Football News: Transfer Window Review

The Record Blowing Transfer Window

An absolutely insane transfer window which saw English Premier League clubs spend as much as La Liga, Ligue 1, Bundesliga and Serie A combined!

Arsenal

Ins

Gabriel Jesus from Manchester City
Oleksandr Zinchenko from Manchester City
Fabio Vieira from Porto
Matt Turner from New England Revolution
Marquinhos from Sao Paulo

Once again the Gunners have invested heavily in an attempt to return to the top 4. The question is whether this level of investment is sustainable in the long term? It seems unlikely, at some point it is going to affect their ability to spend in the future. They do still look in need of a bit more investment, despite the heavy spending, as their squad has some gaps that were not filled. That is the big worry, they have added to their large collection of attacking midfielders, but still lack a bit of strength in depth elsewhere on the pitch. Overall though, if you are an Arsenal fan you must be happy with the recruitment this summer.
Mark: B

Outs

Matteo Guendouzi to Marseille
Lucas Torreira to Galatasaray
Bernd Leno to Fulham
Konstantinos Mavropanos to VfB Stuttgart
Hector Bellerin to Barcelona
Alexandre Lacazette to Olympique Lyonnais
Nicolas Pepe to OGC Nice (loan)
Nuno Tavares to Olympique Marseille (loan)
Ainsley Maitland-Niles to Southampton (loan)
Pablo Mari to Monza (loan)
Auston Trusty to Birmingham City (loan)
Runar Alex Runarsson to Alanyaspor (loan)

An already threadbare squad has shed almost every experienced player it has. Not the worst thing for an inexperienced head coach to have a clearout to make life easier for him but that experience will be missed at times this season. The loan moves are a definite issue though. None of them seem designed to develop the players loaned out. They just seem to be a case of who wants them can have them. Southampton in particular looks a really bad move for a player to have them work in the confused mess of the Hasenhuttl reign. Mark: D

Overall: They are placing a lot of faith in Mikel Arteta with a massive turnover of players just because he has no idea how to man-manage the players that were there. That is fine in the short term, but it is not a sustainable policy in the long term if you are going to be successful against settled, high-quality Man City and Liverpool sides. Until they can build a settled squad, that is all pulling together, they are always going to be chasing. If your head coach is unable to man-manage a settled squad with a mix of experience and youth, then you are not going to be able to build that squad. I just fail to see any reason to believe that what they are doing can work as a long term exercise, unless Arteta learns and can stop pushing out players for the slightest reason. It is easy to make excuses for most of the players on a singular basis, it is the overall trend that is the problem. The club simply cannot continue this big spending policy indefinitely, especially with UEFA tightening spending rules. It is exciting for the fans and in the short term it will lift the side, but they are not working on a sustainable approach. Mark: C-

Aston Villa

Ins
Diego Carlos from Sevilla
Philippe Countinho from Barcelona (loan made permanent)
Leander Dendoncker from Wolverhampton Wanderers
Robin Olsen from AS Roma (loan made permanent)
Ludwig Augustinsson from Sevilla (loan)
Boubacar Kamara from Olympique Marseille
Jan Bednarek from Southampton (loan)

On paper they look to have made good signings this summer, though I have my doubts about Coutinho personally, his attitude bothers me. However, as a group of players that have come in, they look to have taken a step forward. It is little more than a step, mainly due to Carlos getting injured and that could cost them, having to go back to Mings. Bednarek is certainly not the answer. A step forward is still a step though and their big problem now seems to be regarding the manager's tactical acumen, or lack of it. Mark: C

Outs
Carney Chukwuemeka to Chelsea
Matt Targett to Newcastle United
Trezeguet to Trabzonspor
Anwar El Ghazi to PSV Eindhoven
Lovre Kalinic to Hajduk Split
Conor Hourihane to Derby County
Bertrand Traore to Basaksehir (loan)
Wesley Moraes to Levante (loan)
Kortney Hause to Watford (loan)
Jaden Philogene-Bidace to Cardiff City (loan)
Keinan Davis to Watford (loan)
Tim Iroegbunam to Queens Park Rangers (loan)

Again, on paper they have done well. The only wanted player to leave was a youngster who was forcing his way out and they got a good fee from Chelsea for him. They are looking like a team moving forward to be a strong permanent Premier League club. Mark: B+

Overall: Everything about them seems like a team settling into the Prem and building a competitive team, though maybe the signings are probably closer to past their peak than they would probably have preferred. That is the big issue, this is a team built for now, with little potential for improvement. That means it is going to require more investment just to stand still, let alone move forward. Mark: C

Bournemouth

Ins
Marcos Senesi from Feyenoord
Marcus Tavernier from Middlesbrough
Joe Rothwell from Blackburn Rovers
Neto from Barcelona
Ryan Fredericks from West Ham United
Jack Stephens from Southampton (loan)

