After the deadline for new signings passed, here’s a club-by-club verdict on the Premier League’s summer spending

Arsenal

What they wanted

Arsène Wenger admitted he was looking for defensive cover and a defensive midfielder, along with ‘half the managers in the Premier League’

What they got

Arsenal have made an impressive start and that may have convinced Wenger that the squad he has – with the addition of Thomas Vermaelen – will suffice

Pleat’s verdict

Maybe a talented big man to replace Emmanuel Adebayor would have given them variations. Has resisted the urge to sign a midfield enforcer. Aaron Ramsey and Jack Wilshere will get opportunities

The deals

In: Thomas Vermaelen Ajax, £10m Damián Martínez Independiente, £1.2m

Out: Emmanuel Adebayor Manchester City, £25m Kolo Touré Manchester City, £14m Abu Ogogo Dagenham & Redbridge, free Rene Steer Oldham Athletic, free Havard Nordtveit Nuremberg, loan Jay Emmanuel-Thomas Blackpool, loan Jay Simpson QPR, loan Amaury Bischoff released Rui Fonte released Paul Rodgers released James Dunne, released Vincent van den Berg released Anton Blackwood released

Aston Villa

What they wanted

At least one centre-half as a replacement for Martin Laursen, as well as a midfielder in place of Gareth Barry. A left-back was also sought

What they got

A restocked defence with Richard Dunne, whose move is set to be confirmed today, and James Collins but fans may wonder if Fabian Delph and the injured Stewart Downing are natural heirs to Barry

Pleat’s verdict

Laursen’s goodbye and Wilfred Bouma’s long-term injury, allied to Curtis Davies’s troublesome shoulder, forced O’Neill to breach the dam. Dunne is a seasoned campaigner. Collins is an ‘over my dead body’ defender. Delph should be eased in slowly

The deals

In: Stewart Downing Middlesbrough, £12m James Collins West Ham, £5m Habib Beye Newcastle, £3m Fabian Delph Leeds United, undisclosed Stephen Warnock Blackburn, undisclosed Andy Marshall unattached

Out: Gareth Barry Manchester City, £12m Zat Knight Bolton Wanderers, £4m Stuart Taylor Manchester City, free Sam Williams Yeovil, free Martin Laursen retired

Birmingham City

What they wanted

The signing of a creative midfielder and a proven Premier League goalscorer to boot

What they got

With Alex McLeish eschewing the search for a striker to focus on a creative player to complement his snarling midfield he will have been disappointed to lose out on Sporting Gijón’s Míchel

Pleat’s verdict

Spent sensibly but not sufficiently to make a strong challenge. Benítez could excite while Roger Johnson has the opportunity to step up

The deals

In: Christian Benítez Santos Laguna, £7.7m Roger Johnson Cardiff City, £5m Scott Dann Coventry City, £3.5m Barry Ferguson Rangers, £1.5m Giovanny Espinoza Barcelona Sporting Club, undisclosed James O’Shea Galway United, nominal Lee Bowyer West Ham, free Stephen Carr unattached, Joe Hart Manchester City, loan Teemu Tainio Sunderland, loan Grégory Vignal Lens, loan

Out: Stephen Kelly Fulham, free Michael McKerr Oldham, free James McPike Kettering, free, Krystian Pearce Peterborough, loan Robin Shroot Burton, loan Artur Krysiak Burton, loan Semih Aydilek released, Radhi Jaidi released, Mehdi Nafti released

Blackburn Rovers

What they wanted

The sale of Stephen Warnock to Aston Villa made a full-back a priority, while at the other end one goal in three games suggested the need for a new striker

What they got

Pascal Chimbonda seems an adequate replacement for Warnock, but the biggest surprise was that this was Sam Allardyce’s only last-minute deal

Pleat’s verdict

Losing Warnock and Roque Santa Cruz will hardly be compensated by their summer activity. Lars Jacobsen and Gaël Givet are unlikely to be big hits

The deals

In: Nikola Kalinic Hajduk Split, £12m Gaël Givet Marseille, £3.5m Pascal Chimbonda Tottenham, £2m Nikos Giannakopoulos Asteras, £5,000, Steven N’Zonzi Amiens, undisclosed Elrio van Heerden Bruges, free Lars Jacobsen Everton, free Míchel Salgado Real Madrid, free Franco Di Santo Chelsea, loan

