The five staggering Premier League transfer mistakes made this summer - including West Ham and Liverpool

The aim for any club in a transfer window should be to strengthen their squad. Presumably, that goes without saying. Years and years of frantic summer dealings, however, have proven time and time again that achieving those goals is quite often easier said than done.

With that in mind, we’ve taken a look back over the past few months and picked out a number of the most telling mistakes in the recruitment strategies of various Premier League clubs - whether it be missing out on players, leaving themselves short in key positions, or selling their best and brightest talents.

Liverpool - Missing out on Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia

In the fullness of time, this might prove to be one that stings the pride more than anything else, but Liverpool’s failed pursuits of both Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia certainly felt more than a touch shambolic. After weeks of flirting with the idea of signing the latter from Southampton, the Reds instead tabled a humongous bid for his Brighton counterpart, only be soundly rejected as the he opted for a British record move to Chelsea.

To add insult to injury, the Blues then pipped Jurgen Klopp’s men to the capture of Lavia too, leading to something of a scramble for midfield reinforcements on Merseyside in the dying stages of the transfer window. Wataru Endo and Ryan Gravenberch should ensure that Liverpool are well-stocked in that department, but nevertheless, this was a body blow for the Reds.

Chelsea - A lack of striking options

Granted, injuries to Christopher Nkunku and Armando Broja haven’t helped matters, and new boy Cole Palmer can probably play up front at a push, but it is quite remarkable that Chelsea have managed to spend as much money as they have in recent times and are still heading into the new campaign with Nicolas Jackson as their only proven senior centre forward.

A lack of goals was arguably one of the biggest issues that plagued the Blues last term - and lord knows there were plenty to choose from - but the early evidence would suggest that it is not a problem that has been properly addressed despite a summer of exorbitant splurging.

West Ham - A lack of striking options, also

In fairness to West Ham, they appear to have spent the Declan Rice money pretty astutely. James Ward-Prowse, Edson Alvarez, and Mohammed Kudus all feel like really promising additions to David Moyes’ squad, and with 10 points from their first four matches, it is hard to criticise the Hammers too much.

That being said, you can’t help wondering if drafting in another striker wouldn’t have been a smart idea. Certainly, there were names linked, especially in the last few days of the window, but with Gianluca Scamacca leaving, the Irons have essentially been left with a choice between Michail Antonio and Danny Ings at the focal point of their attack. Given that the former very nearly left for Saudi Arabia this summer, and that the latter has never truly found his groove in east London, you get the feeling that this could be an area Moyes will be eager to strengthen in the January window.

Everton - Selling Alex Iwobi to Fulham

At the risk of kicking them when they are down, it’s probably fair to say that there is not a surplus of genuine quality in Everton’s squad at the moment. Alex Iwobi, however, was often a rare bright spark for the Toffees, and as such, the decision to sell him to Fulham late in the window feels as if it could be something of a mistake.

The £22 million they fetched for the Arsenal man just about covers the fee paid for new striker Beto, and if the 25-year-old can find the goals to fire the Blues to safety then this could be a departure that eventually comes to be more than justified, but at the time of writing, there will be lingering concerns that Sean Dyche has lost a real asset in his battle for survival.

Wolves - Selling Matheus Nunes to Man City

Earlier in the transfer window, Wolves bid farewell to the talismanic Ruben Neves, and at the time, that felt like a major, major blow. Factor in the subsequent sale of Matheus Nunes to Premier League champions Manchester City, however, and suddenly Wanderers look to be in a world of trouble.

Again, like with the Iwobi situation, the reported £53 million they received for the midfielder is not to be sniffed at, but given that the closest they came to recruiting a suitable replacement was the addition of City youngster Tommy Doyle - a talent unproven in the top flight - then this feels like a substantial weakening of Gary O’Neil’s already diminished ranks. It’s the sort of one-sided deal that really does make you fear for Wolves’ prospects this season.