Most Premier League clubs were active on the last day of the transfer window, with a number of high-profile deals signed and sealed.
With Enzo Fernandez’s proposed British transfer record move from Benfica to Chelsea still yet to be officially completed, Football Mad takes a look at some of the confirmed moves to beat the deadline.
Jorginho – Chelsea to Arsenal (£12million)
Mikel Arteta had made no secret of his desire to bring in a midfielder after it was confirmed that Mohamed Elneny will be out for the rest of the season. Thomas Partey, lynchpin alongside Granit Xhaka in the heart of the Premier League leaders’ side this season, went off with a rib injury against Manchester City on Friday, and with the club having seemingly got the message that Brighton will not part with Moises Caicedo before the summer, agreeing an 18-month deal for Jorginho for a fraction of the price quoted for the Ecuadorean is shrewd business.
Joao Cancelo – Manchester City to Bayern Munich (loan with £61.5m option in the summer)
No defender has played more minutes for the champions so far this season, but something clearly changed for the Portugal international since he returned from the World Cup and he made just two Premier League starts in that time. A sudden demotion from defensive mainstay to squad player has reportedly affected his relationship with boss Pep Guardiola, and for that reason Bayern Munich have found themselves with a transfer coup and City with just 19 senior outfield players as they seek to chase down Arsenal.
Pedro Porro – Sporting Lisbon to Tottenham (loan with £40m obligation in the summer)
The Spain international only left Manchester City permanently last summer having failed to play a game for the first team. Since moving to Sporting on a two-season loan, Porro has built a reputation as an intrepid full-back and showed Spurs just what an effective operator he can be as a more advanced wide player during his side’s 2-0 win over Antonio Conte’s men last September.
Matt Doherty – Tottenham to Atletico Madrid (free)
Conte made noises earlier in the season to suggest that he did not fully trust the form of Doherty at right-back, and so it is perhaps not a surprise that the former Wolves player has been allowed to leave – although the fact it was a free transfer was a shock. What is more of a surprise is the destination, particularly with Atletico’s brief for the remainder of the season almost identical to Spurs’ – see off the competition to squeeze into fourth place in LaLiga and into next season’s Champions League.
Harrison Ashby – West Ham to Newcastle (£3million)
The 21-year-old defender, a product of West Ham’s academy, told the Londoners he was not willing to sign a new contract with his present deal set to expire in the summer, so the club have cashed in. With only seven first-team appearances so far, Ashby is likely to be one for the future at St. James’s Park rather than a part of Eddie Howe’s bid to take Newcastle into next season’s Champions League.
