Deadline day round-up: Deja vu for David Luiz at Chelsea as Jack Wilshere joins Bournemouth in £1bn transfer window
Premier League clubs spend over £1.1bn in a record summer transfer window
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Your support makes all the difference.Chelsea have secured a remarkable return to Stamford Bridge for defender David Luiz after striking a £38m deal with Paris Saint-Germain just two years after letting the Brazilian international leave for the French champions.
Personal terms were swiftly agreed with the 29-year-old and he was filmed strolling through St Pancras International train station before completing a medical in west London to seal one of the more remarkable transfers on deadline day.
Antonio Conte, the Chelsea manager, has failed to secure deals for Napoli’s Kalidou Kouliably or Alessio Romagnoli from AC Milan but was made aware of Luiz’s willingness to return on Tuesday.
Marcos Alonso, formerly of Bolton Wanderers and Sunderland, sealed a £25m move from Fiorentina, joining N’Golo Kante, Michy Batshuayi and Eduardo Carvalho in the capital.
Jack Wilshere’s season-long loan switch to Bournemouth, meanwhile, also rose eyebrows after being informed by Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger that his opportunities would be limited this year at the Emirates Stadium.
The England international midfielder was offered lucrative moves to Italian giants Roma and Milan but, despite interest from Crystal Palace, has elected to link-up with Eddie Howe on the South Coast.
“He will bring a wealth of international and Premier League experience, so we are delighted to be able to welcome a player of his calibre to the club,” said Cherries chief executive Neill Blake.
Newcastle United finally secured the £30m fee they have demanded all summer for France midfielder Moussa Sissoko after Tottenham dramatically stole a march on Everton by meeting their lofty asking price in the dying moments of the summer window.
It is understood that Spurs will pay £6m in five instalments across the course of his five-year contract.
Premier League champions Leicester City also grabbed headlines with the club-record £28m acquisition of Sporting Lisbon striker Islam Slimani, reuniting the Algerian with international team-mate Riyad Mahrez at the King Power Stadium.
The 28-year-old joins the Foxes on a five-year contract after scoring 27 goals in 33 league appearances for his former employers. “To join a team like Leicester City is a huge honour and I can’t wait to get started,” he said.
“I’ve always wanted to play my football in the Premier League and to get the opportunity to do that with the reigning champions was something I simply could not turn down.”
Tottenham, meanwhile, added Marseille winger Georges-Kevin Nkoudou to their ranks for an undisclosed fee with Clinton N’Jie going in the opposite direction on a season-long loan.
Elsewhere, Liverpool finally offloaded Mario Balotelli to French outfit Nice while Stoke City enjoyed one of the more notable coups of the day by signing Wilfried Bony on loan from Manchester City.
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