Tag: Italian club

Socceroos star in deadline day chaos as dream move collapses in major blow

Arsenal

Biggest signing: Declan Rice ($195m from West Ham United)

Biggest exit: Folarin Balogun ($50m to Monaco)

Total spent: $395m

Having come agonisingly close to winning the Premier League last season, Arsenal have loosened the pursestrings and then some this summer.

The biggest of the four arrivals at the Emirates is undoubtedly former West Ham United captain Declan Rice, who joined for a staggering $195 million.

Rice has played in each of Arsenal’s three Premier League games as their holding midfielder in a unit of three alongside fellow summer signing Kai Havertz and captain Martin Odegaard.

The arrival of Rice addressed the glaring issue of depth in the defensive midfield given the over-reliance on Thomas Partey last season.

Havertz’s signing was a curious one given he has often flattered to deceive throughout his time at Chelsea, as was goalkeeper David Raya who moved on loan from Brentford.

Jurrien Timber’s move from Ajax was seen as a smart piece of business but he suffered a serious injury in the Gunners’ season opener against Nottingham Forest and faces a lengthy stint on the sidelines.

Arsenal have also done well to move on a number of players, recouping reasonable fees for Folarin Balogun and Granit Xhaka while American duo Matt Turner and Auston Trusty also departed.

Whether these additions will prove to be the tonic Arsenal needs to go one better in the title race remains to be seen, but they’ve certainly given themselves a significant chance.

Grade: A

Aston Villa

Biggest signing: Moussa Diaby ($92.5m from Bayer Leverkusen)

Biggest exit: Cameron Archer ($35m to Sheffield United)

Total spent: $156m

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery was clear in his instructions to his recruitment team: bring him players with European pedigree.

After all, the Midlands outfit have brought European nights back to Villa Park for the first time since the 2010/11 season after an impressive 7th-place finish last season.

Villa have certainly delivered on Emery’s request, bringing in Youri Tielemans and Pau Torres as well as Nicolo Zaniolo and Clement Lenglet on season-long loan deals.

But the most impressive piece of business has been the signing of winger Moussa Diaby, with his $92.5m fee breaking the club’s transfer record.

The tricky Frenchman has already dazzled in Villa’s opening games and has linked up well with Ollie Watkins up front.

Villa have also eased the burden of FFP by selling academy products Aaron Ramsey and Cameron Archer to Burnley and Sheffield United respectively.

The only fear among Villa fans is the worrying lack of depth in the squad, with Emery naming two goalkeepers on the bench for his side’s Premier League fixtures.

Grade: B+

Bournemouth

Biggest signing: Tyler Adams ($45m from Leeds United)

Biggest exit: Ben Pearson ($2.5m to Stoke City)

Total spent: $213m

Talk about flexing a newfound financial muscle.

Bournemouth were taken over by American businessman Bill Foley last December and held off significant spending until they had Premier League safety secured.

With that objective achieved and a new manager at the helm in Andoni Iraola, the Cherries have been incredibly active this summer and have brought in eight players all 26 or younger.

Alex Scott, nicknamed the ‘Guernsey Grealish’ and had plenty of admirers among the Premier League, is one of those eight but is yet to feature due to injury.

Bournemouth have also done well not to lose many players of value, although Jefferson Lerma’s switch to Crystal Palace on a free deal is a blow.

If there was to be any criticism of Bournemouth’s dealings it would be not adding competition for star striker Dominic Solanke, with Kieffer Moore not exactly the best backup option.

Whether their youth-heavy approach pays off or blows up in their face remains to be seen, but there can be no question Bournemouth have a better team than they did last season.

Grade: A-

Brentford

Biggest signing: Nathan Collins ($45m from Wolves)

Biggest exit: David Raya (loan to Arsenal)

Total spent: $107m

Brentford’s summer window has been dominated by the will-he-won’t-he saga of goalkeeper David Raya.

He was heavily linked with a move to Tottenham but it failed to materialise as Brentford refused to budge on their £40m valuation.

In the end, the Spaniard moved to Arsenal where he will battle it out with Aaron Ramsdale for the starting role.

Brentford prepared for Raya’s departure with the signing of Dutch goalkeeper Mark Flekken from Freiburg and he has looked the goods so far.

Thomas Frank’s side also addressed the club’s glaring need for a new centre-back, signing Nathan Collins from Wolves, and added a talented winger in Kevin Schade before a deadline-day loan move for Everton forward Neal Maupay.

A solid yet unspectacular transfer window from Brentford.

Grade: B

Brighton

Biggest signing: Joao Pedro ($57m from Watford)

Biggest exit: Moises Caicedo ($195m to Chelsea)

Total spent: $169m

Once billed as Barcelona’s replacement for Lionel Messi, Brighton made one of the more intriguing deals before the deadline by signing 20-year-old Spain international Ansu Fati on a loan move.

