World Transfer Window: Grading All 20 EPL Teams' Transfers Thus Far

For many, mid-July marks the halfway point in summer. The thrill of the sun and weather starts to wane and that great vacation you had planned is probably over.

But for the football clubs, July becomes crunch time, as it marks the halfway point in the summer transfer window.

To this point there have not been any mega-Blockbuster deals that will change the landscape of the league. However, there have been some modest realignments that could play critically in the jockeying for position within the table.

Writer's note: All transfer information is from the most reliable source of up-to-date info: Wikipedia.

Arsenal

In: Carl Jenkinson, Charlton Athletic (£1M)

Jon Toral, Barcelona (£0.35M)

Hector Bellerin, Barcelona (£0.4M)

Out: Jens Lehmann, Unattached (Free)

Thomas Cruise, Unattached (Free)

Mark Randall, Chesterfield (Free)

Roarie Deacon, Sunderland (Free)

Gael Clichy, Manchester City (£7M)

Hold on to your hats boys and girls, old Arsene is up to it again. That's right, he is selling a great player that he brought up just as he is about to hit his prime and is replacing him with a bunch of kids.

If you have not heard of the three he is bringing in, don't worry—no one has. It's a safe bet that they will probably be good players. Wenger has a great eye for young talent.

But it's an even safer bet that they will be sold just as that talent becomes obvious in the next decade or so.

On the bright side, he did make a net profit of £5.25 million. If he doesn't spend all of it on more water-slides, he could use it to bring more teenagers to the Emirates.

Grade: C-

Aston Villa

In: None

Out: Nigel Reo-Coker, Released

John Carew, Released

Robert Pires, Released

Brad Friedel, Tottenham Hotspur (Free)

Ashley Young, Manchester United (£16m-£20m)

Looks like it was time to do some spring cleaning at Villa Park.

Of the first four names mentioned above, Reo-Coker is the only one who isn't on his way to retirement.

Those moves are all fine, but unfortunately someone accidentally put Ashely Young out on the curb as well. To make matters worse, good old Fergie happened to be strolling by and did some dumpster diving.

Finding a nice, shiny new winger made his day—and hurt the rest of the league.

Grade: D-

Blackburn

In: Myles Anderson, Aberdeen (Undisclosed)

Out: Frank Fielding, Derby County (Undisclosed)

Phil Jones, Manchester United (£16.5m-£20m, plus add-ons)

Benjani, Free Agent

Blackburn was near relegation for most of last season before finishing 15th and four points out of the last three.

For a team that finished so low, they had a relatively decent defensive record. Take away the 7-1 thrashing at Old Trafford and their goals-against doesn't look too bad.

So why not get rid of your young and promising defender Phil Jones? He will definitely appreciate it next season when he is on the winning side of what will surely be a repeat of last year.

At least they replaced him with someone who has more experience. Oh wait, he has only played in one game for Aberdeen. Well, surely he must be younger then. No? He's 20? Oh well.

Grade: C

Bolton

In: Darren Pratley, Swansea City (Free)

Out: Jlloyd Samuel, Released

Joey O'Brien, Released

Tamir Cohen, Released

Johan Elmander, Galatasary (Free)

Ali Al-Habsi, Wigan Athletic (Undisclosed)

"Out with the old and in with the new" seems to be the theme at Reebok Stadium this summer. Elmander had some good times in Lostock. There was the time he was signed for an £8.2 million fee (a club record). Then there was, uh...ummm...okay, so there was one good time.

But Darren Pratley looks to be the first good move that was made on this list. He has been a dominant midfielder for Swansea and is now looking to make his presence felt in the Premier League.

To be honest, he is no Elmander—and if you are a Bolton fan, that should make you smile.

Grade: B+

Chelsea

In: None

Out: Fabio Borini, Parma (Free)

Michael Mancienne, Hamburg (£3 million)

Really, Villa-Boas? You come to one of the richest clubs in the world, with an owner who indulges his current wife's little art hobby by purchasing millions of over-priced pieces of junk, and you have not made one purchase? Come on now!

So maybe Chelsea is just waiting to see where pieces land before they buy up the lot—and that's fine. But as a Chelsea fan myself, give me something to get excited about. Modric, Falcao, Van der Wiel—anyone. Just please, God, not Neymar!

Grade: C

Everton

In: None

Out: James Vaughan, Norwich City (£2.5m)

Iain Turner, Unattached (Free)

Kieran Agard, Yeovil (Free)

Hope Akpan, Crawley Town (Free)

Yaaaawwwwwnnnnn. Wake me up when I get past this team.

Nothing coming in yet—and those going out don't matter.

They better start making some moves quick. I can see Tim Howard's Tourrettes acting up from here, as he faces the possibility of another season not playing for anything other than pride.

Although after the beating he took against Mexico a few weeks ago, maybe he could use a little pride.

