Manchester City went big again in the January transfer window and will hope it reaps more rewards than last year.
City was the biggest spender as Premier League clubs dominated the midseason window — splashing out a reported $115 million on Antoine Semenyo and Marc Guehi to boost its four-pronged trophy pursuit. Last year City spent more than $200 million in a bid to salvage its campaign but still ended up emptyhanded for the first time in eight years.
City's outlay in this window was less but still represented a big chunk of the spending from England's top flight, which was around $500 million, according to stats website Transfermarkt.
Premier League clubs outspent their rivals in Spain, Italy, France and Germany.
Crystal Palace signed Wolverhampton striker Jorgen Strand Larsen on deadline day for a club record fee, reportedly up to $65 million.
Last year's Champions League winner Paris Saint-Germain was quiet during the window but looked to the future with the signing of 18-year-old midfielder Dro Fernández from Barcelona. The most eye-catching signing in France was Lyon's loan deal for Brazil forward Endrick from Real Madrid, who scored a hat trick in only his second game for his new club.
One of the biggest moves of deadline day came in Saudi Arabia, where Karim Benzema swapped Al-Ittihad for league leader Al-Hilal.
The windows in England, France, Germany and Italy closed at 1900 GMT, with Spain continuing until 2259 GMT.
Premier League champion Liverpool is already planning for next season after its title defense unraveled early. Liverpool secured a deal for French defender Jeremy Jacquet, who will join from Rennes in the summer.
Palace was the second biggest spender in England with a reported outlay of around $105 million, following the signing of Strand Larsen.
The London club's defense of the FA Cup came to an end in humiliating fashion at the hands of non-league Macclesfield last month. Palace also had to cope with the departure of captain Guehi to Man City, while manager Oliver Glasner announced he is leaving at the end of the season.
Striker Jean-Philippe Mateta was also expected to leave in this window, but reports on Monday said a move to AC Milan fell through.
The signing of Strand Larsen followed a deal for Brennan Johnson and the loan of Evann Guessand.
“I’m coming in to hopefully help win some games and bring the team back to where it was at the start of the season, because obviously that was amazing,” Strand Larsen said.
Wolves made late moves for England midfielder Angel Gomes on loan and striker Adam Armstrong. Sunderland signed Ecuador winger Nilson Angulo, Chelsea winger Tyrique George went to Everton on loan and Luca Netz joined Nottingham Forest.
Man City midfielder Kalvin Phillips went on loan to second-tier Sheffield United on Monday.
Atletico Madrid signed Nigeria forward Ademola Lookman from Atalanta on deadline day and Mexico midfielder Obed Vargas from Seattle Sounders.
Atletico previously sold midfielder Conor Gallagher to Tottenham and let Giacomo Raspadori go to Atalanta.
Also, Barcelona brought back full back João Cancelo on a loan from Al-Hilal, while veteran goalkeeper Marc-André Ter Stegen, who lost his position as a starter to Joan García, was sent to fellow Catalan club Girona on loan.
Real Madrid stayed quiet, with its only transaction being the loan of young Brazil forward Endrick to Lyon.
Defending Italian champion Napoli signed Alisson Santos from Sporting Lisbon on loan on deadline day, with an option to make it a permanent deal.
Italian teams were very active during the window. Napoli reportedly spent $37 million, and Lazio topped that with an outlay of $43 million on five signings, including Kenneth Taylor for $20 million.
AC Milan, Inter and Juventus were restrained with their business.
The most talked about transfer of the winter window in France was the arrival in Lyon of 19-year-old Endrick, who was barely used by Madrid. Lyon also gave itself more attacking options with the arrival on loan of the much-traveled Ukrainian international forward Roman Yaremchuk.
Paris FC made headlines with a deal bringing Italy striker Ciro Immobile from Bologna. The 35-year-old Immobile committed to the club until the end of the season, with an option for an additional year.
Marseille landed Algeria midfielder Himad Abdelli on Monday. Marseille previously registered the arrivals of Netherlands midfielder Quinten Timber and 18-year-old winger Ethan Nwaneri on loan from Arsenal.
Leipzig signed two players on Monday: Germany youth international Brajan Gruda on loan from Brighton and 18-year-old winger Ayodele Thomas from PSV Eindhoven.
Cologne signed Felipe Chavez from Bayern Munich on loan and Borussia Monchengladbach secured a loan deal for Hugo Bolin from Malmo.
AP Sports Writers Ciaran Fahey in Berlin, Tales Azzoni in Madrid and Samuel Petrequin contributed.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Manchester City's Marc Guehi runs out onto the pitch ahead of making his debut for City, as he takes part in the warm up before the start of of the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester City and Wolverhampton Wanderers in Manchester, England, Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Ian Hodgson)
HELSINGBORG, Sweden (AP) — NATO allies and defense officials expressed bewilderment Friday at U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement that he would send 5,000 U.S. troops to Poland just weeks after ordering the same number of forces pulled out of Europe.
