By Nyle Farooqui
Conor Coady to Everton:
Everton signed 29 year old English defender Connor Coady from Wolverhampton Wanderers on a one year loan. According to Fabrizio Romano, there is a purchase option. Coady comes with plenty of experience as an England international. He provides great leadership, serving as the captain of Wolves for 4 years. Coady has proven to establish himself as one of the best English center backs in the Premier League. It is a good signing for Everton as it will help bolster their defense with Ben Godfrey out for three months after fracturing his fibula and Yerry Mina out with an ankle ligament injury.
Marcos Senesi to AFC Bournemouth:
AFC Bournemouth signed 25 year old Argentina defender Marcos Senesi from Eredivisie side Feyenoord to a four year deal. It is a fee of €12.5m with €3m in add-ons (Ahmed Shooble of The Athletic). Senesi is a defender that knows when to step up the field at the right time (Jackel Kulig of Football Talent Scout). He is great at 1v1 defending and fits a high defensive line well. The Argentine defender is pretty quick, he struggles however when he plays in a deeper defensive block as he is depended on to turn more and work in tight spaces. Senesi is great on the ball, he occasionally takes too many risks but is good with helping his team build-up. He is good at finding his teammates and is comfortable at moving the ball forward from the back. A good signing for Bournemouth as Senesi will bolster their defense and fits the way they want to play.
Gonçalo Guedes to Wolverhampton Wanderers:
Wolverhampton Wanderers signed 25 year old Portuguese forward Gonçalo Guedes from La Liga side Valencia to a five year deal for a fee of £27.5m. Guedes had 13 goals and 6 assists across all competitions for Valencia last season, the best season of his career so far. Wolves needed to sign a striker after Raul Jimenez suffered an injury during preseason. At the Portuguese talent’s best, he is a problem for defenders (Dermot Corrigan of The Athletic). His pace, strength, and technical ability cause the opposition problems as he is able to go behind the defense and score along with creating chances for teammates. The belief however is that Guedes has not been able to play up to his potential as injuries have really impacted his career, he has not been able to produce consistently. The hope however will be that Guedes can stay fit and play at his best for Wolves. If Guedes can do that, then it is a great piece of business from Wolves.
Joel Robles to Leeds United:
Leeds United signed 32 year old Spanish goalkeeper Joel Robles on a free transfer from La Liga side Real Betis. Robles comes with plenty of experience as he has played for Atlético Madrid, Rayo Vallecano, Wigan Athletic, Everton, and Real Betis. He will add experience to the goalkeeping position and also provide good competition for Illan Meslier and Kristoffer Klaesson (Ciaran O’Hare of Through It All Together). A good signing for Leeds as Robles could potentially give Meslier a break at times in less important matches.
Amadou Onana to Everton FC:
Everton FC signed 20 year old Belgium midfielder Amadou Onana from Ligue One side Lille to a five year contract. According to the BBC, it is for a fee of £33m. Onana had 1 goal in 32 Ligue One appearances for Lille last season. The young midfielder can play in many positions in the midfield but has been mainly at the left of a double pivot or a part of a single pivot (Adam Scully of Total Football Analysis). Onana is a very bulky player as he is 6’5”. He is also capable of playing as No.8 in an advanced role in the midfield as a part of a 4-3-3 formation and can also play in a 4-4-2 diamond formation. Onana likes to receive the ball from the backline along with distributing play and occasionally driving forward. He is an all-round player. Onana is seen as a technically gifted player along with being a good tackler. Defensively, Onana works hard as he is good at winning many of his defensive duels). The young talent is a great presser of the ball along with being good at finding space to be available for a pass. Onana needs to work however on making more forward passes as his passes tend to be backwards. He is a great dribbler of the ball, making it hard for the opposition to take the ball off him. Onana is young and still has room to grow, but he will add quality and depth to Everton. A good signing for Frank Lampard’s side that could be valuable short-term and long-term.
Issa Diop to Fulham FC:
Fulham FC signed 25 year old French defender Issa Diop from West Ham United for a fee of £15m to a five year deal. Diop made 13 appearances for West Ham in the Premier League last season. During his first season at West Ham, the French defender truly stood out. Diop was great in the air and physical (Sam Cole of Fulham Focus). He was able to read the game well and was pacey, being able to help out fullbacks if they were caught out. Diop’s ability to block the ball is a strength that he carries over with him today. As a defender, Diop is willing to put his body on the line to stop the opposition from an opportunity. His 1.85 blocks per 90 last season proves this. However, his performances have not been as great since his first season at West Ham. He was not able to impress in a new system under David Moyes. Diop could be the right fit for Fulham with the way they want to play, he is a solid defender with good Premier League experience. A good signing for Fulham as Issa Diop will be able to bolster the defense if at his best.
