When the clock strikes 12 at the end of August and September begins, it signals the closing of another summer transfer window as managers all over the world can relax after scrambling to complete their squads for the long and upcoming season.
This year has marked the peak amount of money spent across the top flight with 2012's £490m rising to a colossal £1.47bn, increasing by 23% from 12 months ago when the total added up to a similarly astonishing £1.19m.
The key catalyst to this newfound feat is simple. More cash injected into the beautiful game has gradually allowed more clubs to break their own transfer records, with nine teams involved doing exactly that.
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In this article, I'll be giving an insight into each Premier League side's movements and revealing what I think is the best bit of business by all 20 ahead of the rest of the 2017/18 campaign.
AFC Bournemouth
Jermain Defoe: Goals weren't necessarily a concern for AFC Bournemouth last season. The Cherries found the net 55 times which was the seventh best accumulation in the league and, incredibly, once more than Zlatan Ibrahimović and co. at Manchester United. Joshua King took the Golden Boot at Dean Court with a respectable 16 top flight goals but his closest rival was Junior Stanislas who bagged seven.
This made it clear that attacking reinforcements were needed if they were to build on the first top half finish in their history this time around, and a return to the club Defoe represented aged 17 seems like a perfect fit. Scoring 30 league goals in a lacklustre Sunderland outfit over the past two seasons is phenomenal for a player of his age and serves as proof that he'll offer plenty of firepower in much more stable surroundings on the south coast.
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Image: PA
Arsenal
Alexis Sánchez: Even know Alexandre Lacazette is the world-class striker Arsenal have been looking for since the gut-wrenching demise of Robin van Persie all the way back in 2012, he can't be classed as the club's best bit of business this summer. That, of course, is how on earth they managed to keep Alexis Sánchez at the club by holding their own against interest from Pep Guardiola and Manchester City.
It's no secret that the Chilean is extremely unhappy with life at the Emirates Stadium, and it could cost Arsene Wenger in the long-term seen as though he'll most likely be on his way out come July for free, but having his quality for at least another season is crucial. The Gunners need all the squad depth they can get due to their involvement in the Europa League and if a Champions League return is seriously wanted, it would've been disastrous letting a player of Sánchez' calibre go without a worthy replacement.
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Brighton & Hove Albion
José Izquierdo: Newcomers Brighton & Hove Albion were up against it before the Premier League season even started and their transfer business along with the prominence of their squad only screams one thing - relegation. The talent Chris Hughton has brought in presents improved options in and around the team, but most aren't exactly going to ensure survival. The one capture that caught my eye though, was the one of Colombian international José Izquierdo.
Izquierdo made his mark on the footballing world in the 2015/16 season when he won the Belgian Pro League Golden Boot and Player of the Year award thanks to his contributions towards Club Brugge. The tricky winger has pace to burn and experience on every stage so if Brighton are to avoid the instant drop down into the Championship, he should be the man to spearhead proceedings.
Burnley
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Joey Barton: Never mind the arrivals of promising strike duo Chris Wood and Nakhi Wells, Joey Barton being booted out of Turf Moor by Sean Dyche was the best thing to happen to Burnley since he helped gain top flight promotion in 2014. There's no doubting Barton's positive influence most of the time back then, but his antics on and off the field, which will not be mentioned, have destroyed his and part of his clubs' reputation.
The 34-year-old has been declining and isn't the type of player who can do it week in, week out in such a competitive division anymore so to remove his wage bill from the occasion is win in itself. Who knows where the unemployed midfield will bring his loving personality to next after changing his mind on retirement because of the substantial betting ban from the FA, but he'll always be remembered as one of the Premier League's great characters for all the wrong reasons.
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Chelsea
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Tiemoué Bakayoko: Transfer Deadline Day topped off an incredibly frustrating summer for Antonio Conte as Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Fernando Llorente and Ross Barkley all joined Romelu Lukaku in opting for different pathways - who knew the champions could get rejected so much? Barkley went one step further by saying no during his medical in the latter stages of Thursday night which meant the Blues had to settle without a 7th signing.
