Thursday's Transfer Clockwatch

19.05 Sky Sports News sources understand that Wigan have agreed a fee with Swansea for striker Jason Scotland.
18.45 Carlisle have bolstered their ranks by bringing in Chelsea youngster Tom Taiwo on a six-month loan deal.
18.41 Northampton Town have signed former Gillingham striker Gary Mulligan in an intial one-year deal.
18.24 Charlton have signed former Leeds skipper Frazer Richardson on a two-year-deal.
18.05 Tottenham have announced the signing of young defender Anton Blackwood from Arsenal, while Sam Cox and Steven Caulker have also penned their first professional contracts with Spurs.
17.50 Roberto Di Matteo has confirmed that West Brom are in talks with Jonathan Greening over a new deal.
17.24 Skysports.com understands that John Obi Mikel has signed a new long-term contract with Chelsea.
17.00 Teenage striker Daniel Sturridge is confident that joining Chelsea from Manchester City will help him fulfil his ambitions in the game.
16.53 Leeds United have rejected bids from two Premier League clubs for Fabian Delph and have turned down approaches for Jermaine Beckford, who would be keen on a move to Newcastle United.
16.43 Reports in France claim Blackburn Rovers are tracking Valenciennes winger Gael Danic after cooling their interest in Paris St Germain's Jerome Rothen.
16.29 Rennes midfielder Stephan Mbia's proposed move to Marseille has hit a snag after the failure to agree personal terms and he is now reportedly on his way to England to discuss a move to Stoke City, having previously been a target for Everton.
16.21 Birmingham City boss Alex McLeish believes his team are not yet strong enough to survive in the Premier League and is targeting further signings, particularly in midfield.
16.11 Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate has insisted that the club have not yet received any offers for the likes of Stewart Downing and Tuncay Sanli, although he expects his squad to look very different when the new season kicks off.
15.54 Bristol Rovers have completed the signing of midfielder Dominic Blizzard on a three-year contract.
15.39 Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez admits he is 'really pleased' that captain Steven Gerrard has finally signed a new contract until 2013.
15.23 Rafa Benitez believes Xabi Alonso and Javier Mascherano owe it to Liverpool to stay at the club. Alonso is wanted by Real Madrid, while Barcelona are keeping tabs on Mascherano.
15.17 Crystal Palace boss Neil Warnock has revealed Barnsley have made an offer for Alan Lee and does not expect the striker to move to Norwich City.

United accept Ronaldo offer

Manchester United have confirmed they have accepted a bid from Real Madrid for Cristiano Ronaldo.
Ronaldo's future at United has been the subject of constant speculation, with Real having trailed his signature for the last three summers.
Real president Florentino Perez has made no secret of the fact that he would like to lure Ronaldo to El Santiago Bernabeu.
The Spanish titans have now agreed an £80million offer for the Portuguese ace and United have given the World Player of the Year permission to talk to the capital club.
Ronaldo will head to the Spanish capital to hold discussions with Real and undergo a medical.
Real have already snapped up Brazilian superstar Kaka in a world-record deal, but a move for Ronaldo would significantly eclipse that figure.
"Manchester United have received a world-record, unconditional offer of £80million for Cristiano Ronaldo from Real Madrid," read a club statement.
"At Cristiano's request - who has again expressed his desire to leave - and after discussion with the player's representatives, United have agreed to give Real Madrid permission to talk to the player.
"Matters are expected to be concluded by 30th June. The club will not comment until further notice."
Real confirmed the news in a brief statement on their website, adding that they hoped to finalise matters as soon as possible.
"Real Madrid confirm they have made an offer to Manchester United for the acquisition of the rights of the player Cristiano Ronaldo. The club hope to reach an agreement with the player in the next few days."
The news is bound to be greeted with some scepticism by United fans, who have repeatedly been told no deal had been agreed for the sale of FIFA's World Player of the Year in the face of regular statements from Spain the former Sporting Lisbon star was bound for the Bernabeu.
It was even suggested Ronaldo would be due a £20million compensation fee from Real if the deal did not go through by June 30, the date United now state themselves as when they expect matters to be concluded.
It now remains to be seen where the transfer fee could be reinvested in a squad that almost, but not quite, proved good enough to win back-to-back Champions League trophies, in addition to a hat-trick of Premier League titles.
The name of Bayern Munich's Franck Ribery is bound to crop up as a potential replacement, although the 27-year-old seems overpriced at the £40million figure being bandied about in some quarters, with Wigan's Antonio Valencia also in the frame

Real agree £80million deal for United star

£59m Kaka now a Real Galactico

By Sedrick Chin:

In the true essence of modern-day football (soccer), Real Madrid has obtain the services of Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite, aka Kaka, for a lucrative £59m. Again, the question of whether this kind of "big-spending" will boost Real's chance of competing for the La Liga title comes to the fore. Then again, who cares? Real Madrid is the richest football club in the world and primarily cares about how many Kaka jerseys will now be sold instead of trying to find a defensive balance for the teams attacking strengths. After witnessing Barca's triumph in La Liga, Copa Del Rey and more recently the UEFA Champion League, you would think Madrid would make a move for a player of similar defensive fortitude as that of Yahya Toure. As predicted, they would rather pick up yet another big name attacking maestro to make the team more marketable, ultimately bringing more cash but fewer silverware.