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EPL Transfer Window Shuts The transfer window closed earlier this week. The passing of the deadline brought to an end an extended summer in which Premier League clubs spent £3. 11billion ($4. 2bn) to improve their squads. There were strikes, big moves and, fundamentally, hundreds of millions of pounds splashed by clubs across the English top flight. It was a window like no other that has come before. Advertisement But what do the actions of players mean for moves in the future? Who ‘won’ the window? Which players will make an immediate impact and who will be more of a slow burn? We gathered up The Athletic’s experts Oliver Kay, Jack Lang, Jacob Whitehead and Carl Anka for a roundtable discussion about the window. Their answers to our questions are shared here. Oliver Kay: I’m certain they will. I know there’s this counter-argument that Newcastle would have complied with Isak’s wishes “if only he had gone about it differently”, but I really don’t believe that. That’s not a dig at Newcastle; it’s an observation of how clubs treat players, which in turn dictates how players treat clubs. So yes, kick up a stink, refuse to play, and you might just get the move you want. I hate it. But I also hate it the way certain clubs show a total lack of respect to players once they’re not wanted. Jack Lang: There has been no structural shift here — no new rules, no change to the way contracts work — but it’s hard to imagine Isak’s manoeuvring not having some knock-on effects. His approach, and the fact that it eventually succeeded despite obvious countervailing forces, will surely encourage others in his position in the years to come. Carl Anka: Mr Lang and Mr Kay will both have memories of Pierre van Hooijdonk’s strike at Nottingham Forest in 1998-99. Causing a stink/refusing to train to force a selling club’s hand is not a new phenomenon, and players enact these emergency protocols because it works time and time again. It may cool off a little after a World Cup year, but it’s hard to see these temper tantrums disappear entirely. Jacob Whitehead: In an increasingly litigious footballing landscape, I regretfully think that we are all going to become much more familiar with Article 17. Effectively, as long as a player has had a full three years at a club (two years if they are over 28), they invoke the clause within 15 days of the season’s final match, then a player can unilaterally terminate their contract. Their previous club would receive compensation from the player’s happy recipients — but likely to be far less than their worth on the open market. The Lassana Diarra verdict last year has made this process far easier. Consequently, it has been threatened a few times behind closed doors this window — but I fully expect one player to take the jump and invoke the clause over the next two seasons. Kay: Some, like Hugo Ekitike, Joao Pedro, Jack Grealish and Mohammed Kudus, have already done so. Of those signed in the past week or so, Harvey Elliott looks very much a plug-and-play signing for Aston Villa — in a good way. Advertisement Lang: This is probably cheating since he moved during the Club World Cup, but I expect Joao Pedro to build on his excellent start at Chelsea. He sometimes went slightly under the radar at Brighton, but he is a superb technician and incredibly smart. Whether he plays up front or slightly withdrawn, as he did against Fulham last week, he has so much to offer. Anka: Jack Grealish already seems well on his way to earning cult-hero status at Everton. Xavi Simons will get on very well with Mohammed Kudus at Tottenham, and it looks like Thomas Frank is building a team with plenty of counter-attacking potential. But I think this award should go to Granit Xhaka. His move to Sunderland likely helped convince others across Europe that this is a football project worth investing in, and he’s maintained his usual quality across his three games so far. Whitehead: Alexander Isak. He fits in whatever system he plays — maybe give him a week or two to rediscover his match fitness. Outside that? Burnley’s Quilindschy Hartman is a brilliant player — the full-back would have made the Netherlands’ Euros squad if not for a poorly timed injury. Expect him to feature prominently over the coming months — he could really become a featured player in their attacking shape. Lang: Benjamin Sesko, by the look of it. He has been a complete non-event for Manchester United so far and looked way off the pace in the League Cup defeat to Grimsby. There are extenuating circumstances — his pre-season was disrupted, he has joined a team that is currently a mess — but an improvement is needed. Anka: I’m fairly confident that El Hadji Malick Diouf is going to get a £60million to £70m price tag within the next two seasons. The Senegal international has the makings of a superb left-back, but West Ham’s other weaknesses mean he might be on the losing team more often than not this season. Then again, he might shine brighter as a top talent in a team that isn’t blessed with them. Advertisement Whitehead: A few scouts I know are extremely excited about Brighton’s new striker Charalampos Kostoulas after his exploits for Greece at youth level. At £31. 