Tuesday's round up of the top transfer stories

- Newcastle have completed the signing of central defender Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa from Montpellier on a five-and-a-half-year contract.



- Moussa Sissoko will be left out of Toulouse's matchday squad on Wednesday night - and he could be on his way to Newcastle United.



- Newcastle are expected to complete the signing of Bordeaux striker Yoan Gouffran on Wednesday.



- Nancy's French defender Massadio Haidara is closing in on a move to Newcastle



- Ashley Cole is keen to taste further success with Chelsea after confirming he has signed a one-year contract extension with the Premier League club.



- Chelsea target Radamel Falcao has angrily denied he is cosying up with Real Madrid ahead of a possible summer move.



- According to The Times, Alex Ferguson is looking at the possibility of proposing a goalie swap with Fútbol Club Barcelona. After the announcement that Victor Valdés is leaving Barça, the Scottish manager is contemplating the possibility of exchanging him for David De Gea.



- Manchester United expect to wrap up the signing of Wilfried Zaha by the morning, although they may defer the finer details of the transfer until the summer.



- Arsenal target Adam Szalai has cooled speculation linking him with a move this month by saying he expects to stay at Mainz.



- Fulham target Maarten Stekelenburg is likely to stay at Roma as the

Serie A side have received no bids for him.



- Celtic manager Neil Lennon has confirmed his club have rejected a second bid from Norwich City for striker Gary Hooper.



- Tottenham are weighing up a shock move for wantaway Celtic star Gary Hooper.



- Everton and West Ham target Danijel Pranjic has moved on loan to Celta Vigo for the rest of the season.



- West Ham are poised to make a move for Middlesbrough defender George Friend.



- Swansea boss Michael Laudrup says striker Danny Graham is no nearer to leaving the club as Norwich and Sunderland battle for his services.



- Swansea defender Alan Tate has returned from his loan spell at Leeds United a week early.



- Sunderland face a battle to sign Mauro Zarate after his agent revealed the player is happy to stay and fight for his place at Lazio.



- Liverpool are pressing on with attempts to sign Philippe Coutinho despite the midfielder declaring he would be happy to stay at Inter Milan.



- Liverpool are keen on Australian A-League star Marco Rojas - but his club Melbourne Victory believe he will stay for now.



- Edin Dzeko's agent has played down talk linking the striker with a move to Inter Milan and insisted he will not be leaving Manchester City this month or during the summer.



- Barcelona captain Carles Puyol has signed his contract extension at the club, extending his stay until 2016.



- There are three official moves to report, as Siena have signed Innocent Emeghara and Salvador Agra, while Genoa loaned Giammario Piscitella to Modena.



- Galatasaray have signed Inter Milan playmaker Wesley Sneijder on a three-year deal.



- Deportivo La Coruna are ready to battle QPR for the signature of out-of-favour Porto defender Rolando.



- Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas has told Tuttomercatoweb that Yoann Gourcuff is unlikely to be on the move this month as he continues to be linked with a move to Arsenal.



- Ajax are due to open contract talks with rising star Viktor Fischer amid renewed interest from Manchester United and Barcelona.



- Birmingham are set to re-sign left-back Paul Robinson on a new contract when his current deal expires this weekend.



- Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Chris Lines is set to join MK Dons on loan.



- Barnsley have offered a trial to striker Mathieu Manset and are hopeful that he will soon reach full fitness.



- Blackburn Rovers defender Jack O'Connell is set to join York City on loan.



- Joe Lennox has departed Plymouth after the League Two club opted not to offer the midfielder fresh terms.



- MK Dons have completed the loan signing of Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Chris Lines for the remainder of the season.



- Ryan Nelsen is to start work as the coach of Toronto FC on 1 February and will play his last game for QPR next week.

Chelsea complete Ba signing

Chelsea have completed the signing of striker Demba Ba from Newcastle United.



