DEADLINE DAY did not disappoint as clubs scrambled to get last minute deals over the line.
In one of the signings of the summer, Saul Niguez is heading to Chelsea on loan after the Blues swooped for their man late in the evening.
But Atleti fans were appeased by the arrival of former favourite Antoine Griezmann, who joins from Barcelona with an obligation to buy.
Luuk De Jong was his replacement at the Nou Camp, while PSG sensationally turned down a mammoth bid from Real Madrid for Kylian Mbappe.
Tottenham were busy, bringing in Emerson Royal while Odsonne Edouard is a Premier League player after completing his move from Celtic to Crystal Palace.
Follow all of the latest transfer updates and Deadline Day reaction below…
JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET A FREE £10 BONUS WITH 100s OF GAMES TO PLAY AND NO DEPOSIT REQUIRED (Ts&Cs apply)
SLOWEST SUMMER SPENDING SINCE 2015
According to analysis by the Deloitte Sports Business Group, this summer represented the lowest gross spending between season window since 2015.
The analysis suggests top-flight clubs spent a combined £1.1billion before 11pm last night, 11% less than last summer’s window.
And Deloitte report that the gross spending is down 20% on 2019, largely due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
Despite that the number of players signed by Premier League clubs actually increased.
Last summer 132 signings were made, while 148 new deals were announced before yesterday’s deadline.
HORNETS GIVE COTTAGERS BETTING STING
Deadline-day signings from Watford, Domingos Quina and Nathaniel Chalobah, have helped make Fulham clear bookies’ favourites to win the Championship.
The relegated Cottagers are 13/10 with Ladbrokes after manager Marco Silva’s double swoop on his former club, with West Brom tipped second at 9/4.
‘£500m HAALAND DEAL’ SCARED OFF PREM CLUBS
Chelsea and Manchester City were scared off long-term Old Trafford target Erling Haaland in August by a staggering £500million bill over the next five years, reports say.
The Borussia Dortmund goal machine’s sky-high package of transfer fee and wages mean interest in the 21-year-old could even be delayed for TWO transfer windows – until NEXT summer.
Credit: Reuters
RON: REJOINING UTD IS MY BEST DECISION
Cristiano Ronaldo says he is back at Manchester United to win trophies rather than for sentimental reasons.
But the Portugal superstar, whose 2003-6 Old Trafford spell was legendary, added: “I think it’s the best decision that I have made.
“I’m so happy and glad, and I want to carry on again, to make history, to try to help Manchester achieve great results, to win trophies and number one of them, to win great things.”
Credit: Alamy I’LL NAIL THE PREM WITH HAMMERS
Nikola Vlasic has insisted he does have the ability to succeed in the Premier League at West Ham despite flopping at Everton earlier in his career.
The attacking midfielder joined the Hammers from CSKA Moscow in a deal which could be worth £33million after David Moyes agreed the biggest deadline day fee in the Premier League.
Credit: PA And the 26-cap Croatia star, 23, claims he is much improved from the teenager who joined Everton in 2017.
Vlasic said: “I’m a much better player and my mentality is not the same as when I was 19.
“It’s four years since when I was in the Premier League and I really feel like I need to prove something to myself.
“It’s not that I didn’t feel I was good enough then, I think I was, it was just a problem with the changing of coaches and everything.
“The situation now is different. I am coming to a big club and they expect big things from me, and I also expect big things from myself, so I think it will be a really exciting time.”
NEW BLUE NIGUEZ: IT’S SAUL TO PLAY FOR
Chelsea’s deadline-day recruit Saul Niguez has tweeted his joy at his season’s loan switch from Atletico Madrid.
The 19-cap Spain star will provide options alongside N’Golo Kante, Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic if Blues’ boss Thomas Tuchel opts for a ‘double 6’ style of midfield anchors.
The 26-year-old posted a picture of him preparing to travel into Stamford Bridge with the words: “See you there!”
Niguez helped Atletico to the LaLiga title last term summer signing Rodrigo de Paul appears to have leapfrogged him in the thinking of boss Diego Simeone.
NEW BOAT FOR LYON
Free agent Jerome Boateng has been officially unveiled as a Lyon player on a two-year deal.
The former Manchester City flop, 32, who has 76 Germany caps, left Bayern Munich this summer after ten glorious years.
UTD ERLING BID ‘NEXT SUMMER’
Manchester United WILL try to sign Erling Haaland summer, despite the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo.
According to ESPN, the Red Devils are set to continue the pursuit of theit top target next summer.
