The former Ajax man says Brendan Rodgers’ approach came too late as he has already decided to move to La Liga and sign a four-year deal with Atleti

Toby Alderweireld has revealed he turned down an approach from Liverpool before joining Atletico Madrid on Monday.

The 24-year-old had been linked with a number of sides during the close-season but opted to swap the Eredivisie for La Liga at the last minute and signed a four-year deal with Atletico.

Liverpool, though, secured defensive additions in the shape of Tiago Ilori and Mamadou Sakho, leaving the Belgian content with his decision.

“The club have been following me now for two or three weeks, and you could see they really wanted me,” he told reporters.

“That is why I turned down approaches from other teams. Liverpool, for example, appeared in the last few days, but I had already made my decision.

“The truth is that Atletico made a huge effort to convince me.”

Ilori and Sakho, who arrived from Sporting Lisbon and Paris Saint-Germain respectively, helped to bring Brendan Rodgers’ tally of new additions up to nine – with Chelsea star Victor Moses also completing a late loan move.

Nat Coombs, Greg Stobart and former Bayern Munich, Liverpool and Manchester City star Didi Hamann review the summer’s business as the window falls shut

The transfer window, arguably the most explosive one to date, has finally fallen shut. Business hours are over.

A staggering €2.18 billion was spent across the Premier League, Bundesliga, Serie A, La Liga and Ligue 1 alone, with Real Madrid smashing the world-record fee – which they set when signing Cristiano Ronaldo in 2009 – with the €100m acquisition of Gareth Bale from Tottenham

But, while Bale was being presented to the Santiago Bernabeu faithful, another transaction threatened to offer a marvellous crescendo to a window of unrivalled activity.

Arsenal were preparing to not only open their cheque book, but obliterate there record signing with the £40m capture of Mesut Ozil. Arsene Wenger may have left it late, but he pulled off one of the most stunning deadline day signings of all-time.

Meanwhile, Manchester United were beginning to panic. Having failed to sign that all-important creative midfielder, David Moyes returned to his former haunt, signing Marouane Fellaini for £27.5m – £4m more than the buyout clause United refused to meet before it’s expiration at the end of July.

To discuss these stories, and much more, Nat Coombs is joined by Goal correspondent Greg Stobart, and Bayern Munich, Liverpool and Manchester City star, Didi Hamann.

Jack Wilshere, Daniel Sturridge, Steven Caulker and Jermain Defoe were all absent as the Three Lions gear up for the World Cup qualifying double header

Four members of England’s squad missed full training on Tuesday as the Three Lions prepare for their upcoming World Cup qualifier against Moldova.

Roy Hodgson’s men head into the game at Wembley on Friday knowing they need to take maximum points if they are to overhaul Montenegro – who travel to Warsaw to face Poland – at the top of Group H.

The involvement of Jack Wilshere, Daniel Sturridge, Steven Caulker and Jermain Defore remains in doubt after they participated in a recovery session away from the rest of the squad.

Wilshere was brought off during Arsenal’s 1-0 win over Tottenham on Sunday with stomach cramps, but it is Sturridge whose potential involvement is in the most doubt due to a thigh injury.

Theo Walcott is hopeful the Liverpool forward, who has scored each of his club’s three league goals so far this term, will be able to feature against both Moldova and Ukraine – who England face in Kiev on Tuesday.

“Sturridge is here, that is a positive,” Walcott said. “Fingers crossed he’ll be ok for Friday and Tuesday.”

Arsenal attacker Walcott believes England have a good mix of players in their ranks, but insists they will not take Moldova lightly, despite their poor results in qualifying thus far.

“We have a good balance between the old and young players in the squad and we’re starting to show that at Wembley,” Walcott added.

“We’re professional and know the task ahead. We have to treat Moldova with respect.”