Paul Merson's transfer window grades: Premier League clubs rated
Tuesday 2 February 2016 19:56, UK
The transfer window has closed - and every Premier League club must make do with what they have until the end of the season.
Did your club get the players they needed? Did they get good value for those that left?
We asked Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson to review the signings that each club has made and grade their January transfer business...
ARSENAL: C-
In: Mohamed Elneny - Basel, £5m
Out: Mathieu Debuchy - Bordeaux, Loan, Glen Kamara - Southend, Loan
MERSE SAYS: They get a C because they didn't do enough. Mohamed Elneny is nowhere near enough. They definitely needed a defensive midfield player, but also a forward. If Olivier Giroud gets injured then can Theo Walcott come in and score enough goals in the last 15 games?
ASTON VILLA: Z-
In: None
Out: Callum Robinson - Preston, Loan, Joe Cole - Coventry, Free, Gary Gardner - Nottingham Forest, Loan, Joe Bennett - Sheffield Wednesday, Loan, Jose Angel Crespo - Rayo Vallecano, Loan, Philippe Senderos - Released
MERSE SAYS: What's the lowest I can give? How about a Z-? They've done nothing. They've let some players go and I think they're just preparing for the Championship. Even so, why not start buying players now? Why not go and get Jordan Rhodes? They are virtually waving the white flag and saying goodbye to the Premier League.
BOURNEMOUTH: A-
In: Juan Iturbe - Roma, Loan, Benik Afobe - Wolves, £10m, Lewis Grabban - Norwich, £7m, Marius Adamonis - Atlantas, Loan, Rhoys Wiggins - Sheffield Wednesday, £200,000
Out: Jayden Stockley - Exeter, Loan, Elliott Ward - Blackburn, Undisclosed, Yann Kermorgant - Reading, Undisclosed, Lee Tomlin, Bristol City, Loan, Ryan Allsop - Wycombe, Loan
MERSE SAYS: I like what they've done. They brought in Afobe and Grabban and they've said 'right, we need to score goals' and fair play to them, they've had a go. They've spent money and I do like the business they've done.
CHELSEA: C-
In: Alexandre Pato - Corinthians, Loan, Matt Miazga - New York Red Bulls
Out: Ramires - Jiangsu Suning, Undisclosed, Papy Djilobodji - Werder Bremen, Loan, Alex Kiwomya - Fleetwood, Loan, Charly Musonda - Real Betis, Loan, Patrick Bamford - Norwich, Loan, Christian Atsu - Malaga, Loan, Mitchell Beeney - Newport, Loan, Marco van Ginkel - PSV, Loan
MERSE SAYS: Pato? What's he done other than one good year in Milan? He must've thought it was a joke when Chelsea rung him up! And how can you give Branislav Ivanovic another year and not John Terry? You give him one because he's John Terry, just to get the fans back on side. They're not going to be playing Champions League football next year and it's going to be rocky - especially with Pep Guardiola coming in at Man City - so why not give him another year?
CRYSTAL PALACE: B-
In: Emmanuel Adebayor - Free, Randall Williams - Tower Hamlets, Undisclosed
Out: Jack Hunt - Sheffield Wednesday, Undisclosed, Jonny Williams - MK Dons, Loan
MERSE SAYS: With Emmanuel Adebayor, it could end up being a B+ signing or a D- signing. That's what he's like. I'll give them B- for now because he does have the potential to rip it up.
EVERTON: C
In: Oumar Niasse - Lokomotiv Moscow, £13.5m, Shani Tarashaj - Grasshoppers Zurich, £3m, Matty Foulds - Bury, Undisclosed
Out: Shani Tarashaj - Grasshoppers Zurich, Loan, Steven Naismith - Norwich, £8.5m, Liam Walsh - Yeovil, Loan, Jonjoe Kenny - Oxford Utd, Loan, Aiden McGeady, Sheffield Wednesday, Loan
MERSE SAYS: I like Steven Naismith, I thought he was a good player for them. If I'm being honest I don't know much about Oumar Niasse because I've never seen him play. They've brought in players who are not proven, so they could be really hit and miss.
