Every PL Club’s Transfer Business Graded
With the international transfer deadline having passed just a couple of weeks ago, Premier League clubs should now be fully prepared for the season ahead. Although Covid-19 has hit football hard, the clubs in the top flight of England have still shown their monetary resources over this summer transfer window.
With that being said, let's look into each Premier League club, and see to what extent they performed in this bizarre pre-season window.
Arsenal
B+
Starting off with Arsenal, I think this is a club who will be happy with their summer business. It’s certainly been a mixed bag for the Gunners but there are a number of positives that they can take from this summer.
Arsenal’s window has consisted of three major signings. Both Willian and Gabriel Margalhaes were signed relatively early on in the window. The big reason for excitement though will be Arsenal’s deadline day signing of Atletico midfielder Thomas Partey. Before this signing, it looked as if Arsenal were going to miss out on the signature of the Ghanain. With their move for Houssem Aouar also falling through, this would’ve meant no midfield reinforcement.
They reignited their interest on deadline day though, and Arsenal will be greatly relieved that they were able to strengthen their midfield for the season ahead. Arsenal’s last signing of interest was the arrival of Dani Ceballos from Real Madrid on a second consecutive one year loan-deal.
Each of these four signings will come as massive additions to the Arsenal squad, and for relatively cheap as well. The Gunners spent a total of just €86 million, and managed to bring in a starting center-back, right-winger, and two central midfielders. They also added to the depth of the squad, with Cedric Soares, Pablo Mari, and Runar Runarsson coming in as well.
They managed to strengthen in key areas, particularly through the core of the side. The only real disappointment on the outs was goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez. He showed his quality towards the backend of last season and would have been superb as a second-choice goalkeeper behind Bernd Leno.
Overall, Arsenal were able to do what they needed to do. They brought in players that fit Arteta’s progressive philosophy, when looking at Gabriel, Ceballos and of course Thomas Partey. Without the signing of Partey, Arsenal’s window could’ve been viewed as somewhat of a failure, but this deadline day signing could be crucial in regards to Arsenal’s prospects for the season.
Aston Villa
A-
Aston Villa are another club who should be extremely proud of their business. Their fantastic early start to the Premier League season has shown just what they're capable of, and a lot of this can be accredited to their new acquisitions.
Matty Cash, Ollie Watkins, Bertrand Traore, and Emiliano Martinez have come in for a combined €82 million, with Ross Barkley arriving on loan from Chelsea. Realistically, you’d expect all of these players to become regular starters over the course of the season. In just three games, you can already see the impact that players like Watkins, Cash, and Martinez are having on the squad.
Aston Villa have shopped intelligently. Although they’ve spent big, they’ve focused their spending on areas of real importance. Signing a striker was always the biggest area of concern, after a disappointing season last year from Wesley. Watkins has proven quality in the Championship, and his hat trick against Liverpool is perhaps foreshadowing what’s to come.
Cash is another proven player at Championship level, and is already looking like a smart buy. Martinez is a player that Premier League fans know well at this stage, after his brilliant campaign from last season. And Bertrand Traore is a player of incredible quality coming out of France, and playing on the right he should address one of Villa’s weaknesses from last season.
On the outs, Aston Villa haven’t let go of any significant players. This is great for the Villains, as it means they’ve bolstered their squad for the upcoming campaign. The only problem is the amount of money they’ve spent. After spending big last summer, they’ve recorded a hefty loss yet again. This is the only thing that bumps them down from an A or A+.
Brighton
C-
Brighton are the first team on the list to have had a rather lacklustre transfer window. Although their summer started well, with the signings of both Adam Lallana and Joel Veltman early on, there has been little in the ways of signings from that point onwards.
These players represent some solid business in the market. They should both add some great experience to the squad, while Lallana has shown his Premier League quality for years at this stage. Picking him up on a free is impressive from the Seagulls, who needed some extra central-midfield depth with the loss of Aaron Mooy.
