Grading the most important Premier League transfers of July thus far
With Euro 2016 finally behind us, the soccer world shifts its attention to the madness of the transfer market. June saw several major moves — Granit Xhaka to Arsenal, Zlatan Ibrahimovic to Manchester United and more — and our Leander Schaerlaeckens already broke them down here.
Two weeks into July, rumors continue to fly recklessly. “Breaking: Pogba in talks with Man United” seems to hit British newspapers every other day. But more on that in due course. Let’s take a look at what has actually, definitely, without any doubt, already happened.
(Most transfer fees are unofficial, and rounded to the nearest million. Most stats compiled using data on WhoScored.com)
Michy Batshuayi, striker — Marseille to Chelsea — £33 million
Batshuayi was supposedly headed to West Ham. Then he was destined for Tottenham. Then Crystal Palace. Then West Ham again. Then Chelsea swooped in for the 22-year-old Belgian striker, and in doing so added a much-needed goal threat. Batshuayi is an athletic, two-footed center forward who could play as a lone striker or with a partner. But he’s relatively unproven, especially as a target man and as a decision maker. The fee is reasonable, but this is somewhat of a risk if Antonio Conte is counting on Batshuayi to be his main man up front. Grade: B-minus.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan, attacking midfielder — Borussia Dortmund to Manchester United — £35 million
Mkhitaryan is coming off a quietly ridiculous season at Dortmund. He notched 23 goals and 24 assists in all competitions as he stealthily drifted between a wide right and central attacking position. But just as important for Jose Mourinho is likely the Armenian’s comfort in a pressing, counter-attacking system. When the most recent edition of Mourinho’s Chelsea was at its best, it was often when Oscar was at his all-around best. The Brazilian attacking midfielder is not only a creative force, but he’s also a pressing and tackling fiend. Last season, of Premier League forwards and attacking midfielders who started at least a third of their teams’ games, none had more successful tackles per 90 minutes than Oscar. In the same category in the Bundesliga, a pressing-obsessed league, Mkhitaryan ranked fifth in 2014-15. He was given less defensive responsibility to accentuate his playmaking in 2015-16, but remained in the top 20. He also ranked in the top 10 of the same group in interceptions both years. Combine that with his multifarious attacking talents, and the 27-year-old should be a hit at Old Trafford. Expect Mourinho to use Mkhitaryan in that central, Oscar-esque role, but also as a narrow winger who’ll preform similar functions. And even if “Miki” isn’t flashy, expect him to shine. Grade: A.
Vincent Janssen, striker — AZ Alkmaar to Tottenham Hotspur — £19 million
Janssen doesn’t have the upside of Batshuayi, but he’s exactly what Tottenham needs. He arrives as nothing more than a backup to Harry Kane, although there’s potential for the Dutchman to become more. Plus, when you factor in substitute appearances, squad rotation and injury insurance, that’s a far more important role than it might appear. And like Kane, Janssen is more of an all-around player than his well-built frame and poaching instincts would suggest. Adding depth is paramount this summer for Spurs, who were extremely fortunate to stay as healthy as they did last season, especially given Mauricio Pochettino’s reluctance to rest his first-choice 11 in the Europa League. Janssen fills arguably the most glaring need: a like-for-like replacement for Kane when required. Grade: A-minus.
Nolito, forward — Celta Vigo to Manchester City — £14 million
Pep Guardiola had a great quote recently: “I need time,” he said. “I know I don’t have time.” It’s with those words in mind that his move for Nolito makes a lot of sense. The 29-year-old Spanish attacker isn’t a long-term investment. But while Guardiola is transforming the squad — a multiyear project — he’ll need players to keep City in the mix at the top of the Premier League. Nolito will do just that. He’s a late bloomer who broke out two years ago, and in that 2014-15 season created more chances in La Liga than any other player – Messi, Ronaldo and Neymar included. He came back down to earth a bit last season, but the through-ball wizard will be a Pep regular right away, even if only for a few years. Grade: B-plus.
Nathan Redmond, winger — Norwich City to Southampton — £11 million
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, midfielder — Bayern Munich to Southampton — £13 million
Sadio Mane, winger — Southampton to Liverpool — £36 million
Victor Wanyama, midfielder — Southampton to Tottenham — £11 million
Southampton continues to write new volumes of the “How to thrive as a mid-table Premier League club” textbook. Sell established players at or above market price, buy players whom you can develop into equivalents for far less. And then once those players establish themselves? The cycle churns on. The Saints bought Mane from Red Bull Salzburg on deadline day two years ago. This summer, they sold him for double the initial fee, then spent less than a third of the money from Liverpool on Mane’s replacement, Nathan Redmond. Last season with Norwich, per 90 minutes, Redmond’s dribbling stats were nearly identical to those of Dimitri Payet, and his chance creation stats similar to those of Riyad Mahrez. That’s not to say Redmond is anywhere close to the level of those two; his end product still needs a lot of work, and he’s not a goalscorer yet. But he’s only 22 and could be a bargain. Then there’s the midfield swap of Wanyama for Hojbjerg, which is brilliant business. Hojbjerg, a 20-year-old Danish international, impressed on loan at Schalke last season. He isn’t the physical presence that Wanyama is, but he’s smooth on the ball and excellent positionally for a youngster. Last season in the Bundesliga, he intercepted more passes per 90 minutes than any other qualifying midfielder. It’ll be surprising if Hojbjerg isn’t worth more than £20 million in three or four years. Southampton grade: A.
