There’s still a couple of weeks left in the transfer window. Has your team addressed its needs? Let’s have quick recap of the moves that some clubs have already made and discuss the ones that they should be making.
Though not a powerhouse like in years past, Arsenal is still the competitive Arsenal. The boys from Highsbury, London have enough talent to make a sudden run for a title, and they have no major weakness.
So, bringing in Alexandre Lacazette and Sead Kolasinac are underrated signings. The former is a good ball-handler that can also provide a nice boost in scoring, while the latter is a defensive specialist who, thanks also in large part to his imposing physique, can be inserted to various defensive positions.
Midfielder and forward are two positions that may need depth, but if MF Granit Xhaka regains the solid play he had towards the second half of last season and FW Alexis Sanchez stays put with the club, they may not have to sign someone.
Chelsea is in a very interesting spot heading into the 2017-18 campaign. No elite team – probably in any sport – is also guilty of having gaping holes in their game.
By all means, the signing of Alvaro Morata to replace Diego Morata deserves a big checkmark, as well as Tiemoue Bakayoko for Nemanja Matic, who’s inexplicably desiring to jump ship, and even the oft-hurt Antonio Rudiger for the controversial John Terry. However, hovering above all of those acquisitions is the lack of depth in many other areas.
What Chelsea should be gunning for now – no matter how costly it can be – are wing-backs that can give quality protection to some of their weapons.
Liverpool still comes to mind as a good contender. That said, there’s a list of concerns for this club, and it’s probably too long for them to be really considered as the next Premier League champion.
They got Dominic Solanke, who’ll be an interesting plug to the team, on good value (£3 million), and Mohamaed Salah and Andrew Robertson are commendable additions as well.
The concerns begin on the lack of credible back-ups for Dejan Lovren and Joel Matip. Those two will continue showcasing how nice of a tandem they are, but if there’s no depth beyond them, Liverpool is heading for another early exit. That scarcity, along with the possible departure of Phillipe Coutinho, will deliver blows.
The Reds should just go ahead and sign the best centre-back available; all of them, if possible.
Manchester City is the ultimate favorite to win for a reason. This club owned the 2017 transfer window like no other. They were willing, they knew what they want, and they had the money. So now, Pep Guardiola and his men are just laying comfortably, with great excitement to kick the season off.
It can be argued that the price for ex-Tottenham star Kyle Walker was steep (£50 million), but he should be able to prove that he is the right man for City.
The Walker signing, coupled with the additions of Danilo, Ederson Moraes, and the well-rounded Benjamin Mendy – as well as veteran Claudio Bravo – automatically regard City to a whole ‘nother level.
We should see Manchester United thrive and remain as one of the elites. However, the way they handled the transfer period puts them in a “glass half-empty or half-full” kind of situation.
On one end, you have to like the addition of Romelo Lukaku, who takes care of the ball well and is a strong finisher. Same goes for Victor Lindelof, who will be an added force for the suspect back line.
On the other end, though, it’s puzzling why haven’t they signed a left back yet. It’s an obvious need that has little to no signs of being addressed and we’re almost two months into the transfer window. There’s been reports about making a run for Serge Aurier or Luke Shaw, but that’s the extent of it.
There’s a certain intrigue for Tottenham. They are a very balanced team who, like Arsenal, do not own any notable weakness. It’s a reason why they are tough to criticize even though no efforts to sign any reinforcement hasn’t been done.
Even the loss of Kyle Walker shouldn’t count as a negative, as they have Kieran Trippier and/or Kyle Walker-Peters on deck – Walker-Peters, as you may remember, gained a big buzz following his string of good performances for England this summer.
We may see Tottenham finish the transfer window with no big-name acquisitions, but should they attempt to do so, expect it to be a striker, since it’s an area that’ll bring them the best impact.
