BOTN Transfer Window Premiership Special – Predicting Who’s In And Who’s Out

Ah the transfer window is upon us again. It’s an anxious filled day for fans who dream about celebrating new signings but dread the departure of their star players. The rumour mill kicks in weeks before causing those anxiety levels to rise and rise only eventually relieved as the window slams shut tonight. For the clubs in the Premiership, it’s their last chance until January to balance their squads before the first half of this gruelling season really begins. So which player should each team sign and what player should they let go? BOTN has pulled together each teams must buy and sell list before the summer window shuts.

Arsenal

Buy – Much talk is around a striker but really they need to invest in a centre back. Weak due to the departure of Thomas Vermaelen, investing in cover in case of injury makes sense. Borussia Dortmund’s Greek centre-back Sokratis Papastathopoulos would be ideal.

Sell – Santi Cazorla. The Spaniard appears to be surplus due to this summer’s arrivals so a move for significant cash back to Spain may look appealing to Wenger.

Aston Villa

Buy – Fabian Delph’s England call up hints at his promise however to maintain his development, he needs a strong partner in central midfield. Manchester United’s Tom Cleverley is the likely choice.

Sell – Despite starting the first couple of games, Alan Hutton should be shown the door at Villa. Unable to find the confidence and form he had at Rangers, Hutton has spent too long wasting his career and needs a move to maintain his position as Scotland’s right back of choice.

Burnley

Buy – Burnley showed against Manchester United how organised they can be at the back however they lack a creative player in the midfield going forward. Derby’s Will Hughes may be an ideal signing if Burnley are willing to splash the cash.

Sell – None. With a wafer thin squad as it is, Sean Dyche can ill afford to let anyone lease at this time. Holding on to his players will be the number one goal for the Burnley manager as the window prepares to close.

Chelsea

Buy – After letting Fernando Torres leave for Milan, Chelsea are a little short up front despite the addition of Loic Remy yesterday. Anothee striker is needed to partner Diego Costa, Didier Drogba or Remy. Roma’s Mattia Destro is a good option however the Italian side may be reluctant to let him go.

Sell – Once fought over by Manchester United and Chelsea, John Obi Mikel needs to leave the Bridge to continue his career. He has fallen down the pecking order and needs first team football to maintain his development. Even a loan move would make sense at this stage.

Crystal Palace

Buy – Neil Warnock has had little time to adapt the squad since taking over. His squad needs improvements but funds are restricted so loan moves may be the only thing possible. Norwich City defender Sebastien Bassong could add strength to the defence and forge a useful partnership with Hangeland.

Sell – James Puncheon must have groaned when Neil Warnock was appointed after his much publicized spat with the new manager on Twitter earlier this year. Accusing Warnock of being corrupt, it’s unlikely that the player will remain in the team much longer. Everyone will understand if he was to leave.

Everton

Buy – Roberto Martinez is building an impressive young squad but still lacks the quality in depth to challenge for major honours. Building for the future appears to be Martinez’s mantra so a move for Watford’s young England goalkeeper Jonathan Bond could be wise. He would act as a deputy to Howard and learn from the American over the next few seasons before eventually taking over.

Sell – With Samuel Eto’o and Lukaku arriving plus the emergence of Chris Long, it may be time for Martinez to end his Wigan experiment and let Arouna Koné leave. The Ivorian appears surplus to requirements now and a move may be best for all involved.

Hull

Buy – Now out of Europe, Steve Bruce’s side can now focus on domestic duties. With the departure of Shane Long, it’s hard to see where goals will come from so making Blackburn’s Jordan Rhodes their main target made sense. Rovers are reluctant to let their star player leave but Hull should go all out to get the Scotland frontman.

Sell – Not needing to sell in this window, Bruce should look at loan moves for some of his younger players to give them much needed experience. Strikers Matt Fletcher and Calum Jahraldo Martin should be top of the list.

Leicester City

Buy – To survive in the Premiership, you need to score goals and lots of them. Nigel Pearson has a lot of options upfront but few seem capable of breaking into double figures. A move for Ipswich striker David McGoldrick is on the cards but given his lack of experience at this level it still might not be enough.

Sell – With eight strikers in the first team squad, it may be that one or two depart either on permanent or loan moves. New Zealander Chris Woods and youngster Tom Hooper lead the way.

Liverpool

Buy – The most active team in the transfer market so far, there is little needed for Brendan Rodgers team to be complete. Competition for Mignolet in goal is the only real area with Brad Jones unable to challenge. A move for Victor Valdes, currently without a club could be interesting and make Liverpool into contenders again.

Sell – At 33 years old, Kolo Toure must start to think about his last few years as a professional and getting first team action rather than his paycheck. Unlikely to feature much this season given the volume of new recruits in the Liverpool defence, Toure should be eying the exit door with enthusiasm rather than dread.

Manchester City

Buy – With a strong squad already, there is no reason for further spending from City. Further new faces will only cause more hassle to Manuel Pellegrini’s team selections. Buying young English players for the future may help but learning from past mistakes, this might not turn out to be the right thing to do. If they do, Brighton’s Jake Forster Caskey could be the perfect long term replacement for James Milner.

Sell – Micah Richards needs to leave for his prospective rather than City’s. Now 3rd in the right back pecking order, his career is in freefall so he needs to pull the cord on his time at the Etihad and save his long term future.

