Deadline Day Madness! 12 Transfers That Almost Went Unnoticed

12 Major Deadline Day Transfers That Flew Under the Radar

The final day of the transfer window was dominated by Enzo Fernández’s spectacular move to Manchester City. The English champions paid £125 million for the Argentina international, matching the Premier League transfer record.

Beyond the deal that grabbed all the headlines, clubs across Europe completed several other major transfers. Marc Casadó and José María Giménez joined Deportivo La Coruña, Moise Kean signed for Como, Moussa Diaby returned to Bayer Leverkusen, while Marc Guiu left Chelsea.

Here are 12 transfers completed during the closing hours of the summer window, some of which went almost unnoticed amid the major deals announced on the same day.

Marc Casadó Leaves Barcelona

Barcelona have loaned Marc Casadó to Deportivo La Coruña until the end of the season. The agreement also includes an option to make the move permanent for €30 million.

The midfielder enjoyed an impressive breakthrough season with the Catalan club in 2024-25. His performances earned him a call-up to the Spain national team and even drew comparisons with Sergio Busquets, one of the greatest midfielders in Barcelona’s history.

His situation changed the following season, when his playing time was significantly reduced. Rodri’s arrival from Manchester City further limited his chances of featuring regularly for Barcelona.

Sporting director Deco had reached an agreement with AS Monaco over a £23 million transfer earlier this summer. However, Casadó rejected the Ligue 1 club’s offer and preferred to remain in Spanish football.

The 22-year-old eventually accepted an offer from newly promoted Deportivo La Coruña, where he hopes to receive more regular playing time.

José María Giménez Also Chooses Deportivo

Deportivo La Coruña did not stop after signing Marc Casadó. The Spanish club also strengthened its defence by bringing in José María Giménez on loan from Atlético Madrid.

The Uruguay international spent 13 seasons with the Spanish capital club and made 384 appearances in all competitions. During that period, the defender won 2 LaLiga titles, the Europa League and the UEFA Super Cup.

Now 31, Giménez will look to revive his career at Deportivo after seeing his role in Diego Simeone’s team gradually diminish.

The newly promoted LaLiga side completed several eye-catching transfers this summer. Before Casadó and Giménez arrived, Deportivo had already signed Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Adama Traoré and Angeliño.

Moise Kean Joins Como

Moise Kean has continued his career at Como, who have signed him from Fiorentina on a season-long loan. The club coached by Cesc Fàbregas paid €10 million for the temporary move.

The agreement also includes an obligation to buy for €25 million, plus up to €5 million in potential add-ons.

The Italian striker is well known to Premier League supporters following his spell at Everton. His time in England was unsuccessful, with Kean scoring only 4 goals in 39 appearances. In one memorable incident, he came on as a substitute before being taken off again later in the same match.

Kean also struggled to establish himself at Juventus but rebuilt his reputation at Fiorentina. The forward scored 35 goals in 79 appearances in all competitions for the Florence-based club.

Como identified him as one of their leading targets after securing qualification for the Champions League. Fiorentina rejected the opening offer, but negotiations continued and the transfer was completed on deadline day.

Fábio Vieira Leaves Arsenal Permanently

Arsenal had a quieter deadline day than anticipated. The London club were unable to persuade Julián Álvarez to return to the Premier League but completed 2 outgoing transfers.

Gabriel Jesus was sold to Barcelona, while Fábio Vieira completed a permanent move to Hamburg. The German club paid €10 million for the Portuguese midfielder.

Vieira spent the previous 2 seasons on loan at FC Porto and Hamburg. He already knows the German club, its management and many of the players.

“I’m very happy to be back. I already know the club, the fans and many of my teammates,” Vieira said. “It feels great to be part of this team again.”

“I knew from the beginning that there was a possibility for me to come back here. I felt that HSV had made a real effort to bring me back. Now I’m back and can’t wait to get started again.”

Robinho Jr. Takes His First Step into European Football

Eighteen years ago, Manchester City stunned the football world by signing Robinho for £32.5 million on deadline day. The Brazilian’s son was only 8 months old at the time.

Robinho Jr. has now completed his own move to Europe. The young player has joined Genoa on loan from Santos, with the Serie A club holding an option to make the transfer permanent.

The winger developed in the renowned Santos academy, with both his father and Neymar having taken their first steps in professional football at the same club.

Robinho Jr. also attracted media attention this summer following an incident during a training session in which Neymar slapped him. His move to Genoa now gives him an opportunity to prove that he can cope with the demands of European football.

