The transfer window is over. Over 150 senior players have been signed by Premier League clubs. Others have moved on to the continent.
Much like every year, a club’s transfer window will likely be judged a success or a failure based on the season that follows — that big-money striker who fires his new side into the Champions League or the huge (and unresolved) hole in defence that means a club slips into a relegation scrap.
But with the window having just closed, we asked The Athletic’s club reporters for their view on how it panned out for their side, and what grade they would give the club’s window.
Arsenal
Who did they sign?
Arsenal made eight summer signings of varied importance. Kepa Arrizabalaga, Christian Norgaard and Cristhian Mosquera represent their need for more squad depth, while Noni Madueke, Martin Zubimendi, Viktor Gyokeres and Eberechi Eze are viewed as the real level-raisers in the team. Adding Piero Hincapie to their defence will also give Mikel Arteta an interesting dynamic on how he can set up the side in different ways.
Arsenal’s squad is now in better shape to deal with the demands of a full season than it was last year, which has already been seen in how Arteta has been able to respond to unexpected injuries this term.
(Alex Pantling/Getty Images)
Who didn’t they sign?
Arsenal will be thankful that they signed most players they went in for this summer. The big dilemma heading into June was whether to sign Gyokeres or Benjamin Sesko, and they went for the former.
How do you grade their transfer window and why?
A-.
Going into the summer, Arsenal had clear areas to address in the squad. They needed to sign a new centre-forward, and did so. They needed to sign a new deep-lying playmaker, and did so too. They needed a creative spark, and found that in Eze. The squad depth signings are improvements on last year’s options.
They could have received a better grade had they made more permanent sales, but as The Athletic explained last week, those are not always easy to get done.
Art de Roché
Aston Villa
Who did they sign?
Villa’s summer was slow-going. They recruited a good upgrade in the backup goalkeeper position in Marco Bizot from Brest, while they pushed the limits of what they could afford to sign versatile forward Evann Guessand.
With Unai Emery desperate for depth, Villa recruited in a target position of right-sided centre-back, signing Victor Lindelof on a free. Separately to Manchester United’s advances for Emiliano Martinez, terms for Jadon Sancho on loan were explored, with Villa agreeing to a season-long loan and to pay around 80 per cent of his salary. Harvey Elliott rounded off Villa’s dealings, agreeing a season-long with an obligation to buy.
Who didn’t they sign?
Several players. Standouts include Sverre Nypan, who joined Manchester City, Jaydee Canvot, who went to Crystal Palace, West Ham’s Lucas Paqueta and Marco Asensio, who signed for Fenerbahce.
How do you grade their transfer window and why?
D.
Villa’s window has been unpredictable. The squad has got smaller, targets were missed and those who have come in are covering replacements for outgoings, with some, such as Sancho, arriving with questions over how they fit at Villa.
Jacob Tanswell
Bournemouth
Who did they sign?
Bournemouth replaced outgoings, including bringing in another goalkeeper from Chelsea in Djordje Petrovic. They also added left-back Adrien Truffert, centre-back Bafode Diakite and wide players Ben Gannon Doak and Amine Adli.
Who didn’t they sign?
A central midfielder. With Philip Billing leaving — an indication of Andoni Iraola’s team undergoing a near-full transition from their promotion-winning side in 2021-22 — Bournemouth are light in the centre of the park. This is illustrated by key starters Ryan Christie and Lewis Cook having no pre-season due to injury, and Alex Scott returning late after European Championship success with England’s under-21s.
How do you grade their transfer window and why?
C.
Bournemouth have made excellent additions. Truffet has adjusted to the Premier League immediately and looks assured. Gannon-Doak injects pace and guile, while Diakite has huge upside. Yet, having said all that, losing four of their back five in Kepa Arrizabalaga, Dean Huijsen, Illia Zabarnyi and Milos Kerkez and having to move on Dango Ouattara will naturally have a destabilising effect.
Jacob Tanswell
Brentford
Who did they sign?
Brentford had a lot of money to spend this summer after selling Bryan Mbeumo and, eventually, Yoane Wissa for a combined total of around £120m. Their most significant piece of business was the signing of Dango Ouattara for a club-record fee of up to £42m from Bournemouth. Antoni Milambo arrived from Feyenoord, Caoimhin Kelleher replaced Mark Flekken as their first-choice goalkeeper, and, in a surprise move, Brentford signed former Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson. They completed their business on deadline day by signing Reiss Nelson on loan from Arsenal with an option to buy.
