Transfer Window Round Up - Summer 2017

There was one thing and one thing alone that would determine how successful Brighton and Hove Albion's first transfer window as a Premier League club would be - signing a striker.

If we needed one in the Championship last season, then we certainly need one in the Premier League this time around. Over 100 days passed between winning promotion and the transfer window shutting, 100 days in which to address the one glaring deficiency in the squad.

The disappointment of transfer deadline day was akin to matching with Taylor Swift on Tinder, only for Dennis Taylor to turn up to the date. There were weeks and weeks to sort it out, rather than trying to sign a bloke from FC Zurich who failed a medical six days before the window shut, and then making a panicked, last ditch bid of north of £20m for a striker with two Premier League goals to his name and who was on the pitch for the Netherlands at the time. Vincent Janssen of course turned us down anyway.

That lack of striker has soured what was otherwise a good window. As Paul Barber wants to physically engrave into all of our brains, we broke our transfer record three times and strengthened in a whole host of positions.

Those record breakers were £5.2m Maty Ryan who replaces David Stockdale in goal, £10m Davy Propper and £16m Jose Izquierdo. There was also the captures of Pascal Gross and Markus Suttner who both excelled in a struggling top flight team last season at Ingolstadt and who should fit in well as a result and a couple of shrewd long term loans. 

Raphael Dwamena wasn't the only player to fail a medical after a fee had been agreed - it happened with midfielder Renato Neto from Gent earlier in the window and defender Stefano Diswell from Club Brugge as well.

Nobody was sold, hardly anybody was released and those who are surplus to requirements have been sent out on loan. The squad this season is undoubtedly higher on quality but blatantly lacking in the forward department. And no amount of Barber spin or players asking fans to stop complaining can take away from the fact that that makes it an average at best summer of business.

OUT:
	David Stockdale - Birmingham City The Albion's number one was offered a new contract that would put him on a par with the clubs top earners, but he decided he'd rather live next to Spaghetti Junction and take a huge signing on fee to move to Birmingham City. Hopefully, the money is worth still being in the Championship.
	Chris O'Grady - Chesterfield We'd almost forgotten he existed to be honest. The man who David Burke thought could replace future Premier League winner Leonardo Ulloa managed just 38 games, two goals and three loan spells in three loan spells in three seasons. He has now joined League Two Chesterfield on a free.
	Elvis Manu - Glenclerbirligi Elvis has left the building. Just two years after his £1.5m signing from Feyenoord, the striker moved on a free transfer to Turkish club Glenclerbirligi which is not something you want to be spelling after a few pints. He'll be hoping they don't play with offside's in Turkey.
	Rob Hunt - Oldham Athletic We thought Rob Hunt looked pretty accomplished in his one substitute appearance in the league away at Burton Albion last season. The Albion obviously thought differently and with 1,000 defenders on the books, the yongster was sold to Oldham were he had previously enjoyed a loan spell.
	Kazenga LuaLua - Queens Park Rangers Now seventh choice winger, his Albion career looks all but over as one too many injuries and disciplinary issues take their toll. He enjoyed a fruitful loan spell at QPR last season and Ian Holloway has jumped at the chance to take him back to Loftus Road again.
	Oliver Norwood - Fulham The Northern Ireland international only arrived a year ago but never really managed to nail down a first team spot despite Beram Kayal being absent from large parts of last season. A season long loan to Fulham will keep him fit, playing and help his chances of going to the World Cup with Norn Iron.
	Rohan Ince - Bury Another victim of the step up in class at the Albion, the midfielder has never really reached the heights of his breakthrough season in 2013-14. He teams up with League One Bury in what is his third temporary move in as many seasons following spells at Fulham and Swindon Town.
	Richie Towell - Rotherham United Some would say he has been hung out to dry, but the Irish midfielder has never managed to establish himself following his January 2016 move from Dundalk. Scored in the FA Cup defeat at Lincoln last season, he is the latest Albion player to head to Rotherham United on loan.
	Christian Walton - Wigan Athletic The highly rated England under 21 goalkeeper signed a new four year contract in the summer, and then swiftly went on the move to Wigan Athletic. He needs to be playing regularly and joining one of the League One promotion favourites is a good move for his latest loan deal.

IN:
	Jose Izquierdo - Club Brugge Costing a cool £16m, Columbian international Izquierdo became the Albion's record signing on his arrival from Club Brugge. He scored goals for fun from out wide in the Belgian league and we caught a glimpse of his electric pace away at Watford. Looks like an entertainer which should make him popular.
	Davy Propper - PSV Eindhoven Given our hit and largely miss record when it comes to Dutch players, spending £10m on the midfielder could be quantified as a big risk. He's had a slow start to his Albion career but two goals in the latest international break for the Netherlands suggest that the talent is there.
	Mathew Ryan - Valencia The highly rated Australian number one cost £5.2m from Valencia. He has big gloves to fill given Stockdale's popularity with supporters and has so far pulled off some brilliant saves and dropped a couple of howlers. The jury remains out but one thing we can tell you is that he is bloody short for a goalkeeper.
	Pascal Gross - Ingolstadt German midfielder Gross created more chances than any other in Europe's top leagues last season in an Ingolstadt side that was ultimately relegated from the Bundesliga. With Chris Hughton's switch to 4-4-1-1 and him in the hole, he has a huge role to play at the Albion.
	Markus Suttner - Ingolstadt Left back was another position we clearly needed improvement in and a big fee was paid for another player from Ingolstadt, left back Markus Suttner. He has probably looked the best of the new signings so far, a full back set piece specialist who loves to get forward. A classier Paul Watson, if you like.
	Ezequiel Schelotto - Sporting Lisbon A deadline day capture from Sporting Lisbon for £2m, the Italian international defender has one cap to his name and plays as a swashbuckling right back. He will provide competition to Bruno as well as adding a much needed Jesus Christ look-a-like to the squad.
	Izzy Brown - Chelsea The versatile forward helped Huddersfield to promotion on loan from Chelsea and the Albion swooped in from under the Terriers nose to secure him on a season long loan this season. Looked good on his debut at Manchester City before being struck down by injury. We haven't seen him since
	Tim Krul - Newcastle United A strange one this. Has Hughton already written off Ryan? Why we would we sign a Dutch international on loan to just be second or third choice? Krul has been on loan at Ajax and AZ Alkmaar, hardly playing since the start of the 2016-17 season. Where he fits in here remains to be seen.