The apparent change of mind came after weeks of statements from Trump and his administration about reducing — not increasing — the U.S. military footprint in Europe. Trump's initial order set off a flurry of action among military commanders and left allies already doubtful about America's commitment to Europe's security to ponder what forces they might have to backfill on NATO's eastern flank with Russia and Ukraine.
Earlier this month, the Trump administration said it was reducing levels in Europe by about 5,000 troops, and U.S. officials confirmed about 4,000 service members were no longer rotating into Poland from Germany. The dispatch to Germany of U.S. personnel trained to fire long-range missiles was also halted.
But in a post on Truth Social on Thursday, Trump said he would now send "an additional 5,000 Troops to Poland,” citing his strong ties with Polish President Karol Nawrocki, whom Trump endorsed in elections last year.
“It is confusing indeed, and not always easy to navigate,” Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard told reporters Friday at a meeting she was hosting of her NATO counterparts, including U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Ministers from the Netherlands and Norway were sanguine about Trump’s latest move, as was Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braže, who said allies knew the U.S. troop “posture was being reconsidered, and now there is no change of posture. For now.”
U.S. defense officials also expressed confusion. “We just spent the better part of two weeks reacting to the first announcement. We don’t know what this means either,” said one of two officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military matters.
But Rubio said Washington’s allies understand that changes in the U.S. troop presence in Europe will come as the Trump administration reevaluates its force needs. “I think there’s a broad recognition that there are going to be eventually less U.S. troops in Europe than there has historically been for a variety of reasons,” he said.
The latest surprise came despite a U.S. pledge to coordinate troop deployments, including one from NATO’s top military officer, U.S. Lt. Gen. Alex Grynkewich, on Wednesday.
Trump's initial announcement that he would withdraw troops came as he fumed over remarks by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who said that the U.S. was being “humiliated” by the Iranian leadership and criticized what he called a lack of strategy in that war.
Trump told reporters that the U.S. would be cutting even more than 5,000 and also announced new tariffs on European cars. Germany is the continent’s biggest auto producer.
Rubio insisted that Trump’s decision “is not a punitive thing. It’s just something that’s ongoing.”
About 80,000 U.S. troops are stationed in Europe. The Pentagon is required to keep at least 76,000 troops and major equipment on the continent unless NATO allies are consulted and there is a determination that such a withdrawal is in U.S. interests.
The withdrawal of 5,000 troops might drop numbers below that limit.
But Trump's latest post suggests that troop numbers in Europe would not change. Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski welcomed the decision to send more forces to his country, saying it ensures that “the presence of American troops in Poland will be maintained more or less at previous levels.”
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte also welcomed the move. On Thursday, before Trump took to Truth Social again, Rutte had underlined that it was important for Europe to take care of its own security. “We have a process in place. This is normal business,” he told reporters.
At NATO headquarters in Brussels, meanwhile, U.S. officials briefed the allies on the Pentagon's aims for its commitments to the NATO Force Model, which involves contingency planning for Europe’s defense in the event of serious security concerns. It was widely expected that a further reduction of U.S. forces would be coming.
Asked whether any cuts were announced, Rutte said: “I’m afraid it’s much more complicated than that.” He said the procedure “is highly classified” and declined to give details.
Rubio played down concerns about a shift in U.S. force levels in Europe, saying: "Every country has to constantly reevaluate what their needs are, what their commitments are around the world, and how to properly structure that.”
Cook reported from Brussels. Associated Press writer Emma Burrows in London contributed.
United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks with journalists during a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Helsingborg, Sweden, Friday, May 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, Pool)
United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio, front second left, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, front left, speak with each other during a group photo at a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Helsingborg, Sweden, Friday, May 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, Pool)
United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio, left, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte look at each other as they deliver a statement during a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Helsingborg, Sweden, Friday, May 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, Pool)
Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braže speaks at the doorstep of the NATO foreign ministers' meeting at Sea U in Helsingborg, Sweden, Friday, May 22, 2026. (Johan Nilsson/TT News Agency via AP)
United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio, left, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte deliver a statement during a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Helsingborg, Sweden, Friday, May 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, Pool)
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte speaks to media at the NATO Foreign Ministers' meeting in Helsingborg, Sweden, Friday, May 22, 2026. (Johan Nilsson/TT News Agency via AP)
Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrives with his wife Jeanette at Malmo Airport, Friday, May 22, 2026, in Malmo-Sturup, Sweden, ahead of a NATO foreign ministers meeting. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, Pool)
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, second from left, shakes hands with Prime Minister of Sweden Ulf Kristersson, as he is greeted by King Carl Gustaf of Sweden, Queen Silvia of Sweden and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sweden Maria Malmer Stenergard, right, before a dinner at Sofiero Castle in Helsingborg, Sweden, Thursday May 21 2026. (Johan Nilsson/TT News Agency via AP)
Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard speaks to media at the NATO Foreign Ministers' meeting in Helsingborg, Sweden, Friday, May 22, 2026. (Johan Nilsson/TT News Agency via AP)