Danny Drinkwater completed a move from Leicester City on the day though, but Tiemoué Bakayoko is the midfielder the get pumped about. The dynamic enforcer has the potential to form an unbreakable French connection with N'Golo Kanté in the middle of the park throughout the 2017/18 season. He was a crucial part of Leonardo Jardim's uprising last term as AS Monaco won a historic Ligue 1 crown and reached the Champions League semi-finals, and supporters will be hoping he can enjoy the same success in England.
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Crystal Palace
Mamadou Sakho: He was brilliant during his first stint at Selhurst Park and now 'The Soldier', as Mamadou Sakho is referred to around those parts, has returned on a permanent basis. Crystal Palace have endured a really poor window, with the £8.2m paid for young Ajax defender Jairo Riedewald the only fee paid before Sakho's Deadline Day arrival.
Loan moves for Premier League pair Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Timothy Fosu-Mensah were the only other incomings over the close season so at least one more addition was vital before the clock struck 11pm. The Frenchman will be extremely welcome in Frank De Boer's questionable 3-4-3 system but I don't think he'll have enough to save the club from the prospect of a relegation battle - a brilliant defender to have, nonetheless.
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Everton
Jordan Pickford: Everton have had a tremendous transfer window, the most interesting of the bunch for sure, but the signing of 23-year-old Sunderland goalkeeper Jordan Pickford has been the biggest highlight for me. There were pretty big boots to fill when Tim Howard departed for the MLS last year and the deed certainly hasn't been done by Joel Robles and Martin Stekelenburg, so Pickford is exactly the long-term goalkeeper the Toffees need.
Don't be fooled by his age. Numerous big-hearted displays, like Jermain Defoe, in a god-awful Sunderland have earnt him the respect of many and the label of one of the league's best 'keepers. Michael Keane, Davy Klaassen and Gylfi Sigurdsson are all hugely-honourable mentions, but for me Pickford is too good of an investment for £30m to ignore.
Huddersfield Town
Aaron Mooy: Huddersfield Town needed to eat into their play-off winnings if they were to have any chance of survival this season but they've certainly acquired correctly and, even though the chances are still slim, are in a better position to remain in the top flight. Jonas Lössl, Mathias Zanka, Tom Ince and Steve Mounié are all eye-catching new boys but the permanent signing of centre-midfielder Aaron Mooy could be a real game-changer.
The Australian has already demonstrated the pure quality he brings to the table in Huddersfield Town's first three Premier League games, where they've claimed seven points out of a possible nine while shipping no goals. His stunning winner against Newcastle United acted as a reality check that the Terriers are actually in the big time and aren't here to just make the numbers and his presence in the engine will continue to help David Wagner's side thrive with the underdogs tag.
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Leicester City
Riyad Mahrez: Does anyone know where Riyad Mahrez is? That was a question only the wantaway Leicester City winger knew all the way throughout Thursday and Friday after Algeria allowed him to leave training in order to push through a move away from the King Power Stadium. Nothing materialised though, and now it looks like the 26-year-old will return to East Midlands after international duty until January, at least.
A cluster of European giants were reportedly after his signature over the summer including the likes of Barcelona, Manchester United and Chelsea but no offers were made in the dying embers of the window, much to the player's displeasure, I'm sure. Despite Mahrez' desires, his attitude has been second to one so far this term at Leicester and you can tell he just wants to play football, unlike far too many others, so it's great that he'll be around for a bit longer.
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Liverpool
Naby Keita: Even though he won't play a single minute for Liverpool this season, Naby Keita is on his way to Anfield to fill in a position that the Reds could soon be short in due to the impending departure of Phillipe Coutinho either in January or July. Jürgen Klopp had two bids for Keita rejected by RB Leipzig over the course of summer - the latest adding up to £66m - but he's decided to be patient and now the player has an agreement to come to England next season thanks to the £48m release clause in his current contract.
