The Pre-Season Part 3-The Transfers

(Updated to include transfers since the season kicked off)

Often the most interesting thing over the summer months for the average football fan are the transfers that their club makes. Like almost every summer since the "Transfer Window" was brought in we've had some major moves that could make, or break a clubs season.

Arsenal
Arsenal have had a really busy summer with a number of players leaving including several key players whilst they have also spent cash as they tried to bolster their squad.
Incoming-
Olivier Giroud (Montpellier)-The 25 year old French Striker is a physical player and may be able to give Arsenal that weight up front that they often seem to lack. Sadly however he is relatively unproven at the highest level with 1 international goal in 10 games. He did however score 21 goals last season in Ligue 1 and scored 25 goals in total last season in 43 games.
At around £10 Million Wenger has taken a bit of a gamble, though he is a player that may help Arsenal become a little bit more direct with their attacks.
Lukas Podoloski (Cologne)-The 27 year old German Forward is one of the most proven players in world football. With over 100 German caps (and 44 goals for the national team) their is no questioning Podolski's pedigree at national level and likewise with 112 goals at club level this man is a capable goal scorer.
Despite being an excellent player some do feel that Podolski is slightly on the wane, however at just 27 years old he is still a player with several years left in his legs. Rumoured to have cost around £12 million Podolski could well turn out to be one of the buys of the season
Santi Cazorla (Malaga)-Spaniard Santi Cazorla is, like Podolski 27 years old and very well regarded as both a winger and an attacking midfielder. Whilst not regarded as a serious goal threat he does make goals and he does torment defences. Out of the 3 big signings for Arsenal Cazorla looks like the best match and should manage to to fit into the Arsenale team with out too many problems.
At around £15 million Cazorla may have been a little pricey though he has got the ability to change games and may have been a very shrewd purchase by Wenger who seems to have wanted to add experience to his squad.

Out Going
Robin Van Persie (Manchester United)-Dutchman Robin Van Persie was Arsenal's talisman last season and his stats said it all as he carried the Arsenal attack almost solely on his shoulders. With out him Arsenal may struggle to continue the momentum they finished last year on and his absence will be felt both on the pitch and in the changing rooms. Wenger will seriously need to hope that one of his new signings can fill the gap that "RVP" has left.
Carlos Vela (Real Socieded)-Mexican Striker Carlos Vela was bought with high expectation though sadly failed to live up to them scoring just 3 goals for Arsenal in 29 games. Vela has spent much of the last few years loaned out and now joins Real Socieded on a permanent contract after a very succesful spell their last year in which he scored 12 in 35 games.
Manuel Almunia (Watford)-Spanish born keeper Manuel Almunia had fallen out of favour at Arsenal back in the 2010-2011 season due to the emergence of Polish pair Wojciech Szczęsny and Łukasz Fabiański. He was released from his contract at the end of last season and has now gone to Championship side Watford in what could be a very good signing for The Hornets.
Alex Song (Barcelona)-Want away Cameroonian Alex Song finally got his wish as Arsenal and Barcelona agreed terms. The defensively minded player's move has netted Arsenal a rumoured £16 million which will likely be reinvested in the club if Arsene Wenger sees a viable target. Having spent much of the last 7 years at Arsenal Song's departure could be a bit hit, especially considering his 11 assists last year though he made it clear he wanted to leave the Gunner leaving Wenger's hands rather tied.

Aston Villa
After a disappointing season last year Aston Villa have replaced manger Alex McLeish with Paul Lambert in arguably the biggest transfer for the team. Aside from Lambert Villa have some very promising players who will hopefully help Lambert take the team forward.
Incoming
Ron Vlaar (Feyenoord)-The Dutch centre back is a very well experienced player with over 140 games in the Eredivisie (Dutch League) and 10 international caps and has long been a well regarded defender. Sadly for Ron he has had a career blighted by injury and missed an alarming number of games due to various injuries. Villa will be hoping that he stays fit and can shore up a defence that conceded 53 goals last season.
At around £3 million Vlaar could be one of the best signings in the league, as long as he can stay fit.
Matthew Lowton (Sheffield United)-Defensive utility man Matthew Lowton can play anywhere along the back and like Vlaar it seems like he has been brought in to shore up a defence that simply let in too many goals last season. At just 23 years old it's obvious that Lowton has been brought in for the long term and it appears that Villa are doing the right thing with bringing in a youngster.
Costing around £4 million Lowton appears to be a bit of a bargain, though he hasn't yet played at the Premier League before he still appears to have the ability the make a mark in the Villa defence.
Karim El Ahmadi (Feyenoord)-The Dutch born Moroccan international is yet another defensively minded players, playing in a defensive midfield role. With over 170 games in the Eredivisie he's experienced and appears to be a player that will not only shore up the team defensively (which appears to have been Villa's worry over summer) but also grab a goal or two every season.
With a price tag of £2-3 million the signing of El Ahmadi may well turn out to be another very shrewd move by Paul Lambert who appears to have seen that Villa's issue is defense and has attempted to shore it up before the new season kicks off.
Brett Holman (AZ Alkmaar)-As well as the defensive signings (see above) that Villa have made they have also signed Australian winger Brett Holman, who was actually the club's first signing of the summer. Whilst Holman is a goal threat having scored regularly at Alkmaar as well as on the international stage (including grabbing 2 at the 2010 World cup) he is more of a provider and will be expected to help Villa increase their paltry 37 goals from last season.
As a free signing (his contract with Alkmaar had expired) Holman looks like he could have been an excellent acquisition for Villa who desperately need more goals than last season if they are to reach fans expectations of a mid table finish.

