Transfer window ends with star loans rather than huge deals

The transfer window shut gently across much of Europe with a flurry of loan deals instead of the anticipated bang of a mega-move.

Several big-name players did change clubs on loans, including Mauro Icardi, Nikola Kalinic on loan from Atletico Madrid and Henrikh Mkhitaryan. The biggest names among the permanent transfer were a pair of Central American veterans: Keylor Navas and Javier Hernandez.

The closure of the window on Monday interrupted the saga surrounding of Neymar, the world's most expensive player, who will stay at Paris Saint-Germain having failed to get the move back to Barcelona he craved for.

Real Madrid had also been linked with Neymar as well as Manchester United World Cup winner Paul Pogba and Tottenham's Christian Eriksen as part of the expensive refurbishment of Zinedine Zidane's squad.

Pogba excited some suspicious speculation earlier in the day when he dropped out of France's two upcoming Euro 2020 qualifiers with an "ankle problem." Real did do one deal with PSG. It even involved a World Cup winner, but the marquee name was the Madrid club's backup goalkeeper.

Navas, a 32-year-old Costa Rican who won the Champions League three times in Madrid, joined PSG with the younger French international Alphonse Areola moving in the opposite direction on loan.

PSG also pulled a late rabbit from their sleeve late with the loan signing of Argentine striker Icardi "with an option to buy."
- Swapped strikers -
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