Europe's elite clubs raced to beat the January transfer deadline as Pedro Porro signed for Tottenham and Enzo Fernandez neared a record Premier League move when the window slammed shut.

Argentina's World Cup winner Fernandez appeared set to complete a long-awaited move to Chelsea in a record-breaking Premier League transfer.

While Chelsea aimed to bring in the youthful Fernandez, veteran Italy international Jorginho departed as he joined Arsenal after Mikel Arteta's side were unable to secure Brighton and Hove Albion's Moises Caicedo.

Manchester United also looked to strengthen their midfield with a loan deal for Bayern Munich's Sabitzer after an injury to key playmaker Christian Eriksen at Old Trafford.

Meanwhile, Tottenham solidified their defensive options by snaffling Spanish wing-back Porro from Sporting CP after lengthy negotiations.

Stats Perform provides a rundown of the notable deals as the mid-season transfer window finally closed.

BOEHLY BREAKS RECORD FOR FERNANDEZ

Fernandez emerged as a target for Chelsea following his influential displays for Argentina during their World Cup triumph in Qatar and the Blues' Todd Boehly-led consortium appear to have finally got their man. 

After already snatching Mykhaylo Mudryk from under the noses of Arsenal, Chelsea are set to splash a reported £105.5million (€120m) on Fernandez from Benfica.

That would break the Premier League record of £100m Manchester City paid Aston Villa for Jack Grealish, as the Blues looked to secure the former River Plate midfielder on a reported seven-and-a-half-year contract.

ARSENAL'S CAICEDO BLUES CURED BY JORGINHO

Arteta and Arsenal's pursuit of Caicedo fell on deaf ears as Brighton refused to budge, despite the Gunners lodging a reported £70m bid for the 21-year-old.

After missing out on primary midfield target Caicedo, Jorginho switched the blue shirt of Chelsea for the red of Arsenal as he completed a reported £12m transfer to the Premier League leaders.

The 31-year-old will provide able competition for the impressive Thomas Partey after penning an 18-month contract at Emirates Stadium.

TEN HAG FINDS ERIKSEN COVER IN SABITZER

With Eriksen ruled out for three months, Erik ten Hag and United acted swiftly to attempt to bring in experienced midfielder Sabitzer on a short-term loan.

Opportunities had been hard to come by for the Austria international after joining Bayern from Bundesliga rivals RB Leipzig ahead of the 2021-22 season.

He started just 15 times in his 40 appearances for the Bundesliga champions, though he may now have the chance to impress in the Premier League with Ten Hag's resurgent Red Devils.

CONTE GETS PORRO AS DOHERTY AND SPENCE DEPART

It appeared Tottenham may not secure the services of attack-minded wing-back Porro, formerly of Girona and Manchester City, after it seemed negotiations had come to a halt with Sporting.

But Spurs confirmed the 23-year-old's arrival late on, with Porro signing a five-and-a-half-year deal after a reported £40m (€45m) move from Sporting, who signed Barcelona's Hector Bellerin as a replacement.

That transfer saw Djed Spence, who only signed from Middlesbrough in a deal worth up to £20m in July, sent out to Ligue 1's Rennes for the rest of the season on loan.

Fellow full-back Matt Doherty also made way as he joined Atletico Madrid on a six-month contract, with Spurs terminating the 31-year-old's contract to "enable him to join another club".

OTHER DEALS

Bournemouth paid their second-highest transfer fee in history for Illya Zabarnyi, parting with a reported £24m (€27.2m) for the Ukraine centre-back from Dynamo Kyiv.

Gary O'Neil's Bournemouth added a second signing soon after, confirming the arrival of Sassuolo midfielder Hamed Traore on a loan that will become permanent on a five-year deal in June.

Nottingham Forest continued their spending after signing Atletico centre-back Felipe on a deal that will run until 2024, while Jonjo Shelvey also arrived from Newcastle United on a deal until 2025, and a move for Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Keylor Navas on loan was reportedly nearing.

Patrick Vieira's Crystal Palace bolstered their midfield by bringing in Naouirou Ahamada for a reported £10.5m (€12m) fee from Stuttgart, while Arsenal's Albert Sambi Lokonga joined on a six-month loan.

Leeds United's Diego Llorente joined Jose Mourinho's Roma on loan until the end of the season, with an option for a permanent transfer reportedly worth €18m (£15.9m).