It is easy to see why Scott Parker criticised the recruitment at the club. Nothing in the group brought in suggests signings that will give the team a chance to survive in the Premier League. At least three of the players, the last three in the list, are players that are clearly not good enough at this level and the other three are just untested at this level. It is certainly far from enough to turn Bournemouth into anything more than relegation battlers at best. This summer showed clear signs of an owner that has given up on backing the team and looking to be cautious ahead of a sale. Mark: E-

Outs
Robbie Brady to Preston North End
Zeno Ibsen Rossi to Cambridge United
Gavin Kilkenny to Stoke City (loan)
Christian Saydee to Shrewsbury Town (loan)
Gary Cahill released

They did not really bring in anything in sales which is telling. They had no one to get rid of for money. Sadly for the Cherries, they did lose a number of players they had on loan last season, which they have not replaced with the same quality. It is little wonder Parker was so critical of the transfer window. Mark: D-

Overall: They are in for a season of struggle with a squad that is weaker than the one that got promoted. It will take a miracle for them to avoid relegation. Mark: F

Brentford

Ins
Keane Lewis-Potter from Hull City
Aaron Hickey from Bologna
Mikkel Damsgaard from Sampdoria
Thomas Strakosha from Lazio
Ben Mee from Burnley

Once again look to have recruited smartly, though they are starting to spend more money on their signings now. That extra investment is needed to give them a chance of becoming competitive in the long term, when the excitement of just being in the Premier League has worn off. Mark: C-

Outs
Marcus Forss to Middlesbrough
Christian Eriksen to Manchester United
Julian Jeanvier to AJ Auxerre
Dominic Thompson to Blackpool
Luka Racic to Sondersjyske
Mads Bech Sorensen to OGC Nice (loan)
Halil Dervisoglu to Burnley (loan)
Tariqe Fosu to Stoke City (loan)
Joel Valencia to De Graafschap (loan)
Fin Stevens to Swansea City (loan)

The loss of Eriksen hurts them, but they have managed to hang on to the other key players, which is a step forward for a team which is usually losing one or two each summer. Mark: B-

Overall: They look to be steadily building on their first season in the Prem and working towards becoming a fixture in the top flight. Recruitment has always been a big part of their success and that has shown no sign of changing. Keeping the team and head coach together will be key to their hopes moving forward. Mark: C

Brighton & Hove Albion

Ins
Pervis Estupinan from Villareal
Julio Enciso from Libertad
Billy Gilmour from Chelsea
Simon Adingra from Nordsjaelland
Levi Colwill from Chelsea (loan)

A team in dire need of a goalscorer but failed to add one once more. It is little wonder Graham Potter was so keen to take the Chelsea job, there is only so much any coach can do if they are not given the players they need. It looks a very poor transfer window to be honest, with a big gamble on potential to be improved by Potter only to then lose Potter. Mark: E

Outs
Marc Cucurella to Chelsea
Yves Bissouma to Tottenham Hotspur
Neal Maupay to Everton
Leo Ostigard to Napoli
Matt Clarke to Middlesbrough
Tudor Baluta to FCV Farul
Florin Andone to Las Palmas
Abdallah Sima to Angers SCO (loan)
Kacper Kozlowski to Vitesse Arnhem (loan)
Aaron Connolly to Venezia (loan)
Shane Duffy to Fulham (loan)
Steven Alzate to Standard Liege (loan)
Michal Karbownik to Fortuna Dusseldorf (loan)
Andi Zeqiri to Basel (loan)
Kjell Scherpen to Vitesse Arnhem (loan)
Simon Adingra to Union Saint Gilloise
Haydon Roberts to Derby County (loan)
Taylor Richards to Queens Park Rangers (loan)

With replacements for Bissouma in place, the only real loss they suffered was Cucurella. That was a big blow for the team. Other than that, they have cleared out mainly unwanted players. Cucurella is a massive loss and I am sure there will be times when fatigue or injury means they will miss Bissouma despite having Mwepu and Caicedo. Mark: C-

Overall: They have once again failed to address their issues and it is difficult to see how they have improved their team at all in this window. Is Gilmour really that good? One good game in his career and he does seem to be living on it rather than using it as the baseline mark for his career. When a player leaves the club they support as a youngster, despite having a chance of regular first team football and no chance of any where they are going, it does suggest they have the wrong attitude. The other signings are similar hopeful punts. Unless they unearth a goalscorer soon they are always going to struggle to advance as a club. Mark: D-

Chelsea

Ins
Wesley Fofana from Leicester City
Marc Cucurella from Brighton & Hove Albion
Raheem Sterling from Manchester City
Kalidou Koulibaly from Napoli
Carney Chukwuemeka from Aston Villa
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from Barcelona
Gabriel Slomina from Chicago Fire
Dennis Zakaria from Juventus (loan)

