Former Liverpool striker Craig Bellamy doesn’t think the Reds have the quality to contend for a top-four finish in the Premier League, but he did love the signing of former Aston Villa striker Christian Benteke during the summer transfer window.

Speaking to Sportsmail‘s Luke Augustus, he tipped the Belgium international to do great things at Anfield, saying: “I think [Christian] Benteke is a brilliant signing—he’s definitely a player who is going to do well.”

Benteke headlines a group of new players who arrived at Anfield during the summer, including talented youngster Joe Gomez, Brazil international Roberto Firmino, star full-back Nathaniel Clyne and seasoned veteran James Milner.

The 24-year-old scored 13 goals in 26 Premier League starts for Villa last year, establishing himself as one of the top young target men in the country, per WhoScored.com. Along with goals, the Belgian brings a healthy work-rate up front, and he’ll weigh on defences any way he can, via WhoScored:

As a young player with plenty of upside and Premier League experience, it made sense for the Reds to trigger his release clause and bring him to Anfield in an attempt to solve the issues at the striker position.

Last season’s options didn’t produce at all, and both Mario Balotelli and Rickie Lambert have joined new clubs just one year after making the move to Liverpool. Daniel Sturridge remains the team’s most talented scorer, but health has been a major issue during the last few seasons.

Bellamy believes Sturridge and Benteke can both have excellent seasons, providing Philippe Coutinho continues playing like a star. The Brazil international was one of the top breakout players last season and enters the 2015-16 season as the Reds’ primary playmaker, in charge of getting the ball to the front men.

But despite the obvious talent of the forwards and the solid purchases manager Brendan Rodgers made this summer, Bellamy still thinks the team isn’t good enough to crack the top four and qualify for the Champions League. Depth remains an issue, and key contributors like Gomez and Jordon Ibe lack the experience that could make the difference in pivotal moments.

The Reds could still qualify through the Europa League, as the winners of that competition are now automatically handed a spot in the Champions League, but Bellamy doesn’t see that happening, either:

The Europa League is difficult, it really is to try and compete in that and then play Premier League football on a Sunday.

In the Champions League you’re travelling to some of the best cities and stadiums in Europe but in the Europa League you’re going further out, to lesser stadiums, travelling is a lot more stressful and I feel in that competition everyone just wants to get through.

You try and get to the quarter-finals as well as you can with your league form intact, while changing as much as possible, but it get serious around about the knockout stage.

Before then you just want to try and keep your league position as strong as possible while trying to get through the group stages.

Liverpool added a bunch of high-upside players during the summer, and while the expectations for the 2015-16 season should be tempered, the long-term future of this team looks very bright. Benteke is both an immediate-impact player and a long-term option, however, so it’s easy to see why Bellamy is such a fan of the signing.

Denis Cheryshev Responsible for Failed Alberto Moreno Move?

According to Catalan newspaper Sport (h/t Liverpool Echo‘s Kristian Walsh), Spanish full-back Alberto Moreno didn’t join Real Madrid because Rodgers was adamant the Reds had to receive Russian winger Denis Cheryshev in return.

The 24-year-old reportedly has a buyout clause of £146 million, according to the Daily Star (via Walsh), and Los Blancos plan on sticking to said clause, as they don’t want Cheryshev to move.

Walsh was sceptical of the report, as he believes the Reds were never interested in the Russia international in the first place:

Quite why the Reds wanted the Russian winger is unknown, given it was understood the club had no interest in him earlier in the summer. Still, Catalan newspaper Sport says it was mooted Cheryshev would come to Anfield, with Moreno heading to the Bernabeu. Neither deal happened.

What a surprise.

Cheryshev spent the 2014-15 season on loan with Villarreal and showed enough promise to warrant a move back to the Bernabeu. He’s unlikely to see much playing time in 2015-16, however, with a host of established stars ahead of him in the pecking order.

As reported by Marca, he seems determined to show his value to the Real fans and would be willing to switch positions if that’s what it took to get on the pitch:

I think the coach sees me on the left side of midfield. We haven’t spoken about playing at full-back – there are other players who can operate in that position, like Alvaro Arbeloa and Nacho, but if there were a big need, I’d have no problem doing it. That said, I see myself more in attacking positions – that’s where I’m most comfortable.

The Reds could always use depth at the wide positions, but Cheryshev hasn’t done enough during his young career to warrant any kind of significant transfer fee. Right now, he wouldn’t be an automatic starter at Anfield, and his upside may not be as high as that of Ibe, who also needs minutes to keep developing.

Moreno provides valuable depth behind young starlet Gomez, and with Marcelo the obvious choice to start at left-back for Los Blancos, it’s hard to see why Real would be interested in the Spaniard. Manager Rafa Benitez felt comfortable sending Fabio Coentrao out on loan to Inter Milan, so he clearly trusts the options he already has at the position.

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When the dust settles on another busy summer transfer window for Liverpool, manager Brendan Rodgers may regret not pursuing the club’s reported interest in French defensive midfielder Geoffrey Kondogbia.

According to Simon Jones of MailOnline, the Reds were scouting Kondogbia extensively towards the end of the 2014/15 season, when he played for AS Monaco:

The France international was one of the most coveted players in Europe prior to signing for the wealthy French club from Sevilla in 2013.

Real Madrid, Manchester United, Juventus and Paris St Germain were all keen.

He had an initial dip in form after his move but has since kicked on again and has impressed Liverpool scouts in Europe and the French league this season.

At the time, Jones painted Kondogbia as the type of under-the-radar, high-potential talent that Liverpool have purposefully targeted under Rodgers—with the likes of Emre Can, Daniel Sturridge and Philippe Coutinho as evidence of this approach.

However, the 22-year-old eventually signed for a resurgent Inter Milan in a deal worth up to £25 million, according to Ian McCourt of the Guardian.