However, they haven’t added much more than this, and they’ve lost a number of players who were crucial last season. Shane Duffy, Anthony Knockaert, Martin Montoya, and the aforementioned Aaron Mooy have all departed, three out of four of whom recorded more than 1000 minutes in the Premier League last season.
The Seagulls have struggled to add much to their squad this summer. Luckily for them, they have been working hard over the past couple of seasons to ensure that they are now ready for this upcoming campaign. While they should still be set for a solid Premier League finish under Graham Potter this season, their transfer business has been outstandingly average to say the least.
Burnley
D
§Burnley are another club who have failed to make an impact in the transfer window. Like Brighton, they just struggled to conduct any meaningful business, and their signings were perhaps even less inspiring.
The only real addition of note to this Burnley team is Dale Stephens. Stephens comes in from Brighton for a measly €1.1 million, but could end up being a starter this campaign. While he was perfectly serviceable during his time at Brighton, he shouldn’t offer the Clarets anything out of the ordinary.
In reality, Stephens seems to be the replacement for Jeff Hendrick, who Burnley lost to Newcastle this summer. This represents a drop in quality in the center of the park. However, if there’s one thing we know about Burnley, it’s that the system is far more important than the individual quality under Sean Dyche.
The Clarets have obviously struggled to add any quality to their squad during this summer transfer window, with Covid potentially playing a role in this, but it shouldn’t affect their season in any big way. You’d expect them to perform admirably in the league , like always, but their transfer window has been below par.
Chelsea
A-
Chelsea have obviously been the largest topic of conversation throughout this transfer window. After coming off of their transfer ban from last season, they had clearly made big plans to strengthen the squad and start pushing Liverpool and Manchester City in the league.
If you’re unaware, Chelsea’s major signings include Timo Werner, Kai Havertz, Hakim Ziyech, Ben Chilwell, Thiago Silva, and Edouard Mendy, with youngster Malang Sarr also coming in on a free. The sheer amount of quality players that Chelsea have managed to bring in is incredible on it’s own, and it gets even better when you look at how they could all fit in together.
I’ve already written an article about how Havertz could fit into this new-look Chelsea squad, in which I outlined how the Blues should be a successful attacking side this campaign. Their defensive additions have also been intelligent, with Chilwell and Thiago Silva coming in to provide solid options in what was a shaky defensive side last season.
Lampard has also addressed the goalkeeping issue. Although Edouard Mendy might not be the most secure goalkeeper at this early stage in his career, he should certainly be able to give Kepa some competition, which can only be a good thing for the Blues.
So far it hasn’t really worked out as planned. Chelsea have only gained nine points from their first six Premier League matches, while a few of their players have struggled to perform early on. However, this was largely to be expected when considering the quantity of first team players that they’re trying to bed into the squad. Although some aspects have been shaky up to this point, the only way is up with this young Chelsea team.
Overall, their window was nearly perfect. The only problem I can see with their transfer dealings was the relatively large amount of money spent. Chelsea have spent a total of €247 million over the summer window. While they’ve brought in an insane amount of quality, this is still a ridiculous sum of money, with transfers like Chilwell for €50 million having to be questioned. For this reason, Chelsea’s window sits at an A-.
Crystal Palace
B-
Onto another London side, Crystal Palace have done considerably less business than their cross-city rivals. The Eagles were never expected to delve too deep into the market, especially during this difficult financial time.
However, the business that they have done has been good to say the least. They’ve brought two players in during this transfer window for a total of just €18 million. While Nathan Ferguson arrived on a free from West Brom, their main piece of business came in the form of Eberichi Eze.
The 22 year old attacking midfielder was one of the Championship’s best players last season, and looks a ready-made Premier League star. A number of clubs were trying to secure his signature, so this signing is massive for Palace, who have been craving some attacking influence in their industrious midfield.
