Transfer Deadline Day: Chelsea continue Enzo Fernandez chase
Part one of 90min’s transfer live blog brought you all of the deadline day action up until 6pm, with a number of the biggest deals still yet to be finalised.
Chelsea continued their lengthy talks with Benfica over £105m-rated Enzo Fernandez, Manchester United moved for Bayern Munich midfielder Marcel Sabitzer on loan, Arsenal swooped in for Chelsea’s Jorginho, and Brighton put their foot down by refusing to sell Moises Caicedo.
To see how things played out in the last few hours of the window, click the link below…
Deadline Day done deals
6:45pm – TIME TO SWITCH
The remaining hours of the January transfer window can be found in part two of 90min’s transfer live blog – click here to see what deals were concluded and which ones fell through!
6:20pm – SAMBI LOKONGA NEARING PALACE MOVE
Crystal Palace are preparing to announce the signing of Arsenal midfielder Albert Sambi Lokonga on a six-month loan, 90min understands.
The Gunners are rejigging their midfield today, with Jorginho set to arrive from Chelsea.
5:50pm – LLORENTE SEALS ROMA LOAN
📰 #LUFC wishes Diego Llorente all the best, after the defender completed his loan move to AS Roma
— Leeds United (@LUFC) January 31, 2023
Diego Llorente has completed his loan move from Leeds to Roma, with a view to a permanent deal.
5:25pm – SPENCE LEAVES TOTTENHAM ON LOAN
Djed Spence has joined Ligue 1 side Stade Rennais for the remainder of the 2022/23 season.
Smash it, Djed 👊
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) January 31, 2023
Tottenham right-back Djed Spence is heading to France to see out the season with Rennes.
He’ll link up with fellow Spurs loanee Joe Rodon, whose deal with the French side includes an option to buy.
5:10pm – FERNANDEZ SET FOR CHELSEA MEDICAL
Chelsea’s talks for Benfica midfielder Enzo Fernandez are not yet over, but the Blues are preparing for a positive outcome by sending the Argentine for a medical in Portugal.
Benfica have granted permission for the 22-year-old to meet with Chelsea for the medical checks, but importantly, there is no final agreement for his transfer just yet.
5:05pm – SABITZER FLYING TO MANCHESTER
Flug direkt nach Manchester. Marcel Sabitzer kurz vor dem Abflug von München nach Manchester. Leihe mit Kaufoption. Details aber noch vor Ort zu klären.@SkySportNews @SkySportDE pic.twitter.com/9UutqizpU1
— Torben Hoffmann (@Sky_Torben) January 31, 2023
Here’s Bayern Munich midfielder Marcel Sabitzer heading to the airport for a flight to Manchester.
Man Utd are closing in on the loan signing of the 28-year-old.
4:50pm – CANOS JOINS OLYMPIACOS
Best of luck for the rest of the season, @sergicanos ❤🐝
— Brentford FC (@BrentfordFC) January 31, 2023
Brentford have bid farewell to Sergi Canos, who has joined Greek giants Olympiacos on loan for the rest of the campaign.
4:45pm – LOAN EXITS AT ASTON VILLA
Aston Villa have confirmed the loan exits of midfield duo Aaron Ramsey and Marvelous Nakamba.
20-year-old Ramsey is heading to Middlesbrough, while Nakamba, 29, will see out the season with Luton Town.
Winger Bertrand Traore has also been recalled from his loan with Istanbul Basaksehir.
4:25pm – SOUTHAMPTON AGREE ONUACHU DEAL
Southampton have agreed a fee to sign Genk striker Paul Onuachu, 90min understands.
Having lost out to Marseille in the pursuit of Braga’s Vitinha, Southampton have set their sights on the 6’7 striker and have agreed a €20m fee to get a deal over the line.
4:25pm – SPORTING BID FAREWELL TO PORRO
With Pedro Porro’s move to Tottenham inching closer, Sporting CP manager Ruben Amorim has wished luck to the right-back.