Out: Roque Santa Cruz Manchester City, £17.5m Matt Derbyshire Olympiakos, £3m Paul Gallagher Leicester, £1m Stephen Warnock Aston Villa, undisclosed Bjorn Bussmann 1860 Munich, nominal Andre Ooijer PSV, free Aaron Mokoena Portsmouth, free Dean Winnard Accrington, free Andreas Arestidou Shrewsbury, free Jamie Clarke Lincoln, free Tony Kane Carlisle, free Keith Treacy Sheffield United, loan Alex Marrow Oldham Athletic, loan Nick Blackman Oldham Athletic, loan Gavin Gunning Tranmere, loan Alan Judge Plymouth, loan Mark Bunn Sheffield United, loan Tugay Kerimoglu retired Brian Hodge released

Bolton Wanderers

What they wanted

Two goals and no points from their opening three fixtures would suggest that some fresh blood was required, particularly to support Kevin Davies

What they got

The one-year loan signing of Ivan Klasnic will provide competition in the frontline. With the retention of Gary Cahill this has been a relatively successful summer

Pleat’s verdict

Gary Megson knows his team’s limitations. Zat Knight will have to show improvement. They seem well stocked at full-back, with Paul Robinson from West Brom joining Ricardo Gardner and Jlloyd Samuel

The deals

In: Zat Knight Aston Villa, £4m Lee Chung-yong FC Seoul, £2.2m Sam Ricketts Hull City, undisclosed Sean Davis Portsmouth, free Paul Robinson West Brom, loan Ivan Klasnic Nantes, loan

Out: Blerim Dzemaili Torino, undisclosed. James Sinclair released, Robert Sissons released, Nathan Woolfe released

Burnley

What they wanted

Owen Coyle did not want to unsettle an established squad with any last-minute wheeling and dealing. Preventing unwanted departures was priority No1

What they got

The addition of Premier League-tested André Bikey and no late departures is a job well done

Pleat’s verdict

Steven Fletcher, a left-footer with good movement, is an excellent buy. But a difficult season is in store

The deals

In: Steven Fletcher Hibernian, £3m André Bikey Reading, £1.8m Tyrone Mears Derby, £500,000 Brian Easton Hamilton, £350,000 David Edgar Newcastle United, undisclosed Richard Eckersley Manchester United, undisclosed Fernando Guerrero Independiente del Valle, loan David Nugent Portsmouth, loan

Out: Alan Mahon Tranmere, free Steve Jones Walsall, free Alex MacDonald Falkirk, loan Adam Kay Chester, loan Chris Lynch Chester, loan Gabor Kiraly released

Chelsea

What they wanted

Chelsea have been the only Big Four club not to haemorrhage star players, so their desire for a marquee signing was never pressing enough

What they got

With Ribéry, Villa, Pirlo et al staying put the summer influx has been limited to Ross Turnbull, Daniel Sturridge, Yuri Zhirkov and Nemanja Matic

Pleat’s verdict

Zhirkov has pedigree and gives more pace than Florent Malouda. Turnbull and Sturridge are depth signings. Unsurprisingly they will not break even in 2010, Peter Kenyon’s prediction

The deals

In: Yuri Zhirkov, left CSKA Moscow, £18m Nemanja Matic MFK Kosice, £1.5m Daniel Sturridge Manchester City, tribunal Ross Turnbull Middlesbrough, free

Out: Ben Sahar Espanyol, £1m Andriy Shevchenko Dynamo Kyiv, undisclosed Frank Nouble West Ham, nominal Sergio Tejera Mallorca, nominal Morten Nielsen AZ Alkmaar, nominal Claudio Pizarro Werder Bremen, undisclosed Jimmy Smith Leyton Orient, free Michael Mancienne Wolves, loan Scott Sinclair Wigan, loan Franco Di Santo Blackburn Rovers, loan Ryan Bertrand Reading, loan Tom Taiwo Carlisle, loan Lee Sawyer Southend loan, Shaun Cummings West Brom, loan Jack Cork Coventry, loan Jacob Mellis Southampton, loan Patrick van Aanholt Coventry, loan Liam Bridcutt Stockport, loan

Everton

What they wanted

David Moyes wanted at least four men from a budget swelled by Lescott’s sale, with two defenders, a midfielder and two wide men on list

What they got

Johnny Heitinga and Sylvain Distin fulfilled defensive needs. Diniyar Bilyaletdinov covers the left but missing out on Ever Banega leaves a gap

Pleat’s verdict

Having squeezed the pips for Lescott, Moyes has replaced like for like with Distin at an outstanding profit. With Louis Saha, Jô and Yakubu available, they still have thrust up front

