And they say deadline day has become boring... After a summer dominated by transfer saga after transfer saga - from Gareth Bale to Luis Suarez, Wayne Rooney to Marouane Fellaini - the last 60 minutes of business is likely to have a huge effect on the Premier League title race.
Managers scrambled to get their paperwork in in time for the 11pm deadline on Monday evening, with deals still being completed after the window shut.
The 60 minutes from 10.30pm to 11.30pm saw three massive Premier League deals squeeze past the post - with another still in the balance - and could help shape the story of the season.
10.30pm... Mesut Ozil signs for Arsenal
Arsene Wenger confounded his critics with Arsenal confirming the news they had smashed their transfer record with the £42.5million signing of Real Madrid’s Mesut Ozil.
The German playmaker signed a four-year deal with the Gunners despite French giants PSG coming in with a more lucrative offer than his £140,000-a-week wages at the Emirates.
Gunner be good: Arsenal smashed their transfer record with a £42.5million signing of Mesut Ozil
Star name: Ozil joins from Real Madrid, adding undoubted world-class quality to Arsenal's side
The signing saw Arsenal finally add the world-class quality to their squad the Gunners faithful have been crying out for, and after Sunday’s win at Tottenham is undoubtedly a step in the right direction if Arsenal are going to make a meaningful challenge for the title, rather than over-exuberantly celebrating fourth place.
The Germany international believes as much. On signing for the Gunners, he said: ‘I’m looking forward to my future in the Premier League and at Arsenal.
‘I look with pride on three wonderful years at Real Madrid, in which I’ve developed athletically and as a person.
‘We won three titles and I was a regular, but now I look forward to my future in the Premier League with Arsenal.
Hitting back: The club record signing sees Arsene Wenger defy his critics by spending big
Celebrating: Wenger reiterated his stance of 'working hard' to bring quality to Arsenal's side
‘In talking with Arsene Wenger, I immediately sensed what had been missing, the wholly-hearted trust in me. I will pay back the club and the fans in each game. Now I want to help the club to finally win a title.’
Not many believed him, but Wenger reiterated his stance on transfers that he had put out throughout the summer.
On completing the Ozil move, he said: ‘He is a great player, with proven quality at both club and international level. We have watched and admired him for some time as he has all the attributes I look for in an Arsenal player.
International class: Germany playmaker Ozil is one of the most coveted No 10s in world football
‘I have said throughout the summer that we have been working hard to bring in top quality players to this football club. This has involved many many people across the Club and I have always had the full support of the Club in making decisions on the football side.’
Gunners fans calling for Wenger;s head after a lack of money being spent will no doubt be placated by their purchase, even if it comes in an area where they are already well-stocked.
11.06pm... Marouane Fellaini signs for Manchester United
Marouane Fellaini’s dream reunion with new Manchester United boss David Moyes was in the balance right up until the wire.
Everton and United could not settle on a fee for the big-haired Belgian, with the move eventually going through for a huge £27.5million.
Fellaini has James McCarthy to thank. The Wigan midfielder finally sealed a last-gasp £13million transfer to Goodison Park to link back up with Roberto Martinez just before the deadline, with the new midfield signing freeing up United’s Fellaini move.
Done deal: David Moyes (right) finally sealed a move for Marouane Fellaini to join Manchester United
Reunion: Moyes knows Fellaini after managing the dominating Belgian midfielder at Everton
The midfielder even had to hand in an official transfer request on the final day in an attempt to force the move through as Everton continued to battle with their former manager over the fee.
United had made a joint bid for Fellaini and Leighton Baines of £28million - just £500,000 more than they ended up paying for just Fellaini - dismissed as derisory by Everton earlier in the summer.
Moyes resorted to his talisman at the Toffees after making failed aprroaches for Bayern-bound Thiago and Barcelona’s Cesc Fabregas to solve United’s midfield problem.
Search: United also made moves for Thiago (left), who went to Bayern Munich, and Cesc Fabregas
Fellaini’s physical and creative presence will be welcome in an area in United’s team that has been crying out for that kind of influence.
Any Red Devils fan who watched Sunday’s 1-0 loss at bitter rivals Liverpool can’t help but feel better about their team’s prosects of challenging for the title.
Fellaini - not at Fabregas’s level - will be seen as a panic buy, especially given his history with Moyes, but in the Belgian United finally have their creative midfielder, albeit a combative one as well.
11.18pm... Fabio Coentrao signs for Manchester United... possibly
Now that’s what you call Fergie time! In a deal that came completely out of the blue, Real Madrid left-back Fabio Coentrao reportedly went to Old Trafford on a season-long loan.
It was no secret that Moyes wanted his Everton left-back Leighton Baines, but no United fan will complain about the acquistion of Coentrao.
Done in time? Fabio Coentrao's season-long loan deal to Old Trafford hangs in the balance
However, even in the early hours of Tuesday morning, there was debate over whether the deal was completed in time.
La Liga officials had confirmed the news, before retracting the statement. It was also announced that Real had secured a loan deal for Granada full-back Guilherme Siqueira - facilitating Coentrao’s departure.
Siqueria ended up joining Portugeuse club Benfica, with Coentrao’s deal hanging in the balance, and La Liga retracting their earlier statement.
Another reunion? Moyes made advances for another of his Everton stalwarts, Leighton Baines
If the deal does go through, Moyes will have the quality left-back he wanted - even if he undoubtedly already has one in Patrice Evra.
Coentrao, 25, is a Portgual international, having signed for Real from Benfica in 2011 for £25million, but has been frozen out at the Bernabeu due to the emergence of Marcelo.
11.30... Romelu Lukaku signs for Everton
This was meant to be Lukaku’s season. Having returned to Chelsea from a sparkling loan season at West Brom, many tipped the young Belgian to lead the line for Jose Mourinho’s rejuvenated Blues.
However, weeks into the new season, Lukaku has three substitute appearances to his name, the last a cameo in the Super Cup, unfortunately ending in missing the decisive penalty to hand Bayern Munich the trophy - and he has now moved to Goodison Park on a season-long loan.
Got the Blues: Chelsea's Romelu Lukaku has joined Everton on a season-long loan deal
Mourinho clearly sees Lukaku as raw and not ready for a team with title-winning aspirations. Everton, meanwhile, have picked up a striker who guarantees them the firepower they have been lacking.
The Toffees have scored just four goals in all compeitions - two in the Capital One Cup - and none of them netted by a recognised striker.
Lukaku is a nightmare for defenders, his Drogba-esque physique coupled with explosive pace and finishing.
But at just 20 years old, Mourinho clearly felt the striker would get more game-time - and hence development - at Everton.
Dynamic Duo? Chelsea have kept faith in Demba Ba (left) and Fernando Torres with Lukaku going out on loan
However, it leaves Chelsea with only misfiring duo Fernando Torres and Demba Ba, and a clearly second-choice purchase of Samuel Eto’o, from the Russian League on a one-year deal.
If none of those options can reguarly capitalise on service from the Blues’ host of attacking midfielders, the Stamford Bridge faithful will definitely be looking back to this last-minute decision to allow Lukaku’s departure.
And guess what? There's just 120 days (2880 hours) until the transfer window opens again...
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