Michy Batshuayi also arrived on loan, so Palace have managed to successfully bolster their attacking lineup for the campaign ahead. This is crucial for the Eagles, given they had the least expected goals of any Premier League team last season. For this reason, they get a B-, despite a relatively quiet window.
Everton
A+
Moving on now to the team that, in my opinion, have had the standout window this summer. Everton have obviously provoked much attention with their outstanding start to the season, winning each of their opening four Premier League games. While a big factor of this comes from the manager and the remaining core of the squad, the new additions have brought Everton to the next level.
In comparison to some of the other teams on this list, they actually haven’t brought in too many players. They’ve looked to address problems in key areas though, and their success in the market has been shown in their opening few matches. Obviously, the media have focused largely on the attacking prowess that James Rodriguez has brought to the team but you can’t underestimate the stability that Allan and Doucoure have both provided in midfield.
Everton also managed to secure the signatures of Ben Godfrey and Robin Olsen on deadline day. While these dealings may seem less significant, it’s crucial that Everton were able to sign another central defender. This has been a problem area for them for a couple of years now, and bringing in a young rotation option was always a must.
In a similar situation to Chelsea, Swedish goalkeeper Robin Olsen can come in and provide competition for Pickford, who hasn’t been putting in his best performances as of late. All in all, Everton have just had the perfect window. After losing Gueye to PSG last summer, the midfield was always the area in which they looked weakest. Having now strengthened their side in this regard, they are getting the best out of their players in other positions.
Carlo Ancelotti has clearly come to Everton with a defined vision in mind. Now that he has the personnel at his disposal, his Everton side look set to achieve their goals. They’ve spent far less than some other clubs, with their total spending at around €80 million, while they’ve also addressed every area of weakness. A+ for Ancelotti’s boys.
Fulham
C+
Fulham are a team who have done a lot of business this summer but haven’t been particularly impressive. They’ve taken a quantity over quality approach. While they’ve brought plenty of new faces to Craven Cottage, their transfer strategy has seemed rather frantic. We saw this two years ago from Fulham, when they were promoted last time out, and it obviously didn’t end well for them.
This season has been slightly better in this regard; however, they’ve taken a shotgun approach to their signings. Yet again they’re signing players in loads of areas, but it doesn’t seem like the personnel necarilly fit their current ideology and playing style. They’ve brought in an incredible 11 first team players.
The good news is, this has cost them just over €30 million. The bad news is, 6 of these players have come in on loan. This seems like incredibly short-term thinking from the Cottagers. Although they’ve avoided the problem that they had last time they were promoted, in which they spent an obscene amount of money, their transfer strategy seems chaotic and ill-planned yet again.
They signed a number of players on deadline day, in a desperate attempt to make up for what has been a poor start in the league. Despite this massive overhaul, they still look like the worst team in the league. If a few of these transfers work out, they could potentially have a solid season, but looking at the way they’ve approached the summer window, it’s probable that they’ll be facing the drop by the end of the campaign.
Leeds
B
Leeds have had a fairly mixed window. While they have managed to bring some incredible quality into their squad, you have to question whether it was worth it when they’re keeping largely the same core of the team. Leeds were incredibly successful last season in the Championship, and they’ve carried some of that form into the Premier League.
However, when looking at their opening few games you wonder if they could have done this even without some of their new additions. They’ve performed well while still managing to play with the same core as last season. Robin Koch has come in at center-back, and Helder Costa has been playing on the right-wing but the majority of their starting players came from last season's squad. The big addition is obviously the signing of Rodrigo from Valencia for €30 million and it makes sense that he hasn’t played a huge role as of yet.
Bielsa is quite particular in the way he wants his attackers to play and Rodrigo is currently going through that adaptation phase. We saw what he could bring to the squad though in Leeds’ recent match against Manchester City. He came off the bench to grab a goal, and put in a strong all-performance.
If the new Leeds additions can work their way into the squad, we could look back at this window and see it as an immensely successful one. They have certainly brought in players who look ready to function on a Premier League level. However, with the amount of money they spent (over €100 million in total) they really should have been bringing in some more nailed on starting prospects.
