Portsmouth signed England striker Jermain Defoe from Premiership rivals Tottenham Hotspur with just minutes to spare before last month's transfer window closed on Thursday.
The 25-year-old will be reunited with Pompey boss Harry Redknapp under whom he played at West Ham United before the striker left for White Hart Lane in a £7 million (US$13.9 million) deal in 2004.
Defoe had been a bit-part player at Tottenham, behind Dimitar Berbatov and Robbie Keane.
His lack of regular first team soccer also meant he did not feature in the 30-man squad announced by new England coach Fabio Capello for next week's international friendly against Switzerland at Wembley.
As Defoe was leaving White Hart Lane, Brazilian international defender Gilberto was on his way in after moving from Bundesliga side Hertha Berlin.
The left-back spent three-and-a-half years in Germany, where he made 101 appearances for Hertha after joining from Sao Caetano in Brazil.
Middlesbrough also left it late before they clinched a club record signing of Brazilian striker Afonso Alves from Dutch side Heerenveen.
The 27-year-old Alves, who scored 45 goals in 38 games in Holland, is believed to have cost £12 million.
Meanwhile, Liverpool insisted they had yet to clinch a permanent deal for Argentina midfielder Javier Mascherano.
A statement on Liverpool's official Web site said: "Contrary to reports elsewhere, the deal to complete Javier Mascherano's permanent move to Liverpool has yet to be finalized."
Manchester City manager Sven-Goran Eriksson signed Ecuador striker Felipe Caicedo, 19, from Swiss side Basle, with midfielder Ousmane Dabo leaving City for Italian club Lazio.
Also coming to Eastlands was Filippo Mancini, the 17-year-old son of Inter Milan coach Roberto Mancini.
Also heading to Lazio was Newcastle United defender David Rozenhal, in a loan move for the rest of the season.
Sunderland signed Republic of Ireland midfielder Andy Reid from Charlton Athletic in a deal that could cost £4 million, with defender Greg Halford making the opposite journey, on a loan deal.
Bolton Wanderers brought in Poland striker Grzegorz Rasiak on loan from Southampton, while allowing midfielder Christian Wilhelmsson to be loaned to Spanish club Deportivo Lo Coruna.
Roy Hodgson, manager of second-bottom Fulham, used the contacts from his previous job in charge of Finland to bring international duo Jari Litmanen and Toni Kallio to Craven Cottage.
Basement club Derby County looked to strengthen their back four by signing Everton veteran Alan Stubbs.
The Rams earlier brought in Rangers reserve goalkeeper Roy Carroll, a move that paved the way for Stephen Bywater's departure to Ipswich Town on loan.
Elsewhere, teenage Italian striker Fabuo Zamblera became the first signing of Kevin Keegan's second spell as Newcastle United manager, joining from Atalanta.
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