Out Going
Emile Heskey (Unattached)-The much maligned Emile Heskey has been released by Villa and has yet to be picked up by a club. With just 9 goals in 92 games for Villa Heskey really was a bit of a flop and with just a solitary goal last year it's no wonder he's been released.
Carlos Cuellar (Sunderland)-Spanish veteran Carlos Cuellar left the club when his contract expired at the end of last season and will almost certainly be a big loss for Villa, in fact his move away from the club may explain the purchase of a number of defensively minded players as they look to fill the gap left by the well liked Cuellar.
James Collins (West Ham)-Centre back James Collins leaves Villa for the club he was at before Villa, returning to West Ham where he spent 4 seasons. The Welsh international is, like Cuellar, part of the reason that Villa spent so much on shoring up their defense.

Chelsea
Following the success of winning the Champions League it appears Roman Abramovich has opened to purse strings and allowed manager Roberto Di Matteo access to plenty of funds as he goes chasing more success this year as Chelsea chase the two Manchester clubs.
Incoming
Eden Hazard (Lille)-The stand out signing for Chelsea over the summer was Belgian international Eden Hazard who plays as either a winger or an attacking midfielder. The highly regarded 21 year old has amassed an alarming amount of experience for someone so young with over 140 appearances for Lille and 29 Belgian caps, though will be stepping up a level to play in the much more physical Premier League. Whilst Hazard is talented he may well find himself bullied over the next 12 months and his diminutive 5'7" frame will be a target for opponents.
At £32-35 million Hazard looks a little bit over priced to me though with Roman's millions I doubt Chelsea care too much. Hazard will be a long term Chelsea player and alongside Juan Mata Chelsea are going to create a lot of goals this coming season.
Oscar dos Santos Emboaba Júnior (Sport Club Internacional)-Young Brazilian attacker Oscar will have huge boots to fill as he takes the #11 shirt at Chelsea (the number formerly worn by Didier Drogba) though from his reputation he'll more than just fill them. The Brazilian national team player is only 20 years old though has been hotly tipped as a star of the future and had not only Chelsea after him over the summer but also Barcelona and AC Milan. In the recent Olympic games Oscar managed to show off his talent, making a number of Brazil's goals in the competition as well as scoring one himself.
Although he cost a reported £25 million no one at Chelsea will care too much about the money, especially if Oscar fulfills his potential. This is a young kid who could easily take the league by storm over the next few years and I seriously suspect that he will outshine Hazard.
Marko Marin (Werder Bremen)-Young German attacker Marko Marin has been described by some as "The German Messi" due to his exceptional ball control and creativity. Like Oscar and Eden Hazard (above) Marin is an attacker who can make goals and will be a huge asset for Chelsea in the long term with his ability to completely change a game. Despite being a very talented player Marin isn't a goal scorer as such, preferring to be the provider and whilst this is unlikely to be an issue a question needs to be asked about just how many providers Chelsea can really have at once.
Costing around £7 million Marin is one of Chelsea's cheaper purchases though seems to be another long term signing having inked a reported 5 year deal. It appears, to me anyway, as though Di Matteo is planning not only for the future but also for an exciting time as Chelsea manager. The three signings I've looked at here are all exciting, young, attacking players who have the potential to make Chelsea one of the most dominant and fun to watch teams in the Premier League.
Cesar Azpilicueta (Marseille)-In what would appear to be one of Chelsea's final signings they have brought in Spanish defender Cesar Azpilicueta. The right-back, formerly of Osasuna has appeared for Spain at various levels and whilst he is unlikely to get much game time this season the 22 year old will likely be a long term replacement and a player who has been brought in to strengthen the squad. Azpilicueta becomes the 4th Spaniard at Chelsea (joining Juan Mata, Oriol Romeu and Fernando Torres) and will likely be made to feel at home by his team mates who, in the case of Mata and Torres are pivotal players.
The price of around £6.5 million is perhaps more than he is currently worth, though with Roman's rubles and the long term potential of Azpilicueta, Chelsea fans will know that he's not going to harm them financially and will likely force his way into the team or be sold on.
Victor Moses (Wigan)-Chelsea's attack force has looked relatively toothless despite having 6 goals in their first two games, to sort this out they've added another threat signing Nigerian international Victor Moses from Wigan. Whilsts Moses is unlikely to get many starts this season he does give Roberto Di Matteo another goal threat and is a different type of player to Fernando Torres.
At a rumoured £9-10 million it would genuinely appear that Chelsea have paid a little over the odds for what they are getting though Wigan will likely need to use the money quickly if they are to a replacement in before the transfer window closes.

Out Going
Didier Drogba (Shanghai Shenhua)-It was known well before the Champions League final that Didier Drogba was leaving the club, though his departure will still be a massive blow to Chelsea who had not only a goal scorer in Drogba but also a player who had speed, power and strength and was of course capable of changing a game on his own. Despite signing a number of attacking players I'm not sure they've managed to really replace Drogba.
Salomon Kalou (Lille)-The French attacking Midfielder saw his contract expire at the end of last season. With over 150 games for Chelsea Kalou was a regular though he appears to have been let go with the idea that Chelsea would bring in a direct replacement, and in fact looking at Chelsea's biggest signings over Summer they appear to have done just that. With out trying to be too harsh I doubt many will really miss Kalou.
José Bosingwa (Queens Park Rangers)-Like Kalou, Bosingwa was allowed to leave at the end of last season when his contract expired. The exciting and attacking wing back did appear to have potential at Chelsea and put in a number of excellent performances, including in the Champions League final, so his departure is a bit of a surprise in all honesty.