Leicester
B+
In many ways, Leicester have been one of the most stable clubs during this uncertain window. Although they haven’t brought in a huge number of players, they seem to have planned this window out rather well.
The Foxes have brought in three main additions. Timothy Castagne joined from Atalanta early on in the window, while Wesley Fofana and Cengiz Under have since arrived at the club. Each of these players have undoubted quality, while it’s also easy to see where they can fit in at the club.
Cengiz Under has been brought in on loan from Roma, but should provide great attacking depth throughout the course of the season. While Ayoze Perez performed admirably on the right last season, you feel as if the Spaniard is best served when playing off of a main striker. This means that Under should have plenty of chances to make an influence off the right.
The other players have come in to bolster the Leicester backline, particularly after the departure of Ben Chilwell. While doubts were raised over Castagne’s quality, he has slotted superbly into this Leicester side, playing a variety of positions already during his short time at the club. Wesley Fofana is much more of long-term addition, but with Evans growing older it was a wise move for the Foxes to bring in another young center-back.
This organized business in the transfer market has reflected onto Leicester’s early-season form in the league. Their squad has been largely complete for the last couple of years now but they’ve done well to softly strengthen some important areas. Although they lost Chilwell, they were able to bring in two capable defenders for the price that he went out for. Overall, Leicester have had a transfer plan since the beginning of the window, and it seems as if they should be set up for another successful Premier League campaign.
Liverpool
A
Liverpool are another team who have fared very well during this window. They’re also another team who have been incredibly efficient. Like Leicester, they haven’t brought in an overload of players but they’ve still managed to strengthen in each of their target areas.
In many ways Liverpool have had the perfect window. They’ve strengthened every area that their fans have been concerned about over the past couple of campaigns. They’ve signed an incredible progressive central midfielder in Thiago, they’ve brought in a young player who can play everywhere across the frontline in Diogo Jota, and they’ve also managed to sign a backup left-back.
Even more impressively, they’ve done all of this for just around €75 million, with their net spend at just €40 million. In Jota and Thiago, they’ve got two players with experience in the top five leagues, as well as in European competition. To add this sort of pedigree to their squad for such a low amount of money is fantastic, and they’ve added players in perfect areas as well.
After not completing any major business last summer, Liverpool have responded this year by continuing on with their impressive transfer strategy. If they were to continue on from their title-success last season, they were always going to need to delve into the market. However, they’ve done this quite subtly which is perfect. They’ve managed to address problem areas while planning for the future and bringing in experience all for a relatively low cost.
Manchester City
B-
Moving on to the other big contender for this season’s Premier League title, Manchester City have looked far less convincing than Liverpool in this season’s summer transfer window. While it’s not necessarily a lack of signings that has held the Cityzens back, it’s more of an issue with how they’ve spent their money.
Despite spending over €160 million, City don’t look much stronger than they did last year. While they were shopping in the right areas of the field, they have massively overspent for the quality of player that they have brought in.
They have clearly looked to strengthen their backline, which was an area of concern last season. They have done this by bringing in two center-backs, Ruben Dias and Nathan Ake. I have problems with both of these additions. While Ake is a perfectly serviceable center-back, who has been operating at Premier League level for many years now, he is nowhere near good enough for a team challenging for the Premier League title. At best, he should be playing for a team looking to get into Europe. Combine this with the fact that they paid €40 million for him and there seems to be quite a large problem.
Ruben Dias is similar, but I have higher hopes for his City career. Coming out of Portugal, City have paid €68 million to secure the 23 year old’s signature. While he certainly looks like a bright prospect for the future, he might not be the best player to fix City’s current defensive frailties. Also, the price that they’ve brought him in for is a massive risk given he’s only ever played club football in Portugal.
The final player of note that City have brought in is Ferran Torres. Again, he looks like a talented player who could serve them well in the future but won’t be the answer to their problems at this stage.
