Who should your club have signed?
For the first time since its introduction in 2003, the summer transfer window closed before the start of the Premier League season. It means the division’s 20 clubs are now stuck with what they’ve got until January, so we’ve picked out one player each team should have snapped up while they had the chance…
Arsenal: Gonçalo Guedes
The Unai Emery era at the Emirates got off to a disappointing start this weekend, as Manchester City ran out 2-0 winners against Arsenal. The hosts struggled to mount an attacking threat for much of the game, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang moving out wide in the second half to accommodate Alexandre Lacazette through the middle.
Emery won’t want to play his star striker on the flank all season, and he may already be regretting his failure to land an out-and-out winger during the window. Guedes would have been a realistic target given PSG’s need to balance the books, but the Portuguese looks set to join Valencia instead.
Bournemouth: Danny Welbeck
This is a move which probably would have suited all parties. Welbeck’s finishing has often let him down at the highest level, but the 27-year-old is an intelligent, unselfish and threatening player – all characteristics that would have helped him fit right in at Dean Court.
The player himself would surely have relished more regular first-team minutes, even if Unai Emery recently praised the Arsenal man for his versatility and work ethic. The Gunners may not have been too disheartened to see Welbeck go either, with the forward having managed just 15 goals in his 80 Premier League outings for the club.
Brighton: Jordan Ayew
Brighton’s goalscoring burden fell mostly on Glenn Murray’s creaking shoulders last term, and the 34-year-old responded with 14 goals in all competitions.
But if the Seagulls are to beat the drop again this year, the ex-Crystal Palace man will need some help. Jurgen Locadia (who joined in January) and summer signing Florin Andone are both likely to need more time adapting to the Premier League, so a multifunctional forward who could have hit the ground running would have been welcome. Ayew – who scored 11 times for Swansea in 2017/18 – was available on loan, but has wound up at Palace instead.
Burnley: Adama Traore
Burnley were the Premier League’s surprise package in 2017/18, securing an improbable seventh-place finish despite being tipped for the drop at the start of the campaign. Sean Dyche’s side’s success was built on a water-tight backline, which kept 12 clean sheets and conceded just 39 goals.
Only the top five could better the Clarets’ defensive record, but their return of 36 goals at the other end demonstrated that Burnley needed to add more firepower this summer. The tricky Traore wouldn’t have come cheap – he ultimately joined Wolves for £18m – but could have helped Dyche’s men unlock opposition defences.
Cardiff: Oguzhan Ozkayup
Missing out on re-signing Marko Grujic from Liverpool this summer was a blow for Cardiff considering the prominent role that the 22-year-old played in their promotion last term.
Before they landed Grujic back in January, the Welsh outfit made an ambitious move for Besiktas star Ozyakup. The 25-year-old, likened to Mesut Ozil and once described by Slaven Bilic as the “most talented player in Turkey”, didn’t want to play in the Championship, but he might have agreed to the move following the Bluebirds’ promotion.
Chelsea: Kasper Schmeichel
Thibaut Courtois ultimately got his wish by forcing through a move to Real Madrid last week, which in turn compelled Chelsea to seek a late replacement. Athletic Club custodian Kepa Arrizabalaga was their choice, the 23-year-old swapping San Mames for Stamford Bridge on deadline day.
Had the Blues been a little more proactive in their search for a new keeper, however, they may have found themselves a cheaper, less risky alternative. Having enjoyed a fine World Cup with Denmark, and with a proven track record in the Premier League behind him, Leicester’s Schmeichel could have been the perfect solution.
Crystal Palace: Thorgan Hazard
Palace tried desperately to land Ruben Loftus-Cheek from Chelsea for another season, but the Blues refused to let the England international go. Roy Hodgson’s side did make one signing on deadline day, completing a loan deal for Swansea forward Jordan Ayew, but the Ghanaian has proven himself to be inconsistent in his previous spells in the Premier League.
