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English Clubs Manchester City FC, Injury Crisis

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kjs86
post Aug 23 2025, 06:26 PM

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SUBS | Ederson, Ake, Doku, Rodri, Bernardo, Nunes, O'Reilly, Khusanov, Foden
kjs86
post Aug 24 2025, 05:23 AM

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James Trafford – 4

Far from the home debut he would have been hoping for. Didn’t provide any of the security he did against Wolves at Molineux, and handed Spurs their second with a very poor pass. Two late saves at least showed a little more of what he can do.

Rico Lewis – 4.5

Rarely found the kind of space he thrived in last week, instead having to contend with a lot of attacking traffic down his side and struggling under heavy pressure on the ball.

John Stones – 6

Slipped in costly fashion to allow Richarlison in behind for the opener. Was City’s strongest defender otherwise though, being called upon to bail out his teammates on a few occasions.

Ruben Dias – 5.5

Grappled with Richarlison, winning more duels than he lost, but couldn’t recover to play the striker onside when he ran clear to set up Spurs’ first.

Rayan Ait-Nouri – 6

Seemed eager to contribute and snap into his defensive duties, although it was maybe this eagerness which led to the injury which forced him off early.

Nico Gonzalez – 6.5

Not at fault for the ease with which Spurs resisted City’s efforts, fighting and passing well in midfield.

Tijjani Reijnders – 5.5

Couldn’t exert the level of influence he had on his Premier League debut, showing heart but not making the best decisions on the rare occasions he found space in the attacking third.

Rayan Cherki – 5

Some promising signs for how influential and dangerous a presence he can be for City this year, but today it just didn’t come off. Withdrawn before the hour after it became clear his creative radar wasn’t quite on it.

Oscar Bobb – 5

Saw plenty of the ball but couldn’t make much of it. Won’t have experienced too much of the type of doubling-up defending he was subject to at the top level.

Erling Haaland – 6

Missed his one sight of goal, but had a rare day of being heavily involved in deeper play and doing good work around the box.

Omar Marmoush – 5.5

City’s biggest threat for the first half-hour, but his fortunes took a downward turn after he passed up some presentable shooting chances. Sacrificed with Cherki.

Substitutes

Nathan Ake – 6

Defended fairly well down his side, although couldn’t match the attacking threat which Ait-Nouri can provide.

Bernardo Silva – 4.5

A really bad substitute display in truth. Expected to provide control in the middle but was rarely capable of even keeping the ball.

Jeremy Doku – 6

Usual story – lots of running at his man, lots of crosses into shins.

Rodri – 5.5

Still some way off his level.

Phil Foden – 5.5

Not great set-piece delivery.
kjs86
post Aug 24 2025, 05:25 AM

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Trafford: A lucky escape outside of the box and then produced a criminally bad pass inside it to concede a second as the confidence drained out of him. 4

Lewis: Couldn't get back in time to stop the first goal and struggled to link up with Bobb as he had done last week. 5

Stones: The best of a mediocre bunch in defence, looking the least flustered on the ball and able to push up to help the team. 6

Dias: Did not get the better of his grapples with Richarlison and was unusually wasteful on the ball. 5

Ait-Nouri: City looked relatively stable while he was on the pitch before he went off injured. 6

Gonzalez: Did most things right but looked to be playing under pressure and the pass was never on for the second goal. 5

Reijnders: Some more encouraging signs, albeit he was guilty of some poor decisions in the final third. 5

Cherki: Everything looked so natural in last week's cameo but he struggled to create on his first start. 5

Bobb: Looked City's biggest threat in attack and could consider himself unlucky that more of what he tried didn't come off. 6

Marmoush: A lively start then became manic as he rushed into too many situations. No surprise he was taken off early. 5

Haaland: Some poor misses with his head that would have got City back into the game. 5

Substitutes

Ake (for Ait-Nouri, 23) The first goal came down his side but he coped relatively well after up against the lively Kudus. 5

