A FRENZIED last day of football’s transfer window featured West Ham United doing some extraordinary business and Manchester United, strangely, doing none at all. But, perhaps inevitably, most of the drama was being played out at Stamford Bridge as Chelsea attempted to secure the signature of Ashley Cole from Arsenal right up to the midnight deadline.

An outline deal had been agreed between the clubs by lunchtime but, as the minutes ticked away and negotiations continued, there were growing fears that the move may not be completed in time, leaving Cole stuck at a club he is so desperate to leave that he has written a book all about falling out of love with them.

After months of haggling, Roman Abramovich, the Chelsea owner, had sanctioned a compromise deal that would result in Arsenal taking William Gallas and £5 million in exchange for the England full back. Both players had left their respective international camps for medicals, Cole visiting a private hospital in Rochdale, and there had also been detailed discussions about personal terms, but talks continued until the eleventh hour.

Failure to complete the deal would be a calamity for all parties. Gallas is so determined to leave Chelsea that he has been refusing to play for the champions, while Cole’s relationship with Arsenal fans is at rock bottom — even before publication of his explosive memoirs. Jonathan Barnett, his agent, is due to face a Football Association disciplinary commission at the end of the month.

Barnett is accused of inducing his client to break his contract, the charges arising from the notorious meeting with Chelsea in January 2005 that was the subject of an FA Premier League inquiry.

Arsenal at least managed to complete one piece of business, concluding a swap deal that takes José Antonio Reyes to Real Madrid in exchange for Júlio Baptista, the Brazil attacking midfield player. Both players move on a one-year loan with a view to a permanent transfer.

Buoyed by a television deal worth £1.7 billion which secures their income until 2010, Barclays Premiership clubs set about a busy last day before the transfer window closed. West Ham undoubtedly concluded the most spectacular coup by signing two highly regarded Argentina internationals.

In a deal with echoes of Ricky Villa and Osvaldo Ardiles joining Tottenham Hotspur more than two decades ago, Carlos Tévez and Javier Mascherano, two of South America’s finest talents, moved to Upton Park. The idea of Tévez, pictured right, and Marlon Harewood in attacking partnership is intriguing, to say the least.

West Ham fans will simply enjoy the sight of Tévez and Mascherano in claret and blue, but others will speculate as to the precise nature of the transfers.

The East End club talked of permanent deals rather than loans from Corinthians, the Brazilian club, but they may be considering that Media Sports Investment, which owns Corinthians, tried to take over West Ham last year. There has already been talk of both players joining Chelsea or Manchester United next summer if they adapt well to the Barclays Premiership.