West Brom have reiterated that Saido Berahino will not be sold during this summer's transfer window.
The 22-year-old forward has been the subject of two rejected bids from Tottenham and seen a transfer request turned down, but speculation has persisted that he could soon be plying his trade at White Hart Lane.
But Baggies chairman Jeremy Peace has moved to end such talk by revealing he has spoken to the player and told him he is staying put.
"I have informed Saido that he will not be transferred during this summer window and that he is staying at the club," he said in a statement.
"As I have made clear from the moment Tottenham lodged their first bid for Saido on August 18, selling our top goalscorer was never on our agenda this summer."
"Our plans have always been based on Saido being part of our squad for the 2015-16 season," Peace added. "But there are two other good reasons why he will not be sold.
"Firstly, had we ever entertained the notion of selling him we have not received an offer anywhere near attractive enough from Tottenham Hotspur.
"Not only have the offers been too low as a valuation of the player, but they have been based on stage-payments and add-ons over a long period which do nothing to reflect Saido's ability and potential."
Peace, who has been in control at the Hawthorns since 2002, was also critical of the timing of Spurs' push to sign their leading scorer from last year with 14 Premier League goals, given the transfer window will close in just five days.
He highlighted how leaving it so late would give the Baggies very little time to seek out a replacement.
"I have the greatest respect for Daniel Levy but he must surely appreciate we would have needed to replace Saido had he left and no consideration of that position has been reflected by Tottenham's strategy," he added.
"I have spoken to Saido and of course I have sympathy for him. He has been unsettled and distracted by all this and I understand that.
"But I have strongly advised him to put this behind him and get back to what he does best which is to work hard for the team and score goals for Albion."
Republic of Ireland forward Jonathan Walters wants to stay with Stoke and continue his longest-ever stint at the same club despite the prolonged negotiations over his contract, the Stoke Sentinel newspaper has reported.
The 31-year-old was the subject of a failed bid from Norwich City last week and has been widely tipped to leave the Britannia Stadium after entering the final year of his current deal.
"Of course I'd be disappointed if I had to leave the club," Walters said.
"I want to stay. I've been here five years, this is my sixth season and it's the longest I've been at any club," he added.
Manager Mark Hughes has made it clear that he wants to keep Walters and said earlier this week that the player would probably be allowed to run down the rest of his contract and leave for free next year if a deal could not be reached.
Walters admitted there was still doubt over whether he would sign a new contract.
"There's a contract there but (not for me to consider)," the Sentinel quoted the player as saying.
"In my eyes if they valued me it would be there and it's not there so ... talk's cheap when it comes to things like these and I'll leave it for the men behind the scenes to sort out," he added.
"People behind the scenes know why and I'll leave it with my agents and lawyer. I can't really go too much into it," said Walters, who has scored 34 league goals for Stoke since he joined from Ipswich in 2010.
Stoke, who are 15th in the table with two points from their first three games, take on former manager Tony Pulis' West Bromwich Albion on Saturday, and Walters could feature after recovering from the virus that saw him miss the 1-1 draw away at Norwich City last weekend.
He played a full part in the penalty shootout win against Luton Town in the League Cup on the Tuesday and opened his account for the season when he gave Stoke the lead in the 67th minute.
"I'm ok and I played 120 minutes at Luton ... so it's about recovering after that and getting ready for the weekend because we've got a big squad and everyone is fighting for places," Walters said.
Kevin de Bruyne's transfer to Manchester City has not gone through yet, although Wolfsburg's director of sport Klaus Allofs has confirmed talks between the two clubs are under way.
Reports in England and Germany claimed on Wednesday night that widespread agreement had been reached between all parties, with estimates ranging from between €75m and €80m for a transfer fee.
Allofs denied that was the case, however. "There is no agreement with De Bruyne and with Manchester City," Allofs said at a press conference on Thursday.
"We have agreed to open negotiations, and that has happened, but Kevin is still a Wolfsburg player.
"We are not in any rush to get this (transfer) through. The interests of both sides must be considered.
"If our expectations are not fulfilled, Kevin will be playing for Wolfsburg this season, and I wouldn't mind that.
"In the end, there can only be winners from this deal and that applies also to Wolfsburg. If that is not the case, then there will be no transfer."
Sevilla have completed the signing of forward Fernando Llorente from Juventus and the 30-year-old former Spain international has agreed a three-year contract.
Sevilla announced late on Wednesday Llorente was in the Andalusian capital for a medical and he returns to La Liga, where he made his name with Basque club Athletic Bilbao, after two years in Turin.
Llorente had agreed with Juve to rescind his contract and his buyout clause will be €20 million, Sevilla, who were in the market for a forward after selling Colombia international Carlos Bacca to AC Milan, said on their website (www.sevillafc.com).
Llorente struggled for consistency after joining the Italian champions and had limited playing time last season under coach Massimiliano Allegri.
He played 92 times for Juve and scored 27 goals, including 16 in Serie A in 2013-14 in what was widely seen as a successful debut season in Italy.
