The summer transfer window closed with the British transfer record equalled and one club signing 18 players. Manchester City secured Enzo Fernández from Chelsea for £125m on deadline day, matching the existing record, while Hull City completed a remarkable 18 arrivals as they invested more than £150m. The Guardian has assessed how every Premier League club fared in a window that saw significant squad overhauls across the division.
Arsenal's Attacking Concerns
Arsenal made a strong start to the window by bringing in Christos Tzolis, Bruno Guimarães and Ezri Konsa, but their failure to sign a marquee attacker could prove costly. The club initially targeted Morgan Rogers before pivoting to Vinícius Júnior when the England forward went to Chelsea, only to be disappointed when Vinícius signed a new deal with Real Madrid. Julián Alvarez made clear he had no intention of joining from Atlético Madrid in the final days of the window, and Arsenal kept their powder dry despite sanctioning the exits of Gabriel Jesus to Barcelona and Ethan Nwaneri to Borussia Dortmund.
Should Gabriel Martinelli complete his move to Al-Hilal as expected in the coming days – the Saudi Pro League window remains open – a few injuries could leave Mikel Arteta short. Key arrivals include Bruno Guimarães (£75m), Ezri Konsa (£51m), Piero Hincapié (£45m) and Christos Tzolis (£34m), while notable departures include Leandro Trossard (£15.3m), Jakub Kiwior (£14.5m), Gabriel Jesus (£8.6m) and Fábio Vieira (£7.7m).
Aston Villa's Major Overhaul
Aston Villa have undergone a significant refresh, generating about £300m from the sales of nine players and bringing in 10 at a cost of about £250m. Unai Emery did not want to lose so many key players, and the manager has made clear there is no such thing as a transition season in his eyes. Villa have lowered their wage bill and changed the profile of their squad, with Zion Suzuki, Ibrahim Mbaye and Johan Manzambi particularly exciting signings.
Last summer there was concern Villa had gone stale, and 12 months ago they ended up fretting on deadline day with Harvey Elliott and Jadon Sancho joining on loan. There was no such chaos this time, with the club completing their business efficiently. Key ins include Johan Manzambi (£51m), Nicolas Jackson (£47.5m), Ibrahim Mbaye (£47m) and João Gomes (£34m), while Morgan Rogers (£117m), Ollie Watkins (£51m) and Ezri Konsa (£51m) were among the major outgoings.
Bournemouth and Brighton's Smart Business
Bournemouth's best business was keeping hold of their coveted key players, chiefly Eli Junior Kroupi, Rayan, Alex Scott and Tyler Adams. Bournemouth rejected bids from Chelsea for Scott and stayed true to their plan of resisting offers to give Marco Rose the best chance of succeeding, with the club attempting to juggle European competition and the league for the first time. The arrival of Portugal centre-back António Silva, 22, from Benfica looks a typically smart replacement for Marcos Senesi, 29. Kroupi's freak foot injury, which will probably keep him out until November, may have proved a blessing in disguise in terms of retaining the 20-year-old.
Brighton had a deadline day deal to bring in Nigeria forward Femi Azeez from Millwall come to nothing, but the Spanish midfielder Chema Andrés joined from Stuttgart, making it 11 signings in another summer of transition. The departures of Jan Paul van Hecke, Carlos Baleba and Carl Rushworth brought in more than £140m as the Brighton model continues to deliver big profits, although losing last season's top scorer, Danny Welbeck, to Chelsea for a mere £5m may be the biggest loss if the new striker Promise David cannot bring the goals.
Record Spending at Manchester City and Chelsea's Revolving Door
Manchester City's Enzo Fernández signing for a British record-equalling £125m was the headline deal of the window, with Enzo Maresca having zero complaints about a first window as head coach. The No 8 follows two No 6s, in Elliot Anderson (£116m) and Ayyoub Bouaddi (£85m), and the wide players Allan Elias (£34m) and Iliman Ndiaye (£60m plus £5m) as major signings, the total spend on incomings about £457.5m. City have generated about £281.8m in outgoings for a net spend of £175.7m, the division's third-biggest of the window.
Chelsea, meanwhile, saw Xabi Alonso's appointment as manager as the biggest signing of the summer. Morgan Rogers has started well after joining for £117m, with Maxence Lacroix adding power in defence and Marco Palestra versatility on the flanks. However, there was the usual revolving door, with money made on a host of outgoings. Marc Cucurella, sold to Real Madrid, looks a bigger loss than Enzo Fernández, and a worry is that Chelsea did not replace Fernández after selling him to Manchester City, their late £47m move for Monaco's Lamine Camara collapsing at the last.
Hull's 18 Signings and Other Notable Windows
Hull City's owner, Acun Ilicali, said in early July: "Think of us like a volcano. It's boiling right now and it's going to erupt." Two months on, Ilicali has presided over 18 signings, investing more than £150m, and his manager, Sergej Jakirovic, has choreographed two Premier League wins. The horizon looks infinitely brighter than in June, when the playoff winners sold two players for a combined £8.5m to avoid breaching English Football League spending rules and a near-certain six-point deduction. Hull spent last season under a two-window EFL transfer embargo, but they have compensated for that this summer.
Ipswich's late addition of Burnley's striker Zian Flemming brought their summer spend close to £200m, appearing to be the cost of giving themselves a genuine shot at survival. Leeds secured England goalkeeper James Trafford from Manchester City for £40.5m, with the acquisition almost certain to provide a few more extra points. Newcastle describe their transfer window as "transformative", having sold Anthony Gordon, Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimarães for a grand total not too far off £250m and signed eight mainly young players. Tottenham underwent a comprehensive reboot with a club record outlay for a window, featuring Sandro Tonali (£92.5m), Mateus Fernandes (£85m) and Sávio (£75m) among the arrivals.