Brilliant value for such a young, talented player and adds the perfect balance to Liverpool's midfield three including Emre Can and captain Jordan Henderson. Mohamed Salah is also an impressive buy from the Merseyside club, but because of the attacking depth Klopp already has at his disposal Keita is the stand-out signing in my eyes.
Manchester City
Bernardo Silva: Manchester City splashed bundles of cash once again during the transfer window, £225m to be precise, and water is wet. £164m of that sum went towards new defenders, but it's an attacking signing I rate the highest because of his quality and price - Bernardo Silva of AS Monaco for £43m.
Like Bakayoko, Silva played a crucial role in the French sides dominance last time around and I'm certain many would agree that getting a player of his talent and age for less than £50m in the current market is remarkable business. The Portuguese flanker simply makes Pep Guardiola's attacking options even stronger and it'd be stunning if there wasn't a better title challenge from the Citizens come May.
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Manchester United
Nemanja Matić: The easy answer here would be Romelu Lukaku. 24 Premier League goals last season, three in three already this season - the £70m man is set up to lead the line at Old Trafford for many years to come. However, Nemanja Matić's influence in Manchester United's August fixtures have completely won me over.
It's not just the big Serb's performances that have made Chelsea look even more bonkers for letting him leave, but the way he unleashes Paul Pogba as another attacker has been a joy to watch and is predominantly the reason why 10 goals have been scored already by Mourinho's side. At the age of 29, Matić still has a few more solid years of patrolling just in front of the defensive line in him and could very well be the unsung hero as United make it title number 21 which, by the way things are looking, could become a reality very soon.
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Newcastle United
Rafael Benítez: This one's a bit of a ridiculous one because Newcastle United's transfer dealings since winning the Championship and subsequently gaining promotion back to the top flight have been comical. That's not down to the fans, that's not down to the draw factor of the club, it's down to one man and one man only - Mike Ashley.
It's incredible how Rafael Benítez hasn't walked away from St James' Park yet, because the financial backing from the Newcastle United owner makes it look like he's wanted out by the higher authorities on Tyneside. The impressive 3-0 victory against fellow strugglers West Ham may have just delayed the inevitable, because if Ashley doesn't sanction better incomings than Josh Murphy in future there's no chance the Magpies will cement their place in the first division any time soon.
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Southampton
Virgil van Dijk: Southampton are another team who've had an underwhelming transfer period under new manager Mauricio Pellegrino, who's highest profile capture was Juventus' midfielder Mario Lemina. One of the biggest dilemmas he's had to face was what to do with unhappy Virgil van Dijk after Liverpool's dodgy negotiating denied the Dutchman of a move earlier on in the summer.
The centre-back won't be the be training by himself for too long with the 2018 World Cup in Russia on the back of his mind, so it's likely a return to the Southampton first team picture is imminent. If he has as good a campaign as in 2016/17, big clubs like Liverpool and Chelsea will certainly be in for him again next year but Pellegrino will want to make use of his services while he can.
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Stoke City
Jesé Rodriguez: Stoke City, for some reason, have been really good at attracting majestic wingers since Mark Hughes took charge; including stars like Marco Arnautovic and Xherdan Shaqiri. Former Real Madrid man Jesé Rodriguez is the next forward to be added to that list and only marked his debut with a winning goal against Arsenal in a 1-0 victory at the Brittania Stadium.
It's only a season-long loan, so Jesé will take a hike back to Paris-Saint Germain once the season is over but with his contribution to the attacking firepower it's looking hopeful that the Potters will improve on the shoddy 13th place finish last term. After the signings of Neymar and Kylian Mbappé this summer, it's unlikely he has much of a future at the Parc des Princes so if he gets along with English football a move on a permanent basis is more than likely in nine months' time.
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Swansea City
Renato Sanches: And the award for the most bewildering transfer of 2017 goes to Swansea City for luring Bayern Munich midfielder Renato Sanches to South Wales for the 2017/18 season. The Portuguese international is still touted as one of the most promising talents in world football and has been previously linked with European powerhouses including Manchester United, Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund.