Everton
David Moyes may have been wanting to strengthen his squad over summer though sadly it appears the opposite has happened with a number of key players having left the Toffees to try and help with the financial situation at the club.
Incoming
Steven Pienaar (Tottenham Hotspur)-South African Winger Steven Pienaar is Everton's only notable signing over the summer. Having already spent several years at Everton it was little surprise to see Pienaar back there this season. The talented and well like player first played for Everton back in the 2007-2008 season on a loan deal from Borussia Dortmund before being signed permanently the following year. After a 3 year spell with Everton (2008-2011) Tottenham Hotspur signed him then loaned him back to Everton who have resigned him permanently.
At around £4.5 million Pienaar is a genuinely fantastic signing for Moyes and is a player who genuinely wants to be at Everton. He's been a star for them when he's for played  them in the past and I cannot see anyway in which he will let them down.
Kevin Mirallas (Olympiakos)-Since the season started just a few days ago, Everton have made their second major signing, bringing in Belgian international Kevin Mirallas to try and add some potency up front. Mirallas, who scored 20 goals last season was the top scorer in the Superleague Greece (Greek top flight) and will be expected to help bolster an Everton attack that managed 50 goals last year.
Having cost around £6 million it's fair to assume that Moyes had to wait until the transfer of Jack Rodwell (see below) was complete before snapping up the talented Winger/Forward who, alongside Nikica Jelavić should bring plenty of goals for the Toffees.

Out Going
Tim Cahill (New York Red Bulls)-Feisty Australian Tim Cahill was the heart beat of the Everton team over the last few years and his departure will really hurt the Toffees who are with out one of  (if not the) most influential player the club has had over the last few years. This is one of those losses that will really, really damage the team
Jack Rodwell (Manchester City)-The financial situation at Everton made the loss of Rodwell an obvious one going into the summer and whilst Everton may have picked up £12 million the loss of the youngster, combined with the loss of Cahill (see above) really do show just how severe the situation is at Everton.

Fulham
With Martin Jol at the helm Fulham know they are in safe hands and after finishing 9th last season they may even be hoping to earn a Europa League berth at the end of this season. Saying that however they've not really spent a great deal so far despite being linked to a number of players.
Incoming
Hugo Rodallega (Wigan)-Colombian striker Hugo Rodallega made it clear that he wanted to leave Wigan in the Winter transfer window and surprisingly no one managed to snap up the talented South American who left on a free transfer at the end of the season. As a result Fulham have got themselves a real bargain. Despite being a striker, he has lacked goals in recent seasons, though that was partly down to the poor supply at Wigan. If Fulham can create chances Rodallega will score which is why this is such a shrewd move by Jol who has picked up a goalscorer who's record doesn't show the full facts.

Out Going
Andrew Johnson (Queens Park Rangers)-Former England international Andrew Johnson was released when his contract expired at the end of last season. The once promising striker has somewhat failed to live up to expectation and with just 6 goals in the last 2 seasons combined it's little wonder that Jol has let him go.
Mousa Dembele (Tottenham)-The big sale for Fulham appears to be the loss of Belgian attacker Mousa Dembele who looked spectacular against Manchester United less than a week ago. Dembele, originally a £5million pound signing appears to have gone for around £15 million.

Liverpool
Under new manager Brendon Rodgers Liverpool fans will be hoping their club can turn their fortunes around and become a title threat once again. After a number of disappointing seasons the club really need to give their fans something to cheer about, sadly their movement on the transfer market so far shouldn't instill much confidence.
Incoming
Joe Allen (Swansea City)-One of the first things Brendon Rodgers did after becoming manager of Liverpool was to sign his old clubs star player Joe Allen. Allen, a Welsh Midfielder was one of Swansea's key players of the last few seasons, not only helping to get the Swans promoted (2010-2011) but helping to keep them in the premier league last season. A talented youngster Allen can turn games around, something he has done more than once, though it's quite possible that he stood out at Swansea due to his talent which may not be quite noticeable at Liverpool.
At £15 million pounds Liverpool fans need to be hoping that Allen won't follow in the footsteps of many other recent big money signings who have just flopped at putting on the red shirt. Whilst Allen is talented it seems a very hefty price tag for a player who has only had a single season in the top flight, and wasn't a huge goal scorer or provider. This is a big risk for Rodger.
Fabio Borini (Roma)-The other notable signing done by Liverpool over the summer is that of Italian Striker Fabio Borini. Borini is another player who has links to Brendon Rodgers from Rodgers' past life as a Swansea manager with Borini being the man who scored the penalty in the Championship final that sent the Swans into the Premier League. With only 37 senior games behind him I can't help but think that Rodgers has taken a serious leap of faith signing Borini, even more so when you consider his price tag was around £10 million.

Out Going
Dirk Kuyt (Fenerbache)-The industrious Dutchman Dirk Kuyt leaves Liverpool after 6 seasons to go to Turkish giants Fenerbache. Whilst Kuyt has often been slated as playing a bit like a headless chicken his contribution to the team is always second to none and he always works his socks off, so this, to me, seems like a pretty big loss.
Craig Bellamy (Cardiff City)-Whilst it was obvious that Bellamy wanted to play for Cardiff (where he had already had a successful spell) I personally think that Liverpool should have done all in their power to keep the frustrating attacker. Bellamy was, for my money, one of Liverpool's best attacking players last season though was criminally under-utilised. Bellamy's a genuine game changer and will make an impact again for Cardiff who have gotten a bargain.

