The European football season is over, and that means the transfer rumor mill is going into overdrive. The Champions League final has been run and done, signifying the end of the footballing calendar in Europe. Now, it’s time to cast an eye on the player movement market.
Almost every club in the Premier League will be on the lookout for someone. A player that can transform their fortunes, or just keep standards up. From champions in Manchester City to newly promoted Nottingham Forest, they will all be on the lookout for a player that can improve their squad.
In this series, I will look at each club, decide what needs they have, and identify who I believe their ideal transfer target is.
CHELSEA
It was a tumultuous 2021/22 season for Chelsea. They finished third, lost two cup finals and experienced the dramatic end of the Roman Abramovich era. You could forgive Chelsea fans if they wanted to put this last year in the bin.
There’s not a lot to fault at Stamford Bridge. As mentioned already, they made two cup finals. There is also no shame in coming third behind arguably the two best teams in the world at the moment.
However, with the outgoings they have had in recent days as far as their on-field personnel goes, where they need to invest is obvious.
IDEAL SIGNING: Matthijs de Ligt
I know every man and his dog has Jules Kounde being their primary target this summer. For what it is worth, I think he is a good fit for Chelsea. However, if they want a generational talent that they can rely on for the next 10-15 years, then De Ligt is their ideal signing.
CRYSTAL PALACE
Patrick Vieira’s South London revolution got off to one helluva start last season. The eagles finished comfortably mid-table and were probably unlucky not to finish on the first page of the EPL standings. A lot of that was done to the astute transfer acumen that Vieira showed.
A lot of young players with a lot of upsides were signed, and it leaves Palace in a pretty good moment.
However, the most impactful of those signings was Conor Gallagher. And he was just a loanee, meaning he heads back to his parent club Chelsea next season. And the Blues have no interest in letting him go on loan again.
IDEAL SIGNING: Sanjin Prci?
The Bosnian has established himself as a top-quality operator in the middle of the park over the past few years at Strasbourg in Ligue 1. And at 28 years old he could provide an older, more experienced head in Patrick Vieira’s youthful palace set-up.
EVERTON
What a nightmare of a season 2021/22 turned out to be for the Toffees. Don’t let the frankly ludicrous scenes of celebration fool you. Everton missed out on the drop by a tiny margin. Head coach Frank Lampard has a lot of work to do if he is to pull the blue half of the Mersey out of the mire.
Everton finished just four points above the drop zone, conceding 66 goals. Jamie Carragher was not joking when he said Everton had a “Championship caliber defense”. That needs to change if they are to stay up next season.
IDEAL SIGNING: Alessio Romagnoli
Now, remember this is who I think their ideal signing should be. The AC Milan captain has had a sensational season at Milan, helping the Rossoneri end their 11-year Scudetto drought. But I think the lure of the Premier League might be enough to attract him and he would bring a no-nonsense leadership to Evertons leaky defense.
FULHAM
The Cottagers won the Championship last season to continue their Yo-Yo form. In the last five seasons, they have switched from being a Championship juggernaut to Premier League whipping boys. Fulham fans hope that next season is the one that breaks the cycle.
Marco Silva’s side was super impressive last season, and I attributed a lot of that to their incredible forward play. Aleksandar finished the season with a mountain of goals, but the right and left sides of the attack were just as important to the title-winning season.
Unfortunately for them, the sharks have circled and one of those wide attacking options has been picked off already, with Fabio Carvalho completing his move to Liverpool. This is where I would focus.
IDEAL SIGNING: Jesse Lingard
The Man Utd youth academy player ended his 22 years of association with the Red Devils last week in acrimonious circumstances, as the club forced him to warm the bench as his contract expires.
He will be a tremendous pick-up for countless EPL sides, but I think he will be most impactful as part of Marco Silva’s Fulham side.
LEEDS
Leeds United survived the Premier League by the skin of their teeth. If you want a precise definition of a sophomore slump, see Leeds 21/22 season. The Marco Bielsa effect worked its curse again as players fell apart with injuries thanks to the Argentine’s heavy training methods.
In came American Jesse Marsch to save the day. The former RB Salzburg and Leipzig coach had the right impact to save Leeds from the drop. I think that if Patrick Bamford stays fit and they can keep Raphinha, then their attack is sorted. I think Leeds could use upgrades all over the pitch otherwise.
IDEAL SIGNING: Ross Barkley
I always had high hopes for the former Everton man. He was a player in the Steven Gerrard mold. I thought he would make it right to the top of the game. It hasn’t worked out that way. His move to Chelsea has stalled his career terribly. Yorkshire could be the perfect place to kick-start it.
What do you think of my ideal signings for your club? Love them? Hate them? Think they’re stupid? Let me know in the comments.
Stuart Kavanagh is a sports journalist from Melbourne, Australia. Along with being the owner of the sports and entertainment website thepyrrhic.com, he is the co-host of the ‘After Extra Time’ podcast. Football mad, he is always down for debate and discussion at @stueyissickofit on Twitter.