Ayoze Perez is another Premier League player who will spend the second half of the term on loan, with the Leicester City forward moving to LaLiga side Real Betis.

Aleksandar Mitrovic's Serbia team-mate Sasa Lukic traded Torino for Fulham in a transfer reportedly worth £8.8m (€10m) including add-ons, signing a contract until June 2027.

Lukic will likely be joined by Arsenal full-back Cedric Soares after Marco Silva's side reportedly agreed to bring the former Southampton defender on a six-month loan.

Outside of England, Borussia Dortmund and Belgium midfielder Thorgan Hazard completed a short-term loan move to Eredivisie title hopefuls PSV.

Tottenham have completed a deadline-day deal for attack-minded wing-back Pedro Porro from Sporting CP.

With Spurs fifth in the Premier League, three points behind Newcastle United and Manchester United having played one game more than their top-four rivals, Antonio Conte has been in the market for reinforcements this month.

Spurs beat Everton to the loan signing of Arnaut Danjuma last week, but Porro has consistently been touted as Conte's top target as the Italian coach seeks to revitalise their top-four bid.

Porro, a senior Spain international with three goals and 11 assists for Sporting this season, underwent his medical on Tuesday and put pen to paper shortly before the window closed.

He has joined on an initial loan until the end of the season, at which point Spurs are expected to pay up to £40million (€45.5m) to sign him permanently.

Porro's arrival came on the back of Tottenham allowing Djed Spence to join Ligue 1 side Rennes on loan until the end of the season, while fellow full-back Matt Doherty joined Atletico Madrid after his Spurs contract was terminated.

Porro only joined Sporting permanently last year after enjoying an impressive two-year loan spell at the club, where he won the Primeira Liga title once and the Taca da Liga twice.

However, his final game with the Lisbon club saw them fall to a 2-0 defeat against Porto in this season's Taca da Liga final on Saturday.

The 23-year-old previously spent time at Manchester City after impressing at Spanish outfit Girona, though he failed to make a competitive appearance for the Premier League champions.

Porro could face his former employers on his Tottenham debut on Sunday, with Conte's side looking to avenge the dramatic 4-2 defeat they suffered against City at the Etihad earlier this month.

He will compete with Emerson Royal at right wing-back following the departures of Spence and Doherty.

Tottenham have completed a £40million (€45m) deal to sign attack-minded wing-back Pedro Porro from Sporting CP on the final day of the transfer window, as Djed Spence completed a loan move to Ligue 1 side Rennes until the end of the season.

With Spurs fifth in the Premier League, three points behind Newcastle United and Manchester United having played one game more than their top-four rivals, Antonio Conte has been in the market for reinforcements this month.

Spurs beat Everton to the loan signing of Arnaut Danjuma last week, but Porro has consistently been touted as Conte's top target as the Italian coach seeks to revitalise their top-four bid.

Porro, a senior Spain international with three goals and 11 assists for Sporting this season, underwent his medical on Tuesday and put pen to paper shortly before the window closed.

He has joined on an initial loan until the end of the season, at which point Spurs are expected to pay up to £40million (€45.5m) to sign him permanently.

Porro only joined Sporting permanently last year after enjoying an impressive two-year loan spell at the club, where he won the Primeira Liga title once and the Taca da Liga twice.

However, his final game with the Lisbon club saw them fall to a 2-0 defeat against Porto in this season's Taca da Liga final on Saturday.

The 23-year-old previously spent time at Manchester City after impressing at Spanish outfit Girona, though he failed to make a competitive appearance for the Premier League champions.

Porro could face his former employers on his Tottenham debut on Sunday, with Conte's side looking to avenge the dramatic 4-2 defeat they suffered against City at the Etihad earlier this month.

He will compete with Emerson Royal at right wing-back, with Spence completing his temporary move to France and Matt Doherty leaving on a free transfer to Atletico Madrid on Tuesday.

Arsenal midfielder Albert Sambi Lokonga has been loaned to Crystal Palace for the remainder of the 2022-23 season.

The 23-year-old has made 15 appearances for Arsenal in all competitions this campaign, although just two of those have been Premier League starts.

He has not appeared for Mikel Arteta's side in the league since coming on as a substitute in the 3-1 win over Tottenham on October 1.

Belgium international Lokonga will now spend the next four months with Palace, who are managed by former Arsenal midfielder Patrick Vieira. 

Palace confirmed the news on their official website on Tuesday, shortly after Arsenal completed the signing of Jorginho from Chelsea to provide adequate midfield cover.

"I'm really excited – I can't wait to get started. I'm really happy to join Crystal Palace," Lokonga told the club's official website. 

"I want to go as far as possible with the team. I will try to push for me and the team to do the maximum to reach the top."

Lokonga, who has played 39 times for Arsenal in total since joining from Anderlecht in July 2021, is in line to make his Palace debut away at Manchester United on Saturday.

Atletico Madrid completed the signing of Matt Doherty after his Tottenham contract was terminated to facilitate the transfer.

With Spurs set to bring in Pedro Porro from Sporting CP, Djed Spence was sent on loan to Ligue 1 side Rennes and fellow wing-back Doherty also left north London on Tuesday.

The Republic of Ireland defender was reportedly set to join Diego Simeone's side on loan but has signed a contract until the end of the season.

Spurs released a statement to confirm Doherty's contract had been terminated to "enable him to join another club".

The 31-year-old former Wolves defender follows in the footsteps of Kieran Trippier, who swapped Spurs for Atletico in 2019 and lifted the LaLiga title with the Rojiblancos in the 2020-21 season.

As Doherty heads to Madrid, Atletico defender Felipe goes the other way to England after completing a move to Nottingham Forest.

The 33-year-old started just two LaLiga games for Simeone's side this season, seemingly falling out of favour behind Mario Hermoso and Jose Gimenez.

Felipe's Atletico contract was due to expire in June before he signed a deal running until 2024 for Forest, where he looks forward to a new challenge in the Premier League.

"It was a dream of mine to play in the Premier League and I'm really excited to be part of this wonderful, fast-growing club," he told the club's official website.

"You can see it's a club looking to really grow. It's a big challenge for me and I made a clear decision to be part of the history here and grow with the club."

Jorginho is relishing the chance to play under Mikel Arteta at Arsenal after his "surprising" move from Premier League rivals Chelsea went through on deadline day.

Arsenal are reported to have paid £12million to Chelsea to get a deal over the line in time, having failed in their attempt to bring in Moises Caicedo from Brighton and Hove Albion.

The Italy international provides another option for the Premier League leaders in central midfield after losing Mohamed Elneny to a "significant" knee injury.

And Jorginho revealed in his first interview as an Arsenal player that it was a transfer a long time in the making, with manager Arteta having tried previously to sign him.

"[Arteta] was a big influence. I know he tried a few times to get me before and it didn't happen due to other reasons, not because of my wishes," he told Arsenal's website.

"So of course, he had a big influence. Now I'm very excited for this new challenge, and I just can't wait to be on the pitch to be honest."

Jorginho boasts plenty of experience, having made more than 500 club appearances in his career and represented Italy 46 times.

Arsenal's interest in the Brazil-born midfielder only became public on Monday and he signed an 18-month contract at Emirates Stadium the following day.

"Everything has happened so fast. I was a bit surprised, but I took the opportunity of this amazing challenge," he added.

"It's an important shirt. It's an amazing club, a big one, and I'm really excited and happy to be here.

"I'll try to just bring positive energy, hard work and my experience to help the team. It's what I always bring with me. 

"I try just to help with the experience I've had in my time with the other clubs and anything I can do just to help the team to achieve more and more, that's my target.

"All I can promise is that I'm going to give my all to represent this club."

Jorginho has been handed the number 20 shirt and is in line to make his debut for Arsenal in Saturday's Premier League trip to Everton.

Arsenal signed Jorginho from London rivals Chelsea in a deadline day deal to bolster their midfield.

The Gunners agreed a reported £12million fee with the Blues for the 31-year-old midfielder and the Premier League leaders got the deal over the line in time.

Arsenal, bossed by Mikel Arteta, had been pushing to sign Moises Caicedo from Brighton and Hove Albion but saw a number of bids rejected, with the Seagulls making it clear the Ecuador international would not leave this month.

The Gunners moved instead to strengthen their squad with a proven performer, swifty completing a deal for Jorginho, whose contract with Chelsea was set to expire at the end of the season.

Jorginho's arrival comes amid concern for Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey, who was withdrawn in Friday's FA Cup defeat to Manchester City with an apparent rib injury, while Mohamed Elneny has been sidelined with what Arsenal described as a "significant" knee problem.