And when the season does come to an end Haaland will be available for as little as £65million thanks to a release clause in his contract that becomes active.
Ole Gunnar Solskajer is desperate to bring fellow Norwegian Haaland to Old Trafford, and with the pair having previously worked together at Molde a deal could be on the cards.
ESPN even report that the signing of Cristiano Ronaldo will help United get the Haaland deal over the line, due to Haaland’s desire to play alongside the footballing great.
TRAORE BLIMEY
Tottenham reportedly refused to meet Adama Traore’s £50million asking price after having a bid rejected by Wolves for the winger.
The ex-Barcelona ace, 25, is believed to have hired agent Jorge Mendes to try and push through a deal to Tottenham before the window slammed shut on Tuesday night.
But the transfer failed to materialise, with The Athletic insisting Spurs were unwilling to meet his £50m price tag.
They even state that the 2008 League Cup champions had a £30m bid turned down by the Midlands outfit on Monday.
Negotiations then hit a brick wall between the two clubs as both parties refused to budge on their valuation of Traore.
SIQ OF IT
SunSport’s Goodman also reports that Brentford failed with a deadline-day swoop for Standard Liege right-back Hugo Siquet.
The Belgium Under-19 international has been a revelation since making his senior club debut last November.
Bees officials held talks with their Liege counterparts for the 19-year-old, but were unable to reach agreement.
Siquet joined the Belgian outfit aged seven, and has won 13 national caps from Under-17 level upwards.
Getty Images BRENTFORD BUSINESS
SunSport’s Steve Goodman reports the Bees’ Danish boss Thomas Frank wanted to raid his home country for FC Copenhagen striker Jonas Wind.
The Premier League newcomers made an improved £5.6million offer for the Denmark international.
However the Superliga club refused to release Wind, valuing the nine-cap ace at nearer to £11m.
The striker has bagged five goals in 11 games so far this season, and played for Denmark at this summer’s Euro 2020 finals.
Getty Images AOUAR ON
Arsenal and Tottenham could rekindle their interest in Houssem Aouar in January.
Both North London clubs were linked with a move for the 23-year-old Lyon playmaker over the summer.
A move failed to ever materialise but according to The Express he could be on his way to London before the season is over.
With the Frenchman’s contract expiring in the summer of 2023, Lyon may be forced to sanction a move before losing Aouar for a cut-price fee or even on a free transfer.
And with Aouar open to a new challenge elsewhere, a January move could well be on the cards.
Getty Images IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
The transfer window never fails to disappoint, does it?
In a sensational story Eintracht Frankfurt blocked a move for Filip Kostic to sign for Lazio by giving the Italian club the WRONG EMAIL.
According to Calciomercato, Lazio offered the Bundesliga side £8.5million for Kostic’s services.
But their offer fell on deaf ears, because Frankfurt bosses gave Lazio the wrong email address.
It meant Frankurt could show Kostic no official bid had been received.
But the 28-year-olds agent wasn’t convinced and he told Kostic about the deception.
Kostic as a result refused to play for Frankfurt, but the move angered bosses so much when an official bid was received to the correct email, they refused it anyway!
SAUL TAKES TO THE SKIES
Chelsea new boy Saul Niguez is on his way to London.
He signed for the Blues late last night on an initial season-long loan deal.
And now the 26-year-old Spain international has taken to Instagram as he jets off to join up with his new teammates.
He posted a picture of him outside an airport, before him walking towards the door.
And he captioned the post: “See you there!! @chelseafc”
DONE DEAL
Another done deal to report.
Free agent Jerome Boateng has been officially unveiled as a Lyon player.
He’s signed for the club on a two year contract.
The 32-year-old centre-back joins the Ligue 1 side after a decade at Bayern Munich.
DONE DEAL
Chelsea and Lokomotiv Moscow have agreed terms on a deal for Tino Anjorin, according to Fabrizio Romano.
And The Athletic report the 19–year-old will sign on an initial loan deal with a £17million option to buy in January.
The Blues have also negotiated a £34million buy-back clause for the teenager.
With the transfer market still upon in Russia the clubs were free to continue negotiations, and now an agreement has been reached.
Getty Images SEAD’S DEMANDS
It was reported earlier that Sead Kolasinac was on the brink of a move to Turkish side Fenerbahce, according to football.london.
But the club’s President Ali Koc claims the move broke down for financial reasons, with Kolasinac’s demands out of reach for Fenerbahce.
And now those figures have been revealed.
Koc told Sporx: “[Kolasinac’s camp] contacted us and told us their demands. They asked for a three-year contract, €3million (£2.5m) a year [£50,000-a-week] with a €3million (£2.5) signing-on fee.
