Manchester City completed the signing of Senegal international forward Iliman Ndiaye from Everton for €70 million on Tuesday, September 1, 2026.
The deal was finalized as the European summer transfer window reached its deadline across France, England, Spain, Italy and Germany. Manchester City completed the move after midfielder Enzo Fernandez left Chelsea to join Manchester City.
Chelsea responded to the departure of Fernandez by securing a late agreement to sign Senegal midfielder Lamine Camara from AS Monaco for €55 million. The transfer was completed late in the evening subject to official confirmation.
French club Olympique de Marseille received €5 million from Ndiaye's transfer as part of a sell-on profit clause included when the player previously joined Everton from Marseille.
Belgian winger Malick Fofana became the central subject of deadline day as multiple English Premier League clubs competed for the 21-year-old from Olympique Lyonnais. Fofana represented Lyon's highest market value player, and the French club needed to generate €50 million to fulfill financial commitments promised to domestic regulator DNCG and European governing body UEFA before the transfer window closed.
Malick Fofana transfer saga triggers deadline day chaos
Sunderland initially positioned themselves to sign Fofana. Reports from The Athletic stated that Sunderland agreed a deal worth under €30 million including performance bonuses. Sunderland, coached by Régis Le Bris since 2024, qualified for the Europa League this season and had already signed former Ligue 1 players Thomas Meunier and Dayann Methalie during the summer window.
The transfer took another turn when Crystal Palace entered the race. L'Equipe reported at 1:52 p.m. that Crystal Palace made a higher offer, with manager Pierre Sage speaking directly to Fofana on the phone after previously launching the winger's career at Lyon. L'Equipe subsequently reported at 3:03 p.m. that Crystal Palace agreed a total fee of €39 million for the player.
Sunderland countered by offering an additional €500,000 in agent commissions to redirect the transfer, while Arsenal also monitored the player's situation.
Reporter Romain Molina revealed at 8:08 p.m. that Fofana was undergoing a medical examination in Lyon without knowing which club he would ultimately join.
A social media update confirmed that Fofana remained in Lyon at 7:23 p.m. By 11:03 p.m., Fofana and his representatives chose Sunderland over Crystal Palace, with one hour remaining before the English transfer deadline.
The prolonged saga disrupted other transfer plans at Lyon. International midfielder Youssouf Fofana's proposed move to Lyon collapsed due to the ongoing uncertainty surrounding Malick Fofana. Meanwhile, 2022 World Cup winner Nicolas Tagliafico remained at Lyon after failing to reach an agreement with Atletico Madrid before the deadline.
Premier League and European clubs finalize major signings
Aston Villa completed the acquisition of 18-year-old Senegalese winger Ibrahim Mbaye from Paris Saint-Germain for €55 million. The deal was officially announced by the English club early in the afternoon as a major sale for the French champions.
Leeds United signed French forward Jean-Matteo Bahoya from Eintracht Frankfurt for slightly over €30 million, finalizing the deal at 8:16 p.m.
Crystal Palace pursued multiple targets in the final hours of the window, opening negotiations with Strasbourg regarding a potential deal for defender Ben Chilwell.
Strasbourg announced the arrival of 21-year-old Brazilian striker Deivid Washington from Chelsea at 9:00 p.m. Washington signed a contract through 2031, with the club noting that the striker did not appear in person in the official presentation video clip.
In Germany, RB Leipzig completed the signing of midfield prospect Neil El Aynaoui from AS Roma at 9:12 p.m. The former Lens player moved to the Bundesliga after departing Roma.
Atletico Madrid secured Canadian striker Jonathan David on a season-long loan from Juventus for the 2026/27 campaign. Spanish midfielder Dani Ceballos completed a return to youth club Real Betis as a free agent following his departure from Real Madrid, signing a three-year contract through June 2029.
In Ligue 2, AS Saint-Etienne agreed to loan top scorer Lucas Stassin to Spanish side Sevilla FC for nearly €2 million, with the contract including a substantial purchase option.
Marseille finish deadline day with zero incoming transfers
Olympique de Marseille concluded the summer transfer window without making any incoming signings under manager Bruno Genesio. Club owner Frank McCourt decided to retain key players despite incoming transfer interest from other clubs.
Marseille rejected an offer from Sunderland for winger Paixao. Club management confirmed earlier in the day that Paixao, Timber, Aguerd and Emerson would all remain at Marseille for the season.
Toulouse FC confirmed their squad continuity by publishing an official announcement confirming that their Venezuelan international forward would remain at the club for the season.
Deadline window regulations and international schedules
Transfer deadline closing times varied across major European leagues on September 1. French clubs faced a deadline of 7:59 p.m. local time for incoming player registrations, although outgoing sales to leagues with open windows remained permitted.
The transfer window for incoming players closed at 8:00 p.m. in Italy and Germany. English Premier League clubs were permitted to complete deals until 11:00 p.m., while Spanish La Liga clubs had until midnight.
Several global transfer markets remain open beyond the September 1 deadline. Windows in the Netherlands and the United States close on Wednesday, September 2. The transfer windows in Belgium and Austria run through Thursday, September 3, followed by Portugal and Turkey on Friday, September 4. Saudi Arabia's transfer window closes on Sunday, September 6.
