The summer of 2016 saw the 20 Premier League clubs spend in excess of a billion pounds, which is an absolutely huge amount of money. This was in no part down to the massive sponsorship deals that the Premier League has recently entered such as those with EA, Sky and BT Sports. This massive amount of spending has meant that this transfer window has seen a plethora of big moves with each of the clubs bringing in players as well as losing them. With this in mind, here is my summary of the 2016-17 Summer Transfer Window.
Arsenal:
Arsenal:
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| Shkodran Mustafi (24) joins Arsenal from Valencia |
Key Arrivals:
Granit Xhaka-Borussia Mochengladbach-CM-£34m
Rob Holding-Bolton-CB-£2m
Shkodran Mustafi-Valencia-CB-£35m
Lucas Perez-Deportivo-ST-£17.1m
Key Departures:
Serge Gnabry-Werder Bremen-RM-£4.3m
Joel Campbell-Sporting Lisbon-RM-Loan
Calum Chambers-Middlesbrough-RB-Loan
Jack Wilshere-Bournemouth-CM-Loan
My Take: Arsenal had a solid window, as they were able to strengthen at the back by getting a top class centre back in Mustafi and in midfield with the addition of tough tackler Granit Xhaka, without losing any of their first team players. However, whilst the signing of Lucas Perez could turn out to be a masterstroke by Wenger, at the moment he's not the world class striker that Arsenal needed to take them to the next level, and he could turn out to be no improvement on current striker Olivier Giroud.
Bournemouth:
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| Jordon Ibe (20) joins Bournemouth from Livepool |
Key Arrivals:
Jordon Ibe-Liverpool-RM-£15m
Marc Wilson-Stoke-CB-£2m
Brad Smith-Livepool-LB-£6m
Jack Wilshere-Arsenal-CM-Loan
Nathan Ake-Chelsea-LB-Loan
Key Departures:
Matt Ritchie-Newcastle United-RM-£12m
Sylvain Distin-Released-CB
Glenn Murray-Brighton-ST-Loan
My Take: The signing of Jack Wilshere on loan from Arsenal could prove to be a magnificent capture for Bournemouth, given his International experience, however aside from that Bournemouth failed to improve massively. Time will tell if Jordon Ibe will be able to replace Matt Ritchie.
Burnley:
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| Jeff Hendrick (24) joins Burnley from Derby |
Key Arrivals:
Steven Defour-Anderlecht-CM-£8m
Patrick Bamford-Chelsea-ST-Loan
Jon Flanagan-Liverpool-RB-Loan
Jeff Hendrick-Derby-CM-£10.5m
Key Departures:
Joey Barton-Rangers-CM-Free
My Take: Burnley were simply unable to add the sort of quality players that they will need to stay in the Premier League. They lost an experienced player in Joey Barton and his replacements in Hendrick and Defour will take time to gel and adjust to Premier League football. Sean Dyche will inevitably be very active in January.
Chelsea:
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| Michy Batshuayi (22) joins Chelsea from Marseille |
Key Arrivals:
Michy Batshuayi-Marseille-ST-£33.2m
N’Golo Kante-Leicester City-CDM-£32m
Marcos Alonso-Fiorentina-LB-£23m
David Luiz-PSG-CB-£30m
Eduardo-Dinamo Zagreb-GK-Free
Key Departures:
Juan Cuadrado-Juventus-RM-Loan
Loic Remy-Crystal Palace-ST-Loan
Papy Djilobodji-Sunderland -CB-£8m
Patrick Bamford-Burnley -ST-Loan
Kenedy-Watford -LM-Loan
Nathan Ake-Bournemouth -LB-Loan
My Take: Conte's first Chelsea transfer window saw him make some interesting additions to the Chelsea squad. The return of David Luiz sees a very mistake prone player return, albeit one who is capable of producing magic. Chelsea also payed over £55m for Michy Batshuayi and Marcos Alonso, two unproven players not only in the Premier League but largely in Europe altogether. However, the addition of N'Golo Kante from Leicester has no doubt strengthened the Blues and it could prove decisive in the title race.