To lose Leroy Sane and replace him with Torres will be a huge disappointment for City fans, as this switch is clearly a massive downgrade. This has been the problem for City this summer: while they have spent big on some useful prospects, they haven’t added to their squad in a meaningful way, and they should find it difficult to challenge Liverpool for the title.
Manchester United
B
The other half of Manchester will be feeling similar emotions. Manchester United are another team who have dipped their feet in the transfer window but have failed to make too many meaningful changes to their squad. There hasn’t been an adequate level of squad progression over the summer, and they really haven’t improved their chances heading into the upcoming season.
The Red Devils have brought in three main signings. Donny van de Beek arrived early in the window and was followed by Edinson Cavani and Alex Telles on deadline day. They also managed to bring a couple of younger prospects in shortly before the end of the window, but have done relatively little to improve their first team squad.
The big positive for United that has come out of this window is obviously the signing of young attacking midfielder Donny van de Beek. The ex-Ajax player has been largely touted for a move for some time now, and over the coming years he should prove to be a valuable addition. The Signing of Alex Telles will also come as a relief to United fans, who have been crying out for a new left-back for some time now.
To pick these two players up for just €54 million is solid business on United’s part and should help them in the long term. A signing that I’m less of a fan of is Cavani’s free transfer. While Cavani will offer an experienced striking option, he will undoubtedly come in on huge wages and I’m unsure if he’ll get the game-time to justify that. With Rashford, Martial, Greenwood and Ighalo all capable of playing that central striking role in Solskjaer’s 4-2-3-1, Cavani might have been the most useful addition.
United’s transfer window really just hasn’t been anything special. They haven’t been invisible, and they’ve actually brought in a couple of solid players. However, it’s hard to say that their squad is significantly better than it was last season. While they haven’t necessarily been poor during this uncertain window, they have definitely been underwhelming.
Newcastle
A-
While Newcastle haven’t been the focus of the attention throughout this transfer window, I believe they’ve done incredibly well to recruit for their team on a relatively small budget. They’ve made a number of exciting first team additions, while keeping their spending at a reasonable level.
They’ve added four players of real note to their squad, each of whom you’d expect to start regularly over the course of the campaign. Callum Wilson and Jamal Lewis are obviously the two main additions, coming in for a combined €38 million. However, what’s perhaps more impressive is the fact that they’ve also brought in Ryan Fraser and Jeff Hendrick for free.
Each of these four signings comes in for a more than reasonable price, while also adding great quality to the squad. You feel as if Wilson was a much needed signing in order to give Newcastle more end product in the final third, and he’s already displayed his abilities for the Magpies alongside Lewis and Hendrick. Each of these three players have impressed during their early Newcastle careers, and you would expect Fraser to join them as the season progresses.
Newcastle have done brilliantly to address problem areas. Obviously bringing in a striker was the main concern, after Steve Bruce seemed to lose faith in Joelinton towards the end of last season. While doing this they’ve also managed to bring in a promising young left-back as well as another winger to add attacking depth and a hard-working box-to-box midfielder. A- for Steve Bruce and the Magpies.
Sheffield United
C+
Onto another team who could finish amongst the lower echelons of the Premier League mid-table, Sheffield United have equipped themselves far less for the season ahead. The Blades performed outstandingly last season, but their fairy-tale might not be set to continue. After nearly reaching European football at the end of the 2019/20 campaign, their transfer business this summer has left them in a rather poor position.
This was always likely given their relative lack of resources but it’s disappointing to see such an exciting side lose some of their flair. Already from the beginning of this season it’s clear to see that Sheffield United won’t go onto match the same heights that they did last year.
In terms of signings it’s been quite disappointing. The big addition has been Rhian Brewster, who has come in from Liverpool. Brewster is certainly a striker with tonnes of potential but it’s impossible to know how he’ll thrive in a Premier League environment. Sheffield United have also brought in Aaron Ramsdale, Jayden Bogle, Max Lowe and Ethan Ampadu.