Graziano Pelle, striker — Southampton to Shandong Luneng — £13 million
More good business for Southampton? Yep! The Saints bought Pelle two summers ago for less than £10 million. One good and one inconsistent season later, they’ve sold the now-31-year-old for £3 million more. And as many astute clubs do, they’ve likely taken advantage of the major tournament price bump. They’ll need to replace Pelle and his presence as a target man, but would you really bet against them being able to do so? As for Pelle, he’s now one of the top-10-paid players in the world, so he’ll be all right. As for his new club, who currently sits in 14th place out of 16 teams in the Chinese Super League … Grade: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Nampalys Mendy, midfielder — Nice to Leicester City — £13 million
Ahmed Musa, forward — CSKA Moscow to Leicester City — £17 million
Luis Hernandez, defender — Sporting Gijon to Leicester City — Free
Ron-Robert Zieler, goalkeeper — Hannover to Leicester City — £3 million
The Premier League champions face a tricky task. They have to transform what still looks like a mid-table squad into one that can handle a title defense and a Champions League campaign; and financially, they have to reconcile that desire to contend with a desire for security. So far, they’ve stuck true to their transfer policy, identifying players from abroad just coming into their primes. Mendy is 24. Musa is 23. Hernandez is 27. Zieler is 27. Musa, a diminutive Nigerian attacker, is somewhere in between Shinji Okazaki and Jamie Vardy, and gives Leicester versatility and depth up front. Hernandez, a ball-playing center back who’ll provide cover at fullback as well, is a great find. Zieler, a German international, is a quality backup for Kasper Schmeichel at a cheap price. Mendy has drawn comparisons to N’Golo Kante, the Frenchman who is rumored to be moving to a bigger club. But Mendy is a far different player. He won’t press high up the field, nor will he nip at heels and dispossess opponents, but he’s tactically sound and technical and could slot in next to Kante in Leicester’s midfield. The Foxes have also sold Andrej Kramaric, a non-factor in Claudio Ranieri’s plans, for £7 million, and have held on to Vardy. They’re off to a decent start, but they still need to strengthen. Grade: B-plus.
Jordon Ibe, winger — Liverpool to Bournemouth — £15 million
Ibe is an exciting prospect, and this is an exciting deal for Bournemouth. The 20-year-old Englishman completed more dribbles per 90 minutes than any other player in the Premier League last season. He hasn’t offered much defensively in his appearances at Liverpool, which could be a reason why Jurgen Klopp felt comfortable parting with him. Ibe will need to work on his crossing, too. But Bournemouth, who sold last year’s top creator Matt Ritchie to Newcastle for £12 million, now has one of the most explosive young attackers in England. Grade: A-minus.
Manuel Lanzini, forward — Al Jazira to West Ham — £9 million
Gokhan Tore, winger — Besiktas to West Ham — £2.5 million loan fee, £10 million option to buy
Toni Martinez, striker — Valencia to West Ham — £2 million
Havard Nordtveit, midfielder — Borussia Moenchengladbach to West Ham — Free
Sofiane Feghouli, winger — Valencia to West Ham — Free
Set Lanzini aside because he was on loan at Upton Park last season. Set Martinez aside because he’s an 18-year-old who’s more of a prospect for the future. West Ham United has spent less than £2.5 million on three potentially above average Premier League players, all of whom are 26 years old or younger. Nordtveit is a versatile, mobile 6-foot-2 midfielder/defender. Tore is a mercurial left-footed Turkish winger who prefers to play on the right. He’s had off-field troubles and was once seen as an up-and-coming talent, but he is still only 24. Feghouli, an Algerian international, had sort of plateaued in La Liga, but he is a skilled passer and should at least contribute off the bench for the Hammers. Grade: B-plus.
James Tomkins, defender — West Ham to Crystal Palace — £10 million
Andros Townsend, winger — Newcastle to Crystal Palace — £13 million
West Ham gets a B-plus in part because of the Tomkins deal. We’re talking about a third-choice center back at best who started just two of West Ham’s last 13 Premier League games and was subbed off in both (once at halftime). And he’s 27 years old. Eight figures for that? For Palace, the Townsend deal is also far from a coup. He is Alan Pardew’s type of player. But Alan Pardew already has a lot of Alan Pardew type of players and he doesn’t have many strikers. Grade: C.