Crystal Palace:
Key Arrivals:
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| Christian Benteke (25) joins Crystal Palace from Liverpool |
Christian Benteke-Liverpool-ST-£32m
Andros Townsend-Newcastle United-RM-£13m
Steve Mandanda-Marseille-GK-Free
Loic Remy-Chelsea-ST-Loan
James Tomkins-West Ham-CB-£10m
Key Departures:
Emmanuel Adebayor-Released-ST
Dwight Gayle-Newcastle-ST-£10m
Yannick Bolasie-Everton-LM-£28m
Mile Jedinak-Aston Villa-CDM-£4m
My Take: Crystal Palace had a bumper summer window, bringing in some big players for some big fees, the largest of which sees Belgian striker Christian Benteke arrive at Selhurst Park. This could see Crystal Palace soar up the table however there are some question marks over whether Yannick Bolasie has been properly replaced or if the Eagles have overspent. Either way, a summer spree brings newfound hope for Palace, but with it comes newfound pressure.
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| Yannick Bolasie (27) joins Everton from Crystal Palace |
Everton:
Key Arrivals:
Yannick Bolasie-Crystal Palace-LM-£28m
Idrissa Gueye-Aston Villa-CDM-£7.1m
Maarten Stekelenburg-Fulham-GK-£850,000
Ashley Williams-Swansea-CB-£12m
Enner Valencia-West Ham-ST-Loan
Key Departures:
John Stones-CB-Manchester City-£47.5m
Tim Howard-Colorado Rapids-GK-Free
Leon Osman-Released-LM
Stevan Pienaar-Sunderland-LM-Free
Tony Hibbert-Released-RB
My Take: Incoming manager Ronald Koeman found himself in the unique position of being an Everton manager with money to spend on new players thanks not only to the new sponsorship money but also the sale of John Stones and the new owners at Goodison Park. The additions are promising, Ashley Williams is just as good, if not better, than the current John Stones (who is of course a lot younger), and Yannick Bolasie will bring the flair and style that Everton fans have been yearning for. However, a lot of long serving players such as Tim Howard and Leon Osman are gone, and there are questions over whether their absence will hit harder than expected.
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| Ryan Mason (25) joins Hull City from Tottenham Hotspur |
Hull City:
Key Arrivals:
Ryan Mason-Tottenham Hotspur-CM-£13m
David Marshall-Cardiff City-GK-£3.5m
Will Keane-Manchester United-ST-£3m
Dieumerci Mbokani-Dynamo Kyiv-ST-Loan
Key Departures:
Mohamed Diame-Newcastle United -CM-£4.5m
Sone Aluko-Fulham-RM-Free
My Take: Hull City are in dire straits. The manager who got them promoted, Steve Bruce, is gone and the club has a serious lack of first team player. The late addition of Ryan Mason may be able to win them some points, and the team has made a good start to the season however as the season wears on and injuries take place, this squad might well just crumble to pieces.
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| Islam Slimani (28) joins Leicester City from Sporting Lisbon |
Leicester City:
Key Arrivals:
Ron-Robert Zieler-Hannover-GK-£2.6m
Ahmed Musa-CSKA Moscow-ST-£16m
Nampalys Mendy-Nice-CDM-£13m
Islam Slimani-Sporting Lisbon-ST-£29.7m
Luis Hernandez-Sporting Gijon-CB-Free
Bartosz Kaputska-Cracovia-LM-£7.5m
Key Departures:
N’Golo Kante-Chelsea-CDM-£32m
Andrej Kramaric-Hoffenheim-ST-£7.6m
Gokhan Inler-Besiktas-CM-£3m
My Take: Leicester City and Claudio Ranieri had a tough job over the summer, keep together a title winning squad. This has largely been achieved with Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez signing new contracts at the King Power Stadium, however the engine room of the Foxes title push, N'Golo Kante, was lured away to Stamford Bridge and Chelsea. The Champions have tried hard to replace Kante with Mendy and strengthen the side by bringing in strong attacking options in Musa and Slimani, however the loss of Kante might just be too much for Leicester to stomach.
