The transfer window has closed in the Premier League and across the major European leagues after a dramatic final day marked by more heavy spending and the late collapse of key deals.
Chelsea and Everton were left stunned after Monaco called off the sale of Lamine Camara to the former English club, only for his team-mate and USMNT striker Folarin Balogun to pull out of a move to the latter. Chelsea had already sanctioned the sale of Enzo Fernandez to Manchester City for £125m (about $169m).
But who has made the best signing of the window? Who has the most to prove? Which coach has been left under the most pressure by their club’s business? And who will everyone be chasing next summer?
The Athletic’s Jacob Whitehead, Oliver Kay, Cerys Jones, Conor O’Neill, Nick Miller and Sebastian Stafford-Bloor have taken a look at the window and answered a series of questions.
Best signing of the window?
Jacob Whitehead: Bournemouth’s signing of Portugal international centre-back Antonio Silva is a real coup. The 22-year-old is a high-class player who should excel in Bournemouth’s forward-defending style — expect him to move on again in the next two years.
Conor O’Neill: Mamadou Sangare. There has been a strange cloud of protectionism hanging over this window, with clubs paying massively inflated fees for “Premier League-proven players”. Sangare’s fast start to life at Brentford is a reminder that bargains exist further afield.
Cerys Jones: For the quality of the player and the context of the transfer, Ibrahim Mbaye. It’s a testament to Villa’s succession planning and the pull of Unai Emery that they have secured such a talented player at a time of flux. He has the potential to be the face of their rebuild.
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor: This might be me overreacting to the first few games of the season, but Amar Dedic looks like an excellent full-back and a really fine signing for Newcastle United; he fits Matthias Jaissle’s style of play like a glove.
Oliver Kay: It’s an inflated market, a seller’s market. There have been incredible sales, but not many great buys. Brentford’s purchase of Sangare looks inspired, and I like some of Newcastle’s, Aston Villa’s and Ipswich Town’s signings, but perhaps the safest deal, a near-guaranteed improvement at low cost, is Chelsea’s signing of Emiliano Martinez for just £7.5million.
Nick Miller: I probably should pick the best-value signing or shrewdest bit of business, or at least something not so crashingly obvious, but in terms of how a player fits with his team-mates and manager’s system, Morgan Rogers looks to be the perfect fit for Chelsea. He looks like he’s played with Cole Palmer for years, because… he has.
Antonio Silva was highlighted as a good signing (Michael Steele/Getty Images)
Most surprising signing of the window?
Whitehead: The sheer cost of Rogers’ move to Chelsea, £117m, was pretty remarkable. He has started well — but was this an area that they truly needed to strengthen? Danny Welbeck’s arrival at Stamford Bridge is another contender.
Jones: You’d have got some quite funny looks for ‘Mykhailo Mudryk to Tottenham Hotspur’ in June, given the circumstances. I’m not necessarily shocked Ollie Watkins has left Aston Villa, but the fact it’s for the Saudi Pro League rather than another Premier League club does surprise me.
O’Neill: Welbeck. I think it is a shrewd piece of business for Chelsea, but I find it difficult to understand why Brighton & Hove Albion would sanction the sale of their top goalscorer from last season.
Stafford-Bloor: Tottenham loaning Mudryk was absolutely bizarre and got the response it warranted. Having not played for two years and having barely made an impact before his ban, it’s hard to imagine him having any sort of positive impact.
Kay: Jordan Henderson’s move to Chelsea. Not because it’s crazy but because it’s pragmatic, which in itself represents a drastic change of direction. It’s tempting to see the arrival of three players in their mid-30s (Martinez, Henderson, Welbeck) as a classic overcorrection, but it should bring some much-needed experience, maturity and knowhow nonetheless.
Miller: Some of the fees Tottenham have paid are astonishing, but I’m still pretty surprised Liverpool have spent £123m on a right-footed left-winger when they already had three of them, and no right-winger. He might turn out to be great, but Bradley Barcola is my ‘he must be brilliant in the games I don’t watch’ player.
The player who a lot of clubs will regret not signing?
Whitehead: Brentford’s Sangare has adapted to the Premier League brilliantly. Given the cost of top-quality No 6s — typically well over £60m — his £39m price tag is little more than a snip to the division’s top clubs.
Jones: Given the midfield market, it has to be Sangare. Granted, his adjustment at a Champions League club might have been more pressurised and taken longer, but I still suspect one of them will buy him for double this summer’s fee in a few years.
O’Neill: The supply of consistent goalscorers is noticeably thin right now. I think Troy Parrott, signed by Real Betis for €20m this summer, was a real market opportunity for mid-tier Premier League sides looking to bolster their options up front.
Stafford-Bloor: Nathaniel Brown, who joined Bayern Munich over the summer from Eintracht Frankfurt. He’s nominally a left-back, but can play on the right, further forward, and actually started as an attacking midfielder for Bayern in their first Bundesliga game of the season. He could have solved problems at all sorts of clubs.
Kay: It could be Sangare. It could also be Curtis Jones, who, if he settles in Italy, could be an inspired acquisition for Inter at just €35m. In terms of players left on the shelf, it could be Adam Wharton. I’m amazed — pleased, but amazed — he’s still at Crystal Palace.
Miller: I am amazed — and for personal reasons delighted — that nobody has had a serious run at Morgan Gibbs-White this summer. Perhaps that’s because he’s happy at Nottingham Forest and wants at least another season there, and Forest had no real need to sell, but after his astonishing end to last season I expected at least a few serious bids.
The signing who has most to prove?
Whitehead: James Trafford. It feels as if the England international has had a long wait to once again receive consistent starting minutes in the Premier League — a good season at Leeds United could see him as England’s long-term No 1, a poor season undermines all the talk of his potential.
Jones: Carlos Baleba went from having a nine-figure valuation when Manchester United were interested last summer to now moving to Old Trafford for significantly less, and that reflects a downturn in form for Brighton. He needs to show that was an exception.
O’Neill: £100m central midfielders usually arrive with obvious standout qualities that can instantly improve a team’s spine. For all his quality, it is much harder to identify exactly what Sandro Tonali excels at. Given the lavish fee, he will need to provide a reminder quickly.
Stafford-Bloor: Jack Grealish. If he cannot stay fit for a full season and perform to a level that once made him a £100m player, then this will be the last chance he gets.
Kay: Looking at the biggest deals — Elliot Anderson, Ayyoub Bouaddi and Enzo Fernandez at Manchester City; Tonali, Mateus Fernandes and Savio at Tottenham Hotspur; Rogers at Chelsea; Barcola at Liverpool — they all have an awful lot to do if they are to provide any kind of value.
Miller: Take your pick from Tottenham’s haul, but I’m interested to see how Martinez gets on at Chelsea. He’s an upgrade on Robert Sanchez, but people do tend to forget he has an abysmal error in him: a few more of those and patience will run thin.
James Trafford needs to have a good season (Michael Regan/Getty Images)
Which team looks to have improved their squad most this summer?
Whitehead: Ipswich’s team is almost unrecognisable from the squad that got them promoted — Emersonn is an exciting prospect, while Daizen Maeda, Sasa Lukic, and Issa Diop are good value for a combined price of under £30m.
Jones: Tottenham’s signings give them the most potential for dramatic improvement on last season. What it takes for that to be put into practice, though, as Roberto De Zerbi has already said, needs to come from within and not from the market.
O’Neill: They have spent modestly by Premier League standards, but I really like Brentford’s business this summer. Along with the brilliant Sangare, the signing of El Hadji Malick Diouf at left-back addresses a problem area for them. Jaidon Anthony and Callum Wilson offer greater depth in attacking areas, something they lacked last season as they ran out of gas in their push for European football.
Stafford-Bloor: The table and their results so far shouldn’t dissuade anyone from thinking it’s Tottenham. They were so limited last season, in nearly every position, and they’ve made significant, big-budget additions all over the pitch. Their technical level is almost immeasurably higher, even if it’s not showing yet.
Kay: Almost £3billion has been spent and, damningly, I don’t think any club looks significantly stronger for their summer business other than the newly promoted trio. Chelsea, despite missing out on a late move for Lamine Camara, and Tottenham have improved considerably, but that is more a reflection of previous dysfunction — and a lighter schedule — than inspired recruitment.
Miller: The answer is probably Tottenham, even though I’m not sure about a few of them, but I quite like how Leeds have addressed some problem areas — most notably in goal — and haven’t been particularly weakened by sales.
Which team looks to have improved their squad least this summer?
Whitehead: Crystal Palace. When the big arrival is Dwight McNeil… Pierre Sage is going to have some work to do.
O’Neill: Having spent enormously last summer to bring their squad up to Premier League quality, it feels like Sunderland have rested on their laurels a little this window. With the added strain of European football to contend with, Regis Le Bris would have benefited from a few extra recruits to keep his side fresh.
Jones: Sunderland and Everton’s business has been underwhelming, with the latter’s late failure to land Folarin Balogun particularly damaging — but it feels like Palace have actually got weaker. The sales of Maxence Lacroix and Daniel Munoz particularly are big blows.
Stafford-Bloor: I’m with Cerys on this: given that they also lost Marc Guehi halfway through last season, their moves so far have been especially underwhelming.
Kay: Aston Villa, Crystal Palace and Newcastle have lost key players, but a more interesting answer is Liverpool. There is so little depth and durability in certain positions once you scratch the surface. I really like the Andoni Iraola appointment, but I’m far from certain he has a squad capable of playing his type of high-energy football twice a week.
