Experts pick standout deals and lingering questions from the transfer window
The Athletic's panel identified Antonio Silva's move to Bournemouth and Mamadou Sangare's arrival at Brentford as among the best signings. They also noted the late collapse of deals involving Lamine Camara and Folarin Balogun, and highlighted Enzo Fernandez's £125m transfer to Manchester City. The experts discussed which coaches face the most pressure and which players could be targets next summer.
The window's final day saw significant disruption, with Monaco pulling the plug on Lamine Camara's move to Chelsea and Folarin Balogun withdrawing from a transfer to Everton. Chelsea offset those complications by selling Enzo Fernandez to Manchester City for £125 million, while also bringing in Emiliano Martinez for a modest £7.5 million and Morgan Rogers for a hefty £117 million.
Several experts praised Brentford's capture of Mamadou Sangare as a bargain, noting his fast start in the Premier League. Other notable moves included Antonio Silva joining Bournemouth, Ibrahim Mbaye landing at Aston Villa, Amar Dedic moving to Newcastle, Mykhailo Mudryk heading to Tottenham, and Ollie Watkins departing Villa for the Saudi Pro League.
This transfer window could reshape competitive balance across the Premier League, as clubs that secured shrewd bargains like Sangare and Martinez may gain an edge over rivals who overspent. The late collapse of high-profile deals could strain relationships between clubs and agents, potentially affecting future negotiations. Fans may feel heightened uncertainty about player loyalty, while the continued flow of talent to Saudi Arabia could influence how European clubs approach squad planning and financial strategy in coming seasons.