 |
| Sadio Mane (24) joins Liverpool from Southampton |
Liverpool:
Key Arrivals:
Joel Matip-Schalke-CB-Free
Sadio Mane-Southampton-RM-£36m
Loris Karius-Mainz-GK-£4.7m
Ragnar Klavan-Augsburg-CB-£4.2m
Georginio Wijnaldum-Newcastle United-CAM-£25m
Key Departures:
Martin Skrtel-Fenerbache-CB-£5m
Kolo Toure-Celtic-CB-Free
Mario Ballotelli-Nice-ST-Free
Joe Allen-Stoke City-CM-£13m
Jordon Ibe-Bournemouth-RM-£15m
Christian Benteke-Crystal Palace-ST-£32m
Jon Flanagan-Burnley -RB-Loan
Brad Smith-Bournemouth -LB-£6m
My Take: Liverpool have had an excellent transfer window, as Jurgen Klopp looked to place his own personal stamp on the squad. Dead weight such as Toure, Balotelli, Allen and Benteke has been flogged and some good additions in Klavan, Karius and Matip have been brought in. Furthermore Sadio Mane looks to be one of the signings of the summer, and a player who can take Liverpool up another gear. The only issues with Liverpool's summer business are over whether they will miss the experience of Martin Skrtel and on whether they have overpaid for a player in Georginio Wijnaldum, who failed to impress many last year, myself included.
Manchester City:
Key Arrivals:
 |
| John Stones (22) joins Manchester City from Everton |
Nolito-Celta Vigo-LM-£13.8m
Leroy Sane-Schalke-LM-£37m
Ilkay Gundogan-Borussia Dortmund-CM-£21m
John Stones-Everton-CB-£47.5m
Claudio Bravo-Barcelona-GK-£17.1m
Gabriel Jesus-Palmeiras-ST-£27m (Joins in January 2017)
Key Departures:
Martin Demichelis-Espanyol-CB-Free
Wilfried Bony-Stoke-ST-Loan
Joe Hart-Torino-GK-Loan
Samir Nasri-Sevilla-CAM-Loan
Eliaquim Mangala-Valencia-CB-Loan
Jason Denayer-Sunderland-CB-Loan
My Take: Pep Guardiola has been anything but frugal in his first transfer window with oil-money rich Manchester City. The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss has spent big, especially on future stars such as Gabriel Jesus, Leroy Sane and of course John Stones, who course nearly £50m. Furthermore he has released or loaned out many of the old first team squad such as goalkeeper Joe Hart, who leaves on loan to Torino, and is replaced by Claudio Bravo. He has also signed Ilkay Gundogan, who is a top player if he can stay fit which seems unlikely. Finally the addition of Nolito could prove to be a bargain if he can continue his Liga BBVA form from last year, however he could turn out to be another Jesus Navas.
 |
| Paul Pogba (23) joins Manchester United from Juventus |
Manchester United:
Key Arrivals:
Eric Bailly-Villareal-CB-£30m
Zlatan Ibrahimovic-PSG-ST-Free
Henrikh Mkhitaryan-Borussia Dortmund-CAM-£26.3m
Paul Pogba-Juventus-CM-£89m
Key Departures:
Victor Valdes-Middlesbrough-GK-Free
Will Keane-Hull City -ST-£3m
Ashley Fletcher-West Ham-ST-Free
Paddy McNair-Sunderland-CB-£2.8m
Donald Love-Sunderland-RB-£2.7m
Adnan Januzaj-Sunderland-RM-Loan
Cameron Borthwick-Jackson-Wolverhampton Wanderers-LB-Loan
My Take: Jose Mourinho has, in my eyes, had a very mixed first window with Man Utd. On the one hand he has brought in Bailly, who looks to be a very classy CB, and Ibrahimovic who, on a free, will no doubt be one of the bargains of this season, if not the last few. However, on the other hand he has failed to clear out deadwood such as Morgan Schneiderlin and Marcos Rojo, and has brought in Henrikh Mkhitaryan, a player who is surely not needed with Mata and Lingard in the squad, and looks destined to be Shinji Kagawa 2.0 (credits to Ed for that phrase). And of course there was the little matter of Mourinho breaking the Transfer Record to resign midfielder Paul Pogba for £89m. Now, this could turn out to be a genius move, however in my opinion it can only go badly for United and Pogba. This is because if he does well, then he will only be doing what is expected of an £89m player, whereas if he starts to falter then the entire world will be on his back, and whilst his first few performances have been solid, they have not set the world alight, which is crucially what an £89m player has to do.
