Premier League deadline day: Man City lead £3bn spending spree with Fernandez, Ndiaye deals
The summer transfer window closed at 11pm on Tuesday, ending a record-breaking spending spree for Premier League clubs. According to The Sun, the 20 top-flight clubs spent over £3 billion bolstering their squads, with Manchester City the biggest spenders at £427 million. Chelsea and Tottenham also spent upwards of £300 million each.
Manchester City's deadline day double
Manchester City were the busiest club on deadline day, working on deals for Enzo Fernandez and Iliman Ndiaye in what the Daily Star described as a near £200 million double deal. City had tracked Fernandez for most of the summer, with Chelsea demanding £120 million plus for the midfielder. The Sun reported that City signed Fernandez for £125 million on deadline day, though this figure was contested in other reports.
City also moved for Everton's Iliman Ndiaye, with the Daily Star reporting a £65 million move to the Etihad was expected. Earlier in the summer, City had signed Elliot Anderson for £116 million, according to the Daily Star. The club's spending spree was aimed at stopping Arsenal from winning a second successive Premier League title, as reported by The Sun.
Tottenham and Chelsea deals
Tottenham were set to seal the loan signing of Mykhailo Mudryk from Chelsea, with an option to buy for £75 million, according to the Daily Star and The Sun. The Sun confirmed Tottenham took Mudryk on loan. Tosin Adarabioyo was also likely to move from Chelsea to Tottenham for £7 million plus add-ons, as reported by the Daily Star.
Chelsea were active on several fronts. Robert Sanchez joined Como on a season-long loan, according to both sources. The club also sent a £40 million bid to Monaco for Lamine Camara, as reported by the Daily Star. Bournemouth refused to sell Alex Scott, with Chelsea having a £64 million bid turned down, according to the same source.
Arsenal's expected departures
Arsenal were expected to sell several players, according to the Daily Star. Gabriel Martinelli was expected to move to Al Hilal for £60 million, Gabriel Jesus to Barcelona for £8.6 million plus £4.3 million in add-ons, and Fabio Vieira to Hamburger SV for £7.7 million. Ethan Nwaneri was expected to join Borussia Dortmund on loan.
However, Arsenal failed to agree a fee with Lyon for Malick Fofana, with the £35 million asking price the obstacle. Julian Alvarez was training with Atletico Madrid, indicating a move to Arsenal was unlikely, according to the Daily Star.
Other confirmed moves
Aston Villa confirmed the signing of Ibrahim Mbaye from PSG for £47 million, as reported by the Daily Star. Everton agreed a deal for Folarin Balogun and reached an agreement to bring Jack Grealish back on loan from Manchester City, according to the same source. Leeds were poised to sign Nice defender Melvin Bard, while Harvey Elliott was set to complete a season-long loan move to Valencia.
The deadline day activity capped a window in which Premier League clubs spent heavily, with Manchester City leading the way in a bid to challenge for the title.