Manchester United on Thursday succeeded in offloading striker Romelu Lukaku to Inter Milan on a transfer deadline day that saw plenty of business, but few jaw-dropping deals from English Premier League clubs.
Belgian Lukaku, who spent two years with United after a £75 million (US$90.79 million) move from Everton, joined Inter for a fee reported to be about 80 million euros (US$89.63 million).
United had been keen to move on the forward who disappointed last season and whose style of play did not suit the approach being taken by Norwegian manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
With United unable to sign a replacement, the pressure will be on 21-year-old England forward Marcus Rashford to deliver the goals in a more central role than he has previously operated.
Manchester United had already invested heavily to bring in centerback Harry Maguire from Leicester City for £80 million, making him the most expensive defender in the world.
Solskjaer has also added rightback Aaron Wan-Bissaka and winger Dan James, while some fringe players might yet move out as the European transfer window remains open until Sept. 2.
Tottenham Hotspur famously spent nothing in the window a year ago before reaching the Champions League final, but tied up two deals for manager Mauricio Pochettino on deadline day.
Argentina midfielder Giovani Lo Celso joined from Spanish side Real Betis on a season-long loan with an option for a permanent switch.
Highly rated 19-year-old Ryan Sessegnon was bought from Fulham for a reported initial fee of £25 million — the left wing-back signing a five-year deal.
Arsenal were also active, spending a reported £25 million on Celtic’s Scotland leftback Kieran Tierney.
Arsenal also brought in Brazilian defender David Luiz from Chelsea for about £8 million, but forward Alex Iwobi joined Everton in a deal reportedly worth £28 million.
Former England striker Andy Carroll has rejoined his boyhood club Newcastle United eight-and-a-half years after leaving them to join Liverpool in a then-British record transfer.
The injury-plagued 30-year-old was a free agent after being released by West Ham United at the end of last season.
Watford signed Senegal winger Ismaila Sarr from French club Rennes on a five-year deal for a club-record fee.
Watford did not disclose the cost, but French media reported it was about £32 million, eclipsing the £18.5 million the Hornets paid for forward Andre Gray in 2017.
Chelsea midfielder Danny Drinkwater, who has struggled to get game time in the two years at Stamford Bridge since his move from Leicester, joined Burnley on a six-month loan.
Australia midfielder Aaron Mooy moved from second-tier Huddersfield Town, who were relegated from the top flight last season, to Brighton & Hove Albion on a season-long loan.
A sumo star was born in Japan on Sunday when 24-year-old Takerufuji became the first wrestler in 110 years to win a top-division tournament on his debut, triumphing at the 15-day Spring Grand Sumo Tournament in Osaka despite injuring his ankle on the penultimate day. Takerufuji, whose injury had left him in a wheelchair outside the ring, shoved out the higher-ranked Gonoyama at the Edion Arena Osaka to the delight of the crowd, giving him an unassailable record of 13 wins and two losses to claim the Emperor’s Cup. “I did it just through willpower. I didn’t really know what was going
The US’ Ilia Malinin on Saturday produced six scintillating quadruple jumps, including a quadruple Axel, in the men’s free skate to capture his first figure skating world title. The 19-year-old nicknamed the “Quad god,” who is the only skater to land a quadruple Axel in competition, dazzled with an array of breathtakingly executed jumps starting with his quad Axel and including a quadruple Lutz in combination with a triple flip and a quadruple toe loop in combination with a triple toe. He added an unexpected triple-triple combination at the end to earn a world-record 227.79 in the free program for a championship
Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter is being criminally investigated by the IRS, and the attorney for his alleged bookmaker said Thursday that the ex-Los Angeles Dodgers employee placed bets on international soccer — but not baseball. The IRS confirmed Thursday that interpreter Ippei Mizuhara and Mathew Bowyer, the alleged illegal bookmaker, are under criminal investigation through the agency’s Los Angeles Field Office. IRS Criminal Investigation spokesperson Scott Villiard said he could not provide additional details. Mizuhara, 39, was fired by the Dodgers on Wednesday following reports from the Los Angeles Times and ESPN about his alleged ties to an illegal bookmaker and debts well
HSIEH MAKES QUARTERS: Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei and Elise Mertens of Belgium won in the women’s doubles and face Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Sofia Kenin of the US Top-ranked Iga Swiatek and US Open champion Coco Gauff were knocked out of the women’s singles at the Miami Open on Monday, while Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei advanced in the women’s doubles. Swiatek lost to Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-4, 6-2, hours after third seed Gauff fell in three sets to No. 23 Caroline Garcia 6-3, 1-6, 6-2. Alexandrova beat a top-ranked player for the first time and advanced to face Jessica Pegula, a 7-6 (7/1), 6-3 winner over Emma Navarro, in the quarter-finals. Alexandrova recorded her second win over Swiatek, following a 2021 victory in Melbourne. Swiatek had won their three matches since. “We played quite