A hell of a lot of money overspent on players who do not really address the issues the team had. Worse, a player brought in specifically for a manager they then sack a few days later. This first transfer window under the new owners was a bit of a mess. To be fair to them, they were facing a number of problems with the technical staff, that would normally have handled the recruitment, all leaving and the new owner having to take charge of it on his first step into football. It seems that he had his pants pulled down on every deal he did. And still they have not fixed the goalscoring issue, even replacing one winger with poor striking technique with another one. Mark: C-

Outs
Timo Werner to RB Leipzig
Emerson to West Ham United
Billy Gilmour to Brighton & Hove Albion
Romelu Lukaku to Inter Milan (loan)
Michy Batshuayi to Fenerbahce
Malang Sarr to AS Monaco (loan)
Kenedy to Real Valladolid
Antonio Rudiger to Real Madrid
Andreas Christensen to Barcelona
Marcos Alonso to Barcelona
Matt Miazga to FC Cincinnati
Jake Clarke-Salter to Queens Park Rangers
Charly Musonda Jr. to Levante
Callum Hudson-Odoi to Bayer Leverkusen (loan)
Ethan Ampadu to Spezia (loan)
Gabriel Slomina to Chicago Fire (loan)
Abdul-Rahman Baba to Reading (loan)
Ross Barkley released
Danny Drinkwater released

The outs were a mixed bag, a lot of players cluttering up the wage bill while not being good enough were finally got rid of. I am looking at you Drinkwater and Barkley in particular. They also lost a hell of a lot of players they wanted to keep through no fault of their own as government sanctions affected their ability to offer new deals. Those that they did sell on were sold under value, as Boehly was once again outnegotiated by his opposite numbers. However, despite the problems, they lost very little in terms of quality. I know everyone was in love with Rudiger, but he has no positional sense and what everyone loved about him was simply him trying to make up for his own mistakes. Mark: C+

Overall: It was a case of firefighting this summer for the new ownership, trying to put out all the fires after the government's scorched earth policy on Roman Abramovich left Chelsea in dire trouble. So, while they did overspend on players and brought in, in my opinion, a lot of the wrong players, it was a case of just getting it done due to the timing of the takeover. The key is to learn from this window as there is no way it can be sustainable to overspend to such an enormous degree on a very average player like Fofana each window. They will also need to get the right appointments in place so that they are not buying players for a manager they sack a few days later! One thing is for sure, the club is in much better hands on the coaching side with the arrival of Potter and I am sure he will improve players and maybe even make the overspending seem like Boehly got good deals! They will still need to find a goalscorer though if they are going to give Potter any chance. Mark: C-

Crystal Palace

Ins
Cheick Doucoure from Racing Lens
Chris Richards from Bayern Munich
Sam Johnstone from West Bromwich Albion
Malcolm Ebiowei from Derby County

Yet another club in dire need of a goalscorer that failed to add one. The other real weakness in the squad, right-back, was also not addressed. Which is a shame because those transfers they did make seem to be decent. Mark: C-

Outs
Christian Benteke to DC United
Cheikhou Kouyate to Nottingham Forest
Martin Kelly to West Bromwich Albion
Jaroslaw Jach to Zaglebie Lubin
Jacob Montes to Botafogo
Luke Plange to Molenbeek (loan)
Remi Matthews to St Johnstone (loan)

Palace are still suffering a hangover from the Hodgson-era, with ageing players that need clearing out. Their new policy of bringing in young potential with an eye to developing and selling it on for profit has yet to bear fruit. However, getting any money at all for Benteke has to be a big plus mark! Mark: D-

Overall: They are gradually reducing the age of the squad and building an exciting side. But, and it is a big but, they are not addressing the real problems in the squad and that is not going to help them in the long term. Mark: D

Everton

Ins
Amadou Onana from LOSC Lille
Dwight McNeil from Burnley
Neal Maupay from Brighton & Hove Albion
James Garner from Manchester United
Idrissa Gueye from Paris Saint-Germain
James Tarkowski from Burnley
Conor Coady from Wolverhampton Wanderers (loan)
Ruben Vinagre from Sporting Clube de Portugal (loan)
Eldin Jakupovic from free agency

Considering their financial issues, it was a huge slice of 'luck' that they were allowed to write off such huge amounts as pandemic losses. Somehow they were apparently the worst hit in the Premier League. By a huge amount. That allowed them to continue to splash the cash as they have done constantly since Usmanov bought the club. Er, I mean Moshiri. The signings look to be enough to keep them safely in the Prem, but it is a measure of how far ambition has fallen despite them being amongst the biggest spenders in Europe over the last few years. Now the fans are happy just to bring in players to stay in the league! However, considering this window on its own merits as an isolated event, the Toffees have improved their team on a much tighter budget than they had been using in recent years. Perhaps a sign that the club is finally sorting itself out and realising that just throwing money at the transfer market is not the right policy. Mark: B

