Chelsea transfer window review (Part one): Goalkeepers
The crazy ending to deadline day brought an end to one of the best—if not the best—transfer window in the history of the sport. One thing this window pointed out was the confirmation of a power shift as the English Premier League flexed its financial muscle. All of the other top five leagues struggled financially, which was evident by their spending, or relative lack thereof. According to the data collected from Transfermarkt, the Premier League spent the most money on transfers, amounting to £1.22 billion in total. All of the other top five leagues in Europe came nowhere near the Premier League. The league nearest was Serie A at £495.2 million.
Some of the best players from top leagues—like Romelu Lukaku, Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Jadon Sancho and many more—have changed clubs this window, which makes it one of the most unbelievable to date. The two most surprising transfers of this window were those of Messi and Ronaldo for sure, although the Blues made a splash by breaking their club record (£97.5 million) for the aforementioned No. 9
This series will serve as a review for the transfer window Chelsea had and I’ll rate all the deals out of five. Each piece will include both incomings and outgoings, highlighting a specific position group. The first group to be featured is the goalkeepers:
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Incomings
1. Marcus Bettinelli (4 out of 5)
The signing of Marcus Bettinelli from Fulham on a free transfer was a more important signing than many people anticipate. The void left by the departure of Willy Caballero was very important to fill, but with Bettinelli being only 29-years-old, fans can expect him to be the third choice goalkeeper for years to come.
Outgoings
1. Nathan Baxter (2 out of 5)
Nathan Baxter has been loaned out to Championship side Hull City for the season. Baxter is a player who has been through almost all of the leagues in England on loan for his development thus far. Now 22 years old, it seems that he has been brought in as a back-up goalkeeper. It feels as if it won’t be long until he might be moved on permanently given his status in the second division.
2. Jamie Cumming (3 out of 5)
Jamie Cumming has been loaned out to League One side Gillingham FC for the season. Cumming is a player who, when carefully analyzed, seems like a shot-stopper who might have a chance to break into the first team one day. Cumming has already impressed during his loan spell at Stevenage in League Two and now he’s being the chance to be a first-choice goalkeeper at the next level. Cumming needs to stand out from the rest of the loan army.
3. Karlo Ziger (2 out of 5)
Karlo Ziger has been loaned out to a second division Slovenian team, NK Rudar Velenje, for the season. The Croatian u19 international has spent the last few seasons at the youth level but has not impressed enough to justify a loan, until now. He’s only 20 years old, so time is on his side. This being Ziger’s first professional loan works to his favor as he has time to impress and develop into a top goalkeeper.
4. Willy Caballero (5 out of 5)
Willy Caballero was signed from Manchester City on a free transfer as a back-up goalkeeper a few years ago. The Argentine has been more than a loyal servant to the club after spending four seasons in SW6. Turning 40 in September, Caballero decided not to sign a contract extension in order to play his last few seasons as a professional, instead of just sitting on the bench.
5. Jamal Blackman (5 out of 5)
A large part of the Chelsea academy for a number of years, Jamal Blackman has now left Chelsea as a free agent after not being offered a new contract. Now 27 years old, the former England u21 keeper could not impress the club enough during his loan spells throughout the different levels of the English football pyramid. Not giving Blackman a new contract seems to be the right decision with the emergence of new goalkeepers at the youth level.
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What did you makes of the Blues’ dealings between the sticks? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter!