Round-up of Premier League Transfers
It has been another busy summer transfer window for the majority of Premier League clubs, who have spent a combined total of £1.26bn on 282 arrivals in the search for silverware or survival. Now it’s time to rank how they’ve done…
Arsenal (7/10)
Total estimated spend: £67.9m
The target for the Gunners this summer was clearly to add some steel and experience to their midfield and backline. In total, they signed five new players with Stephen Lichtsteiner and Sokratis Papastathopoulos – the no nonsense defenders – while Lucas Torreira is a pugnacious midfielder tasked with protecting the back four.
Given Arsene Wenger had already brought in a wealth of attacking talent, the new faces at the Emirates could finally provide some balance to the team, who are 2.60 to reclaim their spot in the top four.
Bournemouth (6/10)
Total estimated spend: £46.2m
Quality over quantity was the goal for Bournemouth. Eddie Howe will be hoping David Brooks follows in the footsteps of Lewis Cook by developing into a top central midfielder, while he cherry-picked two of the best from the bottom end of La Liga, in Diego Rico and record-signing Jefferson Lerma.
Rico’s arrival looks a coup but they may well have overpaid for Lerma. The departure of Harry Arter to Cardiff also marks the end of an era for Bournemouth.
Brighton (6/10)
Total estimated spend: £53.7m
No club was busier than Brighton this summer with 15 arrivals and 18 departures. Many of the new signings are with a view to the future but in Alireza Jahanbakhsh and Martin Montoya, the Seagulls netted players wanted by much bigger fish.
Chris Hughton says expectations have gone up a notch due to the level of activity and it remains to be seen whether the new signings can add enough to boost Brighton up the table, after finishing 15th last season.
Burnley (4/10)
Total estimated spend: £18.7m
After qualifying for Europe last season, Burnley went into the summer with a great chance to take a step up by bringing in some quality additions. Fast-forward to August and the Clarets have made a mess of their transfer window, leaving boss Sean Dyche unhappy.
Ben Gibson, Joe Hart and Matej Vydra are not going to help this team move forward and they will probably take a step back, being priced at 4.75 to be relegated back to the Championship.
Cardiff City (4/10)
Total estimated spend: £27m
The Bluebirds were favourites for relegation as soon as they secured promotion and after the transfer window, nothing has changed – Cardiff can be backed at 2.50 to finish bottom.
Their six signings would be average for a Championship team and it will be a long, hard season for Neil Warnock’s new boys.
Chelsea (4/10)
Total estimated spend: £124.6m
When Rob Green is listed amongst your new signings, you know it’s been a bad summer. The Blues shot themselves in the foot by not getting rid of Antonio Conte quick enough, giving Maurizio Sarri little time to help on the transfer front.
They then had to pay a world-record fee for a goalkeeper in Kepa Arrizabalaga, after Thibaut Courtois forced his way out. Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic are good additions but it could have been so much better.
Welcome to Stamford Bridge, @Mateo_Kova23! ? #WelcomeKovacic pic.twitter.com/XsDvGswXDK
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) August 9, 2018
Crystal Palace (6/10)
Total estimated spend: £9.6m
Palace’s main mission this summer was to keep Wilfried Zaha, everything after that was a bonus. Max Meyer on a free transfer could be a great signing if he can stay fit, but otherwise it will be on Zaha to save the day again for Roy Hodgson’s boys.
Everton (6/10)
Total estimated spend: £88.7m
Everton have added some really exciting attacking players this summer, who should have the fans at Goodison on the edge of their seats. Richardson and Bernard are great additions but the rest of the new boys will need to prove themselves, especially Yerry Mina, who had a good World Cup but couldn’t cut the mustard at Barcelona.
Getting rid of Wayne Rooney and Ashley Williams should also aid the Toffees.
Fulham (7/10)
Total estimated spend: £106.1m
The Cottagers have captured the headlines with some of their summer business, especially with the signing of the sought-after Jean Michael Seri. They have tried to mix players with some Premier League experience with a few exciting talents from Europe and look to have done a good job.
It will take time for Slaviaa Jokanovic to knit together his new team but the new arrivals, coupled with keeping Ryan Sessegnon, means Fulham fans have reason for optimism.