Even with Ayew in the ranks, Palace are a little light in wide areas now that Wilfried Zaha has been re-deployed though the middle. Borussia Monchengladbach’s Hazard, who scored 10 goals and provided six assists in the Bundesliga last time out, would have been a smart addition.
Everton: Nobody
It would have been a distinctly disappointing summer for Everton had they not completed four key transfers on deadline day. The Toffees secured permanent deals for Barcelona defender Yerry Mina and Brazilian midfielder Bernard, while Mina’s team-mate Andre Gomes and Chelsea’s Kurt Zouma also arrived on loan to join earlier acquisitions Lucas Digne and Richarlison.
Bearing in mind the calibre of player they’ve replaced – Ramiro Funes Mori, Ashley Williams, Davy Klaassen, Kevin Mirallas and Wayne Rooney – it’s been a job (eventually) well done. The Toffees, therefore, were right not to sign anybody else.
Fulham: Nobody
Fulham arguably had the most progressive summer transfer window of any Premier League club, spending over £100 million on 12 new players including Nice’s Jean Michael Seri, Swansea’s Alfie Mawson and last season’s successful loanee Aleksandar Mitrovic.
A number of high-profile stars also joined Slavisa Jokanovic’s side on loan: Andre Schurrle (Borussia Dortmund), Calum Chambers (Arsenal), Luciano Vietto (Atletico Madrid), Sergio Rico (Sevilla) and Timothy Fosu-Mensah (Manchester United). Anything more would’ve been overkill.
Huddersfield: Bakary Sako
Sako rejected a new contract at Crystal Palace this summer, presumably in the belief that he would soon be snapped up by another club. Instead, the 30-year-old is still without an employer with the new season now under way.
Huddersfield added wingers Ramadan Sobhi and Adama Diakhaby to their squad, but it wouldn’t hurt to have another counter-attacking option off the bench to help improve on their dismal 28-goal haul in the top flight last term. Sako possesses a wicked left foot, and although he doesn't pack much in the way of guile, his speed and power would have made him a potent weapon for a Terriers team who spend long periods without the ball.
Leicester: Bertrand Traore
Leicester managed to keep hold of Riyad Mahrez in January, but the Algerian wizard was always likely to join Manchester City this summer. In truth, the Foxes did a good job of keeping him at the King Power Stadium for as long as they did.
Leicester captured Rachid Ghezzal and James Maddison to fill the creative void, but the former’s unconvincing returns over the last two seasons suggests they perhaps should have looked elsewhere. Ex-Chelsea man Traore would have been the more intelligent option, having scored 48 goals over the last three campaigns with Vitesse, Ajax and Lyon.
Liverpool: Jamaal Lascelles
Liverpool did a fine job of addressing many of their problems in the transfer window: Alisson is a significant upgrade on Loris Karius between the sticks; Fabinho, an intelligent and versatile operator, replaces Emre Can in midfield; Naby Keita adds a dash of dynamism and creativity in the central areas; and Xherdan Shaqiri provides some much-needed cover for Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah.
The only remaining issue is at centre-back, with Joe Gomez still only 21, Dejan Lovren prone to errors, and Ragnar Klavan and Joel Matip not up to scratch. The impressive Lascelles, who has the potential to become one of the Premier League’s top defenders, would have improved this Liverpool side.
Manchester City: Marco Verratti
After they amassed 100 points in a record-breaking title-winning campaign last time out, it’s difficult to suggest where Manchester City needed to strengthen. However, their pursuit of Jorginho, who ultimately swapped Napoli for Chelsea, shows that Pep Guardiola wanted to bolster his options at the back of midfield.
First-choice Fernandinho is now 33, and his understudy Fabian Delph has become the club’s second-choice left-back. Ilkay Gundogan can also play in that role to reasonable effect, but the German is much better utilised further upfield. The excellent Verratti would have been a perfect fit for Guardiola’s high-tempo and technical style of football.
