Back to School: Grading Every Premier League Club's Summer Transfer Window
The summer transfer window is kaput, at least when it comes to English incomings, meaning that the Premier League squads you see know are the ones the club are set with, save for cast-offs, until January 1st.
Which begs the question, when it comes to the best business of summer #2k19, whodunnit?
Well, beg no further. Here's every Premier League side's grading for the #2k19.
AFC Bournemouth
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Bournemouth have signed four players on permanent deals, only one of which I had genuinely heard of before this summer, and he's Philip Billing, so...yeah.
Having said that, Harry Wilson is a canny signing, Danjuma looks a unit and Lloyd Kelly looks promising.
Grade: C+
Arsenal
Who knows how they did it ('actually it's quite normal to spread transfer fees over numerous seasons, Clive'), but Arsenal finally broke the bank, and they broke it for some proper talent.
Nicolas Pepe is a quality prospect, though how much of a gamechanger he is remains to be seen, but David Luiz and Kieran Tierney are relative bargains and undoubtedly improve a shaky defence. Looks great on paper as it stands, but the question remains whether they would've been better off spending £8m on a winger and £72m on a centre-back.
Grade: A-
Aston Villa
Villa have undoubtedly signed some good players, Wesley Moraes chief among them, but this B grade (for Big Spenders) could just as easily turn into an 'F' for Fulham if the football gods so wish.
Grade: B
Brighton
Amid all the deadline day shuffling, it was nice to see Aaron Mooy return to the Premier League, and he could do a decent job at the Amex. Neal Maupay can score goals, too, which will help to alleviate some of the pressure on 64-year-old Glen Murray's shoulders.
As for Adam Webster and Leandro Trossard, they seem like (educated, presumably) risks. Still, keeping Lewis Dunk was probably their best bit of biniz.
Grade: C-
Burnley
It's 'nice' to see Jay Rodriguez back at Burnley and Danny Drinkwater is 'raring to go'.
Err, that's about it at Turf Moor.
Grade: C-
Chelsea
That must be the lowest key transfer announcement we've had all summer, and it was the only one Chelsea had.
If you want to sum this move up, you would say that Mateo Kovacic is both best and worst bit of business the club have done this summer. He's just that kind of player. Still, #netspend champions #2k19, baby.
Grade: D-
Crystal Palace
Wilfried Zaha (albeit with his head turned) kept = good.
James McCarthy, Gary Cahill, Stephen Hendersdon, Jordan Ayew and Victor Camarasa (£6m total) brought in = eeeerrrrrm, bad.
Grade: D+
Everton
What a remarkable window for the Toffees. They managed to secure both the best value deal of the summer (Moise Kean) and the worst (Alex Iwobi) and, inexplicably, they basically play in the same position.
Go figure. Fabian Delph is a decent pick up I guess, but Idrissa Gueye may be missed more than anticipated.
Grade: B+
Leicester
Youri Tielemans is an excellent capture, no doubt about it. Dennis Praet could be similarly impactful, while Ayoze Perez could go either way.
The biggest puzzle is the lack of defensive reinforcements following the Harry Maguire windfall. Are they aware of the collective age of Wes Morgan and Johnny Evans?
Grade: C+
Liverpool
Contrary to most of their other recent successful seasons, the Champions League winners kept all of their best players. However, they signed just two teenagers and a West Ham reject.
Grade: D
Manchester City
Unsurprisingly, City once again strengthened admirably, with Pep Guardiola publicly calling the Rodri signing 'one of the best this club has done in the last few years'. Yikes. Don't sleep on Joao Cancelo, either.
If we're picking holes in the champions-elect, though, you'd say the refusal to buy an out and out left back was a bit...strange? No Vinnie Kompany replacement, either.
Grade: B+
Manchester United
Don't get me wrong, Harry Maguire is a good and much-needed (if slightly expensive) signing, the same goes for Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
But opting to not replace Romelu Lukaku, and stringing out every other link they had into oblivion? That was bad bad, not good. Another summer in which they got schooled by the rest.
Grade: C-
Newcastle
Couldn't put it better myself, really. The jury is definitely still out on Allan Saint-Maximin and Joelinton, but I will freely admit I have the latter in my FPL team.
Andy Carroll probably has one ecstatic moment in him, amid all the massages.
Grade: C-
Norwich
Patrick Roberts is exciting, Ralf Fahrmann is...experienced, and I am aware of Josip Drmic as a footballer, ditto Sam Byram.
Grade: D-
Sheffield United
Luke Freeman is a tricky player, mark my words. Jagielka is another 'nice' story. Ravel Morrison is a wildcard. Mo Besic is feisty. Oli McBurnie is untested.
Credit where it's due, the Blades have left nothing on the table here. Go hard or go home. It's good to see. Not sure it'll work, but good to see.
Grade: B-
Southampton
The bane of the journalistic world with that last-gasp announcement of Kevin Danso, Saints have had a middling window. Danny Ings is decent, but £20m is hefty. Comparatively, £15m for Che Adams could be a bargain. Well, we'll see, won't we.
The Ralph Express animations can thoroughly do one, though.
Grade: C+
Tottenham
Sure, Paulo Dybala would've been great too, but you can't really ask for much more from Spurs this summer, especially considering what's gone before.
Tanguy Ndombele is special, Giovani Lo Celso is ethereal and Ryan Sessegnon is ready.
Grade: A
Watford
Unpopular opinion: Ismaila Sarr was the best piece of transfer deadline day business.
Danny Welbeck was also a piece of transfer deadline day business.
Grade: B-
West Ham
Sebastien Haller is the best striker West Ham have since the Great Carlton Cole in his pomp. That is a compliment, trust me.
Pablo Fornals will either be a world-beater or on loan by January 4th, and Albian Ajeti is a Swiss international who played for FC Basel. Oh, and Andy Carroll, Samir Nasri and Marko Arnautovic have been taken off the wage bill/physio schedule.
Grade: B+
Wolves
This summer was mainly about tying down prominent loanees to permanent deals, but Pedro Neto could be a coup and Patrick Cutrone will either be an industrious success or a toiling failure.
Under Nuno Espirito Santo, I fancy the former. Still, the squad looks a bit light for the famed Europa League campaign.
Grade: B-