There's no doubt that Paul Clement's contacts at the Allianz Arena, most notably manager Carlo Ancelotti, would've had a massive say in this transfer happening and boosted the Swans' survival chances massively. The quite city of Swansea seems to be the perfect place to knuckle down and fulfil your potential, that's what Sanches' new teammate Tammy Abraham believes anyway, so in such a competitive league there's a dream opportunity for him to truly kick-start his career.
Tottenham Hotspur
Serge Aurier: All was pretty quiet in the Tottenham Hotspur camp in terms of transfers before an action-packed Deadline Day saw two new arrivals, one of those was troublesome, yet brilliant, Paris-Saint Germain right-back Serge Aurier. When Kyle Walker joined Manchester City there were still question marks as to whether Kieran Trippier could act as a straight-up replacement. Mauricio Pochettino obviously either thinks not or doesn't deem Kyle Walker-Peters as a suitable back-up, so here the Ivorian is.
At the age of 24, Aurier has plenty of learning ahead of him and will want to put his mistakes of the pitch in the past after this new start, and if he puts his head down and offers a good attitude there's no reason why he can't succeed in Walker's place. £23m stands as very good value for a player of his potential, and although Trippier is probably more of a ready-made solution now it won't be long until Spurs' new man is settled and ready to perform.
Watford
Andre Gray: Marco Silva has made some decent little additions to the Hornets throughout his first summer as boss after jumping ship at Hull City in May. Richarlison has looked promising in his opening few appearances, while midfield duo Will Hughes and Nathaniel Chalobah also appear to be strong long-term buys, but the one that caught my eye was Andre Gray of Burnley.
For a club-record fee of £18m, Gray left Burnley to lead to Watford line and offers a whole new dimension of offensive work compared to the other two main options of last season Troy Deeney and Stefan Okaka. The 26-year-old just seems to be settling into his new surroundings at the moment, but once he's cemented that first team spot could be a vital figure if the North London side are to steadily maintain their Premier League status in the near future and beyond.
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West Bromwich Albion
Grzegorz Krychowiak: Closely following Renato Sanches as a transfer you had to look twice at your phone to properly believe, Paris-Saint Germain get another mention in this article because their midfielder Grzegorz Krychowiak is now a West Bromwich Albion player - on loan for the season. After the departure of Darren Fletcher to Stoke City a new holding player was desperately required at the Hawthorns, and Tony Pulis has definitely outdone himself with this one.
Krychowiak was one of Europe's hottest targets in the latter stages of his Sevilla days and the French side plucked him out to join the likes of Marco Verratti and Blaise Matuidi in the middle of the park - now he's going to have to learn to partner up with Jake Livermore. The Baggies looked brilliant for the most parts of last term until their late collapse, and finished one point off 8th so they'll have the confidence that their newfound star power can help them go one step further.
West Ham United
Javier Hernandez: "I wouldn't have sold him," José Mourinho told Gary Linekar about Javier Hernandez' heart-breaking Manchester United exit in 2015 at the hands of controversial ruler Louis van Gaal. 'Chicharito' was a loved figure in M1 and a Premier League return has been anticipated since his departure for Germany, but now it's happened as Slaven Bilic clinched the famous poacher's signature as his marquee name of the window.
Arnautovic and Pablo Zabaleta also provide experience and quality in different areas of the pitch, but the Hammers couldn't be relying on Andy Carroll to be the main source of goals for much longer with the way the club is going, thanks to the new facilities. It probably wasn't the club many expected him to go, but Mexico's record goal-scorer has proved he's more than capable of consistently achieving 10-15 goals in a season and that could be the difference for West Ham reaching or not reaching their targets.
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WORDS BY Alex Turk - @_AlexTurk
Featured Image Credit:Topics: Manchester City, Spurs, Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester United, Transfers, West Ham, Arsenal
