Check out part one and part two of our deadline day coverageArsenal sign Mikel Arteta, while Yossi Benayoun joins on loanRaul Meireles joins Chelsea from LiverpoolStoke add Peter Crouch, Cameron Jerome, Wilson Palacios

7.30pm: Welcome back to our live coverage of transfer deadline day. What you've missed from part one and part two of our live blog:

• Liverpool midfielder Joe Cole joins Lille on season-long loan deal.

• Scott Parker completes £6m switch to Tottenham from West Ham.

• Arsenal complete deal for Fenerbahce defender André Santos.

• Sunderland's Anton Ferdinand set for medical at QPR; Stoke agree fee with Birmingham for Cameron Jerome; Liverpool midfielder Christian Poulsen signs for Evian.

7.32pm: OK folks, sorry about that - technical gremlins have forced us to move to a new location. So, what did I miss?

7.40pm: As I noted in my last entry on the previous blog, Arsenal's proposed deal for Mikel Arteta has collapsed, and they are now placing all of their eggs in the Yossi Benayoun loan basket. Meantime, Hull's Jamie Devitt has joined Bradford on loan.

7.44pm: One suspects this email from Stewart Pearce is indicative: "The real buzz amongst Arsenal fans this morning that we might see a signing along the lines of M'Villa, Vargas, Hazard or Martin. Now to hear that "all efforts" are being put into capturing benayoun on loan really is a smack in the teeth. I expect Man City et al are quaking in their boots."

7.45pm: Just 15 minutes to Jim White on Sky Sports News. It's the big name arrival we've all been waiting for.

7.47pm: Owen Hargreaves has signed a one year contract at Manchester City. In my opinion, and those of most theguardian.com readers, a gamble worth taking.

7.50pm: An update from our man in the north-east this afternoon, Ewan Murray:

Both north east clubs remain desperate for strikers... Sunderland now turning their attention to possible loan move for Chelsea's Daniel Sturridge. Despite earlier conflicting evidence surrounding Gyan, there remains every chance he will leave the Stadium of Light for France or Turkey, should the opportunity arise. Newcastle, meanwhile, have moved for Twente's Bryan Ruiz, who was last spotted in talks with Fulham....

7.51pm: Sky Man at Stoke has it "on good authority" that they have opened discussions with Manchester City over the possibility of signing Adam Johnson on loan. But, as he points out, they still have deals for Peter Crouch and Cameron Jerome to tie up. Can they get all the paperwork sorted in time?

7.55pm: The word on the street (well, the internet) is that QPR may be preparing a late move for Nicklas Bendtner. Am I the only one who thinks it would make more sense for Arsenal - given the modest additions made so far - to keep hold?

7.58pm: Our man in the north-west, Andy Hunter, reports that "Everton are pushing ahead with the signing of Royston Drenthe from Real Madrid despite Mikel Arteta's move to Arsenal falling through."

7.59pm: And now here's some news from north of the border from Ewan Murray: "Celtic will sign Moroccan left-back Badr el kaddouri on loan for six months."

8pm: He's here! He's actually, really here! Sky Sports News Silver Fox Jim White is at his seat and ready for the next three, glorious hours. The channel has been previewing his arrival in the studio since some time last year, so I'm expecting literal fireworks, allied with insights that would make the messiah weep with envy.

8.03pm: Andy Hunter is on fire. "Wigan have followed up the signing of Shaun Maloney by taking Patrick Van Aaanholt on a season long loan from Chelsea," he reports. "Roberto Martinez's work with Tom Cleverley last season has not gone unnoticed."

8.08pm: Newcastle fans! You didn't think that your club was really going to sit there and watch the interest accrue on that Andy Carroll money while failing to address their glaring need up front did you? Never! Apparently Mike Ashley's people are right this minute attempting to hijack Fulham's bid for the FC Twente forward Bryan Ruiz. And according to Sky, they've got a half-decent chance.

