Manchester City completed their shock swoop for injury-plagued former Manchester United midfielder Owen Hargreaves on transfer deadline day, while Arsenal signed Brazilian defender Andre Santos and Germany centre-back Per Mertesacker.
Hargreaves was released by United at the end of last season after the champions rejected his offer to play for free following a miserable four-year spell at Old Trafford.
The former England man suffered a series of knee injuries following his move to United from Bayern Munich in 2007 and spent much of the close-season trying to convince potential employers that he was still capable of playing at the highest level.
City believe Hargreaves is completely recovered and they put the finishing touches to the one-year contract after the 30-year-old passed an extensive medical over the last 24 hours.
At the Emirates Stadium, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger signed full-back Santos from Fenerbahce and also agreed a fee with Werder to sign Mertesacker for around £8 million as he tries to shore up a leaky defence that shipped eight goals at Manchester United on Sunday.
Wenger was forced to make a series of last-ditch deals before the midnight deadline after Arsenal’s miserable start to the season and Santos and Mertesacker follow South Korea captain Park Chu-Young, who joined from Monaco on Tuesday, into the Emirates.
Santos, 28, is believed to have cost £6.2 million.
Last night, Wenger was also reported to be making a loan move for Chelsea midfielder Yossi Benayoun and the Gunners were also mulling a very late push for Everton’s Mikel Arteta.
Across north London, Tottenham finally completed the signing of England midfielder Scott Parker from West Ham in a deal believed to be worth £6 million.
The 30-year-old was a long-term target for Harry Redknapp who insisted there was no chance of Croatia midfielder Luka Modric getting his wish to join Chelsea.
England striker Peter Crouch, however, was linked with a move for Sunderland, while midfielder Wilson Palacios joined Stoke City on a four-year deal.
Liverpool midfielder Joe Cole, who failed to shine at Anfield following his free transfer from Chelsea in 2010, joined French champions Lille in a surprise season-long loan deal.
Another Liverpool midfielder, Christian Poulsen, was also on the move to France as the Denmark international joined Evian on a one-year contract just over a season after arriving at Anfield.