Outs
Richarlison to Tottenham Hotspur
Jonjoe Kenny to Hertha Berlin
Cenk Tosun to Besiktas
Andre Gomes to LOSC Lille (loan)
Dele Alli to Besiktas (loan)
Jean-Philippe Gbamin to Trabzonspor (loan)
Jarrad Branthwaite to PSV Eindhoven (loan)
Niels Nkounkou to Cardiff City (loan)
Joao Virginia to SC Cambuur (loan)
Fabian Delph released
Gylfi Sigurdsson released

Richarlison's sale rescued the transfer window for Everton this summer. He was their only player to bring in money, though even he failed to bring them in much of a profit over his initial signing fee. But they have started to clear out a lot of the mistakes they have made in recent years, which at least will save them hugely on the wage bill. Mark: C+

Overall: They did improve the team with a modest transfer spend and lost little that will impact their chances in the season. So, on that basis it has been a successful window for the blue half of Merseyside. However, that must be placed in context. This is a squad that Everton fans claimed was a European challenger that Benitez was mismanaging, but they are now happy to be simply avoiding relegation. It is bizarre that they were so hard on Benitez yet are so accepting of Lampard's struggles. It feels like a case of just backing him so hard because he is not Rafa Benitez. Mark: C

Fulham

Ins
Joao Palhinha from Sporting Clube de Portugal
Issa Diop from West Ham United
Andreas Pereira from Manchester United
Kevin Mbabu from VfL Wolfsburg
Carlos Vinicius from Benfica
Bernd Leno from Arsenal
Willian from Corinthians
Daniel James from Leeds United (loan)
Manor Solomon from Shakhtar Donetsk (loan)
Shane Duffy from Brighton & Hove Albion (loan)
Layvin Kurzawa from Paris Saint-Germain (loan)

Fulham suffer badly from their constant bouncing up and down between the Premier League and Championship. They are unable to build a settled squad to compete at Prem level and so have a large turnover of players. Their signings are odd as well, lots of cheap punts on players already at their peak with little scope for developing them. Added to that a bunch of strange loan signings of players in the shape of Duffy and James that have already been shown to be mid-level Championship at best. They do look to have improved, but it is doubtful whether they have done enough. Mark: D

Outs
Andre Zambo Anguissa to Napoli
Fabio Carvalho to Liverpool
Jean Michael Seri to Hull City
Alfie Mawson to Wycombe Wanderers
Cyrus Christie to Hull City
Rodrigo Muniz to Middlesbrough (loan)
Ivan Cavaleiro to Alanyaspor (loan)
Joe Bryan to OGC Nice (loan)
Anthony Knockaert to Volos NPS (loan)
Paulo Gazzaniga to Girona (loan)
Terence Kongolo to AC Le Havre (loan)
Steven Sessegnon to Charlton Athletic (loan)
Tyrese Francois to HNK Gorica (loan)
Michael Hector released
Fabri released

They lost two quality players in Anguissa and Carvalho for not much money, which is never a good thing. It is odd their handling of Anguissa, he always stood out as too good for the team whenever he played but the manager never fancied him. Now he is excelling in a Napoli side which is atop Serie A and once more looking good. Until they can focus on building around the few quality players like Anguissa that they are able to get, they are never going to move forward. However, on the plus side they managed to offload a lot of weak links, which stopped it being a total disaster. Mark: D

Overall: It is difficult to see any real progress at the club in terms of recruitment. Luckily they have a manager who is very well-versed in working with players at this level and getting the best out of them. They will need him to be at his best to survive as they lack the quality of player to do any more than simply exist at this level. Mark: D

Leeds United

Ins
Brendan Aaronson from RB Salzburg
Luis Sinisterra from Feyenoord
Tyler Adams from RB Leipzig
Rasmus Kristensen from RB Salzburg
Marc Roca from Bayern Munich
Darko Gyabi from Manchester City
Wilfried Gnonto from Zurich
Joel Robles from Real Betis

Despite being unable to get their top targets, Leeds went on a spending spree, though it was largely funded by outs. If only they had done this last season when it was clearly needed they might be entering this season in a very different frame of mind. Sadly the inability to get their main targets has left them still with a lack of a genuine goal threat up front. Even if Bamford is fit he misses far too many chances at Premier League level and they are not making anything like as many chances now as they were for him to notch. Luckily there are probably another 10, or even more, teams that are facing the same problem, so they should have enough to finish safely mid-table. Mark: B+

Outs
Raphinha to Barcelona
Kalvin Phillips to Manchester City
Leif Davis to Ipswich Town
Kiko Casilla to Getafe
Laurens De Bock to Zulte Waregem
Liam McCarron to Stoke City
Daniel James to Fulham (loan)
Tyler Roberts to Queens Park Rangers (loan)
Helder Costa to Al-Ittihad Club (loan)
Charlie Cresswell to Millwall (loan)
Jamie Shackleton to Millwall (loan)
Ian Poveda to Blackpool (loan)
Mateusz Bogusz to Ibiza (loan)