8.10pm: "Sky have gone with a relative unknown alongside their big gun Jim White," reckons Pete Marland. "He's got off to a shaky start, stumbling over done words. But I am expecting him to pick up the pace as the evening goes on. Still it is a big call to pair him with one of the lesser known female SSN presenters." Hang on a sweet second there Pete - Natalie Sawyer is anything but an unknown to those of us who have this channel on in our office 24 hours a day. She's an experienced veteran. He did stumble over his words though.

8.14pm: Jim White is literally on the phone as he bellows to us that Shaun Wright-Phillips's move to QPR is now good to go ahead after he cleared up some loose ends with Manchester City. Seriously - on the phone! Is he talking to us or the person on the other end of the line? We may never know.

8.16pm: My spies in Portugal tell me that FC Porto have stolen a march in the battle (nay, global conflict) to sign Nicklas Bendtner "Portuguese media have just reported that Bendtner is in route to FC Porto for €12m," says Mário Guerreiro. "And that the Alvaro Pereira's move to Chelsea could still be a possibility, as Chelsea have now offered Lukaku in exchange." Mário even provided a link, for those who speak Portuguese.

8.20pm: At what point do we start to say that this actually just hasn't been a particularly exciting transfer deadline day?

8.25pm: I'm hearing that Bolton have now officially completed the signing of David Ngog from Liverpool.

8.27pm: OK, but seriously - who waits until now to place a bid for a player? Sky reporting now that Leicester might be about to make a fresh approach for the striker Nikica Jelavic, having already had a £6.5m offer turned down. How does this happen? If you wanted him that badly, couldn't you have thought about it at, say, breakfast time? Or even mid-afternoon? Is this just an idle dinner conversation that got out of hand?

8.30pm: Royston Drenthe is on Merseyside and still trying to sort out his loan from Real Madrid to Everton. Which he seems to have been doing for a little while to be honest.

8.31pm: Top football finances blogger Swiss Ramble is at his wits' end on Twitter. "I've been racking my brains trying to work out Arsenal's strategy this summer," he tweets. "But have come to the unhappy conclusion that there isn't one.

8.35pm: And while we're doing the Twitter thing, here's @JmsDmnd explaining Leicester's late notice business. "Leaving it late because they are desperate for a striker and were pinning their hopes on Nicky Maynard (staying put)," he says.

8.36pm: Oh dear, hearing that Robbie Savage has been criticising Arsenal's signing of Per Mertesacker on the grounds that the player didn't do well at Real Madrid. That's right readers, the same Real Madrid who Mertesacker has never played for.

8.43pm: Well the Portuguese media can say what they like about FC Porto – our own Ewan Murray reckons Sunderland are still in the running: "Sunderland's latest striker target- Nicklas Bendtner," he writes. "Understood to be in talks over a deal at the moment."

8.45pm: Another new face for Bolton - Chelsea's website confirms that Gael Kakuta has joined the Trotters on loan until 1 January.

8.52pm: Sunderland have denied reports that Nicklas Bendtner has joined on loan, though they are in negotiations to make that happen.

8.53pm: Wow, quite the rumour being mongered on Sky right now. Sky have heard "unconfirmed reports" that Tottenham are trying to swing a deal for Real Madrid's Kaká. Which, let's face it, could very well be reports that somebody in the back room made up in a bid to make today's action all feel a bit less underwhelming.

8.55pm: "Never mind Arsenal's policy, what's Chelsea's game today," demands Oliver Pattenden. "Loaning out a number of young, exciting players, and not actually bringing anyone in despite the fact they need to inject some pace and creativity. If they send Lukaku straight back out after spending half the summer courting him, what's the point?"

8.57pm: Arsenal's unofficial deadline day ambassador has been sharing his views on Twitter. "Disagree with Ian Dowie," he tweets after the latter criticised Arsenal's transfer strategy. "Do you want Arsenal to buy Messi? Benayoun will create and score goals for us #justsayin" Well, I reckon most fans probably would quite like Arsenal to buy Messi ...

9.01pm: Actually, what did happen to that Benayoun loan? Haven't heard any updates in quite some time ...