“In football, we get used to change from a very young age. One day they are our children, our best friends, and now Porro is Conte’s son,“ Amorim told a press conference. „If we play against him, I already know his difficulties.
“We remain friends, I move on, now my favourites are others. My players are always the best in the world. Porro will be a player for another team and I wish them the best of luck.”
4:10pm – NEWCASTLE STRUGGLE IN MIDFIELDER SEARCH
Newcastle haven’t given up hope of signing a new midfielder but the chances of them landing a new signing are growing slimmer.
With Sander Berge now off the table, Chelsea’s Conor Gallagher unattainable and fellow Blue Ruben Loftus-Cheek also unlikely, the clock is ticking as Newcastle try and find reinforcements in the centre of the pitch.
4:00pm – CHELSEA’S PLANS FOR FERNANDEZ MEDICAL
Chelsea are prepared to put Enzo Fernandez through a medical in Portugal if they can get an agreement to sign the Benfica midfielder over the line, 90min understands.
Talks remain ongoing over the structure of any potential deal, but if an agreement is reached late in the window, Chelsea will be ready to proceed with the transfer immediately. Personal terms will also not be an issue.
3:55pm – NO MOVE FOR SANDER BERGE
Fulham and Newcastle both made offers for Sheffield United midfielder Sander Berge, but the Norway international won’t be leaving Brammall Lane this month.
Newcastle’s loan offer was rebuffed and Fulham could not strike an agreement over a permanent transfer, meaning the 24-year-old is set to see out the season in the Championship.
Also sticking around at Sheffield United is the exciting Iliman Ndiaye, who had been the subject of interest from Everton.
3:10pm – CONOR GALLAGHER ONE TO WATCH
Conor Gallagher could well be on the move before the end of the transfer window.
Everton lodged a £40m bid for the Chelsea midfielder earlier in the week but Gallagher was not interested in moving to Goodison Park, although Crystal Palace, who had the 22-year-old on loan last season, may have more luck in convincing him.
90min understands that Palace are keen on a reunion with Gallagher, whose future could hinge on that of Enzo Fernandez. Keep your eyes on this one.
2:50pm – CHELSEA STILL WORKING ON FINALISING FERNANDEZ DEAL
Chelsea are continuing to finalise the finer details of Enzo Fernandez’s proposed £115m switch from Benfica.
90min understands that a British record fee – that will eclipse the £100m Manchester City paid for Jack Grealish in 2021 – has been broadly agreed, but talks continue to drag on as the structure of payments is ironed out.
A meeting is taking place in Lisbon, with Benfica president Rui Costa needing to give his seal of approval for Chelsea to sign Fernandez before the deadline. At this stage, the Blues are seriously considering paying his release clause in full if they’re still able to comply with FFP.
2:45pm – SABITZER ‚EXCITED BY PROSPECT‘ OF MAN UTD MOVE
Marcel Sabitzer is ‚excited by the prospect‘ of joining Manchester United, sources have told 90min, as talks continue over a potential loan move from Bayern Munich.
The Red Devils have moved to reinforce their central midfield options because of injuries to Christian Eriksen, Scott McTominay and Donny van de Beek – Casemiro, Fred and Bruno Fernandes are their only fit senior options as it stands.
Just over eight hours for United to seal the deal.
2:25pm – BARCELONA UNLIKELY TO SIGN AMRABAT
Barcelona, despite all of their financial problems, have been looking for a way to lure Sofyan Amrabat to the club from Fiorentina.
But their desire to secure a loan with an option to buy has been given the cold shoulder by the Serie A side, and the Moroccan World Cup star will not be heading to Camp Nou this month. Barcelona, for the record, can’t agree to any other kind of deal because of FFP regulations.
1:50pm – MAN UTD IN LOAN TALKS FOR SABITZER
In a typical bolt out of the blue deadline day special, Manchester United are suddenly in the mix to sign Marcel Sabitzer from Bayern Munich on loan.
