Well it’s almost that time of the year again, only a final few days to go before the closure of the summer transfer window for 2016/17, and with the international break seeing a rest from action, with so many deals already done this summer – well it gives manager’s and head coach’s the opportunity to focus solely on later minute, and no doubt last minute transfer action.
With no ’emergency loan’ window this season as well following changes by the governing authority, making sure teams have coverage this year is more important than ever, so it could be the busiest deadline day yet come Wednesday – especially with loans until January potentially being arranged for youngsters based on incomings.
The deadline this summer comes to a close at 11pm on Wednesday August 31, but of course for serial deadline day watchers, 11pm will mean nothing like normal as deals in principle get time extensions and players announce transfers a day or three later with all the loopholes that can be used for deals not 100% rubberstamped.
With last season’s deadline being named as 6pm owing to the way the end of the month and the Bank Holiday fell, well that was a godsend for people like me and of course we had the benefit of less beered up giggly idiots with the obligatory marital aides to deal with on Sky Sports, but with an 11pm return not only is an early morning on the cards for some of us – it’s also a case of see what transpires at clubs and training grounds around the country once more – oh the joy!
In any event, it’s been an eventful window so far with plenty of ‘will they, won’t they’ deals and a few new deals writing people into the history books – Paul Pogba from Juventus to Manchester United being one, John Stone’s from Everton to Manchester City being another – and we even have Gonzalo Higuain from Napoli to Juventus helping build a new list of record buys.
With the £1billion spending mark hit in 2015/16 for the first time, the summer accounting for £870million in the summer, with a further £172.65million in the January window, clubs have already passed the £870million mark this summer, so with late deals to go, plus January still to come – that’s likely to be a record of itself.
Here are the deals confirmed so far for the Premier League itself – accurate as of Sunday evening – and some requiring Premier League and/or international clearances.
AFC Bournemouth:
In:
Emerson Hyndman (Fulham)
Nathan Ake (Chelsea) Loan
Lys Mousset (Le Havre)
Mark Travers
Mikael Ndjoli (Millwall)
Lewis Cook (Leeds)
Jordon Ibe (Liverpool)
Brad Smith (Liverpool)
Marc Wilson (Stoke City)
Out:
Sylvain Distin (released)
Tommy Elphick (Aston Villa)
Matt Ritchie (Newcastle United)
Stephane Zubar (released)
Glenn Murray (Brighton & Hove Albion) Loan
Lee Tomlin (Bristol City)
Harry Cornick (Leyton Orient) Loan
Shaun MacDonald (Wigan Athletic)
Tokelo Rantie (Genclerbirligi)
Arsenal:
In:
Granit Xhaka (Borussia Monchengladbach)
Takuma Asano* (Hiroshima Sanfrecce)
Rob Holding (Bolton Wanderers)
Kelechi Nwakali (Diamond Football Academy)