A Champions League winner with Chelsea in 2020-21, Jorginho was also part of the Italy squad that won the Euro 2020 title.

Arteta said of his new recruit: "Jorginho is a midfield player with intelligence, deep leadership skills and a huge amount of Premier League and international experience. Jorginho has won in his career, but he still has the hunger and huge willingness to contribute here.

"We are so pleased to sign Jorginho and welcome him and his family to the club."

Gunners sporting director Edu said on Arsenal's website: "Jorginho is an established professional with a strong mentality who brings quality and experience into our squad.

"He is a player who fits our style of play, and he joins us at a very good moment where he can contribute in a key position to help maintain our momentum. We welcome Jorginho to Arsenal."

Arsenal signed Jorginho from London rivals Chelsea in a deadline day deal to bolster their midfield.

The Gunners agreed a reported £12million fee with the Blues for the 31-year-old midfielder and the Premier League leaders got the deal over the line in time.

Arsenal, bossed by Mikel Arteta, had been pushing to sign Moises Caicedo from Brighton and Hove Albion but saw a number of bids rejected, with the Seagulls making it clear the Ecuador international would not leave this month.

The Gunners moved instead to strengthen their squad with a proven performer, swifty completing a deal for Jorginho, whose contract with Chelsea was set to expire at the end of the season.

Jorginho's arrival comes amid concern for Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey, who was withdrawn in Friday's FA Cup defeat to Manchester City with an apparent rib injury, while Mohamed Elneny has been sidelined with what Arsenal described as a "significant" knee problem.

A Champions League winner with Chelsea in 2020-21, Jorginho was also part of the Italy squad that won the Euro 2020 title.

Arteta said of his new recruit: "Jorginho is a midfield player with intelligence, deep leadership skills and a huge amount of Premier League and international experience. Jorginho has won in his career, but he still has the hunger and huge willingness to contribute here.

"We are so pleased to sign Jorginho and welcome him and his family to the club."

Gunners sporting director Edu said on Arsenal's website: "Jorginho is an established professional with a strong mentality who brings quality and experience into our squad.

"He is a player who fits our style of play, and he joins us at a very good moment where he can contribute in a key position to help maintain our momentum. We welcome Jorginho to Arsenal."

European Super League chiefs have succeeded in restoring an injunction preventing UEFA and FIFA from punishing clubs wishing to be involved in the controversial project.

Madrid's Audiencia Provincial Civil court issued a decision on Tuesday that was welcomed by organisers of the planned new competition.

Barcelona, Real Madrid and Juventus have been the only clubs who have not backed away from the Super League, since its launch in April 2021 sparked a backlash and led nine of the 12 teams involved to pull out.

World governing body FIFA and European counterpart UEFA had warned players and clubs taking part in the breakaway league would be banned from their competitions, which include the World Cup and European Championship.

In December, an opinion published by the European Union's Court of Justice (CJEU) said UEFA and FIFA would be entitled to freeze out a European Super League and its competing teams.

That was in response to a request by the Commercial Court in Madrid to rule on whether FIFA and UEFA would have the right to take action in accordance with competition law and fundamental freedoms.

European Super League chiefs argued such actions should be regarded as anti-competitive and incompatible with EU competition law. The CJEU opinion was not a binding ruling, which is due to follow in the coming months, and now the sport's ruling bodies have been told they should not be using powers to intervene in the meantime.

The Madrid court said on Tuesday: "The problem is that the risk that exists of the arbitrary use by FIFA and UEFA of its disciplinary power does not adhere to the repercussion of its effects within the competitions they manage, but it can also be used, as it is clear that it has been threatened with doing so, to discourage any purpose of the operators of the market who are tempted to build relationships with the competitor."

It added: "The eventual justification of the conduct of FIFA and UEFA as an attempt to protect the European sports model we consider it, prima facie, as a flimsy excuse."

There is no guarantee clubs will be tempted back to the European Super League, given supporters of many teams were so strongly opposed, but Tuesday's ruling may encourage more to show an interest.

Six clubs from the Premier League and three each from LaLiga and Serie A initially agreed to join the European Super League, prior to public reaction leading to a rethink.