Manchester City
The blue side of Manchester will be looking to retain the Premier League title they won for the first time last year. Under manager Roberto Mancini City looked an excellent team though did still have weaknesses that needed to be sorted if they are to make sure of the League title for a second successive season.
Incoming
Jack Rodwell (Everton)-Talented youngster Jack Rodwell was sold by Everton to ease their financial situation and whilst he'll serve no immediate use for Manchester City I would imagine he's in their long term plans. The defensive minded player is already experienced at Premier League level with a proven track record, he's an excellent tackler and if nothing else will be able to shore up the Man City defensive end if he's needed.
Whilst it's obvious that City don't care too much about their expenditure it's fair to say that Rodwell's price of £12 million is based on his potential, and he does have a lot of it. Depending on how he develops Manchester City could either have one of the bargains of the year or just another expensive white elephant.

Out Going
Owen Hargreaves (Unattached)-Injury prone midfielder Owen Hagreaves has been released by Manchester City after just a single season in which he played just 4 games. It's unlikely City will miss him, but his departure may well have been at least part of the reason why Jack Rodwell was signed.
Emmanuel Adebayor (Tottenham Hotspur)-Due in part to their surplus of Strikers Manchester City have sold Togolese Striker Emmanuel Adebayor to Tottenham, finally completing a move that seemed to all but signed a few weeks back. Adebayor was on loan to Spurs for much of last season and banged in a number of goals for the London outfit who will be very happy to have re-signed the hitman.
Adam Johnson (Sunderland)-City appear to be trying to offload the players that are surplus to requirements (see also Emmanuel Adebayor, above) and have let Winger Adam Johnson go to Sunderland. Whilst for Sunderland this is a noteworthy transfer it's doubt that City fans will care too much as Johnson never really fitted into Roberto Mancini's plans and often only played a bit part in games coming on as a substitute.

Manchester United
After last season's nail biting finish to the Premier League it's safe to say that Alex Ferguson wants to be back on top of the League and shut up those "noisey neighbours". He's been a busy man over summer making some real game changing transfers, but how well will they do?
Incoming
Robin Van Persie (Arsenal)-Arsenal's former talisman Robin Van Persie seemed to single handedly carry his former team to 3rd last season and has now moved to Manchester United in one of the most notable transfers of the summer. A proven Premier League player Van Persie's got a track record of scoring important goals and of turning matches around with his accuracy, vision and pace. Although injury prone he could very well be the extra fire power United need when Rooney has a dry spell.
At over £20 million Van Persie hasn't come cheaply though he has got the ability to make the price tag look like a bargain. If he can replicate his form from last season which saw him scoring 37 goals in 48 appearances for Arsenal then it'll be money well spent by Ferguson.
Shinji Kagawa (Borussia Dortmund)-Talented Japanese Midfielder Shinji Kagawa was United's first big signing of the Summer as Alex Ferguson appears to look for a long term successor to Paul Scholes. Kagawa played an influential role in Borussia Dortmund's success in the Bundesliga (German League) last season as they claimed the title, thanks in part to Kagawa's 13 league goals.
Despite coming with a price tag of around £17 million it's likely that Ferguson has pulled off a master stroke. Not only has he picked up a marketable Asian player (allowing shirt sales to Japan to rocket) but he has also picked up a game changing player who, at just 23 years old, will be a long term player in a key position for United.
Alexander Buttner (Vitesse Arnhem)-After signing two attacking players it was only a matter of time before United would add a defensive player and that's what they done by signing Dutch left back Alexander Buttner. Despite being a left back I'd expect Buttner to play his early games for the club in centre defense as the Red Devil's have been ravaged by centre back injuries (Ferdinand, Smalling, Jones and Evans were all ruled out against Everton).
At a rumoured £6 million Buttner would seem likely to be a shrewd signing and either act as cover for the injured centre backs or allow Patrice Evra to move more centrally. At just 23 years old it would seem likely that Ferguson views Buttner as a long term signing who can be developed well for the club.

Out Going
Park Ji-sung (Queens Park Rangers)-Industrious South Korean Park Ji-sung leaves United after being at United since 2005. The hard working Midfielder signed for just £4 million and was thought of as just a cynical signing to try and sell shirts in Asia though he proved himself to be a valuable player with over 200 matches for United, though he had become a less regular fixture in the past few seasons.

Newcastle
The Magpies exceeded expectation last year as they finished 5th in the Premier League and will now be hoping to go one better and get into the Champions League places. With Alan Pardew still in control the club may well manage to maintain a lofty position but I doubt they'll manage to do as well this year.
Incoming
Vurnon Anita (Ajax)-23 year old Defensive Midfielder, Vurnon Anita had been a mainstay in the Ajax team over the past few years until Newcastle managed to lure him to the Toon. The talented Dutch international is seen by some as the natural successor to Edgar Davids (who also played for both Ajax and Newcastle) and is capable of breaking play down as well as starting moves from the back with simple but effective passes.
At a little under £7 million Anita could well be yet another bargain that Pardew has managed to snap up for Newcastle thanks to super scout Graham Carr. Carr has one of the best eyes for talent in football today and it's hard to argue with his track record, so don't be shocked if Anita really shores up Newcastle's midfield.

Out Going
Leon Best (Blackbun)-Republic Of Ireland striker Leon Best was sold to Blackburn for around £3 million earlier in the summer after being a notable part of Newcastle's squad last year. Sadly for Best he's already suffered a major injury and will be out for the next 6 months or so.