Out:
Mikel Arteta (released)
Tomas Rosicky (released)
Mathieu Flamini (released)
Isaac Hayden (undisclosed)
Dan Crowley (Oxford United) Loan
Jon Toral (Loan) Granada
Wellington Silva (Fluminense)
Wojciech Szczesny (Roma) Loan
Joel Campbell (Sporting) Loan
Takuma Asano (VfB Stuttgart) Loan
Burnley:
In:
Jimmy Dunne
Johann Berg Gudmundsson (Charlton Athletic)
Nick Pope (Charlton Athletic)
Jon Flanagan (Liverpool) Loan
Steven Defour (Anderlecht)
Out:
Joey Barton (Rangers)
Matt Gilks (Rangers)
Matt Taylor (released)
Michael Duff (retired)
Josh Ginnelly (Walsall) Loan
Chris Long (Fleetwood Town) Loan
George Green (Kilmarnock) Loan
David Jones (Sheffield Wednesday)
Dan Agyei (Coventry City) Loan
Luke Hendrie (Kilmarnock) Loan
Rouwen Hennings (Fortuna Dusseldorf) Loan
Chelsea:
In:
Manager: Antonio Conte
Michy Batshuayi (Marseille)
N’Golo Kante (Leicester City)
Eduardo (Dinamo Zagreb)
Out:
Lewis Baker (Vitesse Arnhem) Loan
Nathan Ake (AFC Bournemouth) Loan
Jeremie Boga (Granada) Loan
Tomas Kalas (Fulham) Loan
Kasey Palmer (Huddersfield Town) Loan
Alex Kiwomya (Crewe Alexandra)
Mohamed Salah (Roma)
Tammy Abraham (Bristol City) Loan
Bertrand Traore (Ajax) Loan
Danilo Pantic (Excelsior) Loan
Izzy Brown (Rotherham United) Loan
Jamal Blackman (Wycombe Wanderers) Loan
Alex Davey (Crawley Town) Loan
Jordan Houghton (Doncaster Rovers) Loan
Crystal Palace:
In:
Andros Townsend (Newcastle United)
Steve Mandanda (Marseille)
James Tomkins (West Ham United)
Christian Benteke (Liverpool)
Out:
Emmanuel Adebayor (released)
Marouane Chamakh (released)
Brede Hangeland (released)
Adrian Mariappa (released)
Patrick McCarthy (released)
Dwight Gayle (Newcastle United)
Jake Gray (Luton Town)
Alex McCarthy (Southampton)
Jerome Binnom-Williams (Peterborough United)
Yannick Bolasie (Everton)
Mile Jedinak (Aston Villa)
Everton:
In:
Manager: Ronald Koeman
Bassala Sambou (Coventry City)
Chris Renshaw (Oldham Athletic)
Maarten Stekelenburg (Fulham)
Idrissa Gana Gueye (Aston Villa)
Ashley Williams (Swansea City)
Yannick Bolasie (Crystal Palace)
Out:
Steven Pienaar (released)
Leon Osman (released)
Tony Hibbert (released)
Tim Howard (Colorado Rapids)
Conor Grant (Ipswich Town) Loan
Russell Griffiths (Cheltenham Town) Loan
John Stones (Manchester City)
Brendan Galloway (West Bromwich Albion) Loan
Ryan Ledson (Oxford United)
Hull City:
In:
Will Mannion (AFC Wimbledon)
Out:
Sone Aluko (released)
Ryan Taylor (released)
Mohamed Diame (Newcastle United)
Leicester City:
In:
Ron-Robert Zieler (Hannover 96)
Luis Hernandez (Sporting Gijon)
Raul Uche Rubio (Rayo Vallecano)
Nampalys Mendy (Nice)
Ahmed Musa (CSKA Moscow)
Bartosz Kapustka* (KS Cracovia)
Out:
Andrej Kramaric (Hoffenheim)
Mark Schwarzer (released)
Paul Konchesky (released)
Ryan Watson (released)
Dean Hammond (released)
Harry Panayiotou (released)
Liam Moore (Reading)
N’Golo Kante (Chelsea)
Joe Dodoo (Rangers)
Michael Cain (Blackpool) Loan
Hamza Choudhury (Burton Albion) Loan
Ritchie De Laet (Aston Villa)
Liverpool:
In
Joel Matip (Schalke)
Loris Karius (FSV Mainz 05)
