We examine the division’s £1.9 billion spending, from Nottingham Forest’s 21 transactions to Leicester’s one outfield acquisition.
Arsenal
Whether Arsenal will regret not bringing in more players in the midfield or on the wings is yet to be seen. On deadline day, they were unable to persuade Aston Villa to part with Douglas Luiz, and their questions regarding a number of wingers went unanswered. Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko have had an immediate impact for the league leaders, and Fabio Vieira is brimming with promise. Their early work in the window was commendable. Perhaps now is the time for the young wide receiver Marquinhos, who was acquired from So Paulo. Arsenal looks better, but there are still concerns about their depth. Nick Ames
Aston Villa
When Villa brought in five new players in time for their preseason tour of Australia at the beginning of July, it felt like a promising window. Now, though, it does not feel nearly as rewarding. Due to Diego Carlos’s long-term injury, Villa had to scramble on transfer deadline day to sign Jan Bednarek, a center-back who had lost his job at Southampton. Leander Dendoncker’s transfer from Wolves, a rival team, will bolster their midfield, but preliminary data reveals they have not advanced as much as initially anticipated. Fisher, Ben
Chelsea
Although it has been a wild trip for Todd Boehly in his first summer as Chelsea’s owner, head of recruitment, and chief executive, it is still debatable how much the team has improved despite spending around £260 million. The return of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to London will at least provide Thomas Tuchel a goal-scoring option, and Wesley Fofana’s seven-year contract demonstrated both his and Boehly’s dedication to the long term. EA
Everton
On July 14, after selling Richarlison and signing James Tarkowski on a free agent, Everton owner Farhad Moshiri wrote an open letter to the team’s supporters requesting to be evaluated at the end of the window. Following that, seven players joined, a number of high-earners left, and Chelsea’s costly pursuit of Anthony Gordon was rebuffed. Overall, Kevin Thelwell, director of football, had a successful first transfer window, although he is still concerned about the potency of Everton’s attack. Andy Hunter
Liverpool
Sadio Mané’s wish to depart was the first obstacle of the summer, but decisive action was taken in the form of a probable club-record move for Darwin Nez. Prior to the start of preseason practice, Liverpool assumed their incoming business was over. Then Jürgen Klopp had to change his mind on the need for reinforcement due to injuries, many of which were centered in the middle. The second challenge of the summer was considerably more difficult until Arthur Melo arrived from Juventus on deadline day. AH
Manchester City
Erling Haaland, a serious goal glutton, Kalvin Phillips, a first-choice England midfielder who even before his current injury could not make the XI, Julián lvarez, a World Cup Under-17 silver ball winner, Sergio Gómez, and 41-cap center-back Manuel Akanji have all been added by Pep Guardiola, making this the champions’ most recent extraordinarily successful transfer window. Jamie Jackson
Manchester United
Frenkie de Jong was supposed to join Manchester United this summer, but that never happened. Erik ten Hag’s top target was pursued for more than four months, but to no avail. The Dutch manager’s first transfer window was a farce when you take into account the dropped pursuit of Marko Arnautovic, the unsuccessful bid for Adrien Rabiot, and Jurrien Timber’s choice to remain at Ajax. But then Martin Dubravka, Antony, Casemiro, Tyrell Malacia, and Christian Eriksen showed up. Does it all work out in the end? The following months will determine. JJ
Tottenham
Tottenham Spurs’ remarkable lack of activity on the deadline day was due to their ability to move with unusual speed to sign their targets by the middle of July. The new players have added talent, physicality, and a ton of experience; only Djed Spence is viewed as a potential future player and was signed by the club rather than at Antonio Conte’s insistence. It provided an opportunity to ignite optimism. Hytner, David
