Big-spending Chelsea wrapping up busy end to transfer window
Chelsea has already spent more in the January transfer window — around $225 million — than every club in the top leagues in Spain, Italy, Germany and France combined.
The London team might not be finished.
The final day of the window was another busy one for Chelsea and its new American ownership, with the club reportedly close to signing Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez from Benfica for a British-record fee of 105 million pounds ($130 million) after selling Jorginho to Premier League leader Arsenal. Hakim Ziyech could also leave Chelsea to join Paris Saint-Germain on loan.
Seven players have already arrived at Stamford Bridge this month, including Ukraine winger Mykhailo Mudryk in a deal worth around $108 million and France center back Benoît Badiashile for $40 million.
If Fernandez joins, that would take Chelsea’s spending up to around $350 million in January.
This comes after Chelsea spent around $280 million in Europe’s summer transfer window, the first under the new ownership fronted by Todd Boehly following the purchase of the club for $2.5 billion in May.
Chelsea has handed new players long contracts — as much as 8 1/2 years for Mudryk, for example — to allow the club to spread the cost of the signings over the length of the deal and comply with financial fair-play regulations.
Fernandez would be the most expensive signing of the lot, with the fee for the 22-year-old World Cup winner surpassing the 100 million pounds (then $139 million) Manchester City paid Aston Villa for Jack Grealish in 2021.
Fernandez only joined Benfica from Argentine club River Plate in August, for a reported fee of around $10 million.
Chelsea will hope its latest spending spree helps the team climb the Premier League standings — it is currently in 10th place, 10 points off the top four — in a late attempt to qualify for the Champions League.
JORGINHO TO ARSENAL
Italy international Jorginho has cost Arsenal a reported 12 million pounds ($14.75 million) in a move that gives the league leaders an extra option in midfield in their bid to win a first top-flight title since 2004.
Arsenal made a late move in the transfer window to strengthen its central-midfield department, with Mohamed Elneny — a backup to first-choice holding midfielder Thomas Partey — ruled out for a lengthy period Tuesday because of injury.
Attempts to sign Ecuador international Moises Caideco from Brighton were rebuffed last week, leading Arsenal to turn to Jorginho, who helped Italy win the European Championship in 2021.
He spent 4 1/2 years at Chelsea after joining from Napoli and was no longer a regular player at Chelsea under manager Graham Potter.
Arsenal also loaned out midfielder Albert Sambi Lokonga to Crystal Palace and 19-year-old Brazilian forward Marquinhos, who is midway through his first season at the club, to second-tier Norwich to get more first-team action.
CANCELO LEAVES CITY
Manchester City sent Joao Cancelo on loan to Bayern Munich for the rest of the season, with the Portugal fullback having fallen out of favor with manager Pep Guardiola since the World Cup.
The German champions have the option to make the transfer permanent for a fee of 70 million euros ($76 million).
Cancelo was one of City’s key players last season but Guardiola feels the team can do without the attacking, versatile defender after a recent tactical switch and the emergence of 18-year-old right back Rico Lewis.
TOTTENHAM’S RIGHT BACKS
Tottenham manager Antonio Conte places a lot of importance in his wing backs and the club switched around the players on the right side on deadline day.
Spain wing back Pedro Porro joined from Sporting in Portugal on loan, with Tottenham obliged to buy him for a reported 39 million pounds ($48 million) at the end of the season. To make room in the squad, Tottenham sent Djed Spence on loan to Rennes in France and mutually agreed to the termination of Matt Doherty’s contract to enable him to join Atletico Madrid in Spain.
BUSY BOURNEMOUTH
Bournemouth brought in two players to help its attempts to avoid relegation from the Premier League, one of them being Illia Zabarnyi from Dynamo Kyiv. Zabarnyi is highly rated, having won 24 caps for his country by the age of 20.
Minutes later, Bournemouth announced the signing of Ivory Coast midfielder Hamed Traorè from Italian team Sassuolo on an initial loan agreement which will become permanent at the end of the season for a further five years.
Leeds signed center back Diogo Monteiro, who has been a captain of Portugal’s youth teams, from Swiss team Servette and 33-year-old central defender Felipe left Atletico to join Nottingham Forest, which also signed midfielder Jonjo Shelvey from Newcastle.
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