City added Champions League experience on transfer deadline day with the signings of Maicon from Internazionale and Javi Garcia from Benfica. The deal for Garcia was done late last night for a fee of £16m. The 25-year-old Spain international midfielder is a natural replacement for Nigel de Jong, whose move to Milan was confirmed yesterday. Right-back Maicon, who won the Champions League with Internazionale in 2010, joined for £3m.
City confirmed three other deals yesterday. Nastasic is a 19-year-old Serbia international centre-back. He arrives from Fiorentina for a fee of around £10m while Stefan Savic goes in the opposite direction on loan. Scott Sinclair, a 23-year-old winger, joined from Swansea City for a fee rising to £8m. The free-transfer signing of goalkeeper Richard Wright was also confirmed.
Essien, the 29-year-old Ghana midfielder, has left Chelsea to join Real and be reunited with Jose Mourinho on a season's loan. Essien has struggled in recent years with knee injuries, starting just 14 league games last year. Yossi Benayoun has followed Essien out of Stamford Bridge, returning to West Ham United for a season's long loan, during which both clubs will be contributing to his wages. Benayoun played for West Ham for two seasons before leaving for Liverpool in 2007. Young defender Nathaniel Chalobah also leaves Chelsea on loan, joining Watford on loan for four months.
Southampton last night completed the signing of Bologna's attacking midfielder Ramirez for a club record fee of £12m. Saints had been in talks to sign the Uruguay international for some time, and arranged his work permit last week, but could only agree the final details yesterday.
Manager Nigel Adkins was understandably delighted with the move. "A lot of hard work has gone in from the football club with a lot of negotiations behind the scenes to get this deal done," Adkins said. "Great credit to everyone because we have a young, exciting talent joining us who is one of the best around. The chairman has gone and backed this deal big-time with the financial outlay, and what we have got is one of the most exciting prospects in world football coming to St Mary's." Southampton striker Billy Sharp has joined Nottingham Forest on a season's loan.
Swansea last night confirmed the £5.55m signing of Valencia's Pablo Hernandez. The 27-year-old Spain winger enjoyed four successful years at Valencia, after playing under new Swansea manager Michael Laudrup at Getafe, and he should replace Sinclair out wide.
Everton completed the signing last night of Bryan Oviedo, a Costa Rican left-winger from Copenhagen for £1.2m. David Moyes attended Oviedo's successful work permit hearing in London yesterday morning and the deal was announced at 8pm. Everton captain Phil Neville wrote on Twitter: "watched [Oviedo] play last week looks top draw to me and he as the 2nd best stepover In the club!!!" Everton also confirmed the signing of Matthew Kennedy from Kilmarnock for a nominal fee.
Queen's Park Rangers, one of the busiest clubs this summer, completed a swap deal with Marseilles. Joey Barton, recently stripped of the Rangers' captaincy, joined the Ligue 1 club for a season's loan with their defensive midfielder Stephane M'Bia coming the other way. "What a birthday present," Barton wrote on Twitter. "Cannot wait to get going." M'Bia was just as enthusiastic. "I'm very happy to come to England," he said. "It is my dream. I want to do my best. I want to impress in the Premier League."
Fulham completed the signing of Dimitar Berbatov from Manchester United on an initial two-year deal. The 31-year-old striker said he was "delighted" to join Fulham and was "looking forward" to playing under Martin Jol, who managed him at Tottenham. "As soon as I was aware of Fulham's interest my decision to join was an easy one to make," he said.
Jol in turn declared himself delighted to buy a player with Berbatov's class. "He's a player of great quality and technical ability who will give me the attacking option I've been looking for," the Dutch manager said. "When he's not scoring goals, his ingenuity often leads to chances being created for his team-mates." Fulham completed the signing of Iranian winger Ashkan Dejagah from Wolfsbug late last night on a three-year deal. The 26-year-old spent five years at Wolfsburg after joining from Hertha Berlin.
Aston Villa bought two strikers yesterday: Belgium international Christian Benteke from Genk on a four-year deal and 21-year-old Chesterfield striker Jordan Bowery for £500,000. Lambert was pleased to add two young talents to his striking options. "He's something very different to what we have here and that added dimension will enhance the football club," he said of Benteke. "A young lad he may be, but he's definitely a handful. He's tall, powerful, he has pace and we'll be stronger with him in the side." Lambert was also enthusiastic about Bowery: "He's a good player."
Charlie Adam joined Stoke City from Liverpool yesterday on a four-year deal, as Brendan Rodgers continued his clear-out. "Not only will his creativity and his eye for delivering a pass be a great asset to us," said Stoke manager Tony Pulis, "He scored 12 goals for Blackpool in the Premier League two seasons ago."
Stoke added two other midfielders in Blackburn Rovers' Steven Nzonzi and Maurice Edu, a free agent after leaving Rangers during the summer. Arsenal striker Nicklas Bendtner completed a loan move to Italian champions Juventus.
Who went where? Yesterday's moves
J Garcia (Benfica – Manchester City) £16m
M Nastasic (Fiorentina - Manchester City) £12m [plus Stefan Savic]
G Ramirez (Bologna – Southampton) £12m
R Van der Vaart (Tottenham Hotspur – Hamburg) £10.2m
H Lloris (Lyons - Tottenham) £8m
C Benteke (Genk - Aston Villa) £7m
S Sinclair (Swansea City – Manchester City) £6.2m
P Hernandez (Valencia – Swansea City) £5.6m
C Adam (Liverpool – Stoke City) £5m
D Berbatov (Manchester United – Fulham) £5m
N de Jong (Man City – Milan) £5m
Maicon (Internazionale – Man C) £3m
K Richardson (Sunderland – Fulham) £2m
A Westwood (Crewe - Aston Villa) £2m
B Oviedo (Copenhagen - Everton) £1.2m
M Edu (Rangers – Stoke City) £1m
J Bowery (Chesterfield – Aston Villa) £500,000
Giovani (Tottenham Hotspur – Real Mallorca) Undisclosed
M Kennedy (Kilmarnock - Everton) Undisclosed
S Mbia (Marseilles - QPR) Undisclosed
A Orlandi (Swansea City – Brighton) Undisclosed
P Agyemang (Queen's Park Rangers – Stevenage) free
J Barton (QPR - Marseilles) free
F Bessone (Swansea – Swindon) free
S Magri (Portsmouth – QPR) free
C Cropper (unattached – Southampton) Signed
R Wright (unattached – Manchester City) Signed
N Bendtner (Arsenal – Juventus) loan
J Bothroyd (QPR – Sheffield Wednesday) loan
D Boyata (Man City - FC Twente) loan
N Chalobah (Chelsea – Watford) loan
P Dummett (Newcastle United – St Mirren) loan
G Francomb (Norwich – AFC Wimbledon) loan
R Golobart (Wigan – Tranmere) loan
T Hazard (Chelsea – SV Zulte Waregem) loan
G Kakuta (Chelsea – Vitesse Arnhem) loan
Park Ju-young (Arsenal – Celta Vigo) loan
G Popov (Dynamo Kiev - West Bromwich Albion) loan
D Rose (Tottenham – Sunderland) loan
R Santa Cruz (Man City - Malaga) loan
B Sharp (Southampton - Nottingham Forest) loan
J Spearing (Liverpool – Bolton Wanderers) loan
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