9.03pm: Harry Redknapp puts Gary Cotterill out of his misery, getting his driver to stop by the gate as he leaves the team's training facility so he can share a few words with the Sky Sports reporter. Redknapp says that there will be no big signings for Spurs tonight, but then he has been prone to the odd white lie in this position before. "We've been trying for one big one, but just couldn't hook it in the end," he says, referring, apparently to Gary Cahill. "We've been trying to get Gary Cahill but just couldn't make it happen. That was the one that we tried to do today." He says Kaká was never an option.

9.08pm: The end of Redknapp's conversation with Cotterill is interrupted by a phone call from Daniel Levy, but the Tottenham chairman hung up immediately - apparently realising his manager was on telly. The conspiracy theorists are already suggesting that this may suggest a big signing is still on the cards.

9.10pm: Yossi Benayoun seems to be hinting at that loan to Arsenal on Twitter: "staying in London...will sign soon ... i will twitt when it happens".

9.11pm: Cameron Jerome and Peter Crouch are undergoing medicals at Stoke right this second.

9.13pm: We're back to Tottenham, where Redknapp also had time to say that Luka Modric is staying, and that the club turned down a further bid from Chelsea yesterday. "£40m I think," says Redknapp.

9.18pm: @teessidedazza tweets in to point out that while most teams' websites are full of stories of comings and goings today, Middlesbrough's big splash is "Gary Pallister playing a flute". And frankly I think we all respect them more for it.

9.21pm: And now Sky tells us that the Arteta deal is back on. Or at least it might be. Apparently the issue was never over the fee between the two clubs, but over the player's wages. Anyway, the player, we are told, has been in touch with his representatives and negotiations have subsequently resumed.

9.24pm: Henri Lansbury's loan to West Ham is now official. Which comes as a surprise only because I had assumed that was already the case some time ago.

9.30pm: Ninety minutes left before the transfer window shuts. Something worthwhile has to happen. Right? Right?

9.33pm: "A die-hard Gooner, I can't ignore the obvious signs – Arsenal are run like the Chicago Cubs of American Baseball," announces Mike Cunningham. "A club with no apparent strategy, that puts together a big, attractive entertainment package and becomes a must-go destination for any player much more interested in fame, a great experience, and millions than they are in winning silverware. The differences are only the Cubs' home ground is a dump, while the Emirates are a palace; the Cubs sign big (albeit bad) player contracts, while Arsenal are penny-pinchers. But Arsenal have a long way to go: they are only six years into matching the 111-year championship drought the Cubs currently enjoy."

9.34pm: Could the handling of this Arteta deal actually be an Arsenal masterstroke? Had the club just gone out and signed him off the bat, many fans might still have reflected that in return for losing Cesc Fábregas and Samir Nasri they were getting a 29-year-old with a recent history of injury trouble. This way, the narrative instead becomes far more positive - 'look, we didn't just sign Benayoun!'

9.38pm: "Arteta to Arsenal is back on," confirms our man Andy Hunter. "Both clubs were adamant it was off earlier this evening but there is still a chance it could happen. Arsenal may have to go above £10m though."

9.39pm: Thanks to Richard House for emailing in to point out that West Ham have now confirmed the signing of Guy Demel.

9.41pm: Yakubu and Scott Dann are certainly taking their time over those medicals at Blackburn. Deals were reportedly as good as done at lunch-time but still no confirmation as yet.

9.43pm: "As a fan of the Cubs, I feel obliged to point out the team has gone a mere 103 years without a championship, not the embarrassing 111 Mike Cunningham attributes to them," points out Brent Braga – one of a number of Cubs fans seemingly reading this report. "The Cubs won't achieve that feat until 2019, which is roughly the same year Arsenal will be winning the Championship given present form." I'd say some Arsenal fans would call that optimistic, Mike.

9.46pm: Arteta has reportedly told Everton he wants to leave, but has not handed in a transfer request. Which basically means he does want to leave, but is not willing to forego the parting fee he is entitled to upon leaving the club (which would be waived if he put in a formal request).

9.48pm: Wilson Palacios has completed his medical and is now officially a Stoke City player. Cameron Jerome and Peter Crouch still undergoing theirs. All good signings, in my book.

9.53pm: "Yakubu's physical is probably taking so long because much like buying a used car, you'd like to take at least one full walk around its exterior before you seal the deal," snickers George Hasenecz.

