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In: Sergio Agüero (Atlético Madrid, £35m, to £38m), Samir Nasri (Arsenal, £25m), Stefan Savic (Partizan Belgrade, £9m), Gael Clichy (Arsenal, £7m)
Out: Jerome Boateng (Bayern Munich, £15m), Shaun Wright-Phillips (QPR,£4m), Shay Given (Aston Villa, £3.5m)
This is how you do it; these were the moves that won the title. Aguero scored 23 league goals including the goose bump inducing ‘Agueroooooooooo’ winner against QPR that brought City back from the dead to win the league. He and van Persie are a league above the other strikers in the country. Nasri brought craft and fleet footedness with him and he, Silva and Aguero were unstoppable at times. Clichy was a bargain at £7 million and has been very solid. Savic was a disaster but we can allow one. They also managed to get rid of the last of Eriksson’s dross and the sale of Boateng gave game time for Zabaleta to emerge as one of the top right backs in the league.
What we thought then: This makes them title contenders.
What we think now: We were right.
Grade: A+. How can you do better?
MANCHESTER UNITED
In: David de Gea (Atlético Madrid, £18.3m), Phil Jones (Blackburn, £16.5m), Ashley Young (Aston Villa, £15m).
Out: John O’Shea (Sunderland, £4m), Gabriel Obertan (Newcastle, £3m), Wes Brown (Sunderland, £1m)
The loss of van der Sar in goal and Neville and Scholes as veteran leadership in the dressing room probably cost them the title. A young unit went in to meltdown with City in reach late in the season. De Gea struggled initially but has become one of the best keepers in the league. Young was good in patches but hasn’t quite stepped up to being at Old Trafford. Jones is raw but clearly has talent if used properly.
What we thought then: Have they replaced what they’ve lost?
What we think now: Probably not, although De Gea has started to step in to Van der Saar’s shoes.
Grade: C-. Hard to question Ferguson but they really didn’t replace what they lost. Emergence of De Gea bumps this up.
In: Davide Santon (Inter Milan, £5m), Yohan Cabaye (Lille, £4.8m), Gabriel Obertan (Manchester U, £3m), Rob Elliot (Charlton, £500,000), Demba Ba (West Ham), Sylvain Marveaux (Rennes).
Out: José Enrique (Liverpool, £6m), Kevin Nolan (West Ham, £4m), Wayne Routledge: ledge (Swansea, £2.9m), Joey Barton (QPR)
The Newcastle brain trust was heavily criticised for this, which looking back now seems absurd. How they were able to sign of player of Cabaye’s quality at all, never mind for under £5 million is amazing. That’s a third of a Henderson to put it in context. Demba Ba was free and scored near enough a goal a game before being sold to Chelsea.
Even more important are the sales. Pardew was chastised for letting Noland and Barton go but getting rid of them changed the culture of the dressing room and led to a surge to 5th in the table at season’s end. Not all good though; Routledge has thrived at Swansea and Enrique was sold cheap but nonetheless, a stellar summer.
What we thought then: They haven’t replaced Carroll! What are they thinking losing Nolan and Barton?!
What we think now: Set the foundations of a completely unexpected 5th place finish and continued a recent Newcastle tradition of exquisite use of the transfer window.
Grade: A. The release clause in Ba’s contract meant Chelsea could steal him but aside from that, a resounding success.
NORWICH CITY
In: Steve Morison (Millwall, £3m), James Vaughan (Everton, £2.5m), Anthony Pilkington (Huddersfield, £2m), Elliott Bennett (Brighton, £1.5m) Bradley Johnson (Leeds).
Out: Angus Gunn (Manchester City), Cody McDonald (Colchester)
Decent enough really. Pilkington did well and continues to do so and Johnson has played above his talent level but the others have just been bits and pieces.
What we thought then: Lambert finds some more lower league bargains but can they step up?
What we think now: It was actually the core of the team that won promotion who performed so well in the Premier League.
Grade: B-. Not too bad, but not earth shattering.