Doku (for Marmoush, 54) Some good, some wasteful. Ever the same for Doku. 6

Silva (for Cherki, 54) Gave City some energy and impetus, belatedly testing Vicario. 6

Foden (for Bobb, 75) Instantly posed a threat in the box. 6

Rodri (for Gonzalez, 75) Assumed control of the midfield and a firm header from a corner. 6
kjs86
post Aug 24 2025, 05:27 AM

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James Trafford (4/10):

A nightmare home debut which could well make City reassess their goalkeeping options and make a late push for Gianluigi Donnarumma. Sloppy for the first goal, practically caused the second and could even have been sent off. Gained a mark for his late double save.

Rico Lewis (5/10):

Nearly got Trafford in trouble early on and then showed his lack of defensive awareness by failing to cut out Richarlison's cross to Johnson. Later shanked a shot into the upper tier, ruining a positive piece of play.

Ruben Dias (6/10):

The only City defender to do okay, even if it was his idea to play the goal-kick short.

John Stones (5/10):

Slipped at inopportune moment as Tottenham countered to score, allowing Johnson to stay unmarked. Did make a good slide tackle on the Wales international after.

Rayan Ait-Nouri (N/A):

Only played a quarter of the game. Took a knock after challenging Mohamed Kudus and had to come off shortly after.

Tijjani Reijnders (5/10):

A come down from his magical Premier League debut. Influential in the first half but final ball was lacking and he faded badly in the second.

Nico Gonzalez (4/10):

Showed a huge lack of awareness to look for the ball and then lose it for the second goal. Either side of that he gave the defence little protection before being removed for a half-fit Rodri.

Oscar Bobb (6/10):

Had a decent first half despite playing in a different, deeper role than his excellent display at Wolves. Like the rest of his team-mates he did not respond well to Spurs' goals.

Omar Marmoush (6/10):

Was very lively in the first half and came closest to scoring for City although his finishing was questionable.

Erling Haaland (4/10):

His ferocious record in the second game of the season came to an end. Had just one shooting chance, a free header which he sent into the stands. On the plus side he set-up a good opportunity for Marmoush with an impressive dribble and pass.

Rayan Cherki (5/10):

Teed up Haaland's free header but did not get involved as much as he should have.

Subs & Manager

Nathan Ake (5/10):

Didn't protect the left side well enough when Spurs pounced for the first time.

Bernardo Silva (6/10):

Gave City a bit of hope and leadership when he came on, hitting the bar.

Jeremy Doku (6/10):

His trickery gave City a bit more energy and directness although it didn't lead to much.

Phil Foden (5/10):

Denied by a flying Micky van de Ven slide tackle.

Rodri (6/10):

Almost had an instant impact when he headed a corner at goal but Vicario was equal to it.

Pep Guardiola (5/10):

His team looked ill-prepared for Spurs' high-pressing game. He made the changes you would expect in the second half but they made no real impact.
kjs86
post Aug 24 2025, 05:28 AM

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James Trafford-4/10: A disappointing performance from Trafford. His error led to Spurs’ second goal. He also made a hash of coming out of his area in the second half. He made a couple of good saves late on, but today’s performance was a harsh lesson for him.

Rico Lewis-5.5/10: Lewis tried hard but couldn’t affect the game as he would’ve liked.

John Stones-5/10: His slip led to Tottenham’s opening goal, and it wasn’t his best performance.

Ruben Dias-5/10: Not his best day either. Looked troubled aerially throughout the game and not his best performance.

Rayan Ait-Nouri-6/10: Unfortunately, substituted after 20 minutes, after picking up what appeared to be a foot injury.

Nico-5.5/10: The Spanish midfielder tried hard, but it wasn’t his best display. Never stopped trying, so he deserves some credit for that.

Tijjani Reijnders-5/10: The Dutch international couldn’t get into the game today. A lesson in what the Premier League is about for Reijnders.