9.56pm: Oh Jim White you cheeky scamp – cutting to an advert break right after telling us that Craig Bellamy has been seen arriving at Anfield. Of course, we shouldn't read too much into it. He might just be there to stand behind Sky's reporter and make faces at the camera like everyone else.

9.59pm: I assume Yakubu's "physical" is taking so long because it pretty much consists of Steve Kean watching replays of Yakubu missing that sitter against Korea in the World Cup whilst muttering over and over again, 'That could happen to anyone'," honks Taylor Rockwell.

10pm: ONE HOUR TO GO. The combined spend of Premier League clubs in this transfer window has now surpassed £400m, apparently. I'm can't help but feel that as a species we probably shouldn't be proud of that.

10.02pm: "Looks like Newcastle will fail with their quest for that striker, Bryan Ruiz had the look of their last hope," reports my colleague Ewan Murray. "No further deals anticipated there." Still, at least the fans know that their club really, really tried. They do know that, don't they?

10.06pm: And now another Andy Hunter update: "Arteta has resurrected his transfer single-handedly, to the surprise of both Everton and Arsenal," he writes. "Everton's attempt to hold out for more than £10m weakened as a result."

10.07pm: So with, erm, 53 minutes left to go - here's what we are still waiting on:

• Mikel Arteta and Yossi Benayoun's anticipated moves to Arsenal (on permanent and loan deals respectively)

• A mooted move for Bryan Ruiz to Fulham (is this still alive?)

• The outcomes of medicals for Yakubu at Blackburn, Wilson Palacios and Peter Crouch at Stoke, Scott Dann and Yakubu at Blackburn

• Aston Villa completing deals for Tottenham's Jermaine Jenas and Alan Hutton

• The outcome of Craig Bellamy's last-minute arrival at Liverpool

10.12pm: Still waiting on news for any of those stories, so in the meantime just wanted to say again that I think Palacios is a really top signing for Stoke. Not so long ago that many were talking about him as the most reliable cog in that Tottenham midfield. Fresh start may be just what he needs.

10.17pm: News from Spain via reader Walt Irons. "Hey there Paolo. Hanging in there? Something is happening! After already having loaned Dani Pacheco from Liverpool, only to loan him again to Rajo Vallecano earlier this transfer window, Atletico Madrid now announce on twitter that they have sold Julio Alves to Besiktas. Without ever mentioning they had signed him from Potruguese side Rio Ave in the first place. Now that's transfer deadline day wheelin'-dealin' for you, 'Arry!"

10.21pm: Sorry Fulham fans, sounds like the Bryan Ruiz deal may be off altogether.

10.24pm: Footage now of Shaun-Wright Phillips literally running in the door at QPR. Is this part of the medical?

10.25pm: To put the £400m combined Premier League transfer spend I mentioned earlier (it's now £410m, by the way) into context, they spent £215m in the January window, and £345m last summer. They did spend £432m in 2009 - though by the time all tonight's business is done we should have surpassed that.

10.29pm: Curious tweet from Wesley Sneijder. "I respect all the Man Utd fans, who supported me the whole transfer window," he writes. "I'm a winner and I will make you Interisti proud this season!!!!"

10.31pm: Lest there be any doubt, Sneijder made a follow up tweet saying "Thanks for all the support, from all over the world!! I will stay with Inter next season. Have a good night everyone." He will be at Inter next season - an outcome that always seemed likely after the Italian club sold Samuel Eto'o.

10.32pm: Is this the start of the rush? Yossi Benayoun's loan move to Arsenal has seemingly been confirmed, and in the meantime Raul Meireles has handed in a transfer request at Liverpool. With half an hour left before the window closes. Bizarre.

10.33pm: And now here's Andy Hunter with another confirmed deal: "Blackburn have signed Yakubu from Everton, fee yet to be confirmed but around £2m."

10.34pm: Shaun Wright-Phillips has completed his move to QPR. In a three-minute interview with Sky Sports he thanks the Manchester City supporters, and uses the word "chillin'" at least 47 times.

