Transfer Window Ratings: How Did The Premier League Big Boys Fair?
Reuters / Carl Recine
The summer transfer window of 2017 in the Premier League came to an end yesterday and calling it a frantic one will be the least one can say. The two months of business provided unmatched excitement for the fans and left many with hearts broken while some with sky high levels of joy. Money in ridiculous amounts was spent and earned, legends said goodbye, new heroes entered the frame and everything was set into place for the new season to work its magic.
With the window now over and the selling and buying done by one and all, lets take a look at the performance of some of the big boys in this crazy arena.
Here is how the top 7 sides from last season’s campaign managed to fare in the summer transfer market of 2017:
1. Chelsea
Reuters/Tony O’Brien
Performance in the window- 6/10.
The Champions of last season were undoubtedly the best team in English football in the year gone by. However, with the aim to improve and bring in stellar performers to the Bridge this season, one can point out that things did not go entirely according to initial plans. Antonio Conte had a few names on his list and unfortunately, most of them never arrived in London. While the club failed to attract the names they aspired to, some big boys bid farewell to the squad and left the club in a spot of bother. A few deadline day signings came as saving grace for the Champions and they will now be hoping to move on from the tad bit of disappointment, and focus on defending their crown. The addition of Champions League football can bring about worries when the depth of their team will be questioned.
Major Signings
Danny Drinkwater (Leicester, £35m), Alvaro Morata (Real Madrid, £70m), Willy Caballero (Man City, free), Antonio Rudiger (Roma, £34m), Tiemoue Bakayoko (Monaco, £40m), Davide Zappacosta (Torino, £23m)
Major Exits
Nemanja Matic (Man Utd, £40m), Kurt Zouma (Stoke, loan), Nathaniel Chalobah (Watford, undisclosed), Ruben Loftus-Cheek (Crystal Palace, loan), Juan Cuadrado (Juventus, £17.3m), Christian Atsu (Newcastle, £6.2m), Asmir Begovic (Bournemouth, undisclosed), Dominic Solanke (Liverpool, fee by tribunal), John Terry (Aston Villa, free), Nathan Ake (Bournemouth, £20m), Tammy Abraham (Swansea, loan).
2. Tottenham Hotspur
Reuters / Pascal Rossignol
Performance in the window- 5/10
After moving to Wembley as their new home stadium from this season onwards, one feared the worst in financial matters for Tottenham Hotspur. The club failed to secure a signing for 3/4th of the window and had the fans biting their nails off and praying for numerous arrivals in the days to come. Mauricio Pochettino did not disappoint the supporters and had a busy few final days that resulted in a good number of quality players coming to Spurs in the end.
Major Signings
Fernando Llorente (Swansea, £12.1m), Serge Aurier (PSG, £23m), Davinson Sanchez (Ajax, £38.4m), Juan Foyth (Estudiantes, undisclosed), Paulo Gazzaniga (Southampton, undisclosed).
Major Exits
Kyle Walker (Man City, £50m), Clinton N’Jie (Marseille undisclosed), Federico Fazio (Roma, undisclosed), Josh Onomah (Aston Villa, loan), Cameron Carter-Vickers (Sheffield United, loan), Kevin Wimmer (Stoke, £18m).
3. Manchester City
Reuters/Carl Recine
Performance in the window: 8/10
Both Manchester clubs were on fire during the window and it was clear that Pep had his focus on the defensive side of things. City strengthened every aspect they needed to and bought in players full of title winning quality. The whole team underwent major changes and the reinforcements came in meaning business. The squad is now versatile and according to the liking of the manager, which comes as good news to the fans who keenly await some silverware this campaign. A centre-back addition would have been absolutely perfect but the signings are still as good as they come and nobody in and around the Etihad will really have anything to complain about.
Major Signings
Benjamin Mendy (Monaco, £49.2m), Danilo (Real Madrid, £26.9m), Bernardo Silva (Monaco, £43m), Ederson (Benfica, £34.7), Kyle Walker (Tottenham, £50m).
