Revisiting the 10 biggest transfers from deadline day last year: Antony, Aubameyang… | OneFootball

Transfer deadline day can be a chaotic time for football clubs as they desperately try to get all of their business done before the window slams shut.

As a result of the chaotic nature of the day, clubs often end up paying over the odds to get someone through the door as they fear not getting the deal over the line in time.

We’ve gone back and revisited the 10 biggest transfers from deadline day last year and have assessed how they have got on since.

10. Billy Gilmour (Chelsea to Brighton)

Chelsea originally intended to send Gilmour out on loan, but when Brighton managed to get a permanent deal over the line for a fee of around £8.9million. Even Thomas Tuchel admitted he was sad to see the youngster leave.

“So ideally it would have been another loan but Billy did not want to go on loan,” Tuchel told reporters. “It was a no-go for him and so in the end we agreed to a sale.”

The Scottish midfielder was in and out of the Brighton side last season as he racked up 14 appearances in the league. It seems this campaign could be a big year for the 22-year-old though as he has featured in all three matches this season.

9. James Garner (Man Utd to Everton)

Following a successful loan spell with Nottingham Forest in the Championship, Everton snatched up the Man Utd youngster on deadline day last year. The Toffees paid around £9million for the midfielder, with potential add-ons which could take the deal to £15million.

It wasn’t the easiest of debut seasons as Garner was thrust straight into a relegation battle. He has shown flashes of quality in an Everton shirt though and has been given more responsibility by Sean Dyche of late.

8. Jorgen Strand Larsen (Groningen to Celta)

Celta obviously liked what they saw from Larsen in his final season with Groningen as he hit 17 goals across all competitions. The Spanish side spent around £9.8million on the Norwegian forward on deadline day.

His debut season in Spain wasn’t quite as prolific as he would have hoped as he only managed four league goals and had to wait until January to score his first goal for the club.

“It’s been a tough few months because I was playing well, but the goal wasn’t arriving,” Larsen told reporters after scoring his first goal. “I hope that everything changes from now on.”

7. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Barcelona to Chelsea)

Chelsea needed a quick-fix solution up front so Tuchel drafted in Aubameyang, who he had previously worked with at Borussia Dortmund. The problem? Tuchel was sacked just a few days after Aubameyang arrived.

Graham Potter didn’t take much of a shine to the £10million forward and it wasn’t long until he faded into the background. After scoring just three goals for the club he departed this summer. A bad move all round.

6. Leander Dendoncker (Wolves to Aston Villa)

The versatile Belgian midfielder made the move across the midlands to sign for rivals Aston Villa. The 28-year-old was signed by Steven Gerrard and it still feels as if he has a point to prove under new boss Unai Emery.

“I have had 10 months with him and I am always trying to find [how he can] be regular every day, every month, training, playing and getting his best performance, for some different circumstances he didn’t do it,” Emery told reporters when discussing the £12.8million signing.

5. Wout Faes (Reims to Leicester)

Being thrown into a shaky Leicester City defence was never going to be easy. The Foxes splashed £15million on Faes on deadline day as they tried to sure up their leaky backline.

The Belgian defender had some tough moments in his debut season, particularly away at Anfield where he scored two own goals. With Leicester now looking to bounce back to the Premier League at the first time of asking, Faes will be determined to prove the doubters wrong.

4. Carlos Soler (Valencia to PSG)

Prior to a ball being kicked, it seemed as if PSG had a fairly productive summer transfer window in 2022. They snatched Soler on deadline day for £18million which rounded off their summer business.

Ultimately though it was more of the same from PSG. Their failings in Europe overshadowed their domestic success and Soler himself endured a difficult first season in France. Perhaps fellow Spaniard Luis Enrique can get the midfielder back to his best.

3. Umar Sadiq (Almeria to Real Sociedad)

The Nigerian forward fired Almeria to promotion from the Segunda Division with 18 goals. Real Sociedad liked what they saw from the frontman and splashed £18.85million on him on deadline day.

Unfortunately, his debut season at the Reale Arena didn’t go to plan. In his third game for the club, he suffered an ACL injury which kept him out of the entire campaign.

2. Amine Gouiri (Nice to Rennes)

Rennes spent £24million to secure the services of Gouiri on deadline day and it proved to be money well spent. The dynamic winger finished his debut campaign with 17 goals and helped Rennes to a fourth-placed finish.

There’s plenty more to come from the 23-year-old too.

1. Antony (Ajax to Man Utd)

After a slow start to the 2022 summer transfer window, Man Utd sprang into life towards the end. After losing their opening two matches of the season they quickly hit the panic button. Casemiro was first and he was soon joined by Antony on deadline day.

The Reds splashed a whopping £85million on the Ajax winger and so expectations were sky-high from the start. The winger instantly opened his account with a smart finish against Arsenal but then endured a bumpy patch of form.