Hints of a £40m bid for a German international broke out like 2 or 3 days before via Geoff. Everyone was thinking its Draxler. Then the next day Dean said its not. Some then thought maybe Reus, but started becoming clear it might be Özil after Wengs gave that infamous grin after Tottenham match.

Be great banter if we bought another attacking midfield midget.

Clrnc wrote:
Wilshere wrote:

Mandzukic wasn't gettable?

Apparently to the Spanish, we bidded for him but he chose Atleti.

Tactics wrote:

Costa had a clause (around 20m) last summer , weren't our scouts aware of his ability?

Liverpool activated the clause and he was very close to joining them but he turned them down at the last moment. Would have been daft to leave a CL side for a mid table PL side (which Liverpool were at the time).

Fairly certain this is wrong. Liverpool's bid got rejected time and time again, so they didn't sell Suarez.

From the BBC:

Liverpool have made a £21m offer for Atletico Madrid striker Diego Costa.

The offer is believed to have triggered the 24-year-old's release clause and Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers is hopeful of completing the deal swiftly.

http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/23543131

The Guardian reported the same thing:

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2013/aug/01/liverpool-diego-costa-atletico-madrid

The clause was common knowledge, it was increased to around 30m after he decided to stay.

L'Equipe reportedly saying we have bid £28m for Matuidi and he was left out of their squad today ...

For what it's worth - no French players were included.

Indeed. Couldn't pick a more ideal player for us. Exactly the type and quality of player we need.

Had a feeling before the game today that we would sign a back up CB. But now with all the talk of a striker in the mix, guess we'll just have to wait. Either way, don't think a 'madness' isn't brewing. It will be a squad player.

I'm not even that desperate for signings, I just think we're a lot better than we're showing atm and we need to start clicking on the pitch. But we've been waiting for it to click for over a year now. Still we ended up with 79 points last year with more disjointed performances than fluent ones. Anyway on transfers, I'd still go with a defensive player.

marv3llous wrote:

L'Equipe reportedly saying we have bid £28m for Matuidi and he was left out of their squad today ...

Yeah right, 28m for that headless chicken.

It's bullshit. Nothing on L'Equipe.

Sometimes l'equipe retweet other rumours and people think it's them supporting the rumour rather than reporting it.

Kroenke is in town. Probably doesn't mean anything, but still.

We'll make a late dash for Bobby Zamora and that will be that.

We need a proper Kroenke Wengy bust up

Valencia on the verge of sealing loan deal for Negredo. Falcao deal to City still on hold.

Is deadline day today or tomorrow? Bit confused. Also, if it is today anyone have any streams of sky sports I could check out later? if it seems like we're close to something.

Alderweireld in Southampton for a medical.

Another defender link dies.