With the summer 2023 transfer window closed in England, Alex Keble analyses how each Premier League club fared in the market.
Liverpool
Major deals
Ins: Alexis Mac Allister (Brighton), Dominik Szoboszlai (RB Leipzig), Wataru Endo (Stuttgart), Ryan Gravenberch (Ajax).
Outs: Roberto Firmino (Al-Ahli), Naby Keita (Werder Bremen), James Milner (Brighton), Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Besiktas), Fabio Carvalho (loan to RB Leipzig), Jordan Henderson (Al-Ettifaq), Fabinho (Al-Ittihad), Nat Phillips (loan to Celtic).
Jurgen Klopp spent big on refurbishing Liverpool’s central midfield not once but twice this summer, first signing Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai before reacting to the surprise departures of Jordan Henderson and Fabinho with a late scramble for reinforcements.
Mac Allister and Szoboszlai look superb fits: elegant yet feisty, silky in possession and aggressive in pressing to win the ball back. Wataru Endo and Ryan Gravenberch are unknown entities so far, but both have experience in Klopp-esque tactical systems, suggesting Liverpool will successfully tighten up what was a loose midfield.
Throughout Liverpool’s unbeaten run towards the end of last season, which has now been extended to 15 Premier League matches, they looked too easy to counter-attack through a midfield that lacked bite, therefore exposing their defensive line. Liverpool allowed the fourth-most through-balls against last season, behind only Southampton, Nottingham Forest, and Aston Villa.
The hope is that a midfield reboot will also fix the defensive side of things.
Luton Town
Major deals
Ins: Chiedozie Ogbene (Rotherham), Mads Andersen (Barnsley), Tahith Chong (Birmingham), Marvelous Nakamaba (Aston Villa), Issa Kabore (loan from Man City), Ryan Giles (Wolves), Thomas Kaminski (Blackburn), Ross Barkley (free agent), Jacob Brown (Stoke), Tim Krul (Norwich), Sambi Lokonga (loan from Arsenal), Teden Mengi (Man Utd).
Outs: None.
Luton’s rise from the fifth tier to the Premier League in only 10 years is an incredible achievement but it has, inevitably, left them underprepared for life in the world’s richest division.
They have completed 12 signings for a reported combined fee of around £20million, and their decision not to spend big is reflected in the quality that has arrived.
In central midfield, Marvelous Nakamba, Ross Barkley, Tahith Chong, and Albert Sambi Lokonga all add Premier League experience, although all four have struggled at this level more recently.
Mads Andersen has made a solid start in the centre of Rob Edwards’ back three and Ryan Giles, on loan at Middlesbrough last season, looks a smart buy at left wing-back.
However, on the whole Luton have been unable to attract the calibre of players that past promoted clubs have brought in. Their hopes will be resting on Barkley forming a partnership with star striker Carlton Morris.
Manchester United
Major deals
Ins: Mason Mount (Chelsea), Andre Onana (Inter Milan), Sofyan Amrabat (Fiorentina), Rasmus Hojlund (Atalanta), Sergio Reguilon (Spurs - Loan).
Outs: David De Gea (Released), Fred (Fenerbahce), Anthony Elanga (Nott’m Forest), Alex Telles (Al-Nassr), Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace).
Putting their difficult start to one side, Man Utd’s transfers have been smart and well targeted.
Mason Mount brings pressing intensity and tactical intelligence to midfield. Sofyan Amrabat is a line-breaking passer who can improve United’s build-up play. Andre Onana is the missing piece in terms of turning Erik ten Hag’s team into a possession-based side playing out from the back.
Most exciting of all, Rasmus Hojlund clearly has huge potential in a team hoping to play with speed and verticality in the final third.
But it’s hard not to dwell on how passive and awkward United have looked so far, with Casemiro regularly caught struggling to cover huge open spaces in matches against Wolverhampton Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspur in particular.
Ending the match at Emirates Stadium with Harry Maguire and Jonny Evans in defence, also speaks to a problem at the back. Ten Hag signed well, but perhaps he could have done with another three or four additions.
Manchester City
Major deals
Ins: Mateo Kovacic (Chelsea), Josko Gvardiol (RB Leipzig), Jeremy Doku (Rennes), Mathues Nunes (Wolves).
Outs: Ilkay Gundogan (Barcelona), Riyad Mahez (Al-Ahli), Aymeric Laporte (Al-Nassr), Joao Cancelo (loan to Barcelona), Cole Palmer (Chelsea).
For the second successive summer, Pep Guardiola has overseen a surprising amount of turnover in his squad – and it should not be taken for granted that Man City have upgraded on what they had.
Jeremy Doku is an exceptional talent who ranked first in Ligue 1 last season for progressive carries, with 7.06 per match, and attempted take-ons (11.1 per 90). But he only started 13 times for Rennes in 2022/23. He is a little raw and has huge shoes to fill following Riyad Mahrez’s departure.
Matheus Nunes, once described as “one of the best players in the world” by Guardiola, struggled at Wolverhampton Wanderers and is therefore not a guaranteed replacement for the injured Kevin De Bruyne, while Matteo Kovacic is a very good ball carrier, but lacks the goal threat of Ilkay Gundogan.
Josko Gvardiol is a brilliant signing and major upgrade on Aymeric Laporte. But elsewhere, Man City don’t appear to be stronger than they were in 2022/23.
Newcastle United
Major deals
Ins: Sandro Tonali (AC Milan), Harvey Barnes (Leicester), Valentino Livramento (Southampton), Yankuba Minteh (Odense), Lewis Hall (loan from Chelsea).
Outs: Allan Saint-Maximin (Al-Ahli), Chris Wood (Nott’m Forest), Karl Darlow (Leeds), Ryan Fraser (Loan to Southampton), Jamal Lewis (loan to Watford), Matty Longstaff, Ciaran Clark (both released).
Three consecutive Premier League defeats leading into the international break has triggered a reassessment of Newcastle’s summer business.
Harvey Barnes has the explosive qualities needed to help Newcastle take advantage of transitions, as we saw in the 5-1 defeat of Aston Villa, while Sandro Tonali’s powerful and sharp-edged hunting of the ball is similarly well suited to the Eddie Howe project.
But those were Newcastle’s only two major signings (Tino Livramento is likely to be backup to Kieran Trippier), and given the club have UEFA Champions League football to contend with, Howe might have needed more fresh faces to retain last season’s high level.
Also in this series
Part 1: Arsenal to Brighton
Part 2: Burnley to Fulham
Part 4: Nott'm Forest to Wolves
