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Premier League Transfers: The Winners and Losers

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Who has won and lost in this summer Premier League transfer window?

 

Premier League Transfers: The Winners and Losers

We have officially said goodbye to the most hectic and rememberable transfer windows of all time. Right until 11 pm on the 31st August twist and turns occurred, with over a billion pounds being spent on Premier League transfers alone. Some clubs were able to benefit from the post-COVID-19 market, securing some bargains, whereas some fell victim and look set to struggle throughout the season.

We take a look back at who the winners and losers of the transfer market were and how it will affect the up-and-coming season.

 

Manchester United – Manchester United laid down their intentions

The return of Cristiano Ronaldo to Manchester United was as unexpected as it was exciting. During the summer, Ronaldo took to social media to reassure Juventus fans of his commitment to the club, despite the rumours, only for him to make a shocking return to United for £13 million, on the last day of the transfer window.

In addition to the five-time Ballon D’or winner, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was able to bring in Raphael Varane and Jadon Sancho to bolster his squad. These two signings filled the vacant spots in the side, with Varane already impressing the United fans on his debut against Wolves.

Although Solskjaer has been seriously backed financially, they still leave August with questions being asked, especially the need for an upgraded defensive-minded midfielder, someone who will do the dirty work and allow their star-studded attack to flourish.

The Red Devils have undoubtedly improved since last season and will feel confident that their new defensive partnership and lethal attack will be able to paper over the cracks in midfield and push the likes of Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool for the title.

Manchester United’ Premier League transfers

In

Tom Heaton – Aston Villa, free   Jadon Sancho – Borussia Dortmund, £73m   Raphael Varane – Real Madrid, £41m

Cristiano Ronaldo – Juventus, £12.9m

Out

Dan James – Leeds, £25m   Tahith Chong -Birmingham, loan   Joel Pereira – contract expired   Sergio Romero – contract expired

Nathan Bishop – Mansfield, loan   Reece Devine – St Johnstone, loan   Max Taylor – Rochdale, free   Axel Tuanzebe – Aston Villa, loan

Ethan Laird – Swansea, loan   Dylan Levitt – Dundee United, loan   Brandon Williams – Norwich, loan

 

Chelsea – Quality over quantity

The headline signing for the Blues is the re-signing of Romelu Lukaku for £97.5 million from Inter Milan. The Belgian adds the cutting edge upfront that Chelsea dearly missed last season, and with two appearances already this season, Chelsea fans will be excited for what is to come.

Along with the signing of Lukaku, Chelsea managed to increase their depth in midfield, signing Saul Niguez on loan from Atletico Madrid. These two signings give Thomas Tuchel a myriad of options throughout the season and a squad that can compete on all fronts.

They also managed to recoup the summer spending through the sales of Tammy Abraham, Kurt Zouma, Fikayo Tomori and Olivier Giroud all leaving the club for £83.9m, once again showing the qualities of Chelsea’s director, Marina Granovskaia.

It has been a successful summer for Chelsea and the Chelsea board has given Tuchel the tools to allow him to win the Premier League for the first time since 2017.

Chelsea’s Premier League transfer

In

Romelu Lukaku – Inter Milan, £97.5m   Saul Niguez – Atletico Madrid, loan   Marcus Bettinelli – Fulham, free

Out

Fikayo Tomori – AC Milan, £25m   Tammy Abraham – Roma, £34m   Michy Batshuayi – Besiktas, loan   Armando Broja – Southampton, loan

Willy Caballero – contract expired   Izzy Brown – contract expired   Jamal Blackman – contract expired   Pierre Ekwah Elimby – West Ham, undisclosed

Danilo Pantic – Partizan Belgrade, undisclosed   Nathan Baxter – Hull, loan

Billy Gilmour – Norwich City, loan   Victor Moses – Spartak Moscow, undisclosed   Juan Castillo – Birmingham, loan

Olivier Giroud – AC Milan, undisclosed   Marc Guehi – Crystal Palace, undisclosed   Lewis Bate – Leeds, undisclosed

Henry Lawrence – AFC Wimbledon, loan   Tino Livramento – Southampton, undisclosed   Jamie Cumming – Gillingham, loan

Jack Wakely – Wycombe, free   Ian Maatsen – Coventry, loan   Jake Clarke-Salter – Coventry, loan   Emerson – Lyon, loan

Matt Miazga – Alaves, loan   Ike Ugbo – Genk, undisclosed   Kurt Zouma – West Ham, £29.8m   Tiemoue Bakayoko – AC Milan, loan

Danny Drinkwater – Reading, loan   Dujon Sterling – Blackpool, loan

 

Aston Villa – Have Villa become a stronger unit?

It was always going to be difficult for Aston Villa to keep hold of Jack Grealish this summer and when Manchester City paid a British record for the attacker, Villa could do very little to stop their superstar from joining the Citizens.

What they have done well is finding replacements for the 25-year-old. They brought in Emiliano Buendia, Danny Ings and Leon Bailey, all for less than they sold Grealish for, and along with Ollie Watkins, they have an attack that isn’t so reliant on one player and makes them a harder team to predict.

