Arsenal
Players Loaned Out : 8
Total Spent : £100,000
Total Sold : £0
Net Profit : -£100,000
Arsenal, who currently occupy 2nd place in the league, had a very inactive January transfer window this year, with youngster Cohen Bramall being the only acquisition. The 20 year old left-back was signed from non-league side Hednesford Town, for a fee of £100,000. He showcased his talent in the Northern Premier League this season, showing a lack of fear in bursting down the left flank with plenty of pace, before producing some decent deliveries, exactly what the club are looking for in a full-back. His best moment is that clip where he bursts down the left hand side before assisting his teammate with a rabona cross, showing that he's got that little extra bit of flair in his game, something you need to play at the top level. He'll be playing in the under-23's for the remainder of this season, but next year, I'd like to think that he'd start to get opportunities in the first team, if he's showed signs of progression this year. It's got the potential to be a good signing, but, it all depends on whether he's given opportunities, if he isn't, he could just be one of those forgotten signings. You can't really complain about the players who were sent out on loan, as they all need first team football. However, the one I will highlight is Chuba Akpom's loan move to Brighton. Personally, I think this should be his last loan move, he's now 21 and never really had a good goalscoring record wherever he's gone, in fact the only goals in his professional career, were the 7 that he scored in 42 games at Hull City last year. If he doesn't impress at Brighton, then we should sell him, it's the harsh reality of football, if he's not setting the Championship alight, then he's not good enough to be at Arsenal. There was a rumour that we were going to sign Reus, but, that proved as per usual, to be a load of rubbish. The main that us Arsenal fans wanted was Ozil and most importantly Sanchez to sign new contracts, but I guess we'll have to wait till the end of the season to hear more about that. With how strong the squad is, I'm content with us not signing a superstar in this window. However, despite this being our strongest squad in a long while, the mentality is no different as proved by the Waford result last night, and that will be our downfall yet again.
Bournemouth
Departures : 2
Players Loaned Out : 10
Total Spent : Undisclosed
Total Sold : £3million
Net Profit : £3million
Despite sitting 14th in the table, Bournemouth had a relatively quiet window on the signing front, however, had some questionable departures. In fact, the only signing for the club, was 18 year old Aaron Ramsdale, from Sheffield United. He made two appearances for the Blades this season, showing his capabilities in their 6-0 win and 3-2 defeat in the FA Cup campaign. He's represented England at the U-18 and U-19 levels. It's clear he has talent, but it'll be a few years before we see him in the first team, hopefully he'll get to be their cup keeper next season. The Glenn Murray departure was the best move for both parties, I think he doesn't fit into Bournemouth's game too well as they rely on pace to get in behind the defence and to get £3million, was a great bit of business. However, the departure of Nathan Ake was a harsh blow, as it was out of their control. I feel like he won't feature too much at Chelsea and was progressing well at Bournemouth, so the recall doesn't make sense to me. They're clearing suffering without him, as they haven't won a game since he left, conceding 7 goals in 3 games. They did go in with an £18million bid at the end of deadline day, but it was too little, too late for this window. It's a transfer that is likely to be one of the biggest rumours of the summer, and, with Bournemouth likely to stay in the Premier League, there's every chance it will go through. Most of their loans are understandable, apart from the loan of Marc Wilson to West Brom. After losing Ake, Howe needs to keep hold of all his defenders in case of an injury crisis. It was probably the player who was pushing for this move, however, it's up to the club in these situations to put their best interests ahead of the players' and it would have made more sense at this time to keep him. Bournemouth had 23 days to find a replacement for Ake, and, I think they'll find themselves finish in a lower league position than expected, however, their squad should definitely be strong enough to avoid the relegation battle.
Burnley
Departures : 1
Players Loaned Out : 3
Total Spent : £13million
Total Sold : £1million
Net Profit : -£12million
9th place Burnley left it late in the window to splash the cash, with both of the players that they've paid for, coming in on deadline day. The most notable of these being the signing of left-wing back Robbie Brady for a club record fee, arguably the best signing of the window. He's a very underrated player in my opinion. What he'll offer Burnley, is not only solid defending (an area of his game that he's improved massively), but also he's a reliable attacking outlet. His pace allows him to terrorise any full-back in the division, whilst his crossing is pinpoint the majority of the time, which will be perfect for Barnes and Vokes in particular. He's also got a cracking left foot, he can let fly from 35 yards or even put a free-kick in the top corner. It's his decision making that lets him down though, if Sean Dyche can help him on this front, then Burnley really will be a team to be feared. They've also signed midfield duo, Ashley Westwood and Joey Barton. The prior, I've never really rated, he's not great but he's got some ability, maybe he'll take his game to the next level at Turf Moor, but personally, I think he'll just be a rotation option. Barton however, is a great signing. Burnley struggle away from home, mostly because they show their hosts too much respect. With Barton on the pitch, this will never happen, he'll lead by example, diving into every challenge, winning the ball back in key areas, and playing direct passes to turn defence into attack. He's already showed his worth with his game winning free-kick against Southampton, and if he can manage his temperament, then he could be vital to Burnley finishing in the top half this season. The only thing I'll say about their outgoings is that I don't understand why Kightly has only been loaned out, he's not getting any younger so just make whatever money you can off him now, as he's clearly not good enough any more to play at this level. Overall, they've done some good business in this window, whether the Westwood signing will work out though is up for debate.
