The Summer transfer window has closed for another year after three months of nonstop action and drama. The Premier League clubs have spent over £1 billion for the first time in history. Thirteen of these clubs have broken their transfer record just this season. Championship rivals Aston Villa and Newcastle United have spent more money than Champions League winners, Real Madrid.
Deadline day itself brought some big deals, some were loan deals while others were permanent transfers. The day had its fair share of winners and losers. Let us take a look at five of the biggest winners of deadline day:
1) Pep Guardiola
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No players bought on deadline day, but the former Barcelona manager has got rid off the players he didn't want. During his first interview after arriving in England, Guardiola stated that his squad was too big and wanted to trim it. Striker Wilfried Bony (to Stoke), goalie Joe Hart (to Torino), midfielder Samir Nasri (to Sevilla) and defender Elaquim Mangala (to Valencia) all departed on season long loans.
With these departures, Guardiola has made a statement to his squad: Reputation does not matter, he does things his way. With the earlier purchases of John Stones, Nolito, Gundogan and Leroy Sane, Pep has a formidable squad and the Citizens are one of the hot favourites to lift the Premier League trophy this season.
2) Stoke City
Mark Hughes and company had an excellent deadline day. The Potters were desperate for a striker, a centre-half, and a backup keeper. In came Ivorian forward Wilfried Bony for a season-long loan. A few hours later Netherlands international Bruno Martins Indi was snapped up by Hughes and finally, Derby keeper Lee Grant penned a short-term loan deal with Stoke.
Bony, with his strength, power and hold up play is the perfect foil for the creative players like Xherdan Shaqiri, and Bojan. Indi will directly earn himself a start as club captain Ryan Shawcross was their only reliable defender. After a near-perfect transfer window (They did sign Joe Allen!), Stoke City can challenge for a spot in next year’s Europa League.
3) Newcastle United
Rafa Benitez’s team might be in the Championship, but the team from Tyneside made a couple of brilliant moves in the transfer window. After acquiring the services of twelve new players this season, Newcastle still managed to earn a net profit of £29m, mainly due to the sale of French midfielder Moussa Sissoko to Tottenham for a whopping £30m, a fee way in excess of the player’s ability.
They offloaded Dutch defender Daryl Jaanmat and former captain Fabricio Coloccini and brought in talented players like Dwight Gayle and Matt Ritchie, who will improve tremendously under the guidance of their experienced manager and could help Newcastle return to the Premier League.
4) Eddie Howe and Bournemouth
Three seasons ago, Eddie Howe and The Cherries were battling for survival in the third tier of English football. Now, they have beaten the likes of Crystal Palace and AS Roma to secure the services of Jack Wilshere.
In anyone’s book, this is enough to make the South coast team the transfer window winners. With Jack’s arrival, the team is nearly guaranteed to survive the relegation battle.
Eddie Howe has a talented bunch of players. Max Gradel, Callum Wilson, Jordan Ibe, and Charlie Daniels are all wonderful talents. With a bit of fine-tuning and improvement in fitness, Bournemouth will have a formidable unit in the coming years.
5) Olivier Giroud
The year is 2080, and, with Arsenal having failed in an attempt to resurrect Jamie Vardy, it’s clear that a 92-year-old handsome Olivier Giroud will lead the line as the Gunners first choice striker. Jokes apart, Arsenal may have signed a striker this season in the form of Lucas Perez, but it has been deemed as a panic buy.
At the age of 27 and after six years at the top, only once has Perez scored more than ten goals in a season. Olivier Giroud must be thanking his stars that Wenger failed to sign a superstar striker for the nth consecutive season.
With the Spaniard as his only competition, the Frenchman will not be too worried as he is a more experienced and clinical striker than Perez. Once again, a mediocre Giroud will be the star forward for a legendary club like Arsenal. Sigh.... what a pity.
