The summer transfer window in the Premier League has closed after clubs made major moves to strengthen their squads. Teams across the league spent a total of £3.46 billion on new players, with several big names changing clubs. Manchester City made a significant signing by acquiring Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernández from Chelsea for £125 million.
Liverpool also made a big move by signing French forward Bradley Barcola from Paris Saint-Germain for £123 million, according to news24online.com. Chelsea signed England international Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa for £117 million, making him the most expensive English player in the window. Manchester City also brought in Elliott Anderson from Nottingham Forest for £116 million.
Tottenham Hotspur made a major move by signing Italian midfielder Sandro Tonali from Newcastle United for £100 million. The window saw a total of 155 players signed, with clubs spending an unprecedented amount of money. The financial figures show that Premier League clubs spent 28 billion in the most recently available season, according to a report from soccer.realgm.com.
Chelsea reported a record loss of $354 million for the season, while Tottenham and Manchester United also posted losses. The sporting director said that much of the money spent on transfers stays within the Premier League. Demand for players with Premier League experience has increased, which raises the value of those players.
Some clubs have learned that signing players outside the Premier League can be risky. Early deals like those involving Rogers and Anderson set a standard for the rest of the transfer window. The Saudi Pro League has also impacted the market with its large spending on players.
If Manchester City can make a profit from signing Tijjani Reijnders, it could raise the valuations of other players in the league. Arsenal received a grade of C for their transfer window performance, as they did not make major changes to their squad, Yardbarker reported. Aston Villa’s window was rated a D, as they lost several key players and made only modest improvements.
Brentford earned an A for their window, as they kept most of their key players and added strong reinforcements. Chelsea received a B grade, with many new signings but uncertainty about how they will fit into the team. Manchester United’s window was rated a C, as they still have not signed a new left-back despite needing one.
Liverpool’s window was rated a C, with some good additions but also key areas of the squad still needing reinforcement. Manchester City’s window was described as turbulent, with several departures and new signings. Everton’s transfer window was rated an F, with many missed opportunities and poor signings.
Fulham’s window was also rated a D due to uncertainty around new signings and the loss of key players. Hull City and Ipswich Town both received B grades for making smart use of their limited budgets. Leeds United’s window was rated an A, with strong signings and good value deals.
Overall, the Premier League clubs have made record spending in this transfer window.
IMAGE: Enzo Fernández médio do Benfica. Photo: Lazaric12 / Wikimedia, taken 2022-09-05, CC BY-SA 4.0