10.36pm: In case you didn't believe me about that Meireles transfer request (frankly I'm not sure I completely did myself), here's a story about it from the Liverpool website.

10.38pm: It seems I was misled on the Bryan Ruiz story folks - according to Sky Sports News he is now a Fulham player. FC Twente have apparently confirmed the deal.

10.40pm: Here's Yossi Benayoun confirming his move to Arsenal on Twitter: "I sign with arsenal,very happy and excited about it,but now my head is only in the game against grecce on friday,thanks for the support." And while we're on the subject, an observation from reader Euan Rellie on Arsenal's newfound leadership: "Benayoun=Israel captain; Park=Korea captain; Rosicky=Czech captain; Vermaelen=Belgian captain; Ramsey=Wales captain; Arshavin=Russia captain."

10.45pm: A lot more waffle on Sky Sports about Mikel Arteta - interrupted by some naughty language from the Arsenal fans outside Emirates Stadium that gets Sky Man very cross. Anyway, it all basically seems to boil down to "a deal is very close. But then so is the deadline."

10.47pm: As suggested a few moments ago, Bryan Ruiz to Fulham seems like a done deal. "FC Twente president Joop Munsterman has confirmed it to several Dutch television channels," says William Cleven. "Transfer fee of approximately €12m. It's too bad, Ruiz was probably the best player on Dutch fields last couple seasons. Twente will have a tough time in the UEFA Cup (refuse to use that new term) facing their own best player at Craven Cottage."

10.49pm: Here's Andy Hunter on the Meireles transfer request: "Liverpool rejected a Chelsea bid of £7m plus Benayoun last week. Made it clear they wanted cash only and their money back on the £11.8m signing from Porto. Bit late, but it appears Chelsea have relented."

10.49pm: Craig Bellamy has signed for Liverpool. Reports are that it's a two-year deal, but that bit is unconfirmed.

10.50pm: What ever happened to Royston Drenthe's medical at Everton?

10.52pm: Chelsea confirm Yossi Benayoun's loan to Arsenal. Which really isn't that dramatic a development, given that the player had already done so.

10.54pm: Six minutes to go and still a lot of questions unanswered. Arteta, Meireles, Drenthe, Crouch, Jerome, Bendtner deals all still unconfirmed, among others. Of course, the people finalising these deals may just not be finding time to speak to journalists right now. Possibly.

10.57pm: Sky Sports News say Arsenal are "preparing the paperwork" for the Arteta deal. Preparing it?! There's 150 seconds left to have the deal done!

10.59pm: Many of you, of course pointing out that Arsenal managed to get the signing of Andrei Arshavin through about three weeks after the deadline seemed to have passed. When everyone wants these things to happen, they usually do.

11pm: IT'S OVER, IT'S FINALLY OVER! Except, of course, it really isn't. The transfer window has officially shut, but it will be a good few minutes yet until we find out what has and hasn't happened. Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere.

11.03pm: Confirmed from Aston Villa: Jermaine Jenas has joined on loan, and Alan Hutton has joined on a permanent deal. Still waiting to find out whether the Bendtner loan deal has gone through.

11.04pm: A tweet from @oscarrickettnow: "Meireles clearly let down over contract promise. Not part of #LFC's Brits-only revolution. Is twice as good as Henderson."

11.05pm: Also on Twitter, a very valid question from my colleague Simon Burnton: "Why do #epl clubs who've just been given loads of money by foreign owner always buy Shaun Wright-Phillips?"

11.06pm: Jon Matthews offers the counter-point to Euan Rellie's positivity over Arsenal's newfound leadership. "Given they've got the captains of the teams ranked 13, 32, 33, 37, 42 and 117 in the world, could it be that Arsenal have got too many chiefs and not enough Spaniards?"

11.08pm: A half-hearted cheer from the clutch of fans standing behind Sky Man at Sunderland, as he confirms that Nicklas Bendtner has indeed joined on a season-long loan.

11.09pm: Thanks to reader Jonathan Morgan for alerting me to the fact that Scott Dann's move to Blackburn has been confirmed.

