Winners and losers of the Premier League transfer window

Despite an earlier transfer window deadline compared to previous years, Premier League clubs still managed to make a plethora of new signings, even with a World Cup in the way.

Some astute sides landed heralded new players, while others failed to make a notable splash.

Here are the Premier League's winners and losers of the now-shut transfer window:

Winners

Liverpool

Following Loris Karius' disastrous display in the Champions League final, Liverpool's top priority was finding a new goalkeeper. They eventually broke the bank for Alisson from Roma. Jurgen Klopp's midfield was also overhauled with the two excellent additions of Fabinho and Naby Keita, the latter initially signed last summer from RB Leipzig. A swoop for Lyon star Nabil Fekir broke down at the last minute due to supposed injury concerns, but the Reds still bolstered their attacking depth by signing Switzerland stalwart Xherdan Shaqiri.

Related: Why Liverpool are the only real threat to Manchester City's throne

Wolverhampton

Wolverhampton's biggest move of the summer was their £18-million signing of Barcelona youth product Adama Traore from Middlesbrough, but it's their bargain additions that merit recognition. Signing experienced Portuguese international midfielder Joao Moutinho for only a reported £5 million is a shrewd, low-risk improvement to Nuno Espirito Santo's squad. Moutinho also serves as the perfect mentor for golden boy Ruben Neves. To add to a growing Portuguese contingent, the Wolves were one of the few teams to take a risk and capitalize on Sporting Clube de Portugal's clubhouse crisis, nabbing Portugal's veteran starting goalkeeper Rui Patricio on a free transfer despite threats of legal action by the Lisbon club.

Fulham

Fulham survived the gauntlet of the promotion playoffs earlier this year by overcoming Aston Villa in the final, and they celebrated their Premier League return with a slew of crafty signings that should keep them afloat next season. The Cottagers unexpectedly beat out a host of other European clubs to Jean Michael Seri's signature from Nice, brought back club hero Aleksandar Mitrovic permanently, landed touted Cameroon star Andre Zambo Anguissa, acquired former Chelsea winger Andre Schurrle on loan from Borussia Dortmund, and locked up 24-year-old center-back Alfie Mawson from relegated Swansea City. They even added a pair of 'keepers in Besiktas' Fabri and Sevilla's two-time Europa League winner Sergio Rico.

Jury's still out

West Ham

New boss Manuel Pellegrini has reinforced his inherited side with some risky high-priced acquisitions, including attacking midfielder Felipe Anderson (reported £35 million), center-back Issa Diop (reported £22 million), and Ukrainian winger Andriy Yarmolenko (£18 million). Adding Jack Wilshere on a free transfer is a nice boost, but the Arsenal product has battled a myriad of leg injuries throughout his career, and Carlos Sanchez's ability to replace Cheikhou Kouyate in midfield is up in the air for now. Pressure on Pellegrini will be astronomical from the get-go, especially if the club's expensive newcomers fail to transition well into the Premier League.

Losers

Manchester United

Landing Fred from Shakhtar Donetsk was a timely acquisition at a position of need that affords manager Jose Mourinho some midfield flexibility. But the Red Devils haven't done much else to address glaring first-team holes in front of David de Gea. Diogo Dalot is expected to emerge as one of the better full-backs in the game, but the 19-year-old is still recovering from a knee procedure and realistically won't unseat Antonio Valencia anytime soon. Ashley Young is still the starting left-back, and after failed reported moves for Diego Godin, Jerome Boateng, and Harry Maguire, the center of Manchester United's defense hasn't become more formidable.

Tottenham

Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy has long been a meticulous negotiator, a trait that's helping to keep last season's third-place side intact. But the north London club's boss didn't green-light any signings this summer, a potential consequence of the club's long-awaited move to its new stadium. The Spurs did reportedly have strong interest in Aston Villa midfielder Jack Grealish, though the two sides never came close to agreeing on a fee. According to the Evening Standard, manager Mauricio Pochettino says he's satisfied with the consistency of his squad, but it's difficult to argue the Spurs can contend for the title with no additions to the starting lineup.

Newcastle

Newcastle's most notable transfer activity was a perplexing swap of loan deals with West Brom in which they landed Salomon Rondon in exchange for Dwight Gayle. The Magpies' quiet window also appears to have further driven a wedge between manager Rafa Benitez and owner Mike Ashley, with the former stating on Saturday he's "not happy" with a nonchalant goal of simply surviving every year, according to the Newcastle Chronicle's Andrew Musgrove. The schism has also firmly placed Magpies fans' support behind Benitez and strengthened their calls for Ashley to sell the club he purchased outright in 2007.

(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)