The deals

In: Johnny Heitinga Atlético Madrid, £6m Diniyar Bilyaletdinov Lokomotiv Moscow, £9m Sylvain Distin Portsmouth, undisclosed Shkodran Mustafi Hamburg, undisclosed Luke Garbutt Leeds United, fee to be determined by tribunal Anton Peterlin Ventura County Fusion, free Cody Arnoux Carolina Dynamo, free Jô Manchester City, loan

Out: Joleon Lescott Manchester City, £22m Tom McCready Hibernian, nominal Lars Jacobsen Blackburn, free John Paul Kissock Hamilton, free John Ruddy Motherwell, loan Lukas Jutkiewicz Motherwell, loan Nuno Valente released, Andy van der Meyde released

Fulham

What they wanted

Bolstering the midfield was one concern for Roy Hodgson. The other was up front, where an injury to Andy Johnson highlights a lack of top-class cover

What they got

Hodgson seems content with the limited business he conducted this summer, with Damien Duff and Jonathan Greening adding options to his squad

Pleat’s verdict

Greening may give them more legs in midfield than Danny Murphy, but less creativity and few goals. Duff gives balance on the left but does not have that change of pace that protected his reputation

The deals

In: Damien Duff Newcastle, £2.5m Bjorn Helge Riise Lillestrom, undisclosed Kagiso Dikgacoi Golden Arrows, undisclosed David Elm Kalmar, undisclosed Stephen Kelly Birmingham, free Jonathan Greening West Brom, loan

Out: Troy Brown Ipswich, free Moritz Volz released, Julian Gray released

Hull City

What they wanted

To keep Michael Turner. To freshen the squad. To add defensive stability, midfield creativity and, above all, attacking incision

What they got

Several new faces but will they offset the loss of Turner? The strikers Jozy Altidore and Kamel Ghilas have made an impact

Pleat’s verdict

More opportunities with Altidore and Stephen Hunt on the left. Defensively they do not appear as strong and may need something clever again

The deals

In: Stephen Hunt Reading, £3m Seyi Olofinjana Stoke, £3m Kamel Ghilas Celta Vigo, £2m Steven Mouyokolo Boulogne, undisclosed Paul McShane Sunderland, undisclosed Jozy Altidore Villarreal, loan Ibrahima Sonko Stoke, loan

Out: Sam Ricketts Bolton, undisclosed Michael Turner Sunderland, £12m Wayne Brown Leicester, free Matt Plummer, Dean Windass James Bennett all Darlington, free John Welsh Tranmere, free Ryan France Sheffield United, free Michael Bridges MK Dons, free Tom Woodhead released, Joe Lamplough released

Liverpool

What they wanted

A forward to support or cover for Fernando Torres. That was unlikely as Rafael Benítez’s budget was used to improve contracts for current players

What they got

Greece defender Sotirios Kyrgiakos accounted for the last of Benítez’s budget, following the earlier purchases of Alberto Aquilani and Glen Johnson

Pleat’s verdict

Alvaro Arbeloa adequately replaced with the more attack-minded Johnson, at a heavy price. The loss of Alonso will be more difficult to cope with. Aquilani is more offensive and likes to attack defenders

The deals

In: Alberto Aquilani Roma, £20m Glen Johnson Portsmouth, £18m Sotirios Kyrgiakos AEK Athens, £1.5m Aaron King Rushden & Diamonds, nominal Chris Mavinga PSG, undisclosed

Out: Xabi Alonso Real Madrid, £30m Alvaro Arbeloa Real Madrid, £3.5m Sebastián Leto Panathinaikos, £1.3m Paul Anderson Nottingham Forest, £250,000 Adam Hammill Barnsley, undisclosed Sami Hyypia Bayer Leverkusen, free Jermaine Pennant Real Zaragoza, free Jack Hobbs Leicester, free Astrit Ajdarevic Leicester, free Shane O’Connor Ipswich, free Ryan Flynn Falkirk, loan Dean Bouzanis Wrexham, loan

Manchester City

What they wanted

Enough players of sufficiently high calibre to create a side to qualify for the Champions League

What they got

Nine players at a cost of around £120m. Mark Hughes is entitled to reflect on an ‘exceptional’ and ‘unprecedented’ recruitment programme

Pleat’s verdict

Signings have transformed expectations but the team’s balance will be important. Lovely alternatives up front – Bellamy’s pace, Cruz’s goals, Tevez’s work rate and the unpredictable Adebayor

