Football fans were definitely taken by surprise when the majority the clubs in England’s top flight decided to end their transfer windows weeks ahead of the rest of Europe. The reason for the shortening of the window was so that the Premier League clubs can focus on the football and not on the uncertainty that comes with stars leaving the club.
However, that also means that managers have a shorter window to search for reinforcements that can positively impact the club. With the World Cup taking a good chunk of the window, a lot of gaffers scrambled until the deadline to get their business done.
Now that England’s top flight cannot acquire any more players, we can now objectively assess how the teams performed during this shortened window.
Transfer Hits and Misses
To be honest, there has been a lot of transactions made over the last three weeks that it would be absurd to discuss every single significant deal without turning this piece into a chapter of The Silmarillion.
The window saw outrageous amounts of money change hands for keepers. Thibaut Courtois’ departure for Real Madrid saw Maurizio Sarri’s Chelsea spend €80m for Kepa Arrizabalaga. Before the acquisition, Alisson was the most expensive goalkeeper in the Premier League with his €62.50m price tag from Roma.
However, Kepa isn’t the only big-profile player Sarri spent money on. Jorginho, a key player for his Napoli squad last season, was also brought to Stamford Bridge for €57m. He has already shown his worth to the side during Chelsea’s preseason matches, supplying accurate passes from the back end of the midfield to his new team-mates.
City also spent a pretty penny for Riyad Mahrez, and his acquisition only adds depth to an already-impressive squad that will make Premier League 2018 highlights as easy as breathing air. Liverpool bolstered their ranks with Xherdan Shaqiri and Fabinho, while Arsenal made key additions to their spine with signings at goal, defence, and midfield.
Manchester United had a very disappointing foray into the market. Fred and Diogo Dalot are the only key additions they have made to their squad. Harry Maguire nor Toby Alderweireld will be wearing a Manchester United shirt for the foreseeable future.
If you think that only the big clubs saw some action, you will be greatly mistaken. Even the most mind-blowing action of the window came from the rest of the field. Every club outside the top six wasn’t shying away from spending good money in order to acquire the players they need.
All of the teams outside the top six were more than willing to open their wallets and spend a pretty penny on players that will be able to help the club improve. Even Burnley, a club that reportedly struggled to get any signings, were able to get England international Joe Hart for €3.90m.
The most outstanding business was done by Everton and West Ham. The Toffees have the look of a dangerous team with the acquisition of Richarlison and, Bernard and three Barcelona players. Lucas Digne, Yerry Mina, and Andre Gomes will surely tip the Premier League 2018 betting odds in Everton’s favour.
West Ham are also starting to shape like a club worthy of calling the London Stadium their stomping grounds. Felipe Anderson, Issa Diop, Andriy Yarmolenko, Lucas Perez, and Jack Wilshere make a very exciting crop of additions if I do say so myself.
Biggest Winners
It’s pretty difficult to say which team outright won the transfer window, as every team made big-money moves in order to fill the holes in their squad. However, if you point a gun to my head and make me choose a big winner, I would have to side with Everton.
Before the window closed shut, Everton were far from even seeing the fringes of the Champions League places. Now, they look all primed and ready to rumble with the big boys of the Premier League.
They reinforced their backline with Mina, a player who was a key man of the Colombian defence during the World Cup. Gomes, Digne, Richarlison and Bernard also gives the Toffees much-needed firepower up front, a fatal weakness they showed in spades last term.
With the impressive Marco Silva leading the team, Goodison Park should be able to see some quality football from their team.
Biggest Losers
Two big clubs vie for the title of the Biggest Loser.
Tottenham seemed like they didn’t even try to make a move in the market during this short window. This is a baffling fact to consider, especially since their rivals were active in splurging their cash on quality players.
However, they didn’t lose any of their players to potential suitors, and they will be coming to the season with the same squad they ended their previous campaign with. Keeping this fact in mind, Manchester United take the biggest L in this window.
They had many needs to fill and had an equally impressive shopping list to match. However, they didn’t even manage to secure many of their key signings. Gareth Bale stays at Madrid, they didn’t bring a centre-back, and they haven’t found a reliable fantasista to consistently carry them in the midfield.
Diego Godin even used United’s desperation to secure a bigger contract with Atletico Madrid. That’s how sad things are at Old Trafford.
What’s next?
I don’t think SBOBET predictions have been this hazy after such a hectic transfer window, but things should eventually become clear after the teams have played their first games.
We have to remember that not all signings are matches made in heaven. With this in mind, we have to keep an eye on how everyone performs this season. Specifically, we should watch out for four teams.
Watching Tottenham throughout the first half of the season should be interesting. Will Mauricio Pochettino be able to keep the Spurs up without adding new players to his squad?
Manchester United’s failure to acquire top talent also makes them an intriguing side to watch. Will we see Mourinho get sacked in the middle of the season, with his morale being at an all-time low? Or will he finally make this roster click?
West Ham and Everton are the final teams I recommend to catch. These clubs have transformed from relegation-threatened clubs to contenders in the snap of a finger. Whether they live up to the hype is up to the way their managers will set them up.
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