Premier League Transfers (Part 1)
There are just 50 days to go in this summer transfer window, and despite the current season still wrapping up over in the European competitions, business and preparations for 2020/2021 are well underway.
Some clubs (Chelsea) have been out there doing some serious business already, while others have been playing their cards close to their chests and keeping their wallets in their pockets. To me, I genuinely think every club needs to be upgrading and investing in their squads, as we are entering a serious fatigue threatening campaign, and it’s a season where 80% of the clubs could conceivably reach European spots, and 80% of sides could be potentially battling with relegation.
Many clubs will, rightly so, be unwilling to splash big money given the economic impact of 2020, however there are bargain buys out there for each and every club. In this post, I have gone through each Premier League side and made a suggestion for their main transfer target, and a potential alternative signing they could make.
As with all opinion based posts, I feel like I should preface this by stating these suggestions are purely opinion based, I haven’t watched every game for every club and so obviously some suggestions may be naïve, however it’s just an opinion, and all suggestions would make the starting 11s.
Enjoy!
Arsenal – Thomas Partey
Arsenal have one of the league’s most impressive attacking line-ups. An almost guaranteed 20 goal a season striker, a £72 million signing and decent forward who has been ‘Lac-ing’ (pardon the attempted pun). Adding into that some youth prospects who can filter in and out of the squad and Arteta has no attacking worries. It’s defensively where the club look so frail over the past season or 2. On paper, a lot of the pieces are there for Arsenal, however defensively they are all pieces of different jigsaws. As a result, Arsenal shipped 48 league goals which was more than any of their close rivals. The key concern for Arteta has to be the manner of conceding the goals, as poor defensive errors have consistently dropped points for the Gunners.
So, in order to fix this defensive weakness, Arsenal should be looking over to one of the best defensive teams in the world, Atlético Madrid. More specifically, the man they have been linked to for the past 2 seasons, Thomas Partey. Arsenal should splash the fairly reasonable cash, at just a rumoured £42million release clause. I am well-aware of Arsenal’s reluctance to make transfers simple and straight forward, however there’s no need for haggling at this price for what you are getting, particularly as the club have justified a new David Luiz contract, £350,000 a week for a pro-fortnite player and Willian’s £250,000 per week contract.
If Arsenal can get the Partey started, they will be adding an experienced top-level defensive midfielder who has been working in one of the best defensive sides in Europe for the past 5 years. His defensive work is superb with 2.49 tackles per game, 8.17 ball recoveries and only dribbled past once per 90 minutes over the latest 19/20 La Liga campaign. His athleticism and work ethic under Simeone means he is the perfect box-to-box midfielder who has the presence to be aerially strong (winning 65+% of his aerial duels), defensively solid and then an attacking threat. When receiving passes from the CBs, he is forward thinking in his passing, can comfortably carry the ball past players and then evade tackles to lay the ball off. Only Thiago of Bayern has a better take on success rate in Europe’s top-5 leagues. For £42million, Arsenal could have an almost perfect all-rounder in a part of the squad that is comparatively weak to many of their rivals. Defensive security, athletic and energetic performances, aerial confidence and can control the game and link up to that aforementioned strike force. For me personally, if Arsenal and Arteta are happy to miss out on this rare opportunity in football of a simple star signing, they are going to ensure Arsenal do not reach the Champions League again for the next 5 years. I truly believe that with a player like Partey, Arsenal can push the top 4 sides for their places, and without him they will be battling with Spurs and Wolves for Europa League.
Alternative – Aaron Ramsey… Okay here me out on this one, Aaron Ramsey has serious talent and was massively underrated in the Premier League. He has played over 250+ games for Arsenal and knows the club better than most. There were obvious personal reasons for his move away to Juventus because lets face it, who wouldn’t accept £400,000 per week to play with Ronaldo and win Serie A? But he’s been there and done that now, and with the talk of Pirlo cutting him from the side, he would be perfect for Arsenal’s project. Arteta spent 5 years playing alongside the Welshman at the club, he has plenty of recent big-game experience and won’t cost much to bring in. The public rejection from the club wanting him off their wage books means he will sell for little transfer fee, perfect for the club who aren’t wanting to spend too much. Looking at that part of the squad since Ramsey left, and he hasn’t really been replaced yet, it’s still a weak spot in the side meaning he would slot straight back in to the squad. Plus, having trained with Ronaldo and Dybala etc for a year, the younger players will be looking to him for guidance. Understandably, the wage issue will be a stumbling block, however not many clubs will match his current wage, meaning he would have to take a cut no matter where he ends up, plus the nostalgia of ‘returning home’ could encourage a further wage cut. As that is really the only issue I see with bringing Ramsey back, stop wasting money on benched talent and bring in some passionate depth to the squad.
