The transfer window is finally closed, clubs have completed £1.9bn worth of incoming deals between them in the Premier League and squads are set for the 2022/23 campaign - at least until January.
From big-money deals for Antony, Darwin Nunez and Wesley Fofana through to a clutch of talented youngsters coming into the English game and already making an impact, the completed transfers look as varied as ever in potential quality and financial cost.
The Independent’s sports writers have now made conclusions on their best, worst and ones-to-watch from the last few weeks - read on for who they think has ‘won’ the window and who will be left regretting their own inactions.
Who had the best window?
Miguel Delaney: The easy answer is Manchester City, but Southampton have done something much more difficult. At a point when everyone once more expected Ralph Hasenhuttl to fail, and the club were no longer considered a “model”, they have once again unearthed so much promising young talent. And look very good.
Richard Jolly: The league table would suggest it is Arsenal, and it probably is. But considering they lost their best two players, and were largely powerless to keep Raphinha and Kalvin Phillips, Leeds have done well to emerge looking stronger. Brenden Aaronson and Tyler Adams have started very well, Raphinha’s replacement Luis Sinisterra already has a goal and Jesse Marsch seems to both have players who suit his style of play and more strength in depth. If he could have got Charles De Ketelaere, it might have been the closest thing to a perfect window imaginable given the departures.
Ben Burrows: It's easy to forget as they did the bulk of their business at the very beginning, but Tottenham had an excellent window. Yves Bissouma is a very Antonio Conte midfielder while Ivan Perisic could scarcely be better suited to the Italian's system. Djed Spence and Clement Lenglet have plenty of upside once they get some minutes under their belts and Richarlison will be worth the £60m for his social media presence alone. They could have gone bigger but a smart, shrewd summer overall.
Jack Rathborn: Chelsea: Slightly chaotic yet Todd Boehly has done well in difficult circumstances, even if it helps when armed with more than £250m to spend. Each signing (Kalidou Koulibaly, Wesley Fofana, Raheem Sterling, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang) either mostly replaces or upgrades the key departures (Antonio Rudiger, Andreas Christensen, Timo Werner, Romelu Lukaku) and Marc Cucurella provides protection for Ben Chilwell in what may blossom into the best pair of starting full-backs/wing-backs in the league alongside Reece James.
Lawrence Ostlere: In purely footballing terms it is hard to look beyond the goalscoring upgrades made by Man City and Arsenal, but Brighton have had to contend with the sale of three first-team players in Yves Bissouma, Marc Cucurella and Neal Maupay. They generated more than £100m in player sales and spent less than half that: Pervis Estupinan already looks a good addition and, at 21, Billy Gilmour’s £9m pricetag has huge potential upside.
Jamie Braidwood: Manchester City: The impact of Erling Haaland so far speaks for itself and Pep Guardiola’s side got their early business done with little fuss. Since then, they’ve added depth in a couple of positions in Manuel Akanji and Sergio Gomez without paying over the odds. This answer might have been Arsenal until the last couple of weeks. It still feels like Mikel Arteta’s side have gaps.
Michael Jones: Arsenal: Oleksandr Zinchenko and Gabriel Jesus have both had an immediate impact for the Gunners to help them win their first five games of the season and Fabio Vieira is a strong option in midfield.
Karl Matchett: Leeds United put a really strong window together to regenerate the team in the manager’s image and a couple of those deals - Tyler Adams, Luis Sinisterra - are steals. If Marc Roca rediscovers his LaLiga form, add him to the list. Spurs’ window is also strong, though maybe not quite enough to get them close to challenging, and although they didn’t add lots of players, Wolves look to have a much stronger first XI now. Sasa Kalajdzic could be the ideal forward who makes the team a lot better than his actual own level offers - he’s a good No9 for the traits of those behind him to play off.
Who had the worst window?
MD: If the transfer window is ultimately supposed to be about changing your squad relative to where you were and the rest of the division, Leicester City have become so much worse. They’ve gone from a team just outside the top six to one who may be fortunate to avoid a fight to escape the bottom three.
RJ: Ask Scott Parker and the answer is probably Bournemouth. Ask Brendan Rodgers and it might be Leicester. But, undiplomatic as Parker’s comments that led to his sacking were, they look accurate. Bournemouth have a far weaker squad than when they were relegated in 2020. And if their limited outlay suggests money is the key factor, some of their rivals have recruited quality players for cut-price fees, for free transfers or on loan. Bournemouth may not have done.
BB: There are a few candidates but only one team's lack of transfer business got their manager sacked. Scott Parker was so enraged with Bournemouth's inactivity he effectively dared them to dismiss him - which they then did. The squad looks paper thin and leaves whoever replaces Parker at the helm with plenty to do to keep the Cherries up.
JR: Leicester City: in terms of losing real quality in Wesley Fofana and a true leader and priceless character in Kasper Schmeichel, although Nottingham Forest could emerge as a candidate depending on their bid to survive due to the risky strategy and environment they've now established with 21 new faces, rather than the quality of the players they've signed.
