After months of speculation, uncertainty, disputes and threatened strike action, the Premier League's summer transfer window slammed shut yesterday evening.
It means that the 20 managers will now have to make do with the players at their disposal until January, when the madness will get underway once again for a 31-day period.
Who can be happy with their business and which teams needed more additions? Here, Sports Mole picks out three clubs that can regard themselves to have had a positive window and further three that may very well end up regretting that they didn't do more.
Winners
1. Manchester City
In: Enes Unal (Bursaspor), David Faupala (Lens), Raheem Sterling (Liverpool), Fabian Delph (Aston Villa), Patrick Roberts (Fulham), Nicolas Otamendi (Valencia), Aleix Garcia (Villarreal), Kevin De Bruyne (Wolfsburg), Yaw Yeboah (Right to Dream), Thomas Aygepong (Right to Dream)
Out: Scott Sinclair (Aston Villa), James Milner (Liverpool), Dedryck Boyata (Celtic), Angelino (New York City), Micah Richards (Aston Villa), Kerim Rekik (Marseille), Stevan Jovetic (Inter Milan), Matija Nastasic (Schalke), Jason Denayer (Galatasaray), Thomas Aygepong (FC Twente), Adam Drury (Released), Edin Dzeko (AS Roma), Shay Facey (New York City), Seko Fofana (Bastia), John Guidetti (Released), Jordy Hiwula (Huddersfield Town), Frank Lampard (New York City), Greg Leigh (Bradford City), Alvaro Negredo (Valencia), Olivier Ntcham (Genoa) Dominic Oduro (Released), Enes Unal (Genk), Yaw Yeboah (Lille)
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For the second time in three seasons, the Citizens produced a measly defence of their Premier League title last term. It was something of a surprise that Manuel Pellegrini retained his job, but not only have the owners kept faith with the Chilean, they have also backed him massively in the transfer market.
The addition of Sterling has already added another dimension to the City attack, while Delph and Otamendi have added decent competition in key areas of the pitch. Elsewhere, it may be currently difficult to pinpoint exactly where £55m man De Bruyne is going to fit into the jigsaw, but the Belgian will undoubtedly install extra quality in advanced areas of the pitch.
The new campaign may only be four games old, but with 12 points on the board, as well as having scored 10 goals and conceded none, City appear to be the team to beat. All of this and De Bruyne and Otamendi, who cost a reported £75-£80m combined, are yet to kick a ball for the Etihad Stadium-based outfit.
2. West Ham United
In: Darren Randolph (Birmingham City), Pedro Obiang (Sampdoria), Dimitri Payet (Marseille), Angelo Ogbonna (Juventus), Carl Jenkinson (Arsenal), Manuel Lanzini (Al-Jazira), George Dobson (Arsenal), Stephen Hendrie (Hamilton Academical), Alex Song (Barcelona), Victor Moses (Chelsea), Nikica Jelavic (Hull City), Michail Antonio (Nottingham Forest)
Out: Dan Potts (Luton Town) Carlton Cole (Released), Guy Demel (Released), Jussi Jaaskelainen (Wigan Athletic) Free
Nene (Released), Stewart Downing (Middlesbrough), Diego Poyet (Milton Keynes Dons), Reece Burke (Bradford City), Kevin Nolan (Released),
Kieran Bywater (Released), Sean Maguire (Released), Kusu Makasi (Chelmsford City), Paul McCallum (Leyton Orient), Matt Jarvis (Norwich)
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Despite picking up positive results away at Arsenal and Liverpool, Slaven Bilic's men have looked a little unbalanced in their four matches this term. That is why the business that the East Londoners managed to carry out on deadline day could be so vital.
The attack-minded Moses and Jelavic have previously proven themselves to be useful Premier League players and while Antonio may be a top-flight novice, he has the pace and power to potentially become a force. As for Song, he may currently be sidelined through injury, but the Barcelona loanee was a revelation in the heart of the West Ham midfield last term, particularly before Christmas.
Earlier in the summer Payet arrived and has shown that he could be a snip at £12m, with Lanzini and Obiang also producing bright moments. The sale of Downing was a strange one at the time, given that he was one of West Ham's best players last season, but the winger's departure has now been more than adequately covered.
