Chelsea have confirmed the arrival of a new deadline day signing - 17 hours after the transfer window officially shut.
The Blues had a relatively busy transfer deadline day compared to other clubs, and were able to loan out Joao Felix, Axel Disasi, Carney Chukwuemeka and Ben Chilwell before the window closed at 11pm on Monday.
That left room for at least one incoming, though manager Enzo Maresca said he could not give any details when interviewed by Sky Sports after Chelsea's 2-1 win over West Ham.
Behind the scenes, though, the Blues were said to be working on a move for 19-year-old French midfielder Mathis Amougou, who has played 17 games in Ligue 1 this season.
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It was reported on deadline day that Chelsea had agreed a £12 million deal to sign the midfielder, with initial plans involving a loan move to Strasbourg until the end of the season.
Now, Chelsea have confirmed that they did manage to strike a deal for Amougou in time, with the 19-year-old signing an eight-and-a-half year contract at Stamford Bridge.
It is unclear as to when Chelsea officially completed the signing, though clubs can submit a deal sheet between the hours of 9pm and 11pm containing signatures of the player and both clubs if extra time is needed. Special dispensation is usually granted by the relevant governing bodies in these cases.
Speaking to Chelsea's official website, Amougou said: "I'm very happy. It's an honour for me to sign for such a big club like Chelsea.
"They believe in young players and the process they have in place to develop us is fantastic."
Amougou joins a Blues side who are currently in fourth place in the Premier League, having collected 43 points from their last 24 games.
Maresca's side are ninth in the form table over the last 10 games, but will hope that they can turn a corner with their 2-1 win over West Ham and recapture their early-season form that saw them tipped as surprise title contenders.
Topics: Chelsea, Transfers, Premier League
Ryan Smart