Sport
2021 transfer window: Who were the winners and losers?
There are no points for ‘winning’ the transfer window but with the market rebounding after a period of depression caused by the pandemic, it was a fascinating summer of deals. Some squads are undoubtedly stronger than they were at the end of last season, while other clubs have spent huge sums of cash without seeming to have made any real improvements. So who are the 2021 Premier League transfer window winners and losers? Let’s take a look.
2021 transfer window: winners and losers
Winners
Manchester United
The Red Devils had already had a very strong transfer window but bringing back superstar Cristiano Ronaldo surely makes the Red Devils contenders on all fronts this season. Jadon Sancho solves the problem right-wing position and Harry Maguire finally has a quality partner in World Cup winner Raphael Varane. United still have a weakness at defensive midfield where Fred sticks out like a sore thumb but they have world-class players in almost every position now. The pressure is on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to deliver a title challenge to Manchester City.
Chelsea
Chelsea were not as busy as United but addressed their own glaring weakness by buying Romelu Lukaku. The big Belgian is already very familiar with the Premier League but took his game to new levels in a title-winning spell at Inter. Saul Niguez is a canny signing on loan from Atletico Madrid but missing out on prime target Jules Kounde, after Sevilla refused to sell the centre-back, means Thomas Tuchel did not get everything he wanted in the 2021 transfer window.
Chelsea’s respected negotiator Marina Granovskaia has also sold well as usual, moving out fringe players like Kurt Zouma, Tammy Abraham and Fikayo Tomori for big fees to help balance the books.
Aston Villa
Receiving a British record fee of £100 million for Jack Grealish allowed Aston Villa to be aggressive in the market, with their £25 million capture of Danny Ings from Southampton eye-catching. Replacing Grealish’s titanic impact will not be easy but Emiliano Buendia and Leon Bailey are exciting arrivals that should help to address the loss of the club captain.
Villa may eventually become a more balanced side as a result in the post-Grealish era, as much as losing their hero hurts. Had a bold attempt to snap up Ings’ former Saints team-mate James Ward-Prowse succeeded, it would have been the cherry on the cake of an excellent summer.
Crystal Palace
The summer of 2021 was always going to be a huge transfer window for Crystal Palace, with Roy Hodgson leaving the club and a clutch of high-earning senior players at the end of their lucrative contracts. New boss Patrick Vieira has seen his side take two points from three games – a modest start – but the Eagles squad is now packed with exciting young talents after Michael Olise, Will Hughes and Marc Guehi led the incomings.
Signing Celtic striker Odsonne Edouard should improve Palace’s goals tally while Conor Gallagher – on loan from Chelsea – has already shone with a brace last time out. Losing the experience of Scott Dann, Gary Cahill and Andros Townsend might be felt at some point but Palace look in good shape after an outlay of around £65 million on their rebuild.
Losers
Newcastle
Buying loan star Joe Willock from Arsenal means Newcastle United’s squad is in similar shape to last season, when a late-season rally saw Steve Bruce’s side claim a 12th-placed finish. But the Magpies still look heavily reliant on attacking stars Callum Wilson and Allan Saint-Maximin, with improvements needed in various positions but most notably in central midfield where Jonjo Shelvey has looked in need of being replaced for some time now. A long season beckons.
Allowing Willock to leave was just one of the curious decisions made at Arsenal, not least signing Aaron Ramsdale for more money than they received for Emiliano Martinez last year. Spending £50 million on Brighton defender Ben White is an outlay he will find it hard to repay and failing to move on the likes of Granit Xhaka left little room to manoeuvre as a result. After three defeats and no goals scored in three games, Mikel Arteta has it all to do to turn Arsenal around. The heat is on the Spaniard after a net spend of well in excess of £100 million in the 2021 summer transfer window.
Brighton
Brighton are one of the few teams to have made a small profit in the window, leaving Graham Potter’s side weaker overall than last season. Losing White is a huge blow, though the returning Shane Duffy has performed well so far this season, and the Seagulls still lack a regular scorer. Marc Cucurella, who joined from Getafe on deadline day, should make an impact but it is difficult to see Brighton pushing on much this term after their mediocre transfer activity in the window.
Wolves
Wolves were in a similar position to Palace at the start of the summer, needing to furnish a new manager with a revamped squad after a long-serving boss moved on. But the most exciting signings at Molineux have been a pair of loans, with Hee-chan Hwang coming from RB Leipzig and Francisco Trincao signing from Barcelona on temporary deals.
Wolves have downgraded their goalkeeper after replacing Rui Patricio with Jose Sa but at least they were able to retain key midfielder Ruben Neves in the face of reported late interest from Manchester United. Nevertheless, with no goals scored after three defeats from three, Bruno Lage has a tough task ahead.
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