Premier League transfers: Data insights on what each club needs in summer window – Sky Sports
Football
How every Premier League team could strengthen this summer based on stats; the 2024 Premier League summer transfer window opens on June 14 – the same day Euro 2024 starts; the window will close on August 30 at 11pm UK time.
Stats & Info @skysportsstatto
Wednesday 29 May 2024 07:41, UK
What does every Premier League team need in the summer transfer window? Sky Sports statistician Paul Harrison dives into the data to find out…
Few flaws can be found in a team who have finished runners-up to Manchester City in successive seasons. However not a single Arsenal player has surpassed 16 Premier League goals in four campaigns.
This season, Kai Havertz’s return of nine goals in his final 14 league appearances this season was promising, but Eddie Nketiah and Gabriel Jesus failed to reach double figures between them from a combined 54 league appearances, with neither finding the net after January.
Aston Villa will compete in Europe’s elite competition next season for the first time since 1982/83 when they were reigning European champions.
Their defensive record will surely need improvement to reach such heights again. They started and ended the season conceding five goals at Newcastle and Crystal Palace, while no team has conceded more Premier League goals when qualifying for the Champions League.
Only Norwich – who finished third in the inaugural Premier League campaign – have ever finished in the top four and conceded more goals.
Bournemouth won a club-record 48 Premier League points this season. After a slow start under Andoni Iraola, the Cherries took 42 points from their final 27 league games – a total bettered only by the top four and Chelsea.
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Next season’s success could depend on retaining top scorer Dominic Solanke as much as any potential incomings. The former Liverpool and Chelsea forward featured in all 38 league games this season – the only Bournemouth player to do so.
Not only were his 19 league goals more than twice as many as any team-mate, but, without them, Bournemouth would have finished 17th in the table – only six points clear of relegation.
This season was Brentford’s lowest finish (16th) and points total of their three Premier League campaigns (39) – they won just five of their final 24 league games.
For the first half of the season, they caught a glimpse of life without talisman Ivan Toney – something likely to become a permanent feature this summer with only one year left on his contract.
Thomas Frank has acted fast with the signing of Brazilian striker Igor Thiago being confirmed in February. Only Kevin Denkey scored more league goals in Belgium’s top tier this season than Thiago, whose conversion rate was nearly three times that of his potential predecessor.
Roberto De Zerbi’s departure maintains the club’s customary seasonal churn within its ranks.
Over the past two years, Brighton have seen key players Marc Cucurella, Yves Bissouma, Leandro Trossard, Alexis Mac Allister and Moises Caicedo depart for significant fees, with Graham Potter following suit in September 2022.
The constant changes have been reflected on the pitch: they made 36 more changes to their starting XI than any other team in the division – only one behind the Premier League record.
Stability and consistency next season could be as important as any new signing.
Chelsea showed signs of progress in the final three months – losing only one of their final 15 league games – but their young squad would benefit from an injection of experience if the top four is a realistic aim.
Thiago Silva, now 39 years of age, will follow Mauricio Pochettino out of the club once his contract expires at the end of June.
The Blues had the youngest average starting XI in the division this season – despite the Brazilian starting 27 games. Replacing him will be key: they conceded eight more goals than any previous Premier League campaign.
Crystal Palace had lost 10 of their previous 17 league games when Oliver Glasner was appointed in February. Following his first game in charge, only Manchester City, Arsenal and Chelsea won more points.
This transformation was primarily due to the remarkable form of Michael Olise, Eberechi Eze and Jean-Philippe Mateta, who scored a combined 23 league goals in 13 games under the Austrian.
Keeping hold of their attacking trio – and keeping Olise fit – could be the Eagles’ best business this summer.
Without the eight-point deduction, Sean Dyche’s team would have finished within touching distance of the top half – winning four of their final six league games.
However, their reliance on set-piece goals will need addressing if a fourth successive relegation dogfight is to be avoided.
The Toffees scored five fewer open-play goals than rock-bottom Sheffield United and easing the burden on Dwight McNeil as their only natural, creative outlet should be a priority.
Fulham’s hopes of European football disappeared with just two wins in their final nine Premier League games. The Cottagers’ late-season slump could be attributed to having the oldest starting XI in the division and using the joint-fewest number of players.
Some younger legs and depth would not go amiss if Fulham were to push for a return to the top half next season.
Successive promotions from League One to the Premier League means expectations at Portman Road are likely to be realistic next season: only six members of their current squad have played previously in England’s top tier.
