'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
After remaining open for longer than usual due to the impact of COVID-19 on the current season, the Premier League’s transfer window is finally closed. And while there were a handful of big-money deals on deadline day, most of the Premier League’s clubs got their business done much earlier this time.
But which clubs did the best business during the window, and have come away from it looking much stronger than they went in? With over £1bn spent by the Premier League’s giants in the past few months, it’s an interesting question.
The following five clubs though stand out as doing the most impressive transfer business overall.
#1 Everton
Despite being one of the few Premier League sides to splash out with big money on deadline day, signing Norwich City’s Ben Godfrey for a fee of £20m, Everton actually got most of their business done early on in the window.
A spell of four days in early September saw the Toffees bring in a trio of new midfielders, and all three have already made a major impact. The first to sign was Brazilian Allan, who moved to Goodison Park from Napoli for a fee of £21m. Watford’s Abdoulaye Doucoure was signed last, costing a cool £20m.
But it was the man who was signed on September 7th who has made the most impact. Everton’s signing of Colombian superstar James Rodriguez – on a free transfer nonetheless – represents one of the biggest coups in recent Premier League history.
Sure, Rodriguez struggled for playing time at Real Madrid during 2019-20 – making just 14 appearances overall. But the Colombian was the outstanding player in the 2014 World Cup and remains one of the world’s most talented midfielders.
And his influence has already begun to show. Everton have won all four of their Premier League games thus far into 2020-21, with Rodriguez playing a starring role, and Carlo Ancelotti’s men currently sit at the top of the table.
For how long they can sustain this run remains a question mark but for now, their transfer business in the recent window seems like brilliance.
#2 Aston Villa
When Aston Villa avoided relegation from the Premier League on the final day of the 2019-20 campaign, it was painfully clear that Dean Smith’s side needed an injection of talent. The Villans had spent over £100m on new signings during the summer of 2019, but with the backing of billionaire owners, they were more than willing to open the purse strings again.
The difference this time, however, is that Villa have focused on quality over quantity. Sure, they’ve spent big money on some unproven players - £28m on Ollie Watkins and £14m on Matty Cash, neither of whom had played in the Premier League before. But every one of their signings has made perfect sense.
Villa were short of goals last season, so they’ve signed Watkins, who netted 26 for Brentford in 2019-20. They needed a new right-back, a new goalkeeper and another winger, and so Cash, Emiliano Martinez, and Bertrand Traore have been purchased.
And most recently, Smith’s side have been able to bring in Chelsea playmaker Ross Barkley on a season-long loan deal in order to beef up their attacking options in midfield.
In a similar fashion to Everton, the results have been immediate. It took Villa three games in 2019-20 to register their first win. In the current campaign, however, they’ve won three out of three and in their most recent game, thumped reigning Premier League champions Liverpool 7-2.
Right now Villa sit in second position and have the best goal difference in the whole Premier League. Even if they don’t remain near the top, another relegation dogfight seems highly unlikely, and for the large part, they have their new signings to thank for it.
#3 Tottenham Hotspur
Coming into the recent Premier League transfer window, the word was that Tottenham likely wouldn’t make many marquee signings. Instead, Jose Mourinho’s side were reportedly set to focus on offloading unwanted players in order to raise funds to make smart, rather than attractive signings.
Instead, we’ve seen one of the most jaw-dropping transfer windows from Spurs in recent memory. Sure, their first three signings – midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, keeper Joe Hart, and right-back Matt Doherty – didn’t raise many eyebrows. All three were recruited to fill holes in the squad, but none truly had the “wow” factor.
All of that changed in mid-September, of course. Spurs surprised everyone by parting with an initial £25m for left-back Sergio Reguilon of Real Madrid, but the real news was the other player brought in from the Bernabeu.
Incredibly, Spurs were able to bring Welsh superstar Gareth Bale back to North London after seven years in Spain, and on an incredibly smart loan deal with Real paying the majority of his wages. And while an injury has prevented Bale from playing yet, his arrival has excited Spurs fans in a way not seen in some time – and has turned the eyes of the football world onto the club.
What’s more, Mourinho’s side have finally been able to sign a backup striker in the form of Carlos Vinicius – who scored 18 goals in 2019-20 – in order to give Harry Kane some much-needed rest.
Essentially, Tottenham have strengthened in all of the areas they needed, and the return of former Spurs hero Bale simply represents the icing on the cake. To see Mourinho’s side transformed into Premier League title contenders would now not be a surprise at all.
#4 Arsenal
Coming into the transfer window, most observers seemed unsure about what kind of business Arsenal would do. The Gunners haven’t been the Premier League’s biggest spenders over the years despite bringing in the likes of Nicolas Pepe and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. And this time around, funds were said to be tight.
However, Mikel Arteta’s side have acted swiftly and decisively in the past few months, strengthening their squad substantially while also shipping out a number of players who had become surplus to requirements.
The Emirates has waved goodbye to Matteo Guendouzi, Lucas Torreira, Emiliano Martinez and Henrikh Mkhitaryan. They also said hello to Brazilian defender Gabriel – who has already shored up a questionable defence – and veteran winger Willian, a two-time Premier League title winner with Chelsea.
More importantly though, deadline day saw the Gunners really flex their financial muscles by bringing in Thomas Partey from Atletico Madrid by matching his £45m release clause. One of the world’s most underrated players, Thomas should bring some much-needed steel and style to Arsenal’s midfield.
To go along with all of this transfer business, the Gunners have also been able to ink Aubameyang and young star Bukayo Saka to new contracts. Overall, Arsenal have done some excellent business in the transfer window – and could well become Premier League title contenders again thanks to it.
#5 Chelsea
The jury is still out on whether all of Chelsea’s new players can actually fit into a coherent system and transform the Blues into Premier League title contenders. However, in terms of sheer jaw-dropping fun, no other club can touch the five-time Premier League title winners.
Chelsea have spent more money than any other Premier League club during the transfer window, bringing in Hakim Ziyech, Timo Werner, Ben Chilwell, Thiago Silva, Kai Havertz and Edouard Mendy. The Blues ended up spending well over £200m in the process.
Granted, Frank Lampard’s side were hardly a bad attacking unit during 2019-20. And if we’re really honest, only Silva, Chilwell and Mendy were essential signings, filling holes in Chelsea’s squad that were gaping in comparison to the squads of their rivals.
But in Werner, they’ve signed a player who scored goals at a ludicrous rate in 2019-20 – 28 in 34 league games for RB Leipzig. In Ziyech, they’ve captured one of Europe’s most creative attackers.
And in Havertz, they may have signed a generational talent in a similar fashion to how they were able to bring Eden Hazard to the Premier League back in 2012. The 21-year-old German was involved in 24 goals last season and has already scored his first hat-trick for the Blues since his arrival.
Whether Lampard can add all of this talent to a squad that already contained the likes of Tammy Abraham, Christian Pulisic and Mason Mount is another thing entirely. But it will be incredibly fun to see him try, whether or not he fails. And that alone makes Chelsea one of the transfer window’s big winners.
