Nottingham Forest have completed the signing of Ghana international Andre Ayew on a free transfer.

The 33-year-old forward becomes the club's 30th signing since the end of last season, and was able to join after the closure of the January transfer window as he had been a free agent.

Ayew, who had also been linked with a move to Everton, has penned a deal with the Premier League side until the end of the campaign.

After leaving Qatari side Al Sadd, Ayew returns for his second spell in English football, having spent time at Swansea City and West Ham between 2015 and 2021.

Ayew is reunited with manager Steve Cooper, who previously worked with him at Swansea.

"It's a great feeling to sign for Nottingham Forest," he told the club's website after his signing was confirmed on Thursday.

"I know how big the club is, and I know how much the club means to the city and the fanbase. It's always been difficult whenever I've played against Forest and at The City Ground and I love the stadium.

"Steve Cooper is someone who knows me very well and knows how to work with me both on and off the pitch. We have a strong relationship, he's a special coach and a special human being and someone who I really look up to.

"I know what I can bring to the team, I'm ready to give my all and make sure that we are able to stay in the Premier League."

Manchester City might be searching for a new left-back following Joao Cancelo's departure to Bayern Munich.

Cancelo, a star of City's last few seasons, joined Bayern on loan earlier this week having fallen out of favour with Pep Guardiola.

Bayern have the option to make that move permanent at the end of the season, meaning City could well be in the market for a replacement.

TOP STORY – Chilwell to join City from Chelsea?

The Times is reporting that City could target Ben Chilwell, the Chelsea full-back, to replace Cancelo.

England international Chilwell has had an injury-disrupted season and missed the World Cup due to a hamstring issue.

However, he would fit the mould when it comes to the attacking full-backs that Guardiola employs.

If City have a big windfall to play with from a potential Cancelo sale, could a fresh start in the north west be on the cards for Chilwell?

ROUND-UP

– The Mail and The Athletic are reporting that Everton are looking to make amends for their fruitless January transfer window by signing free agent Andre Ayew to address their striker concerns. Nottingham Forest are also said to be in talks with the attacker, who last played for Al Sadd in Qatar.

– According to The Times, Everton could also target former Real Madrid midfielder Isco after his move to Union Berlin fell through.

– Sky Germany reports Liverpool forward Roberto Firmino is close to signing an extension at Anfield, with his current deal expiring at the end of this campaign.

– Paris Saint-Germain are said to be "furious" with Chelsea after Hakim Ziyech's loan move to the Parc des Princes fell through.

– Barcelona coach Xavi insisted that they wish to build around Raphinha in the future, after the Brazil winger was linked with a move away from Camp Nou.

– Phil Hay of The Athletic detailed how Leeds United's Jack Harrison had a medical at Leicester City before a switch to the King Power Stadium broke down on deadline day.

Enzo Fernandez declared his gratitude to Chelsea after his move to the Premier League club was finally formally announced on Wednesday.

World Cup winner Fernandez emerged as a key target for big-spending Chelsea early in January, but it appeared the player would be staying at Benfica after the two clubs failed to agree a deal.

Chelsea did not give up on their man, however, and Tuesday's deadline day saw an agreement reached with Benfica to pay Fernandez's £106.8million (€121m) release clause.

The transfer, which Benfica announced before Chelsea officially unveiled their latest buy on Wednesday, is the most expensive ever by a British club.

Fernandez acknowledged the Blues' long and determined pursuit of his services as he said upon signing: "I am grateful to Chelsea and its ownership for doing everything they could to make me a part of this project.

"I'm happy and excited to join the Pride of London, to play in the best league in the world and to compete for the biggest trophies.

"I can't wait to play in front of our fans and help my team-mates on and off the pitch."

Chelsea owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali added: "In Enzo, we are signing a World Cup winner and one of the brightest talents in global football.

"We are excited to add him to Graham [Potter]'s squad, and we are sure he will form an important part of our team going forward.

"Enzo has demonstrated his ability at the very highest levels, so we're looking forward to seeing what he will do in Chelsea blue."

Rafael Leao wants to stay at Milan amid interest from Europe's elite clubs, with his agent slamming "false and misleading information" regarding his contract talks with the Rossoneri. 