Grade: C-

Fulham

In: Dan Burn, Darlington (Undisclosed)

Tom Donegan, Everton (Undisclosed)

Out: Zoltan Gera, Released

Eddie Johnson, Released

Diomansy Kamara, Ekisehirspor (Free)

John Pantsil, Released

Matthew Saunders, Released

Pascal Zuberuhler, Released

I have always liked Fulham because they give Americans a chance—and lately those American's have been a big part of their over-arching success. That is, of course, except for Eddie Johnson, and rightfully so. He won't be at the cozy little cottage they call Craven next season.

But Gera, Kamara and Pantsil—are you kidding me? So what if they all have to take naps at half time and prefer watching Matlock to game footage? They are still fun to watch and have been a valuable part of the team for the past few seasons.

Grade: C-

Liverpool

In: Jordan Henderson, Sunderland (rumored £16m)

Out: None

It's pretty easy to see why not much has moved at Anfield. I think Dalglish and the suits are still dizzy from the luck of their last transfer window.

They offloaded Fernando Torres for the amount of money that only a spend-happy crazy Russian could afford, and they were able to replace him with two very good forwards for just over half of that amount.

Luckily they were able to sober up long enough to purchase Henderson. The young midfielder will be the new Gerrard one day. Maybe I'm getting ahead of myself, but he is a good signing.

The team got better and better from the second-half to the end. Like they say: "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." Good move, so far, to not let anyone go.

Grade: A-

Manchester City

In: Gael Clichy, Arsenal (7m)

Out: Patrick Vieria, Released

Shaleum Logan, Brentford (Free)

Okay, so supposedly this is supposed to be the new big-spending team. I was under the impression that they were going to buy every superstar under the sun and, if that didn't work, build a time machine, go back to 1970 and grab the Brazilian national team.

Don't think it's that far-fetched. These owners come from the same region where they claim they are going to air-condition outdoor stadiums.

But it is somewhat surprising that they have yet to sign a big-time player. With Tevez appearing to be on the move, perhaps something is not all that kosher in Manchester, deterring players.

Or maybe the UAE moguls are just saving up the money to make Christiano Ronaldo's billion-euro release clause. They might have to get rid of a bit more than the decrepit Patrick Vieria.

But then again, C. Ron doesn't pass anyway, so who cares who he is with?

Grade: D

Manchester United

In: Phil Jones, Blackburn (Undisclosed)

Ashley Young, Aston Villa (Undisclosed)

David de Gea, Athletico Madrid (Undisclosed)

Out: Edwin van der Sar, Retired

Paul Scholes, Retired

Owen Hargreaves, Released

Conor Devlin, Released

Here's a riddle for you: Who can win the Premier League, get to the finals of the Champions League, lose the best goalie in the league and one of the all-time great midfielders and still get better?

Answer: ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?!?!?!

Fergie is at it again. That smug grin and those white teeth that anyone who isn't a Man U fan just wants to punch out—it all infuriates me!

The reason why Ferguson has been at this for so long, and in the talk for best manager of all-time, is because he is the only answer to that riddle.

As of yet, no other team has made the improvements that he has. And of course he will hide all the figures so that we can't point and say, "Look how much you spent. You are no better than Chelsea!"

We would be lucky to even finish that sentence before the blinding glare of all 12 of his League rings overwhelms our senses and sends us to the ground in a pitiful, curled-up ball of sorrow.

You know what? He may be one of the greatest managers ever, knighted by royalty and an officer of the Order of the British Empire, but at least he doesn't have a Doctorate. Wait a second...

Grade: A

Newcastle

In: Mehdi Abeid, Lens (Free)

Yohan Cabaye, Lille (£4.3m)

Demba Ba, West Ham (Free)

Sylvain Marveaux, Rennes (Free)

Out: Sol Campbell, Free Agent

Shefki Kuqi, Free Agent

Kevin Nolan, West Hame (£3m)

Ben Tozer, Northampton (Free)

Newcastle played last season like they wanted to prove that their relegation was a fluke. And, for the most part, they did.

But it is high-time for them to call it quits on long-time Englishman Sol Campbell. Considering the players that are coming in, it makes perfect sense.

It would appear that the club has decidedly gone French this year (always a trendy thing). As this is a team rebuilding, they do not want locker room or off-field issues to disrupt their progress.

Campbell might still be harboring some resentment toward the French players, carrying over from his days fighting in the Hundred Years' War.

Grade: B-

Norwich City

In: James Vaughan, Everton (Undisclosed)

Steven Morrison, Millwall (Undisclosed)

Elliott Bennett, Brighton & Hove Albion (Undisclosed)

Ritchie De Laet, Manchester United (Loan)

Out: Matthew Gill, Free Agent

Jens Berthel Askou, Free Agent

Sam Habergham, Free Agent

Busy, busy, busy are the little minnows from the East. They are well aware that to survive in this league they are going to need to spend and sign. They were even able to poach some away from the big boys—good for them.

The strategy they are taking is obvious: Go young and start a new era for Norwich football.

The guys they are offloading are all in the twilight of their careers—and the ones they are bringing in are just beginning. They seem to be building a team for the future, one that will help them survive now and one day compete with the best.