Ba has put pen to paper on a three-and-a-half year deal at Stamford Bridge, after the Blues triggered the £7 million release clause in his Magpies contract.



The deal was completed just in time for the Senegal international to be available to manager Rafa Benitez for the FA Cup tie against Southampton this weekend.



"It feels good to be here, I'm very happy and very proud," Ba said. "When the club who won the Champions League wants you, the decision is very easy.



"This club is massive and that's something that helped the decision a lot. It was not a hard one."



Ba is also available for the club's Capital One Cup semi-final against Swansea, but cannot play in the Europa League due to Newcastle's own participation in the competition.



He will wear the No. 29 shirt for Chelsea.



"It was important for me, and for Newcastle, to get my future sorted and now we can move on," Ba added. "Now they have the whole month to buy someone and for me as well, the sooner the better.



"Now I am here I just need to get settled in."



Ba was Newcastle's top scorer for the first half of the season, scoring 13 Premier League goals - including a hat-trick in what turned out to be his final game for the club, the 7-3 defeat to Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.



He previously gained Premier League experience with West Ham.

Wednesday's round up of the top transfer stories

- Demba Ba has sealed his move to Chelsea — with Alan Pardew insisting the striker leaves with Newcastle’s “blessing”.



- Liverpool have confirmed the signing of striker Daniel Sturridge from Chelsea.



- Liverpool have been offered the chance to sign former Chelsea winger Ricardo Quaresma, according to reports in Spain.



- Blackpool manager Michael Appleton insists Liverpool have yet to return with an improved offer for winger Thomas Ince.



- Arsene Wenger is confident Theo Walcott will finally commit himself to a new contract.



- Arsenal defender Johan Djourou is a target for German club Hannover.



- Manchester United and Tottenham are set to go head-to-head in the battle to sign Crystal Palace wonderkid Wilfried Zaha.



- Chelsea have suffered a transfer blow after Corinthians indicated their desire to keep hold of Paulinho.



- Chelsea midfielder Marko Marin wants to fight for his future at Stamford Bridge and has ruled out the possibility of a return to the Bundesliga this month.



- Tottenham have become the latest Premier League side to submit an offer for Spain striker David Villa, according to El Confidencial.



- Newcastle are set to bid for West Ham defender James Tomkins as they look to rebuild their depleted squad in the January transfer window.



- Alan Pardew is convinced new recruit Mathieu Debuchy will add class to Newcastle’s defence.



- Ghanian international Derek Boateng is to undergo a medical on Wednesday ahead of a January move to Fulham.



- Sunderland boss Martin O'Neill is on red alert after Paris Saint Germain told France international Guillaume Hoarau he can leave in January.



- Reading have joined Newcastle United and Inter Milan in the chase to sign Douglas, the FC Twente defender.



- Reading are close to signing Australia international Tom Rogic to help bolster the options in central midfield.



- West Bromwich boss Steve Clarke has told £4m-rated midfielder Graham Dorrans he can quit the Hawthorns in the transfer window.



- Stoke City and Fulham are locked in a three-way battle with Serie A side Udinese to sign Saint-Etienne left-back Faouzi Ghoulam.



- Wigan will complete the loan signing of Atletico Madrid goalkeeper Joel in the coming days.



- West Ham are poised to make their first signing in the January transfer window with teenage sensation Rinor Nushi set to arrive at the club.



- Liverpool midfielder Joe Cole is undergoing a medical at West Ham United, according to SkySports.



- Angelo Henriquez is determined to use his time at Wigan to prove himself in the Premier League after joining the Latics on loan until the end of the season.



- Blackburn Rovers have completed the signing of Norwegian international Joshua King from Manchester United for a fee of £1million.



- Hull City are set to complete the permanent signing of Republic of Ireland international David Meyler in a £1.5million deal from Sunderland.



- Cristiano Ronaldo has refused to confirm his future lies with Real Madrid but insists for now he is happy with the club.



- Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone has ruled out selling winger Arda Turan in the January transfer window, after the Turk was linked with Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal.



- Celta Vigo have signed Eintracht Frankfurt defender Vadim Demidov on loan until the end of the season.



- Inter Milan are ready to battle with Serie A rivals Lazio for the signature of Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard.



- One of Europe's leading football agents believes Manchester City and Chelsea target Edinson Cavani will leave Napoli in the summer - and has already chosen his favoured destination.



- Napoli are set to open the bidding for Southampton target Davide Astori.



- Defender Salvatore Aronica has pledged to do all he can to keep Palermo in Serie A after swapping a bid for the Scudetto for a scrap against relegation.



- Mauro Zarate's agent has declared 'war' on Lazio president Claudio Lotito after the club slapped a hefty price-tag on him.



- Borussia Dortmund would be glad to offer Nuri Sahin a return to the club if he became available at the right price, according to the Bundesliga club's director of sport Michael Zorc.



- Schalke contract rebel Lewis Holtby is keen on a move to Tottenham - if Andre Villas-Boas pushes through his interest this month.



- Fernandinho has played down speculation linking him with a move to English football by insisting he is committed to Shakhtar Donetsk.



- Alessandro Del Piero has rubbished suggestions that he could make a shock exit from A-League side Sydney FC, following a string of poor results.



- FC Dynamo Kyiv have signed defender Domagoj Vida from GNK Dinamo Zagreb.



- Sheffield Wednesday have tied midfielder Liam Palmer down to a new two-and-a-half-year deal, before loaning him straight back to Tranmere.



- Fleetwood Town have completed the signings of midfielders Gareth Evans and Mozesh Gyorio.



- Rotherham have completed the permanent signing of Peterborough midfielder Lee Frecklington.

Tuesday's round up of the top transfer stories

- Newcastle striker Demba Ba, who has been linked with Arsenal and Liverpool, has hinted at a move to the Gunners, telling Canal+: "Arsenal are one of these teams who make you dream. The press know Arsenal need another striker and also know about my release clause, and make their own mind up about it."



- Chelsea will launch a £20million bid for Everton midfielder Marouane Fellaini when the transfer window opens next month, according to the Daily Mail.



- Chelsea legend Didier Drogba has 15 days to decide whether to join AC Milan, according to reports in Italy.



- Chelsea boss Rafa Benitez has offered no guarantees that Frank Lampard will see out the season at Stamford Bridge.



- Roma midfielder Miralem Pjanic is 'flattered' by reports suggesting he will be targeted by Chelsea as a replacement for Frank Lampard.



- Theo Walcott's contract stand-off at Arsenal will not be resolved before the winter transfer window closes at the end of January, according to the Daily Mirror.



- Arsenal target Karim Benzema has no intention of leaving Real Madrid, according to reports in his native France.



- Arsene Wenger is eyeing up a transfer window swoop for Barcelona's out-of-favour right-back Dani Alves, according to Dailymail.



- Everton ace Seamus Coleman is close to agreeing a new deal at Goodison Park.



- Former Everton goalkeeper Neville Southall believes defender Leighton Baines could be the player to be sacrificed in order to fund the club’s bid for Champions League football.



- Manchester City target Stevan Jovetic is flattered by the Premier League champions' reported interest and admits his future is uncertain.



- Manchester City are considering a move for David Villa - possibly as a January replacement for Mario Balotelli, according to reports in Spain.



- Kolo Toure would welcome the opportunity to prolong his association with Premier League champions Manchester City.



- Corinthians midfielder Paulinho, who has been linked with a move to Chelsea, has reiterated his desire to remain with the newly-crowned Club World Cup champions.



- Jose Mourinho and Cristiano Ronaldo are top of mega-wealthy Paris Saint-Germain's wishlist.



