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Monday, March 20th 2023 Show Links
Sport / Football

Deadline day live – Chelsea complete record-breaking deal for Enzo Fernandez

By Press Association
January 31, 2023, 7:06 am Updated: February 1, 2023, 10:13 pm
Enzo Fernandez (left) Jorginho (centre) and Marcel Sabitzer (Nick Potts/Mike Egerton/John Walton/PA)
Enzo Fernandez (left) Jorginho (centre) and Marcel Sabitzer (Nick Potts/Mike Egerton/John Walton/PA)
  • Chelsea complete record-breaking deal for Benfica's Enzo Fernandez
  • Arsenal sign Chelsea midfielder Jorginho on 18-month deal.
  • Manchester United complete late loan move for Bayern Munich's Marcel Sabitzer

0040 – Chelsea announced they had broken the British transfer record by signing Enzo Fernandez from Benfica for £106.8million (121m euros). The 22-year-old midfielder has signed an eight-and-half-year deal that will run until 2031.

0010 – Over an hour after the deadline passed, Manchester United announced Marcel Sabitzer had joined the club on loan for the rest of the season. Sabitzer has made 54 appearances for the Bundesliga club since making the move from RB Leipzig in 2021 and is delighted to have the opportunity to move to Old Trafford.

He told the United website: “Sometimes in life you have to make quick and important decisions. From the moment I heard about this opportunity I knew it was right for me. I am a competitive player; I want to win and help the club achieve its aims this season. I feel that I am at my peak as a player, and that I can contribute a lot of experience and energy to the squad. I am excited to start with my new team-mates and manager and to show my qualities to Manchester United fans.”

2359 – Chelsea and Manchester United were left sweating over whether respective deals for Enzo Fernandez and Marcel Sabitzer had been completed during the final minutes of the transfer window. Fernandez’s potential British transfer record move from Benfica had been in the offing all day on Tuesday, with Chelsea set to take their extraordinary spending since last summer past the £550million barrier.

Enzo Fernandez
Enzo Fernandez’s potential British transfer record move from Benfica had been in the offing all day (Nick Potts/PA)

2330 – Leicester confirmed the signing of Stoke defender Harry Souttar on a five-and-a-half-year deal, half-an-hour after the window shut. The 24-year-old centre-back, who played for Australia at the 2022 World Cup, told the Leicester website: “I’m delighted to join such a great football club and challenging myself in the Premier League is an opportunity that I couldn’t turn down. I can’t wait to get started.”

2316 – Nottingham Forest completed a third signing in the final hour or so of the transfer window as Paris St Germain goalkeeper Keylor Navas put pen to paper.

After the additions of Atletico Madrid defender Felipe and Newcastle midfielder Jonjo Shelvey, Navas – a three-time Champions League winner at Real Madrid – signed on loan for the rest of the season. “Navas, 36, brings a wealth of international and domestic experience to the club, having made 564 appearances in a trophy-laden career,” Forest said on their website, welcoming the Costa Rica international.

2305 – Manchester United are expecting their loan deal for Bayern Munich midfielder Marcel Sabitzer to be completed in time. Although the transfer deadline closed at 11pm, United have put in a deal sheet which gives them until midnight to finalise their move for the 28-year-old Austria international.

Marcel Sabitzer in action for RB Leipzig
RB Leipzig’s Marcel Sabitzer is hoping his Manchester United loan move goes through in time (John Walton/PA)

2302 – With just under an hour of the Scottish transfer window left open, Aberdeen confirmed they had loaned captain Anthony Stewart to MK Dons until the end of the season. The 30-year-old centre-back, whose contract expires in 2024, was sent off twice in his last six matches.

2300 – As the seconds ticket down, Nottingham Forest completed more business before the deadline with the arrival of midfielder Jonjo Shelvey from Newcastle. The 30-year-old England international, who spent seven years on Tyneside, has signed a deal to stay at the City Ground until the summer of 2025.

Shelvey told his new club’s website: “As soon as I found out Forest were interested, it caught my eye straight away and I just couldn’t wait to get down here. It’s a fantastic football club that has so much history and I’m really looking forward to getting started.”

2250 – Tottenham get Pedro Porro deal over the line just in time.

Spurs announced the signing of Pedro Porro from Sporting Lisbon 10 minutes before the deadline. The 23-year-old wing-back has signed on loan until the end of the season with an obligation to make the move permanent in the summer.