They also brought in Axel Tuanzebe, on loan from Manchester United, who will provide as a fine back-up for Tyrone Mings or Ezri Konsa.

It could be a difficult start for Villa and Dean Smith, with the players needing to find a connection but once the relationship on the pitch blossoms, we could see an improved Aston Villa side compared to the one with Grealish in it.

Aston Villa’s Premier League transfers

In

Leon Bailey – Bayer Leverkusen, undisclosed   Emi Buendia – Norwich, £38m   Ashley Young – Inter, free

Danny Ings – Southampton, undisclosed   Axel Tuanzebe- Manchester United, loan

Out

Ahmed Elmohamady- contract expired   Tom Heaton – Manchester United, free   Neil Taylor – contract expired   Wesley – Club Brugge, loan

Bjorn Engels – Royal Antwerp, undisclosed   Sebastian Revan – Grimsby, loan   Kaine Kesler Hayden – Swindon, loan

Jack Grealish – Manchester City, £100m   Louie Barry – Ipswich, loan   Brad Young – Carlisle, loan   Conor Hourihane – Sheffield United, loan

Dominic Revan – Northampton Town, loan   Frederic Guilbert – Strasbourg, loan

 

West Ham – Another push for Europe on the cards?

David Moyes looked to have put West Ham’s Premier League woes to bed last year, with an incredible sixth-place finish, and they will now embark on a Europa League journey, this summer.

Until the last couple of weeks it looked as if it would be difficult for the Scotsman to recreate last season’s form but the Hammers were really busy in the closing days of the transfer window. They brought in Kurt Zouma from Chelsea for £25 million. The defender rejected the chance of playing Champions League football with Sevilla, to join West Ham’s project. The Frenchman is joined by Nikola Vlasic, who joins from CSKA Moscow and will fill the role Jesse Lingard left behind, when he returned to Manchester United.

Along with these two Premier League transfers, they grew their Czech Republic contingency as well. Alex Kral joined from Spartak Moscow and is an industrious midfielder who will be able to complement Declan Rice and his fellow countryman Thomas Soucek.

They have managed to add squad depth in all positions, bar striker where Michail Antonio is the only recognised striker in the squad, which could hinder their chances of European football especially if the 31-year-old picks up an injury.

West Ham’s Premier League transfers

In

Pierre Ekwah Elimby – Chelsea, undisclosed   Thierry Nevers – Reading, undisclosed   Armstrong Oko-Flex – Celtic, free

Alphonse Areola – PSG, loan   Nikola Vlasic – CSKA Moscow, £33.5m   Alex Kral – Spartak Moscow, loan

Out

Felipe Anderson – Lazio, undisclosed   Fabian Balbuena – released   Sean Adarkwa – released   Olatunji Akinola – released

Samuel Caiger – released   Alfie Lewis – released   Joshua Okotcha – released   Joseph Anang – Stevenage, loan

 

The losers

Newcastle – A very quiet summer

Their only high-profile incoming this summer was the permanent move for Joe Willock from Arsenal for £25 million, after his stellar performances towards the backend of last season helped the Magpies stay clear of relegation. They also brought in Santiago Munoz from Santos Laguna, but the Mexican will be more heavily used in their under 23 squad.

The problems that Steve Bruce faced going into the transfer window are still visible, with their midfield position looking light, after unsuccessful attempts to bring in Hamza Choudhury and Ainsley Maitland-Niles. They’ll also find it difficult to keep up Allan Saint-Maximin’s or Callum Wilson’s productivity if one of them gets injured.

It was a difficult summer for Steve Bruce’s side and it may see them get involved in an unwanted relegation battle, something Newcastle fans wouldn’t have hoped for after the 12th place finish last year.

Newcastle’s Premier League transfers

In

Joe Willock – Arsenal, £25m   Santiago Munoz – Santos Laguna, loan

Out

Florian Lejeune – Alaves, undisclosed   Andy Carroll – contract expired   Henri Saivet – contract expired   Christian Atsu – contract expired

Lewis Cass – Newcastle to Port Vale, loan   Ludwig Francillette – Crawley, free   Jake Turner – Colchester, loan   Kell Watts – Wigan, loan

Matty Longstaff – Aberdeen, loan   Yoshinori Muto – contract terminated   Tom Allan – Greenock Morton, loan

 

Wolves – A difficult start for Bruno Lage

Despite sitting in the bottom three and picking up no points, Bruno Lage has been an impressive acquisition, replacing the much-loved Nuno Espirito Santo, and giving the Wolves board a reason to back him, but the West Midlands-based club has failed to do so. Their most expensive signing was the permanent signing of Ratan Ait-Nouri from Angers for £10 million.

They have replaced Rui Patricio with Jose Sa, who has shown potential during his first three appearances, and Hwang Hee-Chan has joined from RB Leipzig to provide support for Raul Jimenez this year. They also managed to keep hold of Ruben Neves and Adama Traore which will be vital for their season.