The Portugal international was integral as Milan ended an 11-year wait for the Scudetto last season, scoring 11 Serie A goals for Stefano Pioli's title-winning side.

That led to increased speculation over a move away, with the likes of Real Madrid, Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain credited with an interest in the forward.

With the 23-year-old's contract set to expire in June 2024, Milan remain confident they can agree fresh terms as Leao's agent Ted Dimvula reiterated his client's desire to stay at San Siro.

"There is a lot of false and misleading information about Rafael Leao, mainly in the Italian press," Dimvula told Fabrizio Romano on Wednesday.

"This has only one purpose: to paralyse the cordial and professional dialogue that we have with the Milan management regarding the extension of Rafael's contract.

"We are currently working together to find a satisfactory solution for all parties."

Pioli's side have failed to win their last six games across all competitions and are now fifth in Serie A, 15 points adrift of runaway leaders Napoli.

Leao was dropped to the bench for Sunday's 5-2 defeat against Sassuolo, sparking reports the former Sporting CP forward wanted a move away and was trying to lower his release clause. 

However, Dimvula has no doubts the former Sporting CP forward intends to "progress" with Milan.

"The player's priority has not changed: he wants to stay at Milan and continue to grow and progress at this club and in this city that he loves so much," he added.

"We therefore firmly deny any desire on the part of Rafael and his entourage to lower his release clause in order to facilitate a departure of the player next summer.

"Rafael is completely focused on the important goal at hand with his current club, and he hopes, in this difficult period, to be able to let him work calmly and serenely to return to winning ways."

Erling Haaland holds "the key to the door" when the striker decides he wants to leave Manchester City, according to his agent Rafael Pimenta.

The Norway international has taken the Premier League by storm since signing for Pep Guardiola's side from Borussia Dortmund ahead of this season.

Haaland has 25 goals after just 19 top-flight appearances for City following his fourth league hat-trick of the season in a 3-0 thumping of Wolves on January 22.

After already surpassing the tally that Mohamed Salah and Son Heung-min (23 each) recorded to win the 2021-22 Golden Boot, the 22-year-old is the most clinical finisher in world football.

Real Madrid have repeatedly been credited with an interest in the forward, whose agent suggested Haaland has the freedom to choose to leave City whenever he pleases.

"I am in favour of freedom. It's my battle," Pimenta told Spanish outlet AS. "I always say that one of my priorities as an agent is to offer the player what I call 'the key to the door'.

"When a player goes to a club, I do everything I can to create the conditions for the key to the door to be in his hands. And if tomorrow you can't stand being there anymore because you don't like it, or you're not paid well, or because your wife wants to live in Paris? Then you leave, right?

"I don't like it when my player is not free to decide. I've done every contract in this agency for the last 25 years. There wasn't a single time a player said 'I want to leave' and couldn't do it."

Haaland's main focus at present, though, will be surpassing Alan Shearer and Andy Cole's single-season Premier League record of 34 goals, with 18 league games remaining for title hopefuls City.

Nicolo Zaniolo asked to be welcomed back in an open letter to Roma's supporters after his failed request to leave in the January transfer window.

Zaniolo was linked with several clubs – including Milan and Bournemouth – after Roma head coach Jose Mourinho confirmed the forward wished to depart after a win against Spezia in mid-January.

The Italy international was keen on a move to Milan and reportedly irked Roma by rejecting the chance to join Bournemouth in a £26.3million (€30m) deal.

That led Mourinho to describe the likelihood of Zaniolo staying at the Stadio Olimpico as "unfortunate" as the end of the window approached, while the forward was also reportedly threatened by fans.

With Zaniolo set to stay at Roma until at least the end of the season after failing to secure a move away, he hopes the Giallorossi will welcome him back into the fold.

"Many things have been said and written about me in recent weeks and many are not true," the 23-year-old said in an open letter sent to ANSA on Wednesday.

"I arrived in Rome as an unknown and Roma and the fans welcomed me as one of their own. They gave me trust, courage and affection in the terrible moments and during my injuries. 

"At 23, I have had experiences that many of my colleagues do not in their whole careers, to fall, to get up, to fall again, to get up again, to win.