3. Crystal Palace
In: Yohan Cabaye (Paris Saint Germain), Patrick Bamford (Chelsea), Alex McCarthy (QPR), Connor Wickham (Sunderland), Bakary Sako (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Marcus Johnson-Schuster (Free), Kleton Perntreou (Hibernian), Andreas Breimyr (Bryne FK)
Out: Lewis Price (Sheffield Wednesday), Owen Garvan (Released), Peter Ramage (Released), Stephen Dobbie (Bolton Wanderers), Jerome Thomas (Released), Shola Ameobi (Released), Jerome Binnom-Williams (Burton Albion), Hiram Boateng (Plymouth Argyle), Michael Chambers (Released), Kyle De Silva (Notts County), Brede Hangeland (Released), Jack Hunt (Sheffield Wednesday), Ryan Innis (Port Vale), Chris Kettings (Stevenage Town), Chris Scales (Crawley Town), Ghassimu Sow (Released), Glenn Murray (Bournemouth), Adlene Guedioura (Watford)
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If you had told Palace supporters just two years ago that their club would spend £10m on a France international midfielder, you would have been laughed all the way out of Selhurst Park. Yet, credit has to go to the owners for stumping up such a fee and to manager Alan Pardew, who leaned heavily on his previous relationship with Cabaye to convince him to become an Eagle.
Mile Jedinak has been a great servant to Palace over the last four years, but with the greatest of respect to the Australian, Cabaye is an upgrade in the centre of midfield. However, it should be noted that despite links with the likes of West Brom and Stoke, Jedinak has stayed with the club, which is also a boost. Keeping Yannick Bolasie out of Tottenham Hotspur's clutches should also be applauded.
Sako had shone in the Championship and it would seem that the Premier League holds no fear for the winger either. The Mali international, who joined on a free transfer from Wolverhampton Wanderers, scored the winner against Aston Villa and also found the net in the shock triumph at Chelsea. Wickham and Bamford have provided youth, enthusiasm and pace up front, while goalkeeper McCarthy has added good competition between the posts.
Losers
1. Arsenal
In: Petr Cech (Chelsea)
Out: Ryo Miyaichi (St Pauli), Semi Ajayi (Cardiff City), Abou Diaby (Marseille), Ainsley Maitland-Niles (Ipswich Town), Lukas Podolski (Galatasaray), Carl Jenkinson (West Ham United), Wojciech Szczesny (AS Roma), George Dobson (West Ham), Chuba Akpom (Hull City), Isaac Hayden (Hull City), Yaya Sanogo (Ajax), Jon Toral (Birmingham City), Serge Gnabry (West Bromwich Albion), Gedion Zelalem (Rangers), Josh Vickers (Swansea City), Jack Jebb (Stevenage), Austin Lipman (Released), Brandon Ormonde-Ottewill (Swindon Town), Damian Emiliano Martinez (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Dan Crowley (Barnsley), Wellington Silva (Bolton Wanderers)
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While the belief that Arsene Wenger has in his players is admirable, questions have been asked over his decision to just add Cech. Now, first things first, the arrival of the Czech Republic stopper was a big boost for the Gunners. The goalkeeper position has been a problem one for Wenger over recent seasons, but with the exception of a shaky Premier League debut against West Ham, the presence of Cech has ended those concerns.
But, the fact that the North Londoners are the only team in Europe's top five divisions (England, Spain, France, Germany and Italy) to have not signed an outfield playing is both staggering and baffling in equal measure. Having ended last season as the Premier League's form team and won the FA Cup, the thinking was that the summer was the perfect moment for Wenger to capitalise in the transfer market.
Arsenal are well-stocked when it comes to creative playmakers, but there are other areas that needed addressing if a serious title challenge were to be mounted. Competition at centre-back and holding midfield would have done no harm, while as Thierry Henry has previously stated, is Olivier Giroud going to score enough goals to win his side the title? Doubtful.
2. Manchester United
In: Memphis Depay (PSV Eindhoven), Matteo Darmian (Torino), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Bayern Munich), Morgan Schneiderlin (Southampton), Sergio Romero (Sampdoria) Undisclosed, Anthony Martial (AS Monaco)
Out: Tom Cleverley (Everton), Ben Amos (Bolton Wanderers), Tom Thorpe (Rotherham United), Saidy Janko (Celtic), Nani (Fenerbahce), Will Keane (Preston North End), Rafael Da Silva (Lyon), Robin van Persie (Fenerbahce), Angel Di Maria (Paris Saint Germain), Jonny Evans (West Brom), Adnan Januzaj (Borussia Dortmund), Javier Hernandez (Bayer Leverkusen), Anders Lindegaard (West Bromwich Albion), Callum Evans (Barnsley), Angelo Henriquez (Dinamo Zagreb), Reece James (Wigan Athletic), Ryan McConnell (Released), Ben Pearson (Barnsley), Joe Rothwell (Barnsley), Tyler Blackett (Celtic), Liam Grimshaw (Motherwell)
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Understandably, there will be supporters of many clubs that scoff at Man United's presence here. After all, this is a club that spent over £100m, with a World Cup winner and two of European football's brightest prospects having arrived through the entrance door. If only your club had those type of problems, eh?
