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Despite £1bn outlay, Premier League clubs take easy option in uninspiring transfer window

European leagues signings much more exciting

The astronomical deal struck between Sky and Premier League was billed as moment the English top flight would resurrect itself after years of stagnation, living in La Liga’s shadow.

Between 2006 and 2012 there were eight English Champions League finalists, but there hasn’t been another Premier League side in the final two since Chelsea’s famous victory in Munich five years ago. La Liga have had six winners or runners up in that time.

Now, with their pockets lined with surplus cash, Premier League clubs have splurged over £1bn on players in the summer transfer window alone, but while big clubs across Europe have strengthened their squads with some exciting talents, the big money Premier League deals have failed to get pulses racing.

Paris Saint-Germain have certainly been busy. How they will avoid Financial Fair Play sanctions remains to be seen, but a strike force of Kylian Mbappe and Neymar, in addition to Edinson Cavani, will certainly make them a force in Ligue 1 and on the continent in 2017/18.

Barcelona broke the bank for Ousmane Dembele, Bayern Munich persuaded James Rodriguez to swap Madrid for Munich, while wonderkid Vinicius Junior arrived at Real from Flamenco in Brazil.

Multitude of inter-Premier League signings lack imagination

In England, the transfer window became silly season, but many of these arrivals were the easy options for clubs, with outlay of little significance.

Armed with substantial warchests, the majority of the signings were inter-Premier League — tried and trusted players who need no initiation period – but bring a skillset familiar with opponents up and down the land.

With exorbitant deal after exorbitant deal going through on a daily basis, fans and experts alike became immune to the actual expenditure itself.

“They will feel they have missed out,”Jamie Carragher said of Chelsea’s spending on Sky Sports on Deadline Day. “Antonio Conte will not feel like he has brought the players in that he wanted. You would have expected them to look stronger. It hasn’t been a successful window for them.”

Carragher’s view is not uncommon, but is just another example of all this money flying around clouding judgements on our shores. Danny Drinkwater’s arrival took Chelsea’s spending to over £200m. That is almost three times that of Real Madrid, and more than “big spending” AC Milan.

£200m expenditure should herald more excitement 

£200m outlay should make the champions of any league significantly better, but, as is the case with many a Premier League club, a lack of imagination leaves a feeling of indifference when you assess the strength of the “most exciting league in the world”. Have Premier League clubs markedly improved? £1bn better?

We are supposed to live in an era of analytics and wide-reaching scouting networks. Clubs have access to data on players from Santiago to Sydney without having to leave the office.

As a result, the unearthing of N’Golo Kante and Riyad Mahrez became possible, and thus lead to one of the greatest stories ever told playing out before our very eyes.

Now, with Chelsea signing above-average players like Drinkwater to strengthen their squads, this new “exciting” era at Liverpool spearheaded by Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain – a player who couldn’t get into the Arsenal midfield, or Tottenham’s plan B up front being a 32-year-old Swansea striker, Premier League clubs have taken the safer option.

Risks not being taken

The risk of failure is obviously less, but will the chances of these arrivals having any major rejuvenating effect like Mahrez and Kante did be missed?

Mahrez’s initial success was very much down to the element of the unknown. Claude Makelele’s sort had not been seen in England before his Deadline Day move. Late West Ham capture Carlos Tevez’s tenacity unsettled defenders up and down the land. When you know what to expect, you can prepare.

Most big team have improved, and should give the La Liga giants a run for their money on the continent, but without that wow factor a new, unknown foreign import can add, there is a real feeling of predictability in the Premier League. Money makes you lazy, and the most “exciting” league in the world may suffer as a result.

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