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Chelsea closing in on deal for Brazilian striker and the rest of today's transfer gossip

Meanwhile, Teixeira move stalled by price negotiations and Scott Sinclair in demand.

Pato to complete loan move: Chelsea are believed to be on the brink of signing Brazil striker Alexandre Pato from Corinthians.

Palace keen on Chelsea striker:  With Pato reportedly on his way to Stamford Bridge it is is being reported that Crystal Palace will make a move for French forward Loic Remy.

Teixeira agrees terms: The Shakhtar Donetsk forward is believed to be nearing a move to Liverpool but a price has still not been agreed for the Brazilian.

Sinclair in demand: Newcastle and Swansea are chasing Aston Villa winger Scott Sinclair.

Interest in Suarez: Watford are apparently nearing a deal for Fiorentina defensive midfielder Mario Suarez.

Drogba not returning yet: Didier Drogba has confirmed he will see out his contract with MLS club Montreal Impact, ending speculation that he was returning to Stamford Bridge to take up a coaching role.

Retro Deal Of The Day

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Eyebrows were raised when West Ham signed Paolo Di Canio on 27 January, 1999 for £1.5m from Sheffield Wednesday.

The fiery Italian’s reputation had taken a battering following his push on referee Paul Alcock, an offence that saw him banned for 11 matches.

Prem.tv / YouTube

Upon signing the former Celtic striker, West Ham boss Harry Redknapp said: ”He can do things with the ball that people can only dream of.”

It was a risky move but it paid off in spades for the Hammers. So much so, that when Di Canio left the club in 2003, he was a fan favourite and considered to be one of the Irons’ best players in recent memory.

Di Canio spent four years at the club, scoring 52 goals in 137 games, and showcased his extraordinary talents with some audacious strikes during his spell at Upton Park.

None more so than this outrageous volley against Wimbledon which won the Goal of the Season Award for 1999/00.

Jasper Purkiss / YouTube

There was never a dull moment with Di Canio — he was fined for making an insulting, middle-finger gesture in January, 2000 in a match against Aston Villa.

However, the Italian villain soon became a global football hero as he was awarded a Fifa Fair Play Award just one year later for “a special act of good sportsmanship”. Di Canio caught a Trevor Sinclair cross in the box so that injured Everton goalkeeper Paul Gerrard could get medical treatment, rather than going for goal which would almost certainly have secured the Hammers a 2-1 win.

Reza Nouri / YouTube

Di Canio finished his playing career at Roma following spells at Charlton and Lazio before the self-professed fascist’s move into management.

Unsurprisingly, his management career has been similarly hot and cold; he had great success with Swindon following his appointment in 2011, winning League Two in his first year in charge.

By the time he became manager of Sunderland in March 2013, Di Canio was developing a reputation as one of the best young managers in England. But his time with the Black Cats proved to be a disaster; he was sacked just six months into the job due to poor results and player unrest.

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Alan Waldron
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