The summer transfer window of 2017 is now in full flow. We’ve had big signings, big sales, everything. Man United’s purchase of Chelsea target Lukaku and Chelsea’s signing of United’s target Morata has made a blockbuster of an attack for each side, and could also hint towards a vicious locking of heads between the defending champions and the record-holders in the season to come.
And it hasn’t just been the big boys making the mass signings. Huddersfield have smashed their transfer record three times, and Everton have brought in the most, signing eleven players, including Wayne Rooney, David Klaassen and Michael Keane.
There have been some big sales too. Diego Costa looks set to leave Chelsea, Wayne Rooney returned to boyhood club, Everton, and Stoke have sold playmaker Marco Arnautovic to West Ham.
You can’t really “win” a transfer window, but, for me, Everton and Huddersfield have to have done the best. They’ve snapped up their targets, got their business done early on and not faffed about over image rights and agents fees. I think a few sides should be taking a leaf out of their book.
This window has also been the window of the extravagant player reveals, with possibly the worst as of yet coming from Chelsea, announcing their purchase of defender Antonio Rudiger from Roma, where a young child asks his father if he can have his shirt printed with the German’s name on the back, instead of one of the more obvious attackers like Hazard or Willian. After a few minutes of clearly low-budget acting and a smug looking six-year-old, the till-attendant goes into the back room and asks the player himself if he can have his name on the back. Rudiger turns around and says “why not, I’m a Chelsea player now!”.
1874 Northwich, a non-league side in the same league as West Didsbury and Chorlton (check out the interview I did with their manager, Steve Settle), have also taken a novel approach to player announcements, poking fun at the players with captions such as “we signed him up before “love island” did!”, and “here he is modelling a large boys replica shirt, welcome to the club big man!”. Their comedic-phrases have spread across the internet, and the players can obviously take a bit of fun.
Also, if you’re into your fantasy-football, please feel free to join my league, “the Dugout Cup”. Just go to your home page, select “leagues”, then “create and join new leagues”, then “join a league”, then “join private league” then enter this code:
973676-233557
Anyway, I just wanted to say thanks again, for all the support recently. It really means a lot and it’s great to see people enjoying my content. If you enjoyed the post please leave a “like”, and share. Have your say in the comment section below and 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 Email or WordPress account, and it’s totally free There will be a new post next week, so stay tuned!
Billy
In the dugout 