2244 – Hibernian manager Lee Johnson felt Matthew Hoppe would their final signing of the window. Speaking after the 1-1 cinch Premiership draw with Ross County, Johnson said: “We’re probably done, but I don’t know. There’s also an out-of-contract market, but for tonight, I haven’t spoken to (chief executive) Ben (Kensell) or (head of recruitment) Ian (Gordon) or anybody else so I think we’re done.”

2230 – Aberdeen confirmed winger Vicente Besuijen, 21, was returning to the Netherlands after joining Excelsior Rotterdam on loan for the remainder of the season.

2219 – Atletico Madrid soon confirmed Matt Doherty’s move to the Spanish capital.

“Matt Doherty is a new Red & White player!” the LaLiga club tweeted. “The Irish international joins our club for the rest of the season.”

2207 – Crystal Palace completed a loan deal for Arsenal midfielder Albert Sambi Lokonga until the end of the season, with less than an hour of the English window to go.

Albert Sambi Lokonga in action for Arsenal
Albert Sambi Lokonga has moved across London (Kieran Cleeves/PA)

2200 – St Mirren confirmed the signing of Tony Watt on loan from Dundee United until the end of the season.

Elsewhere in Scotland, Motherwell chief executive Alan Burrows promised some signings ahead of the final two hours of the window. Replying to a concerned fan, Burrows wrote on Twitter: “All going well – We’ve got some things to announce my friend (some might come after the window shuts too).”

2155 – Tottenham confirmed the permanent departure of Matt Doherty after they reached their loan limit. A Spurs statement said: “We have mutually agreed to the termination of Matt Doherty’s contract to enable him to join another club. We should like to thank Matt for his service and wish him well for the future.”

2147 – Bournemouth made Ivory Coast midfielder Hamed Traore their sixth January signing as the hours ticked down. Traore, 22, has joined from Serie A outfit Sassuolo on an initial loan deal which will become permanent in the summer for a further five years.

2145 – Nottingham Forest have signed 33-year-old Atletico Madrid defender Felipe until the summer of 2024. “It was a dream of mine to play in the Premier League and I’m really excited to be part of this wonderful, fast-growing club,” Felipe told the Forest website.

2104 – A new face – and a helpful pronunciation guide – at Crystal Palace.

2050 – Hibernian have announced the loan signing of United States international striker Matthew Hoppe from Middlesbrough.

2034 – Bournemouth have completed the signing of Ukraine defender Illia Zabarnyi from Dynamo Kyiv.

The 20-year-old, capped 24 times by his country, has signed a five-and-a-half-year deal at the Vitality Stadium and becomes the Cherries’ fifth January transfer addition.

2003 – Arsenal confirmed the signing of Chelsea midfielder Jorginho.

“Welcome to The Arsenal, Jorginho,” the club said in a post on their official Twitter account.

Jorginho, who has signed an 18-month deal at the Emirates Stadium, told Arsenal.com: “I’m very excited for this new challenge and I just can’t wait to be on the pitch to be honest. Everything has happened so fast. I was a bit surprised, but I took the opportunity of this amazing challenge. It’s an important shirt. It’s an amazing club, a big one, and I’m really excited and happy to be here.”

On his new manager Mikel Arteta, Jorginho said: “He was a big influence because I know that he tried a few times to get me before and it didn’t happen due to other reasons, not because of my wishes. So of course, he had a big influence.”

2000 – St Mirren have confirmed the departure of 21-year-old midfielder Ethan Erhahon to Lincoln for an undisclosed fee with “significant add-ons and a potential sell-on”.

1952 – Manchester United are poised to sign Bayern Munich midfielder Marcel Sabitzer on loan, the PA news agency understands.

Marcel Sabitzer in action for Austria
Marcel Sabitzer could be on his way to Old Trafford (Simon Galloway/PA)

The Old Trafford club announced on Tuesday lunchtime that key midfielder Christian Eriksen would be out for three months with an ankle injury. United have moved on deadline day to bolster Erik ten Hag’s options, with Sabitzer expected to undergo a medical and complete paperwork ahead of joining on loan from Bayern for the remainder of the season.

1930 – Fulham have completed the signing of Torino midfielder Sasa Lukic for an undisclosed fee.

Lukic, 26, has agreed a four-and-a-half-year deal, with Fulham holding an option to extend by a further 12 months. “I’m very happy to have signed and to now be a part of Fulham’s squad,” Serbia international Lukic told the club website. “I can’t wait to get started and meet with the head coach, the players and the staff, and I’m looking forward to training with them when I arrive in England.”

