Chelsea's £35m purchase of Danny Drinkwater from Leicester City, Serge Aurier's £23m move from PSG to Tottenham and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's £35m switch from Arsenal to Liverpool were the standout deals on a relatively tame transfer deadline day.
Premier League clubs took their transfer deadline day spending to a record £210m before the window slammed shut, but some of the most anticipated moves failed to come off. Despite feverish speculation linking them to big-money moves, Alexis Sanchez, Virgil van Dijk, Riyad Mahrez, Diego Costa and Ross Barkley all woke up this morning at the same respective clubs.
Among the deals that did get over the line, other noteworthy examples were Kylian Mbappe's loan from Monaco to PSG, Renato Sanches's temporary switch from Bayern Munich to Swansea, and Nikola Vlasic's £10m hop to Everton from Hajduk Split. Tottenham also completed the signing of Swansea striker Fernando Llorente for an undisclosed fee, their fifth acquisition of the summer. The BBC's full list of summer transfers is here.
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Yet the media is more preoccupied this morning with the players who stayed put. The Daily Mail says Manchester City are "furious" with "shambolic" Arsenal over their handling of the Alexis saga. The Sun says that Ross Barkley changed his mind about joining Chelsea after completing a medical, although a BBC source has disputed this account.
Sam Wallace of the Daily Telegraph spotlights the various stars who failed in their bids to move clubs. He said:"They have discovered the vast corporate football entities that have made them so rich can use that wealth in another way too: to make their best players stay when all they want to do is leave".
However, he adds, this leaves modern managers with the tough new challenge of "reintegrating the star who did as much as he could to leave".
The Mirror wonders if there is one more twist in the tale. It predicts that Barcelona may pounce for Arsenal star Mesut Ozil. Spanish clubs have until Friday evening to sign players. The Gunners are said to have a price tag of at least £55m on the former Real Madrid ace.
The final word goes to Paul Hayward from the Daily Telegraph, who writes about the "national obsession" that now surrounds transfer deadline day. "Police forces across England warned motorists not to check rolling news while driving," he wrote. He predicts that one day, the summer deadline will take up an "official place in the British calendar, alongside Christmas and Bonfire night".
See TheWeek.co.uk's blow-by-blow coverage of how deadline day unfolded below.
No moves for Barkley, Sanchez or Van Dijk
The deals that never happened make the headlines on transfer deadline day. Especially the news that Ross Barkley pulled out of a move to champions Chelsea.
Alexis Sanchez won't be leaving Arsenal yet and Southampton's in-demand defender Virgil van Dijk also stays put.
The biggest transfer fee of the day was £35m as Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain moved from Arsenal to Liverpool.
Deal of the day? Swansea getting Renato Sanches on loan from Bayern Munich. A superb bit of business.
11.45pm: A good day for Spurs
11.40pm: Llorente reaction
Fernando Llorente on his move to Tottenham: "I think I can do more things in my career and my dream is to do that here."
11.30pm: More news about Ross Barkley
From Sky Sports: A source close to Ross Barkley has told Sky Sports News this evening that the midfielder never underwent a medical at Chelsea today.
11.20pm: Three done deals
Three expected transfers have now been completed.
- Fernando Llorente from Swansea to Tottenham
- Wilfried Bony from Manchester City to Swansea City
- Davide Zappacosta from Torino to Chelsea
11.12pm: Six deals to come
11.05pm: Deals we're waiting on
- Danny Drinkwater from Leicester City to Chelsea
- Mamadou Sakho from Liverpool to Crystal Palace
- Adrien Silva from Sporting Lisbon to Leicester City
Plus, where's Riyad Mahrez?
11pm: Transfer window closes
That's it for summer 2017 transfers in England, but hold fire because some news will filter through of deals that were completed on time. Scotland still has until midnight.
10.58pm: Drinkwater deal close
Sky Sports News understands that a deal to take Danny Drinkwater from Leicester to Chelsea is 'very close'. Chelsea may get a couple more hours from the Premier League to complete the transfer, the broadcaster has reported.