"In recent months, I went through a delicate period, in which it was difficult to understand what my professional future would be. 

"However, I have always worked hard on the pitch and in training with the utmost professionalism. For the first time in recent days I have been afraid, for myself and for my family, and I have felt abandoned.

"The future is in our hands. I hold out mine and place myself at the complete disposal of the Roma family."

Zaniolo – who has only scored once in 13 Serie A appearances this campaign – has not played for Roma since their Coppa Italia win over Genoa on January 12, missing their last three league games.

Real Madrid have agreed a deal with Rayo Vallecano that will see left-back Fran Garcia return to the Santiago Bernabeu later this year.

The 23-year-old initially left the current LaLiga champions on loan during the 2020-21 season, before signing permanently for Rayo ahead of the 2021-22 campaign.

However, with interest from Bayer Leverkusen and Premier League teams in January, Carlo Ancelotti's side exercised their first refusal option, meaning the defender will return to Madrid after the conclusion of this season in a deal worth €5million.

Speaking to Cadena COPE radio, Rayo president Raul Martin Presa lauded Madrid’s decision to let Garcia see out the season with his side, despite a recent injury to Madrid's first-choice left-back Ferland Mendy.

"Madrid have behaved like gentlemen," he said. "They could have [taken him] now, especially with the situation they have with Mendy, but we spoke to them and out of respect to Rayo, to not hurt Rayo, they've behaved like gentlemen.

"They've avoided that he goes to Leverkusen, in their own interests obviously, because they think he's a player who can help them."

Madrid academy product Garcia has impressed greatly since joining Rayo, starting 34 LaLiga games last season and all 19 games so far this season.

LaLiga has accused the Premier League of "cheating" the transfer market after the division's record-breaking £815million January window.

The English top-flight spent more than the rest of Europe's top five leagues combined in a bumper month of purchases, with Chelsea leading the way at £291.7m.

Those eye-watering numbers have been met with raised eyebrows across Europe, with Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti acknowledging LaLiga trails the Premier League in the markets.

But now the Spanish league's corporate general director Javier Gomez, endorsed by president Javier Tebas, claim the English top-flight is cheating the transfer system.

"We are aware there is a lot of talk about how LaLiga's economic control means Spanish clubs sign less than Premier League clubs," the former said in a video posted by the latter on Twitter.

"The reality is that at LaLiga we want clubs to spend what they can afford and generate themselves, that is to say their own revenues.

"It is true that shareholders are also allowed to support the club and put money in to spend more than the club itself can generate, but within certain limits.

"Essentially, [in England] they are 'doping' the club. They are injecting money not generated by the club for it to spend, which puts the viability of the club at risk if the shareholder leaves.

"In our opinion, that is cheating, because it drags down the rest of the leagues.

"That is our fight, demanding that UEFA implements a new economic regulation that prevents the shareholder of a club from putting in more than a certain amount and that it enforces this rule and sanctions non-compliant clubs."

Chelsea's flagship move for Argentina's World Cup winner Enzo Fernandez saw them pay £105m to Benfica, shattering the British transfer record.

The club also bought Mykhailo Mudryk for £62m and Benoit Badiashile for £33m, among others.

Athletic Bilbao have triggered the option to sign Ander Herrera on a permanent basis from Paris Saint-Germain.

Herrera joined Athletic on an initial loan deal in August and has made 11 appearances this season, six of those being starts.

The 33-year-old, who was born in Bilbao and previously spent three years at Athletic from 2011, has now officially joined the LaLiga club until the end of the 2023-24 campaign.

Both sides confirmed the news on their official websites on Wednesday, with the deal going through prior to Tuesday's transfer deadline.

It brings an end to Herrera's time with PSG, whom he joined from Manchester United as a free agent in July 2019 and made 95 appearances for.

He won the Ligue 1 title, Coupe de France and Trophee des Champions twice each, while also lifting the Coupe de la Ligue, though he was never considered a regular starter.

The Premier League will always lead in Europe when it comes to transfers, but Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti vows his side will not surrender easily.

Clubs in the English top flight spent over a record-breaking £800million during the January window, led by a slew of big-money moves from Chelsea, who broke the competition's transfer record by signing Enzo Fernandez.