LO: Leicester have toiled: such is the premier league’s financial muscle right now that failing to strengthen your squad equates to going backwards. They did at least make a healthy profit on Wesley Fofana, but the entire saga seems to have taken a toll and they will be more grateful than any team that the window is finally shut.
JB: Leicester City: They may have made a massive profit from the £70m sale of Wesley Fofana but Brendan Rodgers has been unable to put it back into a squad that badly needs a refresh. Keeping hold of James Maddison is a boost but they missed the chance to sell Youri Tielemans before the midfielder leaves for free next summer. They will be glad the window has closed.
MJ: Frank Lampard’s Everton squad doesn’t look any stronger despite bringing in top-flight quality players like James Tarkowski, Conor Coady, and Dwight McNeil whilst Leicester have only made one signing, Wout Faes from Reims, having lost their captain Kasper Schmeichel and defender Wesley Fofana among others.
KM: Leicester City. Waited so long to sell players they didn’t want to, didn’t offload the players who Brendan Rodgers doesn’t appear to want anymore and haven’t added any notable talent whatsoever. Since Bournemouth can’t sack me, I’ll also point out they don’t have the quality to compete at this level - not one starter signed permanently from any club in Europe’s top five leagues.
Who is the best signing?
MD: As sensational as Erling Haaland has been, City weren’t exactly wanting for goals or dominance before. The real test of his influence will come in the Champions League latter stages. For now, the signing that has had the most dramatic effect on his team is arguably Gabriel Jesus.
RJ: Gabriel Jesus: Partly for the goals and assists that have given him a flying start. But partly also because he seems exactly what Arsenal needed, given how rarely their strikers started last season, and seems to have had a broader impact on the whole side.
BB: Gabriel Jesus has been superb for Arsenal while, on the evidence of one game admittedly, Alexander Isak could prove a home run for Newcastle. But Erling Haaland has scored nine goals in just five games for Manchester City including two hat-tricks. He will slow down that ferocious pace - at least he should - but those post-Community Shield hot takes about his suitability for Pep Guardiola’s style of play already look freezing cold.
JR: It's hard to look beyond Erling Haaland and Gabriel Jesus for the enormity of their impact already, so I'll lean towards the latter due to elevating his side more despite the former's greater dominance.
JB: Gabriel Jesus’s presence up front has lifted Arsenal and made an impact in more ways than just his goals.
LO: Manchester City signed possibly the best goalscorer in the world in Erling Haaland.
MJ: It’s obviously Erling Haaland who’s scored nine goals in five games for Man City already but as for potential Casemiro’s arrival at Old Trafford could completely turn around Manchester United and make them a top four team again.
KM: I’m not in disagreement with every colleague naming those two forwards above but elsewhere I’ll stick with Crystal Palace’s excellent Cheick Doucoure and Luis Sinisterra for Leeds being tremendous, team-changing additions for their respective clubs.
Who is the best under-the-radar signing?
MD: Armel Bella-Kotchap. No £50m midfield flotsam here. He’s come for a mere £9.5m from Bochum and straight into Southampton side, where his assurance is visible.
RJ: If anyone outside Southampton noticed his signing, it may have been for Armel Bella-Kotchap’s name. A few games into his Saints career and the young defender is catching the eye for his performances. he has been excellent against Manchester United and Chelsea.
BB: Everyone will say Armel Bella-Kotchap and I would also love to say Armel Bella-Kotchap, but for the sake of editorial variety I'll go with Brenden Aaronson who already looks a great piece of business for Leeds.
JR: Thilo Kehrer to West Ham: Conceding a penalty and scoring an own-goal doesn't immediately look encouraging, but look closer and David Moyes now has a defender who is fast, strong and can distribute smartly from the back with Hammers fans already convinced they have a bargain at £10.8m.
LO: After a series of loan moves, Andreas Pereira has finally found a new permanent home away from Old Trafford. It is early days but the 26-year-old, bought for less than £10m, seems to be thriving in Fulham’s midfield.
JB: It could be any of Southampton’s recent signings. Roméo Lavia and Joe Aribo both look like smart additions but you can already see Armel Bella-Kotchap (£9m from Bochum) being subject to £40m to £50m bids from Chelsea next summer.
MJ: Under Ralph Hasenhuttl the Saints have usually had solid centre-backs and Armel Bella-Kotchap is the latest one. Just 20-years-old, he’s commanding with bags of potential as seen in two great performances against Man Utd and Chelsea.
KM: AB-K and Aaronson are excellent choices from the start of the season. Goncalo Guedes can be a gamechanger for Wolves too, less sought-after than fellow new arrival Mateus Nunes but a brilliant forward when in form. Romeo Lavia has also had a magnificent start for Saints, who are another team who have had a really good window.