Ah, to be young and naive again!

Grade: B

Queens Park Rangers

In: None

Out: Mikele Leigertwood, Reading (Undisclosed)

Lee Brown, Bristol Rovers (Released)

Pascal Chimbonda, Released

Apparently QPR didn't get the same memo that Norwich did—or they read it upside down—because they are doing the exact opposite of what a promoted club should be doing.

These players are old. Getting rid of them is not the worst thing in the world, but right now their primary focus needs to be keeping Adel Taraabt.

Unfortunately for QPR fans, the team's boss, Neil Warnock, has already conceded that he will probably leave. Maybe if you show a teeny-tiny amount of effort to keep your captain, fan favorite and best player, others might decide to come your way.

But what do I know? I'm just an unpaid writer with way too much time on my hands.

Grade: D

Stoke City

In: None

Out: Abdoulaye Faye, West Ham (Free)

Ibrahima Sonko, Released

Eidur Gudjohnsen, Released

I know little about Stoke—and even less about the transfers. My grade will reflect that.

Grade: C

Sunderland

In: Ahmed Elmohamandy, ENPPI (£2.5m)

Connor Wickham, Ipswich Town (£8.1m)

Ji-Dong Won, Chunnam Dragons (£2m)

Craig Gardner, Birmingham (Undisclosed)

Sebastian Larsson, Birmingham (Free)

Keiren Westwood, Coventry City (Free)

Wes Brown, Manchester United (Undisclosed)

John O'Shea, Manchester United (Undisclosed)

David Vaughan, Blackpool (Free)

Out: Jordan Henderson, Liverpool (£16m)

Jean-Yves M'voto, Oldham Athletic (Released)

Nathan Luscombe, Hartlepool United (Released)

Robbie Weir, Tranmere Rovers (Released)

Michael Kay, Tranmere Rovers (Released)

Cristian Riveros, Kayseripor (Loan)

Sunderland has been quite busy this summer. And apparently they've been picking from the Manchester United bench.

For their sake, they had better hope that Wes Brown and John O'Shea prefer the Midlands to the North.

Sorry that this one isn't funny. Writing out all those names deadened my brain.

Grade: B

Swansea City

In: Danny Graham, Watford (£3.5)

Out: Cedric van der Gun, Free Agent

Serran, AEK Larnaca (Free)

Darren Pratley, Bolton (Free)

Dorus de Vries, Wolverhampton (Free)

I really wonder how the conversation went that saw de Vries leave the club. I bet it went something like this:

Chairman: Here is our offer, Dorus.

de Vries: That's it? I have been with this club for four years, played in 178 games and got you to the Premier League—and this is all you are giving me?!

Chairman: Uhh......

de Vries: Screw this, I'm going to Wolves!

It's a real professional club that they are running there. Thank God they won't be bugging us at the top for long.

Grade: D-

Tottenham

In: Brad Friedel, Aston Villa (Free)

Out: Johnathan Woodgate, Released

Jamie O'Hara, Wolverhampton, (£5m)

The scene at White Hart Lane resembles the caricatured version of the battle of the Alamo. There's Harry Redknapp standing on top of the fort, protecting it from the invading Chelseas, Manchesters and Arsenals. The managers have set themselves up for a long siege on his team.

But luckily he has called in Brad Friedel to replace the misfiring Gomes at the gunner post. Hopefully he can do a better job of protecting their land than the blooper-prone Brazilian.

So far so good for Redknapp and the Spurs.

Grade: B+

West Brom

In: Gareth McAuley, Ipswich Town (Free)

Billy Jones, Preston (Free)

Out: Giles Barnes, Nottingham Forest (Free)

Scott Carson, Bursaspor (£1.5m)

Reuben Reid, Oldham Athletic (Free)

Wait a second, they were able to get rid of Scott Carson and get someone to pay money for him? This is the same Scott Carson that let in a shot from 30 yards to eliminate England from Euro 2008, right?

Congratulations West Brom, you just earned yourself the halfway point of the transfer window deal of the first half of the transfer window!

Plus, have you seen the numbers for Billy Jones? If you're a West Brom fan, have a clean pair of underwear handy because you may need them.

Grade: A

Wigan

In: Ali Al-Habsi, Bolton (£4m)

Out: Jason Koumas, Released

Steven Caldwell, Birmingham City (Free)

Daniel de Ridder, Released

Again, what do I know about Wigan? Ali Al-Habsi is a cool name, I guess.

Grade: C+

Wolverhampton

In: Jamie O'Hara, Tottenham (£5m)

Dorus de Vries, Swansea City (Free)

Out: Adriano Basso, Released

John Dunleavy, Released

Marcus Hahnemann, Released

David Jones, Released

Here is a transcription of the conversation between the Frenchman and Wolves management that ensued directly after de Vries left Swansea:

de Vries: I want to play for you guys.

Managment: Great! We are happy to have you, recognize your talents and will pay you accordingly. Don't worry about feeling guilty, it's normal. Besides, you're a Wolf now—you eat Swans for dinner!

Grade: B