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After a practically non-existent transfer window of COVID-affected 2020, clubs have more than compensated for lost time by going full out this year. As many as 1,256 transfers have already been sanctioned this summer, with deadline day expected to add more
With PSG sharing the bulk of the most lucrative deals, 2021 has been a historic year in terms of transfer business. Naturally, after losing out on their star players, clubs have dwelled deep into the market in search of adequate replacements.
Some notable loan transfers of the summer, to fill in for departing players
One of the most recently completed transfers, Alexander Sørloth will be joining Basque side Real Sociedad on loan from parent club RB Leipzig. Following an underwhelming switch to Wolverhampton Wanderers on a temporary basis, Willian Jose is set to leave Los Txuri-Urdin after five years of service.
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Elsewhere, serious loanee Alessandro Florenzi completed his third interim transfer since 2020 to sign for AC Milan. After a fruitful spell with PSG, Florenzi will be joining Stefano Pioli's side to replace the outgoing Diogo Dalot on the right flank. Fellow Italian side Atalanta have also signed Merih Demiral from Juventus to cover for Tottenham-bound Cristian Romero.
In light of so many replacement transfers, teams are fated to make a few average signings. On that note, let's take a look at five of the worst transfer downgrades that occurred this summer:
#5 Dany Ings to Adam Armstrong (Southampton)
Having led Burnley to promotion under Sean Dyche, Danny Ings was scouted by Liverpool in 2015 to solve their striking woes. However, the English target man failed to hit the ground running at Anfield and was subsequently shipped off to Southampton.
In his three seasons with the Saints, Ings managed to rack up an impressive tally of 46 goals in 100 games, even vying for the Premier League Golden Boot in 2020. His heroics at St Mary's Stadium earned him a €35.2m upgrade to Aston Villa this season. In an attempt to replace their departing talisman, Ralph Hasenhüttl signed Championship striker Adam Armstrong for a sizeable fee.
Armstrong single-handedly kept a rusty Blackburn Rovers afloat last season, firing 28 goals in the second division of English football. However, the 24-year-old already has a forgettable Premier League spell with Newcastle United under his belt. Moreover, Southampton have just replaced their seasoned top-flight striker with an inexperienced Championship player.
Even if it is too early to call this transfer a bad piece of business, Southampton will certainly feel they haven't replaced Ings just yet.
#4 Jack Grealish to Leon Bailey (Aston Villa)
Severing a 20-year association with boyhood club Aston Villa, Jack Grealish joined Manchester City in a record-breaking €117.5m transfer. The hefty price tag puts Grealish on top of the most expensive signings in City's as well as Premier League history. The England international will don the coveted number 10 at the Etihad Stadium, vacated by Sergio Aguero.
Grealish has been with the club, through thick and thin. With him at its core, Villa won promotion to the English top-flight in 2019. To make up for the creative void that has opened up following their captain's departure, Aston Villa signed a hoard of players including the aforementioned Ings and Emi Buendia. However, it is the €32m signing Leon Bailey who is expected to be the direct replacement, with the playmaker thriving on the left flank at Bayer Leverkusen.
Aston Villa's acquisition of Bailey is by no means a bad transfer. On the contrary, the Jamaican playmaker has been highly rated for quite a while now. However, considering the massive shoes he is expected to fill, Bailey will be regarded as a definite downgrade if he fails to match Grealish's sumptuous output.
Also read: 5 strikers who can also shine in the No.10 role for their clubs
#3 Dayot Upamecano to Mohamed Simakan (RB Leipzig)
In classic Bayern Munich fashion, the Bavarians yet again raided their fellow Bundesliga side to secure one of the most coveted transfers in world football at the moment. Dayot Upamecano has been a highly sought-after player ever since his breakout move to RB Leipzig.
Valued at €60m according to transfermarkt, the Frenchman was acquired by Bayern for a cut-price rate of €42.5m. To replace their star defender, Leipzig authorized the transfer of Mohamed Simakan from Ligue 1 side Strasbourg. At €15m, the 21-year-old Frenchman can prove to be an astute signing by Die Roten Bullen but, as of now, he is no Upamecano.
Simakan, despite being a young prospect, has just two seasons of experience under his belt. In sharp contrast, his compatriot Upamecano had already made 154 appearances for Leipzig before jumping ship. Aside from the blatant inexperience, there is also a huge gap in quality.
In the previous league season, Upamecano maintained a higher tackle win percentage of 31 in 51 attempts than Simakan's 30% win rate against 44 tackles. Harboring clear potential, the young Frenchman has much to prove at a very tender age.
#2 Rui Patricio to Jose Sa (Wolverhampton Wanderers)
Premier League mainstays Wolverhampton Wanderers have yet again indulged in the transfer of a Portuguese player, bringing Jose Sa to Molineux Stadium for €8m. His signing was initiated to fill in for the departing Rui Patricio, who moved to Rome in the same transfer window.
After three years of relentless service for Wolves, Patricio earned a deserved upgrade to Italian giants Roma. Since arriving in England in 2018, the Portuguese international managed to keep 37 clean sheets in 127 games for his club. During this period, he also appeared regularly for his national side.
Replacing him between the sticks at the Molineux is Jose Sa. The 28-year-old shot-stopper enjoyed an impressive three-year stay with Greek side Olympiacos before securing a transfer to the Premier League. However, with no international caps in his eight-year-long career, there is no debate on who is the better goalkeeper between Sa and Patricio. From the looks of it, Wolves fans already have low expectations from their latest Portuguese signing.
#1 Romelu Lukaku to Edin Dzeko (Inter)
Easily slotting in first place is the bizarre transfer of Edin Dzeko to Inter as a direct replacement for the outgoing Romelu Lukaku. Chelsea forked out a massive €115m to capture the services of their former striker. In response, Simeone Inzaghi's side signed 35-year-old Edin Dzeko from Roma on a free transfer.
Along with Lautaro Martinez, Lukaku formed one of the deadliest striking partnerships ever at Inter. In his two seasons with the Italian giants, the sturdy Belgian managed to score 64 times and registered 16 assists for the Nerazzurri. His 34 goal contributions in Serie A last season paved the way for Inter to win their first Scudetto since 2010.
Without Lukaku, Inzaghi will have to rely on Martinez and Edin Dzeko as his preferred strikers. While Dzeko has been a constant attacking threat for over a decade now, his stock has taken a serious hit due to his age.
With deteriorating pace and physicality, the Bosnian forward might produce decent numbers at the San Siro, but is unlikely to replicate what Lukaku did for Inter.
Also read: 5 players with the highest combined transfer fees (2021)