Aston Villa – Tammy Abraham
Aston Villa will struggle this season, sorry to any Villa fans out there. They scraped through the post-lockdown period to remarkably save their season and honestly that could just keep the club together. Had they gone down, I feel like Dean Smith would have been let go, Grealish would have reluctantly left them behind and signing players would have been a real struggle. However, they stayed up, they are in the mix for 2020/2021 and I may be proved wrong, but in order to stay up, they need to strengthen some big areas. For me, the main target should be a marquee star signing of Tammy Abraham. A young talented striker who has had a strong first full season of top-level football at Chelsea, has proven experience at Villa, will be keen to impress with the Euro-2020 delay and with 0.44 goals per league game in 19/20 he will undoubtedly add to the 41 goals Villa managed in the same campaign.
The key issue around Aston villa is the well-reported reliance on Jack Grealish, their top-scorer (8), top assist maker (6) and top shot taker (73) over the last campaign. By bringing in Tammy Abraham, they are able to build a real partnership between the two of them which will ease the burden and make them a dangerous, young attacking threat. Abraham wouldn’t come cheap, with a current value of £36million, however Villa surely have cash to spend by staying up, and their billionaire owner. Chelsea would likely want to hold on to the English youngster, however given their big attacking acquisitions, his starting 11 place is surely disappearing and so a permanent move may be possible for the right price. If not, they why not push for a year loan which Chelsea may be more accepting of, and get guaranteed goals in the side. His last spell at Villa Park was in the 18/19 Championship season which helped guide the team to promotion, meaning the positive relationship between him and the club is strong. During that campaign, Abraham scored 26 goals in 40 appearances, his best personal return on a season and the first Villa player to score 25 goals in a season since 1977. Clearly his season at Villa impressed Lampard who refused a 2nd loan spell out for the Englishman and instead made him the clubs main striker and their new no.9. Across the season for Chelsea, he played a total of 47 games including some big European fixtures, and netted 18 goals, proving his worth in the top-flight and at big moments. With the arrival of Werner, his place will likely be taken up by the German, and with a spot in Southgate’s Euros squad available for him, he will want to be playing weekly games to keep fit and in contention. Ultimately, Villa could try for a long-term loan deal and spend big money elsewhere, but for me this deal is perfect for the club and for the player.
Alternative – Keeping Jack Grealish… Give the man what he wants and convince him to stay. I’m not a fan of a ‘1 man club’ but for Aston Villa in the 2020/2021 campaign, their biggest signing they could possibly make is to keep Jack Grealish and ensure he stays fit and happy for the entire campaign. Without him in their team, that squad to me looks like a mid-table Championship side. Just looking at the stats from the previous paragraph, top-scorer, assists and shots to name but a few. His leadership and passion for the club shines through, while fans and the whole squad look to him for those magical game-winning moments. Personally, without him they are certainly on for a tough season, with him staying and no marquee signing they will struggle but probably survive another season, and only if they can convince Grealish to stay and keep becoming a club legend while still signing a player like Abraham will they have a solid chance of survival or mid-table finish.
Sorry again Villa fans.