However, for where the Red Devils want to be - challenging for the biggest honours at home and abroad - you have to wonder whether Louis van Gaal and chief executive Ed Woodward have done enough. It would seem that the midfield problem has been attended to appropriately, while Darmian at right-back has been a shrewd acquisition thus far. The surprising presence of David de Gea, assuming that he can get his head right, will also be a plus.
When you look over the entire summer, though, there are arguably still more questions than answers. Is Daley Blind really the right man to partner Chris Smalling at centre-back? Aside from Depay and now Martial there would appear to be a lack of pace in attacking areas, while there is no senior cover for the badly out-of-form Wayne Rooney up front. Not to mention the fact that it appeared the club had been taken down the garden path by the likes of Dani Alves, Ilkay Gundogan and Sergio Ramos, all of whom signed new contracts with their respective clubs after flirtations with United. There is of course a chance that Van Gaal and his men will prove the doubters wrong, but a repeat of last season's fourth-place finish seems to be the most likely outcome.
3. Chelsea
In: Nathan (Atletico Paranaense), Radamel Falcao (AS Monaco), Asmir Begovic (Stoke City), Danilo Pantic (Partizan Belgrade), Baba Rahman (Augsburg), Pedro (Barcelona), Kenedy (Fluminense), Papy Djilobodji (Nantes), Michael Hector (Reading)
Out: Christian Atsu (AFC Bournemouth), Didier Drogba (Released), Gael Kakuta (Sevilla), Petr Cech (Arsenal), Mario Pasalic (AS Monaco), Josh McEachran (Brentford), Izzy Brown (Vitesse Arnhem), Lewis Baker (Vitesse Arnhem), Marco van Ginkel (Stoke City), Tomas Kalas (Middlesbrough), Patrick Bamford (Crystal Palace), Filipe Luis (Atletico Madrid), Danilo Pantic (Vitesse Arnhem), Dominic Solanke (Vitesse Arnhem), Mohamed Salah (AS Roma), Nathan Ake (Watford), Juan Cuadrado (Juventus), George Brady (Sunderland), Oriol Romeu (Southampton), Alex Davey (Peterborough United), Nathan (Vitesse Arnhem), Matej Delac (Sarajevo), Todd Kane (NEC Nijmegen), Wallace (Carpi FC), Kenneth Omeruo (Kasimpasa SK), Jordan Houghton (Gillingham), Andreas Christensen (Borussia Monchengladbach), Bekanty Victorien Angban (Sint-Truiden), Ulises Davila (Vitoria Sport Clube), Cristian Cuevas (Sint-Truiden), Joao Rodriguez (Sint-Truiden), Victor Moses (West Ham United), Lucas Piazon (Reading), Michael Hector (Reading), Islam Feruz (Hibernian)
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It may be an old footballing cliche, but it's also true - the key to staying on top is ensuring that you strengthen once you get there. As mentioned earlier, it's an adage that Man City have previously failed to abide by and right now, it would also appear that Chelsea are guilty of the same offence.
Begovic is a decent deputy to goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and the experienced Pedro will surely offer pace, skill and goals. Yet, you have to wonder at the logic behind the addition of Falcao, who hardly set the world alight during a largely unsuccessful loan spell at Old Trafford last season. Brazilian youngsters Kenedy and Nathan provide potential, but it would seem that neither is ready to make 30 or 40 appearances over the course of a campaign.
The additions of Hector and Djilobodji on deadline day were strange ones and a big comedown from Jose Mourinho's original defensive target John Stones. Branislav Ivanovic's early-season form has suggested that a new right-back wouldn't have gone amiss, while an addition to a pedestrian-like midfield and competition for an injury-prone Diego Costa seemed to be necessitates. They didn't arrive, though, so it's going to take some Mourinho magic for the Blues to retain their title.
Liam Apicella
