after the player has taken a medical,' Atletico said on their Twitter feed.
Also leaving camp Nou is Eric Abidal who has signed for mega rich club Monaco. The former Barcelona defender joins the newly-promoted Ligue 1 side on an initial one-year contract, but the club will have the option of offering him an extra year when the current deal expires.
'The agreement and the signing of Villa as a new player at Atletico will be formalised after the player has taken a medical,' Atletico said on their Twitter feed.
Also leaving camp Nou is Eric Abidal who has signed for mega rich club Monaco. The former Barcelona defender joins the newly-promoted Ligue 1 side on an initial one-year contract, but the club will have the option of offering him an extra year when the current deal expires.
The 33-year-old France international has been a free agent since June after Barca decided against offering him a new contract.
Arouna Kone has signed a three-year deal at Everton for a fee of £5million to follow manager Roberto Martinez from Wigan to Goodison Park.
Martinez has sealed a reunion with the 29-year-old, whom he managed when he was in charge at the DW Stadium. And the Ivory Coast star is honoured to be back under Martinez's guidance once again.
'For me it’s an honour to be back working with the manager once again, Kone told the club's official website, 'last season he really helped me a lot.
'For my first season I did the absolute best I could, but I think that joining up with him at this club is like another dimension for me and I hope that I’m going to continue to improve alongside him'
The Ivory Coast star scored 11 Premier League goals in his first season in England and helped Wigan lift the FA Cup, but he has made no secret of his desire to leave after the club were relegated in May.
'I feel delighted. For me it is the fruition of work that has been going on for a month now.
'hope that everything goes well and I can have a great season for the club, just like I did last year with Wigan.
'I’ve played against [Everton] in the Premier League and in the FA Cup and it is like moving up a level.
'Every player dreams of playing for a bigger club, and coming here is a big step up for me.'
Its a case of Soldier go Soldier come, Barracks still dey in the DW stadium as the Latics replace Kone with Grant Holt from Norwich for a fee reported to be around £2 million.
Arouna Kone has signed a three-year deal at Everton for a fee of £5million to follow manager Roberto Martinez from Wigan to Goodison Park.
Martinez has sealed a reunion with the 29-year-old, whom he managed when he was in charge at the DW Stadium. And the Ivory Coast star is honoured to be back under Martinez's guidance once again.
'For me it’s an honour to be back working with the manager once again, Kone told the club's official website, 'last season he really helped me a lot.
'For my first season I did the absolute best I could, but I think that joining up with him at this club is like another dimension for me and I hope that I’m going to continue to improve alongside him'
The Ivory Coast star scored 11 Premier League goals in his first season in England and helped Wigan lift the FA Cup, but he has made no secret of his desire to leave after the club were relegated in May.
'I feel delighted. For me it is the fruition of work that has been going on for a month now.
'hope that everything goes well and I can have a great season for the club, just like I did last year with Wigan.
'I’ve played against [Everton] in the Premier League and in the FA Cup and it is like moving up a level.
'Every player dreams of playing for a bigger club, and coming here is a big step up for me.'
Its a case of Soldier go Soldier come, Barracks still dey in the DW stadium as the Latics replace Kone with Grant Holt from Norwich for a fee reported to be around £2 million.
The 32-year-old was a pivotal part of the Canaries’ journey from League One to the Premier League after joining from Shrewsbury in 2009.
After 68 league goals in 154 appearances for Norwich and three consecutive club player of the year awards between 2010 and 2013, Holt now becomes new Wigan boss Owen Coyle’s seventh summer signing.
"This is a fantastic piece of business for us at a really good price. Grant is a proven goalscorer at every level," Coyle said.
"He will definitely bring something new to the table that we were missing in the squad."
Marseille have agreed a deal in principle to sign teenage defender Benjamin Mendy from Le Havre, the Ligue 1 club have confirmed. The 18-year-old left-back was strongly linked with a move to Barclays Premier League side Sunderland but it appears l'OM have stolen a march on Paolo Di Canio's Black Cats.
A statement published on www.om.net read: 'Marseille and Le Havre have reached an agreement in principle for the transfer of Benjamin Mendy.'
The France youth international also reacted to the news through his official Twitter account tonight, writing: 'Hello Twitter, I am officially Marseillais.
Shakhtar Donetsk have announced that playmaker Henrikh Mkhitaryan has joined Borussia Dortmund in a 27.5 million euro (£24m) transfer.
Shakhtar Donetsk have announced that playmaker Henrikh Mkhitaryan has joined Borussia Dortmund in a 27.5 million euro (£24m) transfer.
Mkhitaryan, 24, had been a key summer target for Liverpool but has opted to sign for the beaten Champions League finalists.
The Armenia international joins Dortmund as a replacement for Mario Goetze, who signed for rivals Bayern Munich in a German record 37m euro (£32m) transfer this summer.
Mkhitaryan performs in a central role off the striker but last season scored a remarkable 25 league goals in 28 games as Shakhtar secured a fourth successive Ukrainian league title.
The playmaker joined Shakhtar from Metalurg Donetsk in 2010 and departs having scored a total of 44 goals in 106 games for the club.
Barcelona have launched a £30million bid for David Luiz – but Chelsea will refuse to sell him at that price. Barca, who for all of their quality remain short of options at the back, are prepared to increase their offer for the talented defender who they view as the long-term successor to captain Carles Puyol.
Sources claim it is 50-50 whether Luiz will stay at Chelsea.
He has become a key player since his arrival from Benfica in January 2011 but he is tempted by joining arguably Europe's strongest team.
In addition to lining up alongside Gerard Pique or Puyol, Luiz would be play alongside Brazil team-mates Dani Alves and Neymar.
Liverpool have held further talks with Luis Suarez’s agent and reiterated their determination to keep the Uruguay striker at Anfield.
But on the day agent Pere Guardiola - brother of Bayern Munich boss Pep - spoke with Brendan Rodgers and managing director Ian Ayre, Suarez’s compatriot Edison Cavani claimed his fellow countryman needs to quit Liverpool and find a club that can give him Champions League football.
Guardiola arrived at the Melwood training complex yesterday, hours after it had emerged Arsenal had a formal bid of £30million for Suarez rebuffed. The agent has been in regular contact with Liverpool and the talks, which had been scheduled, were described as cordial.
Suarez, who would prefer to move to Real Madrid, is not due to report back for pre-season training until July 22 and it has yet to be decided whether the 26-year-old will take any part in Liverpool’s tour of the Far East and Australia.
Arsenal are the only club to have made a serious enquiry about Suarez but the figure was some way below the £40million fee in his contract that stipulates he can seek permission to speak to clubs prepared to offer that figure.
Chelsea will match Wayne Rooney’s £240,000-a-week wages in a five-year deal worth a staggering £60million - if he can force his way out of Manchester United.
Rooney is Jose Mourinho’s first-choice transfer target and the Chelsea manager has been encouraged that he can still land the striker this summer.
Although Rooney was told by David Moyes last week that he will not be allowed to leave United, there are issues which remain unresolved.
Cristiano Ronaldo wants to play out the rest of his career at Real Madrid according to the club's president Florentino Perez. The Portugal international's contract at the Bernabeu runs out in 2015 but reports have linked the former World Player of the Year with a move away from the Spanish giants.
'The person who wants to retire at Real Madrid is Ronaldo and Real want him to retire here too,' Real president Florentino Perez said to Spanish media.
'There haven’t been any negotiations (on a new deal) because he is on holiday. Be in no doubt, Cristiano will retire here because he wants to. Just as (Zinedine) Zidane and other great players have done.'
Meanwhile, the La Liga side have been linked with a possible move for Tottenham star Gareth Bale but Perez was quick to dismiss the speculation.
'He is a great player that belongs to a club we are very friendly with,' he said. 'But we haven’t made any offer.'
One player who could be on his way out of the Bernabeu is Arsenal target Gonzalo Higuain, however Real claim they have not received an offer and are not keen on selling the striker despite his wish to leave.
Perez said: 'We don’t want him to go. Furthermore, no one from Arsenal has been here to make any type of offer, not for 27 million euros, or anything.'
Real Madrid midfielder Xabi Alonso has dismissed any chance of a return to the Premier League this summer.The midfielder is the subject of speculation as he enters the final 12 months of his current contract at the Santiago Bernabeu.
It is thought that he will not start talks on a renewal until November, leading to rumours that he may be sold before then - with Chelsea and former club Liverpool said to be interested.
However, the Daily Mail are quoting the player as outright dismissing such links.
“The Premier League? No,” Alonso reportedly commented when asked.
“No way, no chance.”
Christian Benteke has stunned Aston Villa by handing in a transfer request. The 22-year-old Belgium striker, who was the club’s top scorer with 19 Premier League goals last season, has been left behind from the club’s pre-season training trip to Germany.
Tottenham, Liverpool and Arsenal have all been linked with the powerful 6ft 4in front man, who has spent the summer stalling over the offer of a new contract.
Villa will put a £25m price tag on Benteke in an effort to scare off potential bidders, who could also include Atletico Madrid.
But they have admitted that if anybody matches their valuation they will allow the former Genk striker to talk.
A club statement last night said: ‘For clarity’s sake we should make it clear that Christian had already been given extra time off until July 18 and was reminded that there are three years remaining on his contract.'
‘We consider him to be a Villa player and expect that he will be with us for the 2013-14 season.
‘Having received his transfer request, we have also informed him that should we receive an offer within an appropriate time frame during pre-season which meets our valuation we would act upon it. But he will remain a Villa player should this not happen.’
Paul Lambert said: 'While we’re hugely disappointed that Christian has put in a transfer request, it’s important that people appreciate we are trying to build something strong and vibrant here at the club, something this club demands and stands for, and we want Christian to be part of that.'
Manchester City have abandoned their £15million pursuit of Real Madrid centre-back Pepe after he was persuaded to stay at the Bernabeu by new manager Carlo Ancelotti.
However, they are considering reviving interest in Fiorentina striker Stevan Jovetic, 23, as Juventus struggle to finalise a deal.
City are continuing to negotiate over a £20m move for Sevilla striker Alvaro Negredo although the Spanish club have yet to receive a formal offer.
Everton are working on a deal for £8m-rated Chelsea winger Victor Moses. The 22-year-old is favoured by Roberto Martinez who knows him well from his Wigan days. Everton would prefer a loan while deals for Spartak Moscow's Aiden McGeady and Swansea's Nathan Dyer are still under discussion.
Charlie Austin's proposed move to Hull City has fallen through. Burnley said the transfer of the star striker, who hit 28 goals in 40 appearances last season for the Championship club, is off “due to unforeseen complications”.
Earlier reports claimed Austin had failed a medical at the KC Stadium, where he was expected to be unveiled this week after a £4.5 million deal was agreed between the clubs.
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