Rafinha joins Celta, Sevilla sign Hernandez on deadline day

Roma add Mkhitaryan and Kalinic, Inter offload Icardi

BARCELONA, Sept 3, (RTRS): Barcelona winger Rafinha Alcantara extended his contract by a year then joined Celta Vigo on loan on Monday, Spain’s transfer deadline day.

The Brazilian’s deal was set to expire at the end of the season so the Catalans renewed it to stop him leaving for free next year.

Earlier, Sevilla signed Mexico striker Javier Hernandez, 31, from West Ham United on a three-year deal for around eight million pounds ($9.82 million).

The former Manchester United forward was joined by Girona goalkeeper Bono on loan at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan.

Chelsea winger Kenedy moved to Getafe on a season-loan loan deal. The Brazilian, 23, played at Newcastle United last season on loan, appearing 28 times and scoring one goal.

Kenedy featured in pre-season for Chelsea but could not break into Frank Lampard’s squad and will instead help Getafe in their La Liga and Europa League campaigns.

Chelsea also loaned left back Baba Rahman to promoted La Liga side Real Mallorca for the season, after he signed a contract extension until 2022.

Real Madrid signed Paris St Germain goalkeeper Alphonse Areola on loan, while selling the French champions their Costa Rica keeper Keylor Navas, although they had conducted much of their business earlier in the window.

Madrid spent around 300 million euros to sign Eden Hazard from Chelsea, as well as Luka Jovic, Ferland Mendy and Eder Militao, among other purchases.

Valencia loaned Jason Remeseiro to Getafe and brought in Sporting right back Thierry Correia for 12 million euros ($13.37 million).

Spanish champions Barcelona signed 16-year-old forward Pedri from Las Palmas for five million euros, but he will play on loan at the island club for the rest of the season.

Barca’s biggest deal of the close season was the purchase of Atletico Madrid’s France forward Antoine Griezmann, who they signed for 120 million euros.

AS Roma ended a busy transfer window by signing Nikola Kalinic and Henrikh Mkhitaryan on loan on Monday while Inter Milan offloaded former captain Mauro Icardi to Paris St Germain after a prolific but turbulent six years at the club.

AC Milan, who like Roma are attempting to bounce back after failing to qualify for the Champions League this season, signed Ante Rebic from Eintracht Frankfurt with Andre Silva going the other way on the final day of the Serie A transfer window.

Elsewhere, veteran defender Martin Skrtel left Atalanta after 24 days and without playing a game while much-travelled Alessandro Matri joined promoted Brescia, the eleventh club of his career.

There were no earth-shattering deals to end a transfer window where the most significant moves have involved coaches, with Maurizio Sarri joining Juventus – winners of the last eight titles – and Antonio Conte taking charge of Inter Milan.

Colombian forward Radamel Falcao signed for Turkey’s Galatasaray from Monaco in a three-year free transfer deal, the Turkish side said late on Monday, adding that the striker would be paid 5 million euros ($5.57 million) each season. Falcao left Atletico Madrid after two seasons in 2013 to join Monaco for a club record 60 million euros. After spending the next two seasons on loan at Manchester United and Chelsea, he returned to Monaco in 2016 and led them to the Ligue 1 title in 2017, netting 67 goals in 101 appearances for the club.

Alcantara

Liverpool striker Bobby Duncan has moved to Fiorentina in a permanent transfer on the final day of the European transfer window, the European champions said on Monday.

Financial details of the deal were not disclosed but local media reported that the Serie A club would pay Liverpool about two million euros ($2.23 million) for the 18-year-old and that the contract includes a 20% sell-on clause.

The move follows criticism of Liverpool by the player’s agent Saif Rubie, who alleged on social media last month that the Anfield club were holding his client against his will after they rejected a loan offer from the Italian side.

Veteran defender Martin Skrtel, signed by Atalanta to boost their defence as they make their Champions League debut this season, has left the club after only 24 days, the Serie A side said on Monday.

The 34-year-old Slovakia international, whose career has included nine seasons at Liverpool, did not play a match for the club which he joined as a free agent on Aug 9.

The club also said that it had signed Denmark defender Simon Kjaer on loan from Sevilla.

Coach Gian Piero Gasperini said after Atalanta’s 3-2 home defeat by Torino on Sunday that Skrtel, previously at Fenerbahce, had been struggling to adapt to the team’s tactics.

The coach who led Brazil to the 2002 World Cup title has been fired by Brazilian club Palmeiras.

The Sao Paulo team issued a statement Monday announcing the sacking of Luis Felipe Scolari, whose squad was eliminated last week from the Copa Libertadores tournament. No replacement was named.

It was Scolari’s third term at Palmeiras, who he led to the Brazilian championship last year. They won the Libertadores in 1999.

But Palmeiras have gone seven league games without winning and lost to Gremio in the Libertadores quarter-finals.

The 70-year-old coach also has led Portugal’s national team and Chelsea in the English Premier League. He led Brazil to their last World Cup title, but also oversaw the humiliating 7-1 semifinal loss to Germany in the 2014 Cup that Brazil hosted.