The Red Devils have lost Christian Eriksen to injury until at least April, leaving Erik ten Hag a little light on midfield options.
The Dutchman wasn’t intending to strengthen his squad, but the opportunity to loan Sabitzer from Bayern has now presented itself. 90min understands that talks are underway, with nine hours left for United to get a deal done.
1:35pm – FULHAM TERMINATE ONOMAH CONTRACT
A mutual termination of contract has been agreed with Josh Onomah.#FFC
— Fulham Football Club (@FulhamFC) January 31, 2023
One bits of transfer news from west London and it’s confirmation from Fulham that Josh Onomah has left the club by mutual consent.
The 25-year-old had been at Craven Cottage for four seasons, and made 20 appearances during last season’s Championship winning campaign. However, he has played just two games for Marco Silva this season and the club have opted to release him on a free transfer.
1:00pm – ZANIOLO TO MILAN BACK ON
The January transfer window has seen the likes of Tottenham and Bournemouth try to engineer a deal for Roma midfielder Nicolo Zaniolo, but it looks like a move across Serie A could be back on.
Reigning champions AC Milan are back in for Zaniolo, 90min understands, despite loan interest from Leeds, Southampton, Everton and RB Leipzig. The player himself is keen to move to San Siro and Jose Mourinho has made it abundantly clear he’s free to go.
12:45pm – SOUTHAMPTON SET TO WIN SULEMANA RACE
Southampton look to have won the race for Rennes winger Kamaldeen Sulemana, despite interest from Everton.
The 20-year-old Ghanaian has opted to move to St Mary’s and will now undergo a medical before penning a long-term contract. The fee could be as much as £25m with add-ons factored in.
That’s good news because sources have confirmed to 90min that Vitinha, the in-demand Braga striker, appears to be heading to Marseille.
12:10pm – MAN UTD DEALT HUGE ERIKSEN BLOW
Speaking of injury pain, Manchester United have been dealt their own bit of bad news after confirming that Christian Eriksen will miss the next three months of action.
The Dane suffered an ankle injury against Reading in the fourth round of the FA Cup, and the prognosis is not good for the 30-year-old.
There was a 99.9% chance that Scott McTominay would be staying at United amid interest from Newcastle, but you can probably now tot that up to a wholesome 100%.
12:00pm – LIVERPOOL’S INJURY PAIN CONTINUES
Will Liverpool get a little twitchy on deadline day after learning that Ibrahima Konate will miss at least a couple of weeks action with a hamstring injury?
Potentially not, but losing Konate is likely to mean no January departure for Nat Phillips – he remains at Anfield waiting patiently to either get a chance in the first team or leave.
11:45am – MAN UTD RECEIVE MAGUIRE & LINDELOF ENQUIRIES
Manchester United were approached by Inter regarding possible loan deals for either Harry Maguire or Victor Lindelof on Monday – but were quickly given short shrift by the Red Devils.
Maguire and Lindelof are not first-choice under Erik ten Hag, but are still competing in four competitions and have a genuine chance of securing a top four finish. With that in mind, United are not prepared to weaken their hand.
11:20am – BAYERN MUNICH SIGN JOAO CANCELO ON LOAN
Manchester City have confirmed the departure of Joao Cancelo on loan to Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich.
A deal materialised very quickly on Monday after Cancelo made it known that he’d like to leave the Etihad Stadium, and Bayern have swooped in to agree a loan move with €70m option to buy.
Good business you feel for a player who many consider to be one of the best full-backs in the world.
10:45am – SOUTHAMPTON MOVE FOR VITINHA ON THE ROCKS
Southampton’s aforementioned desire to keep hold of Che Adams may in part be because their pursuit of Braga striker Vitinha has hit a major stumbling block.
Ligue 1 giants Marseille have entered the picture, after missing out to Nice over the signing of Lorient goal machine Terem Moffi – a player who had been interesting West Ham, Everton and Southampton during January.