Huddersfield Town (4/10)
Total estimated spend: £42m
Having stuttered over the line last season, Huddersfield could have done with a few inspirational signings this summer. Despite adding a World Cup winner in Erik Durm, they never really arrived.
The Terriers pulled off a miracle to stay up, but look set for a tough campaign following a lacklustre transfer window and are 1.83 to go down.
Leicester City (5/10)
Total estimated sound: £98.1m
The Foxes finally lost Riyad Mahrez this off-season and replacing him was always going to be a tough ask. Rachid Ghezzal is the man tasked with filling the rather big shoes left by Mahrez.
This window was a chance to see which direction Claude Puel wants to take Leicester and clearly he thinks they need to get younger. The time has come to move on from some of those Premier League-winning heroes.
Liverpool (8.5/10)
Total estimated spend: £176m
The Reds wasted little time in getting their business done, in fact, they agreed to sign Naby Keita nearly 12 months ago! They improved areas of need and didn’t scrimp doing it, paying out £62.5m for goalkeeper Alisson. They also kept all their big names, meaning Jurgen Klopp now has plenty of strength in depth.
Liverpool made a real statement of intent with their signings and Man City should be looking over their shoulders at a side priced at 4.25 to win the league.
?? x ?https://t.co/t4msWAm2sU pic.twitter.com/jTq9gqOFI4
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) July 19, 2018
Man City (6/10)
Total estimated spend: £62.3m
What do you do in the summer when you break several Premier League records on route to winning the title? Not a lot as it turns out.
Pep Guardiola didn’t need to sign Riyad Mahrez and probably has other areas of need he could have addressed first. But with some of City’s youngsters starting to emerge (ie: Phil Foden) Guardiola still has the best squad in the league, and it’s only getting better.
Man Utd (3/10)
Total estimated spend: £73m
Jose Mourinho might rank his team a little lower than 3/10, such was his dissatisfaction with their business. Fred was the only addition to the senior squad, with the Red Devils hierarchy failing to deliver the centre-back Mourinho was desperate for all summer.
Having finished 19 points behind City last season and not really improved, United at 2.40 not to finish in the top four looks tempting.
Newcastle (3/10)
Total estimated spend: £23.1m
A bad workman blames his tools, but when the tools you can afford are flimsy and unreliable, maybe the workman has a point. Rafael Benitez was told he would be given the funds to make big changes to his squad but they never arrived, leaving the Spaniard scratching around in the bargain basement.
The Toon will stay up if they can keep Benitez, but who could blame him for walking away after such a frustrating summer.
Southampton (5/10)
Total estimated spend: £56.7m
Role reversal time for Southampton and Liverpool this summer as the Saints snapped up Danny Ings from the Reds, the best bit of business they managed in the window.
Mohamed Elyounoussi could be a good addition given he has pace to burn and Angus Gunn is a promising goalkeeper. Solid, but not spectacular work.
Tottenham (2/10)
Total estimated spend: £0
Tottenham became the first team not to sign a player during a summer transfer since the concept was introduced in 2003. Unlike City, this is not a team who swept all before them last season so surely they needed to get better.
Boss Mauricio Pochettino can point all he wants to Harry Kane signing a new deal, but the fact is he and the club haven’t added anyone to a side that hasn’t won a trophy in a decade.
Watford (5/10)
Total estimated spend: £21.3m
Uninspiring! For once, it wasn’t all change at Watford this summer but the players they did bring in are not going to prevent the Hornets being a bottom half team again.
West Ham (7/10)
Total estimated spend: £96.8m
New boss Manuel Pellegrini can’t complain about not being backed in the transfer window after adding 10 new players, all of who will go straight into the senior squad. The club broke their transfer record for the sought-after Felipe Anderson, while also tempting Jack Wilshere across the capital.
Like Fulham, it will take this side time to gel but a top-10 finish, available at 2.20, will be the minimum the club will expect on their return.
Wolves (7/10)
Total estimated spend: £63.9m
Wolves fan have got used to seeing their side splash the cash and this summer was no different. The connection to super-agent Jorge Mendes continues to pay dividends, while being able to attract players of the calibre of Leander Dendoncker and Joao Moutinho is a feat few newly-promoted teams have achieved.
The only negative, over paying for Adama Traore. Like the Hammers they’ll expect to finish in the top-10.