Who didn’t they sign?
Brentford failed with ambitious moves to sign Omari Hutchinson, Max Beier and Joey Veerman. Beier and Veerman stayed at Borussia Dortmund and PSV, respectively, while Hutchinson joined Nottingham Forest, who are competing in this season’s Europa League.
How do you grade their transfer window and why?
C.
This has been a wild summer for Brentford. Thomas Frank, who had been their head coach for nearly seven years, left to join Spurs, while captain Christian Norgaard joined Arsenal. Mbeumo and Wissa, who scored a combined total of 39 league goals last season, both left too. Ouattara seems like a good signing, but will they have enough firepower to survive under Frank’s inexperienced replacement Keith Andrews?
Jay Harris
Brighton
Who did they sign?
Maxim De Cuyper at left-back, as Pervis Estupinan has gone to Milan. Olivier Boscagli and Diego Coppola provide fresh competition and cover for skipper Lewis Dunk and Jan Paul van Hecke in the centre of defence. Tommy Watson and Charalampos Kostoulas bring youthful potential to the attacking options.
Who didn’t they sign?
Joel Veltman will be 34 in January. He is the only established right-back, with Tariq Lamptey moving to Fiorentina, although academy product Charlie Tasker is a bright prospect. There are numerous options for the role. Mats Wieffer, Jack Hinshelwood and Ferdi Kadioglu can all play there, but it is not their main position.
How do you grade their transfer window and why?
B.
The smart succession planning is proven. The big unknown is the extent to which Kostoulas and fellow Greek youngster Stefanos Tzimas, who was signed at the end of the January window and loaned back to FC Nurnberg, make meaningful contributions in the league.
It is not just down to them, but there are plenty of goals to find following Joao Pedro’s move to Chelsea and a need to avoid key injuries in the front line.
Andy Naylor
Burnley
Who did they sign?
Continuity was key for Scott Parker, with four loanees from last season seeing their moves made permanent: Bashir Humphreys, Marcus Edwards, Jaidon Anthony and Zian Flemming. They added 10 new signings on top of that to add starting quality and depth to the squad. Martin Dubravka, Kyle Walker, Quilindschy Hartman and Lesley Ugochukwu look set to be regulars. Jacob Bruun Larsen has started the last two games at right wing-back, and Florentino Luis, Armando Broja and Loum Tchaouna all could force their way into the team as the season progresses. Goalkeeper Max Weiss will be the No 2 behind Dubravka.
Dubravka is Burnley’s No 1 (Ben Stansall/AFP via Getty Images)
Who didn’t they sign?
Josh Sargent. Norwich City’s striker was of interest to Burnley in the early stages of the window, but the price tag placed on the United States international by the Championship club was considered too high. Burnley moved on to other targets and ended the window happy with the business they had done.
How do you grade their transfer window and why?
B-.
Burnley took a different approach to their recruitment compared to two years ago under Vincent Kompany and addressed the key positions prioritised at the start of the window. They added a blend of experience, young players with Premier League experience, players with Champions League experience and youngsters with potential. They did lose three key players from the promotion side — goalkeeper James Trafford, centre-back CJ Egan-Riley and midfielder Josh Brownhill — but reinforcements have replaced them, and the squad looks balanced.
Andy Jones
Chelsea
Who did they sign?
Chelsea were busy from the get-go, acquiring Liam Delap from Ipswich Town for £30million in the mini-window before their participation at the Club World Cup. Joao Pedro was next through the door, coming from Brighton. The left wing was a priority, which was shown by the purchases of Jamie Gittens and Alejandro Garnacho. Cover for left-back Marc Cucurella has been provided by the acquisition of Jorrel Hato from Ajax, while Facundo Buonanotte arrived from Brighton on deadline day on loan.
There were a few deals that had been done in advance so they could be officially completed this summer. Chief among those was Estevao Willian, who joined for an initial €34m from Palmeiras and is already making an impact. Transfermarkt say that all of it has cost Chelsea €328.16m — another sizeable sum, but offset by a remarkable selling spree worth €332.25m, and that does not include the loan fees, other than Nicolas Jackson’s move to Bayern Munich.
Who didn’t they sign?
