Arsenal and Chelsea were neck and neck for the honour of most embarrassing transfer deadline day.
Chelsea saw Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain prefer a switch to Liverpool, a similar situation with Fernando Llorente and Spurs as well as a mid-medical change of heart from Ross Barkley while Arsenal desperately scrambled out a £92 million bid for Thomas Lemar too late in the day, forcing the wantaway Alexis Sanchez to stay and, most likely, leave on a free next season.
But the Blues may well have condemned their London rivals to the unwanted status of biggest disappointments on deadline day because at least they managed to bring a player in at the death.
It's not been a great window https://t.co/jR4lSsbAef
— FootballJOE (@FootballJOE) August 31, 2017
The 11pm deadline came and went but, fortunately for Antonio Conte, Chelsea made good use of the deal sheet which granted clubs a two-hour extension to finalise deals.
In the end, the Premier League champions got the deal over the line to make Danny Drinkwater a Chelsea player.
Drinkwater left Leicester to undergo a medical at Stamford Bridge late on Thursday night but there was always the danger that the gulf in valuations between the sides would result in the deal falling through.
However there was some late compromise and the move was finally confirmed, with an announcement of Drinkwater’s signing arriving in the early hours of Friday morning.
Danny Drinkwater is a Chelsea player! 🙌#WelcomeDrinks https://t.co/DpMohkJaPr
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) September 1, 2017
“I’m delighted to be a Chelsea player and can’t wait to get started,” Drinkwater said. “It has been a long journey to get here but I am very happy and am looking forward to helping the club win more trophies.”
