YESTERDAY saw yet another manic Premier League deadline day draw to a close.
Numerous clubs were in action scrambling to get some last minute deals in place.
And SunSport will rank the best 10 deals from Thursday’s deadline day madness.
10. Willian
THERE was a bit of a theme yesterday with Fulham in signing players who have previously played for their London rivals, but the arrival of a 34-year-old Willian is a bit of a head scratcher.
Willian, who joins on a one-year deal, will add Premier League experience to the Cottagers ranks and no doubt maintains a wicked delivery on a set piece.
However, the modern game requires lots of running, and Willian is unlikely to be able to provide that, meaning his impact will be felt mostly from the bench.
9. Dan James
ANOTHER signing from Fulham in this list, Dan James seemed to be one of the hottest properties on the market on deadline day with as many as three clubs vying for his services at one point.
In the end, Fulham signed him on loan for the remainder of the season and will provide the exact opposite of Willian in terms of work-rate.
However, James was benched at Leeds to the start the campaign and his lack of end-product has previously come under the microscope in his spells at Manchester United and Leeds.
8. Wout Faes
WOUT FAES became Leicester City’s first and only outfield signing of the summer transfer window on deadline day.
The 24-year-old joins in a £15million deal from Reims as the Ligue 1 side’s Player of the Year for last season.
Faes will have big boots to fill thanks to the departure of Wesley Fofana, and a massive job on his hands due to the perilous state Leicester find themselves in – winless from their first five games.
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7. Antony
ANTONY’S transfer to Manchester United was the real blockbuster transfer on deadline day – an £85.5m deal from Ajax.
The deal was practically done the day before, but the winger arrives with a lot of excitement surrounding him with some eye-catching displays of trickery at Ajax.
However, over £85m on a player who has failed to outscore an 18-year-old Mason Mount – who had nine league goals with Vitesse in the 2017/18 season – screams of an over-payment regardless of the his other qualities.
6. Arthur Melo
FORMERLY a transfer target for Arsenal and an ex-Barcelona player, Arthur Melo has joined Liverpool on loan for the season with an option to buy for £32m from Juventus.
Arthur bolsters an area which has proven to be a source of weakness for Liverpool this season amid a crippling injury crisis.
However, he had not played a single minute for Juventus this season prior to the move and there will undoubtedly be question marks over whether he can handle the physical demands of the Premier League and Jurgen Klopp’s system.
5. Duje Caleta-Car
A direct replacement for Aston Villa bound Jan Bednarek, Duje Caleta-Car comes in with a big reputation from his time on the continent.
The Croatian was William Saliba’s partner at Marseille for the majority of last season, and their keystone defensive partnership saw them reach the semi-finals of the Europa Conference League and come second on Ligue 1.
The fee for the 25-year-old is reportedly £12m-£15m, but his ability to play out from the back will give an extra dimension to Southampton’s already impressive centre-back unit.
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4. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
THE £10m signing of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang by Chelsea from Barcelona offers an interesting solution to the club’s recent struggles in front of goal.
The Gabon forward thrived under Thomas Tuchel during their time at Borussia Dortmund, and if he can replicate this he will be an instant hit at Stamford Bridge.
However, it should be noted that at 33 his best days may be behind him, and considering the ending of his Arsenal career it is likely there will no be an extension beyond the two-year deal he has signed.
3. James Garner
A transfer Manchester United fans are bitterly disappointed about.
James Garner was one of the heroes from Nottingham Forest’s promotion campaign last season, and the United faithful were hoping to see more of their academy product under Erik ten Hag this season.
However, he hasn’t played a single minute and United consequently allowed him to leave, with The Toffees snapping him up for just £15m and seeing the 21-year-old pen a four-year deal.
2. Manuel Akanji
A signing which went massively under the radar for most, Manuel Akanji joined Manchester City for just £15m early on deadline day.
The centre-back comes in with Champions League pedigree from his time at Borussia Dortmund, and is an strong ball-playing defender.
Pep Guardiola experimented with an interesting 3-2-3-2 in the second half against Newcastle in order to salvage a draw against The Magpies, so the signing of Akanji could hint at another tactical evolution for City under Guardiola.
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1. Billy Gilmour
The £9m acquisition of Billy Gilmour from Chelsea by Brighton could turn out to the coup of the summer.
Brighton had been scouring the market looking for a player to replace Yves Bissouma before finally landing on Gilmour, who could now re-ignite his stuttering career under Graham Potter.
Potter has had success with other Chelsea products, namely Tariq Lamptey who when fit is often among the most dangerous wing-backs in the division, and if similar magic can be worked on Gilmour he could soon command a huge transfer fee.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