Oscar Bobb-7/10: Bobb never stopped trying and was by far and away Manchester City’s best player before he was taken off in the 75th minute.

Rayan Cherki-5/10: Showed one moment of quality with a cross that set up a first-half header for Erling Haaland. Outside of that, he had a tough afternoon before being replaced.

Omar Marmoush-5/10: Had his chances but didn’t take them. Substituted in the 53rd minute, and he needs to do more when he starts. But he wasn’t alone in that boat today.

Erling Haaland-5/10: He headed his only chance of note over, although he set up Omar Marmoush after a surging run and nice pass. But overall, not at his best, much like his team.

Substitutes

Nathan Ake-6/10: I thought Ake was serviceable at left-back after coming on for the injured Rayan Ait-Nouri. Not Manchester City’s worst player on the day.

Bernardo Silva-5.5/10: Perhaps guilty of trying too hard after replacing Rayan Cherki.

Jeremy Doku-5.5/10: Had a couple of moments on the left wing but he couldn’t affect the game after coming on for Omar Marmoush.

Rodri-N/A: Not on long enough to mark but it must be noted that he looked short of a gallop.

Phil Foden-N/A: Not on long enough to mark.
kjs86
post Aug 29 2025, 02:41 AM

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kjs86
post Aug 31 2025, 08:02 PM

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Starting XI: Trafford, Nunes, Khusanov, Stones, Ait-Nouri, Rodri, Silva, Bobb, Rejinders, Marmoush, Haaland

Substitutes: Ederson, Dias, Ake, Doku, Nico, Gundogan, Akanji, O’Reilly, Lewis
kjs86
post Sep 1 2025, 04:06 PM

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This post has been edited by kjs86: Sep 1 2025, 04:22 PM
kjs86
post Sep 1 2025, 04:17 PM

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Player Ratings:

James Trafford – 6.5

Brighton couldn’t put him under the kind of pressure which Spurs did to draw the error last week, giving him a comfortable enough afternoon with the ball at his feet. Repelled most of the hosts’ efforts to beat him, but can’t be blamed for being beaten by a penalty and one-on-one.

Matheus Nunes – 4

Some good work to resist pressure down his side in the first-half was undone totally by the bizarre penalty he gave away.

John Stones – 6

Totally unflustered in possession, despite being given the ball under some heavy pressure at times. Acted as more of the reserved member of his partnership with Khusanov.

Abdukodir Khusanov – 6

Was always likely to be the more active of the two central defenders due to his combative nature, and certainly wasn’t shy to throw his weight around. Paid off more at times than others, but he didn’t give anything up.

Rayan Ait-Nouri – 5

Couldn’t get things going in the final third like he can, but equally wasn’t troubled too often going the other way. Was booked and then beaten for Brighton’s winner.

Rodri – 7 (POTM)

By far the sharpest and like his old self he’s looked since recovering from his ACL injury. A midfield metronome with his passing range and dictating of play. Did tire a little towards the end.

Bernardo Silva – 4.5

Often the man to lead the press and put a foot on the ball to calm things down. That didn’t translate to him having much of an influence on proceedings though, and he was hooked.

Tijjani Reijnders – 5

Hasn’t quite been able to refind that spark he had against Wolves since the opening day. Got through a power of work but couldn’t create anything.

Oscar Bobb – 6.5

Once again showcased his extremely tidy feet in close-quarter situations. Will need to start adding a bit more end product though.

Erling Haaland – 6

Did eventually grab the opener from unmissable range, but ought to have put away at least one of his other openings.

Omar Marmoush – 6

Similarly to last week, he started the game as City’s most lively threat in attack, but again couldn’t keep it up throughout. Faired better than against Spurs though, and did assist Haaland’s opener.

Substitutes:

Nico O’Reilly – 6

Some quick feet in the middle but the tide had already turned by the time he came on.

Jeremy Doku – 5.5

Couldn’t make anything happen against tired legs.