Jones suggested that “Liverpool’s budget and attraction will hinge on qualification for the Champions League.”

But with Inter also missing out on qualification for Europe’s elite competition after an eighth-place finish in the 2014/15 Serie A and the Reds spending big this summer on the likes of Roberto Firmino (£29 million) and Christian Benteke (£32.5 million), it seems that a move for Kondogbia would have been feasible.

Missing out on him could prove to be a costly mistake and a considerable regret for Rodgers this season.

Liverpool’s Need for a Defensive Midfielder

“I would have liked to have seen them sign a defensive midfield player, with Steven Gerrard having moved on,” former Reds defender Jamie Carragher professed in an August column for Sky Sports.

“Emre Can can maybe step in there and you still have Lucas Leiva, but it looks like a position that Liverpool need to fill, and it is one that I am slightly surprised they haven’t given their defensive record over the last few years.”

Though overall the 37-year-old is “impressed” with Liverpool’s business this summer, his notion that his former club needed to sign a defensive midfielder is a pertinent one.

The paramount importance of a defensive midfielder in the Premier League is becoming more and more significant as styles of play develop. Though the English top flight is renowned for its fast-paced attacking game, for a side to breach the dome of top-six superiority, it must become smarter and counter this threat.

Deploying a sitting, destroyer-type defensive midfielder has boosted the fortunes of Chelsea and Arsenal in the race for the top four, too. Both Nemanja Matic and Francis Coquelin are exemplary within their field.

In 36 league games with Matic in 2014/15, Chelsea lost just twice (6 percent), while their capitulation without him against Newcastle United saw them lose one of their two games without him.

In 22 league games with Coquelin last season, Arsenal lost just three times (14 percent), losing four games out of 16 without him (25 percent). Their win ratio with the Frenchman at the base of their midfield was boosted considerably, too. With Coquelin, the Gunners won 73 percent of their league games. Without him, they won just 38 percent.

Employing a specialist defensive midfielder of true quality is of fundamental tactical importance in the Premier League, but with Lucas Leiva representing Rodgers’ only option on this front, Liverpool will struggle at times this season.

Lucas Leiva

Brazilian midfielder Lucas looked set to leave Liverpool this summer, with James Pearce of the Liverpool Echo quoting Besiktas board member Erol Kaynar as declaring that “A loan deal [for Lucas] is likely, it could go ahead within the next two days.”

Lucas was set to join up with the Turkish giants on a season-long loan before his performance in Liverpool’s 0-0 draw with Arsenal seemingly changed Rodgers’ stance on the 28-year-old’s future.

Pearce provided an update on Lucas’ future after the Emirates Stadium stalemate, suggesting that the club had “shelved plans to off-load” the former Gremio midfielder, as corroborated by Rodgers in conversation with Sky Sports during his post-match briefing.

“Lucas is our best defensive midfield player,” he said. “There are games where I play three midfield players but not always with a defensive specific one, but when we do need that, he is the best one we have.

“He came in tonight and did a great job and is very much part of what we want to do.”

Lucas is one of the club’s longest-serving current players behind centre-back Martin Skrtel, and his introduction into Rodgers’ first team in 2014/15 prompted an upturn in form, but his two appearances this season so far have provided a succinct evaluation of his quality.

A disciplined, aggressive option at the midfield base, Lucas is a means to an end for Liverpool—the sole defensive-minded body that Rodgers can rely on in big-game encounters such as away to Arsenal—but in the manager’s assertion that “he is the best one we have,” there is an element of complacency.

Against both Arsenal and West Ham United this season, Lucas has proven his deficiency in this vital role, with persistent injury issues leaving him physically depleted and unable to intervene with consistency as opponents build dangerous attacks in midfield and break on the counter.

Lucas is the best defensive midfielder that Liverpool have, but this is largely due to the fact that Lucas is the only defensive midfielder that Liverpool have.

This summer, they needed an upgrade.

Geoffrey Kondogbia

“What happens if you can’t sign the tall, athletic, 22-year-old France midfielder that almost every major Champions League club has looked into signing from Juventus this summer?” Duncan Castles wrote for Goal.com in June, comparing Kondogbia with international team-mate Paul Pogba.

“You turn your attention to the tall, athletic, 22-year-old France midfielder who appears certain to move away from AS Monaco this summer.”

Suggesting that Pogba and Kondogbia are on the same level may be a stretch, but with the former as the toast of European football—reportedly commanding a ridiculous fee of £105 million, according to Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t the Express)—Kondogbia was the more realistic option for European clubs this summer.

While Pogba is an well-rounded, attack-minded central midfielder, Kondogbia is a different specimen.

A well-built, 6’2″ defensive midfielder, Kondogbia is suited to a holding midfield role, shielding the back four and breaking up play—in this sense, much like Lucas.

But unlike Lucas, Kondogbia also offers a progressive, dynamic option in building from the midfield. Last season, for example, he averaged 1.8 successful dribbles per 90 minutes in Ligue 1, more than all but five central midfielders to make 10 or more appearances in the French top flight—those being Oscar Trejo (2), Marco Verratti (2.3), Javier Pastore (2.5), Morgan Sanson (2.6) and Giannelli Imbula (3).

For Roberto Mancini at Inter, Kondogbia has so far operated alongside Gary Medel and Fredy Guarin in a three-man midfield base, with the trio interchanging roles in a fluid system.

Medel and Kondogbia both offer imperious defensive quality, which has seen Inter concede just one goal in their first two games in Serie A this season.

Interestingly, Lucas has long been linked with a move to Inter, as suggested by Tuttosport (h/t talkSPORT) at the end of June, but the youth, dynamism and vitality of Kondogbia, along with his defensive quality, make the Frenchman a much better option for Mancini.

