The summer transfer window has finally slammed shut after a hectic day of dealing. Here’s a heads-up on those moves that have gone through – as always, we’ll have Scout Reports and Moving Targets on the main contenders over the next few days.
Abel Hernandez, Mo Diame, Gaston Ramirez and Hatem Ben Arfa to Hull
Steve Bruce has reinvested the £12 million picked up for the sale of Shane Long to Southampton by making the Uruguayan the Tigers’ record signing. Hernandez arrives at the KC on the back of 33 goals in 100 appearances for Italian club Palermo and, given the substantial outlay, it’s fair to assume he’ll be a regular starter for Hull in the season ahead. Nikica Jelavic has netted in each of his last two now and is starting to find his form, though Tom Ince’s prospects look a little more dubious now. The youngster has started alongside the Croatian up front as a result of Long’s departure but looks poised to make way for Hernandez – Ince owners will be hoping he can nail down the role in “the hole”, otherwise a spot on the bench looks likely if Bruce continues with a 3-5-2 formation.
With summer signing Robert Snodgrass sidelined for months due to a knee injury, Bruce has bolstered his options in the centre of the park. Diame grabbed four goals and three assists for West Ham last season but has fallen out of favour after a raft of new arrivals at Upton Park and will compete with the likes of Ince and Stephen Quinn for a spot in central midfield. Jake Livermore and Tom Huddlestone look nailed on under Bruce but Diame, at 5.4, is similarly priced and certainly offers the Tigers a real physical presence in the centre of the park.
Ramirez’ arrival on loan from Southampton perhaps suggests a change in approach from time to time. With Snodgrass sidelined for months, the Uruguayan could be tasked with injecting a little more creativity into a side that scored just 38 times last term. A switch to 4-5-1 or 4-4-2 could afford him a role on the flank, though again, he could tuck in behind Hernandez and Jelavic if Bruce keeps faith in his current system.
It’s been a busy deadline day for Steve Bruce. The Hull boss had handed Newcastle’s forgotten man the chance to re-ignite his career after falling out of Alan Pardew’s first-team plans. Ben Arfa’s lack of work-rate certainly wouldn’t work out wide in the 3-4-1-2 formation, though if Bruce decides on the central role behind the front two, a price of 5.8 is certainly worth monitoring. Given the numerous options available, though, it’s a case of wait and see.
Sebastian Coates and Ricardo Alvarez to Sunderland
With the Black Cats yet to deliver a clean sheet, Gus Poyet has drafted in his fellow Uruguayan on loan for the season ahead. At 4.5 in FPL, Coates is similarly priced to Sunderland’s main defensive assets and won’t be priced out of consideration – John O’Shea and Wes Brown’s security of starts looks under threat, then, which strengthens the prospects of Patrick van Aanholt as the best route into Poyet’s backline.
Poyet boosted his options in the attacking third by snapping up the Argentine from Inter Milan. Alvarez arrives on the back of nine goals and eight assists over his last two seasons in Serie A and if the Black Cats boss continues with his default 4-1-4-1 formation, the likes of Adam Johnson and Connor Wickham may have cause for concern given that new boy Will Buckley is also pushing for a start. A somewhat erratic player, Alvarez has the potential to offer the Wearsiders a real touch of class out wide though it remains to be seen how quickly he can adjust to life in the Premier League.
George Boyd and Nathaniel Chalobah to Burnley
The Clarets added to their options on the flank by acquiring Boyd from Hull. Matt Taylor has started the first three fixtures on the left for Sean Dyche’s side and has picked up an assist so far, though Boyd’s arrival could well bring him onto Fantasy radars. Available for just 4.4, he looks ideal as a cheap fifth midfielder if he can oust Taylor from the Burnley XI, though with two goals and a pair of assists for The Tigers last term, expectations of returns are low.
Chelsea youngster Chalobah is a versatile acquisition who offers options in defence and central midfield. Although he stands six foot one, he seems a little slight for a central defensive role in the Premier League and could instead be utilised in the middle of the park – he scored five goals on loan at Watford in 2012/13. His classification will be of interest to Fantasy managers – if he’s listed as a defender, we could be afforded an out of position prospect if Dyche reckons he can oust David Jones or Dean Marney in the starting XI.
Benjamin Stambouli to Tottenham
With Lewis Holtby and Sandro heading out the exit door, Mauricio Pochettino boosted his central midfield options by signing the combative 24-year-old from French club Montpellier. The Spurs boss has started Nabil Bentaleb and Etienne Capoue in the double-pivot for each of the first three Gameweeks and while Stambouli may well lessen their pitch time, a return of three goals in 112 appearances for the French outfit highlight his lack of impact in the final third.
James McArthur and Zeki Fryers to Palace
Fyers’ arrival from Spurs looks set to step up the competition for the left-back berth under new manager Neil Warnock. Joel Ward had looked a secure option under Tony Pulis but his owners will be a little concerned by this one – given last week’s 3-3 draw at Newcastle, though, many are already having reservations over the Eagles’ resilience this season. Ward may yet retain the spot on the left of defence, though could also shift over to the right, demoting Adrian Mariappa and Martin Kelly in the pecking order.