They did lose two players they would have wished to keep for less than they wanted to sell them for. Unfortunately their hands were tied in negotiations as both players only wanted to go to one club. So far they would appear to have still ended up getting the better of both deals and they funded the incomings too. Mark: B+

Overall: On paper it looks a fairly successful transfer window. Yes they lost two key players, but they used those funds to build the team for the future without those two. Due to their inability to attract a striker, there is a lot of responsibility on a group of youngsters to provide goals, but that could be a good thing with Gnonto already an Italian international at just 18. On balance though, in the short term at least, it is likely to hold them back as much as last season's failure to strengthen did. Mark: C

Leicester City

Ins
Wout Faes from Stade Reims
Alex Smithies from Cardiff City

A difficult window, with no money to spend as the constant failings of Brendan Rodgers to make top 4, no matter how far ahead of the chasing pack he gets finally cost the team in the transfer market. Added to that, the owners are not as willing/able to spend as their father was, in part due to their business being badly hit by the pandemic. They will be on the back foot until the finances are addressed. Mark: F

Outs
Wesley Fofana to Chelsea
Kasper Schmeichel to OGC Nice
Hamza Choudhury to Watford (loan)
George Hirst to Blackburn Rovers (loan)
Eldin Jakupovic released

The outs were actually good. They received an obscene fee for Fofana, despite him being not particularly good. They also offloaded one of the highest earners in the shape of Schmeichel to make their wage bill more manageable. Added to that, they have got an off-field (and sometimes on-field on those rare occasions he gets on the pitch) disciplinary problem in Choudhury out of the club. For now at least. Mark: A-

Overall: The lack of money to spend has really cost them badly and they have left themselves in real problems. They have managed to improve the situation by bringing in big money and lowering the wage bill, so there is long term hope for the future. The big question now remains around the ownership. Can they afford to run a Premier League club in their current situation? Mark: E

Liverpool

Ins
Darwin Nunez from Benfica
Fabio Carvalho from Fulham
Calvin Ramsay from Aberdeen
Arthur Melo from Juventus (loan)

It is a difficult market they are shopping in, just like Manchester City, of trying to improve a team that is among the best in the world already. It looks like, in the long term, they have achieved that, but it is arguable whether or not they did enough to improve the team for this season. A lot depends on how quickly Nunez can adapt and whether Arthur can finally achieve his potential. Missing out on Tchouameni to Real Madrid did really mess with the window, as there are so few options of that quality available to bring in. Mark: C-

Outs
Sadio Mane to Bayern Munich
Neco Williams to Nottingham Forest
Takumi Minamino to AS Monaco
Marko Grujic to Porto
Ben Davies to Rangers
Divock Origi to AC Milan
Sheyi Ojo to Cardiff City
Ben Woodburn to Preston North End
Sepp van den Berg to Schalke 04 (loan)
Rhys Williams to Blackpool (loan)
Loris Karius released

No matter how much I personally liked Minamino and Origi, the truth is that neither were getting much game time and both needed a move. Their important goals will be missed, but overall it is probably best for all parties they moved on. In fact, the only real loss is Sadio Mane and he had been showing signs of decline for a long time and already lost his place on the left wing in the side anyway. Even if he had not been so definite about wanting to leave, and willing to force his way out, it was probably the right time for him to go. Mark: B

Overall: It was just one top class midfielder signing from being an excellent window. Unless Arthur turns out to be the player he was thought to be before moving to Europe. What is left is still the squad that came so close to winning every competition last season, with an actual striker added to replace a winger moved central as cover. How a Liverpool fan views this window probably depends on which side of the FSG argument they sit. The anti-FSG lobby will think it is a disaster that no midfielder arrived and that is all they will see. The rest will be a lot more sanguine though no doubt disappointed the club could not get that top class driving midfielder that is missing. Mark: C

Manchester City

Ins
Erling Haaland from Borussia Dortmund
Kalvin Phillips from Leeds United
Manuel Akanji from Borussia Dortmund
Sergio Gomez from RSC Anderlecht
Stefan Ortega from Arminia Bielefeld

They finally addressed two of their issues, by bringing in a specialist left-back and a centre-forward. The rest of their signings seem a bit on the pointless side. None are likely to genuinely improve their team and are just squad padding (or maybe injury-table padding in the case of Phillips). Mark: B-

Outs
Raheem Sterling to Chelsea
Gabriel Jesus to Arsenal
Oleksandr Zinchenko to Arsenal
Pedro Porro to Sporting Clube de Portugal
Ko Itakura to Borussia Moenchengladbach
Arijanet Muric to Burnley
Fernandinho to Athletico Paranaense
Daniel Arzani to Macarthur
Ryotaro Meshino to Gamba Osaka
Ante Palaversa to Troyes
Marlos Moreno to Troyes
Yangel Herrera to Girona (loan)
Zack Steffen to Middlesbrough (loan)
Yan Couto to Girona (loan)
Issa Kabore to Olympique Marseille (loan)
Nahuel Bustos to Sao Paulo (loan)
Diego Rosa to Vizela (loan)
Thomas Agyepong released