The financial outlay to bring in players to the Premier League saw the competition outspend the combined totals of LaLiga, Ligue 1, Serie A and the Bundesliga.

Speaking ahead of his side's Thursday clash with Valencia, Ancelotti suggested European clubs will always trail those across the English channel when it comes to spending sprees, though noted the Premier League teams will not necessarily dominate in UEFA competitions.

"We know what happens there," he said. "With the television rights, they can spend higher amounts. It will continue like this.

"Europe will follow the Premier League, it gives them an advantage.

"Even so, the competition against them, in Europe, it will not end."

Ancelotti's side are preparing for a busy four-week period that will see them juggle matches across four competitions, including the Club World Cup.

Though Madrid are ready to rise to the challenge, Ancelotti said the congested schedule laid out by UEFA and FIFA is a pressing concern for big clubs.

"We're in the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey, the last 16 of the Champions League and the Club World Cup," he added. "We don't throw away competitions.

"It is a [tough] calendar. LaLiga wants to do its thing, FIFA wants to do its thing, UEFA wants to do its thing. It doesn't let us have days off.

"The calendar is a very serious issue. We are excited to fight in all these competitions, but the calendar limit is being exceeded. We have to do something to avoid this."

Manchester City are reportedly planning a move for Leicester City midfielder James Maddison at the end of the season.

Maddison, 26, has been one of the top goal-creating midfielders in the Premier League over the past couple of seasons, collecting seven goals and four assists from 14 fixtures this campaign after a 2021-22 season with 12 goals and eight assists.

He closed last campaign with goals in each of his final four Premier League outings and was heavily sought after in pre-season, but Leicester opted to hold onto their midfield star.

Regardless of what happens in the second half of the season, Maddison has less than 18 months remaining on his contract and has reportedly shown no interest in extending, which will likely force Leicester's hand unless they want to lose him on a free transfer as appears likely with Youri Tielemans.

TOP STORY – CITY VIEW MADDISON AS KEY COG IN THEIR FUTURE MIDFIELD

According to the Daily Mail, City boss Pep Guardiola is an admirer of Maddison, and with plenty of upheaval expected in the club's engine room, a space could open up for the Foxes star.

The report states Leicester set their asking price at £60million when Newcastle United came knocking prior to this season, but they held firm as the offers "did not come close" to their valuation.

City midfielders Ilkay Gundogan and Bernardo Silva are both expected to depart at the conclusion of the campaign, and their supposed £70m demand for the latter would likely pay for Maddison's arrival.

Leicester are already set to lose Tielemans on a free transfer after spending £32m to purchase his services in 2019, and they will likely be eager to avoid a similar fate with Maddison, while Brendan Rodgers could then use the fee to fund a mini rebuild.

ROUND-UP

– Calciomercato is reporting Chelsea enquired about 25-year-old Inter midfielder Nicolo Barella but were told the Italian club have no interest in selling, as he remains tied to the club until 2026.

– According to Sky Sports Italia, disgruntled Roma forward Nicolo Zaniolo had a change of heart and wanted to head to Bournemouth, but the English side turned him down after spending their funds elsewhere.

– Fabrizio Romano is reporting Barcelona have an anxious wait to see if their €4m ($4.35m) transfer for 21-year-old LA Galaxy defender Julian Araujo will be processed as the deal was signed seconds after the deadline.

– Manchester United captain Harry Maguire never considered a loan move to Inter and will remain with the club until at least the end of the season, per Fabrizio Romano.

Southampton have completed their club-record signing of Ghana and Rennes winger Kamaldeen Sulemana for £22million (€24.95m).

Sulemana, 22, arrived at Rennes prior to the 2021-22 season for a €20m fee. He made 11 starts among his 20 appearances during his first Ligue 1 campaign before his season was cut short in February due to a back injury.

He has struggled to force his way back into the club's best XI this time around, with only two league starts to his name, but his stock received a massive boost after a terrific showing for Ghana at the Qatar World Cup.

Sulemana appeared in all three of Ghana's group stage matches, where he clocked the fastest sprint speed (35.7kp/h) out of every player at the tournament.

