Transfer Deadline Day: Almiron Joins Newcastle; Suarez Loaned to Arsenal
The January transfer window closed on Thursday across Europe's major leagues, with some clubs using the last opportunity to fortify their squads with star signings of complementary pieces for the stretch run, but most opting to stick with what they've already got.
In the last week, the transfer momentum had picked up in a big way, adding to a window that had a few early major moves. Christian Pulisic (Borussia Dortmund to Chelsea, loaned back to Dortmund), Gonzalo Higuain (AC Milan loan to Chelsea), Alvaro Morata (Chelsea loan to Atletico Madrid), Krzysztof Piatek (Genoa to AC Milan), Mario Balotelli (Nice to Marseille) and Kevin-Prince Boateng (Sassuolo to Barcelona) were among the biggest names to change clubs this month. During this window, the likes of Frenkie de Jong (Ajax to Barcelona) and Benjamin Pavard (Stuttgart to Bayern Munich) secured agreements to move in the summer, as well.
In terms of the deadline, it was rather quiet. The long-expected move of Miguel Almiron from Atlanta United to Newcastle finally materialized, while Arsenal secured the loan signing of Denis Suarez from Barcelona with an option to buy. There's also the late completed move for Michy Batshuayi, who was linked with a loan from Chelsea to no fewer than four clubs but finally landed on loan with Crystal Palace.
The one stunning move that did not appear to come to fruition was that of D.C. United playmaker Luciano Acosta to PSG, the likelihood of which came to light late Wednesday night. The clubs engaged in talks on Thursday, but ultimately didn't find common ground. PSG also swung and missed in its attempt to sign Idrissa Gueye from Everton, but it did hold onto midfielder Adrian Rabiot, whose contract expires at the end of the season.
Here's how transfer deadline day unfolded, with the moves that did–and didn't–materialize before the window shut:
6 p.m.
- All eyes remained on Michy Batshuayi's proposed move to Crystal Palace, which trickled in following the deadline after the club filed for an extension. The necessary paperwork was in on time, and Chelsea and Crystal Palace pushed the loan over the finish line.
- Luciano Acosta's potential move to PSG appears to have fallen through, with varying reports in France claiming that manager Thomas Tuchel did not ultimately want the player and others stating the lack of a deal had more to do with a failure to meet D.C. United's valuation.
- Leganes secured the late signature of Mexican center back Diego Reyes, with the Spanish side bringing him in on loan from Fenerbahce.
- Fulham secured a last-gasp move for out-of-favor Liverpool winger Lazar Markovic.
5 p.m. ET
- Michy Batshuayi has reportedly agreed to personal terms with Crystal Palace and is looking to secure a move from Chelsea, with the Belgian desperately looking for a new destination, with his future at Stamford Bridge clearly bleak. (Sky Sports)
- After earlier reports of a deal, Celtic has announced the acquisition of right back Jeremy Toljan on loan from Borussia Dortmund through the rest of the season.
4 p.m. ET
- Jean-Clair Todibo was supposed to join Barcelona in the summer, but the club has agreed with Toulouse for the accelerated signing of the rising French talent, with the 19-year-old joining the club immediately.
- Tottenham has entered the picture for Michy Batshuayi, but Chelsea reportedly wants £8 million from its London rival for a loan fee, which is four times the amount it was seeking from West Ham. (Mirror)
- PSG has come back with a late bid for Idrissa Gueye, increasing its offer to Everton to €30 million, but it's been rejected. (Sky Sports)
3 p.m. ET
- Luciano Acosta's move to PSG is reportedly in peril, according to multiple reports in France.
- Leicester City has landed 21-year-old Belgian rising star Youri Tielemans on loan from Monaco for the rest of the season, with Adrien Silva going in the opposite direction.
- Americans Andrew Gutman and Manny Perez, two of the best players in college soccer last season at Indiana and N.C. State, respectively, have signed with Celtic on three-and-a-half-year deals. They both will be loaned to clubs in the USL Championship immediately. Nashville SC is taking on Gutman, while North Carolina FC will land Perez, who previously played in the club's youth academy.
