Premier League Big Six summer transfer window review

Chelsea

I spoke to Gabe Henderson, former site expert of The Pride of London halfway through the summer to assess Arsenal’s cross-town rivals’ performance in the summer and I am happy to have him back to answer some of my questions again!

Gabe wanted a few centre-backs, a wing-back, a midfielder, and one more winger along with deadwood out the door for a successful 10/10 for Chelsea this summer and I’d say they came pretty close to his expectations. Wesley Fofana, Kalidou Koulibaly, Marc Cucurella, Denis Zakaria, and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang have complemented Raheem Sterling’s arrival. They addressed needs in central midfield with Zakaria and got one for the future in Carney Chukwuemeka from Aston Villa.

They needed a striker following Romelu Lukaku’s departure and brought in former Arsenal captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang on deadline day, but I do not think that he is the right fit for them. He’s a sub-par finisher and his reliance on pace would worry me as a Chelsea fan considering his age. Overall, I’d give them a 7/10 this summer.

Here’s what Gabe had to say:

1. What are your overall thoughts on Chelsea’s window?

"“I think Chelsea had an excellent transfer window. The unfortunate reality is the Blues were never going to fix all their issues because of the government sanctions and ownership situation. However, they strengthened in defense and attack. The midfield is something that can be dealt with in future windows. An underrated part of Chelsea’s window was the fact that the club was able to get rid of all of its so-called ‘deadwood’. Add to that all the Blues’ young signings and there’s a bright future ahead at Stamford Bridge – even if it’s without Thomas Tuchel”"

2. Which club won the window and why?

"“I think that depends on your definition of ‘winning’, to be quite honest with you. All three major London clubs—Arsenal, Chelsea, and Tottenham—had excellent windows. However, I’m not ready to say any of them were THE winner of the window given the fact that Manchester City brought in Erling Haaland for pennies. The London clubs all addressed key needs, however. Even though they’ve all started off the season differently, I think they’ll all come good as the season progresses. For me, I say take your pick with any of the four clubs I just named—you really can’t go wrong.”"

3. How would you rate Arsenal’s window?

"“On a numerical scale, 9/10. I think Arsenal could’ve used another class midfield signing in the last couple of weeks. That has the potential to sting the Gunners as the season goes on. Nevertheless, I think Gabriel Jesus is the signing of the summer bar Erling Haaland. Mikel Arteta really flexed his muscles this summer and he is showing the world what he can do with the right players at his disposal. Overall, a superb summer transfer window for Arsenal.”"

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