The Gaffer on Transfers

Every summer the same circus. Big names, bigger wages, press conferences in front of sponsor banners. Here is what actually matters.

Salah is gone from Liverpool. Nine seasons. Robertson too. Arne Slot has to replace the best player in the league, a left back who has been there a decade, and still be competitive from August. Liverpool's pre-season will tell you everything about whether they are serious or buying time.

Manchester City said goodbye to Bernardo Silva and John Stones. The squad Guardiola built between 2017 and 2022 is breaking up slowly. Each departure is manageable on its own. Add them up and it starts to look like something more structural.

“Momentum does not last forever.”

The window opened June 15th. It closes September 1st. Most of the serious business will land in August when clubs stop posturing and start panicking.

My read on this summer: watch the clubs who are done by the end of July. That tells you who has their recruitment right and who is guessing. The ones who drag it to deadline day are the ones who collapse when the going gets tough in November.

Arsenal won the title. Now the question is whether they invest to defend it or assume momentum carries them.

Momentum does not last forever.

Watch the window.