Tottenham closed the window by raiding Chelsea twice. Mykhailo Mudryk arrives on loan until the end of the season, and centre-back Tosin Adarabioyo has signed permanently in a deal worth up to £12m.
There is an option attached to Mudryk's loan. Spurs can make it permanent next summer for £75m, which tells you roughly how the two clubs value a player who has not kicked a ball in a competitive match since November 2024.
De Zerbi is reunited with a player he already knows
Roberto de Zerbi coached Mudryk at Shakhtar Donetsk before the winger's £61m move to Stamford Bridge in 2023. He pushed for this one.
"Having worked with Misha earlier in his career, I know exactly what he can bring to our team," De Zerbi said. "He has the quality to change a game with his speed and ability in one-vs-one situations, and is an exciting, attacking talent."
He was careful not to oversell it. "I will demand a lot from Misha and it is our job to help him find the best version of himself. If we do that then he can become a very important player for us."
Mudryk, now 25, sounded relieved more than anything.
"It's a great feeling and I can't wait to start training and playing for the club," he said. "I'm a player who brings speed and creativity, and I want to help in both the offensive and defensive areas. I want to make the fans excited."
Two years lost to a doping case
Mudryk was tested out of competition while on international duty with Ukraine in October 2024. The sample returned an adverse finding for meldonium, and he was provisionally suspended.
The FA handed down the maximum four-year ban. He appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, and on 31 July 2026 the case was resolved: proceedings closed, Mudryk accepted an anti-doping rule breach, and agreed to a suspension equal to the time he had already served. He was free to play immediately.
He has always maintained he never knowingly took a banned substance. On his return he called it "the most difficult period" of his career.
His only football since was a friendly against Juventus in Hong Kong on Chelsea's pre-season tour. Xabi Alonso left him out of the squads for Fulham, Brighton and the Carabao Cup tie with Luton.
How Spurs ended up in this race
Not first choice, and Tottenham would not pretend otherwise. They wanted Iliman Ndiaye, who went to Manchester City instead. They tried for Liverpool's Cody Gakpo and got nowhere. Chelsea had already turned down at least one offer from Leeds for Mudryk before Spurs came in late.
Across three and a half years at Chelsea, Mudryk managed 10 goals and 11 assists in 73 appearances. He scored his first in October 2023, nine months after arriving, and finished his first full season with seven goals and four assists. Four managers came and went in that time: Graham Potter, who signed him, then Frank Lampard, Mauricio Pochettino and Enzo Maresca.
Adarabioyo is Spurs' tenth signing of the summer
The 28-year-old joined Chelsea from Fulham in 2024 and made 70 appearances. He replaces Kevin Danso, who has gone to Sunderland on loan.
"I'm in an important part of my career and speaking to the head coach and knowing the type of football he wants to play, I think it's a very good fit," Adarabioyo said. "He wants the team to play with courage and that's something that I always look to do."
Ten signings, over £300m spent. Tottenham have finished 17th in each of the last two seasons, and the squad has been rebuilt accordingly.
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