This was a deadline day with a difference. Transfer deadline day can often mean one or two things for fans.
One group of supporters are eagerly anticipating a high-profile deal to spark an improvement which, in turn, generates excitement. Then there is the flip side, although little is written about this: the other group of fans—those desperately trying to count down the hours until the Premier League deadline has passed in the hope they can hold onto their top talent from potential suitors.
This was the case again on Friday.
To their credit, Crystal Palace held firm and managed it, in the case of English centre-back Marc Guehi—for which they deserve enormous credit.
They have also signed a replacement for Joachim Andersen by bringing in Maxence Lacroix from Wolfsburg. The centre-back has joined Oliver Glasner’s side in a deal worth around £18 million and has signed a five-year deal.
At the same time as the Eagles were bucking the trend, some sides were saying goodbye to players who—deep down—they may like to have kept hold of.
Take Brighton for example, who said farewell to Scottish midfielder Billy Gilmour as he moved to Napoli for an initial £12 million, with add-ons worth a potential further £4 million.
The 23-year-old played 60 times for the Seagulls having joined from Chelsea two summers ago and was making his mark on the south coast. His arrival at Napoli meant he was the second Scottish midfielder they swooped for on deadline day, with Scott McTominay earlier swapping Manchester red for Napoli blue.
Although one pundit foolishly suggested that United had, in some way, treated McTominay unfairly, the words of former Premier League man Don Hutchison were accurate when he said that it was an ‘awful’ the idea that you have to sell homegrown players to balance the books.
United, though, were not allowing him to leave without strengthening and splashed out the highest fee of deadline day—signing Paris Saint-Germain and Uruguay midfielder Manuel Ugarte for an initial £42.1 million.
Who were the winners of the day?
Well, in my view, Arsenal who, as far as this SBOTOP writer is concerned, made a potentially title-defining move by snapping up Raheem Sterling on a season-long loan from London rivals Chelsea.
So much so, the firepower he will offer them—especially at a time when champions Manchester City have failed to replace Julian Alvarez.
Although highly-talented youngster Oscar Bobb is in the ranks, if Erling Haaland is injured then they could well struggle—it could be the difference between finishing first and second.
Sterling had fallen out of favour at Chelsea and was told he had no place in the plans of manager Enzo Maresca who says he prefers different types of wingers.
Sterling’s arrival at Arsenal allowed Eddie Nketiah to complete his move to Palace for an initial £25 million, with another £5 million potentially due in add-ons. The England striker has been tracked by Palace for several years and was keen to make the move to Selhurst Park.
And Sterling has effectively been replaced in the squad by another one-time England winger.
A year to the weekend after a social media outburst cost him his place in the United squad, Jadon Sancho is off their books. He has joined Chelsea on loan with the caveat they must pay between £20-£25 million to make it a permanent deal next summer.
Amidst a total summer outlay by Premier League teams of more than £1.96 billion, it was the Sterling deal which, for me, could alter the Premier League 2024 betting odds in favour of the Gunners.
Of the other deadline day acquisitions, there were a few others which caught the eye—not least West Ham midfielder James Ward-Prowse joining Nottingham Forest on a season-long loan—a player who I expect to deliver aplenty of Premier League 2024 highlights in Nottingham.
Likewise, Everton sealed a loan move for Orel Mangala—the Belgium midfielder who left Forest for Lyon in January—who will try and plug the gap left by compatriot André Onana’s departure from Goodison Park.
Despite selling Gilmour on deadline day, as well as Deniz Undav for £22 million earlier in the window, you’ll probably be surprised to hear Brighton had the highest net spend in the Premier League—£153.6 million from an outlay of £195.7 million.
They paid a club record £39.9 million for Leeds’ Georginio Rutter, £29.9 million for Newcastle’s Yankuba Minteh, and more than £25 million for each of Ferdi Kadioglu, Brajan Gruda, Mats Wieffer and Ibrahim Osman.
Nice to see them splashing the cash after numerous years in which they have lost their main talents.
Talking of which, Brentford’s Ivan Toney has taken the money and is off to Saudi Arabia club Al-Ahli for £40 million.
At 28, it is a move probably designed to secure his family’s future than any long-term international aspirations, but we wish him well.
In the end then, few massive money moves, or even moves out of desperation, but some astute business, most of it played out amidst the backdrop of financial fair play regulations.
That was transfer Premier League’s deadline day.
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