Much has been made of Chelsea not signing a specialist centre-back in the window; their thinking was that it had to be the right deal for the right talent. That is why they made a move for Dean Huijsen very early on, but they lost out to Real Madrid. Negotiations with Milan over goalkeeper Mike Maignan collapsed before the Club World Cup over the Serie A club’s asking price. Chelsea admired Hugo Ekitike long before he ended up at Liverpool, but they were unwilling to match Eintracht Frankfurt’s initial €100m valuation.
It seemed like Xavi Simons was heading for Stamford Bridge at one stage, only for Chelsea to never really make RB Leipzig a formal offer, and he ended up at Tottenham instead. A €40m offer was made to Barcelona’s Fermin Lopez with under a week to go, only for Chelsea not to pursue it any further. Hopes of acquiring Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa had ended by this stage after it became clear the player was not for sale.
How do you grade their transfer window and why?
B.
It ended on a bit of a low note, especially with one of their main arrivals in Delap already suffering a hamstring injury. But it should not be forgotten that the squad has far more cover in key positions with Estevao Willian, Andrey Santos (returning from loan), Dario Essugo (completing move from Sporting CP) and Hato to name just four.
Goalkeeper is still a big question mark with the enigma Robert Sanchez remaining first choice, albeit they are hoping Mike Penders can develop on loan at Strasbourg. Widemen Gittens and Garnacho have a lot to prove too, rather than being the finished article. Some will question the mark being too high, but you have to take into account the amount of revenue raised by sales. The departures run well into double figures, and yet of those who left, only Noni Madueke, loanee Jadon Sancho and Jackson can consider themselves to be regulars.
Simon Johnson
Crystal Palace
Who did they sign?
Palace, as they often do, left most of their business until the end of the window.
Their early business consisted of bringing in goalkeeper Walter Benitez as a free transfer after his PSV contract expired in the summer, while left wing-back Borna Sosa was brought in from Ajax for £2million to help cover Tyrick Mitchell. But then came the quiet period. Until the final days of the window, they did not add to their squad, much to manager Oliver Glasner’s frustration. Then came three arrivals. Centre-back Jaydee Canvot joined from Toulouse for an upfront fee of €23million with €3.5m in add-ons, while in attack, Spain international midfielder Yeremy Pino joined from Villarreal for a fee in excess of €25million (£21.5m), and they also brought in Christantus Uche from Getafe on loan with an obligation to buy.
Who didn’t they sign?
Striker Evann Guessand ended up at Aston Villa, while Palace’s exploration of signing Atletico Madrid midfielder Conor Gallagher did not progress beyond initial conversations. Centre-back Ousmane Diomande remained at Sporting CP, and Leicester City’s Bilal El Khannouss ended up at Stuttgart on loan despite Palace’s interest. They sought to bring in Igor Julio from arch-rivals Brighton & Hove Albion, but did not conclude a deal for the centre-back.
How do you grade their transfer window and why?
C.
It would have been worse had they not brought in several players close to the deadline. Glasner explicitly and repeatedly called for early arrivals in order to best prepare his side for the new season, but those calls were not heeded. Losing Eberechi Eze was a blow, but the initial £60million fee received from Arsenal lessened the pain. Palace remain light on numbers, but there will be relief that Marc Guehi did not join Liverpool.
Matt Woosnam
Everton
Who did they sign?
The headline addition is that of Jack Grealish, who joined on a season-long loan from Manchester City earlier this month. Everton have taken on around 75 per cent of the England international’s £300,000 a week wages, with the overall package close to £12million. The Merseyside club also completed a deadline-day move for Freiburg’s Merlin Rohl, with the Germany Under-21 midfielder joining on a season-long loan. The deal contains a €20m purchase obligation.
Tyler Dibling arrived for an initial £35m from Southampton, Thierno Barry £27.5m (plus add-ons) from Villarreal, while Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s move from Chelsea cost £25m. Carlos Alcaraz’s loan from Flamengo was made permanent for a fee of £12.5m. Left-back Adam Aznou and backup goalkeepers Mark Travers and Tom King also joined as part of a squad overhaul.
Who didn’t they sign?
Lots of targets, according to manager David Moyes. Francisco Conceicao and Johan Bakayoko were among the right-wing targets to go elsewhere, joining Juventus and RB Leipzig, respectively. A move for Kenny Tete was close before Fulham offered improved terms.
How do you grade their transfer window and why?
B.