Chelsea
Departures : 5
Players Loaned Out : 8
Total Spent : £0
Total Sold : £62million
Net Profit : £62million
As expected by many, there were no new arrivals at league leaders Chelsea, however, they did make a lot of money from departures. Before I discuss the outgoings though, I'll bring up the loan recall of Nathan Ake. As mentioned earlier, it makes little to no sense why they've brought him back. It's obvious that there was an option to recall in his loan contract, so unless he was going to play week in week out, I don't understand why they've hindered his development by bringing him back now. He made an appearance in the FA Cup against lesser opposition, but this barely helps him, his game was improving rapidly under Eddie Howe, he'd even added goals to his game. By recalling him, his progression will be little to nothing due to the fact that he's not getting consistent game time, and, I think it's an awful decision, that he, more than anyone else, will be disappointed by. Most notable departures were Oscar, who became the next big name to join the Chinese Super League for £60million, and Branislav Ivanovic, whose departure to Zenit was finalised today. You can't really argue with these, Oscar wasn't getting the game time that he wanted and the money he was offered in China was too much to turn down. Whereas, Ivanovic hasn't looked like the explosive right-back that took the Premier League by storm since Chelsea last won the league, so his departure, will surely be welcomed by many fans of the club. Other than that, it was Chelsea doing what they usually do with their stockpile of youngsters, sending them out on loan after loan, so there is no surprise in that department. Overall, I think their fans will be satisfied with this window, offloading some deadweight for decent money, and many will be of the belief that the squad is strong enough to see out the season, in which they are likely to win the league, especially after Arsenal bottled their chance to put pressure on last night.
Crystal Palace
Players Loaned In : 1
Players Loaned Out : 4
Total Spent : £39million
Total Sold : £0
Net Profit : -£39million
Crystal Palace left it late to make signings despite being in a fight for survival, however, I'm sure their fans will be quite impressed with who they've brought in. Their most notable addition to the squad was definitely the loan deal of Mamadou Sakho. The 26 year old failed to regain his place in the starting XI at parent club Liverpool after his ban for taking an illegal substance, but will get an opportunity to prove himself again, this time in a relegation fight. No doubt, he'll be in the first team. He'll add to Palace's attacking threat from set pieces as he's extremely dominant in the air, as well as doing his part to help secure more clean sheets, as he did become a solid defender during last season, however whether he'll come back in that form is unknown. They also bolstered their options at left-back with the signings of Jeffrey Schlupp from Leicester City and Patrick Van Aanholt from Sunderland, for fees reported to be an initial £9million and £14million respectively. Signing both of these players doesn't make too much sense due to the money paid for them, as the likelihood is that Schlupp will become unhappy with lack of football again as Van Aanholt will be the one starting. They both offer great pace, but what the former Sunderland man offers is goals aswell, which is crucial in a relegation fight. They also added to their midfield with the signing of Luka Milivojevic, whose experience of Champions League football should see him adjust to the Premier League quickly. Their loans out are all understandable as all of them need first team football. It's been a good window for Palace, and as long as these new signings live up to expectation, then I can't see them going down.
Everton
Players Loaned In : 1
Departures : 2
Players Loaned Out : 11
Total Spent : £34million
Total Sold : £9million
Net Profit : -£25million
What we've seen in this window from 7th place Everton, is the start of Koeman's rebuilding of this side. Bringing in Morgan Schneiderlin was a big step in the right direction and definitely worth the £20million. He's a brilliant player, can break up the play extremely well, as well as being able to turn defence into attack instantly with his excellent range of passing. As long as he gets consistent football, then I can see him rediscovering the form and ability he showed at Southampton and he'll end up being a perfect replacement for Gareth Barry and will slot in alongside Idrissa Gueye nicely, forming one of the league best midfield duos. They also brought in youngster Ademola Lookman, the youngster showed great composure and the clinical nature you need to make it at the top level on his debut, as he found the back of the net in the 4-0 win against Man City. Bringing in 19 year old Anton Donkor on loan, is clearly just a trial run as in my opinion, he'll just feature in the under-23 side this year and if he impresses, he'll be signed in the summer. The amount of high-profile players sent out on loan (Cleverly, Niasse, Deuloufeu), shows Koeman's intention to have a squad clear-out in the near future. I think this summer will be Everton's most active transfer window in the club's history, as Koeman will be building a squad capable of challenging for the top four. The future of this club is definitely bright as long as the Dutchman is in charge.