90min understands that Vitinha’s preference is to join Marseille, but they, like Southampton, also don’t want to pay his release clause in full. One to watch in the coming hours.
10:40am – CRYSTAL PALACE CLOSE TO SAMBI LOKONGA LOAN
Crystal Palace are close to finalising a loan deal for Arsenal midfielder Albert Sambi Lokonga, 90min understands.
The 23-year-old central midfielder has seen limited game time this season amid the impressive form of Thomas Partey, Granix Xhaka and Martin Odegaard, and is likely to slide further down the pecking order once Jorginho arrives from Chelsea.
A loan deal to Patrick Vieira’s Crystal Palace is now in the offing until the end of the season.
10:35am – SOUTHAMPTON NOT INTERESTED IN SELLING ADAMS
Southampton insist that Che Adams is not for sale on deadline day amid interest from fellow strugglers Everton.
90min understands that The Toffees have shown an interest in signing Adams, as they look to bolster their goalscoring options, but Nathan Jones‘ side have no interest in discussing a deal.
10:30am – BRIGHTON MAINTAIN CAICEDO STANCE
Brighton & Hove Albion remain firm in their stance that Moises Caicedo will not be leaving the club on deadline day, 90min understands.
Arsenal and Chelsea have both shown serious interest in the Ecuadorian midfielder, but Brighton are not prepared to waiver on their stance that he’s not for sale.
10:25am – ATLETICO AGREE DOHERTY LOAN
In a move that’s seemingly come from nowhere, Atletico Madrid have agreed a loan deal with Tottenham Hotspur for wing-back Matt Doherty.
The Irishman hasn’t ever commanded a regular place under Antonio Conte, and is now heading for the Spanish capital on a temporary basis as Pedro Porro prepares to complete his move from Sporting CP.
10:20am – NEWCASTLE SIGN ASHBY FROM WEST HAM
✍️ We are delighted to announce the signing of Harrison Ashby from West Ham United!
Welcome, @harrisonashbyy! ⚫️⚪️
— Newcastle United FC (@NUFC) January 31, 2023
Newcastle United have completed their first deadline day signing, bringing in Harrison Ashby from West Ham United for an undisclosed fee.
The young right-back was out of contract at London Stadium this summer, and after failing to agree new terms, has joined the Magpies for an undisclosed fee believed to be in the region of £3m.
10:10am – BERNARDO SILVA TO STAY AT MANCHESTER CITY
Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva will not be following international teammate Joao Cancelo out of the exit door on deadline day.
The Portuguese playmaker has hinted that he’s ready to leave the Etihad Stadium, but he remains an important part of Pep Guardiola’s midfield.
Reports had suggested that Bernardo would be allowed to leave on loan, amid continued interest from Barcelona, but 90min understands that he’ll remain at the club until the summer.
9:45am – ARSENAL CLOSING ON JORGINHO
Arsenal’s bid to strengthen their squad ahead of a Premier League title tilt has led them to rivals Chelsea.
There was hope that Brighton would part ways with Moises Caicedo, but with the Ecuadorian’s immediate future seemingly at the Amex, a deal for Jorginho is now close.
90min understands that a deal worth just north of £10m has been agreed, with the Italian now set to finalise terms with The Gunners.
9:40m – LEICESTER AGREE SOUTTAR DEAL
It’s not been the season that Brendan Rodgers was hoping for at Leicester, but reinforcements look to be on the way to help preserve the club’s Premier League status.
Sources have confirmed to 90min that a £15m deal is in place for Stoke City’s Harry Souttar, who shone for Australia at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
9:20am – BARCELONA SUBMIT SECOND ARAUJO BID
Source: #Barcelona have submitted a 2nd bid for #LAGalaxy right-back Julian Araujo that includes a loan fee
The Barca B affiliation is for registration purposes only, and to help the club navigate some transfer limitations, I’m told. He’s considered a 1st team option
$4m price https://t.co/d2D212Jpd7 pic.twitter.com/EE6MWssoaG
— Chris Smith (@CJSmith91) January 31, 2023
Barcelona look likely to ship Hector Bellerin out on loan to Sporting CP, and that’s opened up the possibility of LA Galaxy’s Julian Araujo moving to Camp Nou.
