Deadline-day flurry takes Premier League January spending past £200m
Southampton’s £14m signing of Italy forward Manolo Gabbiadini created the biggest splash on deadline day as Premier League clubs took their January spending to record-threatening levels.
Burnley and Crystal Palace also invested heavily, bringing to a close a window in which the top-flight’s middle and lower ranked clubs out-spent their more celebrated peers.
Total spend on deadline day exceeded the £40m spent 12 months ago, while the January total surpassed last year’s £175m and, depending on deals still to be confirmed late last night, could threaten the record £225m spent in the 2011 winter window.
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Bournemouth failed with an audacious £18m bid for Chelsea youngster Nathan Ake, but the biggest fee involving an English club was the £20m received by Watford for Nigeria striker Odion Ighalo, the latest Premier League player to defect to the Chinese Super League.
Gabbiadini joined from Napoli on a four-and-a-half-year contract and is set to provide Southampton with much-needed reinforcement in attacking positions, with striker Charlie Austin sidelined by injury.
The 25-year-old former Atalanta, Bologna and Sampdoria player has scored 58 goals in 215 club appearances.
“We are delighted to have secured the signing of Manolo Gabbiadini, ahead of a number of other clubs who were interested in him,” said Saints director of football Les Reed.
Burnley broke their transfer record with the £13m purchase of Republic of Ireland winger Robbie Brady from Championship side Norwich, and also bolstered their midfield ranks by signing Aston Villa’s Ashley Westwood for around £5m.
Palace signed Serbia defensive midfielder Luka Milivojevic in a deal believed to be worth £11m from Olympiacos, and were working hard to complete a loan deal for Liverpool defender Mamadou Sakho, who has fallen out of favour at Anfield.
Ighalo, who scored 17 goals for Watford last season but just twice this term, completed an anticipated move to Changchun Yatai.
Swansea clinched the arrival of forward Jordan Ayew – just months after selling his brother Andre to West Ham – in a part-exchange deal that sees Aston Villa receive £5m and left-back Neil Taylor.
On a busy day for Villa, the Championship club spent £12m on Brentford striker and former West Ham target Scott Hogan. Confirmation of the transfer came after the Bees beat Villa 3-0 at Griffin Park.
Free-falling champions Leicester have attempted to shore up their defence by signing Mali centre-back Molla Wague on loan from Udinese.
Fellow strugglers Hull completed temporary deals for Inter Milan defender Andrea Ranocchia and Villarreal midfielder Alfred N’Diaye.