Grealish and Dewsbury-Hall have vastly improved Everton’s options behind the striker, while Dibling is another exciting addition. Barry, meanwhile, is not the finished article, but has shown early flashes of potential.
Moyes said Everton would not be able to “repair all the damage” of past windows in one summer, though, and so it proved. Everton arguably still lack defensive-midfield cover for Idrissa Gueye ahead of December’s AFCON, while a new long-term right-back also eluded them.
Patrick Boyland
Fulham
Who did they sign?
Fulham made four signings. Goalkeeper Benjamin Lecomte was the first to arrive from Montpellier for £500,000. A quiet period followed before they confirmed the signing of Shakhtar Donetsk forward Kevin late on deadline day for a club-record deal surpassing the £34million they paid for Emile Smith Rowe last summer. Samuel Chukwueze and 18-year-old Jonah Kusi-Asare arrived on loan from Milan and Bayern Munich, respectively.
The lack of activity prior to the final hours clearly upset Marco Silva. He said during a press conference on August 22, “At this stage of last season, we had two to three players in. This season, we had a plan, the plan has fallen through. It’s our fault, not active at all. … We have 10 days, in May we had almost three months. We’re still working to correct things we haven’t done in the last three months.”
Who didn’t they sign?
Reiss Nelson, who spent last season at Craven Cottage on loan from Arsenal, was a target for much of the window. The two teams could not agree on a deal, however, and Nelson joined Brentford on a loan deal on Monday. Deadline day brought more drama as Fulham agreed a £22m deal with Chelsea for Tyrique George, who even underwent a medical, but the deal ultimately fell through.
How do you grade their transfer window and why?
C+.
There is merit to not losing your best players from the last two seasons, with Antonee Robinson, Alex Iwobi, Raul Jimenez and Rodrigo Muniz all staying, even if Andreas Pereira, who joined Palmeiras, is a loss. But following tumultuous summers at Newcastle United, Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest, and with Brentford and Bournemouth losing multiple important players, this feels like an opportunity missed for Fulham to build on their recent progress.
Anantaajith Raghuraman
Leeds United
Who did they sign?
Ten players were added for a little over £100million. The biggest fees were spent on centre-back Jaka Bijol, midfielder Anton Stach, goalkeeper Lucas Perri and forward Noah Okafor. Left-back Gabriel Gudmundsson, midfielder Sean Longstaff and full-back James Justin all arrived for between £10m and £15m each. Sebastiaan Bornauw was also added for a little over £5m as a backup centre-back, too. Strikers Lukas Nmecha and Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who will shoulder a significant proportion of the team’s goal burden this season, were also added as free agents.
Who didn’t they sign?
The headline name, which really stings for supporters, is Igor Paixao. The 25-year-old Brazilian winger had the makings of a difference-maker in the Premier League for Leeds, who had terms agreed with him and his club, Feyenoord. However, at the 11th hour, Marseille, who were Paixao’s preferred destination throughout, managed to get close to United’s offer and had it accepted by Feyenoord.
This left Leeds to pick up the pieces, and after they failed to land Fulham’s Rodrigo Muniz, a summer-long primary target in attack, patience began to wear thin with some fans. Facundo Buonanotte was another target Leeds had a flight and medical booked for before he had his head turned by Chelsea at the last minute. On deadline day, Harry Wilson was the final target Leeds had, and Fulham pulled the plug on that deal before the window closed, too. Earlier in the window, Habib Diarra was a midfield target they bid for and ultimately saw go to Sunderland, who were willing to pay significantly more for the Senegal international.
How do you grade their transfer window and why?
C.
They ultimately have not done enough in attack, as Daniel Farke warned. They have effectively replaced Manor Solomon, Mateo Joseph and Largie Ramazani with Nmecha, Calvert-Lewin and Okafor, all of whom have poor injury records and patchy goal outputs over several years. Gudmundsson, Longstaff, Stach and Perri have shown early promise and could be useful additions, but only the former Newcastle man is a known quantity in this league. Could more sales have been secured to generate more investment for incoming players?
Beren Cross
Liverpool
Who did they sign?
This may go down as one of the greatest transfer windows in not only Liverpool’s history, but in Premier League history, with more than £400million spent. They broke their club transfer record twice, first signing Florian Wirtz (a potential £116million) and then adding Alexander Isak (£125million) on deadline day. They were complemented by the additions of goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili, full-backs Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez, centre-back Giovanni Leoni and forward Hugo Ekitike. They may be slightly lighter in attacking depth, but they have increased the individual quality with world-class additions.