4m, it is some initial outlay — but this is still a signing for the future. Physically, he is pretty much there — it’s the tricks of the trade that need development. Kay: Well, James Trafford’s prospects at Manchester City burned brightly for a week or so, but he appears to be back on the slow burner now after the signing of Gianluigi Donnarumma. Their goalkeeping department looks stronger for this summer’s overhaul, but the strategy behind it hasn’t been easy to fathom. Kay: No, I think all clubs have overspent on players. Lots of clubs have signed excellent players, but even most of those are deals where you think, ‘That’s extremely expensive’ rather than ‘Wow, what a great buy’. It’s a seller’s market, as some clubs have exploited very smartly. Lang: The £42m Brentford spent on Dango Ouattara — a bit-part player at Bournemouth last season — struck me as particularly outlandish. And Newcastle’s £55m for Yoane Wissa, who turned 29 this week? Not sure about that one, either. Anka: Not particularly. There were a handful of fees quoted for strikers that made me think “How much? ”, but then you take a step back and remember worldwide inflation. It’s 2025; the corner shop charges 35p for a Freddo, and £1. 25 for a can of pop. £50m is the starting price for a decent Premier League attacker now. It is what it is. Whitehead: I must say that I thought Dan Ndoye was a decent player, but is the new Nottingham Forest forward worth £34m? So many Bologna players are outstanding in that specific system because of that club’s incredible scouting ability — it is a risk to rely on him reproducing that in very different circumstances. Lang: Probably Vitor Pereira at Wolves. He lost two of his best players — Matheus Cunha and Rayan Ait-Nouri — and a lot of the signings look like gambles. Jhon Arias is a talented player, but this is his first club outside South America. Fer Lopez was a bit-part player at Celta Vigo. Jackson Tchatchoua, David Moller Wolfe, Ladislav Krejci, Tolu Arokodare… there might be a player or two in there, but it’s a bit scattershot, a bit ‘2021–22 Watford’. Advertisement Anka: Well done to Brentford for getting £125m+ for Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa — two players with only a year left on their contracts. However, the squad looks a little underpowered now. The decision to have Keith Andrews succeed Thomas Frank as head coach is a sensible one. This is a club that believes in its long-term plans and tries not to panic after a setback. I’m on the outside looking in, and they don’t appear worried, but I am. Just a little bit. Kay: Yes, they would be my two: Vitor Pereira at Wolves and Keith Andrews at Brentford. It’s inevitable when players are sold on to bigger clubs — and in some ways it’s positive because it’s all part of the business model — but I’m not sure that quality has been adequately replaced in either case, which is a difficult situation for both clubs. Whitehead: I agree with Carl — Andrews really is playing with a depleted hand. In another sense, the pressure is rising on Ruben Amorim — now that he has the forward line he so desires in Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha, and Benjamin Sesko, the excuses are rapidly running out. Fail to improve? He had the tools he wanted. Lang: Mikel Arteta. An out-and-out striker, a brilliant defensive midfielder, one of the Premier League’s most creative players, plus extra strength in depth in other key positions… there will be no excuses if Arsenal fail to mount a serious title bid. Anka: There’ll be some debate over whether they got the best player for each role, but it feels like Arsenal have ticked off everything from their summer shopping list. The squad has reached a critical mass of talent and will be a problem for top teams in England and in Europe. Kay: The complete squad doesn’t exist — and even if it did, most managers would still complain. Even after spending £420m, Liverpool are arguably a little light in a couple of areas. Arsenal have addressed Mikel Arteta’s few remaining wants and needs, but I do wonder if they have largely raised the floor of that squad when perhaps the greater focus should have been on raising the ceiling. Whitehead: Manchester City, ultimately. New midfielders in Tijjani Reijnders, Rayan Cherki and Sverre Nypan, and a fresh full-back in Rayan Ait Nouri. It