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IF a week is a long time in politics, 24 hours can be life-changing in football. Not just any 24 hours, but the final gripping spasms of the transfer window. Rarely has so much action off the field acted as a window on shifting fortunes off it.
If Arsenal created the most striking deadline headline by landing Mesut Ozil, it's tempting to see the bigger story unfolding in the background of hairline cracks appearing in the edifice of Manchester United.
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So much went so wrong for the champions, on the last day of dealing, as it has throughout the transfer window, that the eventual signing of Marouane Fellaini felt like a consolation prize - and an expensive one at that.
When David Moyes succeeded Sir Alex Ferguson there was strong talk from within United of a "statement signing" to stamp the new man's authority - and that of Ed Woodward, the club's new CEO.
Instead, after the forlorn pursuit of various names including Cesc Fabregas, United just looked bewildered and then out of their depth on the final day.
The pursuit of Athletic Bilbao's Ander Herrera became mired in farce - not just in trying to persuade Atletico to take a fee lower than Herrera's buyout clause, but in the bizarre involvement of a gang of officials who tried to seal the deal in Spain but were denounced as imposters by the English club.
Unfairly that just adds to the sense that United's aura is shrinking. After a limp start to the season, United's need for outstanding creativity sits uneasily with Moyes's purchase of Fellaini - imposing and skilful but no Fabregas, let alone no Ozil.
The great irony is that the growing list of names that Arsene Wenger had chased and lost for Arsenal was becoming the story of the off-season - but in one fell swoop Arsene the Ascetic has become Wenger the Spender, and made United look bumbling by comparison.
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Ozil is indisputably world class, and exciting enough to mute suggestions that what Wenger needed most of all was a top drawer striker.
You could argue that Arsenal created rather alot of chances last season that went unfinished, but his signing adds more than just creativity - it harks back to that of Dennis Bergamp in 1995, a move that changed perceptions of Arsenal. Finally Wenger's team are buyers again, not just sellers.
There is a similar well of optimism at Liverpool, thanks to the club's best start to a season since 1994 and the fact they faced down Luiz Suarez and won.
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On deadline day Liverpool spent again, though with little fanfare - acquiring central defenders Mamadou Sakho and Tiago Ilori plus winger Victor Moses on loan from Chelsea.
But most of Brendan Rodgers' spending for Liverpool was done earlier in the window, as it was with Chelsea, Tottenham and Manchester City.
The fact that so few clubs felt the need to go to the wire - Real Madrid's purchase of Gareth Bale was finally confirmed late on but Spurs had already bought seven players against the money they knew was coming for Bale - just highlighted United's indecision.
One window does not make a season, but the uncertainty of transition was already lapping around the feet of Moyes and United. In 24 hours the pressure accruing on Wenger has shifted north to Old Trafford.
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