But could Liverpool have snatched Kondogbia from under Inter’s noses this summer? Castles believes so.

“Kondogbia, it is said, is ‘a huge Liverpool fan’; fanatical enough that an offer from Anfield might even sway his decision,” he continued.

“Whether this Liverpool administration has the sense to find out is another matter entirely.”

With Rodgers seemingly lacking the sense to address his side’s lack of quality in the defensive sector this summer, allowing Inter to sign a top-level young talent like Kondogbia, the Liverpool manager has left his side lacking once again.

Failing to recognise this and ignoring the availability of Inter’s new No. 7 could become a major regret for Rodgers this season.

Statistics via Squawka.com and WhoScored.com.

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First it happened with Porto, and then Inter Milan.

On the occasions Jose Mourinho has won the Champions League, he’s done it with front men who have been at the peak of their powers.

In 2003/04, the goalscoring duties were shared out among Benny McCarthy, Dmitri Alenitchev and Derlei at Porto, who scored a healthy 10 goals between them.

Six years later with Inter, Diego Milito did it all but single-handedly, finding the back of the net on six occasions en route to the Nerazzurri becoming European champions. Two of that half-dozen came in the final against Bayern Munich, also.

If Mourinho is to repeat that success with Chelsea this season, he’s going to need Diego Costa to show up.

So lethal in the Premier League last year, Costa failed to register a single goal in Europe—a fact that played its part in Chelsea’s early Champions League exit against Paris Saint-Germain.

Costa wasn’t a bit-part player, either. He featured in seven of Chelsea’s eight games, including 200 of the 210 minutes played against PSG in that last-16 disappointment.

He cut a frustrated figure in the tie, offering little by way of a goal threat, much like he did throughout the entire European campaign.

Indeed, his best performance came in the groups when Chelsea travelled to Lisbon to face Sporting. Normally so deadly when through on goal, he wasted an early one-on-one opportunity and was also guilty of some other glaring misses on the night.

When Costa’s in town, we expect so much more.

We can point to injuries playing their part in impacting his season, yet it was hardly the case in the Premier League.

The Spanish international scored 20 goals in 26 games to deliver Chelsea the title—a phenomenal return given it was his debut campaign in English football, not to mention the suspensions and other controversies that he endured.

Like his teammates, Costa couldn’t rediscover that same ruthless streak in Europe, which has to change if Chelsea have any chance of pitching up at the San Siro for the final come May.

Costa’s failures in the Champions League almost mirror his manager’s lack of success in the competition at Stamford Bridge.

Despite his pedigree, Mourinho has always been the nearly man when it comes to delivering European glory in West London.

He’s taken Chelsea to three semi-finals, where they have lost on each occasion—twice to Liverpool, the other Atletico Madrid.

Costa was part of the Atletico side that so mercilessly dispatched Chelsea, battling their way through the tie to eventually grind down Mourinho‘s men and take victory.

Costa scored eight goals in Europe in 2013/14, which is why Mourinho had long marked him out as the man to lead the line at Stamford Bridge.

And much like his manager, it’s the Champions League that will be the barometer to define the legacy Costa leaves.

Mourinho is at Chelsea to ensure domestic success, although it’s dominance in Europe that owner Roman Abramovich is demanding above all else. That’s the last frontier of the journey Chelsea have enjoyed since the Russian’s riches propelled them to sit among the football elite.

Success in 2012 saw the club peak, and Abramovich‘s desire is to make that consistent, to become much more than just an anomaly in the history of the European game. He wants a dynasty, and those only come with glory that is repeated over and over.

It’s why Abramovich has Mourinho; it’s why Mourinho has Costa.

Goals are the currency that determine success in football at any level, and Chelsea didn’t register enough them in Europe last season. If Costa continues to struggle on the continent, it’s going to be a repeat of 2014/15, when the Premier League champions suffered significant disappointment.

Considering how Chelsea’s title defence has started in the early weeks of the new season, things aren’t looking positive domestically, either.

That means the importance of succeeding in Europe is only going to be heightened, and for that reason alone, Chelsea dare not fail.

As Chelsea prepare to announce their Champions League squad ahead of Matchday 1 in less than a fortnight, it’s Costa who stands out as being the man to ensure that doesn’t happen.

He needs to step up.

Garry Hayes is Bleacher Report’s lead Chelsea correspondent. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter @garryhayes

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Some areas of Real Madrid‘s squad look a little weak to challenge effectively on three fronts, as the club try to wrestle La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Champions League back from arch-rivals Barcelona.

Perhaps the most crucial position they could do with more support in is the No. 9 spot.

Karim Benzema is a brilliant striker and if he stays fit and firing for the whole season then there might not be a problem.

But the French international suffered a knee injury toward the back end of last season and had a thigh injury at the start of this year, which kept him out of the club’s first game.

Madrid could have done with Benzema as they stumbled to a 0-0 draw against Sporting Gijon, but he returned for the next match and so did the goals.

Benzema struck against Real Betis as Madrid ran out 5-0 winners at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Rafa Benitez fully appreciates that the squad could do with another striker. According to Marca, he asked for one but was denied by the board.

The manager had suggested signing a new forward, since he’s concerned about a lack of backup for the front line. The club’s directors, however, think that the team has enough goals in it, and that the current dry spell in front of goal is only temporary. Real argue that Benitez has the world’s most lethal striker, Cristiano Ronaldo, at his disposal, as well as his eventual replacement as the team’s star player, Gareth Bale. And let’s not forget Benzema, who averages in the region of 20-30 goals a season.

Meanwhile AS said that if Rafa could choose between a forward and midfielder he would opt to sign the forward. Marco Ruiz wrote:

“He wants to have a different tactical option at his disposal. That would come from a striker who is comfortable in the area but possesses the movement of a forward. Carlo Ancelotti deployed Chicharito in that role towards the end of last season.”