He has earned 15 senior international caps so far, although the lightning-quick forward is yet to record his first goal for his country.

The £22m fee exceeds the £20m paid to sign Danny Ings from Liverpool in 2019, and has the potential to rise to £24.6m if certain add-ons are activated.

In a second under-the-radar move, Southampton also confirmed the signing of 28-year-old Genk striker Paul Onuachu, who is the leading scorer in the Belgian top flight.

Onuachu, a Nigerian international, has scored 16 goals in his past 13 league games, and the towering 201cm presence was secured for a fee of £18.5m (€22m).

A paperwork error from Chelsea's side has reportedly prevented the loan deal that would have sent Hakim Ziyech to Paris Saint-Germain.

Ziyech, 29, arrived in Paris on Tuesday to complete the move, with both clubs on board after the former £35million signing struggled to force his way into Graham Potter's plans.

The Moroccan international has made only four starts this Premier League season to go with six brief substitute appearances, collecting his first goal involvement with an assist against Crystal Palace on January 15.

According to The Athletic, Chelsea are the side being accused of failing to submit the necessary paperwork in time for the move to be processed, while an anonymous Paris Saint-Germain source is quoted calling the situation a "Class A circus".

ESPN adds that the French giants believe the paperwork was filed in time and will appeal the Ligue 1 decision, but there is no timetable for the appeal process.

Chelsea completed an extraordinary spending spree by landing World Cup star Enzo Fernandez from Benfica, the biggest deal of transfer deadline day.

It was Premier League clubs that featured front and centre as big-name players found new homes on Tuesday, with Manchester United, Arsenal and Manchester City kept busy.

Deals struck on this day can be born of desperation; however, if the right player becomes available, those that jump at the opportunity to reinforce might be thankful they took that choice come May.

Here Stats Perform assesses five deals that went through and could prove hugely significant come the season's end.

Enzo Fernandez: Benfica to Chelsea, £106.8million

A World Cup wonder for Argentina, Fernandez's stock soared over four weeks in Qatar, to the point he became linked to the wealthiest clubs in Europe.

It was Chelsea owner Todd Boehly who lasted the distance in the race for his signature, adding Fernandez to the previous window deals for Mykhaylo Mudryk, Benoit Badiashile, Andrey Santos, David Datro Fofana, Joao Felix, Noni Madueke and Malo Gusto.

Fernandez has only played half a season in Europe after moving to Benfica from River Plate, so there is an element of risk in Chelsea's investment, regardless of his national team performances alongside Lionel Messi and co.

He has played five Champions League group games, and the 22-year-old has looked the part, with his arrival handing Graham Potter another expensive plaything. This means there can be no excuses now for the head coach as he looks to turn the Blues into a winning machine.

Marcel Sabitzer: Bayern Munich to Manchester United (loan)

Bayern Munich decided they could afford to part company with Sabitzer, with the former RB Leipzig midfielder jetting out to secure a move to Manchester United, swapping one European giant for another.

It was reported Erik ten Hag fancied Ryan Gravenberch, his former Ajax player, but Bayern were said to have resisted that interest and instead allowed United to take Austria international Sabitzer.

He emerged as a surprising spare part for Bayern coach Julian Nagelsmann, with Sabitzer having featured in 23 games for the Bundesliga leaders this season, albeit starting only 11 times.

Ten Hag will certainly like the fact Sabitzer has a duel success rate of 58.77 per cent – the highest of his career – this season.

He is not a like-for-like replacement for the injured Christian Eriksen, but Sabitzer brings his own qualities, will want to prove a point, and should not let United down over the coming four months.

Jorginho: Chelsea to Arsenal, £12million

Arsenal wanted Moises Caicedo and were prepared to pay a king's ransom for the Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder. They settled for Jorginho, a Euro 2020 champion with Italy and Champions League winner with Chelsea, paying a small fraction of the fee they would have had to spend on Caicedo.

A deal worth around £12million looks sensible business, and Jorginho makes the jump from 10th-placed Chelsea to the table-topping Gunners, seeking the first domestic league title of his career.

He played 25 games this season for the Blues, scoring three penalties but not managing any goals other than those spot-kicks, nor any assists.