- Liverpool have been warned that Birmingham goalkeeper Jack Butland won't come cheap, with manager Lee Clark telling to theDaily Mirror: "We would be looking for an even more substantial figure than we were offered in the summer - even though I certainly don’t want it to come to that."



- Speaking to talkSPORT, former Chelsea striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink has urged his old club to sign Atletico Madrid forward Radamel Falcao in January to get the best out of Fernando Torres.



- Barcelona have announced they have signed Lionel Messi to a new long-term deal, while Xavi and Carles Puyol have also penned new deals.



- Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Javier Pastore has opened the door to a possible move to Serie A club AC Milan after criticising the French media.



- Roma president James Pallotta claims star midfielder Daniele De Rossi will, under no circumstances, be sold in January.



- Fernando Llorente has once again hinted he could be bound for the Premier League in the New Year.



- Ajax playmaker Christian Eriksen claims there is no substance to reports linking him with a move to Tottenham Hotspur.



- Robbie Keane has made it clear that he intends to use the next few months to recharge his batteries and get ready for the new Major League Soccer season, rather than take in a spell on loan in the Premier League.



- São Paulo have completed the signing of the former Inter and Juventus defender Lúcio. The official São Paulo website confirmed the defender has signed a two year contract with the club.



- That hardy perennial of the transfer window Wesley Sneijder is set to spark another set of rumours after he embarked upon his Christmas break ahead of schedule.



- Nottingham Forest striker Matt Derbyshire wants a permanent move away from the City Ground.



- Manager Stale Solbakken has confirmed Wolves have opened contract negotiations with Christophe Berra.



- Derby have recalled teenage defender Valentin Gjokaj from his loan spell at Carlisle.



- Preston have completed the signing of former Rotherham defender Luke Foster on non-contract terms.



- Mexico defender Diego Reyes has signed a five-year contract with Porto and will move to the Estadio do Dragao for an undisclosed fee in the northern summer.



- Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has revealed that he expects a lot of interest in Vegard Forren during the transfer window, but says there have not yet been any bids.



- Sporting Kansas City announced Tuesday that it has signed striker Claudio Bieler as a Designated Player.

Pardew hits out at Chelsea owner

Newcastle manager Alan Pardew has blasted Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich for sacking Roberto Di Matteo.



Di Matteo was dumped as Chelsea manager after the 3-0 Champions League defeat to Juventus on Tuesday.



Abramovich is now looking for the London club's ninth manager in nine years, with Chelsea's passage through to the knock-out stages no longer in their own hands.



Pardew was in disbelief about the sacking and believed football fans would feel the same way.



"Astonished really. It just goes to show you how precarious we are as Premier League managers and you can't take anything for granted," Pardew said.



"The shock that should be there from the fans and the media should sound something to the owner of that football club (Roman Abramovich).



"I don't know if that's their ninth manager or whatever it is in so many short years, it's just not fair."



Pardew stood by Di Matteo and believes the club should have too, citing the Italian's Champions League and FA Cup victories last season.



"As far as I'm concerned he (Roberto Di Matteo) has done absolutely nothing wrong. The philosophy was to change the look of the team which he's tried to do and he's won two competitions in less than a year, so it's unbelievable," he said.



Meanwhile, Pardew said midfielder Yohan Cabaye requires surgery on a groin injury sustained against West Ham on November 11.



The 26-year-old limped off at the end of the clash and subsequently missed the 2-1 home defeat to Swansea on Saturday.



And Pardew is rueing the loss of the France international as his side bid to overcome their sluggish start to the Premier League season.



"(Cabaye) will definitely have an operation, and we think it's going to be on Friday or Monday, I'm not sure. That's a blow to us because he's a top player for us," he told reporters.



Pardew also expressed concern over Shola Ameobi's fitness ahead of Thursday's Europa League clash with Maritimo.



He added: "The only one we are a little bit concerned about is Shola. He's got a slight groin niggle, so we are going to have to see how he shapes up for Thursday's game."