Then, two days after the article was published, Madrid swooped for Mateo Kovacic.

The Croatian midfielder, signed from Inter Milan, is a hot prospect and could end up being a key Los Blancos player for years to come.

But most don’t expect him to have too much of an impact this season with Luka Modric and Toni Kroos the preferred central-midfield options.

As Ruiz mentioned, last season Madrid had Javier Hernandez, who proved to be extremely useful.

It was the Mexican who popped up with the late goal to send Atletico Madrid crashing out of the Champions League with Los Blancos progressing to the semi-finals.

Benzema is now the only out-and-out striker Madrid have, with Cristiano Ronaldo and Jese other options.

But Jese looks far more comfortable playing in wide areas at the moment, while Ronaldo is reportedly not willing to budge from his position on the left.

According to Sport, Ronaldo does not like the idea of Gareth Bale coming over to “his” left flank, while Ronaldo is pushed up top. Alejandro Alcaraz wrote:

Ronaldo is not impressed with all the tactical attention being placed on Bale and suspects that eventually he may end up on ‘his’ left side, while the Portuguese is moved up top.

…

Cristiano is not ready to step aside for Bale and feels the plan to recycle his position is a strategy from the club to leave the left forward position free for the Welshman. But that is not why he wants to stay on the left; it is because that is where he feels most comfortable and where he has had a lot of success for Madrid. As a striker, he does not feel as comfortable and does not want to play there.

All of which makes the idea that Arsenal could buy Benzema more ridiculous.

Meanwhile, with Fabio Coentrao being sold, Marcelo is the only recognised left-back at Benitez’s disposal.

Nacho can fill in for him, while playing one of Dani Carvajal or Danilo out of position is also an option, albeit not something a club like Madrid should need to do.

Madrid have a strong side, but if they get unlucky with injuries, their uneven squad may prove to be a problem.

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The transfer window is closed, and Arsenal’s squad will remain the same—at least until January. At the end of the transfer period, it seems appropriate to analyse Arsenal’s activity in the market.

It was not the busiest of windows for Arsene Wenger. A year ago, he added five new players to the squad, recruiting Mathieu Debuchy, Alexis Sanchez, David Ospina, Calum Chambers and—on deadline day itself—Danny Welbeck. However, this summer he has signed just one senior player: goalkeeper Petr Cech. There have not been many departures either, with only one player leaving the club for a recognised fee.

In this piece, we’ll take a look at Arsenal’s business before attempting to establish an overall grade. 

Signings

Cech was the only major arrival at Arsenal this summer. He is undoubtedly a good addition and an upgrade on the Gunners’ previous goalkeepers. Since the departure of Jens Lehmann, Wenger has struggled to identify a credible No. 1. By signing a multiple Premier League champion, he has effectively brought with him a guarantee of quality.

A mooted fee of £10 million seems very reasonable for a player with Cech’s credentials. Even at the age of 33, he still has plenty of years left at the top. The success of Edwin van der Sar, who continued to impress for Manchester United into his 40th year, will inspire Cech to prolong his already remarkable career.

The only other additions to the squad were on the academy side. Based on his performances in the Emirates Cup, Jeff Reine-Adelaide is a tremendous prospect and certainly one to watch. However, it will be some time before his impact is felt on the first team. The best he can hope for this season is the odd cameo in the Capital One Cup.

Despite the astute addition of Cech, most Arsenal fans were hoping for more signings on deadline day. There are two major areas of the squad that could do with reinforcement.

The first is in defensive midfield, where there is no satisfying alternative to the combative Francis Coquelin. Mathieu Flamini appears to have fallen out of favour, while Mikel Arteta is increasingly seen as too frail to thrive in the war zone of the midfield. The acquisition of a tough-tackling ball-winner would not have gone amiss.

Then there’s the attacking situation to consider. Arsenal have struggled for goals in the early part of the season, and there is a lingering suspicion that they need a world-class centre-forward to become true title contenders.

Despite continual speculation about a potential move for Karim Benzema—Thierry Henry even went as far as to tell SkySports that he felt his fellow Frenchman could make Arsenal champions again—no move was forthcoming.

Manchester United’s exorbitant bid to land Anthony Martial shows just how hard it is to unearth an elite striker in today’s market. Wenger could not find any value and so decided to stick with what he has. Olivier Giroud, Theo Walcott and Danny Welbeck will be charged with scoring the goals to keep Arsenal in contention for silverware.

That will frustrate many Arsenal fans. When you look at what the other big clubs in the Premier League have spent this season, Arsenal’s outlay of £10 million looks comparatively meagre. Wenger will point to the collective outlay over the last 12 months, but with their rivals aggressively recruiting new talent, there is a danger Arsenal may not keep pace with their competition.

At the end of each window, fans want to feel their club has done all it can to ensure it has a chance of success in the coming season. Wenger has effectively declared he could not find a defensive midfielder superior to Flamini or a striker of greater calibre than the current trio on his books.

That will be difficult for many supporters to swallow, and there will be an understandable fear that Arsenal’s relative inactivity could come back to bite them later in the season.

Outgoings

Arsenal’s lack of signings is in part explained by the decision to keep most of their squad intact. Lukas Podolski was the only player sold for a fee, and he had already spent half of last season on loan at Inter Milan.

Abou Diaby was another to go, having been released from his contract. It must have been a painful decision for Wenger, who has kept faith with the midfielder through a succession of injury problems. However, in the end he had little choice: It has been some time since Diaby was able to make a regular and reliable contribution to the Arsenal squad.

He has subsequently joined Marseille, and most Arsenal fans are united in wishing him all the best with his new club.

Ryo Miyaichi, another player dogged by injuries, was also allowed to move on a free transfer. Despite the high hopes which were held for him as a youngster, his release felt justifiable and appropriate. 