LEICESTER CITY: B
In: Demarai Gray - Birmingham, £3.75m, Daniel Amartey - FC Copenhagen, £5m, Daniel Iversen - Esbjerg, £200,000
Out: Andrej Kramaric - Hoffenheim, Loan, Joe Davis - Fleetwood, Undisclosed, Jak McCourt - Barnsley, Undisclosed, Alie Sesay - Barnet, Undisclosed, Joe Davis - Fleetwood, Undisclosed, Tom Lawrence - Cardiff, Loan, Ritchie De Laet - Middlesbrough, Loan, Yohan Benalouane - Fiorentina, Loan
MERSE SAYS: I like what they're doing at the minute. They're having a good go, they're looking and thinking 'right, we're going to need to score goals to win the Premier League' and they play with a high tempo and work hard so you do need players who are going to be 100 per cent. I like their business and Demarai Gray is one for the future.
LIVERPOOL: D
In: Marko Grujic - Red Star Belgrade, £5.1m, Steven Caulker - QPR, Loan
Out: Marko Grujic - Red Star Belgrade, Loan, Ryan Fulton - Portsmouth, Loan
MERSE SAYS: Their business will be done in the summer. I think Jurgen Klopp's come in and thought 'let's get this season out of the way now' and will be thinking 'this is a lot harder than I thought it would be'. I think they'll do more business than anybody in the summer and there'll be more ins and outs at Liverpool than at any other club. I think he's just waiting for next season. You can't really give them a mark because they haven't done anything, so it's just a D.
MANCHESTER CITY: C
In: Anthony Caceres - Central Coast Mariners, £150,000
Out: Shay Facey - Rotherham, Loan, George Evans - Reading, Undisclosed, Ian Lawlor - Bury, Loan, Patrick Roberts - Celtic, Loan, Enes Unal - NAC Brada, Loan, Bruno Zuculini - AEK Athens, Loan
MERSE SAYS: Pep Guardiola to City was the worst kept secret in the world and I wonder if they announced it on Deadline Day as a cover-up so that they don't have to go and buy anybody. I think they've tried to pull the wool over the fans' eyes by announcing Guardiola and not signing anybody. For me, they still needed players this season.
MANCHESTER UNITED: D
In: None
Out: Victor Valdes - Standard Liege, Loan, Ashley Fletcher - Barnsley, Loan, Ben Pearson - Preston, Undisclosed, Liam Grimshaw - Preston, Undisclosed
MERSE SAYS: I'm very surprised they haven't signed anybody and now with Pep Guardiola going to City, and Liverpool and Man City reaching the Capital One Cup final, it doesn't get any better for them. You have to give them a D because they haven't done anything. If a kid doesn't do his homework then he's going to get a D - and they haven't done their homework.
NEWCASTLE UNITED: A+
In: Henri Saivet - Bordeaux, £5m, Jonjo Shelvey - Swansea, £12m, Andros Townsend - Tottenham, £12m, Seydou Doumbia, CSKA Moscow, Loan
Out: Mike Williamson - Wolves, £200,000, Shane Ferguson - Millwall, Undisclosed, Florian Thauvin - Marseille, Loan, Gael Bigirimana - Coventry, Loan, Kyle Cameron - York, Loan
MERSE SAYS: They've had a right go in the transfer market and it was 100 per cent the right thing to do. I like what they've bought; Andros Townsend and Jonjo Shelvey have played in the Premier League, they've played international football, they always want to get on the ball and I really like that. I'd be shocked if Newcastle went down now.
NORWICH CITY: A
In: Steven Naismtih - Everton, £8.5m, Timm Klose - Wolfsburg, £7.6m, Patrick Bamford - Chelsea, Loan, Ivo Pinto - Dinamo Zagreb, Undisclosed, Matt Jarvis - West Ham, £2.5m, Ben Godfrey - York City, Undisclosed, Ebou Adams - Dartford, Undisclosed, James Maddison - Coventry, Undisclosed
Out: Elliott Bennett - Blackburn Rovers, Undisclosed , Lewis Grabban - Bournemouth, £7m, Conor McGrandles - Falkirk, Loan, Gary Hooper - Sheffield Wednesday, Undisclosed, Harry Toffolo - Peterborough, Loan, Jake Kean - Colchester, Loan, Jamar Loza - Southend, Loan, James Maddison - Coventry, Loan
MERSE SAYS: I like Norwich and I'll give them an A for effort as well for having a go in the market. I like teams who have a go, I don't like people who sit there and think 'oh, I don't know, should we do this or that?' Why not try to keep yourself in the division?
SOUTHAMPTON: B
In: Charlie Austin - QPR, £4m
Out: Sam McQueen - Southend, Loan
MERSE SAYS: I think they've nicked Charlie Austin at a good price. They've made one signing and it depends how he carries on but I do like him.
