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The transfer window is one of the strangest events in Sports. In three months, we get to see virtually every player linked to every team. Out of the approximately gazillion transfer rumours that take place, only a few actually take place.
Most of the discussion when it comes to transfers pertains to the most exciting players a team can bag. Considering the money in football and especially the Premier League these days, teams can afford to buy several attacking players that excite their fans.
Yet, what gets forgotten is what teams truly need and how potential transfer signings would fit into the starting XI (or as a backup). It is these need-based signings that are often more successful than flashy ones.
For example, Pep Guardiola’s signing of a sweeper keeper like Ederson and a dynamic right-back like Kyle Walker helped transform his team from a third-placed team to one of the best teams in Premier League History. So what are the biggest transfer needs of Every Premier League top six team?
Note: All Statistics (unless noted otherwise) are from WhoScored
#1 Manchester City: A Young Backup Defensive Midfielder
Manchester City’s world-beating side has basically everything. They have three excellent solid centre-backs that fit in with Guardiola’s system, a sweeper keeper, a multitude of marauding attacking full-backs, several creative attacking midfielders and a cornucopia of strikers and wingers.
Yet if City’s system hinges on one player then it is defensive midfielder Fernandinho.
Fernandinho is the perfect defensive midfielder for Guardiola’s system as his hard work and pace ensure that the Citizens aren’t vulnerable on the counter-attack despite dominating possession.
He averages 1.8 tackles and 1.4 interceptions per game, an excellent number considering that there were few times when City did not have possession. He is also a brilliant passer with 87.5 average passes per game with a success percentage of 90.1%.
Fernandinho’s importance is further exacerbated by the fact that Pep Guardiola likes to play David Silva and Kevin De Bruyne in central midfield, two primarily attacking players. Thus if Fernandinho were to be unavailable, City could be in trouble especially against fast counter-attacking teams.
This is especially pertinent considering Fernandinho’s age (he is 33). While Ilkay Gundogan filled in for the Brazilian when he was unavailable last season, the German midfielder doesn’t have the same defensive impact.
Thus, City need an additional defensive midfielder for when Fernandinho is unavailable. Guardiola recognized this when he pursued Fernandinho’s compatriot Fred, only for Jose Mourinho to swoop in and sign the Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder.
City need to sign a younger defensive midfielder who can backup Fernandinho for the next season before eventually taking over as a starter.
#2 Manchester United: A Starting Left-Back that Jose Mourinho Trusts
The truth is that Jose Mourinho has a young exciting left-back who could be perfect for Manchester United: Luke Shaw. The former Southampton left-back is still an impressive talent who could make an impact.
Yet for a multitude of reasons, Mourinho and Shaw’s relationship has deteriorated to the extent that one suspects Mourinho will continue not to trust him. Moreover, considering Shaw’s frequent fitness issues, it is questionable if he will be fit enough to become a consistent starter.
Instead, Mourinho has preferred Ashely Young and Matteo Darmian. Young is an excellent worker who can make an impact, but he is 33 years old and does not have the same attacking impact that he once did. On the other hand, Darmian is ineffective defensively and may very likely leave according to Jose Mourinho.
The absence of a reliable left-back option is particularly worrying considering United’s attacking strength on that side with Alexis Sanchez, Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford all preferring that side as left-wingers. United attacked more on the left side (38% of their attacks) than any other Top Six team.
Thus, having a reliable left-back can provide attacking support to these players with more effective crosses than those of Ashely Young.
Moreover, if that left-back is defensively solid, then Sanchez, Martial or Rashford can attack relentlessly without worrying about the opposing full-back. Such a signing could give Manchester United a chance in the upcoming Premier League season.
#3 Tottenham Hotspur: A Dynamic Box-to-Box Central Midfielder
Tottenham Hotspur are one of the most balanced teams in the Premier League. In Christian Eriksen, Dele Alli, Harry Kane and Heung Min-Son, they have one of the best-attacking quartets in the league, if not the world.
Their defence is led by their two Belgian rocks: Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld. Yet, if they have a weakness then it is in their centre midfield.
Manager Mauricio Pochettino prefers Eric Dier and Mousa Dembele as his two men defensive pivot. Dier is a brilliant defensive midfielder, who is only going to get better in the future.
