Rivals, arrivals and risk in the window
Some of those who thought they'd start may be on the bench.
One of the themes of this crazy, complicated transfer window is the number of players who move thinking of the minutes they are going to get, and then their new club buys another in their position, and they risk spending time kicking their expensive heels on the bench. Such a position could affect £110m worth of talent in James Trafford, Liam Delap and Jamie Gittens, and possibly a similar amount in Hugo Ekitike, Mohammed Kudus and loanees like Marc Guiu. Rivals can arrive.
This transfer window could easily see £2bn spent. Clubs have such big budgets – Liverpool have spent £269m (and that’s before any Isak deal) and even promoted Sunderland have splashed out £120m. So a shiny new signing at the start of the window can be eclipsed by somebody else arriving. Managers want competition for places but given the ego of the modern player, and the focus on them to start especially in a World Cup year, it will be worth testing the temperature of those warming up.
Take Trafford. Manchester City wanted to. The aspiring England keeper, yet to be capped but very much in Thomas Tuchel’s plans behind Jordan Pickford and Dean Henderson, could have pushed more to leave Burnley for Newcastle United where he would have backed himself to ease out Nick Pope. City were able to match any offer under the terms of when he left them in 2023, so Trafford has ended up back at the Etihad for £31m. By not going to Newcastle, Trafford has effectively allowed Aaron Ramsdale to go there on loan and giving him more of a chance to challenge for the third-choice England goalkeeeper’s position at the World Cup – a position coveted by Trafford.