The transfer window has been gently eased shut, and there were plenty of last-minute deals to keep fans across Europe captivated.
Southampton were busy, adding Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Duje Caleta-Car to their ranks, among others, while Barcelona allowed Martin Braithwaite to join Espanyol on a free transfer and sold Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to Chelsea.
As the seconds ticked down, clubs dotted their i s, crossed their t s and blew the dust off their fax machines, and here is just some of what took place in the closing hours.
Busy Saints bring in four, lose one
As far as the Premier League goes, it was Southampton who got up to the most activity in the final moments, signing Maitland-Niles on loan from Arsenal and Caleta-Car permanently from M…
Thiago Alcantara will not be rushed back into action despite returning to Liverpool first-team training, according to boss Jurgen Klopp.
The Spain international has missed more than two months of action since sustaining a knee injury in the Merseyside derby against Everton on October 17.
Having also had a spell out after testing positive for coronavirus, the 29-year-old has only played twice for Liverpool since arriving from Bayern Munich in a deal that could reach £25million.
He started training with the rest of the squad on Wednesday but Klopp confirmed Sunday s Premier League game against West Brom will come too soon for him, although the Reds boss had better news on the possible returns of Xherdan Shaqiri and James Milner.
Thiago made his first step…
Jurgen Klopp revealed he is still yet to work out how Liverpool will set up against Barcelona in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final.
Liverpool ran riot against Huddersfield Town on Friday as they moved back to the top of the Premier League, Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah netting doubles in a 5-0 win following Naby Keita s opener after 15 seconds.
Barca are next up at Camp Nou, yet Klopp refused to contemplate that tie against the Spanish giants while there were still domestic games to play beforehand.
Can you imagine, I didn t think a second about Barca before right now, Klopp told Sky Sports. I saw them in my life about 100 times, but I didn t think a second about them.
We start now, we have five days before that game, it’s enough t…
Thomas Tuchel was left to rue Chelsea s missed opportunities in their Premier League stalemate with Everton at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea squandered the opportunity to cut the gap on Premier League leaders Manchester City as their injury-hit opponents held out for a hard-earned 1-1 draw on Thursday.
Tuchel s Chelsea registered 80.3 per cent of the possession and 23 shots, but could only convert one courtesy of Mason Mount s fourth in as many games.
And the hosts were made to pay for their failure to capitalise while in the ascendancy; Jarrad Branthwaite equalising when he turned home Anthony Gordon s free-kick to secure a share of the spoils for the Toffees.
It also marked the third time in six games that Tuchel s side had dropped points from a winning posi…
Romelu Lukaku s move to Inter ended weeks of speculation over the striker s future to an end and brought the curtain down on a Premier League goal-scoring masterclass.
After failing to break through at Stamford Bridge, a loan move to West Brom in 2012-13 gave Lukaku the chance to prove himself.
He also impressed in a temporary stint at Everton too, joining them permanently in July 2014. The Belgium international reached double figures for league goals in each of his four seasons at Goodison Park.
The same can be said for his two years at Manchester United, yet the frontman never quite hit the expected heights. Still, as the Opta numbers show, he was productive during his time in England.
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Not a bad Thursday, right ?
Son Heung-min has been rewarded for his growing importance at Tottenham with a new five-year contract.
The South Korea international, who joined from Bayer Leverkusen in 2015, has pledged his future to the London club until the end of the 2022-23 season.
Son, 26, has steadily taken on a more prominent role under Mauricio Pochettino and featured 37 times in the Premier League last term, including 27 starts.
His 26 league goals over the past two seasons have eased the burden on star striker Harry Kane and helped Spurs to consecutive top-three finishes.
Son became the top Asian goalscorer in Premier League history with the winner against Crystal Palace last November, surpassing the tally of 19 set by former Manchester United man Park Ji-sung.
A mes…
Ernesto Valverde is not concerned about Lionel Messi retiring anytime soon after the Barcelona star suggested he was beginning to think about bringing his playing days to a close when he received a record sixth Ballon d Or.
Messi, 32, overtook long-time rival Cristiano Ronaldo in the Ballon d Or stakes on Monday when he beat the Portugal forward and Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk to the individual gong, despite the latter being many people s favourite.
During Messi s acceptance speech, he remarked that he is aware of how old I am, everything happens very quickly and I know that the moment of withdrawal is approaching .
Barca team-mate Luis Suarez insisted Messi s comments had been misinterpreted by many, adamant the Argentina great will continue for a long wh…
Jurgen Klopp spoke glowingly of Harvey Elliott after he became the youngest player to make a competitive start for Liverpool in the 2-0 EFL Cup win over MK Dons.
Elliott, 16 years and 174 days old, impressed on his debut on Wednesday, though he missed a golden chance early on when he turned James Milner s delivery against the crossbar.
Stuart Moore s calamitous error from Milner s 41st-minute strike gifted Liverpool the lead, however, and despite a spirited display from the home side Ki-Jana Hoever s header wrapped up the result.
There was still time for Elliott to hit the woodwork again, this time curling a strike against the bar from the edge of the box.
Only Jerome Sinclair, who made a substitute appearance against West Brom in September 2012 aged 16 …
Ary Borges stole the headlines on day five of the Women’s World Cup as her hat-trick helped Brazil thrash tournament debutants Panama 4-0 in Adelaide.
There were also plenty of goals in Melbourne where Germany brushed aside Morocco 6-0, with captain Alexandra Popp bagging a brace, while Italy left it late to beat Argentina 1-0.
Here, the PA news agency takes a look at all of Monday’s action.
Borges powers Brazil
Brazil’s opening match of the tournament was all about Borges, who scored the tournament’s first hat-trick and set up Bia Zaneratto for the other in a one-sided match in Group F.
The winger had a first-half brace, both headers from Debinha’s crosses, before her neat backheel laid on the third of the match for Zaneratto just three minute…
Jose Mourinho says Manchester United defender Antonio Valencia is the best right-back in football.
United triggered a one-year contract extension for the 31-year-old this week, tying him to the club until 2018.
Initially signed as a winger in 2009, Valencia has established himself as a key cog in Mourinho s defence, making 23 starts across all competitions this season.
And Mourinho is overjoyed with his performances, which he believes have put him at the top of his new position and made him fully deserving of his new deal.
I don t think of it is a reward, I don t see it in this perspective, Mourinho said to MUTV.
I just think he is the best right-back you can have. There is no better right-back in football. It is just for us to keep the best. I …