Norwich City
With new manager Chris Hughton in charge of Norwich (replacing Paul Lambert) we expect solid things from Norwich who achieved a solid mid table finish of 12th last year. He's got a good base to build on but can Hughton's magic help keep Norwich up for a second season?
Incoming
Robert Snodgrass (Leeds)-One of the most notable transfers for Norwich was the signing of the influential Glaswegian Robert Snodgrass from Leeds. Last year Snodgrass was one of the most impressive players in the Championship, scoring 13 goals and assisting in 14 as he helped Leeds finish 14th in the League. Whilst he is unproven at Premier League level he has proven to be a step ahead of the average Championship player and really stood out last season.
At around £3 million Norwich have got themselves a bargain by bagging a player who will score and create goals as well as giving the team a permanent threat. This was an excellent bit of business by Hughton.
Michael Turner (Sunderland)-One of problems for Norwich last year was their defense which leaked 66 goals in 38 games, they were tied 4th for most goals conceded, as a result it seemed obvious they had to shore up their back line. In Michael Turner they have signed a very under-rated defender from Sunderland and the type of man who will give them a more solid look at the back. Like the signing of Snodgrass (above) this is excellent business and amazingly Turner cost less than £2 million.

Queens Park Rangers
When Queens Park Rangers got into the Premier League they were expected to have a safe mid table first season to build up. Instead QPR struggled through out the year and were very lucky to stave off relegation as the finished 17th. This year, with Mark Hughes at the Helm the team will be hoping for a much more comfortable season in the league. To help them Hughes has been incredibly busy in the transfer market.
Incoming
Park Ji-sung (Manchester United)-QPR have signed a huge number of players over the summer months though arguably the stand out is hard working Korean Park Ji-sung. Park is a former Manchester United midfielder who has a wealth of experience in the Premier League and knows what it takes to win. With QPR leaking goals last season Park's work ethic in attempting to get the ball back will do wonders for the team and could well help them cut the number of goals they concede despite the fact that he's not a defensive player.
At less than £3 million pounds Hughes has gotten a real steal here and QPR will be a much better team due to Park.
Samba Diakité (Nancy)-Another of QPR's key signings comes in the form of defensive Midfielder Samba Diakité who was on loan to QPR for a portion of last season. Despite only playing 9 games for QPR last season (including 1 where he was sent off) he did manage to score a goal and make a solid enough impact for QPR to want to sign him on to a permanent deal. Having made his international debut for Mali earlier this year it seems fair to say Diakité is on his way upwards and again, with QPR's defensive woes last year this looks like a smart signing for less than £4 million.
Robert Green (West Ham)-As I've already said QPR had a woeful defensive record last year, it seems however that Hughes is more than aware of this issue and has attempted to not only shore up his defense but also upgrade his keeper. In former England international Robert Green QPR have signed a solid keeper who will be worth a few points by himself. An amazing signing made all the better by the fact he was out of contract with West Ham when QPR signed him.

Out Going
Heidar Helguson (Cardiff)-Icelandic striker Heidar Helguson managed to back 9 goals in 16 league games last season for QPR to help them beat the drop though was then sold at the end of the season to Championship side Cardiff City. For a team who only scored 43 goals last season QPR may struggle to fill the void left by Helguson up front.
Paddy Kenny (Leeds)-Veteran goalkeeper Paddy Kenny was made available for transfer following the signing of Robert Green from West Ham. Leeds took advantage and managed to snap up the under-rated goal keeper for around £500,000. Oddly I have to that the big loser here is actually West Ham, Kenny is a solid keeper and will do well back in the Championship whilst Green is a very good keeper who will do well with QPR.

Reading
Following their promotion at the end of last year Reading will be hoping to stay in the Premier League at the end of this season. With Brian McDermott in charge he will be well aware of his current squad's weaknesses and will have tried to sort them out over summer.
Incoming 
Pavel Pogrebnyak (VfB Stuttgart)-In a deal that genuinely shocked me, Reading managed to snap up the excellent Russian striker Pavel Pogrebnyak. Not only does Pogrebnyak have experience in the Premier League (having played 12 games for Fulham last year) but he has a proven track record of scoring goals, having bagged 6 in 12 at Fulham and 8 in 33 games for the Russian national team. This is a signing that should have all Reading fans very excited and they should view Pogrebnyak as a guaranteed 15 goals.
Considering Reading got Pogrebnyak on a free transfer this may well be the bargain of the summer. Excellent work by Brian McDermott!
Danny Guthrie (Newcastle)-Whilst Danny Guthrie will never be a major footballing star he's a solid dependable midfielder who already has Premier League experience with Newcastle. His experience will almost certainly be a bonus to a Reading who will be hoping that he can help them stay up and establish themselves in the Premier League.
Whilst Guthrie's summer was marred with incidents (notably his wedding which turned into a brawl) his move to Reading will likely help him get everything into check. Expect this signing to be a pretty good one, for bother player and club.

Southampton
The Saints have marched back into the Premier League after several years out of the league and with the excellent Nigel Adkins in charge their fans may well expect them to remain there for a while.
Incoming
Jay Rodriguez (Burnley)-The key summer signing for Southampton appears to be English striker Jay Rodriguez who spent last year banging goals in for fun (21 goals in 42 games) and gaining a lot of attention from clubs as a result. Despite only having proven his talent at Championship level Rodriguez does look like an excellent young prospect and at just 23 years old he has a lot of time to develop.
Whilst Southampton may have paid slightly over the odds at £7 million they have gotten themselves a very promising young striker who, if provided decent service should be able to bag a considerable number of goals.
Nathaniel Clyne (Crystal Palace)-Southampton have tried to shore up their defense with the talented young defender Nathaniel Clyne who has been one of Crystal Palace's stand out players over the last few years. At just 21 years old Clyne is a long term purchase though after his impressive performances at Crystal Palace it'll not be a shock if he walks straight into the first team.
Costing around £3 million Clyne could be a very good signing for the long term however we'll need to see how good he looks against Premier League strikers as the step up may be too much too quickly for a player who's still untested.