Rico Lewis – N/A

Ruben Dias – N/A
kjs86
post Sep 1 2025, 04:18 PM

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player ratings

Trafford: Made two very good saves to keep Brighton out but couldn't stop the penalty. An outstanding effort to keep out the deflected Van Hecke effort at the end. 8

Nunes: Nearly caught out with sloppy play in the first half and his elbows were inexplicably high to give away the penalty. Worsened after it. 4

Khusanov: Played very well for a lot of the game, but it was a reckless tackle that earned him a yellow and led to the penalty. 6

Stones: Organised the defence well and is starting to glide again as he moves into midfield on a regular basis but fell apart with the team at the end. 6

Ait-Nouri: Made some excellent contributions going forward, including to win the ball back for Haaland's opener. A few moments where he was too loose though and he was booked. 6

Rodri: Looked rusty on his first start in 11 months - understandably! - but even as he works back to fitness his presence helped the team in the middle. 6

Silva: Put in plenty of useful work, although will be disappointed to have lost Dunk for the free-kick that brought the penalty. 6

Reijnders: Full of running, intelligent passing and clever passes in the final third. Unlucky that it didn't bring more. 7

Bobb: Had so much quality for everything but that final shot or pass in the box, troubling Brighton whenever he got on the ball. 7

Marmoush: A lovely ball through for Haaland should have brought a goal and his pace and touch got City out of a number of jams. 7

Haaland: Took his goal well but a player with his high standards could and probably should have had more. 6

Substitutes

O'Reilly (for Silva, 72): Struggled to get the ball down. 5

Doku (for Marmoush, 72): Couldn't offer much as City rarely got the ball. 6

Lewis (for Nunes, 85): Couldn't stop the tide. 5

Dias (for Khusanov, 85): Couldn't stop the tide. 5
kjs86
post Sep 1 2025, 04:21 PM

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player ratings

James Trafford (7/10):

Didn't look like his confidence had been hit by last week's error as he showed comfort with the ball at his feet. Got down well to deny Mitoma early on before standing tall to keep out Minteh on the hour mark and performed heroics to claw away Van Hecke's header. Had no chance with either goal.

Matheus Nunes (6/10):

Continues to improve as a right-back as he kept Mitoma relatively quiet while using the ball well in possession. Slightly unfortunate to concede the penalty.

John Stones (5/10):

Played Mitoma onside for his early chance and looked a little slow at times. Not as effective in possession compared to a few years ago, and his failure to cut out a forward pass led to Brighton's winner.

Abdukodir Khusanov (6/10):

Perhaps his best performance in a City to shirt for the first 65 minutes as he carried the ball into midfield well and was aggressive when called on defensively. Booked shortly before the equaliser, and was targeted thereafter.

Rayan Ait-Nouri (4/10):

Gave the ball away in poor areas on a couple of occasions as he came out second-best on occasion up against Minteh. Booked in the second half.

Rodri (8/10):

Oozed class in everything he did at the heart of the City midfield. Still getting up to full fitness, but showed exactly what the team have been missing due to his injury absence.

Bernardo Silva (6/10):

Didn't offer much of note in possession, but showed good energy in midfield to win the ball back and pressure the opposition.

Tijjani Reijnders (6/10):

Struggled early on with the ferocity of Brighton's press but grew into the game as it wore on.

Oscar Bobb (7/10):

Caused panic whenever he got onto the ball and drove towards the Brighton penalty area. Played his part in the opening goal.

Erling Haaland (6/10):

Wasted two early openings before being denied by Verbruggen. Eventually got his goal with an expert close-range finish, but faded out of the game in the second half.

Omar Marmoush (7/10):

Showed excellent, quick feet inside the penalty area to lay on Haaland's opener, and looked dangerous when picking up the ball in the half-spaces. Replaced for the final 20 minutes.

Subs & Manager

Nico O'Reilly (5/10):

On in midfield for the final 20 minutes but couldn't stop the waves of Brighton pressure.

Jeremy Doku (5/10):

Struggled to pose much of a threat after replacing Marmoush.