1930 – Australian international defender Bailey Wright has joined Rotherham in a loan move from Championship rivals Sunderland until the end of the season.

1913 – Leicester forward Ayoze Perez has joined LaLiga side Real Betis for the rest of the season subject to league and international clearance.

Ayoze Perez in action for Leicester
Ayoze Perez has moved to Real Betis (Mike Egerton/PA)

Perez joined Leicester from Newcastle in July 2019 and was part of the side that won the FA Cup in 2021. The 29-year-old has made 114 appearances for the Foxes, scoring 15 goals but his first-team opportunities have become increasingly limited at the King Power Stadium this season.

1850 – St Mirren have signed 18-year-old Southampton player Thierry Small on loan. Small became the youngest player in Everton’s history when he made his debut at the age of 16 years and 176 days before moving south. St Mirren manager Stephen Robinson said: “Thierry is a young player with lots of pace and lots of energy. He gives us another option on that left-hand side at left wing-back. He’ll bring us pace, energy, strength and good quality on the ball.”

1841 – Oliver Abildgaard has left Celtic to sign for Italian side Hellas Verona. The Danish midfielder made nine appearances for Celtic but never started a match.

1830 – Ross County have signed former Hibernian and Dundee United striker Simon Murray from Queen’s Park on a permanent deal. The 30-year-old has netted 18 goals this season to help take the Spiders to the top of the cinch Championship. County manager Malky Mackay said: “It is fantastic to add somebody with Simon’s experience to the group. He has been an integral part of their success and we believe we have a player who knows not only what it takes to perform in the Premiership but to buy in to the culture of Ross County.”

1745 – Leeds have confirmed defender Diego Llorente has joined Roma on loan until the end of the season with a view to a permanent deal. The 29-year-old centre-half signed a three-and-a-half-year contract extension with the club last month, but has struggled to force his way into head coach Jesse Marsch’s starting line-up. Leeds said: “This term he has been restricted to just 13 appearances in all competitions, finding himself behind Liam Cooper, Robin Koch and new recruit Max Wober in the defensive pecking order.”

1733 – Liverpool Women announce they have re-signed Natasha Dowie on a loan move from Super League rivals Reading until the end of the season.

Dowie enjoyed a successful three seasons with the club under current manager Matt Beard from 2013 to 2015. Beard told Liverpoolfc.com: “I think the biggest thing for us is that Tats is a goalscorer. If you look at her record, it’s consistently a goal every other game throughout her career. When the opportunity arose to bring her in – the fact she’s a Liverpool fan as well – we felt it was a good move for us and a good move for her.”

1730 – Kyle Lafferty has made a surprise exit from Kilmarnock. The Northern Ireland international recently returned from a 10-game ban imposed by the Scottish Football Association for making a sectarian comment on a night out, which was filmed and uploaded on social media.

Kyle Lafferty arrives at the ground before the game
Kyle Lafferty has left Kilmarnock (Steve Welsh/PA)

A club statement read: “It’s with regret that Kyle Lafferty and Kilmarnock Football Club have parted company by mutual consent. We thank Kyle for his service to the club.”

1716 – Tottenham defender Djed Spence has joined Ligue 1 side Rennes for the remainder of the 2022-23 season. Spence, 22, joined Spurs from Middlesbrough in July after a successful spell on loan at Nottingham Forest, but the England Under-21 international has struggled for game time under Antonio Conte. “The right-back has made six appearances in our colours to date and will now team up with Joe Rodon, who joined the French side on a season-long loan at the beginning of the current campaign,” Tottenham said on their official website.

1711 – Defender Sondre Solholm has left Motherwell to return to Norway to sign for Odds BK for an undisclosed fee. “Sondre is a great person and I have thoroughly enjoyed working with him,” manager Steven Hammell told the club’s website. “He became a real fan favourite in his time here and it shows the lively character that he is. I hope this move works out for himself and his family. I wish him all the very best.”

1707 – West Brom announced the signing of Nathaniel Chalobah from Fulham on an 18-month contract.

1700 – Transfer window shuts for women’s deals.

England forward Alessia Russo’s future is in the air, with Arsenal having submitted a world-record bid for the Manchester United star but nothing was pushed through before the window shut at 5pm.

Rangers get their man.