Sources have confirmed to 90min that Barca have submitted a second offer to Galaxy for Araujo, who is keen for the bid to be accepted.
9:15am – SOUTHAMPTON HOPING TO SIGN VITINHA
Southampton’s desire to sign a new number nine is no secret, with the club yet to really replace Danny Ings after his departure in 2021.
90min understands that a deal for Braga striker Vitinha is in the works and could see the Saints pay as much as £25m in instalments. Talks have also been held with Lyon over former Celtic striker Moussa Dembele.
9:00am – LEEDS SIGN MONTEIRO
Leeds United have confirmed the signing of Portuguese teenage centre-back Diogo Monteiro from Swiss Super League outfit Servette FC.
The 18-year-old has penned a three-and-a-half year contract at Elland Road and will head straight into Leeds‘ Under-21s setup.
9:00am – NORWICH SIGN ARSENAL WINGER ON LOAN
A loan spell in the Championship awaits Arsenal winger Marquinhos after confirmation of a loan move to Norwich.
The Canaries automatic promotion dreams are in tatters, but there’s every hope the Brazilian can help secure a play-off berth for David Wagner’s side – he’s signed until the end of the season.
8:35am – ARSENAL & CHELSEA EXPECTED TO BID FOR CAICEDO
One of the hottest properties of this January window has been Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Moises Caicedo.
The Ecuadorian has publicly declared that he’d like to leave the Seagulls to pursue a ‚massive opportunity‘, but there’s been no suggestion yet that Brighton will cave in and sell despite receiving bids of £70m.
Nevertheless, 90min understands that Arsenal are likely to return with a third offer, while big-spending Chelsea are also likely to make another offer despite pursuing Enzo Fernandez.
8:30am – EVERTON MATCH SOUTHAMPTON’S SULEMANA BID
Everton confirmed the appointment of Sean Dyche as their new manager on Monday, and it’s straight down to transfer business for the former Burnley chief.
An offer was lodged for Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher in the immediate aftermath of Dyche’s arrival, but 90min understands that former reinforcements are on the agenda too.
An offer of just over £20m has been submitted to Rennes for Kamaldeen Sulemana, and there’s interest in former West Ham and Swansea forward Andre Ayew – he’s a free agent after terminating his contract at Qatari side Al Sadd.
Struggling Southampton have also lodged a bid for Sulemana as they look to beef up their options out wide.
8:25am – BOURNEMOUTH AGREE ZABARNYI DEAL
Bournemouth have already spent over £30m on Dango Ouattara and Antoine Semenyo this January, but it looks like the Cherries will be forking out more before the window slams shut.
90min understands that a deal worth just over £20m for Dynamo Kyiv’s Illya Zabarnyi has been agreed, while a move for Hamed Traore is near after he arrived on the south coast for a medical.
Matias Vina and Darren Randolph have also joined Bournemouth over the past couple of days.
8:20am – WHAT DO WE EXPECT TO HAPPEN?
There’s so many deals in the pipeline, and you won’t be surprised to learn that much of the remaining business centres around Chelsea.
Tood Boehly has splashed out an incredible amount of money already at Stamford Bridge, but there could be plenty of incomings and outgoings if he gets his way.
Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo are two players they want to bring in. although the latter is Arsenal’s primary target, while Conor Gallagher, Hakim Ziyech, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Jorginho are among those who could leave to help balance the books.
It’s shaping up to be a fascinating day…
8:15am – GOOD MORNING!
Good morning and welcome to 90min’s transfer deadline day live blog for the final day of the January window.