Warnock has splashed the cash on McArthur from Wigan to bolster his options in the middle of the park. With Joe Ledley and Stuart O’Keefe sidelined last week, the Palace boss was forced to field Ward in the engine room but the Scot’s arrival suggests he could be set to partner Mile Jedinak in a four-man midfield. McArthur has notched 11 times in 125 appearances for the Latics and offers far less potential than Jason Puncheon or Wilfried Zaha.
Radamel Falcao and Daley Blind to Man United
As rumours gather over a potential knee problem for Robin van Persie, Louis van Gaal has landed the biggest deal of deadline day with the Monaco frontman’s acquisition. There seems little doubt Falcao will be handed a central role for United, though his arrival poses question marks over just where Van Gaal plans to utilise Wayne Rooney and Van Persie in the XI. If the Dutchman is indeed set for surgery, Falcao and Rooney could be paired in the current 3-4-1-2, though if all three are fit and available, Rooney could be forced into a deeper berth or onto the flank in a 4-3-3. With matches against promoted pair QPR and Leicester up next, the Colombian has the chance to make an immediate impact – with Rooney at 10.5, a similar starting price could persuade many to snap him up immediately.
Van Gaal also improved his options bysigning compatriot Blind from Dutch champions Ajax. The versatile 24-year-old offers United alternatives at left wing-back and central defence, though could well be utilised in the middle of the park alongside Ander Herrera if Van Gaal continues with the 3-4-1-2 system. Given that Angel di Maria played in central midfield on his debut, the arrival of Blind, allied with Herrera’s imminent return from injury, means the United boss has numerous alternatives at his disposal. Certainly, Blind looks a starter under his former national coach, though it won’t be until the treatment room empties until we get an idea as to where he fits in the XI. With three goals to his name in his senior career, his Fantasy appeal is pretty limited to say the least.
Sandro and Niko Krancjar to QPR
Harry Redknapp returned to former club Spurs to snap up the ball-winning midfielder. A change in formation last weekend saw the R’s switch to 4-4-1-1, with Leroy Fer tucked in behind Charlie Austin. Fer provided the assist for Austin’s winner and could well be set to retain the advanced role – Redknapp fielded Jordon Mutch alongside Joey Barton in central midfield but with the latter looking more likely to retain his starting role, Mutch’s owners will be hoping his attacking potential can stave off the threat provided by Sandro for a starting role.
Krancjar reunites with the R’s boss after playing on loan for the Loftus Road outfit last term. Having also worked with the Croatian at Spurs and Portsmouth, Redknapp knows what he’s getting with Krancjar and, if decides to continue with a four-man midfield, could hand his new acquisition a role on the R’s left – such a scenario would see Junior Hoilett and Matt Phillips battle it out for the opposite flank.
Oussama Assaidi to Stoke
Mark Hughes has acquired the wide man on loan from Liverpool for the second successive season. The Potters boss admitted a knee injury sustained by Peter Odemwingie last weekend has played a part in his thinking and if the Nigerian is ruled out for any period of time, Assaidi could find himself in contention. The starters out wide are uncertain right now, though – Marko Arnautovic joined Bojan Krkic on the bench at City as Hughes started with Victor Moses and Jon Walters on the flanks, suggesting it’s best to steer clear for now.
Morgan Amalfitano to West Ham
The Frenchman returns to the Premier League after spending a season on loan at West Brom last term. Amalfitano’s delivery from the flank was a standout feature for the Baggies but after a quick start, he managed to pick up four goals and four assists. Certainly, if he’s to nail down the role on the right, Allardyce could switch Stewart Downing onto the opposite flank, with the likes of Matt Jarvis and Ricardo vaz Te struggling to stay in Big Sam’s first-team plans.
Toby Alderiweld and Sadio Mane to Southampton
The Belgian international arrives from Atletico on a season-long loan, with the Saints having the option to buy. While he’s versatile enough to be fielded at right-back, it seems more likely that Ronald Koeman will keep faith in Nathaniel Clyne, allowing the new boy a spot in central defence. Arriving from the La Liga winners, he’s not here to warm the bench and his arrival looks set to curtail Maya Yoshida’s pitch time alongside Jose Fonte, with the latter potentially coming under threat from new boy Florin Gardos.
Southampton have also pounced in the eleventh hour to seal a move for Red Bull Salzburg winger, Sadio Mane. The speedy Senegal international arrives for an undisclosed fee to inject pace and further goal threat into the Saints’ lineup, having scored 45 goals in 86 outings for the Austrians. The signing ends Koeman’s prolonged quest for a wide man: Mane is known to occupy the left side despite being a right-footed player. It remains to be seen how this impacts on Koeman’s starting lineup; up until now, Dusan Tadic has been deployed on the left, with James Ward-Prowse and Shane Long recently fielded on the opposite flank.
Danny Welbeck to Arsenal
With Olivier Giroud crocked and Yaya Sanogo unable to find the net, Arsene Wenger has turned to the United outcast in his attempt to solve Arsenal’s striking dilemma. Wenger’s decision to field Alexis Sanchez on the flank at Leicester suggests he’s not convinced by the Chilean through the middle and if Welbeck can cement that starting role, at a price of just 6.9 in FPL, he has the potential to be a steal. The former United man offers pace through the middle which could feed off the creativity of Sanchez, Mesut Ozil and Aaron Ramsey – given that he converted 19.6% of his chances in the league last season, compared to Giroud’s 14.3%, Wenger may well have pulled off a canny piece of business.
