It’s all calm now around the football world following 31st August’s transfer deadline day madness. Premier League, as always, remained the centre of attraction as it ended in jubilation for many and despair for a few. The Manchester United fans have every reason to celebrate down the streets following the dramatic reunion with Cristiano Ronaldo, whereas their bitter rivals Liverpool underwent yet another annoying window.
Amid all these ins and outs, a few transfers have indeed been spot on that went completely under the radar. Here, at The 4th Official, we will take a look at three such deals secured by the Premier League clubs.
Ozan Kabak To Norwich City
A relegation and an instant top-flight return is not something new for Norwich City. The Canaries are favourites to go down once again having lost all three of their Premier League encounters, however, the business they have done this summer deserves accolades and appreciation. Norwich have loaned in Billy Gilmour and Brandon Williams from Chelsea and Man United, but the one deal that has surprised us all is Ozan Kabak’s transfer to Carrow Road.
The Turkish centre-half was supposed to grab a high-profile move after impressing on loan (from Schalke) at Liverpool, but the emergence of Nat Phillips and Rhys Williams refrained the Reds from making the winter deal a permanent one. Cash-strapped Schalke were desperate to offload one of their highest earners and with no suitable offer on the table, they eventually accepted Norwich’s loan (with an option to buy) bid for the 21-year-old a couple of days back.
Nikola Vlašić To West Ham United
While Kabak had to wait for three months to secure a Premier League return, Vlasic spent three years at CSKA Moscow since leaving Everton. He has flourished significantly over the years and earned a key status with the Croatia national team. The Hammers paid a fee in the region of €30m (including add-ons) for the 23-year-old and his arrival exhibits true intent to build on the success of last season.
West Ham are blessed to have the likes of Pablo Fornals, Said Benrahma, Jarrod Bowen, Manuel Lanzini and Andriy Yarmolenko. The addition of Vlasic would inject more firepower in the attacking third given his ability to operate down the wide as well as in a ‘number 10’ role. The Irons have added Kurt Zouma and Alex Kral in their ranks, and therefore, should do well in the Europa League thanks to their depth along with quality across the pitch.
Maxwel Cornet To Burnley
A deal that has left us awestruck! Burnley, known for the old-fashioned football, have mostly raided the Championship side to bolster the set-up. The likes of Nathan Collins (from Stoke City), Connor Roberts (from Swansea City) and the free-agent pair Wayne Hennessey and Aaron Lennon are the trademark Sean Dyche signings that we have witnessed time and again in the recent past.
However, they have now roped in Cornet out of the blue from Olympic Lyonnais on a club-record transfer. The Ivorian featured more than 250 times for the French giants and his flair from the left-hand flank should bring a new dimension to Burnley’s game in the long run.