- Celtic also reportedly has a deal in place to take fullback Jeremy Toljan on loan from Borussia Dortmund. (Sky Sports)
- Speaking of Dortmund, Shinji Kagawa has left BVB, joining Turkish power Besiktas on loan for the rest of the season.
- After a successful run with the Portland Timbers, Liam Ridgewell has signed with Hull City on a free transfer.
2 p.m. ET
- Time continues to tick on Luciano Acosta's potential move to Europe from D.C. United. What came out of nowhere Wednesday night has materialized into discussions, with D.C. GM Dave Kasper reportedly heading to London to speak with up to two Premier League squads and Paris to speak with PSG over a potential $10 million move. Securing a UK work permit could prohibit a move to the Premier League from taking place, making PSG the front-runner. The club had been in talks with the player over a new contract, with his current deal set to expire at the end of the 2019 MLS season. If no transfer deal is reached, Acosta would not be able to move to Europe until the summer. (Washington Post)
- Burnley makes it official and announces the signing of 38-year-old Peter Crouch from Stoke City–in epic fashion.
- It appears Idrissa Gueye will remain at Everton after all, despite his desire to leave and PSG's desire to push a deal over the line. (Independent)
- Swansea City has sent Wilfried Bony to Qatar's Al-Arabi for the rest of the season on loan. His contract with the club expires at the end of the season, meaning his run with the Swans is likely over.
1 p.m. ET
- Barcelona will be welcoming more than just Frenkie de Jong in the summer. The club has reached a deal with Atletico Mineiro for the summer transfer of 20-year-old Brazilian fullback Emerson. It's a €12 million deal, and he'll be signed for five years, according to the team's statement.
- Michy Batshuayi's wage demands appear to be the sticking point in a potential deadline day loan from Chelsea to either West Ham or Real Betis. He spent the first half of the season on loan with Valencia. (Sky Sports)
- Emile Smith Rowe's loan from Arsenal to RB Leipzig is officially complete, with the 18-year-old moving to Germany through the end of the season.
12 p.m. ET
- Chelsea's Maurizio Sarri had previously ruled out a transfer for Callum Hudson-Odoi, and Bayern Munich is apparently complying. Bayern manager Niko Kovac said not to expect any more incoming moves, meaning that the club's multiple efforts to pry him from Stamford Bridge will have to be put on hold until at least the summer. (Sky Sports)
- Another young English talent is heading back to Germany, with West Ham loaning Reece Oxford to Augsburg after reportedly turning down an approach from Dutch club Heerenveen. Oxford previously spent time on loan in Germany with Borussia Monchengladbach. (Sky Sports)
- After acquiring Mario Balotelli for the remainder of the season, Marseille has sent forward Kostas Mitroglou on loan to Galatasaray for the next 18 months.
11 a.m. ET
- Arsenal's bids to sign Yannick Carrasco from his Chinese club and Ivan Perisic from Inter Milan on loan have reportedly fallen through, and a separate deal for PSG's Christopher Nkunku reportedly looks unlikely to materialize. (BBC)
- Fulham has rid itself of Aboubakar Kamara for the rest of the season, sending the maligned forward on loan to Malatyaspor in Turkey through June. Kamara had become a controversial figure after he was arrested at the club's training ground for suspicion of actual bodily harm after an altercation with a security guard.