Rico Lewis (N/A):

On for Nunes in the final 10 minutes.

Ruben Dias (N/A):

Couldn't get across quickly enough to keep Brighton from sweeping through on their way to Gruda's winner.

Pep Guardiola (5/10):

His team looked like they were getting back to their best for an hour, but they struggled to create clear-cut chances and were made to pay. His failure to adapt after Hurzeler's inspired substitutions was concerning.
kjs86
post Sep 1 2025, 04:24 PM

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player ratings

James Trafford-8/10: Made several stunning saves in a good performance from Trafford. He showed his character to bounce back after last week’s performance.

Matheus Nunes-5/10: Had a good game, then gave away the penalty that saw Brighton equalise for handball. Unfortunately for Nunes, his errors always seem to concede goals and turn games.

Abdukodir Khusanov-7.5/10: A good performance from Khusanov. His pace and strength added a different attribute to Manchester City’s defence. Plenty to work with going forward for Pep Guardiola with the Uzbek international.

John Stones-5.5/10: It was Stones rash clearance/ball that set Brighton free for their winner. He did well until that moment.

Rayan Ait-Nouri-5.5/10: Like his team, Ait-Nouri was good for an hour. But in the games closing stages he ran out of legs. Yankuba Minteh gave him a torrid time, especially in the second half.

Rodri-8/10: Alongside James Trafford was easily Manchester City’s best player on the day. But he did wilt late on as his legs faded. Rodri’s fitness will come in time but his performance was very good.

Bernardo Silva-6.5/10: His workrate was superb before he was substituted. Wasn’t as good in possession but worked his socks off for his team.

Oscar Bobb-6.5/10: He could have been the match winner but his end product was just off. He made several dangerous runs which showcased his prodigious talent.

Tijjani Rejinders-6/10: Was good for an hour but faded out of the game as Brighton lifted.

Omar Marmoush-7/10: A good performance from Marmoush. His runs into the box caused Brighton issues and he set up Haaland’s goal. Unlucky not to set up another goal for Oscar Bobb in the second half.

Erling Haaland-6.5/10: Scored in his 100th Premier League performance. Could have scored more but his effort was there across the 90 minutes.

Substitutes

Jeremy Doku-5/10: Didn’t offer a lot after coming on.

Nico O’Reilly-5/10: Looked overwhelmed in midfield when he came on.

Ruben Dias-5/10: Came on for Khusanov and didn’t alter the game.

Rico Lewis-6/10: Showed fight but came on to late to have an impact.
kjs86
post Sep 2 2025, 11:33 AM

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kjs86
post Sep 2 2025, 11:34 AM

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kjs86
post Sep 2 2025, 11:46 AM

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Arrivals

Tijjani Reijnders from AC Milan (£46.3 million)

Rayan Ait-Nouri from Wolves (£31.2 million)

Rayan Cherki from Lyon (£35 million)

James Trafford from Burnley (£27 million)

Gianluigi Donnarumma from PSG (£26 million)

Sverre Nypan from Rosenborg (£12.5 million)

Marcus Bettinelli from Chelsea (Undisclosed)

Departures

James McAtee to Nottingham Forest (£30 million)

Yan Couto to Borussia Dortmund (£26 million)

Ederson to Fenerbahce (£12 million)

Maximo Perrone to Como (£11.2 million)

Kyle Walker to Burnley (£5 million)

Kevin De Bruyne to Napoli (Free)

Scott Carson (End of contract)

Loan Moves

Vitor Reis to Girona (Season-long loan)

Jack Grealish to Everton (Season-long loan with £50 million option to buy)

Manuel Akanji to Inter (€2 million season-long loan with €15 million option to buy, becoming mandatory based on 50% of matches played and Serie A title success)

Claudio Echeverri to Bayer Leverkusen (Season-long loan)

Sverre Nypan to Middlesbrough (Season-long loan)

Juma Bah to Nice (Season-long loan)