Some Arsenal fans have grumbled over the signing, but Jorginho brings defensive qualities and experience of winning, which for Arsenal in recent years has been in short supply.

Joao Cancelo: Manchester City to Bayern Munich (loan with option to buy)

Bayern brought in goalkeeper Yann Sommer earlier in the window after Manuel Neuer suffered a season-ending broken leg. That was a deal that many saw coming, but the move for Cancelo came out of the sky blue, reportedly after a disagreement with Pep Guardiola saw City happy to offload the full-back.

It went through on Tuesday, opening up the possibility of Cancelo being a Premier League and Bundesliga winner in the same season.

He looks set to feature at right-back for Bayern, with Alphonso Davies featuring on the left. It means Bayern will have a pair of attacking full-backs that will put the fear up opponents.

With Bayern in a slump, drawing their past three Bundesliga games, it felt important for there to be a new face coming in. Cancelo, until very recently a favourite of Guardiola, is used to winning things with City so should fit in well at Sabener Strasse.

Pedro Porro: Sporting CP to Tottenham (loan with obligation to buy)

Three and a half years since he joined Manchester City, Porro should finally make his debut in English football after being recruited to fill the right-back role for Antonio Conte at Spurs.

This has the makings of a masterstroke signing, with Spain international Porro having caught Spurs' eye in the Champions League group stage earlier this season. He previously played for Real Valladolid while farmed out on loan from City, for whom he never played a competitive senior game.

He represents an upgrade on Matt Doherty, who was released to join Atletico Madrid, and may have the edge on Emerson Royal, with Conte bringing in a player with serious defensive and attacking qualities.

Among defenders with 10 or more appearances and at least 10 tackles, Porro's 78.95 per cent tackle success rate ranks as the sixth-best in the Portuguese Primeira Liga this season.

Meanwhile, only one defender, Benfica's Alejandro Grimaldo, has created more chances than Porro's 34 from 14 games, which have brought him six assists.

Porro ranks second among defenders in the Portuguese top flight for the most crosses played too, with 108 to Grimaldo's 116. Significantly, though, Porro has played 526 minutes fewer than Grimaldo, illustrating how effective the Spurs new boy has been when on the pitch.

Enzo Fernandez has finally signed for Chelsea, becoming the Premier League's record signing after the Blues met his £106.8million (€121m) release clause at Benfica.

Fernandez, who was named Young Player of the Tournament after helping Argentina win the 2022 World Cup, was strongly linked with Chelsea earlier in the transfer window before talks broke down.

However, the big-spending Blues went back in for him with the end of the window drawing closer, signing Fernandez to a long-term contract – rumoured to run until 2032 – with confirmation arriving an hour and a half after the transfer window closed.

Chelsea submitted the relevant paperwork in time and Benfica were first to announce details of the deal on their official website on Wednesday.

His arrival takes Chelsea's spending to a reported £288.5m (€328.5m) in January alone, with the midfielder becoming their eighth signing of the window.

Fernandez only joined Benfica from River Plate last year but has played a starring role for them since making that move, helping the Portuguese giants top their Champions League group.

He had looked likely to remain in Lisbon at least until the end of the season, but Chelsea revisited the deal with head coach Graham Potter reportedly keen for midfield reinforcements.

The fee surpasses the previous Premier League transfer record, set by Jack Grealish's £100m switch from Aston Villa to Manchester City in 2021.

Fernandez could make his Chelsea debut against Fulham at Stamford Bridge on Friday, as the Blues look to climb the table after a poor run of form saw them drop to 10th position. 

A dogged competitor with an eye for the magnificent, Fernandez featured in all seven of Argentina's games in Qatar, starting five of them after he came off the bench to net a superb goal against Mexico in the group stage.

Fernandez's ability on the ball, as well as his tenacity, will add a new facet to Potter's midfield options.

Only 11 players carried the ball further than Fernandez (1,239.7 metres) at the World Cup, while just 10 were involved in more shot-ending sequences than his 27.

Fernandez boasted a duel success rate of 58.8 per cent, winning 40 of his 68 engagements at the tournament.

He made just 17 league appearances during his short stint with Benfica, though he also featured in five group games in the Champions League.