The January transfer window has closed with clubs across the Premier League and Europe finalising deals to strengthen their squads for the second half of the season.
With injuries mounting, Liverpool entered the market for a new defender by hijacking Chelsea’s interest in Rennes defender Jeremy Jacquet. The club have signed the 20-year-old centre-back in a £60m deal, though the Frenchman will join in the summer rather than straight away.
Crystal Palace were the busiest club on deadline day, completing the club-record £48m signing of Jorgen Strand Larsen from Wolves. The Norwegian was brought in to replace wantaway striker Jean-Philippe Mateta, but a move to AC Milan collapsed after a problem was discovered with the Frenchman’s knee.
Chelsea, meanwhile, parted ways with Raheem Sterling earlier in the window, who is gaining interest from clubs such as Tottenham now that he is a free agent. Spurs were also understood to be keen on rivalling Inter Milan for the signature of former Aston Villa winger Moussa Diaby and while a move did not materialise the deadline, they are under no time pressure to pursue Sterling.
Mikel Arteta hinted at a late move for Arsenal as he asserted the club were “actively looking” at finding a midfield cover for the injured Mikel Merino – and while no incomings transpired, the Spaniard did not rule out also looking to the free agent market. Former Liverpool and Gunners midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has been training with the club and could be an option for Arteta.
Follow all the latest transfer news, gossip, rumours and done deals in The Independent’s live blog below
Arsenal sign St Mirren prospect
Arsenal have signed St Mirren striker Evan Mooney.
The 18-year-old, who has made 15 appearances for the Scottish side this season, will join Arsenal’s U21s set up.
Edwards lauds Wolves’ signing of Armstrong
“Adam’s really excited to be here. He’s a competitor and he’s got something about him that we need now. He was really keen to come and join Wolves, and wants to play for Wolves, so it’s a really good day for the club getting him in,” Rob Edwards said.
“He’s someone I’ve admired for a long, long time. He’s a really good footballer, a goal threat and a goal scorer. He’s someone who can play off the sides if we wanted him to, he’ll see himself as a nine and as a goal scorer, but he’s more than that.
“We were only going to bring people in if we felt they could really affect the group in a positive way, not just on the pitch, but around the whole place as well. Hopefully everyone really gets behind him and shows him that love really early on.”
Hoilett joins Swindon Town
A bit of a streets won’t forget signing, this!
Former QPR and Blackburn winger Junior Hoilett has signed for Swindon Town for the remainder of the season.
Premier League ins and outs
Nottingham Forest
Ins: Lorenzo Lucca (Napoli, loan), Stefan Ortega (Man City, undisclosed), Luca Netz (Borussia Monchengladbach, undisclosed)
Outs: Arnaud Kalimuendo (Eintracht Frankfurt, loan)
Sunderland
Ins: Melker Ellborg (Malmo, undisclosed), Nilson Angulo (Anderlecht, £17.5m)
Outs: Jay Matete (MK Dons, undisclosed), Joe Anderson (Barrow, undisclosed), Dan Neil (Ipswich, loan), Arthur Masuaku (Lens, loan), Aji Alese (Portsmouth, loan), Anthony Patterson (Millwall, loan), Leo Hjelde (Sheff Utd, loan), Patrick Roberts (Birmingham, undisclosed), Adil Aouchich (Schalke, undisclosed), Simon Adingra (Monaco, loan)
Ins: Conor Gallagher (Atletico Madrid, £34.7m), James Wilson (Hearts, loan)
Outs: Brennan Johnson (Crystal Palace, £35m), Jamie Donley (Oxford, loan), George Abbott (Mansfield, loan), Alfie Dorrington (Salford, loan)
Ins: Pablo Felipe (Gil Vicente, undisclosed), Taty Castellanos (Lazio, undisclosed), Keiber Lamadrid (Deportivo La Guaira, loan), Adama Traore (Fulham, undisclosed), Axel Disasi (Chelsea, loan)
Outs: Lucas Paqueta (Flamengo, undisclosed), Niclas Fullkrug (AC Milan, loan), Callum Marshall (Bochum, loan), George Earthy (Bristol City, loan), Andy Irving (Sparta Prague, undisclosed), James Ward-Prowse (Burnley, loan)
Ins: Adam Armstrong (Southampton, £7m), Angel Gomes (Marseille, loan)
Outs: Ki-Jana Hoever (Sheffield United, loan), Marshall Munetsi (Paris FC, loan), Jorgen Strand Larsen (Crystal Palace, £48m)
Premier League ins and outs
Ins: Facundo Buonanotte (Brighton, loan)
