01 February 2022

January signings leave Everton and Newcastle well placed to beat drop

01 February 2022

The five clubs in the Premier League relegation battle all had the opportunity to add to their squads before the transfer window closed on Monday night.

Here, the PA news agency assesses their chances of survival following the January scramble for signings.

Everton

IN – Vitaliy Mykolenko (Dynamo Kiev, undisclosed), Nathan Patterson (Rangers, undisclosed), Anwar El Ghazi (Aston Villa, loan), Donny Van de Beek (Manchester United, loan), Dele Alli (Tottenham, free)

OUT – Lucas Digne (Aston Villa, £25m), Ellis Simms (Hearts, loan)

The Frank Lampard factor paid immediate dividends after his deadline-day unveiling as manager, as within a few hours Van de Beek and Alli had followed the former Chelsea boss through the doors at Goodison Park. The Toffees should have enough quality to make their flirtation with the scrap at the bottom a short one.

Verdict – Staying up

Norwich

IN – None

OUT – Isak Thorvaldsson (Briedablik, free), Thomas Dickson-Peters (Gillingham, loan), Tyrese Omotoye (Carlisle, loan), Bali Mumba (Peterborough United, loan), Rocky Bushiri (Hibernian, loan), Gassan Ahadme (Burton, undisclosed), Onel Hernandez (Birmingham, loan), Josh Martin (Doncaster, loan), Sebastian Soto (Livingston, loan), Jordan Hugill (Cardiff, loan), Todd Cantwell (Bournemouth, loan)

A quite deadline day at Carrow Road with manager Dean Smith bringing in no replacements and loaning midfielder Cantwell to Bournemouth. Norwich head into February outside the relegation zone after a 3-0 victory over Watford before the winter break, but it might not be long before they are back in it.

Verdict – Going down

Newcastle

Chris Wood swapped Turf Moor for the Toon (Owen Humphreys/PA) (PA Wire)

IN – Kieran Trippier (Atletico Madrid, £12m), Chris Wood (Burnley, £25m), Bruno Guimaraes (Lyon, £35m), Matt Targett (Aston Villa, loan), Dan Burn (Brighton, £13m)

OUT – Rosaire Longelo (Accrington, undisclosed), Joe White (Hartlepool, loan), Freddie Woodman (Bournemouth, loan), Elliot Anderson (Bristol Rovers, loan)

As expected, newly-rich Newcastle splashed the cash and, although a late bid for Jesse Lingard was blocked by Manchester United, boss Eddie Howe has the tools at his disposal to haul them out of trouble. Wood, while hardly prolific, will provide a much-needed focal point in the Toon attack.

Verdict – Staying up

Watford

Can Roy Hodgson drag Watford out of trouble? (Tim Goode/PA) (PA Wire)

IN – Maduka Okoye (Sparta Rotterdam, undisclosed), Hassane Kamara (Nice, £4m), Samir (Udinese, undisclosed), Edo Kayembe (KAS Eupen, undisclosed), Samuel Kalu (Bordeaux, undisclosed)

OUT – Maduka Okoye (Sparta Rotterdam, loan), Pontus Dahlberg (Gillingham, loan), JJ McKiernan (Bohemians, loan), Ryan Cassidy (Bohemians, loan)

Watford’s most important January signing will surely be Roy Hodgson, brought in as head coach after Claudio Ranieri was dispensed with. Nigeria winger Kalu could be an exciting prospect, arriving at Vicarage Road after three-and-a-half years with Ligue 1 Bordeaux, where he scored nine goals in 86 appearances.

Verdict – Going down

Burnley

IN – Wout Weghorst (Wolfsburg, £12m)

OUT – Jacob Bedeau (Morecambe, loan), Anthony Glennon (Barrow, loan), Chris Wood (Newcastle, £25m)

Much will depend on whether Sean Dyche’s deadline-day punt, Dutch striker Weghorst, can hit the ground running. The 29-year-old has a decent record in the Bundesliga, having scored 59 goals in 188 games for Wolfsburg. But the loss of Wood to fellow relegation battlers Newcastle could be a major factor.

Verdict – Going down

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