The deals

In: Emmanuel Adebayor Arsenal, £25m Carlos Tevez unattached, £25m Joleon Lescott Everton, £22m Roque Santa Cruz Blackburn, £17m Kolo Touré Arsenal, £14m Gareth Barry Aston Villa, £12m Nils Zander Shalke 04, undisclosed Stuart Taylor Aston Villa, free Sylvinho Barcelona, free

Out: Ched Evans Sheff Utd, £3m Gelson Fernandes Saint-Etienne, £2m Elano Blumer Galatasaray, undisclosed Kasper Schmeichel Notts County, undisclosed Daniel Sturridge Chelsea, fee to be set by tribunal Valeri Bojinov Parma, loan Jô Everton, loan Felipe Caicedo Sporting Lisbon, loan Joe Hart Birmingham, loan Shaleum Logan Tranmere, loan Clayton McDonald Walsall, loan Darius Vassell Ankaragucu, free Dietmar Hamann released, Michael Ball released, Danny Mills released, Richard Martin released, Angelos Tsiaklis released, Leandro Berti Glauber released, Tal Ben-Haim Portsmouth, undisclosed

Manchester United

What they wanted

At least two new players capable of filling the huge void left by the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo and, to a lesser extent, Carlos Tevez

What they got

Antonio Valencia arrived to take Ronaldo’s place while Michael Owen’s arrival was unexpected.

Pleat’s verdict

The big question mark will be replacing Ronaldo’s goals. Owen is only likely to play a small part. Despite the £80m – a good sale in the long term – was cash hard to find?

The deals

In: Antonio Valencia Wigan, £16m Gabriel Obertan Bordeaux, undisclosed Mame Biram Diouf Molde, undisclosed Michael Owen Newcastle, free

Out: Cristiano Ronaldo Real Madrid, £80m Fraizer Campbell Sunderland, £3.5m Manucho Real Valladolid, undisclosed Lee Martin Ipswich, undisclosed Richard Eckersley Burnley, undisclosed Rodrigo Possebon Braga, loan Carlos Tevez loan ended

Portsmouth

What they wanted

A squad large enough to see them through what could be a very long season after a summer of upheaval and departures

What they got

A summer-long talent drain as the takeover dragged on. Finally signed several players with minimal Premier League experience

Pleat’s verdict

A mad dash in the final furlong after the internal wranglings of the last few months. Paying the price for the unsupportable salaries that brought an FA cup win

The deals

In: Kevin-Prince Boateng Tottenham, £4m Mike Williamson Watford, £2m Tal Ben Haim Manchester City, undisclosed Tommy Smith Watford, undisclosed Michael Brown Wigan, undisclosed Steve Finnan Espanyol, free Aaron Mokoena Blackburn, free Antti Niemi Fulham, free Aruna Dindane Lens, loan Jamie O’Hara Tottenham, loan Frédéric Piquionne Lyon, loan Anthony Vanden Borre Genoa, loan Hassan Yebda Benfica, loan

Out: Glen Johnson Liverpool, £18m Peter Crouch Tottenham, £9m Niko Kranjcar Tottenham £2.5m Martin Cranie Coventry, undisclosed Sylvain Distin Everton, undisclosed Sean Davis Bolton, free Andrea Mbuyi-Mutombo Standard Liège, free Andre Blackman Bristol City, free David Nugent Burnley, loan. Sol Campbell released, Lauren released, Glen Little released, Noé Pamarot released, Jerome Thomas released, Djimi Traoré released, Niko Krancjar Tottenham, 2.5m

Stoke City

What they wanted

Stoke comfortably survived after Tony Pulis’s frantic trading last summer and 12 months on he was looking to add depth to his squad in most areas

What they got

Stoke spent more than £12m in the final week on three players, Robert Huth, Tuncay Sanli and Danny Collins, as Pulis added an element of quality

Pleat’s verdict

Peter Coates, a genuine football philanthropist, has given Tony Pulis superb backing. Collins, Huth and Tuncay are proven, while they have resisted moves to take Ryan Shawcross away

The deals

In: Robert Huth Middlesbrough, £5m Tuncay Sanli Middlesbrough, £5m Dean Whitehead Sunderland, initial £3m Diego Arismendi Club Nacional, £2.9m Danny Collins Sunderland, £2.75m Matt Lund Crewe, nominal Ben Marshall Crewe, nominal

