UEFA Champions League transfer round-up

Note: UEFA Champions League teams must declare their group stage squad to UEFA by 24.00CET on Thursday night as per regulation 18.13(e).

Chelsea FC left it late to secure the services of Raul Meireles from Liverpool FC on a four-year contract. The Blues announced the deal for the Portugal midfielder a matter of minutes before the transfer window closed at midnight CET. Meireles joins a little over a year to the day since he moved to Liverpool for €14m from FC Porto. The 28-year-old scored the winner at Stamford Bridge in Liverpool's 1-0 Premier League victory in February.

One midfielder who has exited Chelsea is Yossi Benayoun. The 31-year-old moved from west to north London to link up with Arsenal FC on loan until the end of the season. Benayoun left Liverpool for Chelsea last summer but ruptured an Achilles on international duty for Israel in October, forcing him to miss six months of the campaign.

Benayoun will compete for a place in the Arsenal midfield with Mikel Arteta, who finalised a reported €11.3m switch from Everton FC at the eleventh hour. Arteta, 29, has committed to a four-year deal and his arrival concluded a busy day of activity for the Gunners, who earlier agreed terms with SV Werder Bremen to sign Germany centre-back Per Mertesacker.

The 26-year-old, who has 75 international caps, joined after eight seasons playing in the Bundesliga. He helped his country to the semi-finals of the 2006 and 2010 FIFA World Cups as well as the UEFA EURO 2008 showpiece.

That was announced after deals for Fenerbahçe SK defender André Santos and striker Park Chu-Young from AS Monaco FC were completed. A Brazilian international, Santos, 28, has agreed a long-term contract with the north Londoners. "Santos is a quality player with the ability to defend well and help with attacks," said manager Arsène Wenger. Park, the South Korea captain, scored 25 goals in 91 Ligue 1 appearances for Monaco.

Two-time UEFA Champions League winner Owen Hargreaves has signed a one-year contract with Manchester City FC. The 30-year-old former FC Bayern München midfielder joins Roberto Mancini's side after being released by Manchester United FC at the end of last season following a series of injuries. Hargreaves made just four league appearances in his last three seasons with United.

French champions LOSC Lille Métropole have landed England midfielder Joe Cole on loan from Liverpool FC for the rest of the season. Cole, 29, joined Liverpool last summer after winning three Premier League titles with Chelsea FC. The former West Ham United FC playmaker also appeared for Chelsea in the 2008 UEFA Champions League final. He made 20 Premier League and 11 UEFA Europa League appearances for Liverpool last term.

Lille have also snapped up Poland striker Ireneusz Jeleń on a free transfer. The former Wisla Plock player has moved to Lille on a one-year deal having scored 48 goals in 140 Ligue 1 games during five seasons with AJ Auxerre. "I'm delighted to join Lille," he said. "Having met them in the past, I know their quality."

French full-back Mouhamadou Dabo has returned to his homeland to join Olympique Lyonnais on a four-year contract from Sevilla FC. "The fee amounts to €1m plus €800,000m of incentives," said a Lyon statement. The 24-year-old previously played 116 league matches over six seasons for AS Saint-Étienne before moving to Spain in 2010.

Lyon have also signed Le Havre AC defensive midfielder Gueïda Fofana, who captained semi-finalists France to acclaim at the FIFA U-20 World Cup having aided their UEFA European Under-19 Championship win last year. The 20-year-old's contract runs until 2015 following his €1.8m switch, which could rise to €2.6m. Meanwhile, Miralem Pjanić has moved to AS Roma.

APOEL FC, whose defender Christos Kontis may not play again after a heart attack on Tuesday, have signed Brazilian Kaká on a one-year deal from Hertha BSC Berlin with a two-season option. Last term the 30-year-old was loaned to SC Braga, helping them to the UEFA Europa League final. The Cypriot side have also added 28-year-old former FC Barcelona goalkeeper Urko Pardo, who spent last season on loan to Olympiacos FC, from FC Rapid Bucureşti, and Tunisia midfielder Tijani Belaid, 23, from Hull City AFC. Both have signed two-year deals after moving for undisclosed fees.

Back in the group stage for the first time since 2002/03, KRC Genk have strengthened with the acquisition of Leandro Grimi on a season-long loan from Sporting Club de Portugal. The 26-year-old left-back has previously played for CA Huracán and Racing Club in his native Argentina and AC Milan and AC Siena.

