My word, it has been a busy start to July in terms of Premier League transfer news.
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With the transfer window now open and free agents available to move on, there has been a flurry of business across the 20 clubs.
Below we take a look at some of the key moves made this week, as squads will start to head back to preseason training soon (can you believe that!?) with the new season just over a month away from kicking off.
Let’s dig into these new additions.
Gilmour completes loan move to Norwich
After his fine display for Scotland against England at EURO 2020, Premier League clubs were lining up to take Chelsea youngster Billy Gilmour on loan. Norwich City won that race.
The 20-year-old central midfielder has completed a season-long loan move to Carrow Road and this should work out perfectly for everyone involved.
Gilmour barely featured for Thomas Tuchel last season and with N’Golo Kante, Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic ahead of him in the pecking order in Chelsea’s midfield, it was best for the ‘Irn Bru Iniesta’ to head out on loan.
Norwich manager Daniel Farke has a great relationship with Tuchel, and Gilmour will play regularly on the Canaries’ return to the Premier League.
After breaking through at Chelsea under Frank Lampard, then suffering a serious knee injury, Gilmour is back to full fitness and his quality on the ball is undoubted. Now, he needs regular minutes and he will get that at Norwich. Perfect deal.
Leicester add Soumare
These Foxes are cunning, aren’t they? A few days after signing Patson Daka from RB Salzburg, Brendan Rodgers has added Boubakary Soumare from Lille.
The central midfielder, 22, has signed a five-year contract with Leicester and he was sensational last season as he helped Lille stun PSG to win the French title.
Soumare is believed to have cost $23.4 million and with Youri Tielemans and Wilfred Ndidi in midfield alongside him, the Foxes are incredibly strong in that department.
What a squad Rodgers is assembling. After Leicester finished fifth and won the FA Cup last season, is 2021-22 the campaign they finally break into the top four?
Perraud arrives at Southampton
Saints have signed left back Romain Perraud from Brest in Ligue 1, as the former French U21 international will replace Ryan Bertrand who left as a free agent.
Perraud, 23, has signed a four-year contract at St Mary’s and he follows Ibrahima Diallo who joined Saints from Brest last summer.
The attacking full back was named in France Football’s team of the season in Ligue 1 last season and it is believed Southampton paid close to $12 million for him and beat the likes of Leeds United and West Ham to his signature.
Is this Saints getting back to being savvy in the transfer market?
"I'm very happy to be a Saint." 😁@Romain_Perraud on joining #SaintsFC, and the influence of one former teammate…
— Southampton FC (@SouthamptonFC) July 2, 2021
Mata signs new deal; Heaton returns
At Manchester United a few veteran names will be at Old Trafford next season.
Juan Mata, 33, has signed a one-year contract extension as the Spanish midfielder continues to deliver when called upon and is also key in helping young players integrate into the first team.
Mata has now been at United since January 2014 and he has become a true fans’ favorite under multiple managers.
Staying at Old Trafford, Tom Heaton has returned to Man United on a free transfer after his contract at Aston Villa ran out.
Heaton, 35, came through the academy at United but after leaving Burnley for Aston Villa in 2019 the England international suffered a serious knee injury during the 2019-20 season and then lost his place to Emiliano Martinez.
The goalkeeper will back up David de Gea and Dean Henderson, with Sergio Romero set to move on and Lee Grant may also move on.
