Football
Iain Macintosh, ESPN.com writer 7y

Premier League transfers: What the big boys still need to do in the market

The transfer market is intensifying and every day seems to bring a major deal, but what more do the seven biggest Premier League clubs need to do before the window shuts at the end of August? And who's in the best shape?

CHELSEA

The capture of Alvaro Morata is excellent news for Chelsea supporters, but there's still so much more to be done; little wonder that manager Antonio Conte has been less than impressed with his paymasters. The champions have covered the major gaps, bringing in Morata for Diego Costa, who will presumably leave, as well as Antonio Rudiger for John Terry and Tiemoue Bakayoko for the apparently departing Nemanja Matic, but there's a serious lack of depth in the squad. Chelsea are back in Europe this year and they're unlikely to be as fortunate with injuries as in 2016-17. Their primary objective has to be sign one, or ideally two, good wing-backs to provide cover for Victor Moses and Marcos Alonso. But as Manchester City will testify, they don't come cheap.

VERDICT: Go back to the shops and don't return until the trolley is full.

TOTTENHAM

There isn't really a lot wrong with Tottenham's squad and so it's hardly surprising that they're yet to bring in a single player. They have a ready-made replacement for Kyle Walker in Kieran Trippier and, er, Kyle Walker-Peters, the young full-back, who performed so well for the England under-20 side this summer. There have been rumours of a move for Everton midfielder Ross Barkley, but that seems unlikely on the basis that there's no obvious gap for him to fill. The only area of the squad that really needs work is the old chestnut of Harry Kane's backup. It is possible that Vincent Janssen will kick on in his second season, but it's surprising that Spurs didn't move for Manchester City's talented young striker Kelechi Iheanacho.

VERDICT: One more striker and they'll be there.

MANCHESTER CITY

City have spent big this summer, but they've also spent smart, beacuse it was obvious early last season that Pep Guardiola's full-backs weren't going to be good enough. They paid a high price for Kyle Walker, but he was a key component in a Tottenham team that finished second and third in the last two years, so there shouldn't be any concerns about him settling into the team. Danilo is also arriving and, on the left side, City have agreed a price for Monaco left-back Benjamin Mendy. Meanwhile, Ederson will come in for the hapless goalkeeper Claudio Bravo and the arrival of Bernardo Silva means that City now have a terrifying array of attacking midfielders. If we're being picky, they could probably do with one more centre-back, but this might be a chance for young Tosin Adarabioyo to shine.

VERDICT: Mission accomplished.

LIVERPOOL

Jurgen Klopp desperately needs a new centre-back if Liverpool are to make a challenge for the title this season. Dejan Lovren and Joel Matip, on their day, are a good partnership but the only backup is Ragnar Klavan and Joe Gomez and that's not going to be enough. Virgil van Dijk's public desire to leave Southampton might reignite his "will he / won't he" saga, but it's equally possible that he'll be snapped up by someone else. Mohamed Salah is a good signing and will leave Liverpool less reliant on Sadio Mane, while Dominic Solanke could be one of the bargains of the summer and Andrew Robertson is an exciting full-back with Premier League experience. Liverpool must also resist Barcelona's advances toward Philippe Coutinho.

VERDICT: Buy a centre-back. Buy a centre-back. Buy a centre-back.

ARSENAL

Like their north London neighbours, Arsenal don't have any obvious weaknesses. There are certainly areas that can be improved and there are players with more to give, but you always sense with Arsenal that they're not missing out on the title through any lack of talent in the squad. Alexandre Lacazette is a good signing and should be ready to hit the ground running, while the versatile Sead Kolasinac is an interesting signing who should provide cover for both a back-three or back-four formation. You could make an argument for a new midfielder, but if Granit Xhaka starts this season like he ended the last one, perhaps they won't need one. Should Alexis Sanchez depart, though, a new forward might be needed.

VERDICT: Mission accomplished... so far.

MANCHESTER UNITED

Manchester City have flung more than £100 million at full-backs this summer, but United have yet to join in. You would think that such a player would be next on the Old Trafford shopping list and there has been talk of a move for Serge Aurier, but it is possible that Jose Mourinho might be prepared to bring poor Luke Shaw in from the cold instead. Romelu Lukaku is an excellent signing, even at £75m, and Victor Lindelof should reinforce the back line. It's never wise to read anything into preseason friendly performances, but United have enjoyed their summer and if Paul Pogba continues to impress as he did in the second half of last season, they could be in title contention.

VERDICT: Are you sure you don't want a new left-back?

EVERTON

Everton's season will be determined by how quickly their new signings settle, but there is no question that they have had a good transfer window. They've moved quickly and fearlessly for what was obviously a well-prepared shortlist. There is a new spine to the team now with Jordan Pickford in goal, Michael Keane at the back, Davy Klaassen in the middle and Sandro up front. Oh, and a certain Wayne Rooney. If they click swiftly, there's no reason why Everton can't blast their way into the Champions League places. However, supporters should be prepared to be patient. With so many changes, there may be an inconsistent start.

VERDICT: Mission accomplished. And some.

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