The dust has settled on the transfer window which saw Premier League clubs smash the gross spending record by forking out £2.4billion over the summer on new faces.
Chelsea were the biggest spenders during the window with £428.8m going out of the club on Moises Caicedo, Romeo Lavia, Christopher Nkunku, Cole Palmer, Axel Disasi and Nicolas Jackson.
The Blues also recouped £220.1m with Kai Havertz departure to Arsenal for £65m and Mason Mount’s £60m transfer to Manchester United among the significant outgoings.
Arsenal’s £105m signing of Declan Rice and Man United’s £72m deal to secure striker Rasmus Hojlund from Atalanta were among the other headline grabbing deals.
Top agents involved in deals across the Premier League have named the worst Premier League transfers of the summer when asked by The Athletic.
Kai Havertz transfer from Chelsea to Arsenal was judged to be the worst of the window
Agents reportedly questioned Moises Caicedo’s £115m move to Chelsea due to their instability
Agents questioned if Man United could have spent the £60m fee for Mason Mount elsewhere
| Player | Selling club | Buying club | Transfer fee | Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kai Havertz | Chelsea | Arsenal | £65m | 6 |
| Moises Caicedo | Brighton | Chelsea | £115m | 5 |
| Mason Mount | Chelsea | Manchester United | £60m | 3 |
| Rasmus Hojlund | Atalanta | Manchester United | £72m | 1 |
| Cole Palmer | Man City | Chelsea | £42.5m | 1 |
| Kalidou Koulibaly | Chelsea | Al-Hilal | £20m | 1 |
| Wataru Endo | Stuttgart | Liverpool | £16m | 1 |
| Divock Origi | AC Milan | Nottingham Forest | Loan | 1 |
Six agents reportedly voted for Havertz move to Arsenal as their pick, with one labelling the transfer as a ‘terrible deal’ due to his current ‘lack of quality and confidence’.
The German international has faced scrutiny for his early performances at Arsenal, with Gunners fans and pundits questioning his impact across the opening four Premier League matches.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has insisted the deal will be a success, with the Spaniard claiming Havertz will win over supporters during the season.
| Club | Votes |
|---|---|
| Chelsea | 6 |
| Everton | 4 |
| Wolves | 4 |
| Luton Town | 2 |
| Burnley | 1 |
| Crystal Palace | 1 |
| Manchester United | 1 |
| Sheffield United | 1 |
Chelsea’s British transfer record deal to sign Caicedo from Brighton polled second with five votes, with agents suggesting the Blues ‘overspent’ on the midfielder.
The agents reportedly expressed concerns over how the unstable environment at Chelsea could impact the Ecuador star, who have thrived in the stable structure at Brighton.
A third big-money signing completed the top three, with Mount’s move from the Blues to Man United ranking third with three votes.
Agents had questioned whether Man United needed to spend £60m on the England midfielder, suggesting other areas of Erik ten Hag’s squad should have been prioritised.
One vote was given to Man United’s other significant arrival in Hojlund, after the Red Devils spent heavily on the 20-year-old Danish striker.
Chelsea’s surprise £42.5m move for Man City’s Cole Palmer and Liverpool’s shock signing of Japanese midfielder Wataru Endo were other deals to be questioned.
Chelsea were voted to have had the worst window with the Blues business labelled ‘scattergun’, leading to six votes from agents.
James Maddison’s £45m move from Leicester to Tottenham is seen as the deal of the window
| Player | Selling club | Buying club | Transfer fee | Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| James Maddison | Leicester City | Tottenham | £45m | 9 |
| Declan Rice | West Ham | Arsenal | £105m | 3 |
| Jude Bellingham | Borussia Dortmund | Real Madrid | £113m | 2 |
| Harry Kane | Tottenham | Bayern Munich | £100m | 2 |
| Moussa Diaby | Bayer Leverkusen | Aston Villa | £51.9m | 1 |
| James Ward-Prowse | Southampton | West Ham | £30m | 1 |
| Dominik Szoboszlai | RB Leipzig | Liverpool | £60m | 1 |
| Deivid Washington | Santos | Chelsea | £17m | 1 |
| Micky van der Ven | Wolfsburg | Tottenham | £43m | 1 |
Everton and Wolves followed with four votes, while new boys Luton received two.
Agents voted for two transfers involving North London clubs as the best of the window.
James Maddison’s £45m move from Leicester to Tottenham polled nine votes, with the England midfielder having enjoyed a stunning start to life at the club.
Rice’s £105m transfer to Arsenal placed second with three votes, while Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham’s moves to Bayern Munich and Real Madrid earned two.
Overall, Brighton were viewed to have had the best transfer window of the Premier League clubs.