Sporting Life
James Maddison celebrates a goal for Tottenham

Premier League transfer window: Rating every team's summer signings

By Tom Carnduff
Football
Wed September 06, 2023 · 2y ago

The 20 Premier League clubs forked out a combined spending of £2.36billion in the summer transfer window.

You read that correctly, two point three-six billion pounds.

Analysis from Deloitte showed the most recent window exceeded the previous record of £1.92bn – set only last summer – by almost £440m. A staggering sign of the financial muscle England's top-flight can flex over the other major leagues.

But was it money well spent, or spent for the sake of spending? It certainly varies club-by-club. We can address this by creating a report card for every Premier League side.

For clarification, I'll just be focusing on the incoming business here but mentioning major outgoings where relevant – if we're honest this is how we tend to judge teams' transfer activity.

Each team will be given a standard school report grade, alongside a short line or two delivering a verdict.

Arsenal

Declan Rice was a big money addition for Arsenal

A particularly impressive window for the Gunners as they aim to mount another title charge – rebuilt midfield looks stronger after Declan Rice's arrival and patience will be worth it for Kai Havertz. Cliché status for their title chances: there or thereabouts.

Aston Villa

Yet more good business from Villa with the additions of Moussa Diaby and Pau Torres a telling sign of just how strong they are as a club currently. Another potential European candidate if they stop working with a high line in the wrong games.

Bournemouth

Andoni Iraola is one of a number of arrivals at Bournemouth this summer

I've gone big on Bournemouth in my pre-season predictions and their incoming business has filled me with confidence – Alex Scott and Tyler Adams has the potential to be a nice midfield pairing when both are back fit. Andoni Iraola's already getting his ideas across and I won't rule out a late appearance in the top half just yet.

Brentford

Not a huge turnover of players but smart enough business by the Bees, who replaced David Raya with Mark Flekken, boosted the defence with Nathan Collins and turned Kevin Schade's loan move into a permanent one. Neal Maupay's back and – drawing inspiration from Ian Fiveankles here – he knows the club, which could be a good thing.

Brighton

The kings of the transfer market. Yet another influx of talent funded by the £115m sale of Moises Caicedo to Chelsea (lol). Joao Pedro and Carlos Baleba are the eye-catching permanent additions but the late loan arrival of Ansu Fati is nothing short of sensational and a clear sign of the status of this club in world football.

Burnley

James Trafford and Aaron Ramsey headline some of the promising young talent which has arrived at Turf Moor this summer, but there's a lot of change for Vincent Kompany to deal with. They haven't carried the momentum of promotion into the Premier League and will need some of these new additions to perform.

Chelsea

Moises Caicedo joined in what was another busy window for Chelsea

I don't know how Chelsea have spent £1bn under Todd Boehly's ownership to end up with a squad like this. Talented players no doubt but a scattergun approach to recruitment has already left them miles behind their title rivals – which, if we're being honest, is what they should be aiming for.

Crystal Palace

The loss of Wilfried Zaha is a big one but it feels like they've already had a long-term plan in place for that with previous arrivals. Rob Holding is a particularly impressive signing at the price – a deal totalling £3.5m for a 27-year-old with 162 appearances for Arsenal on his CV is excellent business.

Everton

Everton have done fairly well out of this transfer window considering the financial restrictions they have to work with in the market. New striker Beto is already catching the eye after a couple of appearances and could have a great season given his height and ability on the ball.

Fulham

The loss of Aleksandar Mitrovic to Al Hilal is a significant one, and the £45m fee was reinvested across four paid additions. It feels slightly underwhelming though and the near deadline day loss of Joao Palhinha could have been disastrous for their chances this season. A season where they're looking over their shoulder a bit in terms of relegation? Maybe...

Liverpool

Dominik Szoboszlai was a part of Liverpool's midfield rebuild

The midfield rebuild was a largely positive one for Liverpool, with the deadline day signing of Ryan Gravenberch completing the puzzle. That area of the pitch already looks significantly stronger than last season and they can be pleased with their arrivals this summer - the odds-on price for a top four finish looks correct.

Luton

  • Incomings: Ryan Giles (Wolves - £5m), Tahith Chong (Birmingham - £4m), Thomas Kaminski (Blackburn - £2.5m), Mads Andersen (Barnsley - undisclosed), Marvelous Nakamba (Aston Villa - undisclosed), Jacob Brown (Stoke - undisclosed), Tim Krul (Norwich - undisclosed), Ross Barkley (Nice - free), Chiedozie Ogbene (Rotherham - free), Albert Sambi Lokonga (Arsenal - loan), Issa Kabore (Manchester City - loan)
  • Rating: C

In a weird way, Luton's window was a good one... for future seasons. They've built what looks to be a strong Sky Bet Championship side and deserve credit for avoiding the temptation of spending big on 'names' for the sake of it.

Manchester City

Josko Gvardiol was Manchester City's main addition

Yet more talented incomings to Pep Guardiola's squad with midfield recruits Matheus Nunes and Mateo Kovacic bolstering the depth in that area of the pitch. It feels like Jeremy Doku will be a fun player to watch. Title winners again probably. Always the same.

Manchester United

A decent enough window for Manchester United who addressed a few key areas within their squad. We await to see what Rasmus Hojlund can do up front while Andre Onana fits the bill as a ball-playing goalkeeper. Sergio Reguilón's loan arrival is solid cover for their injury issues at left-back. Better value can be found in backing others for the top four though - 13/8 looks a tad too short for my liking.

Newcastle

Sandro Tonali is the headline addition for Newcastle

Sandro Tonali joining Bruno Guimarães creates a nice midfield pairing, while their left side looks far better with Lewis Hall and Harvey Barnes as options. No doubt they have a stronger squad now than the one which finished 4th in 22/23 and a re-appearance in the Champions League will be the aim again this season.

Nottingham Forest

There's just too many signings to go through at Nottingham Forest, although Ibrahim Sangaré headlines a good bunch of additions at the club. As is the case at Chelsea in terms of volume but their aims being drastically different means you can't judge them in the same manner. A transfer window doesn't need the same approach as an all-you-can-eat buffet though – just chill out yeah?

Sheffield United

  • Incomings: Cameron Archer (Aston Villa - £18m), Gustavo Hamer (Coventry - £15m), Auston Trusty (Arsenal - £5m), Anis Ben Slimane (Brondby - undisclosed), Benie Traore (BK Hacken - undisclosed), Vinicius Souza (Lommel - undisclosed), James McAtee (Manchester City - loan), Yasser Larouci (Troyes - loan), Tom Davies (Everton - free)
  • Rating: D

The late window additions of Cameron Archer and Gustavo Hamer saved what was looking like a very poor summer, while the return of James McAtee is a boost for Paul Heckingbottom and the fans at Bramall Lane. Tough season ahead for the Blades.

Tottenham

James Maddison has been a star during the early stages of his Spurs career

Harry Kane's departure was a significant one for Tottenham but a number of impressive additions, combined with the permanent signings of former loanees Pedro Porro and Dejan Kulusevski, more than soften the blow. To quote Billy Beane in Moneyball: "I told you we can't do it, and we can't do it. Now, what we might be able to do is re-create him. Re-create him in the aggregate."

West Ham

Wisely used the funds gained from Declan Rice's big money departure to Arsenal for an entire midfield rebuild. That leaves them in a better position than last season – a top-half spot is the expectation and David Moyes looks like he has a squad to achieve that now.

Wolves

Restrictions to what Wolves had room to do this summer was further impacted by the £44m they were obliged to pay as part of Matheus Cunha's loan to permanent last season. Ruben Neves' departure funded that, but it's a squad seriously lacking the quality we have seen from Wolves in recent years. Another relegation battle looms I'm afraid.

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