“The issue was brought [to us] before our coach arrived. He wasn’t interested.”
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
According to analysis by the Deloitte Sports Business Group, this summer represented the lowest gross spending between season window since 2015.
The analysis suggests top-flight clubs spent a combined £1.1billion before 11pm last night, 11% less than last summer’s window.
And Deloitte report that the gross spending is down 20% on 2019, largely due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
Despite that the number of players signed by Premier League clubs actually increased.
Last summer 132 signings were made, while 148 new deals were announced before yesterday’s deadline.
HAALAND BOOST
Manchester United have been handed a boost in their pursuit of Erling Haaland.
Former Bayern Munich CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge believes the 22-year-old sensation will leave Germany when he leaves Borussia Dortmund.
Bayern are notorious for signing Dortmund’s best stars, but when it comes to Haaland Rummenigge doesn’t think the Munich club have a chance.
He told Sport Bild: “He [Haaland] has become an absolute figurehead in the league.
“But I’m afraid he won’t be staying in the Bundesliga. The numbers that are circulating show that it’s difficult to keep him in Germany.
“I assume that his future lies abroad.”
WINDOW WONDERS
SunSport reckons this team could certainly challenge for the title if they played together – especially with the devastating attack.
Ronaldo returned to Manchester United this week and links up with fellow summer arrival Jadon Sancho.
Between them in attack and leading the line is, of course, ex-Red Devils striker Romelu Lukau.
Like Ronaldo, the Belgian made a comeback to his first English club this summer as Chelsea broke their transfer record to buy him from Inter Milan for £97.5million.
Meanwhile, the likes of Kurt Zouma, Martin Odegaard, Emi Buendia, Joe Willock, Dan James, Odsonne Edouard and Patson Daka were among the best signings to make the fantasy bench.
The total transfer cost of the starting XI, three of whom signed on deadline day, adds up to a whopping £457.5m.
EYES ON ERLING
Manchester United WILL try to sign Erling Haaland summer, despite the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo.
According to ESPN, the Red Devils are set to continue the pursuit of theit top target next summer.
And when the season does come to an end Haaland will be available for as little as £65million thanks to a release clause in his contract that becomes active.
Ole Gunnar Solskajer is desperate to bring fellow Norwegian Haaland to Old Trafford, and with the pair having previously worked together at Molde a deal could be on the cards.
ESPN even report that the signing of Cristiano Ronaldo will help United get the Haaland deal over the line, due to Haaland’s desire to play alongside the footballing great.
Getty Images
CRAZY NUMBERS
Kylian Mbappe turned down the offer of a mouthwatering new deal at PSG, reports suggest
According to Le Parisien, Mbappe rejected a new contract worth £38MILLION per-year in order to force through a move to Real Madrid.
If he had accepted the contract offer it would have made him the highest paid player in world football, earning more than his teammate Lionel Messi.
But instead he will join Real Madrid next summer on a free transfer.
That’s after the LaLiga side had reportedly handed PSG an ultimatum to accept their initial £145.6million offer, which included £8.6m in add-ons.
The French club rejected it, but now they are set to lose the 22-year-old next summer for nothing at all.
Getty Images WELCOME TO WALES
Swansea City are expected to announce the signing of Olivier Ntcham today.
According to Planet Swans the 25-year-old underwent a medical yesterday and although the deal was not announced before the 11pm deadline, all the necessary paperwork was submitted.
The Frenchman will join the Championship side after being released by Celtic in the summer.
Ntcham played 86 times in the league for Celtic, before spending the second half of last season on loan at French side Marseille.
Getty Images RON THE MOVE
Cristiano Ronaldo has also spoken on his decision to return to Manchester in his first interview since re-signing for United.
He told manutd.com: “I think it’s the best decision that I have made it. It’s right on point in my opinion.
“I moved from Juve now to Manchester, it’s a new chapter, I’m so happy and glad, and I want to carry on again, to make history, to try to help Manchester achieve great results, to win trophies and number one of them, to win great things.”
NORTH LONDON DERBY
Arsenal made an offer to sign Tottenham new boy Emerson Royal, reports suggest.
According to Marca, the Gunners offered Barcelona £8.5million plus Hector Bellerin for his services.
But Barcelona rejected the offer, with the cash-strapped club only willing to deal in cash.
The Catalan club are already well equipped at right-back with Sergino Dest, so did not feel the need to bring another in.
So instead they accepted Spurs’ offer that could rise to £26million and the full-back will play on the white side of North London, rather than the red.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