Antonio Nocerino has moved to AC Milan on a five-year deal from US Città di Palermo for an undisclosed fee. The 26-year-old has been capped six times by Italy and will bolster the Rossoneri midfield after Mathieu Flamini was this week ruled out for around six months with a knee injury.

Having sold Pavel Nekhaychik to FC Dinamo Moskva, FC BATE Borisov have brought in experienced striker Mateja Kežman from South China AA. "The Borisov outfit have become a familiar name in Europe during the last four years," said the 32-year-old, whose former employers include PSV Eindhoven, Chelsea FC and Paris Saint-Germain FC.

Olympiacos FC have added three new faces to their squad/ Cameroon defensive midfielder Jean Makoun has joined on a one-year loan from Aston Villa FC with a view to a permanent move. Speaking at his presentation on Monday, the 28-year-old said: "I came to a big club and my aim is to help them become even bigger. The determination of Olympiacos's administration to sign me was a key factor in my decision to come to Greece." Makoun previously played UEFA Champions League football for Lille and Lyon.

Meanwhile, defensive midfielder Pablo Orbaiz has come on a one-year loan from Athletic Club and right winger Djamel Abdoun has left Kavala FC for Athens on a three-year deal. "It's a dream for me to be here," said 32-year-old Orbaiz after being reunited with former Athletic coach Ernesto Valverde. Algerian international Abdoun, 25, added: "The only important thing is for the team to win. That is my aim and I will do my best to help Olympiacos."

PFC CSKA Moskva have moved to cover the loss of Igor Akinfeev to a long-term injury by bringing in Vladimir Gabulov as a replacement goalkeeper. Gabulov, 27, moves to the Russian capital from FC Anzhi Makhachkala until the end of the season. The Russian international keeper, who only recently joined Anzhi on a five-year contract, was Akinfeev's understudy at CSKA between 2004 and 2006.

Ignacio Fideleff has left CA Newell's Old Boys to join SSC Napoli for a fee believed to be in the region of 2.2m. The 22-year-old Argentinian defender has only ever played for Newell's in his home country but has now penned a five-year deal with the Partenopei. Fideleff is a left-footed centre-back.

Croatia defender Josip Šimunić has swapped TSG 1899 Hoffenheim for GNK Dinamo Zagreb. Šimunić, 33, has returned to his homeland on a two-year deal. "I thought it was best for me to continue my career at Dinamo Zagreb," he said. "It was a decision based on my sporting ambitions, because of the UEFA Champions League." Dinamo Zagreb captain Igor Bišćan, meanwhile, has signed a new contract that runs until summer 2013.

Spanish Under-21 international Victor Ruiz declared himself "delighted and eager to begin a new challenge" after joining Valencia CF from Napoli for a reported fee of €7.5m. The former RCD Espanyol centre-back has signed a five-year contract. Valencia have also added Antonio Barragán to their squad, with the 24-year-old right-sided defender arriving from Real Valladolid CF in a deal believed to be worth around €1.5m. His contract at Mestalla runs until 30 June 2015.

Villarreal CF have reached an agreement with RCD Mallorca for the services of versatile 23-year-old midfielder Jonathan De Guzman, who arrives in a deal reported to be worth €8m. The Canadian-born former Dutch Under-21 international has agreed a five-year deal.

Trabzonspor AŞ have signed Bursaspor midfielder Volkan Şen for €3.6m. Şen, who signed a four-year contract on Monday, said: "I'm only 24. I want to mature at a big club like Trabzonspor and also want to get back in the national team. I can't wait to play in front of the Trabzonspor fans."

AFC Ajax have signed NEC Nijmegen goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen for €3.2m to provide competition for No1 Kenneth Vermeer. The 22-year-old, who was a member of the Dutch national squad for June's games against Brazil and Uruguay, said: "I think it will be an exciting battle with Kenneth Vermeer over who will become first-choice goalkeeper. We will both have to do our best to become No1."

Dmitri Bulykin has also arrived at the Amsterdam ArenA, putting pen to paper on a one-year deal following a free transfer from RSC Anderlecht. The 31-year-old scored a career-best 21 league goals while on loan at Ajax's Eredivisie rivals, ADO Den Haag, last season.