Sadio Mane (Southampton)
Ragnar Klavan (Augsburg)
Alex Manninger* (Augsburg)
Georginio Wijnaldum (Newcastle)
Out:
Joao Carlos Teixeira (Porto)
Jerome Sinclair (Watford)
Kolo Toure (released)
Lawrence Vigouroux (Swindon Town)
Jordan Rossiter (Rangers)
Danny Ward (Huddersfield Town) Loan
Jose Enrique (released)
Samed Yesil (released)
Sergi Canos (Norwich City)
Martin Skrtel (Fenerbahce)
Jordon Ibe (AFC Bournemouth)
Adam Bogdan (Wigan Athletic) Loan
Joe Allen (Stoke City)
Brad Smith (AFC Bournemouth)
Jon Flanagan (Burnley) Loan
Lloyd Jones (Swindon Town) Loan
Christian Benteke (Liverpool)
Manchester City:
In:
Manager: Pep Guardiola
Ilkay Gundogan (Borussia Dortmund)
Nolito (Celta Vigo)
Oleksandr Zinchenko (FC Ufa)
Aaron Mooy (Melbourne City)
Leroy Sane (Schalke 04)
Gabriel Jesus* (Palmeiras)* will join in January 2017
Marlos Moreno (Atletico Nacional)
John Stones (Everton)
Claudio Bravo (Barcelona)
Out:
Martin Demichelis (released)
Seko Fofana (Udinese)
Aaron Mooy (Huddersfield Town) Loan
Marlos Moreno (Deportivo La Coruna) Loan
Bersant Celina (FC Twente) Loan
Oleksandr Zinchenko (PSV Eindhoven)
Manchester United:
In:
Manager: Jose Mourinho
Eric Bailly (Villarreal)
Zlatan Ibrahimovic (PSG)
Henrikh Mkhitaryan (Borussia Dortmund)
Paul Pogba (Juventus)
Out:
Manager: Louis van Gaal
Tyler Reid (Swansea City)
Victor Valdes (Middlesbrough)
Jimmy Dunne (Burnley)
Nick Powell (Wigan Athletic)
Joe Rothwell (Oxford United)
Ashley Fletcher (West Ham United)
Guillermo Varela (Eintracht Frankfurt) Loan
Paddy McNair (Manchester United)
Donald Love (Manchester United)
Adnan Januzaj (Sunderland) Loan
Cameron Borthwick-Jackson (Wolverhampton Wanderers) Loan
Tyler Blackett (Reading)
Middlesbrough:
In:
Viktor Fischer (Ajax)
Bernardo Espinosa (Sporting Gijon)
Marten De Roon (Atalanta)
Jordan McGhee (Heart of Midlothian) Loan
Victor Valdes (Manchester United)
Antonio Barragan (Valencia)
Alvaro Negredo* (Valencia) Loan
Gaston Ramirez (Southampton)
Brad Guzan (Aston Villa)
Fabio Da Silva (Cardiff City)
Out:
Jonathan Woodgate (released)
Damia Abella (released)
Rhys Williams (Perth Glory)
Connor Ripley (Oldham) Loan
Harry Chapman (Sheffield United) Loan
Southampton:
In:
Manager Claude Puel
Nathan Redmond (Norwich City)
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg (Bayern Munich)
Alex McCarthy (Crystal Palace)
Jeremy Pied (Nice)
Stuart Taylor
Out:
Gaston Ramirez (released)
Kelvin Davis (retired)
Juanmi (Real Sociedad)
Victor Wanyama (Tottenham Hotspur)
Sadio Mane (Liverpool)
Jason McCarthy (Walsall) Loan
Graziano Pelle (Shandong Luneng)
Paulo Gazzaniga (Rayo Vallecano) Loan
Sam Gallagher (Blackburn Rovers) Loan
Jordan Turnbull (Coventry City)
Bevis Mugabi (Yeovil Town)
Stoke City:
In:
Ramadan Sobhi (Al Ahly)
Joe Allen (Liverpool)
Ryan Sweeney (AFC Wimbledon)
Out
Peter Odemwingie (released)
Steve Sidwell (Brighton & Hove Albion)
Marc Wilson (AFC Bournemouth)
George Waring (Shrewsbury Town) Loan
Choulay (Shrewsbury Town) Loan
Sunderland:
In:
Manager David Moyes
Papy Djilobodji (Chelsea)
Paddy McNair (Manchester United)
