HINDSIGHT: Signings to Save The Season for the Big 6

Transfers are one of the trickiest parts of running a football club. They have the power to transform the fortunes of a club for good or bad. Virgil Van Djik would be the most recent example of a transfer that worked miracles for a club while the list of underwhelming big money transfers would deserve its own 10,000 word article. People usually don’t appreciate the effort put into transfers behind the scenes. Scouting, data analysis, negotiations and the financial side of these deals more often than not go deeper than the general public can see. However clubs can get it wrong sometimes, and they should not be afraid to admit it. No matter how much scouting and analysis goes into a transfer, it is impossible to predict the future. The benefit of hindsight is not one clubs no matter how big can't afford. The traditional big six, (Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea, Manchester United, Tottenham and Arsenal) could have done things better.

Arsenal: Arsenal are the worst of in the table of the big 6, occupying 9th and having appointed Mikel Arteta after firing Unai Emery over the Christmas period. On the ins, they have Nicolas Pepe, David Luiz, William Saliba and Kieran Tierney. But considering Saliba went back on loan immediately, Pepe and Luiz have been brilliant in blips so few and far between and Tierney has been on the treatment table, the summer transfer window was not too great.

Matthias Ginter: Arsenal fans have spent so long moaning about Mustafi, yet the board saw it fit to bring in David Luiz. The goal Salah scored by blitzing past him is a harsh summary of his time in north London but it is accurate in many ways. Erratic and careless Luiz makes numerous mistakes for a player of his experience. If the board knew they would loan Saliba out immediately, they should have looked to sign a not-to-old defender with enough minutes under his belt in the past few seasons to put him in the ‘experienced’ bracket. Ginter is 26 with 29 caps for Germany. He’s been playing for Gladbach and Dortmund since 2014. He would provide a calming presence to the side but what is important is that he could form a lasting partnership with Saliba when he returns, unlike Mustafi, Sokratis and Luiz who are very much in the twilight of their careers. 

Lorenzo Pellegrini: Arsenal used to be known for one of the slickest passing and creative football on display in Europe. However after letting Ramsey leave for Juventus on a free and with all Ozil’s issues with the club, a creative player should have been a priority. The team has excellent finishers but the service to them has been poor. Ozil looks to have turned a corner under Arteta but a deeper look into his stats shows he has dropped off a cliff. Pellegrini has been the creative hub for Roma. Their moves run through him and he delivers those final passes in a way that looks frustratingly effortless. In this Arsenal side he could have provided the likes of Aubameyang, Lacazette, Pepe and Martinelli with clearer chances.

Tottenham: Spurs are 8th on the table and also sacked Pochettino for Mourinho this season. While Poch’s side hid the cracks last season with their run to the Champions’ League final, a proper transfer window may have saved his job. Ndombele is the record signing but fitness issues have prevented him from showing his true ability. Jack Clarke was loaned back to Leeds and Sessegnon and Lo Celso have not exactly racked up the minutes.

Kevin Mbabu: Going into a Premier League season with Serge Aurier as the only senior right back probably should rank higher than Cantona’s Kung Fu kick as the worst decisions in football. After selling Trippier to Atletico, Spurs opted against signing a replacement. Mbabu is probably the one of the most famous right back wonderkids. Football Manager have been warning us for years. The season he is having in Wolfsburg makes it even worse that Spurs didn’t sign him. He could have locked the position down for years and been an upgrade on Aurier. Plus he can actually defend.

Willian Jose: The links to Willian Jose in January made sense. Not only did they come too late but they didn’t even manage to come to fruition. Harry Kane is a brutally efficient striker. On his day, which is most days, he seems to score every type of goal with a hungry eyes. But his injury history, especially his ankle should have been a big concern during the summer. With Llorente joining Napoli for free, Spurs would need a striker. One that would challenge him, step up in his absence but not be too fussed about sitting on the bench. Willian Jose has been benched by 20 year old Isak sometimes this season but he has been professional. Kane has missed a lot of the season with injury and looking back having Willian Jose in the starting XI could have saved a few points.

Manchester United: The red side of Manchester have been inconsistent this season but Solskjaer over the summer seemed to have a transfer policy in place. Young, hungry British players who knew what it meant to place for United was the phrase bouncing about in the media. Dan James and Wan-Bissaka fit that description with Maguire providing much needed quality at centre back. Yet the team has still not been too impressive.

Bruno Fernandes: Yes, Manchester United still signed him eventually in late January but his performances in the short period show exactly why they should have tried harder for him in the summer. Pogba is a star talent, but injury has hindered his season. Speculation surrounded him all over the summer so getting Bruno could have been perfect. At worst, he replaces Pogba in the squad. At best, the club have two extremely good players lining up side by side in their midfield.

Alassane Plea: People would argue that by not signing a replacement for Lukaku in the summer, Solksjaer created a pathway into the first team for Mason Greenwood. Two points to argue that are firstly, the fact that Greenwood has played out wide for most of his minutes and secondly, the signing of Ighalo in January. Marcus Thuram would have been perfect but nobody could have predicted the season he is having. Plea though has been more than efficient in France and Germany. Add to his 9 goals and 8 assists this season, the fact that he can play out wide too. He would so easily have slotted into the team, stepping up when Rashford or Martial injured.

Chelsea: Chelsea were banned from making transfers in the summer for breaching rules regarding the signing of younger players. In hindsight the most ideal situation would be not to break the rules or at least not to get caught. Going into the season they had to rely on academy players and make do with the players. Since they could not sign anyone, looking back they can’t really change anything.

Manchester City: Last season, the Cityzens pipped Liverpool to the title by a single point. Right now, with 9 games left they are 25 points behind the Reds with 10 games left to go. Mathematically they can still win the title, but realistically their title hopes are still intact. Angelino, Cancelo and Rodri all came in to help boost the side with big money spent but it has not been all rosy. Cancelo has not displaced Kyle Walker at right back, Angelino was loaned out in January and Rodri has struggled in patches.

Kalidou Koulibaly: City lost ‘Captain Fantastic’, Vincent Kompany, in the summer. On the face of it, Fernandinho was going to move to a centre back position, Otamendi and John Stones would cover to Laporte. Jiminez skinning Otamendi on his way to assist Traore for Wolves first goal against City sums up that choice. Laporte’s injury exposed the team’s weakness at the back and Fernandinho is not a natural centre back. In contrast, Koulibaly is one of the best centre backs in Europe and the gif of him pushing Mario Rui is as figurative as it gets for what he could do to the Man City defence. He’s packed with pace and power to elevate this team and in hindsight should have been a no brainer.

Alex Telles: Angelino came back to Man City this summer hoping to provide quality left back cover. By January he had packed his bags to Germany. Mendy on the other hand, has been inconsistent. In the eyes of many, the sight of Traore barging into him then assisting the goal that led to Wolves come back. Telles has been tearing up the Portuguese league. He is a creative player and looks more than capable to play for last year’s champions. Add the fact that he can score penalties, which Man City have seemingly forgotten how to score, and he seems like a player to have strengthened the side.

Liverpool: Liverpool are sitting pretty on top of the Premier League table. 27 wins, 1 draw and 1 loss is an unbelievable tally. However the most logical way to improve their season would have been to sign Ismailia Sarr in the summer so he does not go on to stop their unbeaten season. Liverpool put so much time into deciding their transfer targets, with Michael Edwards and his data analysis team doing so much background work that the team seems to be perfect. While late goals have been regular feature, it does not take away from their achievements. It’s difficult to see looking back, what they could have done better. When you consider they signed Harvey Elliot, Sepp Van Der Berg and Adrian it starts to resemble sorcery.