10.50pm: Dragovic loaned to Leicester
Leicester City have signed defender Aleksandar Dragovic on loan from Bayer Leverkusen until the end of the season.
10.45pm: Bony deal complete
Daily Mail reports that Wilfried Bony's return to Swansea City is complete. The Ivorian re-signs from Manchester City for a fee of £12m.
10.35pm: Reaction to Barkley decision
Ross Barkley's decision to pull out of a move to Chelsea is one of the biggest talking points this evening. It is reported he "wants to reconsider his position during the January transfer window".
10.25pm: Deals yet to be concluded
There are some reported deals still in the pipeline with just over half an hour to go - some are close, some are not...
- Adrien Silva from Sporting Lisbon to Leicester City
- Wilfried Bony from Manchester City to Swansea
- Fernando Llorente from Swansea to Tottenham
- Danny Drinkwater from Leicester to Chelsea
- Davide Zappacosta from Torino to Chelsea
10.15pm: Big news at Chelsea
Sky Sports report that a £30m fee was agreed for Everton's Ross Barkley but he pulled out of a deal after having a medical. A deal for Danny Drinkwater is still yet to be confirmed.
10pm: One hour left
Sixty minutes until the transfer window closes in England. Sky Sports reports that Leicester City midfielder Danny Drinkwater is at Chelsea's training ground...
9.55pm: International deals done today
The BBC rounds up all the deals throughout the window.
- Loan: Kylian Mbappe from Monaco to PSG
- Loan: Lucas Perez from Arsenal to Deportivo La Coruna
- Loan: Nani from Valencia to Lazio
- Loan: Bojan Krkic from Stoke to Alaves
- Loan: Divock Origi from Liverpool to Wolfsburg
- Loan: Cheick Keita from Birmingham to Bologna
- Loan: Ryan Kent from Liverpool to Freiburg
- Loan: Nampalys Mendy from Leicester to Nice
- Loan: Papy Djilobodji from Sunderland to Dijon
- Loan: Robert Tesche from Birmingham to VfL Bochum
- Loan: Giannelli Imbula from Stoke to Toulouse
- Loan: Kelechi Nwakali from Arsenal to VVV-Venlo
- Loan: Matty Willock from Manchester United to FC Utrecht
- Undisclosed: Donyell Malen from Arsenal to PSV Eindhoven
9.50pm: Premier League deals done today
- £35m: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain from Arsenal to Liverpool
- £23m: Serge Aurier from PSG to Tottenham
- £10m: Nikola Vlasic from Hajduk Split to Everton
- £5m: Nahki Wells from Huddersfield to Burnley
- Undisclosed: Ezequiel Schelotto from Inter Milan to Brighton
- Undisclosed: Marvin Zeegelaar from Sporting Lisbon to Watford
- Loan: Molla Wague from Udinese to Watford
- Loan: Renato Sanches from Bayern Munich to Swansea
- Loan: Orestis Karnezis from Udinese to Watford
9.40pm: Campbell's off to Betis
It's another loan deal, but we'll take it. Arsenal striker Joel Campbell will rejoin La Liga side Real Betis on loan until the rest of the season.
9.35pm: #MissingMahrez
We asked the question an hour ago, but we'll ask it again... where's Riyad Mahrez? He left the Algerian national team camp to 'formalise' a transfer away from Leicester City. Could this be the late deal of summer 2017?
9.20pm: Look away Arsenal fans...
Arsenal target Thomas Lemar, who was subject to a £90m-plus bid earlier today, has scored a brilliant goal for France this evening. That goal has put France 2-0 up against the Netherlands.
9.15pm: A valid point
The presenters on TalkSPORT are discussing why don't some managers do their business earlier instead of leaving it until the final day? One coach being mentioned a lot in this chat is Chelsea's Antonio Conte.
9.05pm: It's all gone a little quiet
With less than two hours to go, some fans are getting a little bored with the lack of news.
9pm: Two hours left
That's right there's 120 minutes left until the window closes.