Donald Love (Manchester United)
Adnan Januzaj (Manchester United) Loan
Javier Manquillo (Atletico Madrid) Loan
Out:
Manager Sam Allardyce
Danny Graham (Blackburn Rovers)
Steven Fletcher (Sheffield Wednesday)
Wes Brown (released)
Mikael Mandron (Eastleigh)
Emanuele Giaccherini (Napoli)
Santiago Vergini (Boca Juniors)
Adam Matthews (Bristol City) Loan
Will Buckley (Sheffield Wednesday) Loan
Liam Bridcutt (Leeds United)
Jordi Gomez (Wigan Athletic)
Younes Kaboul (Watford)
Swansea City:
In:
Leroy Fer (Queens Park Rangers)
Mike van der Hoorn (Ajax)
Tyler Reid (Manchester United)
George Byers (Watford)
Mark Birighetti (Newcastle Jets)
Fernando Llorente (Sevilla)
Borja Baston (Atletico Madrid)
Out:
Matthew Grimes (Leeds United) Loan
Eder (Lille)
Alberto Paloschi (Atalanta)
Kyle Bartley (Leeds United) Loan
Liam Shephard (Yeovil Town) Loan
Matt Grimes (Leeds United) Loan
Ryan Hedges (Yeovil Town) Loan
Bafetimbi Gomis (Marseille) Loan
Adam King* (Southend United) Loan
Andre Ayew (West Ham United)
Ashley Williams (Everton)
Josh Sheehan (Newport County) Loan
Connor Roberts* (Bristol Rovers) Loan
Tottenham Hotspur:
In:
Victor Wanyama (Southampton)
Vincent Janssen (AZ Alkmaar)
Out:
Filip Lesniak (Slovan Liberec) Loan
Grant Ward (Ipswich Town)
Federico Fazio (Roma) Loan
Alex Pritchard (Norwich City)
Dominic Ball (Rotherham United)
DeAndre Yedlin (Newcastle United)
Nabil Bentaleb (FC Schalke 04) Loan
Will Miller (Burton Albion) Loan
Watford:
In:
Manager: Walter Mazzarri
Jerome Sinclair (Liverpool)
Christian Kabasele (Genk)
Isaac Success (Granada)
Juan Camilo Zuniga (Napoli) Loan
Brice Dja Djedje (Marseille)
Younes Kaboul (Sunderland)
Roberto Pereyra (Juventus)
Daryl Janmaat (Newcastle United)
Out:
Joel Ekstrand (released)
Gabriele Angella (Udinese)
George Byers (Swansea City)
Jose Manuel Jurado (Espanyol)
Almen Abdi (Sheffield Wednesday)
Daniel Pudil (Sheffield Wednesday)
Steven Berghuis (Feyenoord) Loan
Mario Suarez (Valencia) Loan
Tommie Hoban (Blackburn Rovers) Loan
Matej Vydra (Derby County)
West Bromwich Albion:
In:
Matt Phillips (Queens Park Rangers)
Brendan Galloway (Everton) Loan
Out:
Victor Anichebe (released)
Stephane Sessegnon (released)
Anders Lindegaard (released)
James Chester (Aston Villa)
West Ham United:
In:
Toni Martinez (Valencia)
Havard Nordtveit (Borussia Moenchengladbach)
Domingos Quina
Sofiane Feghouli (Valencia)
Gokhan Tore (Besiktas) Loan
Ashley Fletcher (Manchester United)
Arthur Masuaku (Olympiacos)
Andre Ayew (Swansea City)
Jonathan Calleri (Deportivo Maldonado) Loan
Edimilson Fernandes (FC Sion)
Simone Zaza (Juventus) Loan
Out:
Joey O’Brien (released)
Elliot Lee (released)
James Tomkins (Crystal Palace)
Martin Samuelsen (Blackburn Rovers) Loan
What do fans make of some of the dealings so far this transfer window, and anybody expecting some late surprises or major outgoings in the remaining few days?
One thing is for sure, it’s highly unlikely to be the most expensive signings of the summer that make the greatest difference to sides – it rarely ever works out that way.
