Transfer talk: July 9 - Blues get Lovenkrands, Bayern deny Pirlo link

The National's daily guide to the big name deals and moves across football, as Spurs land Vertonghen but Chelsea miss out on Schurrle

Jan Vertonghen trains with Ajax ahead of his move to Tottenham Hotspur

Bayern Munich have dismissed claims they are to sign Italy's Euro 2012 star Andrea Pirlo from Juventus.

According to reports from Italy, the Bundesliga club have made a EU10m (Dh45m) offer for the 33-year-old, who is under contract with Juve until 2014.

"Bayern have neither made an offer to Juventus nor had contact with the player and his advisors," Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge insisted in a statement.

Pirlo was one of Italy's key performers in his country's run to the Euro 2012 final.

---

Peter Lovenkrands has become Lee Clark's first signing as Birmingham boss, subject to a medical.

The 32-year-old Danish forward has agreed personal terms on his Bosman free transfer to St Andrew's and is due to report for training today.

The former Newcastle winger's arrival has been made possible after City's transfer embargo was finally lifted by the Football League last Wednesday, having been placed on the club in March for not filing their 2010/11 accounts on time.

---

Chelsea have had a bid worth more than £16million (Dh91m) for forward Andre Schurrle turned down Bayer Leverkusen, according to reports from Germany.

The 21-year-old has established himself as one of Germany's most exciting young talents since joining Leverkusen from Mainz last year.

He has already won 16 caps for Germany and was a member of their Euro 2012 squad.

Leverkusen chief executive Wolfgang Holzhauser told German news agency SID: "We were presented with a very concrete offer from Chelsea for Andre of beyond the 20 million euro mark. The sum was pushed back and forth between the two clubs. We ultimately chose Andre.

---

Werder Bremen are set to sign former Hamburg forward Eljero Elia after a failed spell in Serie A with Juventus.

Elia will link up with his new teammates tomorrow night having already passed a medical in the northern Germany city today.

The 25-year-old, who has won 26 caps for Holland, will put pen to paper on a four-year contract with Bremen and he will be presented at the club's training camp in Norderney tomorrow, according to a press release from the northern Germany club.

---

New Tottenham defender Jan Vertonghen insists he's ready to make an immediate impact in the English Premier League after finally agreeing terms on his move to White Hart Lane.

The Ajax skipper will undergo a medical this week before completing his protracted move from the Dutch champions.

And he insists Spurs' off-field issues and managerial changes have not tempered his enthusiasm for the move.

"I am 25 years old now and I feel ready to play in the Premier League. I have heard a lot of good stories from my Belgium teammates. I think I'm ready.

"I heard that Harry Redknapp really wanted me to play for Tottenham, but now it's Andre Villas-Boas. To me, that doesn't matter.

"I just want to play for the club and I hope I can please the fans at the club."

Vertonghen becomes Spurs' second signing of the summer, following Gylfi Sigurdsson's move last week.

---

Bahraini defender Mohamed Adnan has been released by A-League champions Brisbane Roar.

The 29-year-old stopper decided against a return to Australia after the off-season break, opting to stay in the Middle East for family reasons.

"I am not sure where he'll be playing yet but we wish him all the best," Roar coach Rado Vidosic said.

"He was a very important part of our team last season and we will try to replace him -- we've still got a couple of overseas spots left to fill."