Sunderland Win the Race for Juan Riquelme Angulo Caicedo

Sunderland were involved in one of the most dramatic deals of deadline day. The English club signed Malick Fofana from Olympique Lyon after fending off a late attempt by Crystal Palace to hijack the transfer.

The negotiations for Fofana attracted most of the attention, but Sunderland also completed the signing of Juan Riquelme Angulo Caicedo from Independiente del Valle.

The 18-year-old striker is regarded as one of the most promising young players in South American football. He scored 6 goals in 15 league appearances for Independiente del Valle and had previously attracted interest from Barcelona and Manchester United.

“There were a lot of big clubs around Europe chasing his signature, so this signing demonstrates the attraction of Sunderland AFC,” director of football Florent Ghisolfi said.

“His physical qualities are obvious, but he also has good movement, technical ability and a natural instinct for scoring goals.”

Youssouf Fofana Joins Sevilla

Ruben Amorim assembled a group of players who were not part of his plans at Manchester United. The Portuguese coach adopted a similar approach after taking charge of AC Milan.

Youssouf Fofana was among the players made available for transfer. The French midfielder appeared set to reunite with Paulo Fonseca at Olympique Lyon after the clubs had already reached an agreement over a loan move.

The uncertainty surrounding Malick Fofana’s departure changed the situation. Lyon would have been unable to register Youssouf Fofana without selling the winger, prompting the French club to withdraw from the deal.

Sevilla immediately took advantage and signed the France international on loan for the entire 2026-27 season. The agreement does not include an option to buy.

Moussa Diaby Returns to Bayer Leverkusen

Moussa Diaby has returned to Bayer Leverkusen 3 years after leaving the German club. The Bundesliga side beat Inter Milan to his signature and paid Al-Ittihad €27 million for the transfer.

The Frenchman left Leverkusen in the summer of 2023 and spent one season at Aston Villa. He subsequently accepted a lucrative offer from Al-Ittihad.

Diaby won the Saudi Pro League and the King’s Cup in 2024-25 but agreed to take a significant pay cut to return to Germany.

“When the enquiry came in and the move became possible, I didn’t hesitate for a second,” Diaby said. “The club has grown even bigger since then. The prospect of competing for titles with Bayer 04 is a wonderful thought and a huge goal of mine.”

Dani Ceballos Returns to Real Betis

Dani Ceballos has chosen to return to the club where his career began. The midfielder signed a 3-year contract with Real Betis after terminating his contract with Real Madrid.

Ceballos developed in the Andalusian club’s academy and made 107 appearances for the first team before joining Real Madrid in 2017.

The midfielder still had one year remaining on his contract at the Santiago Bernabéu but agreed to leave the club at the beginning of the summer.

Now 30, Ceballos also attracted interest from Napoli, Juventus and Ajax. He rejected offers from all 3 clubs and instead opted for a return to the Benito Villamarín.

Thomas Lemar Joins Elche on Loan

Thomas Lemar has temporarily left Atlético Madrid to sign for Elche. The Frenchman has joined on a season-long loan, with the agreement also including an option to buy.

In the summer of 2017, Arsenal were prepared to pay £92 million for Lemar. However, the transfer collapsed during the closing hours of the window.

Lemar joined Atlético Madrid a year later and was part of the team that won the LaLiga title in 2020-21. His opportunities under Diego Simeone gradually became more limited in the following seasons.

Lemar spent last season on loan at Getafe. The 30-year-old winger will now attempt to rediscover his best form in an Elche shirt.

Marc Guiu Signs for RB Leipzig

Enzo Fernández was not the only player to leave Chelsea on deadline day. Marc Guiu also said goodbye to Stamford Bridge after completing a permanent move to RB Leipzig.

The German club could pay up to £14.6 million for the striker if all the performance-related conditions are met.

Guiu was not a regular starter at Chelsea but still scored 8 goals in 29 appearances across all competitions. The striker netted 6 of those goals in the Conference League, which the London club won in 2024-25.

His departure was overshadowed by Fernández’s transfer to Manchester City. The Argentina international cost £125 million, matching the record fee paid by a Premier League club.

Wilfried Gnonto Leaves for Fiorentina

Leeds United strengthened their attack on deadline day by signing Jean-Mattéo Bahoya from Eintracht Frankfurt.

The French attacker initially joined on loan, although the agreement includes an obligation to buy him the following summer. His arrival opened the door for Wilfried Gnonto to move to Fiorentina.

The Italy international joined the Florence-based club on a season-long loan, with Fiorentina also holding an option to make the move permanent.

Gnonto played an important role in helping Leeds United win the Championship title in 2024-25. His situation changed following promotion, with the forward starting only 4 Premier League matches last season.