Stoke
Stoke have established themselves as a solid and reliable mid table team in the Premier League over the past few years though last year they really struggled to score goals (scoring the lowest in the Premier League with just 36). If Tony Pulis wishes to move his team up the League he will need an out an out goal scorer.
Incoming
Geoff Cameron (Houston Dynamo)-The most notable signing so far by Steve Pulis is American Defender/Midfielder Geoff Cameron who has proven to be a very versatile player who has excellent composure and and man marking abilities. Whilst Cameron has only played in the MLS he has proven himself to be a dependable player who has goals in him, mainly as a threat in the air. With Stoke's set pieces Cameron could well bag himself a few goals.
At a little under £3 million Cameron will help shore up Stoke's usually dependable defense and add an offensive threat. Whilst I think he may be surprised early on he'll warm to the challenge and become a valuable asset for Stoke.
Michael Kightly (Wolves)-Whilst Tony Pulis hasn't gone out and bagged himself an out and out goal scorer he has managed to get the dangerous winger Michael Kightly from Wolves for around £3 million. Whilst Kightly has been plagued by injuries he has got the talent that could help turn Stoke's fortune in front of goal around. Kightly has already made a mark for Stoke scoring a pre-season friendly against German side SpVgg Greuther Fürth, and he'll be looking to add more when the League starts in just a few hours time.

Sunderland
The Black Cats managed to secure a mid table finish last season under Martin O'Neill who took over after Steve Bruce was sacked and will now look to build towards getting into Europe over the next season or two. With O'Neill at the helm the team really can go a very long way.
Incoming
Carlos Cuellar (Aston Villa)-O'Neill has managed a masterstroke in signing the experienced and talented defender Carlos Cuellar on a free transfer from Aston Villa. Whilst Cuellar isn't a particularly fast player he is experienced and can be a fantastic organiser at the back and should help strengthen up the Sunderland defence. Interestingly Cuellar explained that the reason he moved to Sunderland (ahead of others teams that wanted his service) is due to O'Neill, showing just how much of an excellent man manager O'Neill is.
Steven Fletcher (Wolves)-In Sunderland's solitary big spend of the summer they have brought in striker Steven Fletcher from Wolves. The striker scored 12 league goals last season and was one of the few highlights in a season that saw Wolves relegated last season. With Premier League experience behind him and with Sunderland's attack looking a little toothless Fletcher could be a major signing in terms of how Sunderland will do this season and we would expect more goals form the Black Cats.
Costing an initial fee of £12 million (which could go up to £14 million) Sunderland have paid a hefty fee for Fletcher though due to his experience and goal record in the Premier League which has seen him scoring 30 league goals in 3 seasons in the top flight (with Burnley and Wolves) he may just about manage to justify it.
Adam Johnson (Manchester City)-Just hours after sealing the deal for Steven Fletcher (see above) Sunderland manage to sign another attacker bringing in Manchester City winger Adam Johnson. The deal had been rumoured to be close for a day or two and has now been finalised as Sunderland look to add more attacking threats to their team. Johnson, a full England international with 11 caps looks to be a very good signing for Sunderland who have got themselves a tricky wide man, though one who does often seem to be hit and miss.
The price for Johnson is undisclosed though believed to be as much as £10 million, however Johnson did take a notable pay cut to join the Blackcats and get some regular first team football.

Out Going
Asamoah Gyan (Al Ain)-The talented Ghanian Striker Asamoah Gyan was out on loan for much of last season at Al Ain in the United Arab Emirates, as expected by many he finalised a permanent deal over the summer. Sunderland managed to earn £6 million from the sale of Gyan who is now on a staggering £140,000 a week!
Michael Turner (Norwich)-The talented defender Michael Turner has moved to Norwich where he will be expected to strengthen the back line of the Canaries. Turner could be a notable loss for Sunderland though with Cuellar coming in it's likely O'Neill has a ready made replacement.

Swansea City
The biggest changes at Swansea over the summer appear to be off the pitch as manager Brendon Rodgers left the club to manage Liverpool and was replaced by Danish legend Michael Laudrup. This however doesn't mean the squad is anything like it was last year.
Incoming
Jose Manuel Flores (Genoa)-Manager Michael Laudrup has attempted to shore up Swansea's defence by bringing in Spanish defender Jose Manuel Flores. Whilst Flores hasn't had a huge amount of experience at the higher levels he has been impressive at Mallorca where he has run up 33 matches. Capable of playing at either right back or centre back it's likely Flores will be used as a bit of a defensive utility man by Swansea. Having cost around £2 million Flores is a risk but a relatively cheap risk.
Michu (Rayo Vallecano)-Whilst Flores (see above) has been brought in to shore up the defense of Swansea is seems obvious that Luadrup also realises he needs more fire power. With that in mind he seems to have seen Spaniard Michu as the perfect solution. The attacking Midfielder has experience in La Liga (Spanish top flight) with Rayo Vallecano with whom he managed to score 17 goals in 39 games last season (15 in 37 League games).
At £2 million Michu looks an excellent purchase for Swansea and seems to be the type of player who has been overlooked by other teams.
Ki Sung-Yueng (Celtic)-Swansea secured a real coup by picking up South Korean international Ki Sung-Yueng from Scottish champions Celtic. The dynamic midfielder was one of the keys to Celtic's success and will almost certainly be seen as the like-for-like replacement for Joe Allen see below). Ki adds a real touch of class to the Midfield and will be able to pull the strings in the middle of the park for the Swans.
At around £6.5 million Laudrup has got himself an excellent young player who, at less than half the price of Allen, is likely to be the ideal replacement. A genuinely excellent signing.

