Richarlison needs strong start to justify big price tag

Our assessment of this week's main transfer deals

Richarlison
Watford to Everton, £35m

While much of the talk has been about his hefty price tag, Richarlison was a standout player at Watford last season and the fact that his former manager Marco Silva was willing to spend so much on him indicates how much he impressed the Portuguese coach.

Silva is putting his stamp on the side after the Toffees underperformed last year, and the introduction of Richarlison should complement Turkish striker Cenk Tosun, opening up space for the forwards to exploit.

It's a hefty fee though - the deal could rise to £50m depending on appearances and other clauses - and the 21-year-old has a lot to prove and will need to hit the ground running to justify the cost.

Verdict A big price to pay for potential

Robert Green
Huddersfield to Chelsea, free

Chelsea’s signing of Rob Green has raised plenty of eyebrows but we’ve seen similar moves before from the Blues.

In July 2013 they signed 40-year-old Mark Schwarzer on a free transfer from Fulham as back-up for Petr Cech, giving the club a reliable pair of hands and more than 20 years of experience.

Green is likely to fill a similar role, and while he did not play a single game for Huddersfield last season, the former England man featured in all of Leeds’ league games the previous season, keeping 15 clean sheets.

Chelsea could have paid more for a worse second-choice keeper.

Verdict Experienced and cheap

Jack Marriott
Peterborough to Derby, undisclosed

Derby did not struggle to score goals last season - only Wolves, Fulham and Aston Villa found the net more times - but the signing of Jack Marriott bolsters their attacking threat and makes them real contenders for promotion.

With Marriott set to partner top striker Matej Vydra up front, the Rams can field the top scorers in the Sky Bet Championship and League One from last season, with the pair racking up 48 goals between them.

Marriott looked to be a natural goalscorer at Peterborough and Luton, and shouldn’t have much difficulty adapting to this level, but it will be interesting to see whether his or Vydra’s goal tally suffers as a result of the hotshots playing alongside each other.

In any case, it’s an interesting signing for Rams and they could wreak havoc upon the division’s defences.

Verdict Exciting prospect

Andre Schurrle
Borussia Dortmund to Fulham, loan

Andre Schurrle struggled to make an impact at Dortmund but he should fit in well at Fulham under manager Slavisa Jokanovic.

The decision will certainly ruffle the feathers of some Chelsea fans if the former Blues man shines on loan to their neighbours.

With exciting youngster Ryan Sessegnon playing down the left, Fulham should have plenty of width and pace going forward which can cause plenty of problems for the opposition.

Verdict Should be a good fit for Fulham's playing style

Joao Moutinho
Monaco to Wolves, £5m

In a summer of inflated transfer deals and huge numbers, moneybags Wolves have picked up an absolute bargain bringing in Joao Moutinho from Monaco.

The Portuguese international was a fantastic servant for the Ligue 1 side, and was often the driving force in the middle of the pitch.

While his age factors into the low price, the 31-year-old looked solid at the World Cup and should have at least a couple of years left at the top of his game.

He should fit nicely in midfield alongside compatriots Ruben Neves and Helder Costa as Wolves set their sights on a top-half finish in their return to the Premier League.

Verdict Value acquisition

Tom Ince
Huddersfield to Stoke, £10m

Stoke already looked to have a squad too good for the Championship but that hasn’t caused any complacency on their part as they brought in a sharp player in Tom Ince.

Ince played in the majority of the Terriers’ games last season but failed to make a great impression, scoring just twice. The Championship is much more his grade and with the quality of players around him he is likely to excel as he did at Derby.

Attracting players to take the step down a division is a challenge but the addition of Ince after securing the services of Benik Afobe can only bolster Stoke's promotion hopes.

Verdict An excellent signing

Mohamed Eisa
Cheltenham to Bristol City, undisclosed

Mohamed Eisa was still playing in the eighth tier at Greenwich Borough just over a year ago, but a dream season at Cheltenham last year saw him break the Robins' record for most goals scored in a season and earned him a move to the dizzy heights of the Championship with Bristol City.

The 24-year-old has been a prolific goalscorer, but the huge step up in quality could prove too much for him.

With Famara Diedhiou set to miss the opening six matches after he was banned for spitting there will be more pressure on Eisa to make an immediate impression.

Verdict The massive step up in class could be an issue

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