Romelu Lukaku's club record move to Inter Milan from Manchester United was the headline deal of a typically busy final day of the Premier League's summer transfer window on Thursday.
After weeks of protracted negotiations, the 26-year-old Belgian striker completed a deal reported to be worth £74 million (Dh330m), making him the third most expensive player in Italian football history, behind only Juventus forwards Cristiano Ronaldo and Gonzalo Higuain.
"Inter were the only club I wanted, because Inter is Not For Everyone. I’m here to bring the Nerazzurri back to the top," Lukaku, who signed a five-year contract, said referring to the San Siro club's slogan.
Lukaku joined United in 2017 for £75m and went on to score 42 goals in 96 games. He scored 15 goals in 45 appearances last season, but fell behind Marcus Rashford in the pecking order following Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's arrival as manager.
While the Belgian was no longer considered first-choice, his exit has left United with a shortage of forward options after the Premier League club opted not to make any new signings on deadline day.
Croatian World Cup finalist Mario Mandzukic was linked with a move to Old Trafford, but after tentative talks, United opted not to pursue a deal for the 33-year-old Juventus player.
United were also reportedly interested in former Tottenham Hotspur target man Fernando Llorente, but ultimately nothing materialised.
Llorente's old club proved to be one of the busiest on Thursday after Spurs completed the signings of England under-21 full-back Ryan Sessegnon and Argentina midfielder Giovani Lo Celso.
Sessegnon was signed from Championship side Fulham for a reported £25m and the 19-year-old has signed a five-year contract with the option of a sixth year, while Lo Celso joined on loan from Real Betis with the option of a permanent move at the end of the season.
"I can't wait to get started at Spurs," Sessegnon said in his introduction video. "It's a young team, an exciting team on the up. This is the place to be."
However, one deal that did not go through for Tottenham was for Juventus forward Paulo Dybala. The 25-year-old Argentine looked set to move to the Champions League finalists after the two clubs agreed on a fee of €70m (Dh288.2m), only for the deal to fall through over personal terms and image rights.
Across North London, Arsenal landed long-term target Kieran Tierney from Celtic, the left-back signing a"long-term deal" after the Scottish champions accepted a £25m transfer fee.
“We’re delighted Kieran is joining us," Arsenal manager Unai Emery said. "He’s a very talented player who will continue to improve. He increases our options defensively and I look forward to him joining our group.”
Newcastle United managed to complete two signings on Thursday, with the return of Andy Carroll to his boyhood club giving fans reason to celebrate. The England international endured an injury-hit six years at West Ham United and has moved to St James' Park on a one-year contract.
“I enjoyed the time I spent here, and hopefully I can carry on where I left off," Carroll said. "When I left eight-and-a-half years ago, I was scoring goals and I was enjoying my football. It’s been a pretty tough time since then, and I just want to get back to that.
“I know it’s home. I’ve played here, I’ve spoken to the fans – I am a fan – and my family is here. For me to get back to where I was, I think this is the only place for me.”
Newcastle also signed Sweden international full-back Emil Krafth from Amiens on a four-year deal.
Elsewhere, Leicester City pushed it fine but got a deal over the line for midfielder Dennis Praet, signing the Belgian midfielder from Sampdoria for a reported £18m and on a four-year contract.
Meanwhile, Chelsea midfielder Danny Drinkwater secured a loan move to Burnley, while Aaron Mooy joined Brighton & Hove Albion for the season from Huddersfield Town.