Most of the departures from Arsenal this summer were on loan. The arrival of Cech forced Wojciech Szczesny into a temporary move to Roma, although it would be something of a surprise if he ever returned to north London.

Carl Jenkinson extended his loan deal with West Ham, albeit with an extension to his Arsenal contract as recompense. A trio of young attackers consisting of Yaya Sanogo, Chuba Akpom and Serge Gnabry was also afforded the chance to move elsewhere in search of regular first-team football.

There were a couple of players who surprisingly stayed. Flamini seems to now be surplus to requirements, while it was also a bit of a shock to see Joel Campbell remain with the club. After an unimpressive loan spell with Villarreal, it’s difficult to see how he will contribute to the first team.

The positive side of Arsenal’s outgoing business is that they did not lose any key players. The contracts of Santi Cazorla and Theo Walcott were extended, and Wenger kept the bulk of his squad together.

Conclusion

The addition of Cech is a big step forward for Arsenal. However, it’s merely one step at a time when the Gunners still seem some way short of being true title challengers.

Retaining stability in the squad is a positive, but in order to give himself the best possible chance of lifting the Premier League trophy in May, Wenger ought to have pressed ahead and made further signings. Arsenal may be left ruing their relative inactivity come the end of the season. 

Grade: B

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The feeling of disappointment amongst the Manchester City staff and players at the end of last season was palpable.

Six straight wins saw them end the campaign on a positive note, but a spectacular collapse in form at the turn of the year had long removed any cheer at the Etihad. City were expected to compete aggressively for silverware. They failed demonstrably.

Manuel Pellegrini took the brunt of the blame, but the problems ran much deeper. City’s squad has been allowed to regress, with the core of players central to their recent success not properly supplemented. The club’s transfer windows, overseen by Txiki Begiristain, the sporting director, hadn’t been bold or brave enough, with Uefa’s financial fair play initiative hampering their progress perhaps more than many expected.

For Khaldoon Al Mubarak, the club chairman, it simply wasn’t acceptable. Mubarak is a calm, reasoned man, and there would be no knee-jerk reaction, but his bullish post-season address to the City supporters was unequivocal in its message: The squad would be revitalised in the summer ready for a much-improved title challenge in 2015/16.

So far; so good. City have rarely looked quite as well placed to compete aggressively on four fronts. There’s competition for places right across the squad, and with four wins from their first four matches, City find themselves top of the table, eight points ahead of last season’s champions Chelsea. It’s been a flawless start.

Much of the credit must go to Begiristain, who has once again led an organised transfer strategy. In the past, his judgement has been questioned, particularly when restricted by FFP restrictions last summer, but his diligence and ability to lead a professional operation most certainly has never been in doubt. 

Since his arrival at City in 2013, there has been no last-minute flapping on deadline day. It’s been serene and well-planned business, nothing else—a far cry from Roberto Mancini’s final summer window in charge, which was shambolic and completely undermined their attempts to defend the title.

But not only has this window been executed with Begiristain’s usual calmness and serenity, he and Pellegrini also appear to have identified the right type of players to sharpen City’s squad.

Two of the club’s top three targets have been delivered. Paul Pogba may have topped their list of desires, and he has evaded them for now, but both Raheem Sterling and Kevin De Bruyne have been delivered.

Sterling has already shown why he was so high up the list of priorities. According to James Robson at the Manchester Evening News, he cost the club an initial £44 million, rising to £49 million if some complicated add-ons are triggered.

Many felt it was steep for a player with some developing to do, but anyone who has seen his impact on the side in the opening four games of the new season are likely to have been convinced he was worth the arduous chase and hefty fee.

City undoubtedly lacked pace last season, and Sterling’s arrival has helped solve the problem. He stretches defences, offers a balance City have rarely had in recent memory and has brilliant, quick feet that bamboozle defenders. 

With counter-attacking football now key to Premier League success, speed on the break is vital. City look the most well-equipped side on the counter in the division, with Sterling having settled superbly and looking key to City’s attacking style.

He’s played primarily on the left so far, but a second-half cameo as a secondary striker in the win over Watford on Saturday, where he scored two minutes after the tactical switch, shows Pellegrini sees him as being capable of operating in a variety of positions. Rarely has one player’s arrival ticked so many boxes.

Sterling, 20, became the most expensive signing in City’s history when he arrived from Liverpool, but De Bruyne’s move from Wolfsburg last week soon eclipsed the England forward’s fee.

De Bruyne cost £55 million, according to BBC Sport. It took an age to get the deal done, with City seemingly refusing to take no for an answer. Wolfsburg had no financial need to sell and would rather have kept the player. Only an astronomical fee like the one they received was going to twist their arm.

But City have their man, a 24-year-old attacking midfielder whose reputation has soared since he left Chelsea for £18 million 18 months ago. His former manager, Jose Mourinho, may have questioned his attitude, but the Bundesliga has been a good home for the Belgian, who arrives at City amidst huge expectation.

Happy to be a citizen. Looking forward to play with my new teammates. Focus on the Belgian Red Devils now… http://pic.twitter.com/eU63sZJJ3K

— Kevin De Bruyne (@DeBruyneKev) August 31, 2015

He specialises in creating chances for others. Last season he assisted 21 league goals and scored 10 himself. City have signed him on a six-year contract, and they will expect to get De Bruyne’s best years.

Few expected City to sign a big-name defender, given the emergence of Jason Denayer, but Nicolas Otamendi was identified as the man to come in and provide more competition for Vincent Kompany, Eliaquim Mangala and Martin Demichelis.

Otamendi cost City an initial £28.5 million from Valencia (via BBC Sport). Denayer, already a Belgium international, has since been loaned out to Galatasaray for a year in what will surely be one last assignment outside of east Manchester attempting to prepare him for the City first team.

.@Jasondenayer loaned to @GalatasaraySK for the 2015/16 campaign Details: http://t.co/t21SvIsjiG #mcfc http://pic.twitter.com/yESl2RxqM3

— Manchester City FC (@MCFC) August 31, 2015

For some, it was a disappointing decision from Pellegrini. There’s a thirst amongst the City fans to start bringing through some youngsters from their much-vaunted academy. It’s been a while since a club with such proud youth development traditions have seen one of their own play regular first-team football. Denayer had been earmarked by many as one to bridge the gap.

But in Otamendi, City have a proven player—the best centre-back in La Liga in 2014/15. He will be expected to challenge Kompany and Mangala, both of whom have started the season superbly.

James Milner’s exit on a free transfer to Liverpool was the only blot on City’s summer transfer copybook, but Fabian Delph, an £8 million arrival from Aston Villa, has replaced his energy and dynamism in midfield. It surely ranks as one of the best bargains of the window.

Delph has been hugely impressive for Villa over the past two seasons, a player whose hard work throughout his career has begun to pay off handsomely. He brings drive and dribbling ability, and although he won’t be an automatic starter, he will surprise a few of the doubters who felt this move was the death knell on his international career.

With promising youngsters Enes Unal (since loaned to Genk) and Patrick Roberts also arriving, City have signed six players and look far stronger for it. They have more options tactically and have added youth and pace to an ageing squad. 

Of course, signing players is just one aspect of the transfer window; offloading those on the periphery is also of vital importance.

Edin Dzeko and Stevan Jovetic have left for Roma and Inter Milan, respectively. Both are loan deals involving significant fees, but permanent moves are likely to follow. It was the best for all concerned, given the paucity of games and goals they both managed last season.

John Guidetti and Micah Richards both finally left, and they can now concentrate on getting their careers back on track after injuries saw them stall at City. Jose Pozo and Devante Cole were also sacrificed after showing nowhere near enough to suggest they could impact the first team regularly. Cole has joined Bradford City and Pozo will now ply his trade in Spain with Almeria.

Marcos Lopes was one academy player many felt was good enough to make the grade in Pellegrini’s senior squad, but with the likes of David Silva, Samir Nasri and De Bruyne blocking his first-team path, the £8.4 million bid from Monaco was seen as too good to turn down.

Scott Sinclair, another who struggled for games after arriving in 2013, also left, signing a permanent deal with Aston Villa. 

City’s outgoings have freed up plenty of wage bill space and allowed Pellegrini to spend more on bringing additional quality in. Too often in the past they have been viewed as a soft touch when selling players but the last 12 months has seen a significant change in tack. 

As Manchester United and other Premier League rivals were left frantically trying to identify the final pieces of their transfer jigsaw right up until the final day, City’s leadership team could sit back and relax as the deadline approached.

Their work was done in a calm, collected manner, with their squad already looking ready for a title challenge. It looks to have been a hugely successful window.

Expect a strong title challenge and an improvement on the club’s Champions League performance. 

Transfer Window Grade: A

Rob Pollard is Bleacher Report’s lead Manchester City correspondent and will be following the club from a Manchester base throughout the 2015/16 season. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter: @RobPollard.

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It is difficult not to let Monday’s events cloud the whole of Real Madrid‘s transfer window. Their public failure to sign David De Gea from Manchester United, a player they have been courting for an entire summer, will forever be remembered.

It was a farcical situation, given they had months to arrange a deal, but instead they and United only engaged in talks on the final day, with the deal eventually falling through because they failed to beat the clock.

Madrid lay the blame squarely at Manchester United’s door, publishing a 10-point statement which insists they “did everything necessary, at all times, to ensure that these two transfers happened.”

The other transfer, being that of Keylor Navas to Manchester United, with the English club demanding him in part exchange for Spanish stopper De Gea.

The result of this is that now United seem set to lose De Gea to Madrid on a free transfer, given he has entered the last year of his contract.

But Madrid will instead have to pay De Gea much of the transfer fee (€15 million), as revealed by El Pais, h/t the Guardian.

And, worse still, they now have a first-choice goalkeeper who should be very angry with his club.

Having signed him a season ago, it seemed Navas would have the chance to step out of Iker Casillas‘ shadow and fight to be Real Madrid’s first-choice goalkeeper.

Instead, Madrid showed they clearly did not trust him to help them win titles in that role and preferred to move for De Gea.

If they believed in Navas, they would have simply signed De Gea next season instead of desperately trying to get him on the last day of the window and being frustrated by United’s slow response.

Now Navas must play at the Santiago Bernabeu knowing that Madrid did everything in their power to get rid of him.

Funnily enough, the fans at Real Madrid had just about come around to the idea of him being their first choice.

The Costa Rican was magnificent against Real Betis, saving a Ruben Castro penalty and making a couple of other fine stops as his team won 5-0.

Furthermore, he has two clean sheets in the two La Liga games so far.

So for failing to bring in De Gea, Madrid get an F. It’s the equivalent of making a major error on your driving test after an otherwise fine hour behind the wheel.

Now let’s try to put that saga out of our mind and focus on the players they did manage to bring in.

Danilo

Firstly, Danilo. They signed him from Porto a few months ago, though he has only joined the squad this summer.

The Porto right-back cost a lot of money at €31.5 million, but at 24, he has plenty of years ahead of him.

He was an impressive performer in Portugal, and Madrid feel he is ready to make the step up and play at an even higher level.

Few doubt that Danilo will be a good signing, but given they already have Dani Carvajal, 23, it will not drastically change how their team performs.

Verdict: B

Casemiro

The next deal is bringing back Casemiro from Porto, activating his €7.5 million buy-out clause.

