Five Deadline Day transfers you might have missed

The 2026 January transfer window has officially slammed shut for every club in Europe’s top five leagues, with teams now forced to wait until the summer before signing any additional reinforcements.

The final day of the window was predictably hectic and a number of eye-catching transfers were finalised as the deadline approached.

Below, FootballTransfers runs through five Deadline Day deals you might have missed.

Brajan Gruda – Brighton to RB Leipzig (Loan)

The first major Deadline Day deal in Europe’s top five leagues saw Brajan Gruda leave Brighton & Hove Albion in order to complete a six-month loan move to RB Leipzig.

The 21-year-old is targeting a place in Germany’s World Cup squad and he was permitted to leave the AMEX Stadium on a temporary basis in order to improve his game time for the remainder of the campaign.

However, while Fabian Hurzeler has described the transfer as “a good move for all parties”, Gruda’s exit has left Brighton extremely short in regards to winger options, with Yankuka Minteh and Kaoru Mitoma their only natural options out wide.

Ademola Lookman – Atalanta to Atletico Madrid (€35m)

Ademola Lookman was widely tipped to secure a move to Galatasaray during the winter window, however Atletico Madrid won the race for his signature by lodging a successful €35m bid on Deadline Day.

The Nigeria international was unable to leave Atalanta last summer, despite submitting a transfer request, while his relationship with the club soured further after a touchline spat with head coach Ivan Juric in November.

Lookman’s form on the pitch this campaign has also been a concern and Atletico Madrid will be hoping to help him return to his electric best following his arrival at the Wanda Metropolitano.

Allan Saint-Maximin – Club America to RC Lens (Free Transfer)

Former Newcastle United winger Allan Saint-Maximin has returned to Europe with Ligue 1 outfit RC Lens after a six-month spell with Club America in Mexico.

He confirmed his departure from the club by mutual consent after saying his children were the subject of racist abuse and he has returned to his homeland nine years after leaving for Newcastle.

Saint-Maximin is still only 28 years old and he could prove to be a shrewd signing for Lens if he is able to consistently deliver on his potential.

Angel Gomes – Marseille to Wolves (Loan)

Angel Gomes has been linked with a return to the Premier League ever since he left Manchester United in 2020 and he has finally moved back to England after a successful stint in France.

The England midfielder was expected to play a key role at Marseille following his arrival at the club on a Bosman deal last summer, but he didn’t start a single Champions League match this term and he has now departed for Wolves.

Gomes has joined the Premier League strugglers on an initial loan deal to bolster their bid for survival, but the transfer also includes an option to purchase him permanently for just €7m.

Axel Disasi – Chelsea to West Ham (Loan)

Axel Disasi was in talks over a move to West Ham for the entire final week of the winter window, but the deal wasn’t formally announced until past 23:00 BST on Deadline Day.

Chelsea were keen to sell the Frenchman on a permanent deal after failing to offload him last summer, but they were forced to accept another loan move following a temporary spell at Aston Villa during the second half of last season.

Disasi hasn’t played a competitive first-team match of football since Villa’s 2-1 defeat versus Manchester City last April, however his arrival on loan will help Nuno Espirito Santo’s side in their bid to avoid relegation back to the Championship.

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