The summer transfer deadline day saw significant moves across the Premier League, highlighted by Manchester City’s record signing of Enzo Fernandez and Jack Grealish’s return to Everton.
The summer transfer window closed with a flurry of activity on September 1, 2026, as Premier League clubs scrambled to finalize their rosters. Manchester City made headlines by securing the services of Enzo Fernandez from Chelsea for a staggering £125 million, making him the joint-most expensive player in British football history. City also added Everton winger Iliman Ndiaye for £65 million, capping off a summer spending spree that totaled approximately £458 million, the highest in the league.
Other clubs, including Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, Everton, Newcastle United, and Aston Villa, were also active in the final hours of the transfer window, completing several high-profile deals.
Manchester City Completes Enzo Fernandez Blockbuster
Manchester City saved their biggest move for the closing hours of the transfer window, acquiring Enzo Fernandez from Chelsea for £125 million. This transfer ties the British record previously set by Alexander Isak. The Argentina international will reunite with former Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca at the Etihad Stadium. In addition to Fernandez, City secured Iliman Ndiaye from Everton for £65 million, adding another versatile attacking option to their squad.
These two late signings highlighted a massive summer for City, who led all Premier League clubs in spending.
Chelsea Sees Major Departures
Chelsea experienced a whirlwind of activity on deadline day, with Fernandez’s departure marking the beginning of a series of exits from Stamford Bridge. Robert Sanchez joined Serie A side Como on a season-long loan, while Tosin Adarabioyo moved permanently to Tottenham Hotspur. Mykhailo Mudryk also made the switch to Spurs on loan, with an option to buy included in the agreement. Other notable departures included Marc Guiu to RB Leipzig and Deivid Washington to Strasbourg.
However, Chelsea’s attempts to sign Monaco midfielder Lamine Camara fell through late in the window, adding to the club’s tumultuous day.
Jack Grealish Returns to Everton
Despite losing Ndiaye to Manchester City, Everton secured the return of Jack Grealish on a season-long loan. The England international had previously spent the 2025/26 season at Everton after joining from City. Additionally, the club signed Ainsley Maitland-Niles from Lyon. However, Everton’s efforts to bring in Folarin Balogun from Monaco were unsuccessful, as the deal could not be completed before the deadline.
Newcastle United Signs Matias Fernandez-Pardo
Newcastle United continued their squad overhaul by signing 21-year-old forward Matias Fernandez-Pardo from Lille for around £51 million. The Belgium international can play as a centre-forward, No. 10, or on the left wing. Newcastle also allowed record signing Nick Woltemade to depart on a season-long loan to Juventus.
Aston Villa Completes Two Deals
Aston Villa made two significant additions on deadline day, signing 18-year-old Senegal winger Ibrahim Mbaye from Paris Saint-Germain for £47 million. The club also acquired England international defender Taylor Harwood-Bellis from Southampton for a fee of around £30 million. Mbaye’s arrival follows his impressive performance for Senegal at the 2026 World Cup.
Tottenham Completes Chelsea Double
Tottenham Hotspur made a double acquisition from Chelsea, bringing in centre-back Tosin Adarabioyo for £10 million and Mykhailo Mudryk on loan with an option to buy. Spurs were also active in offloading players, sending Kevin Danso to Sunderland and Kota Takai to Sint-Truidense on loan.
Arsenal Focuses on Departures
Arsenal did not make any significant attacking additions on deadline day, instead prioritizing outgoing transfers. Gabriel Jesus completed his move to Barcelona for around £8.6 million, while Ethan Nwaneri joined Borussia Dortmund on loan. Fabio Vieira also left the club permanently for Hamburg. Although Gabriel Martinelli was linked with a £55 million move to Al-Hilal, the deal did not materialize before the Premier League deadline.
Hull City Makes Six Signings
Hull City was the busiest club on deadline day, making six signings and bringing their total summer acquisitions to 18. Among the new arrivals were Tim Iroegbunam from Everton and German forward Ilyas Ansah from Union Berlin. The club also added Welsh international Sorba Thomas from Stoke City, Greek midfielder Christos Mouzakitis from Olympiacos, and defender Brooke Norton-Cuffy from Genoa. Additionally, Roma striker Robinio Vaz joined on loan.
Sunderland Wins Malick Fofana Race
Sunderland completed a significant late move for Lyon winger Malick Fofana for around £31 million. The Black Cats also signed Juan Riquelme Angulo from Independiente del Valle and brought in Tottenham defender Kevin Danso on loan.
Crystal Palace Makes Three Late Signings
Crystal Palace was active in the final hours, acquiring Ben Chilwell from Strasbourg, Quinten Timber from Marseille, and Dario Osorio from FC Midtjylland. The club also arranged a loan for 18-year-old Atalanta defender Honest Ahanor, who will spend the season at Palace before joining Chelsea in 2027.
Fulham Adds Three Players
Fulham strengthened their squad with three late additions, including Manuel Angel from Real Madrid for around £3 million and David Affengruber from Elche. Hugo Larsson also joined from Eintracht Frankfurt on an initial loan with an obligation to buy.
Leeds United Adds Melvin Bard and Jean-Matteo Bahoya
Leeds United completed two late signings, bringing in French defender Melvin Bard from Nice on loan and Jean-Matteo Bahoya from Eintracht Frankfurt on an initial loan deal with an option to buy. Wilfried Gnonto moved in the opposite direction, joining Fiorentina on a season-long loan.
Brighton and Ipswich Complete Late Deals
Brighton & Hove Albion signed Spain Under-21 midfielder Chema Andres from Stuttgart for around £15 million, while Igor Julio left the club for Burnley. Ipswich Town also completed a deal for Zian Flemming from Burnley, with the reported fee around £20 million.
Liverpool Makes One Deadline Day Signing
Liverpool’s only deadline-day signing was 18-year-old Belgian goalkeeper Lucca Brughmans from Genk for around £30 million. Brughmans signed a six-year contract but will remain with Genk on loan for the remainder of the season.
Nottingham Forest and Coventry See Loan Departures
Nottingham Forest allowed three players to leave on loan, with Omari Hutchinson joining AC Milan, Morato moving to West Ham United, and Zach Abbott heading to Southampton. Coventry City also loaned Liam Kitching to Sheffield United.
Deals That Fell Through
Not every deadline-day move was completed successfully. Everton’s attempt to sign Folarin Balogun from Monaco collapsed after the 11pm deadline, which also affected Chelsea’s plans regarding Lamine Camara. Arsenal’s proposed transfer of Gabriel Martinelli to Al-Hilal also remained incomplete when the Premier League window closed, although the Saudi transfer window remains open until September 6.
Premier League Transfer Window Ends With Record Spending
The 2026 summer transfer window concluded with Premier League clubs spending approximately £3.46 billion, breaking the record for the second consecutive season. Manchester City emerged as the biggest spenders, with their total outlay reaching around £458 million. The final day of the window provided a fitting conclusion to a significant transfer period, highlighted by Enzo Fernandez’s record move to Manchester City, Ndiaye’s switch to the Etihad, Grealish’s return to Everton, and numerous late deals reshaping squads across the league.
According to The Sunday Guardian, the transfer deadline day was a testament to the ever-evolving landscape of Premier League football.