is debatable whether the goalkeeping department has really been upgraded post-Ederson, with the arrivals of both Gianluigi Donnarumma and James Trafford, but the cupboard, overall, is pretty well stocked. Kay: Florian Wirtz because he’s such a wonderful, mesmerising talent. It has been a relatively quiet start, but I enjoyed his second-half performance against Arsenal on Sunday. And having been captivated by Jhon Arias at the Club World Cup this summer, I hope he thrives at Wolves, but that might be easier said than done. Advertisement Lang: I’m quite keen to watch the two young Greek attackers at Brighton. Stefanos Tzimas was electric against Oxford United in the League Cup, and Charalampos Kostoulas is supposed to be even more of a prospect. Plus it’s Brighton; they don’t sign many duds. Anka: Benjamin Sesko’s leaping ability is mighty fun to watch, and I very much hope that Manchester United’s new front three scores goals by the hatful. Whitehead: With my tongue firmly in my cheek, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall has started wonderfully for Everton, and was barely seen in the Premier League at Chelsea last season. But my serious answer is Xavi Simons — it is always exciting when a former wonderkid finally lands in English football. Kay: “Winning the window” implies the transfer market is a game in itself rather than a means to an end — in which case I have to say Chelsea’s owners. They just love to play the market. They’ve spent around £1. 5billion on new players since buying the club in the summer of 2022 and have raised another £800m. Where initially there were so many terrible deals, there have been some good deals this summer in and out. But have they built a great squad? I remain sceptical. Lang: Alexander Isak. He got the move he wanted. And, you’d assume, an absolutely massive wage hike. Anka: Watch Eberechi Eze’s announcement video for Arsenal to understand there’s a clear winner. Narrated by Ian Wright. Soundtracked by Sampha’s “Indecision”. It’s a wonderful video for a wonderful story. The boyhood Arsenal fan took the long road home, but he’s ended up exactly where he wants to be. Whitehead: Liverpool’s senior leadership. Arne Slot has improvements at every level of last year’s title-winning team. Richard Hughes’ reputation is at an all-time high, given the success of his negotiations with Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk last season, allied with his successful pursuits of Wirtz, Isak, Hugo Ekitike, et al. And Michael Edwards? The tactics of Liverpool’s summer have played out almost perfectly. Kay: Not Newcastle. There were some harsh reality checks — less about PSR this summer than about their place in the food chain — but I feel they did the right thing with Isak and ended up making the best of a bad situation. Aston Villa, on the other hand, had a pretty flat summer, albeit redeemed by what looks like an excellent deal for Harvey Elliott on deadline day. Advertisement Lang: ‘Football as a whole’ is a pretty plummy answer here, but this window really highlighted the strange contortions that stem from the economic rules as they stand. The extreme churn of players, the incentive for clubs to bin off academy graduates, the giddy sacrifices to the twin gods of amortisation and book value… do we really think this is making the game healthier? Or more transparent? Or, you know, better? Anka: I want to give a mention to Kalvin Phillips, who is still at Manchester City. We’ve heard nary a sniff about a move linking him away from the club, and he feels a bit stuck in his career. Whitehead: Jorgen Strand Larsen, who didn’t force his way out of Molineux in favour of St James’ Park. That poor, well-behaved boy. I hope he has a brilliant season at Wolves. Kay: The obvious one is for Liverpool to go in for Marc Guehi again, offering Crystal Palace £15m to take him six months before his contract expires. But I wonder if they might have more competition in January than they did in the summer. Lang: This says rather more about my life than anything else, but I quite like looking at the Saudi Pro League and envisaging which players might be targeted by a desperate, goal-shy, relegation-threatened West Ham/Leeds/Manchester United (delete as appropriate). After a quick survey, three potential returning saviours jump out: Ivan Toney (bonus points for the staking-his-claim-for-the-World-Cup factor), Sadio Mane and Aleksandar Mitrovic. You heard it here first. Anka: Take Mr Lang’s comment, but apply it to players of all positions following a successful AFCON campaign. Senegal’s Lamine Camara is the type of midfielder that would help many a Champions League-chasing team. Whitehead: Jhon Duran makes his way back to the Premier League. 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