Brighton & Hove Albion – Moussa Dembele
Brighton were one of the toughest teams to think about transfers, as they aren’t the big money, flashy signing type of club, and no doubt Graham Potter will sign some wonderkid player from Sweden who I’ve never heard of, and then get him to play like Ronaldo. But, 2020/2021 is a perfect season for Brighton to stop looking at the bottom-half of the table, and become one of the league’s big boys. I think Potter is a quality coach who could be at the club for 10+ years if he wanted to, his tactics in-games are fantastic and he looks to be building a solid squad. Going into their 4th consecutive top-flight season, and coming off their joint highest finish in the league, Brighton have already brought in the experience of Adam Lallana which is a great move. This will add to their attack which has been a downfall really since their arrival, unable to score more than 40 goals in any of the past 3 seasons. Only 3 clubs scored fewer than them in the last campaign.
To compliment the Lallana singing perfectly, I’ve gone for a big move for Brighton, Moussa Dembele from Champions League semi-finalists Lyon. Now, this is kind of a long shot signing for a Premier League bottom-half club to bring in a Champions League semi-finalist, however in 2017-2018 the club had almost agreed to bring the player over from Celtic in a £20million move. Despite a stumbling block preventing that from happening, now could be the time to bring in the player to the south coast. Lyon have finished in 7th place in Ligue 1, meaning to my knowledge they have missed out on European football for the coming season. While I am certain this will change by the end of next season, it could be possible to convince Dembele to finally return to England for a side with a promising future and big plans. Valued currently at £36million, this is no small decision for the club who’s record signing stands at £20million.
With Dembele, they would be bringing in an extra 10-15 goals per season minimum, and at just 24 years of age that goal total could add up. Last season, Maupay was the clubs top-scorer with 10 league goals, and if he can replicate those numbers alongside Dembele’s tally, the club will be comfortably mid-table. Dembele has been a long running target for the biggest clubs in the league, with pretty much every top 6 side in the league being linked at some point to the Frenchman, however with none of those clubs really looking like making a move for him, this could be a steal. Prior to the Champions League semi-final, Dembele has scored 24 goals in 45 games, with 16 in his 27 league appearances, his 2nd highest return in his career. Many people will remember him from his success in Celtic’s domination between 2016-2019, or possibly from the early spell at Fulham where his career never really started. In the postponed French league, he finished as the league’s 3rd highest scorer, 3 more than Neymar, 4 more than Icardi and 7 more than teammate Memphis Depay. With a goal every 137 minutes in the last campaign, plus their magnificent Champions League run, Brighton would be getting a ready-made star who can handle big games, can score plenty of goals and would surely thrive becoming the clubs’ star man. for a top-6 club, he would have become perhaps a backup or squad player, but Brighton could make him a megastar at the club, and if they are willing to splash the cash and pry him out of France, they will stay in the top-flight for the next 3 seasons minimum.
Alternative – Jesse Lingard… This one is a move I’m not too sure about given their move for Lallana, however Lingard has had a tough season which has led many to think he’s on his way out of Old Trafford. If he is, both Brighton and West Ham are clubs I have seen linked with the midfielder, and it could be a sensible move for the Seagulls. They obviously signed a similar player in Lallana, however between the 2 of them, they could easily compliment one another throughout the 38 game season, and give Maupay some guaranteed service to add to his 10 goals. Lingard’s stats are something I’m avoiding from this past season as they don’t make the best reading, but anyone who has watched him play over the last 3 years, will know he can turn it on in games and be a real gamechanger. At a big club with big pressure, he has struggled at points with off-field concerns and poor form, however he personally seems determined to improve and recapture some good form, and perhaps in a guaranteed starting spot at Brighton he could do just that. He would be seen as a star player, a big name player and a decent attacking threat. He could easily manage 5+ goals and assists over a full season of football if not more, and with Potter’s magical tactical changes, alongside Lallana the pair could bamboozle defences. For a cheap option (aside from wages), the club could bolster their attack with another big name player with proven experience, and that would help the teams attack and young players who will be looking to experienced heads for guidance.
Burnley – Matty Cash
Burnley are always a tough side to predict regarding transfers. as quite frankly they are a club who know their level and don’t spend above it. However, after having their 4th consecutive season in the top-flight, along with the past European adventure, sooner or later the people upstairs at the club are going to have to loosen the purse strings for Dyche, or risk the manager looking elsewhere. Post-lockdown Dyche expressed concerns regarding the amount of first-team players at his disposal, meaning the club really are requiring reinforcements, at bargain prices. After finishing 10th last season, the 20/21 campaign is unfortunately looking to be more challenging for the Clarets, as the clubs around them will be improving to put more pressure on an already stretched squad. They appear to struggle to score goals, and rely heavily on an organised defence to bring in scrappy wins.
