By RYAN TOLMICH
Relegation-threatened Fulham made a move towards safety on Deadline Day, as the Cottagers were able to add a trio of signings in an effort to avoid the relegation zone.
Fulham added a key attacking figure in Greek sensation Kostas Mitroglou, as the striker was brought in for a fee believed to be right around £12 million.
Mitroglou will be a welcome addition to the Fulham attack, as the Greek international scored 17 goals in 19 appearances this campaign for his previous club.
In addition to the Mitroglou signing, Fulham were able to add Tottenham midfielder Lewis Holtby, who joins on loan for the remainder of the season.
Holtby, who joined Spurs just last January, has featured sparingly under caretaker manager Tim Sherwood. The 23-year-old German joins Fulham in search of playing time in an effort to revitalize his World Cup aspirations.
Fulham were also able to add Everton defender John Heitinga on a free transfer. Heitinga appeared for the Toffees 140 times, scoring 5 times, and is being brought in to plug a hole in the Fulham defense.
However, it comes with a cost, as striker Dimitar Berbatov was sent to Monaco for the rest of the season. Berbatov, who had five goals in 18 appearances for the Cottagers, will be looked at to replace the injured Radamel Falcao for the Ligue 1 contenders.
Mitroglou, Holtby, Heitinga will join American international Clint Dempsey, who joined the club on loan back in December, as the club tries to steer clear of the bottom three.
Arsenal fail in pursuit of Draxler, add Kallstrom
After a drawn-out affair with Schalke’s Julian Draxler, second-place Arsenal were forced to settle for a loan move for experienced Swedish international Kim Kallstrom.
Kallstrom, who joins the Gunners from Spartak Moscow through the end of the season, gives Arsenal a bit of breathing room, as injuries to Aaron Ramsey and Theo Walcott have left the cupboard bare at the Emirates.
The Swedish international will bring a bit of experience to the Arsenal side, as he has been capped 106 times and has featured in three European Championships to go with one World Cup appearance.
Inter add Brazilian Hernanes from Lazio
Italian giant Inter were able to bolster their squad with the addition of Brazilian central midfielder Hernanes.
Hernanes, who left Lazio in tears, has amassed 33 goals over the past 4 seasons in Rome.
The Brazilian will join an Inter side are currently fifth in Serie A, as the Nerazzuri will need to make up an 11 point gap if they are to qualify for the Champions League.
Dani Osvaldo makes way to Juventus after Saints fallout
Italian striker Dani Osvaldo has made his way back to Italy after a training ground incident all but solidified his exit from Southampton.
Osvaldo, who scored three goals in 13 appearances during his stay in England, will head to Italian giants Juventus, who bolster an attacking lineup that already boasts Carlos Tevez, Fernando Llorente, Mirko Vicinic and more.
The Argentine-born Italian will head back to Italy on loan after leaving back in August. Juventus, who currently top the Serie A table, will have an option to buy the player at the completion of the loan.
Sunderland look to avoid relegation with addition of Argentine Scocco
Sunderland currently find themselves just above the dreaded relegation zone, but the Black Cats made a move to bolster their attack force with the addition of Ignacio Scocco from Internacional.
Scocco, who has two goals in one international appearance, will join a Sunderland strike-force that includes Liverpool loanee Fabio Borini, English youngster Connor Wickham and American international Jozy Altidore.
Premier League title chasers remain quiet
Deadline Day has long since been a day for England’s elite to splash the cash in an effort to expand their squad. However, the 2014 edition of club soccer’s biggest free-for-all has seen little hysteria.
Manchester United were content to call it a day after the addition of Juan Mata, as the addition of the Spanish international earlier in the window proved to be enough to keep manager David Moyes happy.
Perennial spenders Manchester City saw their chase of Porto pair Fernando and Eliaquim Mangala fall through, as the £35 million move was squashed midday. However, a summer move for the pair is never out of the question when it comes to City and their tendency to spend.
Liverpool’s chase of Ukrainian Yehven Konoplyanaka turned into one of the day’s bigger stories, as negotiations between Liverpool and Ukrainian side Dnipro occurred throughout the day. Dnipro insisted on up-front payments, according to ESPNFC, while Liverpool wanted to do things the more old-fashioned way.
Meanwhile, Chelsea made some moves for the future, as the club signed 19-year-old St Ettiene center back Kurt Zouma for right around £12 million. The French Under-21 player will be loaned right back to the Ligue 1 outfit, where he will remain for the rest of the campaign.