TRANSFER MARKET ANALYSIS: THE GOOD, BAD AND THE UNDECIDED

Good morning and welcome to this week’s edition of this series I would be doing hopefully till the end of the season.

I call it the transfer market analysis; the good, bad and the undecided. Here I look at the top 5 transferred in and out players at the end of the last day of game week matches and TRY to work out if it will be a hit or miss. Those who I feel don’t clearly fall into any category fall into the undecided group.

Ill also be giving my reasons for calling it/them hits or misses and we can check out how wrong or right I was at the end of the week.

The table for the TRANSFERS IN is shown below.

Surprisingly, four of the top 5 transferred in this week are away in their next EPL fixture and 3 of them play in the FA cup at the weekend.

Alli’s 49,244 new owners have put him at the top of the list. Form and fixture combine to justify this decision as alli seems unstoppable and sunderland look like willing opponents. He was part of the top transfers last week and after being an undecided choice then, zooms straight into the GOOD books. He has already gotten a price rise and with next gameweek about 10 days away, there is little doubt that he will add more.

Top of the transfers out chart last week, Costa punished the doubters with a goal at home against hull and is the second most transferred in player this week. A fixture away to Liverpool means that the verdict on him is still UNDECIDED as well as the fact that the next fixture after that is arsenal.

Our tall old Andy Caroll comes third. 32172 managers have fallen for the form that brought 3 goals in the last 2 games and despite mancity being their next fixture, the absence of an Fa cup game and ok to easy fixtures next means his backers wouldn’t be faulted as he is the most in form budget striker currently for those shipping defoe or upgrading lukaku.

Who doesn’t love a goal scoring defender huh? It is no surprise that 2 goals in the last 2 games Coleman is the top transferred defender this week as he seems to be challenging baines for our top everton defender slot and with 3 easy fixtures according to the ticker in the next 3, we can’t blame the 31,131 managers that have gotten him. A price rise is assured profit for them even before he takes to the pitch and a lack of FA cup fixture means that he is not with risk of in game injury.

Kane’s run in the transferred in list continues and like alli, form and fixtures combine to justify this decision.  

For TRANSFERS OUT, lallana’s run out of managers’ teams continues. 5^th last week and 1^st this week, his poor form and poor fixtures combine to justify the choice and then there is the matter of a must win carling cup and fa cup games to navigate before his next match leading to a 43,593 rush sale. A GOOD choice I would say.

Many managers have gotten fed up with Hazard! 2 top 9 starts brought just 1 pk goal and 1 assist against Bournemouth and hull and with costa back, he has been shifted to the wing where his output has stalled. With Alli stealing the points, most managers needed a fall guy for the transfer and with the agony of a captain fail for 17% of managers, his break up is understandable and justified.

Budget favourite Defoe has seen his stock plummet with a fixture against spurs next. With budget strikers: carol and llorente delivering, it was not hard to see why people sold. The lack of creativity in the Sunderland ranks is quite pitiable and even though we might turn back to him, for now, I would say selling is a GOOD choice.  

Now the next guy is a funny case that shows the level of impatience managers have this season. With costa haven traded the TOUT for TIN, Lukaku went the direct opposite. It is surprising why people will sell a player on form (2 goals in last 3), without a FA cup or carling cup fixture and facing 3 easy fixtures according to the ticker. But then there is the costa issue and people are looking for fall guys. In my opinion, selling him is a BAD decision as he will be up for it after 10 days rest against stoke.

“Our dear former favourite Ake is definitely a good transfer out. Out of the starting line-up and dropping in price, there is no reason to keep.” This was my assertion of Ake last week and it remains the same. He has lost 0.3 in price since returning to Chelsea and that drop doesn’t seem to stop. The only reason to hold will be more important transfers to deal with but he is still a sure sell.

That’s it. Remember, reasons stated here can change and the writer isn’t trying to discourage any buyers or sellers but trying to check out the timing of the transfers. As always, your input is highly welcomed.

*The ticker used is from the official premier league mobile app.

NB: Normally, I take a midweek fixture as a disadvantage but then almost all the big teams are involved in the FA  cup so it didn’t factor much as a disadvantage in my thinking.