When Paul Pogba returned to Manchester United for a then-world-record fee of $116.4 million, many thought the club had lost it. Yet such is the market today that 18-year-old Kylian Mbappe, hardly proven at the highest level of the game, is to move to Paris St. Germain for about $210 million next summer, just days after the French club spent $263.7 million to buy-out Neymar’s contract from Barcelona. Romelu Lukaku, a player who goes missing in clutch time? An initial $100 million. Jordan Pickford was picked up by Everton for $40 million, while Leicester splashed about $35 million on Kelechi Iheanacho. Increasingly, clubs are paying astronomical fees, not for the finished product like Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale were, but for the potential that these players have. I hate to think what will happen if they don't rise to the occasion.
Arguably the biggest news of this past window came out of Stamford Bridge when Antonio Conte let Nemanja Matic leave for Old Trafford, effectively handing Jose Mourinho a key cog that was missing in his team. Conte has avoided the mistakes of champions past by strengthening his squad in central defense, midfield and up front, but I wonder if Chelsea can sustain this type of football; they will play more games this year — it remains to be seen if their wing backs and central midfielders can cope with the extra fatigue.
Manchester City, often ridiculed for spending all that oil money, had splashed over $200 million on defenders this past summer, more than at least 47 other nation-states in this world have budgeted for their defense. Not withstanding their already burgeoning attack and midfield, they’ve addressed their key problems from last year and, just like their neighbors will be a teams to watch this year. Contrast that to Liverpool which has been described as a flashy sports-car up top but a scrap car at the back. Picking up Mo Salah and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain strengthens their frontline, but they haven't gotten an out-and-out striker; while offense wins you games, it is defense that will win you championships.
And other things remain the same. It's a case of "same old, same old" at the Emirates: Wenger is somehow still there, they’ve not strengthened their defensive midfield position, they’ve sold their most hardworking player — don't forget they've still not resolved the futures of Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez.Arsenal’s failure to qualify for the Champions League should have rung some alarm bells; it didn’t, and Arsenal may yet pay a very heavy price going forward.
A final note on the window; Barcelona's pursuit of Coutinho has prompted Liverpool and the rest of the league to shift forward the transfer deadline day to before the season starts. I’m not too sure how I feel about that — if other foreign clubs can continue to buy players, how would English clubs replace them? And how would managers know if their squad, despite preseason games, are truly ready for the big time? There are more questions asked than answered with such a move, but I think only time will tell if this was the smartest move by the League.
But the window has now indeed closed. Let the season truly begin.
On the Spot: This past transfer window...
