The transfer window has been open for a month and while it's been a quiet start to Premier League business, there have been some significant additions already.
Both the Copa America and European Championship finals are held this weekend and it's expected that transfer business will start to pick up from there.
The future of England captain Harry Kane, for example, is sure to return to the spotlight amid talk of Manchester City being willing to pay around £100million after the striker made it clear he was ready to leave Tottenham in the search for silverware.
Norwich City have been among the busier teams for incoming so far, with the additions of Milot Rashica, Angus Gunn and loanee Billy Gilmour, as well as the confirmation of permanent deals for Ben Gibson and Dimitris Giannoulis.
There are still over seven weeks until the 11pm deadline on Monday, August 30 though and even with the financial impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic, there's sure to be plenty of business completed before then.
Today we bring you the first part of our review of the transfers announced by the Canaries' top-flight rivals so far, as squads for the 2021-22 season begin to take shape.
ARSENAL
IN: None
OUT: Martin Odegaard (loan, returned to Real Madrid), David Luiz (contract expired), Dani Ceballos (loan, returned to Real Madrid), Mat Ryan (loan, returned to Brighton)
RETURNING FROM LOAN: Joe Willock (Newcastle), Sead Kolasinac (Schalke), Lucas Torreira (Atletico Madrid), William Saliba (Nice)
LEAVING ON LOAN: Matteo Guendouzi (Marseille)
VERDICT: Gunners fans are still waiting to see how their squad will change from last season, with the board seemingly keeping faith with Mikel Arteta as manager despite finishing eighth and missing out on Europe for the first time in 25 years.
ASTON VILLA
IN: Emi Buendia (Norwich, £38m), Ashley Young (Inter Milan, free)
OUT: Ross Barkley (Chelsea, end of loan), Ahmed Elmohamady (expired), Tom Heaton (Man Utd, free), Neil Taylor (expired), Bjorn Engels (Royal Antwerp, undisc)
RETURNING FROM LOAN: Lovre Kalinic (Hadjuk Split), Mbwana Samatta (Fenerbahce), Frederic Guilbert (Strasbourg), Conor Hourihane (Swansea)
VERDICT: Dean Smith is clearly being backed by the Villa hierarchy after securing 11th place but much will depend on the future of star man Jack Grealish, who is being linked with a big-money move to Manchester City. Reports of interest in midfielders including James Ward-Prowse and Emile Smith-Rowe, after the signing of Buendia, suggest the Villans are preparing for the England international’s farewell.
BRENTFORD
IN: None
OUT: Emiliano Marcondes (Bournemouth, free), Henrik Dalsgaard (Midtjylland, free), Luke Daniels (expired),
RETURNING FROM LOAN: Halil Dervisoglu (Galatasaray), Julian Jeanvier (Kasimpasa), Joel Valencia (Legia Warsaw)
LEAVING ON LOAN: Ellery Balcombe (Burton Albion)
VERDICT: Play-off victors have built a reputation for smart recruitment in recent years but that will be tested thoroughly in the Bees first season in the Premier League and first in the top flight since 1947. Marcondes and Dalsgaard have both left despite being regulars. Hanging on to star man Ivan Toney will be a priority, with the influential duo of Rico Henry and Josh Dasilva due back from injury.
BRIGHTON
IN: Enock Mwepu (RB Salzburg, £18m), Jeremy Sarmiento (Benfica, undisc)
OUT: Davy Propper (PSV Eindhoven, undisc), Jose Izquierdo (expired), Bernardo (RB Salzburg, undisc), Jan Mlakar (Hadjuk Split, undisc)
RETURNING FROM LOAN: Mat Ryan (Arsenal), Jurgen Locadia (Cincinnati), Matt Clarke (Derby)
VERDICT: The Seagulls survived comfortably last season thanks to a solid defensive record but will no doubt be keen to add goals, having scored just 40 as they secured fifth consecutive top-flight campaign. Graham Potter has made a significant addition to his midfield ranks so far in Mwepu and persuaded striker Danny Welbeck to sign a new one-year deal.
BURNLEY
IN: Nathan Collins (Stoke, £12m)
OUT: Ben Gibson (Norwich, £8m), Robbie Brady (expired)
VERDICT: A relatively quiet start to the window at Turf Moor despite new owners arriving midway through last season. Sean Dyche had been linked with the Crystal Palace vacancy but reports emerged recently that the manager was due to sign a new deal. Finished 17th but 11 points clear of trouble to ensure a sixth successive Premier League season.
CHELSEA
IN: None
OUT: Fikayo Tomoro (AC MIlan, £25m), Victor Moses (Spartak Moscow, undisc), Willy Caballero (expired), Marco van Ginkel (PSV Eindhoven, free), Danilo Pantic (Partizan Belgrade, undisc), Jamal Blackman (expired), Izzy Brown (Preston, free), Pierre Ekwah Elimby (West Ham, undisc)
RETURNING FROM LOAN: Kenedy (Granada), Davide Zappacosta (Genoa), Tiemoue Bakayoko (Napoli), Danny Drinkwater (Kasimpasa), Matt Miazga (Anderlecht)
LEAVING ON LOAN: Billy Gilmour (Norwich), Lucas Piazon (Braga, loan)
VERDICT: Thomas Tuchel’s first window since succeeding Frank Lampard is yet to bring any arrivals but the Euros and Copa America are likely to have held up business for a lot of the big boys. The German inspired a Champions League triumph and a surge to fourth place so is sure to be backed by Roman Abramovich if investment is required.
CRYSTAL PALACE
IN: Michael Olise (Reading, £8m)
OUT: Andros Townsend, Gary Cahill, Scott Dann, Nathaniel Clyne, Wayne Hennessey, James McCarthy, Mamadou Sakho, Patrick van Aanholt, Connor Wickham, Joel Ward (all expired)
VERDICT: First significant addition has arrived since Arsenal legend Patrick Vieira was the surprise appointment as manager recently, reportedly activating a release clause to sign EFL Young Player of the Season award winner Olise. With so many players seeing their contract expire, it could be a new-look Eagles team but as so often much may depend on whether star man Wilf Zaha gets a big move away. Finished 14th under Roy Hodgson, for an eighth season in mid-table.
EVERTON
IN: None
OUT: Theo Walcott (Southampton, free), Joshua King, Yannick Bolasie, Mo Besic (all expired), Robin Olsen (Roma, end of loan), Matthew Pennington (Shrewsbury, free)
RETURNING FROM LOAN: Moise Kean (PSG), Cenk Tosun (Besiktas), Jonjoe Kenny (Celtic)
VERDICT: Rafa Benitez has only just arrived as Carlo Ancelotti’s replacement after the Italian returned to Real Madrid after a bright start tailed off to finishing 10th. The Toffees owners are wealthy and ambitious so will expect an improvement from a talented squad that could do with a refresh.
LEEDS
IN: Jack Harrison (Man City, £11m), Junior Firpo (Barcelona, £13m)
OUT: Gaetano Berardi, Pablo Hernandez, Barry Douglas, Ezgjan Alioski (all expired)
VERDICT: The enigma that is Marcelo Bielsa will continue to go about his business quietly and methodically, after so impressively guiding Leeds to ninth. Kalvin Phillips has starred for England at the Euros but reports suggest the midfielder has no intention of leaving his boyhood club this summer.
(All fees are reported estimates, with only players considered as established first-team options included)
- We'll bring you part two of our transfer update tomorrow and make sure to tune in to Window Watch on this website at 1pm today, or via the Pink Un channels on YouTube, Twitter and Facebook, for all that latest Canaries transfer news and discussion.
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