Manchester United: Toby Alderweireld
United fans watched on as their club was linked with the likes of Alderweireld, Jerome Boateng, Diego Godin and Harry Maguire late in the window – but in the end, Jose Mourinho’s pleas for new blood fell on deaf ears.
Alderweireld was reportedly available for £50 million this summer, what with next summer’s contract clause effectively allowing him to leave for half as much. Now, however, potential suitors will have to re-negotiate for one of the Premier League’s finest stoppers in January.
Newcastle: Diego Laxalt
This would have been a difficult move for Newcastle to pull off – Laxalt now looks set to join Zenit for around £18m. If Mike Ashley had decided to back his manager, though, the Magpies would surely have been able to tempt the Uruguayan to St James’ Park.
Paul Dummett remains Newcastle’s first-choice left-back, with very little cover behind him. Laxalt – a regular in Serie A for Genoa since 2016 – was a standout player at the World Cup, and the speedy 25-year-old would have been a sound investment for the northeast outfit.
Southampton: Nobody
Truthfully, it’s difficult to see what Mark Hughes should have done differently at this point. Clearly, Southampton weren’t out to spend colossal sums and have instead focused on pruning a squad that now looks pretty well balanced all over the pitch.
First, the outs: Dusan Tadic for around £10m, plus the loans of Sofiane Boufal, Jordy Clasie and Guido Carrillo. In the other direction, Mohamed Elyounoussi, Stuart Armstrong, Jannik Vestergaard and Danny Ings (loan) all look like sensible signings, while Matt Targett has returned from a highly successful loan at Fulham. Although it might not look exciting on paper, Southampton’s squad now has relative depth and there’s competition for places.
Tottenham: Moussa Dembele
Tottenham enjoyed another solid season last year as they finished in the top three for the third time running, but they still haven’t been able to find an able deputy for Harry Kane. The England captain managed 41 goals in all competitions, but only missed two games across the Premier League and Champions League. Fernando Llorente was rarely trusted by Mauricio Pochettino, and as a result managed just five goals.
Having a second striker who could be relied upon to ease the burden on Kane would be welcome for Spurs, who decided to sign nobody this summer. Celtic’s Dembele, who’s scored 50 times in just 90 appearance for the Hoops since 2016, would have been a wise signing.
Watford: Paco Alcacer
Watford’s top scorer last term was midfielder Abdoulaye Doucoure, who found the net seven times. Strikers Troy Deeney and Andre Gray managed just five league goals apiece, so the need for a new striker this summer was clear.
Top of their wishlist was Barcelona frontman Alcacer, who was available for €30m; the Hornets supposedly baulked at such a figure, which is a little surprising given their healthy summer in the black. The 24-year-old Spain international would have been worth the outlay, having proved himself as a reliable source of goals at Valencia – 43 over the three seasons from 2013 to 2016.
West Ham: William Carvalho
Carvalho’s proposed move to the London Stadium in 2017 was one of the more comical transfer sagas of recent times, as both clubs threw their toys out the pram after being unable to agree a fee for the midfielder.
But after a troublesome season in Portugal during which some Sporting fans attacked players at a training session, Carvalho voluntarily rescinded his contract, which forced the Primeira Liga outfit to sell up this summer to avoid going through the courts. Carvalho joined Real Betis for just £18m last month, less than half what West Ham were quoted last year.
Wolves: Ruben Dias
Wolves spent £65m on new faces this summer, including striker Raul Jimenez, midfielder Joao Moutinho and winger Adama Traore. They only signed one central defender in the form of last season’s loanee Willy Boly, though, and given that Nuno usually lines up with a back three, quality reinforcements would have been welcome.
Benfica’s Ruben Dias is a Gestifute client and looks to be on the move, currently preparing a move to Lyon. He wouldn’t have come cheap, but at 21 boasts exciting potential and made Portugal’s 23-man squad for the World Cup.
