It’s finally here! The 2017 summer transfer window has finally opened, and all the pre-agreed deals will now be officially completed. But now, as another week has passed, it’s time for another weekly window update.
Let’s start back at the what seems to be the usual place, the blue side of Merseyside. Everton signed Malaga forward Sandro Ramirez for around £5m in late June, and loaned promising young defender Brendan Galloway to now-Championship-side Sunderland. The BBC are also reporting that they have stepped up their interest in bringing Man United’s top-all-time-goalscorer Wayne Rooney back to his boyhood club. Their supposed pursuit of Rooney has lasted around two years now, but interest from China had loomed large before new legislation preventing Chinese clubs from fielding more that four non-Chinese players at a time came in.
Arsenal have also just confirmed the purchase of Alexandre Lacazette from Lyon, but I won’t go into too much depth about that, seeing as I’ve already made a post on it.
Also, John Terry joined Aston Villa on a free transfer, with Terry apparently turning down Premier League sides as “the mental side of playing against Chelsea is too much”. It’s a fairly unorthodox reason for signing for a club, but I guess Terry doesn’t really have a reputation for being “normal”.
From one controversial centre-back to another, as Pepe left Real Madrid for Besikitas yesterday on a free transfer. The Portuguese defender, according to the BBC, had a medical at PSG before choosing to join the Turkish champions. He has a previous record of being rather hot-headed. He was sent off in the 2014 world cup for a “headbutt” on German Thomas Muller, and is known for his unsportsmanlike behaviour and hard-tackling style.
Premier League newcomers Huddersfield have also been attracting attention with their high profile signings. Just today they spent £12m on Montpellier striker Steve Mounie (a club-record fee), and have also signed Tom Ince (son of Paul Ince), Danny Williams from Reading on a free, Aaron Mooy from Man City for what was a record £8m (he was on loan there last season), Mainz ‘keeper Jonas Lossl, and finally, Porto striker Laurent Depoitre for £3.5m (also a record fee at the time). That’s six new signings, three new record transfer fees, a total of at least £25m. I think they’re one to keep an eye on.
That’s about it for transfer news and gossip, but I just wanted to say a massive thanks for the support the site has been getting recently, it’s really great to see that people are enjoying what I’m putting out there.
Also, I’m just organising an opportunity to do something big, and that will be out in about two weeks. I won’t reveal too much, but I think you’ll like it.
As always, if you enjoyed the post then please do leave a like, and if you have any comments, queries or suggestions then please do add to the discussion in the comments down below. If you want to see more from the dugout and be alerted when I post new content then please subscribe, you can use either your WordPress account or your Email, as always, it’s free. There will be a new post out at the weekend, so stay tuned.
Billy
In the dugout 