While none of these players are lacking in quality, they also don’t add much extra to the squad Sheffield United have at their disposal. The big disappointment is that Sheffield United were unable to secure Dean Henderson on another year-long loan, and have replaced him with Aaron Ramsdale. This is a huge downgrade in my eyes. Ramsdale was an incredibly average keeper with Bournemouth last season, and during his Sheffield United career up to this point he’s failed to get anywhere near the level that Henderson displayed over the course of last campaign.
All-in-all, this transfer window could end up summarizing a potentially dry and disappointing season for the Blades. They haven’t looked up to their same standards in the first few games of the season, and their transfer window has been far from extraordinary. Realistically they could be looking at a relegation battle this campaign.
Southampton
B
Southampton were a team who started their window strongly but have failed to make the headlines towards the end of the summer. In some ways, this could be seen as a good thing. They clearly had a transfer plan in mind and were able to secure their most important signings early on in the window, avoiding any last-minute, panicked decisions.
In terms of the players they’ve brought in, there isn’t a whole lot to speak about. On the whole, the transfer business that the Saints have conducted has been admirable and efficient but far from breathtaking. They’ve brought in four players of note: Kyle Walker-Peters, Mohamed Salisu, Ibrahima Diallo and Theo Walcott who has come in on loan from Everton.
Each of these four players should have a role to play in the squad over the course of the season. Walker-Peters, for one, has already been heavily involved, after spending half a season on loan with the club last campaign. You’d also expect young defensive players Salisu and Diallo to be involved as the season goes on, and hopefully improve what has been a shaky Southampton backline over recent years.
While none of these signings will offer a significant improvement, the Saints have added to their squad intelligently and have spent relatively little in the process. With the squad that Hassenhuttl already has at his disposal, he should be fairly happy with the business his side have conducted. They haven’t gone over the top; however, they have set themselves up for success by making a few minor adjustments that could make a large difference.
Tottenham
B+
Tottenham are another one of the bigger Premier League teams, alongside Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea, who should be thoroughly satisfied with their summer business. Although we’ve seen them operating on a tight budget in windows gone by, this year they have looked to splash some cash in the market. They’ve managed to bring in a number of big-name signings, and have certainly improved their first-team squad.
After a disappointing last season, Spurs look better set going into this campaign, and have certainly looked stronger across the opening few matchweeks. Gareth Bale’s return to Tottenham has definitely been the focus-point of media attention in regards to Spurs transfer news but they’ve really strengthened in other areas as well. The signings of Hojbjerg, Doherty and Reguillon should serve them well in the coming seasons, while they’ve also secured Lo Celso on a permanent after his loan spell last season.
I think a lot of Spurs’ business has really gone under the radar. Hojbjerg was class last season for Southampton and his addition adds balance to a Spurs midfield that was inconsistent in 2019/20. The full-backs have also been overhauled, which will allow Spurs to play with more confidence going forwards.
The signings of Reguillon and Doherty are crucial in this regard. Given how narrow Spurs play with their front three, Mourinho has needed a full-back pairing who are able to provide the width offensively. Last season, Aurier was given minutes on the right due to his attacking threat, yet he was often exposed when going backwards.
In this sense Spurs have done brilliantly to improve themselves as a defensive unit, by adding two defensively capable full-backs and a defensive midfielder for a modest overall sum. They’ve also brought in an attacking wildcard in Gareth Bale as well as a backup striker in Carlos Vinicius, which is an area that they’ve struggled in for some time. Spurs should be pleased with their summer business, as their prospects look bright for the season ahead.
West Brom
B
On what was always going to be a meager transfer budget, the Baggies have done reasonably well to recruit a few first team members. While their business hasn’t necessarily changed their prospects for the upcoming season, they will feel they have at least added some quality to their squad.