- Everton has reportedly ruled out a permanent move for Michy Batshuayi, with Chelsea reportedly looking to offload its Belgian striker permanently instead of settling for another loan. (Sky Sports)
- Chelsea's veteran defender Gary Cahill has reportedly turned down moves to Juventus, Fulham and Monaco, opting to stay put while his contract runs down to its end. (Sky Sports)
10 a.m. ET
- Rumors of Willian's departure from Chelsea to PSG appear unfounded, as a report suggests that no move will take place today. (BBC)
- Youri Tielemans was reportedly pictured in a Leicester training shirt, and the 21-year-old rising Belgian talent is expected to secure a loan from Monaco to Leicester City for the rest of the season, with Adrien Silva going the other way. (Leicester Mercury)
- Borussia Dortmund covets rising young stars or those reaching their prime, and it's reportedly looking to acquire another one in Ajax's Moroccan 25-year-old Hakim Ziyech. Whether Ajax will sell after already watching Frenkie de Jong agree to a summer move to Barcelona and with Matthijs de Ligt likely to move in the summer as well and with the club still alive in the Champions League knockout stage remains to be seen. (France Football)
9 a.m. ET
- Atlanta United has announced Miguel Almiron's transfer to Newcastle for an MLS record fee, though the club did not specify. Reports had it in the $27 million range. (Atlanta United)
- Luciano Acosta has reportedly arrived in Paris for a physical that would precede a transfer to PSG–or the other European suitors who are reportedly lining up for a deadline day swoop for the D.C. United star.
- Taylor Booth becomes the latest American to join Bayern Munich, with the 17-year-old Real Salt Lake academy product joining the Bundesliga power. (SI)
- Monaco has signed Tottenham winger Georges-Kevin N'Koudou on loan for the rest of the season.
- Wolfsburg's Dutch center back Jeffrey Bruma is headed to Schalke for the rest of the season on loan.
- Peter Crouch could be making a shocking return to the Premier League at age 38, with Burnley looking to sign the wiry forward from Stoke City. (BBC)
8 a.m. ET
- Arsenal is shaping up to have a busy transfer deadline after all. Denis Suarez is on his way to the Emirates on loan from Barcelona, with the Spanish power prematurely posting its release of the transaction before deleting it Wednesday, only for the club to finalize the move early Thursday.
Arsenal also is reportedly sending two youngsters on loan, with Eddie Nketiah joining Augsburg and Emile Smith Rowe heading to RB Leipzig. (Daily Mail)
On top of that, the club has also been linked to moves for Yannick Carrasco and Ivan Perisic, while speculation swirls regarding Mesut Ozil, who reportedly turned down a loan to PSG to remain in London. (Sky Sports)
- Newcastle is putting the finishing touches on a move for Miguel Almiron that will set the club's record for an incoming transfer and break and MLS record for an outgoing move with the reported $27 million purchase. Newcastle has also signed Italian wingback Antonio Barreca on loan from Monaco with an option to buy. (Chronicle | Newcastle United)
- In a shocker involving another MLS superstar, PSG has emerged as the leading suitor to sign D.C. United playmaker Luciano Acosta. The Argentine was half of D.C.'s dynamic duo with Wayne Rooney last season, but, according to the Washington Post, he's the subject of a $10 million bid. D.C. had also reportedly turned down a $7.5 million bid for Acosta from Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal, which then turned its focus to successfully signing Toronto FC star Sebastian Giovinco late Wednesday night. (Washington Post)
- PSG is also reportedly eyeing a deal for Chelsea winger Willian, as cover for the injured Neymar. (Sky Sports)
- West Ham has reportedly rejected a bid of 7 million from Valencia for Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez. The Mexican star has been out of form and out of favor in London this season, and the Spanish club has been open about its intent to bring him back to La Liga, where he enjoyed success with Real Madrid. (Sky Sports)
- Idrissa Gueye has reportedly submitted a transfer request to leave Everton, amid bids from PSG, but the club is resistant to selling the midfielder. (Telegraph)
- Marouane Fellaini is off to China, with Shandong Luneng set to sign the veteran midfielder from Manchester United. (Sky Sports)
- Michy Batshuayi appears headed out on yet another loan, with Chelsea reportedly having agreements in place with both West Ham and Real Betis to take the Belgian forward for the rest of the season. Final details will determine which destination winds up being the Batsman's next. (Sky Sports)
- Wolves wingback Jonny Otto will remain with the club permanently after it turned its loan for the Atletico Madrid player into a full transfer on a reported £18 million fee. He'll be with the club through 2023.
- Manchester City has signed Croatian rising star Ante Palaversa from Hajduk Split and loaned him back to the Croatian club until the end of the 2019-2020 season. The fee for the 18-year-old is reported to be in the £7 million range. (BBC)