The main transfer target I have predicted for Burnley is Matty Cash, a right-back for Nottingham Forest who has impressed over the last few seasons in the Championship. Although defensively decent, Burnley are reliant on players such as Phil Bardsley in the right-back position, a 35 year old who is surely on his last few years. Therefore, Burnley could bring in the 23-year old who won player of the year for Forest at the end of the 19/20 season, and has been a rumoured target for the likes of Milan, Everton and West Ham. Valued at around £5-10million, the signing would be a decent deal for a club who are secure in the Premier League, and have been for a few years now, meaning they surely have the budget to work with.
Although Cash isn’t the most extravagant signing, his work in the Championship helped Forest to a 7th placed finish, missing out on the playoffs on the final game of the season. Over the campaign, Cash contributed with 3 goals and 5 assists in his 42 league appearances, along with 14 clean sheets against some tricky opponents. As Burnley look to maintain a solid defensive unit, Cash could be a key man to fit in and also could provide some attacking threat.
Alternative – Max Aarons… In a very similar vein to Cash, the move for Max Aarons would again sure-up some of the potential aging weakness at right-back for Burnley. Aarons would be the more expensive option for Dyche to bring in which is why I opted for Cash as the main target. However, if the club were willing to spend bigger, Aarons would be a fantastic player to bring in. Already a target for clubs like Barcelona, Manchester United, Chelsea and many many others, Burnley could sneak in and pick up a possible star-player. Valued at around £18million, this would make Aarons Burnley’s record signing, however there are bags of potential with Aarons, and in a few years time there could be bags of profit to be made. With Norwich struggling last season, it would make sense for a club like Burnley to pick off scraps of the side, however they will need to be smart and fast to make this deal happen.
Chelsea – Declan Rice
Chelsea have been spending money in a way nobody expected. Having their transfer ban for the last season may have been the best thing for Lampard and the club, as all the potential signings they were looking at for the last summer window, that money is now being spent for players that wouldn’t have been thought of, or available at that time. Werner, Havertz and Ziyech are statement signings that show Chelsea will battle for the title in the next 2/3 seasons. However in my opinion, while those signings are incredible it isn’t what they really need. Instead, the club need to reinforce their defensive unit and possibly the goalkeeper situation (which we will discuss shortly). The rumoured signings still to come for Chelsea include some big names; Thiago Silva, Oblak, Chilwell and in my opinion the most crucial signing, Declan Rice. Lampard has assembled a serious force in their young attacking signings, but after conceding more goals than any of the top 10 Premier League sides, the whole defensive setup just doesn’t match the young attacking vibe.
Adding Declan rice becomes my top priority for Chelsea, as despite not being a fully recognised CB for West Ham, and probably being less talented than Thiago Silva, he is young, incredibly talented and looks ready for a big move. In just his 3rd full season of top-flight football, Rice made 40 appearances in a difficult campaign for The Hammers, being the star man in their struggling side. This earnt the 21 year old West Ham’s player of the year award. Rice could be the perfect addition to Chelsea’s squad as his youth fits Lampard’s project, he can play the defensive midfield role or settle into the centre back position for 10+ years. For the player himself, he could take his potential legacy at West Ham, and instead create the same legacy at Chelsea in the mould of a John Terry. Plus his friendship with the current squad like Mason Mount would allow them to build the Frank Lampard – John Terry connection for the next generation, and help challenge for titles instead of the consistent mediocrity he would suffer at the London Stadium.
Ultimately, I think this transfer is the most likely to happen, as the only thing stopping this deal from happening form any party involved is agreeing on the fee. Now, with West Ham slapping a £70million price tag on their key player, Chelsea may be reluctant, however given Abramovich’s spending-spree of £150-200million this summer, adding a young hot-prospect to a weak area of their side will be the perfect move. If they are going to actually challenge for the title this year, they will need Silva, Chilwell and Rice bringing in, however I can 100% see all 3 of those happening this summer.
