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By Nyle Farooqui
Marcus Tavernier to AFC Bournemouth:
AFC Bournemouth signed 23 year old English midfielder Marcus Tavernier from EFL Championship side Middlesborough to a 5 year contract for £10m, the deal could reach to £12m with add-ons (Anthony Hay of The Athletic). AFC Bournemouth manager Scott Parker will be looking to use Marcus Tavernier as left wing back in a 5-3-2 system (Ahmed Shooble of The Athletic). He can also play as a midfielder or winger (Ahmed Shooble of The Athletic). According to The Athletic, Bournemouth’s coaching staff see Tavernier as a player that is best getting into central areas to help crowd the midfield and prevent the opposition from building up. The 23 year old Englishman is a progressive player (Ahmed Shooble of The Athletic). He often looks to play the ball forward (Ahmed Shooble of The Athletic). The most impressive aspect of Tavernier’s game is his ability to both move the ball forward and disrupt the opposition from progressing (Ahmed Shooble of The Athletic). He is solid defensively as he is available to make tackles, blocks, and clearances (Ahmed Shooble of The Athletic). The way Tavernier plays fits the way Bournemouth wants to play as a transition based team (Ahmed Shooble of The Athletic). This is a great piece of business for Bournemouth as he is a versatile player and adds plenty of quality.
Bernd Leno to Fulham:
Fulham signed 30 year old German goalkeeper Bernd Leno from Arsenal to a three year contract with the option of an additional year. According to BBC, Fulham are paying £3m up front with a further £5m in potential add-ons. Leno kept 37 clean sheets in 125 appearances in all competitions for Arsenal. However, he only played 9 games last season due to 24 year old English goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale taking his place. Leno is known to be a good shot stopper. Getting a goalkeeper like Bernd Leno for £8m is a potential bargain. The hope for Fulham is that he can be at his best. A good signing for Fulham as Leno provides good Premier League experience.
Gabriel Slonina to Chelsea:
Chelsea signed 18 year old American goalkeeper Gabriel Slonina from MLS side Chicago Fire to a six year contract. According to The Athletic, it is a $10m fee. However, add-ons could have it rise to $15m. Slonina will stay with Chicago Fire on loan from Chelsea however for the rest of this season. The young goalkeeper has 8 clean sheets in 19 appearances so far this season, ranking 3rd in most MLS clean sheets this season. Slonina is great with the ball at his feet, his passing range is slightly above average as it is pretty accurate (Total Football Analysis). The young goalkeeper is not afraid to come off his line as he is willing to make sure that there is not much space between him and the backline (Total Football Analysis). He is great at communicating with his teammates to make sure that his backline is steady (Total Football Analysis). Slonina is great at reading and claiming ground passes (Total Football Analysis). The reflexes that Slonina possesses for a goalkeeper of his age is incredible. He has been called upon many times to help an unstable Chicago Fire defense and when called upon, he has done well. Slonina is a very young goalkeeper so he obviously has areas where he can improve. His decision and consistency are areas where he needs to improve the most, dealing with rebounds effectively would be an example of this (Total Football Analysis). Slonina needs to be able to help end danger, sometimes his saves can fall right into the feet of the opposition when punching the ball out (Total Football Analysis). This is something that he has to be better at avoiding (Total Football Analysis). Slonina also will need to improve with his footwork in order to make a save faster (Total Football Analysis). A good signing for Chelsea as Slonina is a goalkeeper with tremendous potential, he is already showing so much promise for his age. Of course, there are areas where he can still grow but that will hopefully come with more development. USMNT fans will certainly be hoping that Slonina will be able to make his mark at Chelsea in order to further develop as a goalkeeper.
Carney Chukwuemeka to Chelsea FC:
Chelsea signed 18 year old English midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka to a six year contract. It is a £15m fee plus £5m in add-ons. Carney is considered as one of the brightest young talents in England. He usually plays as a box to box or defensive midfielder. However, he played on the left wing during his time at Aston Villa. Carney is a great passer of the ball. Last season, he averaged a pass success ratio of 81.7% in his 14 appearances for Villa last season. Carney is great as a dribbler and off the ball. He won 54.7% of his duels and completed 60% of his attempted dribbles last season. Offensively, Carney likes to drive at his opponents. He is very mature for his age, willing to learn from his mistakes and see what he can do better. Carney is a very promising player for his age. He really shined with England at the Euro U19, with 3 goals and 2 assists in 5 games. There is a reason why there was massive interest in Carney Chukwuemeka from the biggest European teams such as Barcelona. He has everything that you want out of a player and the frightening thing is that he still has room to grow. A great signing for Chelsea as Carney is a player that can help Chelsea now while perhaps being a more crucial player in the long-term.