Mahamadou Susoho to Livingston (Season-long loan)

Jahmai Simpson-Pusey to Celtic (Season-long loan)

Finley Burns to Reading (Season-long loan)

Divin Mubama to Stoke (Season-long loan)

Max Alleyne to Watford (Season-long loan)

Tomas Galvez to SC Cambuur (Season-long loan)

Joel Ndala to Hull (Season-long loan)

Oliver Whatmuff to Rochdale (Season-long loan)

Lakyle Samuel to Bromley (Season-long loan)

Will Dickson to Chesterfield (Short-term loan)

Issa Kabore to Wrexham (Season-long loan)

Tai Sodje (Released)

Jayden Lienou to Leeds (Undisclosed)

True Grant to Stoke (Undisclosed)

Callum Doyle to Wrexham (£7.5 million)

Farid Alfa-Ruprecht to Bayer Leverkusen (£5 million)

Kayky to Bahia (Undisclosed)
kjs86
post Sep 2 2025, 11:50 AM

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Rico Lewis and Nico O’Reilly withdraw from England U21 duty with injuries.

Abdukodir Khusanov sustained a calf injury vs Brighton, with a two-week recovery period and a withdrawal from Uzbekistan duty.
kjs86
post Sep 3 2025, 02:12 PM

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Arsenal

Who did they sign?

Arsenal made eight summer signings of varied importance. Kepa Arrizabalaga, Christian Norgaard and Cristhian Mosquera represent their need for more squad depth, while Noni Madueke, Martin Zubimendi, Viktor Gyokeres and Eberechi Eze are viewed as the real level-raisers in the team. Adding Piero Hincapie to their defence will also give Mikel Arteta an interesting dynamic on how he can set up the side in different ways.

Arsenal’s squad is now in better shape to deal with the demands of a full season than it was last year, which has already been seen in how Arteta has been able to respond to unexpected injuries this term.

Who didn’t they sign?

Arsenal will be thankful that they signed most players they went in for this summer. The big dilemma heading into June was whether to sign Gyokeres or Benjamin Sesko, and they went for the former.

How do you grade their transfer window and why?

A-.

Going into the summer, Arsenal had clear areas to address in the squad. They needed to sign a new centre-forward, and did so. They needed to sign a new deep-lying playmaker, and did so too. They needed a creative spark, and found that in Eze. The squad depth signings are improvements on last year’s options.

They could have received a better grade had they made more permanent sales, but as The Athletic explained last week, those are not always easy to get done
kjs86
post Sep 3 2025, 02:13 PM

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Chelsea

Who did they sign?

Chelsea were busy from the get-go, acquiring Liam Delap from Ipswich Town for £30million in the mini-window before their participation at the Club World Cup. Joao Pedro was next through the door, coming from Brighton. The left wing was a priority, which was shown by the purchases of Jamie Gittens and Alejandro Garnacho. Cover for left-back Marc Cucurella has been provided by the acquisition of Jorrel Hato from Ajax, while Facundo Buonanotte arrived from Brighton on deadline day on loan.

There were a few deals that had been done in advance so they could be officially completed this summer. Chief among those was Estevao Willian, who joined for an initial €34m from Palmeiras and is already making an impact. Transfermarkt say that all of it has cost Chelsea €328.16m — another sizeable sum, but offset by a remarkable selling spree worth €332.25m, and that does not include the loan fees, other than Nicolas Jackson’s move to Bayern Munich.

Who didn’t they sign?

Much has been made of Chelsea not signing a specialist centre-back in the window; their thinking was that it had to be the right deal for the right talent. That is why they made a move for Dean Huijsen very early on, but they lost out to Real Madrid. Negotiations with Milan over goalkeeper Mike Maignan collapsed before the Club World Cup over the Serie A club’s asking price.