The outs are a mix of players that were never getting near the team and a good utility cover player plus two first-team regulars. The arrival of Haaland has gone a long way to replacing those two, but it still is a clear weakening of the squad overall. The income gained was significant though and helps City avoid any future FFP issues. Mark: C-

Overall: They seem to have managed to improve on an already great team with the arrival of Haaland but overall the squad does not seem to have improved. Phillips' struggles to stay fit are a problem and leave their midfield looking weakened and they will need the rest to stay fit. Gomez could be a huge plus, if he adapts well. They really need him at left-back to make it his own. Mark: C+

Manchester United

Ins
Antony from Ajax
Casemiro from Real Madrid
Lisandro Martinez from Ajax
Tyrell Malacia from Feyenoord
Martin Dubravka from Newcastle United
Christian Eriksen from Brentford

A huge leap forward in recruitment, with a group of players brought in, with the notable exception of the goalkeeper who is only to be a back-up anyway, that suit the style of play and league. They are not the world class superstar players that fans scream for every transfer window, but they are an improvement on the players already there. A lot of money has been spent, once again, but this time it feels like there was a plan for the players that were bought. Mark: A-

Outs
Andreas Pereira to Fulham
Eric Bailly to Olympique Marseille (loan)
Tahith Chong to Birmingham City
Paul Pogba to Juventus
Jesse Lingard to Nottingham Forest
Nemanja Matic to AS Roma
Edinson Cavani to Valencia
Juan Mata to Galatasaray
Alex Telles to Sevilla (loan)
Dean Henderson to Nottingham Forest (loan)
Amad Diallo to Sunderland (loan)
Alvaro Fernandez to Preston North End (loan)
Lee Grant retired

They cleared the decks of some unwanted overpaid players and lost little of real value to the club. No one that left would have been playing regularly, but they failed to get enough income in terms of transfer fees. There were a number of players that left on frees that should have been sold a while ago. That is something they need to look at going forward. Mark: B

Overall: Finally a transfer window to get Man Utd fans genuinely excited about the recruitment, rather than just the big names. After a long period of seeming lost without the direction of David Gill, the Red Devils finally seem to be all pulling together and aiming to go the same way. With a new coach that actually can coach, there is a very good reason to be optimistic for the future for Manchester United fans. There is still a long way to go, but this seems to be the first steps on the road to returning to becoming challengers. Mark: B+

Newcastle United

Ins
Alexander Isak from Real Sociedad
Sven Botman from LOSC Lille
Matt Targett from Aston Villa (loan made permanent)
Nick Pope from Burnley
Loris Karius from free agency

They have been surprisingly good in the transfer market so far. While not afraid to splurge on big money signings, they have not gone crazy and just thrown money at average players to make a splash. Instead they have been calm and considered, trying to sign just what they need and refusing to overpay. The only worry I have with their recruitment is goalkeepers. Is Pope really that much of an improvement on Dubravka as to make it worthwhile moving for him? Karius is also a worry as his attitude leaves a lot to be desired, but when you have injuries and need to sign a back-up keeper fast, you are not left with many options. Mark: B+

Outs
Martin Dubravka to Manchester United (loan)
Federico Fernandez to Elche
Dwight Gayle to Stoke City
Freddie Woodman to Preston North End
Isaac Hayden to Norwich City (loan)
Jeff Hendrick to Reading (loan)
Ciaran Clark to Sheffield United (loan)
Matty Longstaff to Colchester United (loan)
Kell Watts to Peterborough United (loan)

This is where the problems are in terms of recruitment. The lack of quality left over from the Ashley era has meant it is a struggle to get rid of the unwanted players. Due to Ashley's parsimony, they have a lot of players who are simply not good enough but all they can do is loan them out until their contracts expire. It is going to take a while to clear the decks. Mark: D

Overall: The way they have operated has been really impressive. Despite being awash with money they have been considered in their signings and not once has there been a signing that felt like they were 'had' by the seller. It is clear they have brought in the right people to lead the recruitment and given them a free hand. They have been careful to not allow sellers to take advantage of their riches. That has set a precedent for the future. Also this summer they have refused to just go for a quick fix and buy ready-made players at their peak that will then need replacing in a season or two. There have been no 'Robinho' signings, which are bought purely because they want to show they are a force. Instead every signing has been to improve the team. Mark: B