Despite all that, the transfer window will be seen as a disappointment for some fans. On the final day, there were numerous names being linked to a move to the Molineux, the likes of Sven Botman, Renato Sanches and Kieffer Moore, but no one entered. It wasn’t a disastrous window but there was definitely an opportunity to give Lage the right players needed to fit his promising style of play.

Wolves’ Premier League transfers

In

Hee Chan Hwang – RB Leipzig, loan with option to buy for £13m   Jose Sa – Olympiacos, undisclosed   Rayan Ait-Nouri – Angers, undisclosed

Yerson Mosquera – Atletico Nacional, undisclosed   Louie Moulden – Man City, free   Francisco Trincao – Barcelona, loan

Out

Rui Patricio – Roma, undisclosed   Theo Corbeanu – Sheffield Wednesday, loan   Sadou Diallo – released   Cyriaque Mayounga – released

Hong Wan – released   Dion Sanderson – Birmingham, loan   Matija Sarkic – Birmingham, loan   Taylor Perry – Cheltenham, loan

Owen Otasowie – Club Brugge, undisclosed   Rafa Mir – Sevilla, undisclosed   Connor Ronan – St Mirren, loan

Morgan Gibbs-White – Sheffield United, loan

 

Liverpool – Did Liverpool done enough?

The big plus for Liverpool over the summer was the return of Virgil Van Dijk, Joe Gomez, Jordan Henderson and Joel Matip who all missed large parts of last season causing the Reds to struggle at times. The main cause of the downturn in form for Jurgen Klopp’s side was centre back cover and they seem to have fixed that issue by bringing in Ibrahim Konate from RB Leipzig as their sole summer signing.

Since FSG took over Liverpool they have aimed to work in the green, and never to spend beyond their means and this summer is no different. Xherdan Shaqiri left for Olympique Lyon, as well as Harry Wilson leaving for Fulham. The biggest outgoing at Anfield though was Georginio Wijnaldum who left for free to PSG and wasn’t replaced, despite the key role he played last season.

Klopp has still got a really good starting eleven that has shown its ability to win the league, but as we saw last season if one of their stars get injured, they could endure a rough patch and become a victim of the ever-growing competitiveness of the Premier League.

Liverpool’s Premier League transfers

In

Ibrahima Konate- RB Leipzig, £36m

Out

Georginio Wijnaldum – Paris Saint-Germain, free   Xherdan Shaqiri- Lyon, undisclosed   Harry Wilson- Fulham, £12m

Marco Grujic – Porto, undisclosed   Adam Lewis – Livingston, loan   Sepp van den Berg – Preston, loan

Paul Glatzel – Tranmere, loan   Liam Coyle – Accrington, free   Joe Hardy – Accrington, free   Taiwo Awoniyi – Union Berlin, undisclosed

Ben Davies – Sheff Utd, loan   Leighton Clarkson – Blackburn, loan   Ben Woodburn – Hearts, loan   Rhys Williams – Swansea, loan

Sheyi Ojo – Millwall, loan

 

Manchester City – Failing to invest in the key areas

This is probably quite a surprising entry into the list, with them forking out a British record on one of England’s best players, Jack Grealish. Although extremely talented he didn’t fill a position that was lacking in the City squad, and in fact probably added to Pep Guardiola’s most competitive position, with Raheem Sterling, Gabriel Jesus, Riyad Mahrez and Ferran Torres all playing on the wing.

Pep heads into the season, without a number nine and without a clear first-choice left-back. They were heavily interested in Harry Kane, who expressed a desire to leave Tottenham, but Manchester City suffered due to Daniel Levy’s strict negotiating. They were also involved in the Ronaldo saga before United got the deal across the line and left Manchester City without a Sergio Aguero replacement.

They did manage to keep hold of Aymeric Laporte, Bernardo Silva and Mahrez who all wanted to leave after falling down the pecking order at the Etihad, but they have to try and retain their Premier League title with Torres as their main striker and with Manchester United and Chelsea strengthening and Liverpool fully fit, they may have to pass their crown overcome to the end of May.

Manchester City’s Premier League transfers

In

Jack Grealish – Aston Villa, £100m   Scott Carson – Derby, free

Out

Sergio Aguero – Barcelona, free   Eric Garcia – Barcelona, free   Jack Harrison – Leeds, undisclosed   Daniel Grimshaw – Blackpool, free

Taylor Harwood-Bellis – Anderlecht, loan   James Trafford – Accrington, loan   Gavin Bazunu – Portsmouth, loan

Lewis Fiorini – Lincoln, loan   Alexander Robertson – Ross County, loan   Callum Doyle – Sunderland, loan

Lukas Nmecha – Wolfsburg, undisclosed   Matt Smith – Hull, loan   Ben Knight – Crewe, loan   Tommy Doyle – Hamburg, loan

Claudio Gomes – Barnsley, loan   Patrick Roberts – Troyes, loan

 

We hope you enjoyed this article ‘Premier League Transfers: The Winners and Losers’. Who do you think has made the best and worst Premier League transfers? Let us know!

 

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Nathan is currently doing a sports journalism bachelor’s degree at Staffordshire University and is an aspiring sports writer. He is a sports fan but is mainly interested in football, tennis and rugby, supporting Chelsea.

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