Liverpool completed Isak’s signing on deadline day (Nikki Dyer – LFC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Who didn’t they sign?
Marc Guehi. Liverpool thought that they had signed the defender with a fee agreed, personal terms sorted, and a medical completed, only for Crystal Palace to pull the plug at the 11th hour after failing to secure a replacement. It would have upgraded the centre-back options available to head coach Arne Slot, although they do still have depth in the position with Leoni and Joe Gomez backing up Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate.
How do you grade their transfer window and why?
A.
This was a window that Liverpool supporters could only have dreamed of when the summer began. The reigning champions have revamped their squad with significant spending. With the star quality additions, including Isak and Wirtz, they look set to stay at the top for the foreseeable future. They also sold well with significant fees recouped for Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez and Jarell Quansah.
The late Guehi disappointment is the only reason the window isn’t an A+.
Andy Jones
Manchester City
Who did they sign?
City started the window with a flurry, signing Tijjani Reijnders, Rayan Cherki and Rayan Ait-Nouri in time for the Club World Cup. At a combined cost of around £110million, they efficiently sorted the problematic left-back position, added new legs to midfield and identified the creative spark to fill some of the void left by Kevin De Bruyne.
Surprisingly, City then went back into the market for not one but two goalkeepers, splashing £65m on Gianluigi Donnarumma and James Trafford. The prolonged saga over Ederson’s future could surely have been expedited, but at least they have the future of that position sorted with a 26-year-old and a 22-year-old to choose from. The issue City have found is that it is hard to shift senior players on permanent deals when they are under a lucrative contract. Jack Grealish left on loan, and deals could not be found for Stefan Ortega and Manuel Akanji which enticed them enough to leave.
Who didn’t they sign?
A right-back. It is the one glaring omission from this summer’s refresh and, three games in, it looks like an oversight. Rico Lewis struggled against Spurs, and Matheus Nunes gave away the penalty for Brighton to equalise. You can fill the position by committee, but without a specialist, it remains a weak point.
How do you grade their transfer window and why?
B-.
The players they’ve brought in are high quality but the lack of sales and the decision not to recruit a right-back drags their grade down. City brought down the average age of the squad and rectified some of the succession planning decisions that had been put off for too long. They did it at a reasonable cost, too, but they failed to address the most problematic area of the team, and the goalkeeper saga has dragged on for so long that it can’t have helped their start to the season.
They haven’t sold enough players either to satisfy Guardiola’s request for a smaller squad, and now he faces the challenge of managing that harmony, on top of the tactical issues his team are facing.
Jordan Campbell
Manchester United
Who did they sign?
Matheus Cunha was United’s first signing of the summer window, with the club activating his £62.5m release clause from Wolves in early June. Bryan Mbeumo followed in July, joining for an initial fee of £65m from Brentford. Slovenia centre-forward Benjamin Sesko completes the new look United front trio as a £66.4m arrival from RB Leipzig. Senne Lammens was the final incoming of the window. The 23-year-old Belgian goalkeeper was a deadline-day signing, the club paying an initial fee of £18.2m to acquire him from Royal Antwerp.
In addition to this comes Diego Leon, who joins the United setup after previously signing for the club in January. The 18-year-old left back proved a popular dressing room presence during the pre-season tour in America.
Who didn’t they sign?
Carlos Baleba. In early August, it was reported that United enquired about the availability of the Brighton midfielder via intermediaries, before deciding not to proceed with a move a week later. Baleba’s prohibitively high price point may have been the reason behind the decision. Amorim’s team are sorely in need of additional central-midfield options, but the club’s budget was stretched thin following deals for the new-look attack.
How do you grade their transfer window and why?
B.
United have a habit of being “three good signings away from being three good signings away”. The club have made aggressive moves to bolster the attack, and they were proactive in selling the majority of their unwanted fringe players. However, they still finish the window with at least one glaring weakness (central midfield), which will put a ceiling on their success this season.
Carl Anka
Newcastle United
Who did they sign?
This was a slow-burning kind of window, beginning with a sequence of rebuffs and rejections and ending in a flurry, both in and out.
