Transfer deadline day is hurtling towards its conclusion and big deals are getting done at a quick pace.
The cut-off point for Premier League sides is Tuesday at 11pm. After that point, top flight teams will have to make do with what players they have at their disposal up until the New Year when it reopens for business.
A flurry of big names are expected to be on the move before the day is out and one of them has already sealed a new club. Arsenal centre-forward Gabriel Jesus has completed a permanent transfer to Spanish giants FC Barcelona.
Jesus, 29, has signed a three-year contract with the Catalan side after Arsenal agreed a fee of £8.6m (€10m). Speaking at his unveiling, the former Manchester City man spoke of his delight at the move, saying: “I have strong faith in God and I knew that if I did things well, anything could happen.
“I have always been a guy who respects everyone, so I thought things would turn out well. I was working very hard at Arsenal, separately from the other players of course. I kept giving my best because I knew a good thing would happen, and now it’s happened. A week ago, I received the message that it could happen. When I started to think it was a real possibility, it made me very excited, and made me want to be here a lot.”
He also revealed that the move to Barca comes a decade after a similar opportunity passed him by, adding: “I have the opportunity now to be here at Barca now. I had the opportunity 10 years ago, but life took me in a different direction. But now, I can be here. It’s a dream for me.”
A clutch of other big deals are expected to go through before tonight’s deadline with Man City widely reported to be on the cusp of bringing in Enzo Fernandez and Iliman Ndiaye from Chelsea and Everton respectively.
