Falcao to Man U as deadline day spree sets league record

The transfer window is shut, managers have retired to their beds and agents are putting in orders for their new Rolls Royces. After a deadline day of wheeling and dealing, financial analysts Deloitte have announced that the £55m worth of deals finalised on Monday have helped establish a Premier League summer spending spree of £835m – smashing the previous record, set last year, of £630m.

Despite that deadline day was a relatively modest affair. The £55m that changed hands yesterday was miserly compared to the £85m that was spent on the final day of last summer's transfer window, but nonetheless there were plenty of eye-catching moves made by managers at the 11th hour.

Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal completed the signing of two players, Dutchman Daley Blind arriving from Ajax on a £13.8m move and Colombian striker Radamel Falcao signing from Monaco on a season-long loan that includes an option for United to buy the 28-year-old at the end of the loan period.

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"I am delighted to be joining Manchester United on loan this season," said Falcao, perhaps not surprisingly given that he'll reputedly been earning £265,000 a week at Old Trafford after United agreed to pay the French club a staggering £24m for his services for just one season. Van Gaal was also cock-a-hoop with the deal, describing Falcao as "one of the most prolific goalscorers in the game... his appearance-to-goal ratio speaks for itself and, when a player of this calibre becomes available, it is an opportunity not to be missed".

After crunching the Deloitte figures, BBC Sport reports that the £150m spent by United this summer is the "highest gross transfer spend in a single window by any club".

But it wasn't one-way traffic at Old Trafford. Other major moves involving United on Monday saw Mexican striker Javier Hernandez going on loan for a season at Real Madrid, while Danny Welbeck is now an Arsenal player after agreeing a £16m move shortly before the window closed last night.

Welbeck became Arsene Wenger's fifth signing of the summer following Mathieu Debuchy, Alexis Sanchez, David Ospina and Calum Chambers and brings their summer spending spree to £82m.

Also on Monday:

• Manchester City loaned Alvaro Negredo to Valencia for the season while Micah Richards has also been farmed out to Fiorentina.
• Hull earned the title of busiest Premier League club, landing Palermo striker Abel Hernandez for what is believed to be a club-record £10m. They also secured the services of Southampton's Gaston Ramirez, Mo Diame from West Ham and Hatem Ben Arfa from Newcastle. "Hatem is a superb addition to the squad, and brings a lot of attacking flare," said Hull boss Steve Bruce.
• Southampton took their summer spending to £74.9m with the signing of central defender Toby Alderweireld from Atletico Madrid on loan. "He played in the top league in Spain and against top teams in Europe, so he has a lot of confidence and experience, and he has a big future because he is still young," said Saints' boss Ronald Koeman. In addition Southampton snapped up 22-year-old Senegalese winger Sadio Mane from Red Bull Salzburg.
• Crystal Palace set a new club transfer record with the signing of £7m Wigan midfielder James McArthur.
• West Ham United signed a one year deal for Morgan Amalfitano, the 29-year-old French midfielder joining from Marseille after spending last season on loan at WBA.
• Finally, Tottenham signed midfielder Benjamin Stambouli, 24, from French side Montpellier while loaning Lewis Holtby to Hamburg for the season and selling Under-21 forward, Jonathan Obika to Swindon Town. The Lilywhites also sold Sandro to QPR for an undisclosed fee.