Nottingham Forest

Ins
Morgan Gibbs-White from Wolverhampton Wanderers
Taiwo Awoniyi from Union Berlin
Neco Williams from Liverpool
Emmanuel Dennis from Watford
Orel Mangala from VfB Stuttgart
Moussa Niakhate from 1.FSV Mainz 05
Giulian Biancone from Troyes
Lewis O'Brien from Huddersfield Town
Remo Freuler from Atalanta
Omar Richards from Bayern Munich
Renan Lodi from Atletico Madrid
Ui-jo Hwang from Girondins Bordeaux
Willy Boly from Wolverhampton Wanderers
Harry Toffolo from Huddersfield Town
Josh Bowler from Blackpool
Brandon Aguilera from LD Alajuelense
Jesse Lingard from Manchester United
Cheikhou Kouyate from Crystal Palace
Wayne Hennessey from Burnley
Dean Henderson from Manchester United (loan)
Loic Bade from Stade Rennais (loan)
Serge Aurier from free agency

The transfer window was a stunner from Forest. It seems owner Marinakis still operates like a kid in a sweet shop the moment he can spend money. He even bought players for his other club Olympiakos on the Forest account to help avoid FFP regs! There are some good signings in there, but they are being swamped in a sea of new players which Cooper has to organise and understand. It is going to take him months just to get to grips with what they can all do, let alone build a cohesive team. That is if he is even given that time by Marinakis, who is proven to be extremely trigger-happy when it comes to his head coaches. Mark: D-

Outs
Brice Samba to Racing Lens
Nuno Da Costa to AJ Auxerre
Tobias Figueiredo to Hull City
Lewis Grabban to Al-Ahli SFC
Carl Jenkinson to Newcastle United Jets
Nikolas Ioannou to Como
Xande Silva to Dijon
Joe Lolley to Sydney
Ui-jo Hwang to Olympiacos (loan)
Richie Laryea to Toronto (loan)
Jonathan Panzo to Coventry City (loan)
Josh Bowler to Olympiacos (loan)
Brian Ojeda to Real Salt Lake (loan)
Ethan Horvath to Luton Town (loan)
Alex Mighten to Sheffield Wednesday (loan)
Brandon Aguilera to Guanacasteca (loan)
Gaetan Bong released

The outs make a lot more sense than the ins and the only one that would have been worth holding onto, Samba, wanted out. With so many coming in they could afford to shed pretty much the entire squad that got them promoted and they have very nearly done that. Mark: C+

Overall: All the hallmarks of a Marinakis-window, too many signings messing with the team chemistry and making it impossible for the coaching staff to get it all sorted out quickly. With Marinakis everything is so heavy-handed. He buys lots of players, changes coaches at the drop of a hat and then wonders why his teams are not winning titles every season. The simple answer is that he is the problem and the club need him to step back a long, long way and let the club be run without interference. This season was always going to be a struggle to adapt after promotion with so much of the team from last season on loan. The haphazard business in the transfer window has just made things more difficult. Mark: D

Southampton

Ins
Gavin Bazunu from Manchester City
Sekou Mara from Girondins Bordeaux
Romeo Lavia from Manchester City
Duje Caleta-Car from Olympique Marseille
Armel Bella-Kotchap from VfL Bochum
Joe Aribo from Rangers
Juan Larios from Manchester City
Mateusz Lis from Altay SK
Samuel Edozie from Manchester City
Ainsley Maitland-Niles from Arsenal (loan)

They raided Man City for fringe youngsters and sprinkled a few others in alongside it in the biggest spending spree by the club that I can remember. They have potentially solved their key issue, the goalkeeper, and added quality players to develop for the long term. The key will be how well those players can be developed as they have rested their hopes on improving young players to sell on for a profit. Mark: B-

Outs
Nathan Redmond to Besiktas
Fraser Forster to Tottenham Hotspur
Shane Long to Reading
Harry Lewis to Bradford City
Oriol Romeu to Girona
Yann Valery to Angers SCO
Jan Bednarek to Aston Villa (loan)
Jack Stephens to Bournemouth (loan)
Will Smallbone to Stoke City (loan)
Nathan Tella to Burnley (loan)
Dan N'Lundulu to Cheltenham Town (loan)
Mateusz Lis to Troyes (loan)

They have finally started to offload some of those players that have been nowhere near Premier League level for a long time but still managed to stay with Saints for years. The Redmonds, Forsters and Longs that simply were not good enough are gone, while they managed to keep those players they wanted to keep. That is as much a sign of how poor the team has performed as anything, with even their best players no longer seen as worthwhile targets for the bigger clubs. Mark: C+

Overall: It has been a very good window for the Saints, weak links sold and quality youngsters arriving, but all overshadowed by the club still hanging on to head coach Hasenhuttl. They did replace his coaching staff for him, in a move strangely reminiscent of Brendan Rodgers' final days at Liverpool. Whether that will be enough to turn things around or not, only time will tell. Mark: C+

