Transfer deadline day: Silva leaves Madrid, Ighalo embraces CSL adventure

With a little over four hours to go before the window closes, major moves remain few and far between on transfer deadline day.

One big piece of business has, almost inevitably, come from the Chinese Super League, with Changchun Yatai having completed the signing of striker Odion Ighalo from Watford for a reported £20million.

Real Madrid have finally become active, allowing Lucas Silva to return to Cruzeiro on a 17-month loan deal that they hope might just revitalise his career.

Moritz Leitner’s Lazio nightmare has come to an end, with Augsburg offering him a route back to the Bundesliga, while Salvatore Sirigu has left the Sevilla bench to try his luck with struggling Osasuna.

Don’t rain on his Paredes

Watford fans will have fond memories of Juan Carlos Paredes’ contribution to a decent 2015-16 season that included a run to the semi-finals of the FA Cup.

However, under Walter Mazzarri, the defender has managed just one EFL Cup appearance and has barely even warmed the bench over the last few months.

Olympiacos have handed him an escape route, snapping him up on a loan deal that includes an option for a permanent transfer.

However, given the expression on his face during his medical, it hardly looks like a move that’s been greeted with significant fanfare…

Photostory από τη μεταγραφή του Χουάν Κάρλος Παρέδες στον Ολυμπιακό https://t.co/8JhX0HNFVh #olympiacos #transfer #welcome #Paredes pic.twitter.com/a7tCV7AG5h

— Olympiacos FC (@olympiacos_org) January 31, 2017

Southampton sign… Sergio Ramos??

Well, not quite. 

Saints have had more of a frugal window but they have reunited Nice goalkeeper Mouez Hassen with old boss Claude Puel, signing the 21-year-old on loan until the end of the season.

Even if they weren’t sure of his abilities, eagle-eyed Twitter users were quick to point out that he would do very well in a Sergio Ramos lookalike competition. Judge for yourselves…

#SaintsFC is pleased to announce the loan signing of goalkeeper @hassen_mouez from @ogcnice ! #SaintMouez https://t.co/IR961KJlbP

— Southampton FC (@SouthamptonFC) January 31, 2017

On the horizon

Nathan Ake is the subject of an £18m bid from Bournemouth, according to reports in England, despite having only just returned to Chelsea from a loan spell. He’s been left out of the squad for their game against Liverpool.

Speaking of Chelsea, there is speculation in Italy that a £30m bid for Antonio Candreva has been knocked back by Inter, while Celtic’s Moussa Dembele has dropped a hint on Twitter that he will not be leaving.

Luka Milivojevic is expected to finalise a move to Crystal Palace, although there has been no development in Andros Townsend’s proposed switch back to Newcastle United.

Leonardo Ulloa, meanwhile, is still a Leicester City player – even if he no longer wants to be.

Done deals:

Jese Rodriguez – PSG to Las Palmas – Loan
Anwar El Ghazi – Ajax to Lille – Undisclosed 
Mounir Obbadi – Lille to Nice – Free
Jordi Gomez – Wigan to Rayo Vallecano – Loan
Andrea Ranocchia – Inter to Hull – Loan 
Robin Quaison – Palermo to Mainz – Undisclosed 
Emmanuel Adebayor – Unattached to Istanbul Basaksehir – Free 
Matt Gilks – Rangers to Wigan – Undisclosed 
Arnel Jakupovic – Middlesbrough to Empoli – Undisclosed 
Jose Rodriguez – Mainz to Malaga – Loan 
Demba Ba – Shanghai Shenhua to Besiktas – Loan
Salvatore Sirigu – PSG to Osasuna – Loan
Lucas Silva – Real Madrid to Cruzeiro – Loan
Ashley Westwood – Aston Villa to Burnley – £5m
Mouez Hassen – Nice to Southampton – Loan
Alex Bruce – Hull City to Wigan – Loan
James Weir – Hull City to Wigan – Loan
Glenn Murray – Bournemouth to Brighton & Hove Albion – Undisclosed
Moritz Leitner – Lazio to Augsburg – Undisclosed
Juan Carlos Paredes – Watford to Olympiacos – Loan
Jordon Mutch – Crystal Palace to Reading – Loan
Reece Oxford – West Ham to Reading – Loan
Odion Ighalo – Watford to Changchun Yatai – Undisclosed