Eddie Howe’s squad is bolstered by the addition of six new faces, filling all of the positions Newcastle identified for strengthening back in May. Anthony Elanga offers pace at right wing, Aaron Ramsdale will push Nick Pope as first-choice goalkeeper, while Jacob Ramsey and Malick Thiaw become options in midfield and central defence respectively. In attack, the late arrival of Nick Woltemade was followed by that of Yoane Wissa on deadline day. As they prepare to compete on four fronts, Newcastle now have better depth, albeit at a cost and not just financially.
Who didn’t they sign?
It is a long list. Liam Delap, Bryan Mbeumo, Joao Pedro, Benjamin Sesko, Hugo Ekitike, Jorgen Strand Larsen and James Trafford are among the players Newcastle targeted and failed to sign. More pertinent, perhaps, is the player they did not hang onto. Alexander Isak became the saga of the summer; losing him means losing one of their few world-class talents.
How do you grade their transfer window and why?
B-.
This feels unusually difficult to judge. On the one hand, Newcastle have filled out their squad and now boast genuine competition for places. On the other, they have definitely overpaid and in selling Isak to Liverpool, they have handed their prized asset to a club they have designs on emulating. Keeping Isak and extending his contract was the priority; back in March, they went on record to say “it would be crazy for us to consider” selling him.
George Caulkin
Nottingham Forest
Who did they sign?
Nottingham Forest brought in a dozen new faces to their squad. Igor Jesus and Arnaud Kalimuendo have added quality up front to support Chris Wood. Dan Ndoye is seen as the replacement for Anthony Elanga, but Forest have also added to their wide options with the addition of Omari Hutchinson and Dilane Bakwa. James McAtee is versatile, but is primarily seen as an attacking midfield/No 10 option. Angus Gunn and John Victor have strengthened the goalkeeper position behind Matz Sels. And the club have addressed Nuno’s gripes about a lack of full-backs by signing three: Nicolo Savona, Cuiabano and Oleksandr Zinchenko.
Who didn’t they sign?
Forest’s full-back search saw them consider — and in some cases attempt to sign — at least half a dozen different players, including Aston Villa’s Matty Cash and, on the final day, Atletico Madrid’s Javi Galan — a deal that looked likely to happen until late on when Forest pivoted to sign Zinchenko. Nuno did not get the reunion he craved with Fulham winger Adama Traore.
How do you grade their transfer window and why?
A-.
In simple terms, Forest have gone from having an excellent starting XI to having an excellent squad. Keeping everyone happy will present a fresh challenge for Nuno, but he is armed with the strength in depth he will need to cope in the Premier League and the Europa League.
Forest could change their entire XI and not drastically weaken their side. They have done impressive business. The only flaw was their timing. Had they done business sooner, they might have avoided the unrest caused by their manager’s public complaints.
Paul Taylor
Sunderland
Who did they sign?
Sunderland’s sizeable battle against the drop has been bolstered by 14 new first-team faces, costing a combined £153.3million with a further £29.8m potentially payable in add-ons.
Habib Diarra, a £27.3m record signing from Strasbourg, heads the new cohort, joined by, in fee order: Simon Adingra (from Brighton), Brian Brobbey (Ajax), Chemsdine Talbi (Club Brugge), Enzo Le Fee (Roma), Noah Sadiki (Union SG), Granit Xhaka (Bayer Leverkusen), Omar Alderete (Getafe), Nordi Mukiele (Paris Saint-Germain), Robin Roefs (NEC Nijmegen), Bertrand Traore (Ajax), Reinildo (Atletico Madrid), Lutsharel Geertruida (RB Leipzig, loan with option to buy), Arthur Masuaku (free transfer) and, erm, Marc Guiu (Chelsea, on loan, already recalled).
Diarra became Sunderland’s record signing (Sathire Kelpa/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images)
Who didn’t they sign?
The main ‘miss’ was Jhon Lucumi, the Bologna centre-back who Sunderland trailed for much of the window and had multiple bids rejected. Geertruida’s deadline-day arrival soothed that blow. Djordje Petrovic was a touted new No 1 but joined Bournemouth. Instead, Roefs, signed for £9m from the Netherlands, already looks an important goalkeeping addition.
How do you grade their transfer window and why?
A.
As play-off winners, Sunderland were the last team to be promoted but moved quickly to beef up a squad which will still view survival as a big achievement. Xhaka, quickly made captain, is an impressive buy; both Diarra and Sadiki offer reams of energy alongside him, while in defence Alderete and Mukiele add experience. The signing of Brobbey, a much-needed striker, on deadline day, alongside Geertruida and Traore, plugged remaining holes.