Middlesbrough:
 |
| Adama Traore (20) joins Middlesbrough from Aston Villa |
Key Arrivals:
Viktor Fischer-Ajax-LM-£3.8m
Alvaro Negredo-Valencia-ST-Loan
Adama Traore-Aston Villa-RM-£7m
Gaston Ramirez-Southampton-CAM-Free
Victor Valdes-Manchester United-GK-Free
Calum Chambers-Arsenal-RB-Loan
Key Departures:
Jonathan Woodgate-Retired-CB
My Take: I was very impressed by the wheelings and dealings of Aitor Karanka in the summer window, especially since he was able to strengthen the Premier League new boys' squad without any major losses. The signings of Victor Valdes, Gaston Ramirez and Calum Chambers bring top level experience to an inexperienced team whilst Viktor Fischer and Adama Traore are exciting young talents. However, the signing of the summer for me was definitely the addition of former Man City striker Alvaro Negredo on loan from Valencia. Despite only playing prominently in the first half of the 2013-14 season with Man City, Negredo managed to notch up 23 goals in 48 appearances in all competitions for the Manchester side including 9 Premier League goals. If Negredo can bring the form he had from August 2013 to January 2014 then him and Stuani could form a lethal partnership for Boro.
 |
| Sofiane Boufal (22) joins Southampton from Lille |
Southampton
Key Arrivals:
Nathan Redmond-Norwich City-RM-£11m
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg-Bayern Munich-CM-£12.8m
Sofiane Boufal-Lille-CAM-£16m
Jeremy Pied-Nice-RB-Free
Key Departures:
Victor Wanyama-Tottenham Hotspur-CDM-£11m
Graziano Pelle-Shandong Luneng-ST-£12m
Sadio Mane-Liverpool-RM-£36m
Juanmi-Real Sociedad-ST-£5m
My Take: Southampton actually brought in some really exciting players in this transfer window, such as the young English winger Nathan Redmond and Bayern Munich central midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, however these additions will be overshadowed by the loss of three of their key players from last season; Victor Wanyama, Graziano Pelle and most crucially Sadio Mane. These players were the spine of the Southampton players and will surely be sorely missed. How potential Mane replacement Sofiane Boufal will perform in the Premier League is also a big worry especially given his price tag.
 |
| Joe Allen (26) joins Stoke City from Liverpool |
Stoke City:
Key Arrivals:
Joe Allen-Liverpool-CM-£13m
Wilfried Bony-Manchester City-ST-Loan
Bruno Martins Indi-Porto-CB-Loan
Lee Grant-Derby-GK-Loan
Key Departures:
Philipp Wollscheid-Wolfsburg-CB-Loan
Steve Sidwell-Brighton-CM-Free
Marc Wilson-Bournemouth-CB-£2m
Peter Odemwingie-Released-ST
Joselu-Deportivo-ST-Loan
My Take: Stoke City had a relatively quiet transfer window, especially when you compare it to the other clubs in the Premier League, however in my eyes, they have succeeded in adding to their squad. Despite having a bad start, this season looks promising for Stoke, especially since they have replaced deadwood such as Steve Sidwell, Peter Odemwingie, Joselu and Philipp Wollscheid with top players with international experience such as Bruno Martins Indi, Wilfried Bony and Joe Allen. If they can gel the team together quickly, this could be an exciting season for Potters' fans.
