How did your side do in the transfer window? The final part of our analysis

Stoke

Tony Pulis has done a terrific job of keeping Stoke City in the Premier League since their promotion and has continued to build every year with effective purchases in the market, and this year has been no different. The release of Abdoulaye Faye, Gudjohnsen and Sonko freed up enough room on the wage bill to bring in the likes of Palacios and Crouch from Tottenham, whilst the free signings of Woodgate and Upson look to have been good moves. With Cameron Jerome also coming into the side, Stoke won’t be pulling any tactical surprises this season, but they look to have formed an effective squad unit.

Score – 7.5

Sunderland

Sunderland’s only real loss of note was the promising Jordan Henderson, but it is Sunderland’s purchases which have been remarkable, but Sunderland’s results thus far suggest that the team is not yet a cohesive unit. Nevertheless the purchases of John O’Shea and Wes Brown from United bring vast experiences to this Sunderland side, whilst Niklas Bentdner will provide a better partner for Asamoah Gyan, allowing Ahmed Elmohamady to play his preferred deeper role after his loan move was made permanent over the summer. The promise of Conor Wickham should excite the Sunderland faithful even more, whilst the additions of Sebastian Larsson and Craig Gardner also look good pieces of business. It does however increase expectation on Steve Bruce as he looks to bring this group of talented individuals together to form a more cohesive unit.

Score – 7

Swansea

Like the other two promoted clubs, Swansea’s transfer policy has strayed from the usual purchasing of players who have been relegated in the previous season, instead opting for an interesting mix of Championship and continental talent. The signing of Michael Vorm from FC Utrecht looks a great acquisition, whilst Jose Moreira also brings some unpredictable qualities to the side. Leroy Lita and Wayne Routlege also bring in Premier League experience, whilst Bessone and Situ from Lens could prove smart buys.

Score – 6.5

Tottenham

It seemed as though this transfer window was more about convincing Luka Modric from securing his dream move to Chelsea, than it did about strengthing the side which has lost the likes of Woodgate, O’Hara, Keane, Palacios, Hutton, Jenas and Peter Crouch. In the midst of it all though, Tottenham were able to secure the considerable talents of Brad Friedel, Adebayor, Coulibaly and Scott Parker. The signing of Yago Falque from Juventus for the season on loan could also prove an interesting move. Despite this, it would be surprising if Tottenham were able to snatch a top four spot once again.

Score – 6

West Brom

Roy Hodgson’s tough start to the season makes it hard to judge what sort of impact the summer’s signings will have, but that they were able to threaten Manchester United and Chelsea in their opening fixtures provides some promising signs for the ex-Liverpool boss. Shane Long looks a good buy, and should partner nicely with last season’s top scorer Peter Odemwingie, whilst the signing of Ben Foster more than makes up for Carson’s departure. Losing Zuiverloon will hurt West Brom, whilst Borja Valero is another talented player to head to Spain, meaning West Brom are neither much better or worse, on paper at least, than last season.

Score – 6

Wigan

After avoiding relegation on the last day of the season, Wigan look to be in for another tough season after very limited activity in the market, compounded by the loss of Charles N’Zogbia. The emphasis will certainly be on the younger contingent of the squad to step up and rise to the challenge, with Ali Al Habsi and Celtic’s Shaun Maloney the only signings of note.

Score – 5

Wolves

Undefeated in three matches and with two wins on the board, the season has started rather well for Mick Mcarthy’s Wolves, who avoided relegation by one point last term. The introductions of Dorus de Vries for free as well as Roger Johnson and Jamie O’Hara and no losses of any real note, Wolves seem marginally stronger than last season, but will still face a struggle to avoid relegation.

Score – 6