8.55pm: Bony update
Reports say that Wilfried Bony is set for a medical at Swansea City. The striker left the Welsh club in 2015 to join Manchester City. Signing Bony and Renato Sanches would be great business by the Swans.
8.45pm: The world's most famous yellow tie
Many fans are waiting to see if Sky Sports' 'deadline day king' Jim White will wear his famous yellow tie.
8.36pm: Llorente a done deal for Spurs?
A deal for Fernando Llorente is expected to be formally announced by Tottenham very soon.
8.28pm: A quick recap
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain secured a move to Liverpool from Arsenal today while Paris Saint-Germain have signed Kylian Mbappe on loan. However, it looks like Alexis Sanchez will remain at the Emirates and Virgil van Dijk is 'definitely' staying at Southampton. Where's Riyad Mahrez?
8.18pm: Reaction from Vlasic
"I am very excited about the opportunity to play for this big club," he said. "The Premier League is the best league in the world and this is one of the top clubs in England. It is such a big honour for me to be here."
8.15pm: Everton complete Nikola Vlasic deal
The Hajduk Split forward has signed for the Toffees for £10m.
8.10pm: Alexis Sanchez update
Not much of an update, just more reaction. BBC Sport's David Ornstein reports that Alexis Sanchez had told his closest contacts that he believed he was going to Manchester City.
8pm: Three hours to go
What can we expect in the final three hours of the transfer window? Tweet us @TheWeekUK
7.58pm: Zappacosta arrives in the UK
Journalist Fabrizio Romano rates him, and now Sky Sports is reporting that Italian right back Davide Zappacosta has arrived in the UK to complete his move to Chelsea from Torino. He has agreed a four-year deal and the fee is expected to be in the region of £23m.
7.53pm: Sakho's day at the races
In what is perhaps the greatest story of the transfer window this summer, West Ham striker Diafra Sakho spent deadline day at Chelmsford races after he attempted to force a move to Rennes, writes The Telegraph. Brilliant.
7.48pm: Virgil van Dijk 'definitely' staying at Southampton
In-demand Southampton defender Virgil van Dijk has been a target for Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal during the transfer window. Now Sky Sports are reporting that he is 'definitely staying at the club'.
7.45pm: Mendy's Nice loan move
Leicester City announce that midfielder Nampalys Mendy joins OGC Nice on a season-long loan deal.
7.40pm: Brighton sign right back
Ezequiel Schelotto signs for Brighton for an undisclosed fee from Sporting Lisbon. Argentine Schelotto, 28, is a right back and has signed a three-year contract.
7.35pm: Wague for Watford
The Hornets secure the signature of defender Molla Wague on loan until the end of the season.
7.25pm: A is for agent, F is for fax machine
Sky Sports has put together its Deadline Day glossary. Find out what the key words and phrases are to look out for tonight.
7.20pm: Mahrez on the move?
There's been so much talk about Leicester City playmaker Riyad Mahrez. Earlier today the Algerian Football Federation had allowed him to leave the national squad to formalise a move away from the Foxes. No update just yet though.
7.15pm: Poor old Arsenal
It's been quite a week for the Gunners. After the 4-0 thrashing at Liverpool and their star players wanting out of the Emirates, they did not need even more ridicule. Step up Thames Valley Police with a belter of a tweet. Ouch...
7.10pm: Perez joins Deportivo
Arsenal announce that striker Lucas Perez has rejoined Deportivo on loan until the end of the season. Talking of Arsenal...
7.05pm: Life as a football agent
Ever wondered what it's like to be a football agent during the transfer window? Here's a nice insight...
7pm: Four hours to go
The transfer window will close in England and Scotland in four hours. That's four hours people.
6.55pm: Sakho set for Palace return
Evening Standard football writer Giuseppe Muro says that it looks like Crystal Palace have reach an agreement with Liverpool for French defender Mamadou Sakho.