A22 Sports Management was set up to manage the European Super League project, and its CEO Bernd Reichart welcomed the latest development, saying it would allow his business "to freely continue the project of creating a new and exciting European football competition".

Reichart added: "It confirms that UEFA's monopoly position cannot be used to pressure or threaten clubs, players or companies willing to innovate and invigorate competition in professional football.

"We will therefore continue our dialogue with football stakeholders in a new and more appropriate environment, free from threats and other obstructive steps taken by UEFA and other bodies."

There's only a matter of hours to go before the January transfer window shuts for good, with multiple moves already in the can and plenty potentially still to come.

Chelsea's pursuit of Argentina's World Cup-winning midfielder Enzo Fernandez for a Premier League record fee from Benfica remains up in the air. 

The Blues look set to confirm the exit of Italy's Euro 2020 victor Jorginho to rivals Arsenal though before time runs out at the end of play on Tuesday.

Elsewhere, Manchester City have confirmed the loan exit of Joao Cancelo to Bayern Munich, while Inter's raid for Manchester United's Harry Maguire looks a no-go.

But the Red Devils are hopeful of sealing a deal for Bayern's Marcel Sabitzer, following a potential season-ending injury for Christian Eriksen.

Stats Perform runs the rule over what has happened and what could still be before the deadline.

BLUES REMAIN IN RECORD PURSUIT FOR WORLD CUP WINNER FERNANDEZ

Graham Potter's side have already been handed an eye-watering war chest by Todd Boehly since his takeover, and they show no signs of slowing down their spending.

A move for Enzo Fernandez, whose stock rose after his performances alongside Lionel Messi as he led Argentina to World Cup glory, has been on the cards all month.

But the hefty release clause set by Benfica has forced Chelsea to table what would be a Premier League record bid of £105.6million (€120m) if successful. 

That would overtake the fee Manchester City paid out for Jack Grealish from Aston Villa, though issues remain over how the payment would be delivered to the Portuguese club.

JORGINHO READY TO LEAP ACROSS LONDON

With one player potentially set to arrive, another is almost certain to have their departure confirmed in the coming hours at Stamford Bridge.

That is Italy international Jorginho, who is set to trade the Blues for Premier League leaders Arsenal on an 18-month deal.

The move to bring in the veteran playmaker with a proven track record for silverware echoes the swoop the Gunners made for Gabriel Jesus from Man City last year.

It would be Arsenal's third permanent capture of the window, following the signings of Leandro Trossard and Jakub Kiwior, and likely signals the end of their pursuit of Brighton and Hove Albion's Moses Caicedo for now.

CITY CONFIRM CANCELO EXIT TO BAYERN

The writing may have been on the wall for longer than many realised when it came to Joao Cancelo's future at the Etihad Stadium.

The player has denied a reported bust-up with Pep Guardiola following his return from the World Cup, though Cancelo had slipped down the pecking order with the Premier League champions in recent games.

The Portugal international will hope for a fresh start with Bayern, where he has joined on a loan through the end of the season with a reported buy option at €70m (£61.5m).

UNITED HOLD ONTO MAGUIRE AMID SABITZER PURSUIT

The future of Man Utd club captain Harry Maguire has long been a point of consternation for supporters, though his recent cup performances suggest he still has a role to play.

Despite slipping to fifth in the centre-back pecking order, the England defender appears to be an option head coach Erik ten Hag wishes to retain, dashing the interest of Serie A heavyweights Inter.

But with the news Christian Eriksen will miss most of the rest of the season through injury, United are exploring a move for Austria international Marcel Sabitzer to help plug the gap.

Arsenal midfielder Mohamed Elneny is set for an indefinite layoff after undergoing surgery for a knee injury, as the club reportedly close in on the signing of Jorginho from Chelsea.

Egypt international Elneny, who has made five Premier League appearances this season for Mikel Arteta's side, suffered the problem in training.

Though he has undergone a successful operation, the 30-year-old will spend a significant period on the sidelines as he begins his road to recovery.

"Following an injury sustained in a recent training session, subsequent assessments have confirmed that Mohamed Elneny has a significant injury to his right knee," read a club statement.

"Mo has had successful surgery in London and will be ruled out for an extended period of time.

"A more detailed timescale will be established once the early stages of rehabilitation have been completed."

The Gunners have also confirmed a loan exit for Marquinhos.

