It was a busy day as Premier League Transfer Deadline Day came to a close on Thursday that saw teams like Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal and Everton splash the cash.
Premier League clubs splashed out well over $1.2 billion in the transfer market arms race ahead of the start of the new season on Friday.
While other clubs wisely strengthened their squad, the vast majority of sum again was spent by ‘top six’ powerhouses Manchester City, Liverpool, Tottenham, Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United as some signings caught the eye.
With the end of the Transfer Deadline Day, we look at the five biggest deals from the Premier League summer transfer window:
Moise Kean
The 19-year-old forward signed a loan deal, and became Everton’s fifth signing of the transfer window after midfielders Andre Gomes, Fabian Delph, Jean-Philippe Gbamin and goalkeeper Jonas Lossl .
Having made his club debut as a 16-year-old, Kean scored six goals in 13 appearances in helping Juventus claim last term’s Serie A title.
Though the Italian youngster spent most of his time in Italy on the bench, playing second fiddle to Cristiano Ronaldo, Kean averaged a goal every 89 minutes last season.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Cenk Tosun have both failed to cement their spot as the lead strikers and if he can continue to fire like he did last season, Kean could well emerge as Everton’s main hitman.
Joao Cancelo
Manchester City have bolstered their treble-winning squad with the $75 million club record-signing of Atletico Madrid midfielder Rodri but the addition of Portuguese full-back Joao Cancelo is a smart buy.
City shelled out $31 million for the Juventus defender while letting go of Danilo in a swap deal.
Cancelo is expected to challenge Kyle Walker for his place at right back and has all the qualities to be a Pep Guardiola player - comfortable on the ball, attack-minded and experience of playing at the top level.
Harry Maguire
Manchester United might have let go of Romelu Lukaku to Inter Milan but the arrival of Harry Maguire along with signatures of Daniel James and Aaron Wan-Bissaka should come as a major boost for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side as they eye a return to the Champions League.
United made Maguire the world’s most expensive defender by paying Leicester City an eye-watering $97 million. The £91 million Liverpool paid for Virgil van Dijk in 2018 was the previous record fee for a defender.
But that fee for Maguire was a necessary splurge to shore up a leaky defence in need of leadership. United conceded 54 goals in the Premier League last season and will on Maguire’s presence to cut the massive gap to rivals City and European champions Liverpool.
Nicolas Pepe
Arsenal broke the bank for Nicolas Pepe, making him the fourth most expensive signing in Premier League history after paying a reported $87 million for the Ivory Coast international.
Pepe’s record switch to the English top flight comes after a breakthrough season with Lille that saw him named in the Ligue 1 Team of the Year.
Also read - All you need to know about Arsenal’s record signing Nicolas Pepe
Pepe was one of only two players with 20-plus goals and 10-plus assists in the top five European Leagues last season, alongside Barcelona’s Lionel Messi.
The forward, who will wear the number 19 shirt, will add firepower to an Arsenal attack that saw Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette score 50 goals between them in all competitions last season.
Tanguy Ndombele
Spurs also smashed their club transfer record with the signing of French international midfielder Tanguy Ndombele from Lyon for a fee that could rise to $79 million. Ndombele made 96 appearances in total for Lyon, scoring four goals and providing 16 assists, and has been capped six times by world champions France.
He is set to slot in the defensive midfield position for Mauricio Pochettino’s side, who have been in need of midfield reinforcements since Mousa Dembele’s move to China in January.
Last season, the 22-year-old starred as Lyon reached the last 16 of the Champions League last season and finished third in Ligue 1. Ndombele is a pure defensive midfielder by trade but his attacking traits sets him apart from other midfielders. The Frenchman can take on players and also has the ability of providing killer passes - an advantage that could benefit Spurs’ attack line.
(with AFP inputs)
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