Shane Duffy to Fulham FC:
Fulham signed 30 year old Irish defender Shane Duffy on loan from Brighton. He had 15 starts in 18 appearances for Brighton last season. According to Peter Rutzler and Andy Naylor of The Athletic, Duffy is expected to provide competition with Tim Ream and Tosin Adarabioyo. The Irishman comes with plenty of experience, making more than 300 career appearances (Peter Rutzler and Andy Naylor of The Athletic). A good piece of business for Fulham as they are getting a player that has experience of what it takes to do well in the PL and will provide depth to Fulham’s defense.
Marc Cucurella to Chelsea FC:
Chelsea signed 24 year old Spanish left back Marc Cucurella from Brighton and Hove Albion to a six year contract. It is a £56m transfer fee with the potential of it reaching to £63m with add-ons. Cucurella had 1 goal and 1 assist in 36 appearances for Brighton last season. The Spaniard is known to be a speedy defender (Liam Twomey and Mark Carey of The Athletic). This helps him to defend on the front foot and aggressively (Liam Twomey and Mark Carey of The Athletic). His height at 5’8 does not give him an advantage in aerial duels, however he is still a good reader of the game (Liam Twomey and Mark Carey of The Athletic). Cucurella’s aggression, good sense of timing, and strong jumps allow him to deal with the opposition (Liam Twomey and Mark Carey of The Athletic). He is great at recovering the ball when it is lost (Liam Twomey and Mark Carey of The Athletic). On the ball, Cucurella is effective (Liam Twomey and Mark Carey of The Athletic). He is great in tight spaces and often plays short passes to help the team be stable and progress up the field (Liam Twomey and Mark Carey of The Athletic). Cucurella’s stats last season do not reflect his attacking capabilities. He is great at crossing, high/wide deliveries, and cutbacks (Liam Twomey and Mark Carey of The Athletic). A great signing for Cucurella as he will add a lot of quality to Chelsea along with providing many options for where he can play. Biggest concern is the amount of money that Chelsea paid to bring Cucurella in. Is he worth the exact amount of money Chelsea paid for him? Manchester City were in the race to sign Cucurella but they only wanted to sign him if Brighton’s valuation of him was lowered to £35m (ESPN). A good piece of business for Chelsea however as they need to strengthen with the top 4 looking much more competitive.
Levi Colwill to Brighton:
Brighton and Hove Albion announced that they signed 19 year old English defender Levi Colwill from Chelsea FC. According to Fabrizio Romano, it is a one year loan with no option to buy. According to Breaking the Lines, Colwill is a physical and technical defender. He is able to outjump, outpace, and outmuscle many opposition players (Brad Jones of Breaking the Lines). Colwill then has the ability to dribble the ball away from the defense or make a pass that breaks defensive lines and allows his team to get forward (Brad Jones of Breaking the Lines). He is known to be great on set pieces along with helping the team progress up the field (Brad Jones of Breaking the Lines). This is a good signing from Brighton that will help them deal with the loss of Marc Cucurella to Chelsea. He is 19 but yet looks already very promising for a defender of his age. He showed that he can handle the Championship well. The Premier League is a step up, but one would argue that he has the talent to succeed. It will be very interesting to see how Colwill develops in Brighton along with what it potentially means for his future at Chelsea.
Maxwel Cornet to West Ham United:
West Ham signed 25 year old Ivorian winger Maxwel Cornet from EFL Championship side Maxwel Cornet to a 5 year contract for a £17.5m transfer fee. Cornet had 9 goals and 1 assist in 26 appearances for Burnley’s campaign last season that ended with relegation. The Ivorian winger has the ability to stretch the pitch frequently (Andy Jones of The Athletic). He plays in a very advanced role (Andy Jones of The Athletic). When playing on the wing, Cornet dribbles often because he can use his speed to trick opponents. He does not pass the ball as much (Andy Jones of The Athletic). West Ham are getting a creative player. Cornet contributes heavily to the attack and goal scoring chances, he is not afraid to get into the box and take a shot at goal when the opportunity comes (Andy Jones of The Athletic). Off the ball, Cornet is also great defensively (Andy Jones of The Athletic). He is willing to help his team stop the opposition from advancing up the field (Andy Jones of The Athletic). Cornet can intercept and recover the ball (Andy Jones of The Athletic). During his time at Burnley, Cornet had a mixed first experience in the Premier League. With one year of experience in the Premier League, the hope for West Ham is that Cornet can be at his best for them. A good signing for West Ham that adds depth to their attack.
Neto to AFC Bournemouth:
AFC Bournemouth signed 33 year old Brazilian goalkeeper Neto on a free transfer from La Liga side FC Barcelona to a one year deal. Neto is a goalkeeper that comes with plenty of experience. He has played for Paranaense, Fiorentia, Juventus, Valencia, and Barcelona. Neto has kept 78 clean sheets in 224 matches (AFC Bournemouth). The veteran goalkeeper will add to the quality in the goalkeeping position. His experience is valuable as he is an example of what it means to succeed at the top level. A great signing for AFC Bournemouth as Neto can make an impact both on and off the pitch.
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