Out Going
Joe Allen (Liverpool)-Despite the fact Joe Allen was one of, if not the, best Swansea player last season I have a feeling Swansea will be more than happy at the £16 million they were paid for Allen to join former manager Brendon Rodgers. Don't get me wrong Allen WILL be missed by Swansea on the pitch but I have a feeling that the money Liverpool have paid for him will be more than enough to compensate their loss.

Tottenham Hotspur
Like a number of teams Spurs have had more happening in their managerial seat than they may ideally have wanted. Firstly they sacked Harry Redknapp, despite the fact he had taken Spurs to 4th in the Premier League, they then replaced him with the highly regarded Andre Villas-Boas.
Incoming
Jan Vertonghen (Ajax)-Spurs have made a number of signings, one of the biggest was the signing of Belgian defender Jan Vertonghen. Vertonghen made his name playing at Ajax where he played 155 times including a number of games as captain and scored an impressive 23 goals despite being a defender. The left footed defender is a versatile player capable of not only playing in defense but also midfield and also posses a serious goal threat due to his thunderbolt strike.
At just shy of £10 million Spurs have gotten a very, very good player on their hands and a player I expect will make a big impact this season.
Gylfi Sigurdsson (1899 Hoffenheim)-The first signing Andre Villas-Boas made after taking the hot seat at Spurs was Icelandic midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson. Sigurdsson, a set piece specialist has a tremendous shot and is considered a real goal threat from distance. As well as being a brilliant player at Hoffenheim Sigurdsson has already made his mark on the Premier League having played at Swansea last season where he scored 7 goals in 18 games.
At £8 million Sigurdsson should be good value for money and should be an excellent attacking Midfielder for Spurs who could have done with another goal threat last year.
Emmanuel Adebayor (Manchester City)-Tottenham looked very lightweight up front in their opening game of the season (a 2-1 defeat to Newcastle) with only Jermain Defoe being a fit and proven striker for the Spurs. They've now added to their strike force by signing Emmanuel Adebayor, who was on loan last season. Last year Adebayor netted a number of goals for Spurs and they'll be looking for him to repeat that this year.
At a reported £5 million Adebayor appears to be a bargain with a proven track record in the Premier League. Spurs will be expecting at least 15 goals from Adebayor and with their need for a fit Striker this is a great move for both the club, and the player (who was well down the picking order at City).
Mousa Dembele (Fulham)-Just days after Tottenham sold Luka  Modric they splashed the cash and brought in Belgian Mousa Dembele from Fulham. Dembele may not quite be the player that Modric was but he is an excellent signing and showed his class for Fulham more than once, in fact in his previous game for Fulham he gave Manchester United a nightmare.
Rumoured to have cost around £15 million Dembele certainly wasn't cheap though will have been bought with "Modric money".

Out Going
Niko Kranjcar (Dynamo Kiev)-The often over looked Kranjcar leaves Spurs after 3 years (2009-2012) to join up with Ukrainian team Dynamo Kiev. This deal has seen Spurs getting just shy of £6 million for a player that, in all honesty was becoming merely a bit part player for Spurs.
Vedran Corluka (Lokomotiv Moscow)-Croatian defender Vedran Corluka left Spurs after having been at the club from 2008-2012. Corluka was loaned out for part of last season to Bayer Leverkusen as it seemed Spurs were wanting to offload him. Lokomotiv Moscow paid around £5.5 million for Corluka which isn't a bad payment for Spurs for another player that really wasn't getting match time.
Steven Pienaar (Everton)-Popular South African goes back to Everton where he has previously had 2 spells. This deal, worth around £4.5 million seems to be a deal that is best for everyone involved with Pienaar already admitting that he wanted to go back to Everton, Everton needing some more talent and Spurs getting rid of someone who wasn't playing for them.
Luka Modric (Real Madrid)-If you're a Spurs fan this is probably the news you've been dreading. Midfielder Luke Modric, one of the stars for the Tottenham Hotspur team over the last few seasons has left. His departure will be a huge loss for Spurs however the lovely £30 million that they've managed to get from Real Madrid should go back into players for Andre Villas-Boas.

West Bromwich Albion
The Baggies had an unexpectedly solid season last year finishing 10th under the guidance of current England manager Roy Hodgson. To replace Hodgson the Baggies have hired the popular Steve Clarke.
Incoming
Ben Foster (Birmingham)-The biggest summer signing for West Brom appears to be the £4 million transfer to bring goal keeper Ben Foster to the team on a permanent basis from local rivals Birmingham. This transfer comes after Foster spent the season on loan at WBA for most of last season. Aside from this deal WBA haven't really bout anyone (though they do have Romelu Lukaku on loan).

Out Going
Simon Cox (Nottingham Forrest)-West Brom sold Republic of Ireland striker Simon Cox to Nottingham Forrest for around £2 million. Cox was found not to have the ability to score regularly in the Premier League and a move down to a lower league may favour the player who can improve and bag a few more goals, much like he did when he was playing for Swindon.