Alternative – Jan Oblak… There were other alternative names mentioned in the previous section such as Silva and Chilwell, however those are all part of the defensive unit that needs an overhaul. In my opinion, their main target needs to be the 3 defensive signings, but should they fail to bring in all 3 players, then the goalkeeping position needs to be improved. Because of their poor defensive form in the last season, there are issues in the defence and shockingly the no.1 role. If they can improve the back 4, then I think Kepa Arrizabalaga should be given another season to try and impress with a solid defensive line in front of him. If there is any weakness in Chelsea’s defence, then unfortunately Arrizabalaga will again struggle and be exposed to the ruthlessness of football fans. Despite being the most expensive keeper at £71million in 2018/19, the Spaniard has really struggled over the last campaign and that led to him being dropped in the final run in of games. This decision to remove him out of the spotlight could either be to protect the young players mental state, or alternatively Lampard may have agreed with the fans in thinking it was a failed transfer and there needs to be a change.
Honestly, I don’t think that Chelsea should be changing their keeper right now, as Oblak would be their key target and would again smash the transfer record for a keeper, and likely exceed £100million to replicate the move from Madrid to London. As I have mentioned, Chelsea should go for replacing the defence and then give the 25 year old another chance for this season. In his 1st year in England, Kepa managed 14 clean sheets from 36 games, conceding 39 goals. He dipped in form massively over the 2nd season, managing just 8 clean sheets from 33 games and conceded 47 goals. Given the poor performances, it’s understandable to want change in the position, and particularly given how the club could arrange a deal for arguably the best keeper in the world in Oblak, it’s understandable. If they really are going to spend £300+million in this summer window, then why not bring in the best keeper around, however my advice would be to get the defence improved and allow a 25 year old young goalkeeper to settle fully, build his confidence behind a solid squad and prove himself. If not they’ll always have big Willy waiting.
Crystal Palace – Michy Batshuayi
Palace always seem to struggle to bag goals, and unfortunately for them, that’s a pretty big part of football. With Ayew and Benteke leading their line as the main striking threat, an a reliance on Zaha that is bordering on the obsessive, it is a matter of time until they drop down the table and into what I will call the ‘Newcastle zone’, where the threat of relegation every single season is real. Only Norwich managed fewer than the 31 goals that Palace netted in the 19/20 season, and it is thanks to a solid defence that allowed them a complimentary 14th placed finish. Not a single player managed more than 9 goals over the entire season, a clear indicator that Hodgson needs to improve their attacking options and reduce the reliance on Wilf Zaha. To do this, I believe they should look to permanently bring in Michy Batshuayi.
In the 2018/19 loan move, the Belgian striker netted 5 goals in 11 league appearances, more than Zaha and Benteke managed in the entire 19/20 campaign. Although he isn’t seen as a guaranteed goalscorer, his influence and ability to get goals is prove across Europe, having impressed at Dortmund, and in his rare appearance for Chelsea. Additionally, he is respected hugely on an international stage, often being picked in the starting XI for an impressive Belgium side. Being valued at around £10million, and with Chelsea bringing a whole army of players pushing Michy down the pecking order, bringing him across London to Palace would be beneficial for all parties involved.
Would he fix all of Palace’s attacking worries? Probably not. Is he entertaining and guaranteed at least 5-10 goals a season, definitely! Quite honestly anything has to be better than relying on Benteke for the long season ahead surely.
Alternative – Eberechi Eze… The man many people are citing as Wilf Zaha 2.0, Eze has shone bright in the Championship for QPR over the last 2 seasons. The 22-year old Englishman has some big admirers across Europe, with teams such as Arsenal and Spurs apparently showing an interest. Palace would be the perfect place for Eze to continue his development, and at a value of between £10-20million this could be the signing of the whole transfer window. In the 19/20 season for QPR, Eze bagged 14 goals in 46 games, highlighting not only his striking ability, but also his work rate and energy to survive a gruelling 46 game season. At QPR he became a talismanic figure, and for Hodgson to have a young player in the mould of his star man Zaha, the link up between the 2 would not only light up Selhurst Park, but would also ease the consistent worry that sooner or later Zaha will be on the move away. If managed correctly, Palace could have a potential future English superstar, who will get goals, create chances and if their business model insists, would bring a tasty profit 2/3 years down the line.