Llorente has played 24 times for Spain, scoring seven goals. His last international was in November 2013 but his return to La Liga may boost his chances of winning a place in coach Vicente del Bosque's squad for Euro 2016 in France.
Everton manager Roberto Martinez insists he has "great plans" for wantaway defender John Stones.
The 21-year-old's transfer request, submitted on Tuesday, was rejected by the Spaniard on Thursday morning after he returned to work following their extra-time 5-3 Capital One Cup victory at Barnsley.
A determined Martinez has been adamant throughout the saga of three bids from Chelsea, the last for £30million, that the centre-back is not for sale and he is maintaining that position.
Despite Stones asking to leave the Toffees boss is confident he can not only keep hold of a prized asset but persuade the player he has a vital role to play going forward.
"During this tough period we are going to be there for him," he said. "We have great ambition, desire and great plans for John. We want to be a winning team and we need to keep our best performers and clearly John is big part of our future.
"We are a big football club with an incredible tradition and we will carry on giving him everything we can.
"As a young man you are under massive pressure and you are going to get influences. We are going to look after John. We are going to understand him."
West Ham United have confirmed that midfielder and former skipper Kevin Nolan has left the club by mutual consent, bringing an end to a four-year spell at the Hammers.
The 33-year-old scored 31 goals in 157 games for the club since joining from Newcastle United in June 2011.
He captained West Ham to promotion via a Championship play-off final in his first season and finished as the Hammers' leading scorer in the 2012-13 and 2013-14 seasons.
However, Nolan has found his appearances limited under new manager Slaven Bilic and did not start any of the club's three Premier League games this season, with midfielder Mark Noble taking the armband instead.
"West Ham United would like to thank Kevin for his considerable effort and commitment over the past four seasons and wish him all the very best for the future, on and off the football pitch," the club said in a statement on its website (www.whufc.com).
"I've thoroughly enjoyed my time at West Ham United and will take some great memories with me. I'm now looking forward to the next challenge playing for a new club," Nolan said.
Midfielder Thiago Alcantara has extended his contract with German champions Bayern Munich by two years to 2019, the club said on Thursday.
The versatile 24-year-old Spain international, who joined from Barcelona in 2013, suffered a severe knee injury that saw him sidelined for much of last season before coming back in April.
"We are happy that Thiago decided to stay at Bayern for the long term," said club CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge in a statement. "He is young and an important player for the future of the club."
Thiago, brought to Bayern by former Barca coach Pep Guardiola, has played 41 matches in all competitions for the Bavarians and also took part in both of this season's Bundesliga games so far as the club chases a record fourth straight league title.
VfL Wolfsburg attacking midfielder Kevin De Bruyne's transfer to Manchester City could be nearing completion, German and English media said today, with the player's agent also hoping for the deal to be sealed soon.
City have made repeated offers for the German league's player of the year and the 24-year-old is seen as all but certain to move to the Premier League this season for what is reported to be a record fee of €74 million for a Bundesliga player.
De Bruyne, who joined in 2014 from Chelsea after loan spells with Genk and Werder Bremen, has a contract at Wolfsburg until 2019.
His agent Patrick De Koster was quoted by several media outlets as saying the deal had not been completed but could be soon.
"We are relaxed about the situation and we will see what happens in the next day or two," De Koster said.
"Kevin is not desperate to leave Wolfsburg but hopefully there will be a conclusion soon."
The Belgian international was in stellar form last season, scoring 10 goals and providing 21 assists as the Wolves finished Bundesliga runners-up last season. Wolfsburg also clinched the German Cup.
Everton manager Roberto Martinez confirmed that defender John Stones had handed in a formal transfer request and added the club would reject it today.
Stones, who has four years left on his Everton contract, started during the 5-3 win at Barnsley in the second round of the League Cup on Wednesday, despite formally asking Martnez if he could leave the club.
The 21-year-old is a target for Premier League champions Chelsea, who see him as a long-term replacement for the ageing John Terry.
Chelsea, reportedly, have had three bids for the young England international rejected so far and could make a fourth before the transfer deadline expires on September 1.
"I am repeating myself but it is wrong for the football authorities to allow the window to remain open when there are important games taking place" - Roberto Martinez
Martinez reiterated his stance that Stones would not be sold, saying after the Barnsley game that "... in football as in life, money can't buy everything."
"We have not rejected it (the transfer request) yet because today was a match day and that was our priority," the manager said.
"We will reject it in the morning and get on with our business," he added.
"I am not surprised by the request because he is a young man who is under massive pressure from people and outside influences.
"We want to build a winning team and so we want to keep our best performers. John is a big part of our future," the 42-year-old Martinez said.
Marseille have signed Real Madrid midfielder Lucas Silva on a season-long loan.
The 22-year-old joined Real from Cruzeiro in January and made nine appearances last season, including starting against Schalke in the Champions League.
He will be tasked with adding creativity to a Marseille side which has been shorn of playmakers Andre Ayew, Florian Thauvin and Dimitri Payet since the end of last season.
