Paris Saint-Germain secured a last-minute deal with Barcelona on the transfer window's deadline day to lure Brazilian midfielder Rafinha just a few hours after Danilo Pereira joined the French league champion.
The arrival of the talented and experienced pair of midfielders in the French capital city is likely to appease tensions at the club, just days after sports director Leonardo criticised coach Thomas Tuchel last week for suggesting the club was weakened by failing to recruit new players.
Rafinha, the brother of Thiago Alcantara, never managed to cement a starting place at Barcelona and was shipped out on loan to Inter Milan and Celta Vigo on Monday.
PSG said he signed for three seasons. According to Spanish media, he joined as a free agent but the deal includes 3 million euros (USD 3.5 million) in potential bonuses while Barcelona should receive a sell-on fee on the player.
Announced soon after midnight on Tuesday, the transfer came just a few hours after Pereira signed from Porto on a season-long loan with an option to buy.
Following the Tuchel vs Leonardo spat, PSG also secured 20-year-old forward Moise Kean, who on Sunday was loaned from English Premier League club Everton until the end of June.
While Kean's signing was not seen as crucial given PSG's attacking riches, the recruitment of a defensive midfielder such as Pereira was Tuchel's priority. At age 29 and 1.88m tall, he will bring experience and physical strength in midfield alongside smaller-built Marco Verratti and Idrissa Gueye.
Pereira won the 2016 European Championship and the 2019 Nations League with Portugal and has 39 international appearances.
"It's a new challenge for me, and to be part of Paris Saint-Germain fits my ambitions," Pereira said.
"Joining one of the biggest clubs in Europe and in the world is a huge moment in my career, and I hope to be able to bring a lot to Paris and its supporters."
Tuchel, in his third season at PSG, regretted the departures of many important players, including Thiago Silva, Thomas Meunier and Tanguy Kouassi. He said the defending French champions and Champions League runners-up might need to lower expectations this season.
Following its 1-0 loss to Bayern Munich in the Champions League final in August, PSG endured a shaky start to the French league with two losses. Tuchel's team has since bounced back with four straight wins, moving up to fourth.
Meanwhile, Manchester United's search for a striker ended with the signing of veteran free agent striker Edinson Cavani, while Arsenal secured midfielder Thomas Partey from Atletico Madrid before the summer transfer window closed.
The 33-year-old Cavani is prolific, scoring 200 goals in 301 games during seven years at Paris Saint-Germain but he was released at the end of his contract in June. And the Uruguay forward has not played since March and struggled with injury problems in his final season at PSG.
It took Arsenal meeting a 50 million euro (USD 59 million) release clause to sign the 27-year-old Partey, who anchored Atltico's midfield with his strong defensive skills. Mixing speed and strength, the Ghanaian can provide a shield for the Arsenal defence and has an eye for goal.
Solskjaer has been deploying Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and Mason Greenwood up front. The last striker United signed was a backup: Odion Ighalo on deadline day in January.
United's need for reinforcements has been exposed by Solskjaer's side collecting only three points from its first three league games.