6.45pm: Summer is silly season
In the age of fake news, transfer deadline day is up there as one of the top providers of not-so-true stories and reports of random players being spotted in a UK high street having a swift half in the Dog & Duck. Also, try to spot the jokers, like @ThatHeavyKid on Twitter. Good effort, kid.
6.43pm: PSG confirm Mbappe loan deal
Ligue 1 big spenders Paris Saint-Germain have signed Kylian Mbappe from Monaco on loan until the end of the season. There will be an option to buy next summer and the transfer fee will be big.
6.35pm: Sanchez deal dead?
The BBC reports that Alexis Sanchez's potential move to Manchester City may not happen. City had offered £55m plus £5m in add-ons for the Chilean. A deal for Sanchez depended on Arsenal signing a replacement - with Monaco's Thomas Lemar their preferred choice. After Arsenal made a reported £90m bid, it looks like Lemar does not want the move meaning the Sanchez deal could break down.
6.25pm: When does the transfer window shut?
Football clubs in England will have to complete their transfer business by 11pm tonight. Scotland is midnight. The deadline has already shut in Germany (at 5pm), but in France and Italy it's also 11pm. Spain has until tomorrow while in big-spending China the deadline is not until September 14.
6.15pm: Summer spending record is smashed
A week before today's deadline, a new record had been reached by Premier League clubs spending money on summer transfer window signings. As of 9am on August 24 the total gross transfer expenditure by Premier League clubs stood at £1.17billion. This summer's total surpasses the previous record of £1.16bn set last summer. A week before the last summer window closed, clubs had spent £865m.
6.10pm: A great signing for the Swans
Swansea have pulled off a major coup by signing Renato Sanches on loan from Bayern Munich until the rest of the season. Considering Juventus and Benfica also made offers, this is a top deal for Swansea and manager Paul Clement.
6.05pm: Major transfers and loans so far
- £35m: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain from Arsenal to Liverpool
- £23m: Serge Aurier from PSG to Tottenham
- Loan: Renato Sanches from Bayern Munich to Swansea
- Loan: Nani from Valencia to Lazio
- Loan: Divock Origi from Liverpool to Wolfsburg
Biggest deals of the summer transfer window
- £198m: Neymar from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain
- £96.7m: Ousmane Dembele from Borussia Dortmund to Barcelona
- £75m: Romelu Lukaku from Everton to Manchester United
- £58m: Alvaro Morata from Real Madrid to Chelsea
- £52m: Benjamin Mendy from Monaco to Manchester City
- £50m: Kyle Walker from Tottenham Hotspur to Manchester City
- £46m: Alexandre Lacazette from Lyon to Arsenal
- £45m: Gylfi Sigurdsson from Swansea City to Everton
- £43.6m: Bernardo Silva from Monaco to Manchester City
- £42m: Davinson Sanchez from Ajax to Tottenham Hotspur
- £40m: Nemanja Matic from Chelsea to Manchester United
- £39.7m: Tiemoue Bakayoko from Monaco to Chelsea
- £39.6m: Vinicius Junior from Flamengo to Real Madrid
- £36.9m: Mohamed Salah from Roma to Liverpool
6pm: Fax machines at the ready, it's #DeadlineDay
The summer transfer deadline day is here and for the next six hours TheWeek.co.uk will bring you live coverage of the completed deals, late rumours and fan reaction. Already this summer we've seen big moves for Romelu Lukaku and Alvaro Morata so don't be surprised for some big deals ahead of the 11pm deadline.
Oxlade-Chamberlain signs for Liverpool
The biggest transfer so far today is Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who has signed for Liverpool from Arsenal. The fee is believed to be £35million and the versatile England star has signed a long-term contract at Anfield. He said: "I'm currently away with England, so I'm at St George's Park. Firstly, I'm delighted to have signed for Liverpool and a big thank-you to everyone here at the FA that has made this possible, using the facilities. It has been a massive help."
Today's transfer news
We round up this morning's transfer news from the Premier League.
Get in touch
Has your club signed a star? Or do you still lack a left-back? Have your say and get in touch via Twitter @TheWeekUK
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