Miller: Given at one stage it looked like Everton would be swapping Iliman Ndiaye for Richarlison, it could have been worse, but I’m not sure about their business generally and not signing Balogun leaves them with only one senior striker. It doesn’t really feel like Coventry City have strengthened enough, and Palace are weaker than last season too.
Which coach is now under most pressure?
Whitehead: When your owner is Evangelos Marinakis, the pressure will be on Oliver Glasner regardless of transfer business. A squad in flux means he has weapons — but also uncertainty.
O’Neill: Alvaro Arbeloa is an inexperienced head coach tasked with managing a side in flux. Not a promising recipe for anyone looking for long-term employment in the Premier League.
Jones: Replacing a legend is never easy — but in terms of the players at his disposal, Enzo Maresca has no excuses. I think City will have patience with him, though — the first manager to actually be at risk of losing their job is more likely to be Glasner or Arbeloa.
Stafford-Bloor: Sage has a tricky inheritance. Glasner took Crystal Palace to a European trophy, which might be their ceiling, and trying to re-energise a depleted squad under those circumstances looks very difficult.
Kay: In a way, it’s De Zerbi. Not that his job is under threat — Tottenham’s hierarchy seems far too awed/terrified by him for that — but he has been given so much power and influence over a huge summer transfer outlay, which has been geared towards immediate (and desperately needed) improvement rather than long-term progression. He needs results.
Miller: He’s obviously not going to get sacked but I’m not sure which other section to put this in, so: Emery. Aston Villa’s season could go either way after having to replace most of their side since last season, and people aren’t panicking because they have such (understandable) faith in Emery to make things work. That’s pressure.
The player you now expect to move in January is…
Whitehead: A Chelsea player who now finds their pathway blocked.
Stafford-Bloor: Richarlison. Goodness knows what happened there and what circumstances compelled him to write that Instagram post, but his future at Spurs now looks untenable.
O’Neill: I’m amazed that Joshua Zirkzee is still at Manchester United. Unless an injury crisis transpires at Old Trafford, I imagine he will be shipped out in January.
Jones: Gibbs-White and Wharton are two players I was surprised there wasn’t more noise over this summer, and I can see both Forest and Palace struggling this season — I wonder if one or both will want out.
Kay: There has to be a danger that Arsenal or Liverpool will find themselves stretched in attack. It’s easy to imagine Liverpool renewing their interest in Brighton’s Yankuba Minteh. Speculating wildly, but might someone like Brentford’s Kevin Schade suit Arsenal’s needs?
Miller: Alex Scott, or Eli Junior Kroupi. The latter hasn’t really been a factor this summer because of his injury, but he’ll have been back in the Bournemouth team for a few months by the time the winter window opens and one of the big boys will be pressed into signing him.
There is some surprise Adam Wharton has not moved this summer (Lewis Storey/Getty Images)
And next summer everyone will be after…
Jones: Wide defenders and forwards who can exploit space in a more direct and counter-attacking league. Rayan would be top of my list.
Whitehead: Everton’s resolve to keep hold of 19-year-old Harrison Armstrong is set to be tested again — and there will be more clubs at the table than just Nottingham Forest.
O’Neill: Will Lankshear has already scored four goals in three Championship appearances since moving to Middlesbrough this summer. Chelsea turning a profit on Liam Delap showed just how canny an investment young English forwards are right now.
Stafford-Bloor: Konstantinos Karetsas from Borussia Dortmund. He signed from Genk over the summer and in his few appearances so far has already teased the kind of ability that should make clubs all over Europe take notice.
Kay: Wharton, Gibbs-White, Minteh, Junior Kroupi, Rayan, Schade, Sangare.
Miller: Gibbs-White. I’m not trying to sell him, honest.
Pick your top five and bottom three in order:
Whitehead: 1. Arsenal, 2. Liverpool, 3. Chelsea, 4. Manchester City, 5. Manchester United
18. Hull City, 19. Ipswich Town, 20. Coventry
O’Neill: 1. Manchester City, 2. Arsenal, 3. Chelsea, 4. Manchester United, 5. Liverpool
18. Sunderland, 19. Coventry, 20. Hull City
Jones: 1. Arsenal, 2. Manchester City, 3. Manchester United, 4. Chelsea, 5. Liverpool.
18. Hull City, 19. Ipswich Town, 20. Coventry
Stafford-Bloor: 1. Arsenal, 2. Manchester City, 3. Liverpool, 4. Chelsea, 5. Manchester United.
18. Crystal Palace, 19. Hull City, 20. Coventry.
Kay: 1. Arsenal, 2. Manchester City, 3. Chelsea, 4. Manchester United, 5. Liverpool.
18. Ipswich, 19. Coventry, 20. Hull City (though I am far less convinced regarding the bottom three than I was two weeks ago)
Miller: 1. Arsenal, 2. Chelsea, 3. Manchester City, 4. Manchester United, 5. Liverpool
18. Crystal Palace, 19. Hull City, 20. Coventry City