Marouane Fellaini Joins Manchester United from Everton for £27.5m

Manchester United have completed the transfer of Marouane Fellaini from Everton for £27.5m, beating the transfer deadline by a matter of minutes.

News of the deal was not broken until after the window officially closed at 11am. United have confirmed Fellaini has signed a five-year deal, but details of his salary have not been disclosed.

Earlier, reports suggested that Fellaini had handed in a transfer request at Everton, in an attempt to force a move to Old Trafford - and a reunion with David Moyes, the manager who brought him to Goodison Park in 2008.

Everton announced the signings of Gareth Barry from Manchester City and James McCarthy from Wigan Athletic in the closing minutes of the window, as they prepare for life after Fellaini on Merseyside.

Fellaini, who began his senior career at Standard Liege, scored 25 goals in 141 appearances for Everton and became a fans' favourite during his five years at the club.

Renowned for his distinctive hairstyle and powerful style of play, the Belgian can play in either defensive or attacking midfield and will offer new options for David Moyes in his first season as manager at Old Trafford.

Moyes has publicly courted a number of midfielders in his attempts to reinforce United's squad this summer, only to see a number of bids rejected.

United have received fierce criticism for their failure to sign Thiago Alcantara, Cesc Fabregas and Daniele De Rossi, with many fans including Moyes and new Old Trafford chief executive Edward Woodward of submitting bids far beneath the players' true valuations.

United have been ridiculed for their last-minute attempts to sign Athletic Bilbao's Spanish midfielder Ander Herrera, with some journalists claiming the 'delegation' who travelled to Spain to negotiate the transfer on the English club's behalf were in fact imposters.