Tottenham Hotspur

Ins
Richarlison from Everton
Cristian Romero from Atalanta (loan made permanent)
Yves Bissouma from Brighton & Hove Albion
Destiny Udogie from Udinese
Djed Spence from Middlesbrough
Ivan Perisic from Inter Milan
Fraser Forster from Southampton
Clement Lenglet from Barcelona (loan)

An odd set of incomings for Spurs, with signs that the club and Conte were not always on the same page, particularly with the arrival of Spence. Keeping Romero on a permanent deal was good, Bissouma's arrival was potentially a masterstroke. Perisic could also be a great short term addition. However, the recruitment of Richarlison was odd and neither Lenglet nor Forster look anywhere near good enough. The biggest issue does remain that Conte has made it plain he did not want Spence and the club signed him anyway. That is a bone of contention that could return to haunt the club in the future. Mark: C-

Outs
Steven Bergwijn to Ajax
Cameron Carter-Vickers to Celtic
Tanguy Ndombele to Napoli (loan)
Jack Clarke to Sunderland
Sergio Reguilon to Atletico Madrid (loan)
Giovanni Lo Celso to Villareal (loan)
Destiny Udogie to Udinese (loan)
Harry Winks to Sampdoria (loan)
Joe Rodon to Stade Rennais (loan)

Spurs have managed to move on or loan out a number of players that were unwanted by the coach, which is the ideal situation in terms of outs in a transfer window. Mark: B+

Overall: In the main a good window for Spurs, but there are already signs of antagonism between the club and Conte. That is something to be feared, he is always on the verge of an explosion and hopes of success rest upon his shoulders. Mark: C

West Ham United

Ins
Lucas Paqueta from Olymnpique Lyonnais
Gianluca Scamacca from Sassuolo
Nayef Aguerd from Stade Rennais
Maxwel Cornet from Burnley
Emerson from Chelsea
Thilo Kehrer from Paris Saint-Germain
Flynn Downes from Swansea City
Alphonse Areola from Paris Saint-Germain (loan made permanent)

Moyes could really not have asked for any more from the club this summer, they have given him all the tools he needs to move forwards. The major issues were addressed and players brought in that offer the promise of improving the side in key positions. Mark: A+

Outs
Issa Diop to Fulham
Andriy Yarmolenko to Al-Ain
Ryan Fredericks to Bournemouth
Nikola Vlasic to Torino (loan)
Arthur Masuaku to Besiktas (loan)
Nathan Trott to Vejle BBK (loan)
Mark Noble retired
David Martin released

They have lost nothing key in terms of on-pitch performers, which is a good thing, and managed to offload a few unwanted players. However the loss of Noble's influence as captain, if not his ageing legs on the pitch. In the dressing room he was key and was the team's heart and soul there. Mark: C

Overall: David Moyes will have no excuses if he cannot get decent performances and results from this team. It is better than the squad he got into Europe and now he has options to rotate and rest players. It is down to him to make it work. Mark: A-

Wolverhampton Wanderers

Ins
Matheus Nunes from Sporting Clube de Portugal
Goncalo Guedes from Valencia
Nathan Collins from Burnley
Sasa Kalajdzic from VfB Stuttgart
Hee-chan Hwang from RB Leipzig
Boubacar Traore from Metz (loan)
Diego Costa from free agency

A clear step forward for the team, attacking options have arrived and the midfield has been strengthened massively. There are still weaknesses that need to be addressed, particularly full-backs, but they are in a much better place after this window. Mark: B

Outs
Morgan Gibbs-White to Nottingham Forest
Leander Dendoncker to Aston Villa
Ruben Vinagre to Sporting Clube de Portugal
Willy Boly to Nottingham Forest
Romain Saiss to Besiktas
Marcal to Botafogo
John Ruddy to Birmingham City
Patrick Cutrone to Como
Renat Dadashov to Grasshoppers
Conor Coady to Everton (loan)
Fabio Silva to RSC Anderlecht (loan)
Ki-jana Hoever to PSV Eindhoven (loan)
Bruno Jordao to Santa Clara (loan)
Luke Cundle to Swansea City (loan)
Louie Moulden to Solihull Moors (loan)

For all the steps forward they took with the ins, they took almost as many backwards with the outs. The main loss being that of the club captain Coady and almost their entire defensive cover along with him. They have shed almost all the experience in the squad as well, which could be a problem if they hit a sticky patch. Mark: E

Overall: They have bought well with an eye on the long term, but have lost a lot of what got them to where they are. In the here and now it could be a problem, the coach will have a lot to do to get them up and running as quickly as possible. It could turn out to be a turning point for the club, but we will not know for sure for a few years which way it has turned if so. While Costa was only brought in as an emergency measure due to the injury to Kalajdzic, that could turn out to be the key signing. Without Coady, Saiss and Dendoncker the dressing room lacks a bit of leadership, drive and fire in its belly. All qualities Costa can bring to the team. Mark: C-

Written by Tris Burke September 20 2022 13:45:29