To continue our four-part transfer window roundup we take a look at the fortunes of some big-name clubs, desperate to engineer success and win trophies come the end of May.
EVERTON
In: (Lokomotiv Moscow) £13.5m
Shani Tarashaj (Grasshoppers Zurich) Undisclosed (loaned back to Grasshoppers for rest of season)
Matthew Foulds (Bury) Undisclosed
Out: Jonjoe Kenny (Oxford) Loan
Steven Naismith (Norwich) £8.5m
Liam Walsh (Yeovil) Loan
Everton are lying in the bottom half of the table and manager Roberto Martinez knows he is only a few bad results away from facing genuine pressure. Everton splashed the cash on 25-year-old Senegalese striker Oumar Niasse, who is the current Russian Football League Player of the Year. Martinez has done very well to build and retain a squad full of young, skilful players in Ross Barkley, John Stones, Gerard Deulofeu, and Romelu Lukaku, however Everton must stop shipping goals, and fast. The club’s leadership stocks are underweight. It’s time for Stones and Phil Jagielka to stand up if Everton want to edge themselves into the Europa League qualification frame.
Grade: C+
LEICESTER CITY
In: Daniel Amartey (Copenhagen) £5m
Demarai Gray (Birmingham) £3.7m
On: Jak McCourt (Barnsley) Undisclosed
Andrej Kramaric (Hoffenheim) Loan
Alie Sesay (Barnet) Undisclosed
Joe Davis (Fleetwood) Undisclosed
Leicester are everybody’s second favourite club at present, and have managed to keep a hold of Jamie Vardy despite interest from Chelsea, while adding the highly-rated Demarai Gray from Birmingham City. The Foxes have done enough to prove they are the real deal, putting together a run in 2015 that is second-to-none in the Football League. Can they go all the way? Only once has a team led the Premier League at Christmas and failed to qualify for the Champions League, but expect Leicester to finish in the top two as City endure an ongoing injury crisis.
Grade: B –
LIVERPOOL
In: Steven Caulker (QPR) Loan
Marko Grujic (Red Star Belgrade) £5.1m (loaned back to Red Star for rest of season)
Out: Ryan Fulton (Portsmouth) Loan
Jurgen Klopp’s first transfer window in charge at Liverpool has been relatively uninspiring. Despite rumours of Alex Teixeira arrival from Shakhtar, a £53m release clause prevented business being done. Another rumour which would perhaps have led to a better return on investment was Mats Hummels reportedly telling his mates he dreams of playing at Anfield under Klopp. Hummels, one of the best defenders in the Bundesliga, is exactly what is required as the Reds showed when they shipped four goals to Norwich last week. Expect Liverpool to improve its league position in the second half of the season and secure Europa League qualification.
Grade: D
MANCHESTER CITY
In: Anthony Caceres (Central Coast Mariners) (loaned back to Melbourne City for rest of season).
Out: George Evans (Reading) Undisclosed
Ian Lawlor (Bury) Loan
Enes Udal (NAC Breda) Loan
Bruno Zuculini (AEK Athens) Loan
Manuel Pellegrini has spent his last transfer window in charge at City, as the Pep Guardiola announcement overshadowed much of the events on deadline day. This explains the relative lack of activity in the market as Pep generally operates on the basis that he is in charge of every aspect of the club’s transfer dealings. With the ongoing absence of club captain Vincent Kompany and the serious injury to Kevin De Bruyne, you wonder whether City will find it hard to match a white-hot Leicester and Arsenal. This is before Pep arrives with a plan to change English football next season.
Grade: E
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MANCHESTER UNITED
In: Adnan Januzaj (Loan at Borussia Dortmund cancelled)
Out: Victor Valdes (Standard Liege) Loan
Liam Grimshaw (Preston North End) Undisclosed
Ben Pearson (Preston North End) Undisclosed
Ashley Fletcher (Barnsley) Loan
United’s dealings in the market since Louis van Gaal stepped into the hottest seat in the Premier League have been about quantity and not necessarily quality as many lamented the departure of Chicharito to Bayer Leverkusen. Adnan Januzaj has been recalled from his loan spell at Dortmund, while Victor Valdes has secured a loan move to Belgian giant Standard Liege. Will Van Gaal be at United much longer, now that Pep is arriving in the blue half of Manchester? One would be foolish to think so.
Grade: E
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