5 teams who have been surprisingly inactive this transfer season?

The transfer window is the time to rectify the lacking in the squads and make amends accordingly. While some squads need only fine-tuning, some need a complete overhaul. Whatever be the case, it is almost impossible for top clubs to not sign even one player in the summer transfer window.

So far in the window, Manchester City and Milan have signed quite a few good players to strengthen themselves. Meanwhile, Manchester United and Chelsea have also made some shrewd acquisitions to help their case for this season.

And then there are some others that haven’t been much active in this window. Given the crevices in their respective squads, it is quite surprising to see these clubs be so quiet in the window – and here are 5 such clubs…

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#5 Liverpool

Yes, yes, I get it. Liverpool have signed one of the best players of Serie A last season, but that’s pretty much it. They might have also acquired the highly talented Dominic Solanke, but it doesn’t really solve the problems that exist within the team.

For one, the Reds are in a dire need of a centre-back that can actually defend. They might have a steady amount of defenders, but it is really difficult to label them as Champions League-level players. They showed interest in signing Southampton’s Virgil Van Dijk early in the window, but all Liverpool could offer to Southampton was an apology.

Meanwhile, they also lack bite in midfield, something that led to a semi-implosion last term despite having to focus on the Premier League alone. Naby Keita is being chased vehemently, but things haven’t hit anything concrete on that front either.

Given that they are going to play in the Champions League this term, they seem to lack the necessary backups in the striker department, but the need of a defender and a midfielder is more urgent than anything else.

#4 Inter

Inter don't seem to be competing with Milan or Juventus any time soon

Juventus have been the stronghold of Serie A for the better part of this decade and it looks like Milan are now going to put a real challenge on the Old Lady. The Rossoneri have completely overhauled their squad from a mid-table club to a title-challenging unit in the space of a month.

The story for their cross-town rivals, however, has been anything but.

Inter finished a place below their arch-rivals, Milan, at number 7. Given that they are the last Italian club to win the Champions League, it is only natural to expect them to be in the competition frequently. However, last season, they showed that their squad isn’t adequate enough.

Luciano Spaletti may have signed four players, but none of them could be labelled as even close to world class, except Borja Valero. He might be a great player, but he is already 32-years-old and doesn't represent a long-term improvement.

Meanwhile, they have signed a talented 18-year-old Facundo Colidio from Boca and Milan Skriniar from Sampdoria. The duo of defenders might have all the talent in the world, but don’t really give an immediate impact like Leonardo Bonucci at Milan.

The Nerazzurri may have some good forwards, but their midfield is very depleted and needs a massive rejuvenation – which hasn’t been the case thus far.

#3 Paris-Saint Germain

A great squad that lacks the mental strength

They might be on the brink of completing the most expensive signing in the history of football, but the fact remains that the Parisien outfit have had a quiet window thus far. Given that they missed out on both the league and Europe last season, this is a bit surprising.

Neymar’s arrival changes all that, but the move is yet to be finalised. Meanwhile, their defence seems to be vulnerable with only three recognised centre-backs, out of which Thiago Silva is on the decline. They may have signed two full-backs in the form of Yuri Berchiche and Dani Alves, but they already had three players prior to their arrival in that department anyway.

The rest of their squad is very good and doesn’t need much of a renovating. With the impending – and somewhat imminent – arrival of Neymar, their frontline becomes even stronger, but with a defence so fragile, it doesn’t really guarantee much success.

#2 Barcelona

Nelson Semedo is the only signing that improves the Catalans

They might have just won their recent Clasico encounter against Real Madrid, but the dearth in the quality in some aspects is apparent. Where do I start? For one, Andres Iniesta has been on the decline for a while, but you would be kidding to claim that Andre Gomes is a sufficient back-up.

At the heart of the defence, both Gerard Pique and Samuel Umtiti should suffice, but they lack the proper depth to replace them during rotations or injuries. Mascherano might be there, but age seems to be catching up on him too.

Meanwhile, Sergio Busquets seems like a shadow of the player he once was. The MSN, to put things into perspective, don’t really have a proper back-up. The first replacement for Madrid’s BBC is any one of Isco and Asensio.

For Barca’s MSN, it is Gerard Deulofeu.

The Catalans might have made a great signing in Nelson Semedo, but they would be wrong to think that the Portuguese would suffice. Neymar’s departure might jerk them into going all-guns-blazing in the transfer market, but so far they have been quiet.

#1 Tottenham Hotspur

Pochettino is putting his faith on youngsters

And the mother of all transfer inactivity: Tottenham Hotspur and this window. Mauricio Pochettino is yet to open the cheque book this summer and it is really absurd that he hasn’t yet. The Argentine manager has already lost Kyle Walker to the manager who seems to be his antithesis.

While Pep Guardiola believes that youngsters at City will get fewer chances under him due to the reserve team not playing in a competitive league, the former Espanyol manager seems to be keeping his faith in the youth.

Harry Winks and Marcus Edwards are already first-team players while Kyle Walker-Peters is likely to follow suit. But it would be absolutely wrong for Pochettino to take the risk of focusing completely on youth.

The perfect balance of youth and transfers – the blend between cantera and cartera or, in English, academy and wallet/purse – is the way for clubs to move forward. The desperation of Spurs fans might give the impression that they just want the club to sign anyone, even if it is a beer-belly piss-head from the Sunday League – but how can you blame them for their worries?

They are people who are watching their rivals go from strength to strength, but Spurs don’t need to sign like that – they just some fine-tuning, and it is about time they go on about it.