The Brazilian teenager, who has made six appearances this term, has joined Championship outfit Norwich City until the end of the season.

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag is not expecting to delve into the transfer market on deadline day despite losing Christian Eriksen to injury for three months.

United confirmed on Tuesday that Eriksen is likely to be out at least until late April after sustaining an ankle injury in the FA Cup win over Reading on Saturday.

He was on the receiving end of a heavy tackle from Andy Carroll, who went unpunished before eventually getting sent off for another two forceful challenges.

Losing Eriksen is a major blow for United given his prominence in his first campaign at Old Trafford, with Bruno Fernandes (2,603) the only outfield player to record more minutes on the pitch than the Dane (2,274) for Ten Hag's men this term.

United will suddenly be without one of their chief creators, as Eriksen's 53 key passes is second only to Fernandes (81), and he leads the way for assists with nine.

But Ten Hag is confident he has the options to cope.

"Of course, [Eriksen] is disappointed about [the injury], we are disappointed about it," the manager told reporters ahead of Wednesday's EFL Cup semi-final second leg against Nottingham Forest.

"It happens in top football, you have to deal with it."

He added: "As you said, something coming out on deadline day is difficult and you can't make policy on such bad injuries, but we have players in the midfield department, good players, we also have players who can fill the gap."

With Donny van de Beek out for the season, Eriksen's injury leaves Ten Hag with senior midfield options of Fred, Casemiro, Fernandes and Scott McTominay, while 17-year-old Kobbie Mainoo has made two appearances in cup competitions and been among the substitutes on a handful of occasions in the Premier League.

Zidane Iqbal, a 19-year-old Iraq international, has also been on the bench often this season, though he is yet to make his debut and had reportedly been lined up for a loan move.

Either way, Ten Hag accepts there will have to be a degree of adaptation regardless of who steps up because they will not have the same attributes as the Denmark star.

"I think you can never fill that because every player has their own characteristics and identity, so another player will always fill it in in a different way," he said.

"So, it doesn't mean that you have to be less successful, but it's quite clear that Christian Eriksen, for our squad, brings top quality and he has some specifics that are hard to replace. For instance, his impact in the final third, [with his] final ball."

Brazil midfielder Fred would appear to be the most likely to benefit from Eriksen's absence.

Although the 29-year-old has made only five Premier League starts this term, in total he has played in 17 top-flight games, with Ten Hag seeming to value his energy and tenacity in the second half when others might be tiring.

There is also the added convenience of him regularly playing alongside Casemiro with the Selecao.

"You mentioned already in your first sentence, he's playing together with Casemiro in the Brazilian squad, I would say that's not the worst squad in the world," Ten Hag said with a grin.

"They have so many choices what they can make but they often prefer to play them together. So, that tells something about the quality Fred has and what he can contribute to the team.

"He has done it several times with his performance for instance against Tottenham, for instance against Manchester City.

"When he's coming on [in the] last game [against Reading], he's scoring a goal straight away. He has a lot of qualities. I think they are a really good combination, Casemiro and Fred."

Joao Cancelo has not ruled out returning to Manchester City and played down talk of a rift with Pep Guardiola after joining Bayern Munich.

Cancelo competed a loan move to the Bundesliga champions for the rest of the season on transfer deadline day.

The versatile Portugal full-back had fallen out of favour at City amid reports of a row with manager Guardiola.

Cancelo is under contract with the Premier League champions until June 2027 and says he has not necessarily played his last game for the club.

He said during a press conference on Tuesday: "There was a lot of speculation about my relationship with Pep Guardiola. But the truth is that I just wanted to get more playing minutes. And I see that opportunity at Bayern.

"It might have sounded like a farewell [a video he posted on Instagram], but it wasn't meant this way, and we will have to see what these five months in Munich bring. My contract is until the end of the season and I want to focus on my goals and those of the club.

"Then we'll sit down and see what's next. I've had a great time at Manchester City. I'm still under contract with City too, but now Bayern is my priority."

The 28-year-old revealed he did not speak to former Bayern boss Guardiola about the prospect of joining the Bavarian giants.

He said: "I wasn't talking to Pep about Bayern as everything went too fast. I wanted to make the best decision for my career and I think I did just that joining this wonderful club."

Bayern head coach Julian Nagelsmann says it was music to his ears when he was informed by sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic that Cancelo could arrive before the window shut.

