Ok, first the numbers.
We started the window with 40 players, we ended it with 29.
2 players contracts expired, we loaned out 8 players, we sold 7 players(1 free transfer) = 17 out, 2 players were removed for now.
We bought 6(1 free transfer) and loaned 1, 1 player was added for now.
GK
We started the window with 3 Keepers, Pickford will retain his number 1, Stekkers will continue to be a hologram and we traded Lossl for Virginia.
Not much change here, Virginia is a promising young Keeper who will hopefully gain experience on loan and im hopeful that Lossl will be a decent enough deputy.
RB
2 at the start and 3 at the end, Martina was moved here from LB and I would imagine he will be moved on before the end of the month. JJK again will hopefully gain some experience away on loan and we have brought in Sidibe, who im led to believe was at 1 point a very good player but sadly didnt have the best of seasons last year. Still hes an experienced player and im hopeful he can put some pressure on Coleman and keep him on his toes. I consider this an improved position.
LB
Luca Digne, what a man. We started the window with 6 LBs, Martina was moved, Baines was retained, Robinson, Galloway and Garbutt were moved on, so all in all we stayed pretty much the same, with Baines backing up the best LB in Europe.
CB
Yerry Mina and Keggers will no doubt be the happiest of our players after this window, our failure to secure a CB has plenty of scope to bite us firmly on the backside, lets hope not. Jags and Williams left after contract expiry and Pennington was loaned out. Gibson was "drafted in", but for me its certainly our weakest area, depth-wise.
DM/CM/AM
Lots of movement here, Gomes was retained from last season, Delph and Gbamin were added, TomTom and for now Snides remained. Gana, McCarthy, Williams and Vlasic were sold and Besic and Dowell were loaned out. Connolly and Beni have been removed, for now. How we cope without Gana time will tell. Delph will prove to be a good signing if he can stay fit and I like the brief glimpses ive seen of Gbamin. Its difficult to say if we have improved due to Delphs fitness and how Gbamin will settle, im calling it equal for now, Ganas loss is big, but for me signing 3 players MIGHT just improve things, we shall see.
Widers
Lookman was moved on, for now Henry is still here, so are Mirallas and Bolaise. So you could say we have traded Lookman for Iwobi, the boy Alex is gonna have to be pretty bad to play any worse than Lookman, so im calling this an upgrade personally. Rico and little Bernie, plus Walcott have of course remained.
ST
Sandro and Tarashaj were both loaned out. DCL, Tosun and Niasse remain, for now. But of course, for me, our best bit of business this window, Mo Keggers. A massive improvement made here.
TL;DR
5 positions upgraded
1 equal and 1 area short
A quick look back on the squad that started :
GK
Jordan Pickford
João Virginia
Maarten Stekelenburg
RB
Séamus Coleman
Jonjoe Kenny
LB
Lucas Digne
Leighton Baines
Antonee Robinson
Brendan Galloway
Luke Garbutt
Cuco Martina
CB
Yerry Mina
Michael Keane
Mason Holgate
Phil Jagielka
Matthew Pennington
Ashley Williams
DM/CM/AM
Idrissa Gueye
Gylfi Sigurðsson
Tom Davies
James McCarthy
Morgan Schneiderlin
Muhamed Bešić
Kieran Dowell
Joe Williams
Beni Baningime
Callum Connolly
Nikola Vlašić
Widers
Richarlison
Bernard
Theo Walcott
Ademola Lookman
Henry Onyekuru
Yannick Bolasie
Kevin Mirallas
ST
Dominic Calvert-Lewin
Cenk Tosun
Oumar Niasse
Sandro Ramírez
Shani Tarashaj
Total players: 40
And the 1 that ended the buying part of the window :
GK
Jordan Pickford (HG)
Jonas Lössl
Maarten Stekelenburg
RB
Séamus Coleman
Djibril Sidibé
Cuco Martina
LB
Lucas Digne
Leighton Baines (HG)
CB
Yerry Mina
Michael Keane (HG)
Mason Holgate (HG)
Lewis Gibson (UA)
DM/CM/AM
Gylfi Sigurðsson (HG)
André Gomes
Fabian Delph (HG)
Jean-Philippe Gbamin
Tom Davies (UA)
Morgan Schneiderlin (HG)
Widers
Richarlison
Bernard
Alex Iwobi (HG)
Theo Walcott (HG)
Henry Onyekuru
Yannick Bolasie
Kevin Mirallas
ST
Moise Kean (UA)
Dominic Calvert-Lewin (HG)
Cenk Tosun
Oumar Niasse
Total players: 29
10 HG/16 Non-HG/3 UnderAge
Max 17 Non-HG
Players culled so far: 17(2)
A.Williams(OOC), Jagielka(OOC), JJK(Loan), Vlasic(Sale), Sandro(Loan), Galloway(Free), Virginia(Loan), Dowell(Loan), Garbutt(Loan), Tarashaji(Loan), Robinson(Sale), Lookman(Sale), Gana(Sale), J.Williams(Sale), McCarthy(Sale), Pennington(Loan), Besic(Loan)
Connolly, Baningime (Removed)
Players purchased : 7
Lossl, Gomes, Delph, Gbamin, Kean, Sidibe(Loan), Iwobi
There is of course 3 weeks left in the window and I will do edits as and when needed, but for now, thanks for reading and see you again in December when I will take a quick look before the Winter window starts.
