EPL Summer Transfer Window Roundup – Biggest Losers and Winners

By on July 3, 2014

World Cup 2014 has taken a short break (And breath…). Tomorrow, the action will start again with the Quarterfinals, but the two day break has given us a short rest to review the transfer window the World Cup has overshadowed.

Biggest Winner: Chelsea

For while David Luiz exited Chelsea for Paris Saint-Germain, Jose Mourinho’s dealings so far this summer, despite not the least keen due to his large stack of funds to deal with, make Chelsea the biggest winner so far.  Diego Costa, Champions League runners-up Atletico Madrid’s main-man, was picked up by Mourinho for £32 million, while Cesc Fabregas, only 27-years-old and entering his prime, joined the Blues from Barcelona.  And while many might criticize Mourinho for simply making unnecessary, flashy signings, in Costa and Fabregas, the Portuguese manager found exactly what Chelsea needs.

The Blues already have a water-tight defense with Petr Cech in goal, Branislav Ivanovic and Cesar Azpilicueta as full-backs, and Gary Cahill, John Terry, and the starlet Nathan Ake in the center-back role.  Yet the area Chelsea was lacking in was up front. Fernando Torres has hardly looked his old self since his infamous hamstring injury at World Cup 2010, while Demba Ba and Samuel Eto’o have also failed to fit the bill up front. Diego Costa, who was Atletico Madrid’s top scorer last season with 36 goals in 52 appearances, is exactly the man they need up front to fill the hole Didier Drogba left in the side. And he is the type of player that will fit Mourinho’s counter-attacking style of play – a physical presence who can hold the ball of front and finish the slightest chance he gets.

Meanwhile, Fabregas fills the one role that was left to fill in Chelsea’s star-studded midfield. Eden Hazard prefers to play on the wing, as does Mohamed Salah, while Nemanja Matic is a holding midfielder that sits in front of Chelsea’s back-line. Meanwhile, Oscar and Ramires are flashy attacking midfielders who can create goals out of nowhere and feed the wings, but despite their talents they are not true central midfielders like Fabregas. The Spaniard will be able to find those runs in behind the defense, feed the forwards, spread play out wide, and act as that natural No8, and occasionally No6, that Chelsea currently lack.

Noteworthy Mention: Liverpool

Liverpool have long been criticized for their dealings in the transfer market. Their marquee signings all to often turn out to be flops. But this summer has been a breakthrough for Liverpool, much like their 2013/2014 league campaign, in which they finished second behind Manchester City in the Premier League. They have brought in the physical presence they were lacking up front in Rickie Lambert, and a creative No10 in Adam Lallana, to pair with Philippe Coutinho in the midfield. Emre Can has also joined from Bayer Leverkusen, acting as a much needed defensive and central midfielder that fills part of the spot which Steven Gerrard is currently in the process of departing.

Biggest Loser: Southampton

Southampton were on the verge of breaking into a top English club. Finishing the 2013/2014 season in eighth, leading the mid-table pack by six points and sitting just one position behind Manchester United, it finally seemed as if Southampton’s academy had lead a successful Southampton side, instead of leaving the club. Yet now it all seems ready to fall apart. Luke Shaw, who made thirty-eight appearances for Southampton in all competitions at the age of just eighteen last season, second only behind Adam Lallana, has departed for Manchester United. Oh, and Lallana has also left for a big-name club, along with forward Rickie Lambert. Lallana and Lambert alone scored more than a third of Southampton’s goals last season.

Both Lallana and Lambert have departed for Liverpool, for £25 million and £4 million respectively, while Shaw has been picked up by Manchester United for £30 million, potentially rising to £31 million. Southampton have collected a combined £60 million from these sales, yet they are yet to invest that in a single player so far this summer. And if Southampton are to succeed without Shaw, Lallana, and Lambert, all of whom featured for England at the World Cup this summer, then they will undoubtedly need to re-invest in their squad.

About Alex Morgan

Alex Morgan, founder of Football Every Day, lives and breaths football from the West Coast of the United States in California. Aside from founding Football Every Day in January of 2013, Alex has also launched his own journalism career and hopes to help others do the same with FBED. He covers the San Jose Earthquakes as a beat reporter for QuakesTalk.com and his work has also been featured in the BBC's Match of the Day Magazine.