LONDON: Manchester United dominated Europe’s transfer activity as the transfer deadline window . shut on Monday, manager Louis van Gaal taking his summer spending spree to more than 150 million pounds ($249 million).

The former Netherlands coach, without a Premier League win this season and hammered 4-0 by third tier MK Dons in a League Cup match last week, signed versatile Dutch international Daley Blind for 14 million pounds ($23.25 million) from Ajax.

Rumours swirled that the move for Radamel Falcao had gone awry over a failed medical exam as the deadline closed on Monday, but the Colombian striker’s one-year loan deal with an option to buy was finally announced some 90 minutes later.

Blind, 24, signed a four-year deal and reunites with Van Gaal after working with the Dutchman at Ajax and the Netherlands national team.

United recouped $27 million by selling striker Danny Welbeck to Arsenal on Monday, while another forward, Javier Hernandez, went on a season-long loan to Real Madrid.

United’s dealings dominated the headlines on a day when English clubs took their close-season spending soaring past 800 million pounds — a Premier League record.

United’s cross-town rivals Manchester City parted company with Micah Richards and Alvaro Negredo.

Youth-team graduate Richards joined Fiorentina on a season-long loan with an option to buy, ending a 13-year association with the club. Spain striker Alvaro Negredo moved to Valencia in a similar deal, only a year after arriving from Sevilla in a 20 million pound transfer.

Published in Dawn, September 3rd, 2014