Everton – Adrien Rabiot
Everton have spent big in recent windows, attempting to build a squad that will finally help the blue side of Merseyside achieve European football on a regular basis. Unfortunately, this has yet to click for the Toffee’s, and despite one of the league’s strongest on-paper squads and one of the worlds most well-respected managers at the helm, they managed a meagre 12th placed finish in the 2019/20 campaign.
With the upcoming 20/21 season, Ancelotti has had his first summer window to place his own style and imprint on the club, and I believe one of the best places to start would be by bringing in Adrien Rabiot. The 25-year old Frenchman has had a curious career to-date, with PSG and Juventus arguably unable to unlock his full potential and unleash the megastar underneath. Alongside this, personality clashes under Tuchel and off-field contract issues have truly stalled Rabiot’s progress. In my opinion, linking up with Ancelotti will truly bring a star player to the Premier League, and possibly at a bargain price should new Juventus manager Pirlo choose to clear out the Allianz.
An elegant, technical, well-rounded central midfielder, who can fill in a variety of positions and roles could be the perfect acquisition for Everton, who managed just 44 goals in last years’ campaign, conceding 56. Adding in a creative midfielder who can become a strong foundation of defence and attack would undoubtedly sure up the defensive responsibility of their midfield whilst being the beginning of attacks and chance creation. The question marks surrounding Rabiot’s attitude would hopefully be squashed as he would be linking back up with Ancelotti, the man who promoted him to the senior setup at PSG, and who he appears to hold in high regard. If Everton can convince the Frenchman to come over to Goodison, the influence Rabiot could have on the side would potentially carry them up the table and reach the European dream.
Alternative – James Rodríguez… A move for James Rodríguez is being talked about with many clubs around the world, however if Everton can work out the financial technicalities of the move, they would have an eager superstar who surely is ready to put aside all of his anticlimactic previous seasons, and become a Merseyside icon. His potential impact at the club is clear to see for anyone who has watched Rodríguez play, as many including myself are still puzzled as to how he is ignored by Zidane at Madrid. At just 29 years-old, he has at least 5 years of quality game time left in the tank, and as someone who is accustomed to playing on the biggest European stages, he would be desperate to push Everton to the top and prove to any doubters of his ability. This move would purely be down to finances, as mentioned previously, Everton have spent big in recent seasons, and Madrid will be desperate to recoup some of the £65million fee they paid back in 2014. However, with potentially Ancelotti managing Rodríguez, Richarlison, Digne and even possibly Rabiot, Everton could have a squad packed with big names.
Fulham – Chris Smalling
Fulham have 2 choices for this coming season; spend millions on improving the squad with big money transfers in a similar vein to the 2018/19 season in which the club splurged over £100million, however they failed to stabilise in the Premier League and finished in 19th. Their other option, is to spend as little as possible and bring in experienced Premier League quality at the cheapest price and rely on those veteran players to assist Scott Parker in coaching the side through a tough season ahead. Whichever way the club decide to go for the coming season, I am struggling to envisage any way of staying up this season for Fulham. Without wanting to make too much of a speculative prediction which will come back to haunt me, I would have to say that I am expecting Scott Parker to be out of a job by January/February time and Fulham will be back in the Championship for the 21/22 campaign.