A string of injuries have played a role in Fati not being able to live up to his sky-high potential, but at just 20 years old the best is still ahead of him and now the versatile youngster will have a chance to revitalise his career at Brighton.

Tottenham was said to also have shown interest in Fati but the fact he opted to sign with Brighton says a lot about the club’s rising standing in the football world, having secured their first campaign in European football next season.

“This is a great deal for all of us,” Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi said.

“I am sure Ansu will help us to reach a new target and we can help him get back to the level he deserves to be.”

The signing of Ansu was not the only coup this transfer window for Brighton though, who have undergone quite the roster upheaval with Caicedo, Alexis Mac Allister and Robert Sanchez all departing.

What Brighton got in return for the trio though is quite staggering, receiving £175 million ($A341m) for the trio after paying just £11 million ($A21m) to sign them in the first place.

Just another shrewd piece of business from a team that clearly has a plan as it builds towards the future.

Fati headlines a long list of signings for Brighton, with Joao Pedro, Mahmoud Dahoud, Bart Verbruggen, Igor Julio, Carlos Baleba, Jacob Slater and James Milner all joining the Seagulls.

And they did all that while making a $144m profit.

Grade: A

Burnley

Biggest signing: Zeki Amdouni ($30m from Basel)

Biggest exit: Wout Weghorst (loan to Hoffenheim)

Total spent: $186m

The Premier League newcomers didn’t waste any time splashing the cash in their bid to survive. They brought in Sheffield’s impressive midfielder Sander Berge and poached former Southampton player Nathan Redmond on a free transfer from Besiktas. Of the ten players they spent fees signing, the oldest was 25-year-old Berge, showing their focus on the long-term development of the squad. 22-year-old striker Zeki Amdouni was their biggest outlay, while 21-year-old playmaker Aaron Ramsey is a hugely talented midfielder from Aston Villa. Crucially, they held onto all of their key players from the promotion campaign, making just a couple of sales. They might not have gone for big names or superstars, but they recruited exceptionally and didn’t hold back in the transfer market, spending plenty of money on a balanced variety of players.

Grade: A-

Chelsea

Biggest signing: Moises Caicedo ($195m from Brighton)

Biggest exit: Kai Havertz ($126m to Arsenal)

Total spent: $775m

In three transfer windows, Chelsea have splurged one billion pounds. It’s a staggering amount of money, but this window was a little different to the last. Sure, they bought eight players who each cost over £20m, with their total outlay around £419m – more than coach Mauricio Pochettino spent in five whole years at Spurs. That included breaking the British transfer record for the second time in seven months to sign Moises Caicedo for a fee up to £115 million.

But equally crucial was offloading a number of stars – racking up £295m or $575m AUD in sales and loan fees. Besides Havertz, the long list of outgoing names included Mason Mount, Kepa, Mendy, Lukaku, Kante, Azpilicueta, Kovacic and Pulisic, helping them to balance their books and make room for a sweeping overhaul.

In Pochettino they have a coach with a very strong record of developing young players, and their focus on signing next-generation stars has seen the squad’s average age drop drastically in the last year (the oldest of their 11 signings is just 25). They beat Liverpool to the signings of Caicedo and Romeo Lavia, two extremely talented young guns, and there’s no doubt that their raft of signings have immense potential.

But for a club desperate to right the wrongs of last season, their focus on youth comes with significant risk. Inexperience at the top level and a fresh-faced side will mean it takes time to gel. Injuries to their attacking signings forced them back into the market late on, but in Manchester City’s Cole Palmer they landed another dangerous forward. They also kept a hold of Conor Gallagher, Trevoh Chalobah and Ian Maatsen despite plenty of interest.

It capped off a very good window for Chelsea in both directions – but one that might take a season or two to truly pay off.

Grade: A

Crystal Palace

Biggest signing: Matheus Franca ($33m from Flamengo)

Biggest exit: Wilfried Zaha (free to Galatasaray)

Total spent: $65m

The exit of talismanic Wilfried Zaha was a major blow, especially since he departed for free. You get the feeling Palace didn’t quite manage to replace him in what was a quiet window for the club. Teen playmaker Matheus Franca is a promising signing, while Jefferson Lerma adds value on a free deal from Bournemouth. Dean Henderson (from Man Utd) is a major upgrade between the sticks and was in hot demand, while Rob Holding from Arsenal was a deadline-day deal to bolster their defensive stocks. After Zaha’s exit, keeping a hold of Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise was vital, and they managed to see off the interest from around the league for both players. But coach Roy Hodgson said the squad was about three players lighter than he wanted – and he didn’t get the clinical striker or the fullback he wanted.

