Conor Gallagher to Atletico Madrid? Nobody saw that deal coming when this summer transfer window started, but the La Liga giants are a better suited alternative to Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur.
The England international was told he “won’t play again” after Gareth Southgate infuriatingly insisted on using the one-dimensional terrier in certain Euro 2024 matches simply because he runs about a lot. His game is far more aligned with club football, with his impressive work rate and Diego Simeone’s dogged approach surely making their union a match made in heaven.
The ‘banished’ Chelsea midfielder’s potential exit from his boyhood club inspired us to pick out a few more unexpected 2024 summer transfers (including two PSR deals and a couple making returns to England from Ligue 1) involving Premier League clubs that *actually* make a whole lot of sense…
Elliot Anderson (Newcastle United to Nottingham Forest, £35m)
Desperate Premier League clubs have taken the piss this summer as they have moved to balance the books and avoid a PSR-inflicted points deduction, with five deals more ridiculous than the one which saw Anderson leave boyhood club Newcastle for Forest.
Understandably, much has been said about the eye-catching transfer fee spent by Forest to sign a relatively untested quantity, with the 21-year-old only having 13 Premier League starts on his résumé.
But Anderson sparkled when given rare opportunities to shine for the Magpies and head coach Eddie Howe regularly sang his praises.
Anderson’s road to being a first-team mainstay at Newcastle narrowed significantly following the arrival of the deep-pocketed PIF and he’s perhaps the player who has been worst affected by the takeover.
Had the gloomy Mike Ashley era lasted another year or so, Anderson would have been a first-team regular and would be relied upon to be a rare ray of sunshine for Newcastle’s miserable supporters. But with PIF calling the shots, the exit of a big-money academy product with immense potential was a necessary evil for all parties and he’ll get way more game time at Nottingham Forest, who may have a gem on their hands.
READ: Liverpool in ‘flop’ year, Arsenal second again, Martin sack: Early Premier League predictions
Ian Maatsen (Chelsea to Aston Villa, £37.5m)
An even less controversial PSR deal saw Chelsea sell left-back Maatsen to Premier League rivals Aston Villa, who now have a Champions League finalist in their squad for their return to the elite European competition.
Maatsen’s superb performances while on loan at Dortmund suggested he has what it takes to cut it at Stamford Bridge. But Marc Cucurella’s brilliance for Spain at Euro 2024 would have likely led to the 22-year-old remaining in a similar spot in the pecking order under new head coach Enzo Maresca as he was during Mauricio Pochettino’s year in charge.
Villa have worked around their own PSR difficulties to do some much-needed squad bolstering before competing in the Champions League. Midfield pair Amadou Onana and Ross Barkley are set to be useful additions, while Maatsen should be considered an upgrade on Lucas Digne and Alex Moreno.
Iliman Ndiaye (Marseille to Everton, £17m)
I had a wry smile when Oli McBurnie’s move from Sheffield United to Las Palmas was recently announced. A ginger Scotsman sunning it up in Spain in the twilight of his footballing career? Good on him.
McBurnie scored six Premier League goals in an injury-impacted season, which – for Sheffield United – was doomed to end in misery after Iliman Ndiaye and Sander Berge were sold last summer.
Talented 24-year-old Ndiaye was one of the best players in the Championship in 2022/23 but was offloaded to Marseille with the Blades strapped for cash ahead of their Premier League return.
The Senegal international’s underwhelming debut season in Ligue Un opened the door for him to return to England and Everton – who have done some great business under the radar – were more than happy to take him off their hands.
With Sean Dyche as their manager, it’s hardly surprising that Everton’s success last season was built on their defensive resoluteness. But with the Toffees lacking at times in the attacking department, Ndiaye will add a sprinkle of stardust in forward areas and prove to be a bargain if he can replicate his United form at Goodison Park.
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Ismaila Sarr (Marseille to Crystal Palace, £12.5m)
Ndiaye’s former Marseille teammate – Sarr – has joined the Everton newbie in returning to the Premier League, with Palace seeming to get themselves a bargain by securing his services for just £12.5m.
The 26-year-old was consistently Watford’s standout performer as they yo-yoed between the Premier League and the Championship for four years and was previously linked with a high-profile move to Liverpool.
His stock has decreased in recent seasons but with the assistance of Oliver Glasner-ball, he could easily prove to be a major coup for Palace, who will soon learn if being the Premier League’s pre-summer form team matters.
The frightening trio of Eberechi Eze, Jean-Philippe Mateta and Michael Olise has been pulled apart this summer with the latter’s move to Bayern Munich one of this window’s biggest transfers.
Highly sought-after Palace sporting director Dougie Freedman had a tough job on his hands when attempting to replace Olise, but Sarr is about the best option they could have hoped for.
Ryan Sessegnon (Tottenham Hotspur to Fulham, free transfer)
This summer transfer window has been pretty dull, but it has included a few wholesome returns to former clubs. Jack Grealish to Aston Villa could be next after Adam Lallana re-signed for Southampton and Fulham brought Sessegnon back home.
Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall should beware as a fair few young starlets failed to hit the heights expected of them after joining Spurs and Sessegnon is sadly one such example.
Signed for £25m as a teenager, 24-year-old Sessegnon only managed 38 Premier League appearances for Tottenham before being let go upon the expiry of his contract at the end of June.
The left-back was once considered the next big thing, but he’s been ravaged by injuries and only managed seven minutes of first-team action last season.
With Sessegnon in desperate need of game time, this summer was the right time to pursue a fresh start and a return to boyhood club Fulham – who may have just pulled off the signing of the window so far – could be just what he needs.