Moving away from my speculation for the clubs’ success (or lack of), transfer-wise I think the club will likely lean towards the limited spending approach. Given the disastrous transfers of previous seasons, mixed with the economic impact upon all clubs, a safe and cautious approach will be taken by one of England’s stereotypical yo-yo clubs. Because of that, I think their main target should be a player along the lines of Chris Smalling. The English CB is a vastly experienced Premier League player, and spent the last campaign wowing pundits in Italy for a club playing high-quality football in another top league whilst competing in the Europa League. Valued at around £15million, the defender is not necessarily a cheap buy and having to compete with Roma and several other clubs for his services, taking him away from a club who themselves need CB squad depth. With 219 Premier League appearances over his 12 year career, he would provide some experience to Fulham’s back line who conceded 50 goals in their 49 game league season. Although Smalling is now 30 years old and very much an experienced-head, he made 37 appearances in his debut season outside of England for Roma, and therefore would be a seemingly reliable option for a gruelling campaign and be a consistent starting 11 option or fantastic squad player when needed. There are obvious criticisms towards his latter Manchester United career, with many fans throwing consistent criticism towards him and CB partner Phil Jones, however his desire to get playing time and even take the risk to move out of his home country must show potential suitors that his desire and talent has not faltered despite an unstable 2/3 years as the CB for a struggling United side.
If Fulham could convince Smalling of their ambitions for the season ahead, and entice him away from the lure of the Italian lifestyle, or any of the other rumoured sides interested in him, they will have a top-quality, experienced defender who has played some big games over his career, and actually made his name at Craven Cottage prior to the move to Manchester. He has won the top-3 domestic trophies and his leadership and experience will add a big-name to their slightly lacking defensive unit.
Alternative – Nathaniel Clyne… In a very similar way to Chris Smalling, Nathaniel Clyne would offer the similar experience in the top-flight and at the top European level, but on a cheaper fee due to his contract expiration at the end of the 2019/2020 season. This however is very much the budget take on the Smalling signing, as despite making 184 Premier League appearances, the 29 year old has had plenty of injuries which have plagued his career. His most recent loan spell at Bournemouth during the 2018/2019 campaign looked to be a sign of Clyne making an attempt to recover his career, however a pre-season cruciate ligament injury last summer for Liverpool means he hasn’t played a minute of football over the last year. This of course makes the signing a gamble, however as a free-agent, it satisfies any concerns Fulham have towards more big money flops. As mentioned for Smalling, if Fulham want squad depth in defence with a player who has been involved in top-European football, this is a great option for them.
Leeds United – Edison Cavani
Having Leeds United back in the Premier League is exciting, its long overdue and fantastic to have them looking stable, well-run and bringing the always entertaining Marcelo Bielsa. To look at their squad on paper, they should struggle this season as they don’t have tonnes of quality depth and with Bamford as their main striker, many won’t be convinced of the goals flying in. However, Bielsa could make anything happen this season and because of that, they could conceivably make the European spots, or finish bottom of the table and nobody will be too shocked. So, what do they need to ensure the first of those scenarios and not the latter? Well, as with a lot of the clubs on this list I don’t completely know. I could make plenty of predictions, however trying to get into the mind of El Loco is near impossible. What I expect however, is that he already has a plan and he has watched every career game for all of his transfer targets well before this gets published.
I’ve gone for quite a marquee signing with most clubs for this piece, and I’ve stuck with that for Leeds, in PSG forward Edison Cavani. I want this move to happen, from a pure neutral point of view as Cavani has maybe 2 years left of high-quality football, and to finally come to England and work alongside Bielsa at Elland Road for the Leeds United faithful is wonderful. I think it’s the perfect move for all parties, as Leeds United will be wary of over-spending given their history, Cavani is available on a free transfer and searching for his possible final career move, the rumours state he is very interested in the move and Leeds need a striker. Only Patrick Bamford managed 10+ league goals last season, with 16 from 45 league appearances. To stay in the Premier League, purely work ethic will get you so far, but without goals there’s no chance of survival. Bamford is probably not the man to lead a Premier League attack, as while he is useful and probably Premier League squad worthy, he has managed just 1 top-flight goal in 27 appearances. Edison Cavani, however has been a natural goalscorer for the last 15 years. In Serie A, he netted 112 from 213 appearances, and at PSG he has 200 goals in 301 appearances, including 30 Champions League goals. He has won titles and trophies around Europe and Uruguay, and the experience he has picked up will mean Bamford and any younger players will have a legend of the game alongside them. The South American connection between coach and player will bring positivity, and at least 10 goals in the upcoming season from Cavani which could be invaluable for Leeds. He may not adapt to the league, and he won’t be able to play every game, however as a free transfer I don’t know anyone related to the club who wouldn’t want this to happen.