11.11pm: Two big bits of information coming across my desk now. I'm hearing via our own sources that Arsenal have completed the signing of Arteta. Meanwhile Chelsea have confirmed that Raul Meireles has signed on a four-year deal.

11.14pm: "You need to bin that Portuguese mole of yours," writes our man in the north-east Ewan Murray. "Bendtner to Sunderland on season's loan completed. Steve Bruce has his striker."

11.15pm: Sky also now quoting their own sources who also say the Mikel Arteta deal has gone through. We had it first though. So there.

11.16pm: Apologies folks - I made a typo earlier in amongst the madness - suggesting that Jenas and Hutton had signed for Sunderland instead of Aston Villa. I have amended that entry now, but for the avoidance of doubt: Jenas and Hutton have both joined Aston Villa.

11.17pm: My, Jack Wilshere is enjoying his evening. Another Tweet from him: "Best news of the day! Brilliant signing! Welcome to Arteta! Great day all round for #AFC this is why #ILoveAFC. Come on you gooners!!!!"

11.19pm: The BBC's Phil McNulty has news for Everton fans on Twitter: "Everton have signed Argentine striker Denis Stracqualursi on season-long loan and Drenthe confirmation expected soon."

11.21pm: Also very active this evening, the folks who look after Liverpool FC's club website. Here's their story on the termination of Philipp Degen's contract (by mutual consent).

11.23pm: "Aghhh! I've got Meireles on the back of my Liverpool shirt," yelps Robert Cobourne. "Comolli should give me my money back. I suppose it's understandable really. I mean, goalscoring, influential midfielders aren't exactly something we can have cluttering up the place." On the plus side, at least you didn't get a tattoo ...

11.24pm: Sky Sports's "Totaliser" has the final combined spend of Premier League clubs this transfer window at £448m. I refer to my previous comments on this matter.

11.34pm: Sounds like Everton's signing of Denis Stracqualursi on loan is indeed confirmed. Still waiting on Royston Drenthe.

11.35pm: In fact, here's a photo of Stracqualursi courtesy of Duncan Smith. As Duncan observes, "He looks very confused by the shirt".

11.36pm: Confirmed: Peter Crouch and Cameron Jerome have both signed for Stoke. The Crouch fee is £10m, apparently. It must be said that sounds like a very good piece of business for Tottenham on a 30-year-old striker with a patchy goalscoring record. I think he'll do well for Stoke, but still.

11.39pm: The BBC report that Blackburn have snuck another signing in under the radar: the striker Jordan Slew joining from Sheffield United for £1m.

11.41pm: Real Madrid confirm on their website that Royston Drenthe has joined Everton.

11.47pm: Anton Ferdinand has signed for QPR. Apologies - I must have missed this one altogether, but it sounds like it got done right up against the deadline, and has now been confirmed.

11.56pm: And now Everton, too, confirm the Drenthe signing. Season-long loan. Fulham, meanwhile, have grabbed the former Porto striker Orlando Sa on a free.

12.03am: OK folks, that's it from me tonight. Here are the big headlines from transfer deadline day. Thanks for reading and for all your emails and tweets through the day. Sorry I couldn't use more.

• Arsenal have signed Mikel Arteta from Everton for a reported £10m, as well as adding Yossi Benayoun on loan, after completing their anticipated deals for Andre Santos and Per Mertesacker.

• Chelsea have signed Raul Meireles from Liverpool after the player handed in a late transfer request

• Craig Bellamy has returned to Liverpool, signing a two-year deal, while Joe Cole has departed for a season-long loan at Lille.

• Scott Parker has completed a £6m switch to Tottenham from West Ham.

• Fulham held off interest from Newcastle to sign Bryan Luiz from FC Twente for a reported £12m. They also signed the former Porto striker Orlando Sa on a free transfer.

• QPR have added Shaun Wright-Phillips and Anton Ferdinand

• Alan Hutton and Jermain Jenas have both moved from Tottenham to Aston Villa - on a permanent deal and on loan respectively

• Stoke have signed Peter Crouch, Cameron Jerome and Wilson Palacios

• Scott Dann and Yakubu have both moved from Everton to Birmingham

• Nicklas Bendtner joined Sunderland on a season-long loan