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What Do The Big Premier League Clubs Need Before The Transfer Window Closes?
With time running out in the summer transfer window some Premier League clubs still have plenty of work to do.
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By Graham Ruthven (@grahamruthven)
Arsenal
Arsene Wenger likely can’t wait for the summer transfer window to shut, while most Arsenal fans are dreading it. The Gunners have been left behind in the pursuit of players, with Wenger admitting that the North London club can’t compete with the rest of the Premier League for the most expensive targets. That admission went down well.
However, Arsenal could still make a move for German defender Shokdran Mustafi before the end of the month, with Wenger in desperate need of defensive reinforcements following a series of damaging injuries. It seems unlikely that the Gunners will find the striker they need, meaning Mustafi and possible Jonny Evans could be their only arrivals before the close of the window.
Chelsea
With Diego Costa set to stay at Stamford Bridge, Antonio Conte is no longer in the market for a striker, meaning Romelu Lukaku is preparing for another season at Everton. The Italian is still on the look-out for a new defender, though, with Napoli centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly his number one target.
Chelsea are also targeting 21-year-old AC Milan defender Alessio Romagnoli and Torino’s Nikola Maksimovic, but reports from Italian claim that the Blues are making little progress with deals to sign both players. With just one week of the transfer window remaining, Conte might have to stump more than he was initially willing to.
Leicester City
Despite coming into the new Premier League season, Leicester City were always likely to struggle to pick from the top tier of the transfer window. Nonetheless, they have made a number of shrewd signings this summer, with Ahmed Musa and Nampalys Mendy both impressive arrivals.
However, Foxes vice-chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha says that there is still money in place for the club to make a big-name signing before the close of the transfer window. Leandro Paredes is reported to be a target of theirs, although Roma insist that the central midfielder is not for sale. Claudio Ranieri’s squad is well-stocked, but there are still areas in need of strengthening.
Liverpool
Jurgen Klopp this week confessed his bemusement at the Premier League obsession over transfers, indicating that the Liverpool boss might have completed his business for the summer, despite the clamour for the German to find a new left-back to replace the error-prone Alberto Moreno.
Focus is now on Mario Balotelli, who is reportedly wanted by a number of Serie A clubs. The Italian forward has become the forgotten man at Anfield and has no future at the Merseyside club. Mamadou Sakho could also leave Liverpool on loan, with the centre-back clashing over the summer with Klopp.
Manchester City
Having spent close to £150 million over the summer transfer window, not many more new arrivals are expected at Manchester City before the end of the month. Claudio Bravo will join the Etihad Stadium club to replace Joe Hart as their number one goalkeeper, but beyond that the purse strings would appear to have been drawn for the summer.
It could now become about which players will leave City before the window shuts, with Wilfried Bony reportedly a target for West Ham. Hart is also on the look-out for a new club following his dropping
Manchester United
Jose Mourinho said early on in the transfer window that he wanted to sign four players ahead of the new Premier League season, and by signing Eric Bailly, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Paul Pogba the Manchester United boss has done exactly that with time to spare.
However, Mourinho could still make a move for Jose Fonte as he looks to add some much-needed experience to his backline. The deal depends on the price demanded by Southampton, but the Portuguese defender could yet end up at Old Trafford this summer, with Phil Jones and Marcos Rojo expected to leave the club to make way.
Spurs
The White Hart Lane club have been relatively quiet in the transfer window this summer, but they could still make one big move before the end of the month. Reports in Spain claim that Barcelona forward Munir El Haddadi could make the switch to Spurs if the Camp Nou club can broker a deal for Valencia’s Paco Alcacer.
Other than that, though, it will likely be somewhat quiet at Spurs between now and the start of September. Mauricio Pochettino is counting on continuity this season and believes he has the squad depth to handle Champions League soccer on top of Premier League competition.