Malick Fofana's chaotic move to Sunderland was "a really difficult story to cover", says BBC Senior football correspondent Sami Mokbel. The Black Cats eventually beat Crystal Palace to the signing of the 21-year-old forward from Lyon in a deal worth £30m, after previous interest from Arsenal. "It was really a dramatic day and definitely one of the narratives of Deadline Day for sure," Mokbel told BBC Radio Newcastle.
Chelsea have made a move to sign Georginio Wijnaldum on a free transfer (AFP via Getty) Chelsea are in talks to sign former Liverpool midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum on a free transfer, according to reports. On deadline day, Chelsea finally approved the £125 million sale of Enzo Fernandez to Manchester City but aimed to bring in a midfield replacement before the end of the window. Xabi Alonso is an admirer of Martin Zubimendi but Chelsea’s approach for the Spanish midfielder was swiftly rejected by Arsenal. Chelsea then agreed a deal with Monaco worth €55 million (£47.1m) for Lamine Camara but the Ligue 1 side cancelled their agreement with an hour to go before the deadline. Exclusive Premier League previews Get ahead of the start of the season with our weekly football newsletter. Sign up now for free. According to FootMercato, Chelsea have now contacted Wijnaldum after he left Saudi Pro League side Al-Ettifaq when his contract expired earlier this summer. The 35-year-old remains without a club but has recently held talks with Major League Soccer side Real Salt Lake. Georginio Wijnaldum won the Premier League title Liverpool in 2020 (Getty) Despite the summer transfer window closing on Tuesday, Premier League clubs are still allowed to sign players who are free agents. Wijnaldum was a key part of Liverpool’s success under Jurgen Klopp, helping the club win the Premier League and Champions League in five seasons at Anfield. The midfielder then joined Paris Saint-Germain as a free agent in 2021 before making the move to Saudi Arabia two years later. For Al-Ettifaq last season, Wijnaldum scored 17 goals and registered seven assists in 34 appearances. If he makes the move to Chelsea, Wijnaldum would link up with his former Liverpool teammate Jordan Henderson, who joined Stamford Bridge as a free agent in August. For more stories like this, check our sport page. Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Comment now Comments Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google Add as preferred source
In contrast to the frenzy of bids, talks, "advanced talks", deal sheets and multiple £100m-plus transfers (plus add-ons, of course), Bournemouth was an oasis of calm on deadline day, with no incomings or outgoings. Cherries fans will breathe a sigh of relief, and accept that the club's hierarchy were true to their word, in that none of their superstars - especially Alex Scott, Eli Junior Kroupi and Rayan - were sold, despite the noise on social media that would have had you believe that all three were as good as signed, sealed and delivered to "big six" clubs. Scott even mimed putting a telephone down while celebrating his goal against Everton on Saturday.
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