Transfer Deadline: 5 EPL Teams Who Did the Best on Deadline Day

Transfer deadline day came down to the final minutes, with seemingly every EPL team diving into the final day of action. Players moved and teams spent their cash as they were frantically trying to find the final pieces to the puzzle.

Some EPL squads took care of their business early on in the summer, but others utilized the whirlwind of the last day to finalize deals. And by doing this, some teams were able to snatch up last minute steals and secure the services of players for cheap.

When it is all said and done, here are the five teams that benefited the most on the last day of the transfer window.

Arsenal had an assortment of issues that needed to be addressed before the end of the transfer window.

After getting demolished by Manchester United and seeing them take one point from their first three league games, it was inevitable that something needed to be done.

To the relief of fans, Wenger went out and was extremely busy on the last day of the transfer window.

The defensive woes of Arsenal were shored up by bringing in versatile left back Andres Santos and towering German defender Per Mertesacker.

They were also able to secure the loan services of Israeli Yossi Benayoun from Chelsea, a player who should provide leadership and creativity in Arsenal’s depleted midfield.

Yet the biggest signing for Arsenal came at the very last second of the transfer window, in which they brought in the talented Spaniard Mikel Arteta from Everton, who is eyed to pick up the pieces Cesc Fabregas left behind.

Liverpool embarked on a transfer frenzy during the beginning of the summer, bringing in numerous signings to slide into their midfield.

By signing key players and riding a wave of momentum from the end of last season, Liverpool are looking to be relevant contenders in the Premier League once again. Yet with all the talk about who they brought in, the biggest victory on the final day was seeing the club offload bad contracts and underperforming squad members.

LFC was able to get the struggling Joe Cole (and his wages) to sign a loan deal with French champions Lille, and also offloaded EPL busts Christian Poulsen and David N’gog permanently.

And while they might regret losing Raul Meierles, they were still able to sign talented young Uruguayan Sebastian Coates to bolster their back line.

Liverpool is looking to start fresh this campaign and they took a step in the right direction on the final day of the transfer window.

Newly promoted and newly rich, QPR are looking towards their future. Once they achieved promotion to the first division, they utilized the transfer window to strengthen their squad and stake a claim for Premier League success.

This ideology was justified by the acquisitions QPR obtained on the final day of the transfer window.

Luring a player away from Manchester City is not easy to do, but that is exactly what the west London squad did by signing Shaun Wright-Phillips.

The speedy winger was accompanied by Anton Ferdinand and Armand Traore on deadline day, two signings who should slide in seamlessly in defense.

The Hoops are seeking longevity in England’s top flight, and these signings should be a welcome sight for supporters.

The Potters will be playing in Europe this year after being awarded a spot in the Europa League. In order to succeed in Europe, squads need to have depth and experience, something most players on Stoke do not have.

They addressed this issue by bringing in some big name players who can contribute right away.

The biggest signing for the Potters was lanky Peter Crouch, whose length and aerial abilities fit the tactics of Stoke City perfectly. He also brings plenty of European and Champion’s League experience, as he has been a key goal scorer for his former clubs in major European tournaments.

Stoke was also able to land the signatures of Wilson Palacios and Cameron Jerome, providing even more steel and experience to the Potters as they venture into Europe.

Roman Abramovich has been pouring money into Chelsea since he took over the club back in 2003. His intentions are evident by the signings he has been able to bring in to Stamford Bridge.

He was able to obtain the signatures of Romelu Lukaku, Oriol Romeu and Juan Mata before the deadline, but many Chelsea players were subject of rumors and were expected to leave the Bridge. While seeing only Raul Meireles signed on deadline day, Chelsea can walk away in success knowing they didn’t lose any of their players who were rumored to leave.

Players like Alex, Flourent Malouda and Daniel Sturridge were all thought to be on their way out of Chelsea, yet the club was able to retain them.

While Yossi Benayoun went on loan to Arsenal, there were no dramatic or detrimental exits for the club.

Knowing they kept players like Malouda, Sturridge and Alex for the season can make the lack of activity on deadline day seem irrelevant.