Hull City
Players Loaned In : 5
Departures : 3
Players Loaned Out : 6
Total Spent : £11.5million
Total Sold : £20.2million
Net Profit : £8.7million
It's been a busy month for Hull City, who currently sit bottom of the league after last night's result. Surprisingly there's some very impressive names who have joined in this window, the most notable being Andrea Ranocchia. The 28 year old centre-back has made 166 appearances for Inter Milan and offers great experience and knowledge to pass on to the younger members of the squad. He possesses great strength and aerial ability, however what he does lack is pace, so he will need one of his centre-back partners to drop in behind him when the attack is focused on him. It will take time on the training ground so that everyone knows their role and what position to drop into when he's being exposed, but if executed, it could prove crucial in reducing the goals conceded. They've also secured the loans of winger Lazar Markovic and forward Oumar Niasse, the latter has already found the back of the net. Markovic in particular will be welcoming this loan move as it gives him the opportunity to prove to Jurgen Klopp that he can do it in the Premier League. Their best permanent signing is definitely attacking midfielder Evandro, with the reuniting with his former boss being crucial to him signing. He offers a different option to this side, as if they need to change to an attacking mentality, he can come on for one of the centre-halfs and slot in behind the striking duo, overwhelming the opposistion. I don't understand why both Livermore and Snodgrass were allowed to leave the club. The latter was the top scorer and key man for Hull, whether he needed to ball on a plate for a centre-half from set-pieces, or score from a free-kick, he had that extra bit of talent that stood out in this team. They made good money off these players, but they haven't been replaced by the same calibre of player. Marco Silva may have made plenty of signings and the side may be playing much better, but this side doesn't have that cutting edge in the final third that you need to stay up.
Leicester City
Players Loaned In : 1
Departures : 2
Players Loaned Out : 3
Total Spent : £15million
Total Sold : £14.2million
Net Profit : -£800,000
The reigning champions, who have the worst record of any defending champion at this stage of the season as they sit in 16th place, were surprisingly very inactive in the transfer window. Their only permanent signing was 20 year old defensive midfielder Wilfred Ndidi, another attempt from them at finding the next Kante, in order to aid their vulnerable defence, this one costing £15million. He's neither done great, nor poorly in his first two appearances for the club, but will need to adapt to the pace of the Premier League quickly, if he's to help the holders avoid a relegation fight. The loanee whom they brought in from Udinese is centre-back Molla Wague. The 25 year old has a bit of pace and is aerially very good. It's crucial that he listens to the advice of Morgan and Huth if he's to be a good defender in this league, if he impresses from now until the end of the season, I can definitely see Leicester signing him due to their current centre-half duo not having too many years left in them. You can't really argue with their departures, in fact, they did well to get the amount of money which they did for Schlupp and Hernandez. The main problem for Leicester is they've not cashed in on the unhappy man, Leonardo Ulloa, he said that he 'feels betrayed by Ranieri and the club', and I feel as though they missed a chance to get some good money off of him. I think that Leicester City need to go back to the style of play that worked so well for them last year, if they can find some form then they should survive this year.
Liverpool
Players Loaned Out : 4
Total Spent : £0
Total Sold : £7.5million
Net Profit : £7.5million
Jurgen Klopp is evidently happy with the strength in depth of his squad, as Liverpool made no signings in the transfer window. The only departure from the club was Tiago Ilori, who moved to Reading. They did well to get the money that they did for Ilori, and, that will definitely add to the bank for the summer spending. Fans won't have too many complaints of the loans out as all four of them were in need of first team football. The only argument being from fans who may feel the treatment of Sakho to be harsh. I think the problem for Liverpool is that they really needed a striker, with Sturridge not good enough and Origi inconsistent, the Reds will no doubt drop down the table and out of the top four.
Manchester City
Departures : 2
Players Loaned Out : 6
Total Spent : £27million
Total Sold : Undisclosed
Net Profit : -£27million
Man City's title race was boosted when their summer acquisition, Gabriel Jesus, came through. He impressed on his debut against Spurs, finding the back of the net, only to have it disallowed for offside. He looked like the real deal, was very direct and skillful, used the ball well and could prove to be the player Man City need to take them to the next level and it'll be interesting to see how he plays tonight. Their departures will be much heavier in the summer, with only two youngsters being sold, as I feel that Guardiola will have a mass clear-out of the dead-weight at the club, of which there is plenty. I think that having learned how hard the Premier League is from his first season, Pep will have a much different squad next year and that's when we will see them challenge for yet another title.
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