The drama of the deadline might have been over, but now is the time to judge whether the signings actually bore fruit. A lot of clubs complete many of their deals on the final day of the window, but buying a lot doesn’t always mean buying great.
As per usual, some big deals went through on deadline day. How these players perform at their new clubs can only be revealed by time. We, however, try to predict the future by naming five deadline day signings that could determine their new club’s season…
#1 Moussa Sissoko (Tottehnham Hotspur)
Moussa Sissoko has been raising many eyebrows of late. It all began with his unfathomably outstanding display of midfield dominance in the final of the Euro 2016—a performance that eclipsed anything Paul Pogba ever did in a France jersey.
Despite that, he is still a brainless runner in the eyes of many people—especially the Toon Army. With Newcastle’s relegation, it was inevitable that he would leave this summer, it was only a matter of time.
And it came on the deadline day. After being linked with Real Madrid and Arsenal for most of the window, it was Tottenham Hotspurs who decided to meet the Magpies’ asking price of £30 million. For many, it was a poor decision from the London club.
However, he could be the signing that could determine their final position come May. It might be early to claim that the double-pivot of Victor Wanyama and Eric Dier is too rigid and uninspiring. However, given their skillset, it would be a safe claim. Both of them don’t possess the necessary ability to make a difference in the team’s attack like Mousa Dembele does.
This is where Sissoko seems like a better backup to the Belgian, who is currently out injured. The Frenchman is a robust box-to-box midfielder who can burst into the opposition’s defense, surprising them with his directness. He is also an able dribbler like Dembele.
We have all seen how Dembele’s absence impacts Spurs; they acquire just a little over a point per game when he doesn’t play. Hence, Sissoko’s entry could play a huge role in Spurs’ aspirations this season.
#2 David Luiz (Chelsea)
Homecoming on deadline day. Antonio Conte tried his best to strengthen Chelsea’s defense. From Kalidou Koulibaly to Leonardo Bonucci, the former Juventus boss gave it his all to lure a world-class center back to Stamford Bridge, but in the end, he had to settle with David Luiz.
This is not an indirect insult to the Brazilian’s ability as a footballer. In fact, there are only a very few footballers who can make a difference from the defense like he does. However, he is often culpable of leaving his zone unmarked because of his urge to move forward.
Regardless of that, he is still a good signing for Chelsea. There was once a time when many Juventus fans weren’t big admirers of Bonucci. Now, however, they hail him as the best ball-playing defender in the world.
That transition happened under Antonio Conte. Hence, if there is anyone who can turn Luiz into a stable defender while keeping his ball-playing skills intact, it is the former Italy coach.
With the Brazilian in the squad, they have ample defenders to go through with the season. John Terry, Kurt Zouma, Gary Cahill and even Branislav Ivanovic could partner David Luiz at the heart of the defense. Whether Conte can do his magic with the former Benfica defender is a question that can only be answered by time.
#3 Gabriel Barbosa (Inter Milan)
Santos and Barcelona might be at crossroads over Gabriel ‘Gabigol’ Barbossa, but Inter are the clear winners here. Serie A has been robbed off its competitiveness ever since Juventus were put on the pinnacle by the joint efforts of Antonio Conte and Giuseppe Marotta.
However, Gabigol’s presence in the Inter roster spices things up a little. This is not to say that Inter are now the favourites for the Serie A title. Quite far from it actually. However, with the Brazilian on board, Inter can once again challenge for the top 4 spot and be in the Champions League next season.
The young Brazilian has been dubbed as the next Neymar due to his goalscoring instincts. However, he is quite different from the Barcelona man. For one, he attacks the goal more than his Brazilian counterpart and does it from all around the pitch, unlike Neymar who prefers the left wing more.
Gabigol is a clinical finisher, something that Inter have lacked ever since Diego Milito left the club. With him in the team, Inter now have someone who they can rely on for the goals.
#4 Wilfried Bony (Stoke City)
Whenever I see the name Bony, it fills my heart with nostalgia. Back in kindergarten, ‘My Bony lies over the Ocean’ used to my favourite poem. Those were some good ol’ days.
The Bony I know now, however, lies at Stoke. Signed on loan on the final day of the transfer window, Bony was once dubbed as the next Didier Drogba. However, his trajectory has gone down ever since he decided to move to Manchester City from Swansea.
There is a general perception among people that strikers moving to bigger clubs means that they would score more goals as the players that will surround them are better than their previous team-mates. While in some cases this is true, the pressure and competition at bigger clubs often get the better of many players.
And the former Swansea striker was of the latter category.
Scoring a goal once in every two games for Swansea, he finished with 35 in 70 games for the Welsh club. Strong in the air and a towering presence inside the box, Bony is a good finisher who, in the correct system, can still flourish and get back his golden touch.
He might not have got that at City, but in Stoke’s more direct and aerial approach, he could once again be the man who many labeled as the next Drogba—which also would result in Stoke finishing higher this season.
#5 Marcos Alonso (Chelsea)
The Manuel Pellegrini era at Real Madrid didn’t bear much fruit at the capital. Despite the fact that he led Madrid to record haul of points by the end of the season, it still wasn’t enough to topple the brilliant Barcelona.
Under such circumstances, it was impossible for him to give youth a chance. However, the one academy player I distinctively remember making a debut under the Chilean was Marcos Alonso. He might have gotten only one game at the club, but the talent was there.
With Marcelo in the team, Alonso knew that chances would be hard to come by at Real. A move to England and then Italy followed. The process improved him as a player; he is now a more complete left-back and has actually exceeded expectations with his rise.
He has played quite a few games as a left-sided midfielder, something that improved his attacking gameplay. He is an intelligent passer of the ball and can whip in accurate crosses quite frequently.
But that’s not all. With him in the squad, Cesar Azpilicueta can finally play at right-back, paving way for Branislav Ivanovic to feature as a center-back when deemed necessary. Two birds, one stone.
Chelsea’s shaky defense caused them to finish an embarrassing 10th last season. Right now, with Antonio Conte and the new players, a bunch of new possibilities open up and it is almost certain that they will finish much higher than last season.
