Spare a thought today for the agents. For some of them this is a day of excruciating pressure that they must shrug off to prove their worth. It’s like their A-Levels, their driving test, their Olympic final and their first court appearance on serious fraud charges all rolled into one. It’s the last opportunity for months for the less fortunate of them to wangle a transfer and a pay rise for a client who has been performing like an absolute galoot. If they fail, they could be sacked. It’s a cut-throat business and today is their last chance to procure a neck brace. Pray for them.



Of course, there are plenty of agents who don’t need your pity because pretty much all they have to do today is keep answering their phones with two words: “How much?” It looks like being a pleasant day for whoever fields Scott Hogan’s calls, for instance. Word is the Brentford striker’s valet can expect to hear from West Ham, Crystal Palace, Aston Villa and West Brom, at least.

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West Brom are also plotting a move for Southampton striker Jay Rodriguez now that the Saints are close to wrapping up a deal for a new predator, Manolo Gabbiadini.

Meanwhile, Manchester United’s ears have pricked up to news that Yannick Carrasco is unhappy at Atlético Madrid and could be open to a move away from manager Diego Simeone, in particular. He’s no Antoine Griezmann but Carrasco is a nifty forward all the same and United like the cut of his jib. So do Chelsea.

With Celtic basically certain of winning the Scottish title David Moyes hopes to be able to persuade the side’s fine young full-back Kieran Tierney to move to another club whose destiny looks sealed already. But Ronald Koeman has told Moyes that Phil Jagielka will not be going to Sunderland even if Everton manage to cajole Burnley into selling Michael Keane, because Koeman wants to have his centre-back cake and eat it, so to speak.

Hull are about to draft in the Internazionale centre-back Andrea Ranocchia to assist with their great escape act.

Speaking of great escapes, the Mill doesn’t know whether Ross McCormack managed to extricate himself from his own country estate this morning. Wherever he is, there are no reports of Fulham or anyone else rushing to his aid. For all the Mill knows he could be marooned forever in Steve Bruce’s bad books. But we’d very much like to eavesdrop on his attempt to talk his way out, given how entertaining his last explanation was.

Ashley Westwood, by contrast, could be on his way out of Villa, as Burnley like the look of him.

Finally, Liverpool’s folk-hero-turned-forgotten-man, Mamadou Sakho, could be brought back on to the straight and narrow by Big Sam, of all people. That’s one of many deals Crystal Palace hope to do today.