Alternative – Ben White… Brighton are playing hardball, and rightly so as last year on loan at Leeds, Ben White wowed many and has gained a lot of interest for his efforts during the 19/20 campaign. With Liverpool, Chelsea and many others now being linked with the centre back, Leeds will have to part with around £30-50million for a permanent move. Last season at Elland Road, White played every minute of the league season as he helped gain promotion for the club back to the top-flight. In this time, he appeared to build a strong connection to the club and the fanbase who returned the love tenfold. This transfer will be on many fans bucket list, as at just 22 years of age, and continuing to work with one of the mode demanding coaches in football, White is only going to improve. His 19/20 stats had him the clubs’ top player for clearances (122), blocks (25), interceptions (118) and recoveries (301), while his passing accuracy was also high over the season. Having made only 2 league cup appearances for Brighton in his career, White may be keen for a move back to the club where he won young player of the year, unless he is guaranteed game time under Potter.
Leicester City – Philippe Coutinho
Leicester City are a strong unit and really their priorities in the transfer market this summer should be to hold their key players in Chilwell and Söyüncü who have both been linked to big transfers out of the club. However, as I have had to think about a transfer target for each side, I think this could be a good opportunity to bring a star player in Coutinho back to the Premier League. There are a lot of aspects to consider here in a move for the Brazilian, however the pros would certainly outweigh the cons from a neutral point of view. First and foremost, I should address the financial impact of a signing like this. Barcelona spent well over £100million to take him to Spain, and will be eager to recoup their losses after going out on loan to Bayern over the last campaign. Therefore, if Leicester were to make a permanent move for the midfielder, it would undoubtedly be a record transfer fee of at least £50million and could rise up to around £80-90million. Secondly, the wage cost of a player like Coutinho is a big factor when the club have a fairly high team wage bill after big contracts for Vardy and Maddison. Bringing in Coutinho would surely make him the clubs highest earner. Because of this financial impact, the Foxes may look to convince Barcelona of a year long loan with an option to buy if the club value his impact over next season.
If they did splash the cash on this move, Rodgers would have an abundance of attacking options in that area of the field with both Maddison and Barnes impressing over the last campaign. However, with a player like Philippe, I’m certain the manager could work out something to get everyone singing form the same hymn sheet and be a dominant attacking force. There were no real issues in scoring or creating goals for the club in the 19/20 season, however after just missing out on the Champions League and the post-lockdown breakdown, perhaps the club are needing the squad boost of a big name coming into the club and can get them over the line. Coutinho has tonnes of big game experience, and towards the end of the season the Foxes needed someone to lead the squad to some easy wins that would have secured that 4th spot. In his time at Bayern, he has shown the form that earned him the move to Barcelona in the first place, and given his proven Premier League experience, he may settle at Leicester, where he would be a fan-favourite, a cult hero and reunited with Rodgers who brought him to England at Liverpool and they worked well together during their time on Merseyside. It’s an unlikely signing given the willingness of many clubs to spend big this summer, however it would be great to see the Brazilian back in the Premier League where he can thrive in a solid successful club environment at Leicester, and keep them as top-4 challengers for the upcoming season.
Alternative – Max Aarons… Should Ben Chilwell join the growing list of Leicester players moving on to typically bigger clubs for obscene fees, they should look to the cut price bargain buy of Max Aarons. At just 20 years of age, and a valuation of £18million, Aarons was part of the struggling Norwich side in 19/20. Despite the 20th placed finish, the full-back was a stand out player and gained a lot of admirers over the campaign. As we have already mentioned with the Burnley suggestion, Aarons has serious talent and a lot of attention from big clubs. Although primarily a right-back, he could easily play on the left and slot straight into the squad to replace Chilwell. It’s very reminiscent of the Harry Maguire scenario, in which Leicester make big money on the transfer, and find a quality cheaper replacement who performs well. A simple move, but one they will need to be ready for as the young English full back has a lot of clubs sniffing around and with the well-reported move of Chilwell looking likely, Norwich will drive a hard bargain.
Part 2 Coming Soon…