If Jose Mourinho succeeds in luring Paul Pogba to Manchester United from Juventus that would top every other deal in the English Premier League summer transfer window. While the dazzling Frenchman continues in vacation mode, brisk business has already been done in one of the most followed leagues in the world.
What is striking in the done deals since the window officially opened on July 1 is that the big clubs haven’t splashed cash on luxury. It is no coincidence that the early signings of the big clubs have been thoughtfully executed to fill the gaps in their squads rather than fishing for the big salmon.
The first signings of Arsenal, Manchester United, Manchester City and Tottenham and the immediate purchases of Chelsea and champions Leicester City were all defensive in nature. It could be argued that clubs spending on defensive reinforcements were the right decisions.
Arsene Wenger wouldn’t make a better signing all summer as his early capture of Granit Xhaka from Borussia Monchengladbach has strengthened the London club’s midfield significantly. With Mikel Arteta and Mathieu Flamini released, Arsenal desperately needed quality in the holding midfield region as Frenchman Francis Coquelin remains the only other option.
Xhaka’s returns from the recent Euro, where he won consecutive man-of-the-match awards for Switzerland, are pleasant signs for Arsenal faithful.
Pep Guardiola’s much-anticipated check-in at the blue corner of Manchester was soon followed by the entry of Ilkay Gundogan from Borussia Dortmund. Guardiola is uncompromising in his free-flowing brand of football and it was no surprise that he wanted to shore up the midfield with the addition of a box-to-box talent, one which he had a good look at, during his time in Germany with Bayern Munich.
Gundogan, at 25, is an upgrade in the City midfield comprising an error-prone Fernandinho and an ageing Yaya Toure that was highly inconsistent last season.
Meanwhile, better business was done next door, where the Special One, Jose Mourinho has started yet another reign, in typical fashion. The Portuguese made a humble but essential first signing when he bought centre-back Eric Bailly from Villareal. The 22-year-old from Ivory Coast is a no-nonsensical presence in defense, the type of which United lacked all season under Louis van Gaal. Injuries and lack of form had forced the Dutchman to try out a pack of youngsters at the back, namely Tyler Blackett, Paddy McNair and Borthwick-Jackson, and the experiment paid off, partly. But Mourinho is not someone who would look at the reserves to plaster the holes and Bailly’s deal means just that.
Another first signing that caught the attention of premier league fans was Mauricio Pochettino convincing his former player Victor Wanyama to move into White Hart Lane from Southampton. The Kenyan defensive midfielder was one of the key performers for the Saints in 2015-16 as they secured a Europa League finish. The 25-year-old has added muscle to the Spurs’ midfield pairing of Eric Dier and Dele Alli.
That brings us to one of the potential signings of the season already, in the form of N’Golo Kante, who has joined Antonio Conte’s revamp at Chelsea. The diminutive Frenchman, whom Gary Linekar rightfully put as “the main reason Leicester won the title”, is a monster in midfield. The 2012 Champions League winners have already started revisiting the Claude Makelele days.
Even before Kante had put his initials on the deal, champions Leicester had his potential replacement in place. Frenchman Nampalys Mendy has often been likened to Makelele, due to his stature and style. But to fill the shoes of his predecessor, Kante, is no meager task and should he reach at least seventy five per cent of the outgoing star’s level, Claudio Ranieri can certainly fancy another dream run.