STOKE CITY: B+
In: Giannelli Imbula - Porto, £18.3m
Out: Steve Sidwell - Brighton, Loan, Eddy Lecygne - Doncaster, Loan
MERSE SAYS: It's been a hard week for them, going out of the FA Cup and out of the Capital One Cup but they've brought in a new £18m signing on Deadline Day to lift the spirits of the fans. You have to wonder why they left it to the last minute when they had the whole month?
SUNDERLAND: C
In: Lamine Kone - Lorient, £5m, Dame N'Doye - Trabzonspor, Loan, Jan Kirchhoff - Bayern Munich, Undisclosed, Steve Harper - Free
Out: Steven Fletcher - Marseille, Loan, Costel Pantilimon - Watford, Undisclosed, Will Buckley - Birmingham, Loan, Danny Graham - Blackburn, Loan, Lynden Gooch - Doncaster, Loan, Charis Mavrias - Fortuna Dusseldorf, Loan, Sebastian Coates - Sporting Lisbon, Loan
MERSE SAYS: This is a hard one but you can't doubt Sam Allardyce because he does his homework. He's got to bring defenders in who are going to keep them in touch for the next five games because their next five fixtures are a joke. Then after that, when they've got to win games, are they going to have enough to win them because they haven't bought strikers? It could go horribly wrong. If they do get draws and a few points in the hard games then they've got to go and win games and I don't think he's got the firepower to win them, apart from Jermain Defoe.
SWANSEA CITY: C
In: Alberto Paloschi - Chievo, £8m, Leroy Fer - QPR, Loan, Ryan Blair - Falkirk, Undisclosed
Out: Jonjo Shelvey - Newcastle, £12m, Eder - Lille, Loan, Dan Alfei - Mansfield, Loan
MERSE SAYS: I didn't understand them letting Jonjo Shelvey go to a rival. It was good money but it's not £100m, which is what you'll get if you stay up and finish bottom of the Premier League next year. I don't think they've done clever business and they've sold to the wrong people.
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR: D
In: Shilow Tracey - Ebbsfleet, Undisclosed
Out: Andros Townsend - Newcastle, £12m, Kenny McEvoy - Released, Shaquile Coulthirst - Peterborough, Undisclosed, Federico Fazio - Sevilla, Loan, Milos Veljkovic - Werder Bremen, Undisclosed, Grant Ward - Rotherham, Loan, Alex Pritchard - West Brom, Loan
MERSE SAYS: They had to let Andros Townsend go and they've got a settled team so I understand the lack of signings. It's been hard for them because the same team has played virtually every week and if you bring someone in and they don't play then you could look at it and think it's a waste of money - but they're a couple of injuries away from being blown away. I would probably have tried to get a world-class centre-half… but everybody is looking for them.
WATFORD: C
In: Abdoulaye Doucoure - Rennes, Undisclosed, Costel Pantilimon - Sunderland, Undisclosed, Nordin Amrabat - Malaga, £6.1m, Mario Suarez - Fiorentina, Undisclosed, Adalberto Penaranda - Granada, Undisclosed
Out: Diego Fabbrini - Birmingham, £1.5m, Alessandro Diamanti - Loan cancelled, Connor Smith - AFC Wimbledon, Released, Uche Ikpeazu - Blackpool, Loan
MERSE SAYS: I think at the moment, we have to wait and see what these new signings are like but they've had a go and I like that from teams who are trying to stay in the league.
WEST BROMWICH ALBION: A-
In: Sandro - QPR, Loan, Alex Pritchard - Tottenham, Loan
Out: Anders Lindegaard - Preston, Loan, Adil Nabi - Peterborough, Undisclosed
MERSE SAYS: I think they've done all right, even though they haven't done much business. People might think this is weird but I'm going for A- simply for keeping Saido Berahino because he will score goals. He's a very good player.
WEST HAM UNITED: B+
In: Sam Byram - Leeds, Undisclosed, Emmanuel Emenike - Fenerbahce, Loan
Out: Matt Jarvis - Norwich, £2.5m, Diego Poyet - Charlton, Loan, Mauro Zarate - Fiorentina, £1.6m, Lewis Page - Cambridge United, Loan, Elliott Lee - Colchester, Loan, Stephen Hendrie - Southend, Loan
MERSE SAYS: I do like Sam Byram, I think he's good for the future and he has come in at a good time with the injury to Carl Jenkinson. I'll give them a B+ because they've brought in a couple of solid players.