Nagelsmann said: "Brazzo [Salihamidzic] said after the game against Frankfurt [on Saturday] that we had a chance to get Cancelo.

"Then I said: 'Let's do it!' Then everything happened very quickly. We've talked about him a lot in the past with our scouting. He brings a lot, he is dynamic and is a very good reinforcement."

Cancelo could make his debut at Mainz in the DFP Pokal on Wednesday.

Christian Eriksen will be out of action for up to three months due to the ankle injury he suffered in Saturday's FA Cup win over Reading, Manchester United have confirmed.

Eriksen was on the receiving end of a heavy tackle from Andy Carroll in the second half, with the Reading forward surprisingly avoiding a yellow card.

Carroll was later sent off for another two forceful challenges.

Eriksen walked away from the incident to play on briefly, but he was soon replaced and later spotted leaving Old Trafford on crutches, with a protective boot supporting his left ankle.

United boss Erik ten Hag offered little insight after the match, but following examinations the club believe it is serious enough to potentially rule him out until May.

A statement read: "Manchester United midfielder Christian Eriksen is expected to be out of action for an extended period because of an ankle injury sustained in our Emirates FA Cup victory over Reading on Saturday.

"While investigations are continuing, initial assessments indicate that Eriksen is likely to be out until late April or early May."

The absence of Eriksen will be a major blow to United and Ten Hag, as the Danish midfielder has been a key component of the side since his arrival on a free transfer in pre-season.

Bruno Fernandes (2,603) is the only outfield player to spend more minutes on the pitch than Eriksen (2,274) across all competitions for United this season.

It is a similar story in terms of chances created, with Eriksen's 53 bettered by only Fernandes' 81, highlighting the Dane's creative importance, particularly from set-pieces.

Eriksen ranks highest in the squad for assists (nine), however, three more than Fernandes.

If the 31-year-old does not play again until the start of May, he will have missed at least 18 matches in all competitions.

That total will increase if United progress in the FA Cup, Europa League and EFL Cup – they are just 90 minutes away from the final of the latter after winning 3-0 away to Nottingham Forest in last week's semi-final first leg.

The return game at Old Trafford on Wednesday will be the first match Eriksen misses.

The absence of Eriksen further stretches United's midfield options after Donny van de Beek was ruled out for the season at the start of January.

It leaves Fernandes, Fred, Casemiro and Scott McTominay as their only recognised senior midfielders, potentially requiring 17-year-old Kobbie Mainoo – who has made two cup appearances but is yet to make his Premier League bow – to step up unless they delve into the transfer market before the window closes on Tuesday.

Bayern Munich have completed a loan deal for Manchester City full-back Joao Cancelo and could make the move permanent at the end of the season.

The Portugal international has joined the Bundesliga champions initially until the end of the campaign, with Bayern board member Hasan Salihamidzic confirming the switch may be made permanent after that. 

Cancelo was a star performer for City last season but has fallen out of favour this campaign, with manager Pep Guardiola preferring the likes of Kyle Walker, Nathan Ake, John Stones and even 18-year-old Rico Lewis for the full-back roles.

He started more Premier League games than any other City outfield player (36) last season as they won the title, having more touches (3,908) and attempting more passes than anyone else in the league (2,951).

Cancelo told Bayern's official website: "FC Bayern is a great club, one of the best in the world, and it's enormous motivation for me to now play alongside these extraordinary players in a team.

"I know that this club, this team lives for titles and wins titles every year. I’m also driven by the hunger for success. I'll give my best for FC Bayern."

Cancelo has two goals and four assists from 26 appearances in all competitions this season, but has been an unused sub in the three games since City's 2-1 derby defeat at Manchester United.

Bayern have moved for the 28-year-old in an attempt to turn around a poor run of form since the Bundesliga's resumption following the mid-season break.

Julian Nagelsmann's side have drawn all three of their games 1-1, against RB Leipzig, Koln and Eintracht Frankfurt respectively, leaving them just one point ahead of Union Berlin at the top of the table.

Bayern will be without Noussair Mazraoui for several weeks after the Moroccan suffered an infection following a bout of COVID-19.

Benjamin Pavard played at right-back against Leipzig and Koln, with Josip Stanisic replacing him for the Eintracht stalemate.

Cancelo could make his Bayern debut in Wednesday's DFB-Pokal clash with Mainz.