Sunderland:
 |
| Didier N'Dong (22) joins Sunderland from Lorient |
Key Arrivals:
Papy Djilobodji-Chelsea-CB-£8m
Adnan Januzaj-Manchester United-RM-Loan
Didier N’Dong-Lorient-CM-£13.6m
Javier Manquillo-Atletico Madrid-RB-Loan
Jason Denayer-Manchester City-CB-Loan
Paddy McNair-Manchester United-CB-£2.8m
Donald Love-Manchester United-RB-£2.7m
Stevan Pienaar-Everton-LM-Free
Key Departures:
Danny Graham-Blackburn Rovers-ST-Free
Steven Fletcher-Sheffield Wednesday-ST-Free
Jermain Lens-Fenerbache-LM-Loan
Emanuele Giaccherini-Napoli-LM-£2m
Younes Kaboul-Watford-CB-£3.5m
My Take: The arrival of new manager David Moyes, has meant yet another period of upheaval at the Stadium of Light. The former Manchester United and Everton boss has brought in young players such as Donald Love, Paddy McNair, Papy Djilobodji on permanent deals and Jason Denayer and Javier Manquillo on loan deals in order to strengthen the defence whilst also loaning in Adnan Januzaj to give the midfield some more flair. The biggest addition, however, has been that of Lorient central midfielder Didier N'Dong for £13.6m (a Sunderland transfer record), which although needed to sign a player of N'Dong's promise could prove risky given his lack of Premier League experience although he has played internationally for Gabon. Overall, Moyes has signed promising players but apart from bringing in Stevan Pienaar he has not added any experience to the squad, a quality that is lacking at Sunderland especially after the departures of Younes Kaboul, Steven Fletcher etc. A relegation battle surely looms again.
 |
| Borja Baston (24) joins Swansea from Atletico Madrid |
Swansea:
Key Arrivals:
Leroy Fer-QPR-CM-£4.8m
Fernando Llorente-Sevilla-ST-£5m
Borja Baston-Atletico Madrid-ST-£15.5m
Alfie Mawson-Barnsley-CB-£5m
Key Departures:
Eder-Lille-ST-£3.4m
Bafetimbi Gomis-Marseille-ST-Loan
Andre Ayew-West Ham-LM-£20.5m
Ashley Williams-Everton-CB-£12m
My Take: Swansea have lost a lot of what kept them in the Premier League in the 2015-16 season. Ashley Williams, the captain, was ever reliable and a stalwart at the back, Bafetimbi Gomis, whilst dropping off in the second half of the season, scored some vital goals towards the start and Andre Ayew was one of the stand-out performers from the entire campaign. They have all moved on, and whilst Gomis and Williams have had replacements brought in, there are serious doubts over Swansea's Premier League credentials this season. Furthermore, the man who is to replace Ashley Williams, Alfie Mawson, is just 22 years old and, whilst a promising talent, has League 1 as his highest previous experience. Facing Billy Sharp is nothing like facing Sergio Aguero.
 |
| Moussa Sissoko (27) joins Tottenham Hotspur from Newcastle United |
Tottenham Hotspur:
Key Arrivals:
Victor Wanyama-Southampton-CDM-£11m
Vincent Janssen-AZ Alkmaar-ST-£18.6m
Georges-Kevin N’Koudou-Marseille-LM-£11m
Pau Lopez-Espanyol-GK-Loan
Moussa Sissoko-Newcastle United-CAM-£30m
Key Departures:
Federico Fazio-Roma-CB-Loan
Nabil Bentaleb-Schalke-CM-Loan
Ryan Mason-Hull City-CM-£13m
Nacer Chadli-West Brom-LM-£13m
DeAndre Yedlin-Newcastle United-RB-£5m
My Take: Until around 10.30pm yesterday I was very impressed with Spurs' business in the summer transfer window. They had brought in a rock solid defensive midfielder for a bargain price in Victor Wanyama, they had signed a striker who set the Dutch league on fire last season in Vincent Janssen and the deadline day acquisition of Georges-Kevin N'Koudou seemed a smart acquisition given the sale of Nacer Chadli and N'Koudou's apparent potential. Furthermore they had cleared out the unneeded fringe players such as Ryan Mason, Nacer Chadli and DeAndre Yedlin whilst getting Nabil Bentaleb and Federico Fazio of the wage bill for another year atleast. However it was at around 10.30 last night that news broke of Tottenham agreeing a £30m club record fee with Newcastle over the transfer of Moussa Sissoko. This shocked me, not only was Sissoko a player that had professed his love for Tottenham's North London rivals Arsenal earlier in the summer but much more importantly he was also a player that had shown the very worst side of his character the year before when he seemed unable to motivate himself to try and keep Newcastle in the Premier League. To me, Sissoko is not the sort of player that will dig in and fight when things get tough, and thus he nowhere near warrants a £30m price tag. This move could prove very costly for Spurs.
