Transfer news:  West Ham have completed the signing of Birmingham defender Matthew Upson for an initial fee of £6million.

The 27-year-old England international has agreed a four-and-a-half year contract at Upton Park - becoming Alan Curbishley's sixth signing during the January transfer window.

He goes straight into the squad for the Hammers' Premiership clash at Aston Villa on Saturday.

West Ham had already seen offers of £4 million and £6 million rejected by Birmingham manager Steve Bruce and the board of directors for Upson.

But it was believed they would make a further attempt to sign the former Arsenal player, who made it clear he wanted to leave St Andrews after four years.

And tonight's deal, which could rise to £7.5million depending on appearances, proves how determined Alan Curbishley was to continue strengthening his Barclays Premiership strugglers.

Bruce had been adamant Upson would not be sold for even £10million, because he feared the "negative effect" his departure would have on the squad of losing the England player.

But Upson accused Birmingham of "moving the goalposts" and believed the fee they wanted for his services was unrealistic, given he has only 17 months to run on his five-and-a-half-year contract.

Liverpool have completed the signings of Spanish pair Alvaro Arbeloa and Francisco Manuel Duran.

The pair passed medicals on Merseyside on Wednesday evening and formalities were wrapped up before the midnight transfer deadline.

Defender Arbeloa, 24, arrives from Deportivo La Coruna and is believed to be costing the club around £2.6million.

He joined Depor from Real Madrid only last summer and has made 20 appearances in the Primera Liga this season.

Midfielder Duran, 18, is being brought in from Malaga by manager Rafael Benitez to bolster the club's youth ranks.

Birmingham have completed the permanent signing of Arsenal midfielder Sebastian Larsson in a £1million deal.

Larsson has impressed Bruce since signing on a season-long loan from the Gunners.

Manchester City have signed former England left-back Michael Ball from PSV Eindhoven until the end of the season.

Celtic have struck a deal to sign Paul Hartley from Hearts. The midfielder (30) will join the Scottish champions this evening, providing he comes through a medical satisfactorily.

The deal is reportedly worth just over £1million to Hearts. Scotland international Hartley was also a target of Old Firm rivals Rangers but Celtic will finally secure the services of a player they missed out on this time last year.

Watford became the first Premiership club to complete a signing on deadline day when they captured 25-year-old Scotland midfielder Gareth Williams from Leicester.

Stoke captain Michael Duberry completed his move to Reading after the Royals invoked a clause in his contract that allowed him to join a Premiership club for a fixed amount. The former Chelsea defender has penned a one-and-a-half-year deal for an undisclosed fee.

All today's other deals involving sides in the top division have been loans, most notably Reto Ziegler from Tottenham to Sampdoria, Bjorn Runstrom to Luton from Fulham, Geoff Horsfield from Sheffield United to Leicester and midfielder Simon Walton from Charlton to Cardiff.