Whether it proves enough is unknown, but Sunderland have given themselves a fighting chance. It is hard to see how they could have done much more.
Chris Weatherspoon
Tottenham Hotspur
Who did they sign?
Spurs signed three players this summer who immediately improve the starting XI. Mohammed Kudus gives them an extra dimension in attack, Xavi Simons is an exciting young talent who already has a lot of experience, while Joao Palhinha is the No 6 they have desperately craved for the last two seasons. Spurs converted the loans of Mathys Tel and Kevin Danso into permanent deals, Kota Takai adds depth at centre-back, and the deadline-day signing of Randal Kolo Muani gives new head coach Thomas Frank an extra option up front.
They have a better squad than last season, but injuries to James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski and Dominic Solanke have slightly soured the mood.
Who didn’t they sign?
Spurs were bruised by their failure to sign Morgan Gibbs-White from Nottingham Forest, and then Eberechi Eze rejected them in favour of a move to their north London rivals Arsenal. Simons will hopefully solve their creativity issues but he does not have any Premier League experience.
How do you grade their transfer window and why?
B.
Tottenham’s business in the last week of the window has put the squad in a much better position. Supporters were understandably concerned and frustrated at missing out on Gibbs-White and Eze. Simons is a thrilling alternative option who can cover multiple positions and provide them with a spark in attack while Maddison and Kulusevski recover from long-term knee injuries.
Waving goodbye to captain Son Heung-min was emotional, but the right decision. Spurs even managed to shift a few unwanted players, including Bryan Gil to Girona for €10m, but could not offload Yves Bissouma. The concern will be that the squad is still not strong enough to challenge in multiple competitions. This is especially the case in defence, where they currently only have three fit centre-backs. The fear would be that they have not learnt their lessons from last season’s horrific injury crisis.
Jay Harris
West Ham United
Who did they sign?
Promising full-back El Hadji Malick Diouf was West Ham’s first summer signing. The recruitment team scouted the 20-year-old for a year before his £19m arrival from Czech side Slavia Prague. Goalkeeper Mads Hermansen joined from relegated side Leicester City, while Kyle Walker-Peters and Callum Wilson joined as free agents from Southampton and Newcastle United, respectively.
Manager Graham Potter also augmented his midfield with the additions of Mateus Fernandes from Southampton and Soungoutou Magassa from Monaco. Jean-Clair Todibo’s season-long loan from Nice was converted into a permanent transfer. Brazilian defender Igor Julio joined on a season-long loan from Brighton and Hove Albion.
Who didn’t they sign?
Despite the additions of seven players, West Ham missed out on signing Jacob Ramsey, Douglas Luiz, Tyler Morton, John Victor, Ardon Jashari and James McAtee.
How do you grade their transfer window and why?
C.
West Ham remain short of depth in central defence and attack. Julio, Todibo, Maximilian Kilman and Konstantinos Mavropanos are Potter’s recognised options at centre-back. The head coach reverted to a back four in the 3-0 victory against Nottingham Forest, but it is unclear whether he will stick with this system. They are light offensively, with captain Jarrod Bowen, Wilson, Niclas Fullkrug and Crysencio Summerville the only options available.
Roshane Thomas
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Who did they sign?
They filled most of the positions they aimed to fill, at right wing-back with Jackson Tchatchoua, left wing-back with David Moller Wolfe, centre-back with Ladislav Krejci, in the No 10 roles with Fer Lopez and Jhon Arias and up front with Tolu Arokodare, who will provide cover and competition for Jorgen Strand Larsen.
So in terms of squad numbers, they are roughly where they wanted to be, having spent over £100million on transfer fees. Whether the new players are of the required standard remains to be seen, as all are still finding their feet.
Who didn’t they sign?
Central midfielders or anyone with any prior experience of the Premier League. Both look like potentially significant shortcomings.
How do you grade their transfer window and why?
D-.
Chairman Jeff Shi gets credit for holding firm and not selling Strand Larsen to Newcastle in an industry where players usually get their way, and Fosun did not exactly scrimp on transfer fees, although only time will tell whether they overspent on some players. But the lack of specialist midfield cover and pacy forwards, and the absence of battle-hardened Premier League operators, has left the squad looking unbalanced both positionally and in terms of character profiles.
Steve Madeley
(Top photos: Getty Images)
Source link