A key issue for Luton this season was the lack of experience at this level, something Kieran McKenna would be wise to address this summer.
The Foxes’ surprise relegation in 2022/23 was primarily due to their defensive issues. At the other end of the pitch, their 51 league goals matched seventh-placed Aston Villa.
However, their top two scorers that season – Harvey Barnes and James Maddison – departed last summer and the third top scorer, Kelechi Iheanacho, is out of contract this summer.
The burden will be on Jamie Vardy, but, at 37, and after struggling in the Premier League last time out, a guaranteed goalscorer seems a must as Leicester boasted the best defence in the Championship this season.
A summer rebuild was already touted at Anfield before Jurgen Klopp’s departure after a trophy-laden eight years at Liverpool.
After a midfield shake-up last summer, the focus is likely to be on defensive reinforcement: Virgil van Dijk’s future remains uncertain, Joel Matip’s contract has expired, Trent Alexander-Arnold is entering the final 12 months of his current deal and Andy Robertson’s injury issues remain a concern.
Their defensive stats this season are noticeably worse than in recent years.
After winning an unprecedented fourth successive top-flight English league title, Manchester City will be hard-pressed to find any major flaws ahead of the summer.
With Kalvin Phillips expected to depart after two underwhelming seasons, a deputy for the influential Rodri could be a priority: all three of City’s league defeats came when the Spaniard was suspended this season.
With Erik ten Hag’s future still in the balance, Manchester United’s inevitable summer of upheaval could see additions in all areas of the pitch – they have struggled both defensively and offensively.
The departure of the experienced Raphael Varane will leave the club light at the back, especially with Lisandro Martinez and Luke Shaw’s ongoing injury concerns.
They used 14 different centre-back partnerships this season and veteran Jonny Evans clocked more league appearances than any other centre-back at the club. So, a keen eye will be cast over a defence that conceded a Premier League club-record 58 goals this term.
Balancing expectations and Europe was always going to be a challenge for Eddie Howe’s side this season. They conceded nearly twice as many league goals this campaign (62) compared to 2022/23 (33), when they had the joint-best defence in the division.
Both full-back positions have been problematic of late and freshening up the backline seems likely – especially if they can retain the services of Bruno Guimaraes and Alexander Isak.
Nuno Santo Espirito’s impressive defensive record at Wolves helped persuade Nottingham Forest to appoint him mid-season after axing Steve Cooper. He appeared unconvinced about his goalkeeper options and signed Matz Sels in January.
The Belgian has struggled since joining Forest, with only team-mate Odysseas Vlachodimos and Brighton’s Jason Steele registering lower save ratios this season.
A consistent presence between the sticks would help complement an attack that began to gel on the home stretch.
Southampton failed to score in only five Championship games this season – the best record in the division.
The Saints often depended on their potent attack to bail out a defence that ranked midtable for goals conceded and clean sheets. Experience and quality at the back are imperative to avoid a second relegation in three seasons.
Another false dawn at Tottenham, who were top of the table and unbeaten after 10 Premier League games under Ange Postecoglou.
Their capitulation in the 4-1 home defeat against Chelsea in November became the norm as the season progressed. Their defensive stats in the final 28 games resembled a team in a relegation battle.
Better midfield protection and competent defensive depth are required – if they are to stand any chance of fighting for a top-four finish next term.
With Lucas Paqueta potentially facing a multi-year ban for alleged breaches of betting rules, replacing the Brazil international’s creative qualities would be essential.
Paqueta made six times as many through-balls as any team-mate this season and was comfortably their most potent creator from open play.
Only the three relegated teams conceded more goals than West Ham this term, and Paqueta’s skillset was one of the key factors behind their ninth-placed finish.
A steady but unspectacular debut season for Gary O’Neil ended in disappointment: his team won just one of their final 10 league games.
Goals were rarely an issue for a team boasting the talents of Pedro Neto, Matheus Cunha and Hee-Chan Hwang, but a defence that kept just one clean sheet in their final 17 games will need work if they are to arrest their poor form when the new season arrives.
The 2024 summer transfer window in Premier League officially opens on Friday June 14 – the same day that Euro 2024 starts.
The window will close on August 30 at 11pm UK time.
The Premier League has brought forward Deadline Day to link up with the other major leagues in Europe. The closing dates were set following discussions with the leagues in England, Germany, Italy, Spain and France.
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