However, Dembele’s best days may be behind him. While the Belgian’s dynamism and dribbling have been vital for Spurs over the past few seasons, he is 31 and is very susceptible to injuries.
Thus Tottenham need a dynamic central midfielder who can contribute on both ends. Victor Wanyama and Moussa Sissoko (the current backup cannot fulfil their role considering their limited attacking impact).
What will be particularly useful for Tottenham is if that player can also contribute goals while getting onto the end of balls by Eriksen and Son. Such a player could make Tottenham contenders both in the Premier League and the Champions League.
#4 Liverpool: A Versatile Centre-Back
Perhaps no team has had a better transfer window than Liverpool in the Premier League (only Juventus outside of it) as they have managed to fix most of their issues.
They have signed a dynamic midfield duo in Fabinho and Naby Keita, two players who should complement each other perfectly with Fabinho’s defensive solidity combined with Keita’s attacking industry. They have also fixed their goalkeeper and back-up winger issues with the signings of Alisson and Xherdan Shaqiri respectively.
If there is a weakness in Liverpool’s team, it is in their defence. The signing of Virgil Van Dijk (who became the most expensive defender in Football history) managed to help improve their defence in the latter part of the season. However, defensive issues remain as the Reds conceded the second-most goals among the Premier League Top Six.
While Dejan Lovren and Van Dijk performed well as a centre-back duo on occasion, Lovren continues to be unreliable as his defensive errors have doomed the Reds on several occasions.
Moreover, backups Joel Matip and Ragnar Klavan are injury-prone and unreliable respectively. Thus the Reds could do with another excellent centre-back who could provide competition to Lovren for the starting spot.
Moreover, similar problems surround the left-back position where Andrew Robertson is effective but can make defensive errors and is injury-prone. Thus, it may be better for Liverpool to sign a centre-back who could also play as a left-back on certain occasions. That would complete a perfect transfer window for Liverpool.
#5 Chelsea: A Balanced Right-Back
New Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri has a very specific system that he likes to play and that is unlikely to change at Chelsea. That system is how Sarri managed to make Napoli one of the best-attacking teams in Europe this past season.
At Chelsea, Sarri has almost all the ingredients to make his system work: a dynamic defensive midfielder (N’Golo Kante), a superstar winger (Eden Hazard), a young target man (Alvaro Morata) and now Jorginho who he signed from his former club. Yet, one thing is missing: a right-back with the attacking quality and defensive solidity that Sarri demands in this system.
Victor Moses sufficed for the right wing-back role in Antonio Conte’s 3-4-3. However, the Nigerian is a natural winger and playing him as a pure right-back could be very problematic. While Conte bought Davide Zappacosta for this role, the Italian struggled and it is difficult to see him as a first-choice right-back.
Cesar Azpilicueta is too vital in central defence to be used as a full-time right back. Thus, a player at that position should be at the top of Maurizio Sarri’s transfer wish list.
#6 Arsenal: A Pacey Winger
To Unai Emery’s credit, he has shown his pragmatism (a welcome change from Arsene Wenger) with Arsenal’s early transfer business. By signing Lucas Torreira, Emery has solved Arsenal’s age-old problem in defensive midfield. Moreover, by buying Sokratis and Bernd Leno, Arsenal have managed to solve their problems in central defence and goalkeeping.
Yet, if there is one issue in Arsenal’s squad it pertains to their attacking width. The signings of Pierre Emerick-Aubaymeyang and Alexandre Lacazette has ensured that Arsenal have enough pace and talent up front to run unto Mesut Ozil’s through balls. Yet on the wings, they are reliant on Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Alex Iwobi and Danny Welbeck.
Mkhitaryan can be effective on one wing (probably the right) but he is not exactly pacey and basically matches Ozil’s skillset. On the other wing, Arsenal need a quicker winger who can run onto through balls and then put in effective crosses for Aubameyang and Lacazette.
Neither Iwobi or Welbeck have the final delivery to be effective in such a rule. Moving Aubameyang to the left wing might solve this issue, but the Gabonese striker is too talented not to be played in his natural role. Thus Arsenal should look for a pacey winger on the left side that can complement their creative talent.