West Ham United
With Sam Allardyce in charge West Ham have managed to work their way back into the Premier League. Whilst their fans might not be too fond of the way Sam has had the team playing they won't complain too much if they have continued success. Sam's history of shrewd transfers is likely to help re-establish West Ham as a continuing Premier League presence.
Incoming
Modibo Maïga (Sochaux)-West Ham have added some real firepower in the signing of Malian forward Modibo Maïga from French club Sochaux where scored 24 goals in 59 appearances. Although, as we all know, Ligue 1 (the top flight of French football) isn't the Premier League his record as a goal scorer is still very impressive. Aged just 24 West Ham have cleverly inked him to a 4 year deal (with an extra 2 years being optional). For less than £5 million West Ham have got a very promising striker on their hands.
James Collins (Aston Villa)-West Ham have re-signed former player James Collins the Welsh international defender who spent several years at West Ham before joining Villa. Collins is generally well liked by the 'ammers fans who will see this as Collins returnign to his footballing home and, if he can manage to have a spell as good as his last one for the club they will be wanting him to remain their until he retires. At £2.5 million West Ham will not feel too annoyed about the price.
Jussi Jaaskelainen (Bolton)-Arguably West Ham's best signing is veteran keeper Jussi Jaaskelainen who leaves Bolton after 15 years to join back up with former manager Sam Allardyce. Whilst this is a good signing it seems like a very short term one with Jaaskelainen now being 37, and with Robert Green leaving the club this seems like a case of being a stop gap before Allardyce lines up a long term keeper.
Matt Jarvis (Wolves)-With just a few days left in the transfer window it's fair to say that Sam Allardyce has made his biggest signing of the summer as he's blown the cash on bringing in the excellent Matt Jarvis from Wolves. The attack minded Jarvis has proven himself already in the Premier League with Wolves and tormented the Manchester United defense (amongst others) with some dazzling performances. Jarvis will give the Hammers a serious threat down the flanks and will both score and create goals as well tying up opposition defenses, a genuinely exciting signing by West Ham.
Costing a reported £10.5 million (with £7.5 million up front) West Ham have really opened up the cheque book here though with Jarvis being a proven quality in the Premier League I honestly think they have got a value signing.

Out Going
Robert Green (QPR)-After his contract expired at the end of last season Robert Green left West Ham on a free transfer and joined QPR. Whilst Jaaskelainen may be a good stop gap, the loss of Green may be something that takes several years for West Ham to get over.

Wigan Athletic
Perennial Premier League strugglers Wigan Athletic will likely get dragged into the mire once again if manager Roberto Martinez doesn't manage to make some major signings over summer. Whilst Roberto Martinez is an excellent manager he has struggled some what to get the team into a safe position.
Incoming
Ivan Ramis (Mallorca)-Wigan have tried to shore up their defense by signing Spanish defender Ivan Ramis from Mallorca. Whilst the defensive woes of Wigan have been a major problem over the past few years, I'm not too sure just how much Ramis will manage to help. At almost £5 million Ramis does seem over priced from what little I've seen of him, though he could surprise me.
Arouna Kone (Levante)-As well as the defensive woes Wigan have also struggled to score goals in recent seasons, so it's nice to see Roberto Martinez has signed a striker in the form of Ivory Coast national team player Arouna Kone. Despite being an excellent player Kone has been unfortunate with injuries in recent seasons and Wigan will have to hope that Kone can remain fit for the season.

Out Going
Hugo Rodallega (Fulham)-Wigan's all time leading goal scorer left the club in summer as his contract expired. It was thought that Rodallega would leave in the January transfer window earlier this year though no deal was confirmed and he was allowed to leave for free in summer. Wigan will sorely miss Rodallega.
Victor Moses (Chelsea)-Nigerian striker Victor Moses has gone from Wigan to Chelsea for around £9-10 million. Whilst this is a "good move" for Chelsea who have strengthened their squad this will seriously hurt Wigan who have further dilapidated their attacking force and whilst Moses may have upped his wages he will struggle for game time at the Bridge.



Final Day Transfers
Rather than a full edit of the above, I've decided to just add the most notable recent transfers to a new section at the bottom here:
Bryan Oviedo (Copenhagen-Everton)-Everton sign a left sided international to play either at the back or in midfield
Dimitar Berbatov (Manchester United-Fulham)-The wonderfully gifted (but frustratingly lazy) Bulgarian striker made his move to London where we may again get to see him do his thing.
Keiran Richardson (Sunderland-Fulham)-Former Manchester United player goes to Fulham as Martin Jol gets a bargain. Versatile player who will be able to fill in a few positions
Javi Garcia (Benfica-Manchester City)-In an attempt to replace Nigel De Jong, Roberto Mancini has brought in Spanish international Garcia.
Matija Nastasic (Fiorentina-Manchester City)-The key to this move may not have been the £13 million that City spent but the fact they got rid of the frankly useless Stefan Savic.
Scott Sinclair (Swansea-Manchester City)-Scott Sinclair loses all rights to claim he wears the pants as his missus decides to return to Manchester. Poor Scotty won't play much but Swansea get £6.2 million.
Richard Wright (Unattached-Manchester City)-Surprising 3rd choice goal keeper for City.
Charlie Adam (Liverpool-Stoke)-Charlie Adam's nightmare on Merseyside is over as he signs for Steve Pulis in the Potteries. He will likely be able to again play football!
Pablo Hernandez (Valencia-Swansea)-Swansea try to replace Scott Sinclair (see above) with Spaniard Pablo Hernandez who links up again with Michael Laudrup.
Clint Dempsey (Fulham-Tottenham Hotspur)-Fulham's want away Clint Dempsey got his wishes and has ended up not at Liverpool (as rumoured) but instead at Spurs. Spurs' attack has a boost but still looks to be really lacking.
Rafael van der Vaart (Tottenham Hotspur-Hamburg)-Dutch magician returns to the team he made his name, Tottenham get £10 million
Hugo Lloris (Lyon-Tottenham)-Tottenham sign a world class goal keeper by bringing in Frenchman Hugo Lloris. An excellent signing for Spurs, though was it just a sign that they know they have let go of a number of top players.