Five questions that need to be answered before the summer transfer window slams shut later this month
What will happen to Virgil van Dijk? Will Chelsea bring in some much needed new signings? What will the big Spanish clubs do? And more...
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The football season may have finally opened, but the transfer window still hasn’t closed, and the fact that Premier League clubs are currently considering trying to synchronise the two shows just how problematic that can be.
Quite simply, there are a number of unresolved storylines and questions that have already complicated the start of the new campaign for pretty much every club, but there are a few that have bigger influence than most…
1. What will happen with Van Dijk?
This was a story that hasn’t seen too much tangible movement in the last two weeks, but that actually became all the more important because of some of the calamitous defending on show in the Premier League’s opening weekend - especially Liverpool and Chelsea’s.
Both of them and Manchester City want Van Dijk but only one of those pursuits has so far been publicly prominent, and that is because Liverpool have had to apologise for an illegal approach. It means that they have to tread very carefully over what they do next, even as Van Dijk has put in a transfer request. That makes it likelier he will eventually move, although the Independent understands Southampton would still prefer not to do business with Liverpool and that could yet create something of an auction elsewhere.
As one of the best notionally available centre-halves on the market, the collective improvement Van Dijk would cause could be responsible for an extra five to 10 points for a side. That could also end up the difference in the title race.
2. Will Chelsea get the improvements they so badly need?
It’s already the story from the opening weekend, all the more so because it already has shades of one of the biggest stories of the last few years: the champions’ collapse of 2015-16. While it remains open to question whether some of the parallels with that “Mourinho season” - as Antonio Conte himself put it - will actually lead to the same kind of situation again, the reality is it will be much more likely if the Italian doesn’t get the players he needs.
The 3-2 defeat to Burnley made that clear. He simply needs a lot more depth, and wants at least four players: two wing-backs, a midfielder, a forward and ideally another centre-half. So far, with just over two weeks of the window left, they look likeliest to get just two of those although there is still so much work to be done even on them: Danny Drinkwater for the middle, and Sandro for the wing.
Chelsea sources do state that the club are confident of getting the business done when it comes right down to it, “as we always do”, but it has rarely been so pressing, not when you let 11 players leave in a calendar year and only bring in four. It could yet bring this situation to the boil - or bring Chelsea back to the top. That’s how crucial these extra signings are.
3. Will Coutinho and Sanchez stay with their current clubs?
Two situations that could disproportionately transform the seasons of Liverpool and Arsenal, so it’s just as well that both remain adamant those situations will simply not change. Both players will stay.
Liverpool’s Fenway Sports Group owners are said to be unmoving in their stance, and are “100%” determined to not sell Coutinho to Barcelona, no matter how much the Catalan club offer or how much people around the player think he will go. There is also a belief that, if made to stay, the Brazilian would not be one of those players who acts up because he didn’t get what he wanted.
Arsenal have not quite seen the Sanchez situation escalate to the extent that he is put in a transfer request from his desire to go to Manchester City, but that’s possibly because Arsene Wenger hasn’t shown any sign he will budge either.
Club sources say that, even with the Chilean’s contract running out next summer, the French boss sees no rational reason to let him go to a rival and believes there are still so many benefits to keeping even despite the likelihood he will leave on a free. Those close to the player have meanwhile told the Independent that Sanchez himself is getting increasingly resigned to the idea of staying another season, and that City are themselves prepared to wait.
4. What will the big Spanish clubs do?
Despite what happened with Neymar, the subsequent stepping up of Barcelona’s interest in Coutinho and the ripples it caused re-emphasised that they remain at the top of the transfer market food chain, and are still capable of the biggest waves - even if PSG are now likely to join them there.
Real Madrid meanwhile still want to bring in Kylian Mbappe or a similar young attacker, Barca now need to arguably bring in two after the sale of Neymar. Both could have repercussions for the Premier League. Real currently have no interest in any of the English top tier’s top attackers, but the purchase of Mbappe could yet see Gareth Bale go - despite his repeated assertion he wants to stay.
The good news for him but bad news for Real is that they are not currently capable of matching what PSG would be able to offer the teenage revelation so that currently makes it unlikely. It could however yet see them turn to Borussia Dortmund’s Ousmane Dembele, although they may have already lost their chance as he has his heart set on Barca.
Whether he is fed by Coutinho remains to be seen, but another option could then be Christian Eriksen, since the Catalans have already started investigating whether a deal would be possible there. Either way, there’s likely to be at least one big move from Spain’s big two, and it could have consequences for the Premier League.
5. Is a surprise still in store?
The irony of a summer that has seen the Premier League’s money so discussed is that none of the top clubs are satisfied with their business yet. All have signings they want to make, and it is that that could yet see some late swings, the Robinho-style late buy that really wows in this window.
Mourinho still wants a forward for United and, bar Liverpool switching targets in their pursuit of Naby Keita from Red Bull Salzburg or Tottenham Hotspur suddenly breaking out, it is that situation that possibly holds the greatest potential for a late eye-catching move.
It isn’t out of the question for Chelsea to compensate for the summer with another big move to keep Conte happy, but they all have money, and all have potential to do something unexpected.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments