Deadline day. This day can only be compared to the trade deadline in the NBA. Where teams scramble to make last minute moves to either make the final push, or give up on the season. So, much like in the NBA, deadlines spur action. This day usually drives the soccer world into a frenzy, teams all over the world try to land the next player who can make or break the rest of their season.
Now this year was different than others in the past, many teams at the top had remained quite during the month that they had to make moves. This took me by surprise. As a Manchester United fan, a team that has struggled this year despite their huge payroll, the team looked like it needed a spark to meet the team's season expectations. But, United, as well as other clubs at the top of the table all felt that their clubs could go ahead without any mid-season additions.
While the top clubs had practically no action, clubs at the bottom spent big. The clubs at the bottom of the EPL are battling a team's worst nightmare, relegation. Relegation means that these clubs lose out on the millions of dollars that they make from the EPL's huge TV deals globally. So, with that, the race to not get relegated is almost as intense to win the league. With that, you had teams like Newcastle United spending around $42 million. Now a club with so much history does so because they understand the effect of not playing in the EPL. With the moves they made, though, this club is one I am looking forward to watching in the second half of the season. They made some moves that have allowed them to add depth, as well as adding players who have proven to have success in the league.
Lastly, besides the business aspect that goes into Deadline day in the EPL, the day-long coverage around different clubhouses, many fans have taken the opportunity to prank the reporters. These two videos are from prior years of some shenanigans caught on camera across England on the deadline day.
Norwich Fans
Purple Dildo
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