The speculation is over, and the Summer transfer window has now closed, leaving some EPL clubs very satisfied while others have been disappointed.
Let’s start with probably the biggest deal of this last transfer window – that relating to Tottenham Hotspur and Gareth Bale. When the Welshman was previously with Tottenham, he was a big favorite of Spurs fans. His transfer to Real Madrid in 2013 for the sum of 100 million Euros made him the world’s most expensive player back then. Spurs’ fans were, however, devastated.
But Bale never really quite filled his potential, even though he scored some magnificent and very valuable goals for Los Blancos. His relationship with Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane never really got off the ground. He also alienated the fans at the Bernabeu, where they nicknamed him “the golfer.”
His return to North London will not only be an enormous relief to the player, but it is also a dream come true for Lilywhites’ fans too. It is initially a loan deal for one season but could turn into a longer stay, even though at 31, Bale is in the winter of his football career.
Spurs also managed to acquire 23-year-old Sergio Reguilon in a 5-year deal for a fee that could be worth up to £32 million. The Spaniard was voted the best left-back in La Liga last season. Other summer signings include Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg from Southampton, Matt Doherty ( from Wolverhampton Wanderers and Carlos Vinicius on loan from Benfica.
All in all, with the Summer transfer speculations now over, it was an extremely successful spate of activity for the North Londoners, and with Dele Alli still a member of the squad, it will leave Jose Mourinho and Tottenham fans feeling very satisfied indeed.
Manchester United, on the other hand, failed miserably; something made doubly worse by their 6 goal to 1 thrashing by fellow top-four contenders, yes, you guessed it – Tottenham Hotspur.
Gary Neville was spot on recently when he criticized United for not acquiring a center or left-back, or a winger, despite the club’s assertion it would not be a problem. You have to wonder why a club that thinks of itself as the biggest in the world, failed on all counts. With a defense that appears to be pretty leaky, especially after just conceding six goals to Spurs, it doesn’t bode well.
Their transfer efforts for forwards also fell short of the mark. Edinson Cavani, who came on board as a free agent from PSG, is 33 years old. A good move for him, but has he still got what it takes? – especially in what is generally seen to be the toughest league in the world.
Amad Diallo may well prove to be a good buy. The 18-year-old Ivory Coast winger is said to have cost £19 million upfront, with another£18.1 to follow, but he doesn’t join United until January 2021. By then, any aspirations the club may have had for a top-four finish could have been left behind in the mud. Yes, Donny Van de Beek ex Ajax is a class player, but all in all, the Red Devils squad is looking woefully lacking.
Another EPL club that had a good summer transfer window is Aston Villa. They have made some key signings; players like Emiliano Martinez from Arsenal, Matty Cash from Nottingham Forest, Ollie Watkins from Brentford, Bertrand Traore ex Lyon, and Ross Barkley on loan from Chelsea. It is perhaps not so surprising that it was Villa that pulled off the other big win last weekend when they beat Liverpool by seven goals to two.