Barkley balks at Blues

LONDON — Ross Barkley became the latest player to reject a move to Premier League champion Chelsea on Thursday, pulling out of a deal as the summer transfer window closed.

Everton’s billionaire owner Farhad Moshiri revealed that a transfer fee of $45 million had been agreed and Barkley had passed a medical examination when the midfielder changed his mind about moving.

“It’s a big surprise, but that’s football,” Moshiri told broadcaster Sky Sports. “We will continue to look for ways to improve the club.”

Chelsea did manage to sign defender Davide Zappacosta from Italian club Torino, but transfer setbacks appear to have damaged Antonio Conte’s bid to defend the title and challenge in the Champions League.

Striker Romelu Lukaku opted to join Manchester United in July and Conte’s plans further disintegrated in the final two days of the transfer window.

Barkley’s rejection stunned Chelsea after midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain opted for Liverpool and forward Fernando Llorente favored a move to Tottenham. ARSENAL

The one success for Arsene Wenger on deadline day was Alexis Sanchez’s mooted move to Manchester City failing to materialize.

But Arsenal’s pursuit of Monaco winger Thomas Lemar ended in failure and Oxlade-Chamberlain left after six years to join Liverpool for $45 million.

The 24-year-old OxladeChamberlain allowed his Arsenal contract to enter its final season after rejecting offers of a new deal, and had been linked with a move across London to Chelsea.

He is leaving a team that will be playing in the Europa League this season to join a side that is back in the Champions League and started the Premier League by winning seven points from a possible nine. TOTTENHAM

The 32-year-old Llorente joined Tottenham on a twoyear deal from Swansea to prevent the north London club being so reliant on Harry Kane for goals.

Tottenham also strengthened its squad ahead of its second-ever Champions League campaign, bringing in Cote d’Ivoire rightback Serge Aurier from Paris-Saint-Germain for a reported $29.5 million.

Aurier’s transfer to Tottenham was held up by complications regarding the defender’s work permit because he was sentenced to two months in prison last year for resisting arrest after leaving a Paris nightclub.

Aurier appealed against the sentence and never went to prison.

SWANSEA

Portugal winger Renato Sanches left Bayern Munich to join Swansea on loan in the most improbable move on the final day of Europe’s transfer window

The 20-year-old Sanches was being talked about as Portugal’s natural heir to Cristiano Ronaldo after helping his national team win last year’s European Championship title, where he won the Young Player of the Tournament award.

Back then, the winger also joined Bayern on one of the richest contracts in Bundesliga history for a transfer fee that could climb to about $90 million.

EVERTON

Croatian winger Nikola Vlasic joined Everton from Hajduk Split for $10 million.

The 19-year-old Vlasic impressed Everton manager Ronald Koeman during the Europa League qualifier against Everton earlier this month.