Porto had loaned the midfielder from Los Blancos and were hoping to keep him, but Madrid, having been impressed by his development, decided to bring him back to the Santiago Bernabeu.

It was a complicated deal, as explained by Marca here:

The Portuguese club’s board had told its counterparts at the Santiago Bernabéu several days ago that it intended to make his loan deal permanent for €15m. The loan deal included a clause allowing the La Liga side to block Porto’s move so long as they told the Portuguese side of their intentions to buy Casemiro back for €7.5m before 5th June. That is what they did.

So Madrid had to shell out for a player they already owned.

Despite this poor business work, they are getting a good defensive midfielder, something they lacked at times last season.

Verdict: B

Lucas Vazquez

Similarly, they had to pay to sign another one of their own players in Lucas Vazquez.

The tricky winger had spent the season on loan at Espanyol, and Los Pericos wanted to purchase him. This was for only €1 million, according to Goal.

Madrid are getting a good player, but not one you expect to pull up trees at the Santiago Bernabeu.

The wide man would have to kick on a lot to make an impact at Real Madrid, and it’s easy to imagine his long-term future lies elsewhere.

Verdict: C

Kiko Casilla

Another player signed from Espanyol is Kiko Casilla.

The goalkeeper was presumably brought in to play second-fiddle to De Gea, but now it looks like he’ll be battling Navas for the No. 1 jersey.

He’s an impressive, young goalkeeper, and now that the De Gea deal is off, Casilla will be hoping he can replace Casillas, and not just in terms of having a similar name.

He is a good prospect, though occasionally prone to making a glaring error.

Casilla had played at Madrid before, in the youth system, so he will have no problems adapting to life in the Spanish capital.

He was a regular first-choice at Espanyol, and he’s a good back-up to have on the bench.

Verdict: A

Mateo Kovacic

Mateo Kovacic was the biggest name that Madrid brought in this summer.

The Inter Milan star is not expected to play a huge part this season unless injury affects Luka Modric or Toni Kroos, but the 21-year-old has a huge future ahead of him.

He has drawn some comparisons to his Croatian compatriot, Modric, but a more similar player is Barcelona’s Andres Iniesta.

Obviously, Kovacic has a long way to go to match the Spanish star, but Madrid clearly feel he can do it, and that’s why they put €32 million on the table for him.

An inventive attacking midfielder who can also play in deeper positions, Kovacic isn’t really a player Madrid need right now.

They have Gareth Bale currently playing the No. 10 role, and there is no shortage of competition for it, with James Rodriguez and Isco keen to start in that position.

That makes his signing odd, but there is no doubt that Madrid have gotten themselves a quality player, and it would be churlish to give him anything other than a top grade when you consider the impact he may have in a few years.

Modric even claimed, per Sport, that he will win the Ballon d’Or within two years. That won’t happen, but it’s high praise indeed.

Verdict: A+

Jesus Vallejo

Jesus Vallejo, the Real Zaragoza centre-back, has also joined the club, but he’s been loaned back for this season.

At €5 million, Madrid have signed one of the hottest prospects in Spanish football for an excellent price.

While it will be a while before we see if he can reach his potential, this looks like an excellent deal.

Verdict: A+

Outgoings

Asier Illarramendi, Sami Khedira, Casillas, Lucas Silva and Fabio Coentrao have left, either permanently or on loan.

Based on last season’s form, bar Casillas, they will not be missed. Marco Asensio has gone on loan to Espanyol, and if he can play and develop there, it will be great experience for a talented youngster.

Fans can have no complaints with the outgoings at Madrid.

Verdict: A

So Real Madrid have clearly done some decent work in the window. But it will go down in history more for what they didn’t do than for what they did.

And if Navas‘s confidence has been shaken, and Casilla can’t step up and handle the pressure, we may be talking about De Gea for a long time to come.

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The 2015 summer transfer window has been a frenetic one for many Premier League clubs, and with deadline day looming, the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea look set to continue this desperate search for the right signing—or, at least, another body to add depth to an area.

While there have been many surprises and shrewd acquisitions in this transfer window, none match up to James Milner’s free-transfer move from Manchester City to Liverpool.

After a prolonged flirtation with new contracts and potential moves to join Arsene Wenger’s ambitious Arsenal outfit, Milner opted to sign a “long-term deal” with the Reds in June, as reported by Sky Sports.

The midfielder’s arrival was a significant statement of intent for Liverpool, and though he represents a decidedly unfashionable selection among a plethora of exciting signings in this summer’s transfer window, Milner remains the standout transfer for a variety of reasons.

But just why does Milner stand out as the transfer of the 2015 Premier League summer transfer window?

James Milner

Eighty-two minutes into Liverpool’s 3-0 loss to West Ham United on Saturday, Hammers manager Slaven Bilic introduced 16-year-old midfielder Reece Oxford—a player who, on being named in Bilic‘s starting lineup on the first day of the season against Arsenal, became the second-youngest to start a Premier League match since its inception in 1992, according to Nicholas Godden of the Mail.

Recalling the top 10 youngest starters in Premier League history, Godden noted the full debut of Milner in 2003, aged just 17 years old:

Milner burst on to the scene making his first Premier League start for Leeds United as they beat West Ham 1-0 at Elland Road on February 11, 2003. Before making his first start for the Yorkshire-based club Milner had already become the youngest goalscorer in the history of Premier League when he came on and netted against Sunderland on Boxing Day 2002. Milner joined Newcastle before moving on to Aston Villa. His performances earned him a £24m to Manchester City, where he went on to win two titles. Milner left City at the end of his contract this summer and signed for Liverpool.

Godden‘s brief summary, rounding off with his summer move to Liverpool, highlights Milner’s reputation. Over the 14 seasons he has spent in the Premier League so far, the Yorkshireman has become a top-flight institution, making almost 400 appearances and winning two league titles—both during his time with City.