Obviously, the big thing for West Brom was that they managed to secure the permanent signings of both Grady Diangana and Matheus Pereira. These players both enjoyed incredibly successful loan spells at the club last season, and were arguably the two best players at the club. Adding this level of assured quality to the squad for just over €20 million is some great business for the Baggies, that should make them a more threatening attacking side.
They also brought in some reinforcement in the striking position, with both Karlan Grant and Callum Robinson coming in. These signings are slightly less impressive but still vital, given their lack of an outstanding goalscorer. If one of these players were to kick on over the course of the campaign, it could be the difference between Premier League or Championship football next year.
Alongside these attacking additions, they’ve added some depth to the squad in other areas, including the signing of the experienced Branislav Ivanovic on a free. Given that West Brom haven’t lost anyone too important over the summer window, I think it’s fair to say that Slaven Bilic and his team will be happy with the business that they’ve conducted, with a few quality first team players coming into the side.
West Ham
C
On the East side of London, West Ham have had what can only be described as a fairly mediocre transfer window. The Hammers have failed to make any notable improvements to the squad, and their impact in the transfer window this summer was minimal.
The Hammers brought in three players of real note: Tomas Soucek, Vladimir Coufal and Craig Dawson. The addition of Soucek will be a positive for West Ham fans, as his performances last season added some grit and extra quality to their midfield. The signings of Craig Dawson and Vladimir Coufal are slightly less exciting; however, Coufal has performed admirably over his first couple of Premier League matches.
While these players don’t represent bad business by any means, the Hammers have just done very little to improve their prospects for the upcoming season. Given their dreadful 19/20 campaign, you would have expected slightly more from them this summer. Their defence was a particularly weak area for them last season but they haven’t made any additions of real quality in this department. Their defensive quality is still below the level of the Premier League, and it could be a struggle for them to keep clean sheets this season.
West Ham will also be disappointed about the sale of Grady Diangana to West Brom. Interestingly, a number of the West Ham squad members have come out and publicly stated their anger at letting such a talented youngster leave the club. He was clearly a player who could’ve assisted them in the final third this campaign, and to lose him for just €13 million is a big blow for the club.
Overall, West Ham just haven’t got much right during this transfer window. While the signing of Soucek should be a massive boost, everything else has been sub-par. Luckily for them, they’ve started the season well, and perhaps their poor transfer business won’t affect them too badly over the course of the campaign.
Wolves
B
The final club on our list, Wolves, have been one of the better performers in this season's transfer window. While they haven’t done anything incredible, they’ve gone about their business admirably and brought in a few promising additions.
The focus for Wolves has clearly been on bringing in youth. Fabio Silva has been the main signing in this regard but Ki-Jana Hoever, Vitinha and Rayan Ait-Nouri also come in as high-profile youngsters. This planning for the future might not make a huge immediate impact but should benefit the club in years to come. Fabio Silva certainly looks like a ready replacement for the aging Raul Jimenez. His goal scoring threat in Portugal was clear to see, and it’s possible that he could break into the first team this season.
Wolves also brought in a couple of older defenders in Nelson Semedo and Fernando Marcal. With the departure of Matt Doherty and the lengthy injury to Jonny Otto, these signings make perfect sense. They both provide experienced options at wing-back, while Nelson Semedo in particular is a top-class defensive player arriving from Barcelona.
While Wolves will have been disappointed to lose both Diogo Jota and Matt Doherty this summer, they have players in the squad who seem ready to step up and replace them. Podence and Neto, who Wolves signed last season, have deputized well in Jota’s absence, and look like they should be able to fill the gap that the Portuguese winger has left. Wolves also managed to bring in €77 million during the transfer window, so these sales funded moves for players like Fabio Silva and Nelson Semedo.
Overall, Wolves have managed to bring in some quality to their squad, despite losing some of their key players from last campaign. They’ve also set up well for the future, with the signing of Fabio Silva really catching the eye. While they have lost Jota and Doherty to Premier League rivals, they still look well set for the upcoming campaign, and should yet again be pushing for European football for a third consecutive year.
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