Manchester United

Buy – For a club who have strengthen in attacking areas well, there inability to spot a massive hole at centre back is startling. They are missing Ferdinand and Vidic badly and need a similar type of player to replace them. Either a permanent move for Spurs Jan Vertonghen or a loan move for Chelsea Kurt Zouma would fix the problem.

Sell – It’s easier to say who they shouldn’t sell but out of the list they should Anderson is top of the list. The Brazilian has barely shown any of the promise he displayed early on in his career and should be sold or released as soon as possible.

Newcastle

Buy – Tim Krul is Newcastle’s last defence and on his day there is no better. However when he picks up an injury, back-ups Rob Elliot and Jan Alwick look less than impressive. A loan move for Stoke’s Jack Butland could provide excellent coverage for Krul.

Sell – Ben Arfas fall from grace has been spectacular to say the least. Once the first name on the team sheet, he is now training with the youth team after coming back from the summer break overweight and a move away from the club looks certain. A loan move to Birmingham is a possibility but it’s unlikely that the player will be willing to make the drop down to that level.

Queens Park Rangers

Buy – Harry has not really splashed the cash to date but his team still needs to improve. With Julio Cesar leaving for Portugal and Robert Greens’ form sketchy at best, a new goalkeeper may be on the cards for Harry. A move for Brad Friedel may not materialise but he could provide the safe hands needed for QPR to survive.

Sell – Abel Taarabt seemed destined to join AC Milan following a loan move last season but the arrival of Fernando Torres has scuppered that option. As far as talent goes, Taarabt has it in abundance but what he lacks is the desire to stay in London with QPR. Another loan move may be the only option but a permanent one would be better.

Southampton

Buy – It’s been a summer of departures at Southampton with key assets heading for pastures new. With a war chest that many managers would be pleased with, Ronald Koeman has money to spend but unfortunately time is running out. Many are calling for a new striker but in Graziano Pelle they have a front man capable of filling Rickie Lamberts boots. It’s at centre back where a replacement is needed with no one to date being brought in to plug the gap left by Dejan Lovren. Celtic’s Virgil van Dijk or Atletico Madrid’s Toby Alderweireld could be that player

Sell – If Southampton can hold on to Jay Rodriguez until January then all the better but it looks as though the England front man wants to leave. Cashing in now may make sense, especially if Spurs are still in the hunt for a new striker.

Stoke

Buy – Hughes is transforming Stoke with some impressive signings but lacks creative options in midfield. Despite insisting that no more players will arrive, if the right opportunity presents itself Hughes could act. A loan move for Newcastle’s Hatem Ben Arfa may add the spark that Stoke need.

Sell – American Geoff Cameron was one of the stand outs of last season but has slipped down the ranks since then. A switch to the MLS may offer the US international an escape route.

Sunderland

Buy – Gus Poyet has worked wonders since arriving at Sunderland boss and continues to reshape his squad. His focus at present is on his defense and how to add to it, with a loan move for Madrid’s Toby Alderweireld on the cards. At present former Manchester United players Wes Brown and John O’Shea have been starring at centre back but a move for the Belgian could result in one of them moving to the troublesome right back slot.

Sell – Whilst short upfront, few fans would object to Danny Graham being sold. The former Swansea striker has not exactly been on fire since arriving and looks less and less like a goal threat as the seasons go on. A move to the championship may help Graham find his level.

Swansea

Buy – Gary Monk’s side have strengthened well upfront but need to add quality to their midfield to supply their new front line. Montpellier’s Benjamin Stambouli is the favourite to arrive if Spurs don’t steal him first.

Sell – After spending last season on loan at Birmingham, Kyle Bartley is back at Swansea but looks further away from first team action than ever before. Time for the former Arsenal youth player to move down to the Championship with Birmingham could be his best bet.

Tottenham

Buy – A striker would be helpful for Spurs and the addition of Danny Welbeck would fit perfectly. The United striker has found playing time limited under Van Gaal so far so an exit may be the best course of action for both.

Sell – Despite many touting Lewis Holtby as the next to leave, he really should stay as he can add a lot to the team. One player who should exit is Kyle Naughton who has disappointed during his time at Spurs. He looks nervous going forward and terrified at the back. Time to move on Kyle.

West Bromwich Albion

Buy – Whether Alan Irvine actually knows what he needs to buy is a fair question given some of the strange arrivals to the club this summer. Irvine has also suggested his transfer business is finished but one look at his squad suggests otherwise. The Scot may head home in search for a creative frontman and his first choice is likely to be Celtic’s Kris Commons. Unwanted in Glasgow, the Scotland international would welcome a move to the Premiership.

Sell – He may not want to lose him but Craig Dawson is attracting interest from clubs and if a decent offer is made, he may be sacrificed in order to help balance the books.

West Ham

Buy – Allardyce has had an active window so far but seems keen to continue. A defender is what is needed and a move for Manchester City’s Micah Richards would appeal to both parties. Richards’s flexibility makes him the ideal player for West Ham and could solve their defensive frailties.

Sell – Winston Reid has been the one player in West Ham’s defence that has impressed week in, week out. This has alert a variety of clubs who are looking at the player with interest. Arsenal has made inquiries in the past and could move for the versatile player with Allardyce unable to resist if the bid is high enough.

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