Watford:
 |
| Roberto Pereyra (25) joins Watford from Juventus |
Key Arrivals:
Daryl Janmaat-Newcastle United-RB-£7m
Juan Camilo Zuniga-Napoli-LB-Loan
Roberto Pereyra-Juventus-LM-£13m
Younes Kaboul-Sunderland-CB-£3.5m
Kenedy-Chelsea-LM-Loan
Isaac Success-Granada-ST-£12.5m
Stefano Okaka-Anderlecht-ST-£5.1m
Key Departures:
Allan Nyom-West Brom-RB-£4m
Mario Suarez-Valencia-CDM-Loan
Jose Manuel Jurado-Espanyol-CAM-£2.1m
My Take: Watford's new manager Walter Mazzarri seemed destined to rid the club of the legacy left by Quique Sanchez Flores at the end of last season. He got rid of players such as Allan Nyom, Jose Manuel Jurado and Mario Suarez, preferring instead a new crop of players that would ensure that this was Mazzarri's Watford. Players such as Dutch international right back Daryl Janmaat and veteran Sunderland centre half Younes Kaboul, bring Premier League experience with them whilst others such as Roberto Pereyra and Isaac Success are looking to prove themselves in the top flight of English football for the very first time. This gamble could pay off in a big way, however it could also result in the activation of a lot of new relegation release clauses. Only time will tell.
West Brom:
 |
| Nacer Chadli (27) joins West Brom from Tottenham Hotspur |
Key Arrivals:
Matt Phillips-QPR-RM-£5.5m
Nacer Chadli-Tottenham Hotspur-LM-£13m
Allan Nyon-Watford-RB-£4m
Hal Robson-Kanu-Reading-ST-Free
Key Departures:
Victor Anichebe-Released-ST
Sebastien Pocognoli-Brighton-LB-Loan
Rickie Lambert-Cardiff City-ST-£3m
James Chester-Aston Villa-CB-£7m
My Take: Tony Pulis will have been left frustrated by his club's lack of activity in the summer transfer window. Despite being able to bring in four big new additions, Pulis will have wanted to have done more and will surely be left questioning why they left it so late. On top of this consider that outgoing centre back James Chester has not really been replaced, and new striker Hal Robson-Kanu, who had a fantastic Euro 2016, is often inconsistent and you're left wondering if whether keeping hold of Saido Berahino was Brom's best bit of business.
 |
| Andre Ayew (26) joins West Ham from Swansea |
West Ham:
Key Arrivals:
Sofiane Feghouli-Valencia-RM-Free
Andre Ayew-Swansea-LM-£20.5m
Simone Zaza-Juventus-ST-Free
Gokhan Tore-Besiktas-RM-Loan
Manuel Lanzini-Al-Jazira-CAM-£9.4m
Harvard Nordtveit-Borussia Mochengladbach-CDM-Free
Alvaro Arbeloa-Real Madrid-RB-Free
Ashley Fletcher-Manchester United -ST-Free
Key Departures:
James Tomkins-Crystal Palace-CB-£10m
Enner Valencia-Everton-ST-Loan
My Take: Unlike many people, I fail to see why many West Ham fans think they have had a very successful transfer window. Granted, the resigning of Manuel Lanzini is a great decision given his performances last season, Sofiane Feghouli on a free is a terrific bargain given his immense quality and it's true the Hammers have done well to keep hold of world class midfielder Dimitri Payet, however many of the signings they have made seem to be less than ambitious given some of West Ham's results last season. For example Alvaro Arbeloa is a player who is way past his best, Harvard Nordtveit is an average defensive midfielder who failed to shine in the Borussia Mochengladbach team, Ashley Fletcher could be a great future talent but is in no way ready to start Premier League matches and Simone Zaza has only really shone in the Serie B thus far in his career. Remember he scored just 8 times in 24 games for a Juventus team who are by far the best in Italy, whilst on the international stage he has scored just once in 14 appearances. For me, this smacks of a lack of progress for a team who really look as if they are a few players away from challenging for a Champions League spot, and it's disappointing to see. Overall, whilst Feghouli and Lanzini are great additions and Ayew and Tore could be hit or miss, most of West Ham's signings are not the sort of calibre of player that a club their size should be looking at.
Anyway that's my view on each of the Premier League clubs summer activity. If you enjoyed the article, please share it with your friends or anyone you think it might interest as it really helps the blog grow.
Thanks for reading,
James
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