1700 – Rangers have confirmed the signing of Belgium Under-21 midfielder Nicolas Raskin from Standard Liege. The Ibrox side say they have signed the 21-year-old “for an undisclosed fee on a long-term contract, subject to a work permit being confirmed”. Raskin told his new club’s website: “I feel very excited to be here and I also feel very proud to join a very big club. I’m looking forward to playing at Ibrox. It was very exciting when I was told of Rangers’ interest because it’s a big club.”

1648 – Bertrand Traore has returned to Villa after being recalled from his loan with Istanbul Basaksehir.

1635 – Aaron Ramsey, 20, has joined Middlesbrough on loan for the rest of the season from Aston Villa. The midfielder joins Marvelous Nakamba out of Villa Park with Nakamba moving to Luton on loan.

Aaron Ramsey (left) in action for Aston Villa
Aaron Ramsey (left) has made the move to Middlesbrough (Richard Sellers/PA)

Meanwhile, Boro striker Duncan Whatmore, who is out of contract in the summer, has joined Millwall on a permanent deal.

1610 – St Johnstone have completed the loan signing of Dundee striker Zak Rudden. The 22-year-old told the Saints website: “I’m delighted to be here and get the deal over the line. I’m jumping at the chance to play at the top level. The conversations I’ve had with the gaffer have been really positive. Knowing he took interest in me before makes me want to give that extra 20 per cent. I’m a player who will give everything for the team, I love to get on the end of things and hopefully I’ll be able to get as many goals as I can in the next six months.”

1600 – Yes, they can! Bristol City have signed Anis Mehmeti from Wycombe, who have received a club-record fee.

1535 – Rotherham are trying to sign Watford winger Domingos Quina on loan. The Portuguese is set for a move to the New York Stadium, but it is a deal that could go close to the deadline. Quina is currently on loan at LaLiga side Elche, which would need to be cancelled in order for him to join the Millers. Both clubs are working to get the deal done.

Can Bristol City crack the code?

Jonjo Shelvey
Jonjo Shelvey is set to complete his move to Forest (Owen Humphreys/PA)

1530 – It promises to be a busy night at the City Ground. Nottingham Forest are set to conclude deals for Atletico Madrid defender Felipe and Newcastle midfielder Jonjo Shelvey before the deadline, PA understands. Felipe is currently having a medical in Nottingham ahead of his move while Shelvey is en route back to Newcastle where the paperwork will be finalised. A move for Paris St Germain’s Kaylor Navas is off, which leaves Forest searching for another possible goalkeeper before the deadline. There could be a number of outgoings, with EFL clubs chasing Lewis O’Brien, Steve Cook and Lyle Taylor.

Tranmere have their Hendry, Regan Hendry from Forest Green.

1525 – The PA news agency understands Sheffield United have had substantial interest from Premier League clubs for Sander Berge and Iliman Ndiaye, but will not be selling today. Both players are happy at the club.

Tranmere must be signing a player named Hendry going off their tee-up video of snooker player Stephen Hendry potting a ball.

1507 – Manchester United may be in the market for a midfielder with Eriksen injured. But the Red Devils are well stocked in defence and Di’Shon Bernard has joined Portsmouth on loan for the rest of the season.

1500 – Oxford gave League One rivals Charlton a run for their money with Forrest Gump teeing up their latest signing, Tyler Smith from Hull.

1443 – You’d think Manchester City fans would want a full-back today after losing Cancelo, but singer Liam Gallagher is hoping for England midfielder Jude Bellingham from Borussia Dortmund. A long shot to say the least!

1430 – It was well known that Brendan Rodgers wanted players in this month with Leicester in a relegation scrap. The Foxes have signed Nathan Opoku from FDM Field Masters Sporting Club, but the Ghanaian striker will not feature this season after joining OH Leuven on loan.

Elsewhere, Glen Rea is driving from Luton to Cheltenham after signing on loan.

1400 – Not a lot going on in the Premier League at the moment. A few clubs are clearing the decks in the English Football League though, with Marcel Hilssner leaving Coventry and Joe Dodoo departing Burton.

1350 – Nothing from the club yet, but Peterborough chairman Darragh MacAnthony has announced their new signing on Twitter. Posh have taken Kabongo Tshimanga on loan from National League side Chesterfield, with an obligation to buy in the summer.

1330 – Where will Josh Onomah end up next? The midfielder has left Fulham by mutual consent.