The fact that Godden‘s list features only four other regular Premier League fixtures in Stephen Carr, Wayne Rooney, Gareth Barry and Emile Heskey speaks volumes about Milner’s longevity. He is a hugely dependable player—something which Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers desperately needed following the departure of captain Steven Gerrard to L.A. Galaxy.

Gerrard had long been Liverpool’s best and most influential player, and one who, until his final season on Merseyside, was close to irreplaceable. His decline throughout 2014/15 ensured that his MLS move was a wise one, but with the Reds having previously failed to address his drop in quality by signing a replacement, Gerrard’s loss was a significant one within Rodgers’ squad.

Like many other sides this summer, Rodgers had a key position to fill, but unlike many others, the signing of Milner effortlessly catered for this.

The Summer Transfer Window

The injection of even more TV money into the Premier League has increased the pulling power of even the most historically unattractive of clubs.

For example, Leicester City have signed Shinji Okazaki and Gokhan Inler, West Bromwich Albion have added Salomon Rondon to their ranks, Sunderland acquired European talents such as Yann M’Vila and Jeremain Lens and Stoke City oversaw an influx of surprising signings including former Barcelona midfielders Ibrahim Afellay and Moha El Ouriachi, Hannover 96 forward Joselu and former Bayern Munich and Inter Milan winger Xherdan Shaqiri.

Elsewhere, the likes of Swansea City, Southampton and Aston Villa have continued to make strong progress with signings from the upper echelons of Europe.

Andre Ayew, Franck Tabanou and Eder were all signed early in the summer by Swansea; Juanmi, Cedric Soares and Jordy Clasie have all joined Ronald Koeman’s Saints; and Tim Sherwood’s first foray into the transfer market as a manager heralded the arrivals of Idrissa Gueye, Jordan Amavi, Jordan Veretout, Jordan Ayew and Adama Traore.

It can be argued that this increase in revenue has levelled the playing field in the Premier League, but more so it has just boosted the English top flight into a position where they are able to financially outmuscle all but the most wealthy of clubs on the continent.

This has given United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester City—the Premier League’s elite—the ability to outspend their rivals. To add to the likes of Ayew, Shaqiri and Adama, each of these top sides has furnished their squad with a host of truly exciting talents.

Memphis Depay, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Matteo Darmian and Morgan Schneiderlin all joined Louis van Gaal’s cause at Old Trafford; Jose Mourinho snatched Pedro from under United’s noses; Arsenal signalled their intent by signing Petr Cech from Chelsea; and City have spent big on Raheem Sterling, Fabian Delph, Nicolas Otamendi and now Kevin De Bruyne, with the Sky Blues confirming the 24-year-old’s arrival on a six-year deal on Sunday.

Speaking on De Bruyne‘s arrival, City manager Manuel Pellegrini declared: “I have no doubt that he will be a big success on his return to the Premier League.”

But, in reality, De Bruyne falls in with the majority of these transfers in that he is a considerable risk signing—something which makes Milner truly stand out.

Low Risk

“James Milner has been absolutely exceptional,” Rodgers told the Press Association (h/t This Is Anfield) prior to Saturday’s 3-0 loss to West Ham. “You know he is a good player but you don’t realise how good he is until he comes into your club.

“He is a proper man how tough he is but he is an outstanding footballer and he has added massively to the squad in terms of mentality. He is a winner and his work with the players has been outstanding on and off the field.”

Milner’s arrival has boosted Liverpool immeasurably, but this should have been no surprise to Rodgers: The 29-year-old was a rare no-risk signing.

“He’s such a wonderful professional, freakishly fit, versatile and exceptionally good at almost every aspect of the game,” Bleacher Report’s City correspondent Rob Pollard told This Is Anfield after Milner’s move to Liverpool.

Pollard spoke with a reverence similar to that of Pellegrini, who praised Milner’s professionalism and all-round quality in an interview with the Guardian‘s Sid Lowe last season:

I’m Milner’s No. 1 fan. Find me a more complete English player. There are players who’re better technically, yes. Quicker players, yes. Players who head better, yes. But show me one who does all the things Milner does well. There isn’t one.

It’s hard to leave him out. Respect, commitment and performance level: 10/10, fantastic. He’s polyfunctional: full-back – the only position he doesn’t like – attacking midfield, wide.

[…]

He gives everything. You leave him on the bench and he’s absolutely furious but watch him during the game: encouraging, shouting, supporting. And in the next training session he kills himself.

Milner’s a phenomenon.

The impact Milner has had on Rodgers’ side suggests that this is a wholly accurate summary. The Englishman has been in consistently high form in all four of Liverpool’s games so far in 2015/16—even producing a solid display in Saturday’s Anfield loss; a result which showered few of Rodgers’ players in any semblance of glory.

Milner sets the tempo for Liverpool’s game, both in terms of defence—with his relentless pressing—and attack—with his creativity and third-man runs. He will likely play every minute of every Premier League game, and for a free transfer he represents incredible value.

Few signings from this summer transfer window will have as much of an all-round impact on their sides in the Premier League, with Arsenal’s Cech and Swansea’s Ayew arguably the most likely.

The likes of Depay, De Bruyne, Pedro, Shaqiri and Adama all have the potential to truly light up the Premier League for their respective sides, but each brings a level of risk with them.

Will Depay‘s Eredivisie form translate to the English game? Can De Bruyne improve on his ill-fated Chelsea spell on his Premier League return? Can Pedro make the transition from dependable also-ran to key player? Will Shaqiri finally match talent with temperament? Can Adama hone his raw ability into match-winning quality?

There are very few question marks over Milner’s transition into the Liverpool squad, and at this point that makes him the best signing of the Premier League’s summer transfer window.

Statistics via Soccerbase.com.

Follow @jacklusby

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