Mikkel Damsgaard to Brentford FC:
Brentford FC announced that they signed 22 year old Danish midfielder Mikkel Damsgaard from Serie A side Sampdoria to a five year contract for €12m. Damsgaard is a player that really showed what he is capable of at Euro 2022. He is a different player to Eriksen so the expectation should not be that he is a direct replacement (Jay Harris of The Athletic). Last season was not ideal as Damsgaard was out for 6 months due to injury, he only played 11 games for Sampdoria in Serie A last season (Jay Harris of The Athletic). Thomas Frank sees Damsgaard as being capable of playing as a No.8 or No.10 in a 4-3-3 formation. Damsgaard’s best role is more of a traditional winger instead of a central attacking midfielder. He is known to be a versatile player. Daamsgard is great at involving his teammates into play. The hope is that he will be capable of making space for teammates that can be exploited. The talented Denmark international is a great dribbler, being able to evade through tight spaces. He is good at taking the ball forward into dangerous areas and is capable of scoring great goals from distance. Damsgaard is great on the ball and even off the ball. He is able to stop opponents from progressing the ball forward by making tackles and clearances. Damsgaard is even capable of recovering and intercepting the ball, which will enable Brentford to turn over possession in dangerous areas for the opposition. He is a special and pacey player with the ability to unlock defenses, he waits to pounce on a perfect opportunity instead of just always chasing the opposition. This is a great signing for Brentford as Damsgaard fits the way they want to play. It will probably take time for the young talent to adjust but he is a player that has the potential to make a great impact on the team.
Emmanuel Dennis to Nottingham Forest:
Nottingham Forest signed 24 year old Nigerian forward Emmanuel Dennis from EFL Championship side Watford FC to a four year contract for £20m. He scored 10 goals in 33 appearances last season for Watford in the Premier League. Dennis is in the right places at the right time to help his team with his goalscoring capabilities (Breaking the Lines). The forward understands where his opponents are inside the box. Dennis is able to identify ball watching or preoccupied opponents and then move into empty areas that can be exploited. The former Watford player is great at making runs in behind as he is great with timing his runs. Dennis is a very tricky player with his pace, technique, and agility. He is good at protecting the ball under pressure and evading danger with his physique and balance. The Nigerian player is a great passer of the ball. He has a good array of passes, giving his teammates passes such as balls on the ground and layoffs. This is a great signing for Brentford that adds to the attacking depth of their squad.
Cheikhou Kouyate to Nottingham Forest:
Nottingham Forest signed 32 year old Senegalese midfielder Cheikhou Kouyaté as a free agent to a two year contract. Kouyaté is a player that provides plenty of experience with 447 career appearances as he has played for RWDM Brussels, Anderlecht, K.V. Kortrijk, West Ham United, and Crystal Palace. The veteran can play as both a midfielder and a center back. According to WhoScored, Kouyaté comes with some pretty notable strengths. He is great at aerial duels, blocking the ball, tackling, and concentration. This is a great signing for Nottingham Forest as Kouyate comes with the experience of what it is like to play in the Premier League.
Alex Smithies to Leicester City:
Leicester City signed 32 year old English goalkeeper Alex Smithies as a free agent to a two year deal. He made 29 appearances for Cardiff City in the EFL Championship last season. Smithies is another player that provides plenty of experience with 444 career appearances as he has played for Huddersfield Town, QPR, and Cardiff City. Smithies himself has admitted that his role at Leicester will be different to when he was in Huddersfield as he will be more of a team player here with the Foxes (BBC). He will be helping support the team off the field and will be able to step in when needed (BBC). A necessary signing for Leicester City to bolster their goalkeeping depth as Leicester City legend Kasper Schmeichel departed the club after 11 years in Leicester to join Ligue One side OGC Nice. This is Leicester’s first signing of the summer transfer window. It is concerning to see their lack of activity in the transfer market as everyone else around them is improving, this makes it uncertain if Leicester can be a top 6 team this season.
Remo Freuler to Nottingham Forest:
Nottingham Forest signed 30 year old Swiss midfielder Remo Freuler from Serie A side Atalanta on a three year deal for an initial £7.6m plus add-ons to a three year contract (Fabrizio Romano and Joel Mians of The Guardian). Freuler had 1 goal and 3 assists in 29 matches for Atalanta in Serie A last season. The Swiss international is a player that provides tremendous leadership as he served as the captain for Atalanta. Freuler made more than 200 appearances for Atalanta. He has 46 caps for the Switzerland national team and participated in the 2018 World Cup and Euro 2020. The veteran player is a hard working and versatile player (Paul Taylor of The Athletic). He is an intelligent and all-around player. This is a great piece of business from Nottingham Forest as they are bringing in a player that not just brings tremendous European experience but is also a quality player that will help bolster their midfield.
Sources:
Comments