Outs: Jack Harrison (Fiorentina, loan)
Ins: Jeremy Jacquet (£60m, Rennes – will join in the summer)
Outs: Lewis Koumas (Hull, loan)
Manchester City
Ins: Antoine Semenyo (Bournemouth, £65m), Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace, £20m)
Outs: Claudio Echeverri (Girona, loan), Oscar Bobb (Fulham, £27m), Mahamadou Susoho (Kocaelispor, undisclosed), Kalvin Phillips (Sheffield United, loan), Joel Ndala (Sheffield Wednesday, loan), Stefan Ortega (Nottingham Forest, undisclosed)
Manchester United
Outs: Harry Amass (Norwich, loan), Toby Collyer (Hull, loan), Rhys Bennett (Fleetwood, undisclosed), James Scanlon (Swindon, loan), Gabriele Biancheri (Rotherham, loan), Ethan Wheatley (Bradford, loan)
Outs: Joe White (Bradford, loan)
Premier League ins and outs
Ins: James Ward-Prowse (West Ham, loan)
Outs: Michael Obafemi (Blackpool, loan), Jaydon Banel (Derby, loan), Sam Waller (Harrogate, undisclosed)
Ins: Yisa Alao (Sheffield Wednesday, undisclosed)
Outs: Leo Castledine (Middlesbrough, undisclosed), Raheem Sterling (released), Aaron Anselmino (Strasbourg, loan), David Fofana (Strasbourg, loan), Tyrique George (Everton, loan)
Crystal Palace
Ins: Brennan Johnson (Tottenham, £35m), Evann Guessand (Aston Villa, loan), Jorgen Strand Larsen (Wolves, £48m)
Outs: Romain Esse (Coventry, loan), Marc Guehi (Manchester City, £20m), Jesurun Rak-Sakyi (Stoke, loan)
Ins: Tyrique George (Chelsea, loan)
Ins: Oscar Bobb (Man City, £27m)
Outs: Luke Harris (Wycombe, loan), Adama Traore (West Ham, undisclosed)
Premier League ins and outs
Outs: Ethan Nwaneri (Marseille, loan), Oleksandr Zinchenko (Ajax, undisclosed)
Aston Villa
Ins: Alysson (Gremio, £8.7m), Tammy Abraham (Besiktas, £18.25m)
Outs: Donyell Malen (Roma, undisclosed), Evann Guessand (Crystal Palace, loan), Jamaldeen Jimoh-Aloba (West Brom, loan), Ben Broggio (Falkirk, loan), Samuel Iling-Junior (Pisa, loan), Kadan Young (Reading, loan), Lino Sousa (Rotherham, loan)
Bournemouth
Ins: Ade Solanke (Lorient, undisclosed), Alex Toth (Ferencvaros, £10.4m), Christos Mandas (Lazio, loan), Rayan (Vasco da Gama, £24.7m)
Outs: Julian Araujo (Celtic, loan), Antoine Semenyo (Manchester City, £65m)
Ins: Kaye Furo (Club Brugge, undisclosed)
Outs: Michael Olakigbe (Swindon, loan), Myles Peart-Harris (Oxford, undisclosed), Yunus Konak (Oxford, loan), Gustavo Nunes (Swansea, loan), Paris Maghoma (Norwich, undisclosed), Frank Onyeka (Coventry, loan), Benjamin Arthur (Celtic, loan)
Ins: Pascal Gross (Borussia Dortmund, undisclosed)
Outs: Eiran Cashin (Blackburn, loan), Facundo Buonanotte (Leeds, loan), Jeremy Sarmiento (Middlesbrough, loan), Diego Coppola (Paris FC, loan), Tommy Watson (Millwall, loan), Brajan Gruda (RB Leipzig, loan)
West Ham complete loan signing of Disasi
Axel Disasi has joined West Ham on loan from Chelsea.
The deal is a straight loan with no option or obligation to by at the end of the season.
There was talk that the deal could collapse due to the player’s demands but the Hammers managed to get the move over the line.
Benzema thanks Al-Ittihad fans following exit
“Al Ittihad, this chapter comes to an end, but the respect and gratitude will always remain,” Benzema wrote on X.
“Thank you to the club, the staff, my teammates, and especially the fans for the welcome, the love, and the energy you gave me every day.
“This journey gave me a lot, both personally and professionally.
“I leave with my head held high, proud to have worn these colors and of everything we shared.
“I wish you all the best for what’s next.”
Transfer window in Scotland slams shut
As the clock strikes 11pm, the transfer window in Scotland has closed!
There is still late business to be done, with a deal agreed for Ryan Naderi to sign for Rangers from Hansa Rostock.
Clinton Nsiala goes out the Ibrox door as he joins Belgian club KVC Westerlo.
Celtic, meanwhile, have put pen to paper of a loan move for Brentford’s Benjamin Arthur and renegotiated a deal for Lorient winger Joel Mvuka, after issues with his medical put the move in doubt.
Sky Sports report the Hoops have agreed an initial loan deal until the end of the season, with an option to buy for a fee of around £3m.
He will join Junior Adamu as Celtic’s deadline day arrivals, while Martin O’Neill will be happy that his side stood firm on Arne Engels, rejecting three bids from Nottingham Forest.