Chelsea admired Hugo Ekitike long before he ended up at Liverpool, but they were unwilling to match Eintracht Frankfurt’s initial €100m valuation.
It seemed like Xavi Simons was heading for Stamford Bridge at one stage, only for Chelsea to never really make RB Leipzig a formal offer, and he ended up at Tottenham instead. A €40m offer was made to Barcelona’s Fermin Lopez with under a week to go, only for Chelsea not to pursue it any further. Hopes of acquiring Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa had ended by this stage after it became clear the player was not for sale.

How do you grade their transfer window and why?

B.

It ended on a bit of a low note, especially with one of their main arrivals in Delap already suffering a hamstring injury. But it should not be forgotten that the squad has far more cover in key positions with Estevao Willian, Andrey Santos (returning from loan), Dario Essugo (completing move from Sporting CP) and Hato to name just four.

Goalkeeper is still a big question mark with the enigma Robert Sanchez remaining first choice, albeit they are hoping Mike Penders can develop on loan at Strasbourg. Widemen Gittens and Garnacho have a lot to prove too, rather than being the finished article. Some will question the mark being too high, but you have to take into account the amount of revenue raised by sales. The departures run well into double figures, and yet of those who left, only Noni Madueke, loanee Jadon Sancho and Jackson can consider themselves to be regulars.
kjs86
post Sep 3 2025, 02:14 PM

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Liverpool

Who did they sign?

This may go down as one of the greatest transfer windows in not only Liverpool’s history, but in Premier League history, with more than £400million spent. They broke their club transfer record twice, first signing Florian Wirtz (a potential £116million) and then adding Alexander Isak (£125million) on deadline day. They were complemented by the additions of goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili, full-backs Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez, centre-back Giovanni Leoni and forward Hugo Ekitike. They may be slightly lighter in attacking depth, but they have increased the individual quality with world-class additions.

Who didn’t they sign?

Marc Guehi. Liverpool thought that they had signed the defender with a fee agreed, personal terms sorted, and a medical completed, only for Crystal Palace to pull the plug at the 11th hour after failing to secure a replacement.

It would have upgraded the centre-back options available to head coach Arne Slot, although they do still have depth in the position with Leoni and Joe Gomez backing up Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate.
How do you grade their transfer window and why?

A.

This was a window that Liverpool supporters could only have dreamed of when the summer began. The reigning champions have revamped their squad with significant spending. With the star quality additions, including Isak and Wirtz, they look set to stay at the top for the foreseeable future. They also sold well with significant fees recouped for Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez and Jarell Quansah.

The late Guehi disappointment is the only reason the window isn’t an A+.
kjs86
post Sep 3 2025, 02:14 PM

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Joined: Mar 2010
Manchester United

Who did they sign?

Matheus Cunha was United’s first signing of the summer window, with the club activating his £62.5m release clause from Wolves in early June. Bryan Mbeumo followed in July, joining for an initial fee of £65m from Brentford. Slovenia centre-forward Benjamin Sesko completes the new look United front trio as a £66.4m arrival from RB Leipzig. Senne Lammens was the final incoming of the window. The 23-year-old Belgian goalkeeper was a deadline-day signing, the club paying an initial fee of £18.2m to acquire him from Royal Antwerp.

In addition to this comes Diego Leon, who joins the United setup after previously signing for the club in January. The 18-year-old left back ​​proved a popular dressing room presence during the pre-season tour in America.

Who didn’t they sign?

Carlos Baleba. In early August, it was reported that United enquired about the availability of the Brighton midfielder via intermediaries, before deciding not to proceed with a move a week later. Baleba’s prohibitively high price point may have been the reason behind the decision. Amorim’s team are sorely in need of additional central-midfield options, but the club’s budget was stretched thin following deals for the new-look attack.

How do you grade their transfer window and why?

B.

United have a habit of being “three good signings away from being three good signings away”. The club have made aggressive moves to bolster the attack, and they were proactive in selling the majority of their unwanted fringe players. However, they still finish the window with at least one glaring weakness (central midfield), which will put a ceiling on their success this season.
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