The January transfer window closed in most parts of Europe yesterday. It was an eventful deadline day in the transfer market that produced one of the most sensational moves in the past 24 hours.

Some European clubs were all scrambling on Tuesday to get several jobs done until the early morning of Wednesday in some part trying to put necessary documents through before the deadline elapsed.

With the transfer window closed, Peoples Gazette took a cursory review of the most surprising transfers completed before the deadline on Tuesday. Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal were all busy on the market.

Nigerian players 

Paul Onuachu (Southampton): The biggest deadline transfer involving Nigerian players is the signing of Super Eagles striker Paul Onuachu from Belgium outfit KRC Genk to Southampton; he was the highest goal scorer in Belgian football this season, netting 16 goals in 19 games.

The Saints paid a whopping sum of €20 million to secure the service of the 28-year-old lanky striker, who said a move to the Premier League is a childhood dream.

“Southampton Football Club is delighted to announce it has completed the signing of striker Paul Onuachu from Belgian club KRC Genk, subject to a work permit and international clearance,” the club said in a statement.

Onuachu signed a three-and-half-year contract which will keep him at St Mary’s Stadium until 2026.

Terem Moffi (OGC Nice): He was another Nigerian on the move yesterday after joining Ligue 1 side OGC Nice from another Ligue 1 club FC Lorient on loan until the end of the season for €2.5 million.

An obligation to buy the Nigerian international for €22.5 million (plus €5 million bonus) at the end of the initial loan contract was also included in the deal. Lorient also secured a 15% percentage in any future sale. Moffi scored 12 goals in 18 Ligue 1 appearances for sixth-placed Lorient before swapping them for tenth-placed Nice.

Tolu Arokodare (KRC Genk): KRC Genk have completed the signing of Tolu Arokodare from Valmiera FC after terminating his loan at Amiens on a four-and-a-half-year deal. The 22-year-old is expected to replace fellow Nigerian compatriot Paul Onuachu, who joined Premier League club Southampton for a whopping sum of €20m in a deadline day move.

Other transfers involving non-Nigerian players

Enzo Fernández (Chelsea): After several weeks of negotiations between Chelsea and Benfica, The Blues finally got the deal for Fernández over the line only two hours before the window closed. The deal is now a British record transfer deal.

Chelsea paid a whopping €121 million (£106.75 million) for the 22-year-old winner, a new Premier League record for an incoming transfer, beating the £100 million Manchester City paid for Jack Grealish. The money will be paid in six instalments total, with the first one bigger than the rest at €40m. Twenty per cent of the total money package would be paid to Enzo’s former club, Rivers Plate in Argentina.

An official confirmation by Chelsea is expected to be released shortly.

Marcel Sabitzer (Manchester United): Manchester United was forced to jump into deadline business following the announcement by the club that Christian Eriksen will be out of action until at least early May due to an ankle injury he picked up in the FA Cup victory over Reading on Saturday.

With one vital player less and Scott McTominay reportedly out for the next two weeks, The Red Devils went into immediate discussion with Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich and signed the Austrian international on loan until the end of the season.

“Manchester United is pleased to confirm that Marcel Sabitzer has joined the club on loan from Bayern Munich until June 2023. The Austrian midfielder has made 443 career club appearances across Europe, including 54 since joining FC Bayern Munich in August 2021,” the club statement said.

Jorginho (Arsenal): The Italian midfielder switching from West London for North London was one of the most unexpected transfer movements of the winter window. Having failed to land their priority target Moisés Caicedo due to the strong stance by Brighton on the Ecuadorian midfielder not leaving until the summer, even turning down two separate bids, the Gunners turned their attention to Chelsea for a solution.

With the confidence that a deal for Enzo Fernández would be completed, which apparently materialised, Chelsea agreed to sell the 31-year-old Italian for £12 million as a good alternative for Caicedo. Shortly after the agreement, Arsenal announced, “Italian international Jorginho has joined us from Chelsea.”

The statement added, “The 31-year-old midfielder, who has made 143 Premier League appearances, joins us with a vast amount of experience of both club and international football.”

Other transfers completed on the deadline include the signing of Pedro Porro by Tottenham from Sporting Lisbon for a £5 million loan with a £39 million obligation to buy in the summer and Hector Bellerin from Barcelona to Sporting Lisbon.

Albert Sambi Lokonga joined Crystal Palace on loan from Arsenal; Matt Doherty joined Atletico Madrid from Tottenham on a free transfer; Felipe, Jonny Shelvey and Keylor Navas all signed for Southampton and more.

Transfers that fell through

Isco: The transfer of the former Real Madrid player to Bundesliga Union Berlin didn’t materialise, despite Isco, who is currently a free agent, successfully passing medical tests with the club. Union director of football Oliver Ruhnert said, “We would have liked to see Isco with us, but we have our limits. Contrary to the previous agreement, these were overwritten today, which is why the transfer does not take place.”

Hakim Ziyech: Ziyech’s dream move from Chelsea to Paris Saint-Germain has also collapsed after The Blues were unable to submit the necessary documents to authorities before the deadline window elapsed in France. According to renowned sports journalist Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea did not send the documents to LFP (French governing body for professional football) in time, thus making it impossible for the loan deal to be validated.

Other media outlets also reported that the Premier League club sent the wrong paperwork thrice, and there was also a technical issue on the part of LFP. PSG have reportedly launched an appeal to LFP to complete the transfer, but it is not yet clear whether the results will be granted.