Major Exits
Wilfried Bony (Swansea, £12m), Fernando (Galatasaray, undisclosed), Kelechi Iheanacho (Leicester, £25m), Pablo Zabaleta (West Ham, free), Gael Clichy (Istanbul Basaksehir, free), Jesus Navas (Sevilla, free), Willy Cabellero (Chelsea, free), Bacary Sagna (released), Nolito (Sevilla, undisclosed), Joe Hart (West Ham, loan), Samir Nasri (Antalyaspor, undisclosed), Aleksandar Kolarov (Roma, £4.5m).
4. Liverpool
Reuters/Carl Recine
Performance in the window: 7/10
While a few faces walked out the door, there were fresh and pacy names bought into Anfield this summer. Jurgen Klopp does seem to be brewing up a a storm at Merseyside this season and the summer gone by has surely given him the platform to do so. Defence, midfield and attack have all been modified, but missing out on Virgil van Dijk might come back to haunt them. Keeping Philippe Coutinho can prove to be their move of the season.
Major Signings
Dominic Solanke (Chelsea, fee by tribunal), Mohamed Salah (Roma, £34.3m), Andy Robertson (Hull, £10m), Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Arsenal, £35m).
Major Exits
Divock Origi (Wolfsburg, loan), Andre Wisdom (Derby, undisclosed), Kevin Stewart (Hull, undisclosed), Sheyi Ojo (Fulham, loan), Lucas Leiva (Lazio, £5m), Mamadou Sakho (Crystal Palace)
5. Arsenal
Reuters/Carl Recine
Performance in the window: 2/10
Only one word can define the past two months for Arsenal, Shambolic. Arsene Wenger was under the pump to turn things around this campaign and bringing in only two names during the entire summer does not show the intent of a man willing to do so. The fans demanded more and they got nothing. Arsenal ended the window with a profit to their name and after recent defeats to Stoke and Liverpool, it might bring along torturous hell for the rest of the season to come. The club is in a state of utmost concern and keeping an unhappy Alexis Sanchez by force might not be the ideal way to make things better.
Major Signings
Alexandre Lacazette (Lyon, undisclosed), Sead Kolasinac (Schalke, free).
Major Exits
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Liverpool, £35m), Wojciech Szczesny (Juventus, £14m), Gabriel Paulista (Valencia, £10m), Kieran Gibbs (West Brom, £7m), Yaya Sanogo (released), Carl Jenkinson (Birmingham, loan).
6. Manchester United
REUTERS/Ognen Teofilovski
Performance in the window: 9/10
Major Signings
Victor Lindelof (Benfica, £30.7m), Romelu Lukaku (Everton, £90m), Nemanja Matic (Chelsea, £40m), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (free).
Major Exits
Wayne Rooney (Everton, undisclosed), Adnan Januzaj (Real Sociedad, undisclosed), Cameron Borthwick-Jackson (Leeds, loan), Timothy Fosu-Mensah (Crystal Palace, loan), Sam Johnstone (Aston Villa, loan).
7. Everton
Reuters/Lee Smith
Performance in the window: 8/10
Ronald Koeman took the League by surprise as he dug deep into the pockets of those handling business at Everton and managed to string together a huge number of impressive signings for the club. The squad has been filled with names, both old and new, and a decent start to the season has the fans buzzing. The departure of Romelu Lukaku might be a tough gap to replace but the ambition to do so has clearly been shown and if intent is anything to go by, Everton can come out of the window proud and happy.
Major Signings
Wayne Rooney (Man Utd, undisclosed), Gylfi Sigurdsson (Swansea, £45m), Jordan Pickford (Sunderland, £30m), Davy Klaassen (Ajax, £23.6m), Sandro Ramirez (Malaga, £5.25m), Michael Keane (Burnley, £30m), Cuco Martina (Southampton, free), Nikola Vlasic (Hajduk Split, undisclosed)
Major Exits
Romelu Lukaku (Man Utd, £90m), Tom Cleverley (Watford, undisclosed), Brendan Galloway (Sunderland, loan), Arouna Kone (Sivasspor, free), Aiden McGeady (Sunderland, free), Gerard Deulofeu (Barcelona, £10.5m), Gareth Barry (West Brom, undisclosed).
Written by Vikram Gupta 
An attacker with his words, and defends each of them with pride. A love for the game which goes hand in hand with his will to forever write. A graduate in the course of advertising and a hopeful to be author. Herrera for the win.
