Blue is the color of summer transfer window deadline day. Well, more like deadline day eve, but you get the idea. Chelsea FC were the most active team in the Premier League by far on Wednesday, meaning they could relax a bit on Thursday. Everton was the most active team on deadline day itself, with a flurry of activity in the 11th hour.
We have now passed the deadline for which Premier League clubs are allowed to buy players. They can still sell players, abroad only, until August 31 as no other league has adopted the earlier deadline. While Chelsea FC were very late to joining the summer transfer window party, they made up for it by staying until the bar closed, the dance floor emptied and the DJ shut off his equipment.
Chelsea Season Preview: go to this link
Chelsea FC Additions:
Jorginho – Napoli – £50m, Rob Green – Free, Kepa Arrizabalaga – Athletic Bilbao – £71m, Mateo Kovacic – Real Madrid – loan
The club owned by Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich, Vladimir Putin BFF and one of the world’s 200 wealthiest individuals, is famous for splashing the cash in recent years. All in all, this window wasn’t too extravagant, but obviously the Kepa deal is. The transaction broke the transfer fee record for a goalkeeper, a record that had been standing since…only July 19 when Liverpool acquired Alisson.
Chelsea FC Subtractions:
Thibaut Courtois – Real Madrid – £35 million, Mitchell Beeney (released), Wallace Oliveira (released), Nathan Baxter – Yeovil – Loan, Reece James – Wigan – Loan, Matt Miazga – Nantes – Loan, Jonathan Panzo – Monaco – Undisclosed, Kenedy – Newcastle – Loan
Obviously, the Courtois loss hurts, but how much can you really do? He wanted out and he got it. While the Belgian said today that it would be fantastic if his national teammate Eden Hazard joined him at the Spanish capital, don’t bet on it. It’s extremely unlikely that Hazard leaves for Madrid between now and August 31. You can almost book it now- Hazard stays and that in itself is a huge win for this window.
Analysis:
Chelsea still didn’t find an upgrade at striker, and between Alvaro Morata and Olivier Giroud, this position group will likely be the weakest link of the squad. The midfield additions will be nice though, as new manager Maurizio Sarri implements his systems on a new team.
Expect a learning curve, especially with so many key players reintegrating late due to the post World Cup holidays.
Immediate, Knee Jerk Reaction Grade (True, Authentic Grades Can Only Be Earned Over Time): B-
The downgrade from Courtois to Kepa is a striking one, but credit the west London club for making the best of a tough situation. If you’re a Chelsea FC fan, it’s hard to predict where this team will finish.
Transfer Window Grades Links:
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net and TheBank.News, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, a former writer for NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, is currently a regular contributor to SB Nation, WGN CLTV and Chicago Now.
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