Grade: C

Everton

Biggest signing: Beto ($42m from Udinese)

Biggest exit: Moise Kean ($50m to Juventus)

Total spent: $68m

It’s hard to think of this window as anything other than a disaster. After scraping survival last season – again – it was clear that Everton needed reinforcements. That’s especially true after losing Anthony Gordon and Richarlison in back-to-back windows.

They got the striker they desperately needed, landing Beto from Udinese. But elsewhere? Crickets. Their only other permanent signing was a 19-year-old striker Chermiti for $21m, while they added Ashley Young on a free transfer and Arnaut Danjuma and Jack Harrison on loans.

The list of players they were linked to but couldn’t buy was damning. Wilfried Gnonto from Leeds, Harrison Reed, Kamaldeen Sulemana and Maxwell Cornet – all players that had reported Everton bids rejected on deadline day.

Meanwhile, they sold Alex Iwobi (Fulham) and Tom Cannon (Leicester) for a combined total nearing £30m on the final day, but didn’t spend a cent as the hours ticked by and the window slammed shut. Neal Maupay also went back to Brentford on a loan with an option to buy, while Everton couldn’t find a buyer for midfielder Jean-Philippe Gbamin for even £5m, so ended up terminating his contract on deadline day. Meanwhile, Demarai Gray could still leave to Saudi Arabia this week.

They needed depth in defence and midfield. They got none of it. With a squad that’s weaker than last season, avoiding relegation will be extremely difficult. At least they’re spending money on their new stadium, since it’s clearly not going towards transfers.

Grade: E

Fulham

Biggest signing: Alex Iwobi ($43m from Everton)

Biggest exit: Aleksandar Mitrovic ($87m to Al Hilal)

Total spent: $115m

It was a big overhaul for Fulham this window, though they made just one confirmed sale – star striker Mitrovic opting for a payday in Saudi Arabia. But they also made six free transfers, clearing plenty of space for arrivals. They opted to sign players with plenty of top-flight experience: Alex Iwobi from Everton on deadline day, Raul Jimenez and Adama Traore from Wolves, Timothy Castagne from Leicester. A gifted left-back in Fodé Ballo-Touré arrived extremely late on deadline day on loan from AC Milan with no option to buy. Effectively, Fulham upgraded the quality of their starting line-up, though they didn’t manage to add much depth. But their inability to sign a striker outside of Jimenez, who hasn’t got back to his best after a serious head injury, is a major concern. They’ll hope he can find his shooting boots again, and that their other forwards can pitch in with goals to help them stay up. Defender Tosin Adarabioyo had a move to Monaco fall through, while Joao Palhina had a deal with Bayern Munich collapse after he had travelled to Germany for a medical and even took photos with his new jersey!

Grade: C

Liverpool

Biggest signing: Dominik Szoboszlai ($117m from RB Leipzig)

Biggest exit: Fabinho ($79m to Al Ittihad)

Total spent: $287m

Liverpool was always expected to target midfield reinforcements this summer, although ahead of the transfer deadline it quickly became clear just how big a priority it would be.

That is what losing Jordan Henderson, James Milner, Naby Keita, Fabinho and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain does to you.

There were a few missed targets along the way, headlined by the failed pursuit for Caicedo as Chelsea broke the British transfer record to sign the 21-year-old from Brighton.

In the end though, Liverpool did end up addressing its glaring need in the midfield after signing Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai, who Andy Robertson described as seamless fits at the club.

While Liverpool may have lost Fabinho after struggling to match the spending powers of Saudi Arabian club Al-Ittihad, the Reds may have picked up a bargain in Wataru Endo.

“He is a late bloomer,” Klopp said of the 30-year-old, who Liverpool signed from Stuttgart for around 19 million euros.

He is a late bloomer in his career and he was definitely underestimated for a long time,” Klopp said.

“It is clear he has improved every year since he was on the proper football screen. On the pitch, he turns into a real monster.”

Klopp tipped Endo to have a “similar impact” to Milner, who joined Brighton as a free agent.

Liverpool was not finished there either, later signing Netherlands midfielder Ryan Gravenberch from Bayern Munich before the deadline.

Speaking ahead of the deadline, Klopp said the team’s midfield is “completely new” after the summer signings which totalled £150 million.

“I think we have much more goal threat in midfield now but the workrate these guys put in, the stability they gave us was second-to-none and that is what we have to create as well,” Klopp added.

The Reds rejected a monster £150 million offer for Mohamed Salah to move to Saudi Arabia, but that country’s transfer window is still open for another few days. Al-Ittihad will reportedly return with a £200m bid – a staggering amount of money for anyone, let alone a 31-year-old – which will test Liverpool’s mettle. If they want to achieve a top four finish, they’ll need to keep the Egyptian superstar, especially with no chance to replace him with new signings now the Premier League window has slammed shut. Losing him could prove disastrous.

But with four new midfielders, Liverpool got the overhaul they badly needed – though it was 12 months too late.

Grade: A-

Luton Town