Out: Ben Marshall Northampton, loan Ibrahima Sonko Hull, loan Vincent Péricard released, Marc Grocott released, Jimmy Phillips released, Tom Thorley released

Sunderland

What they wanted

Increased aggression and a reinforced spine. To reduce an overblown squad and to sign two strikers, two midfielders and two defenders

What they got

Two strikers, two midfielders, three defenders and a far tougher backbone now manned by Michael Turner, Lee Cattermole, Lorik Cana and Darren Bent

Pleat’s verdict

Cattermole will give them bite, Turner will give them height – but they will need all the qualities of Reid, Richardson and Malbranque

The deals

In: Darren Bent Tottenham, £10m Lee Cattermole Wigan, £6m Lorik Cana Marseille, £5m Fraizer Campbell Man United, £3.5m Michael Turner Hull, undisclosed Paulo da Silva Toluca, free John Mensah Lyon, loan

Out: Michael Chopra Cardiff, £4m Dean Whitehead Stoke, £3m Danny Collins Stoke, £2.75m Grant Leadbitter Ipswich, up to £2.6m Greg Halford Wolves, £2m Carlos Edwards Ipswich, up to £1.35m Paul McShane Hull, undisclosed Anthony Stokes Hibs, undisclosed Nick Colgan Grimsby, free Peter Hartley Hartlepool, free Teemu Tainio Birmingham, loan Djibril Cissé Marseille, loan ended Calum Davenport West Ham, loan ended Tal Ben Haim Man City, loan ended Arnau Riera released David Connolly released Dwight Yorke released Darren Ward released Nile McArdle released

Tottenham Hotspur

What they wanted

Two good quality players for every position. The ones that needed reinforcing were central defence and left midfield after Luka Modric’s injury

What they got

Sébastien Bassong added strength to the fragile defence, while Niko Kranjcar’s arrival on deadline day gives cover for his fellow Croatian

Pleat’s verdict

Harry Redknapp has replaced players who faltered with more quality. Midfield and wide positions look much stronger and expectations are now high

The deals

In: Peter Crouch Portsmouth, £9m Sébastien Bassong Newcastle United, £8m Kyle Naughton Sheff Utd, undisclosed Kyle Walker Sheff Utd, undisclosed Anton Blackwood unattached, Niko Krancjar Portsmouth, £2.5m

Out: Darren Bent Sunderland, £10m Didier Zokora Seville, £8.5m, Kevin-Prince Boateng Portsmouth, £4m Pascal Chimbonda Blackburn, £2m Chris Gunter Nottingam Forest, £1.75m Ben Alnwick Norwich, loan Troy Archibald-Henville Exeter, loan David Button Crewe, loan Sam Cox Cheltenham, loan Jake Livermore Derby, loan Jacques Maghoma Burton, loan Jamie O’Hara Portsmouth, loan Jon Obika Yeovil, loan Adel Taarabt QPR, loan Andros Townsend Leyton Orient, loan Kyle Walker Sheffield United, loan Gilberto, Ricardo Rocha, Simon Dawkins, Kyle Fraser-Allen, Cian Hughton, Danny Hutchins, David Hutton, Takura Mtandari, Saulo Asajile, Mark Clare, James Dalton, Ajet Shehu all released

West Ham United

What they wanted

Gianfranco Zola has spoken of a squad of 20 senior outfield players – two for each position – meaning he is currently short of three fit strikers

What they got

Manuel da Costa may prove a more than adequate replacement for James Collins. But a striker was the priority and one was not signed

Pleat’s verdict

Financial restrictions have limited Zola’s efforts. Matthew Upson is an important hold and Carlton Cole has improved considerably. Italian signings may be short of top drawer

The deals

In: Herita Ilunga Toulouse, £2.75m Robert Kovac Spartak Moscow, £1.8m Manuel da Costa Fiorentina, undisclosed Fabio Daprelà Grasshopper, undisclosed Alessandro Diamanti Livorno, undisclosed Peter Kurucz Ujpest, undisclosed Jack Lampe Harlow, undisclosed Luis Jiménez Internazionale, loan Frank Nouble Chelsea, tribunal

Out: James Collins Aston Villa, £5m Savio Nsereko Fiorentina, undisclosed Lee Bowyer Birmingham City, free Kyle Reid Sheffield United, free Joe Widdowson Grimsby Town, free Freddie Sears Crystal Palace, loan David Di Michele Torino, loan ended Jan Lastuvka Shakhtar Donetsk, loan ended Walter López released, Lucas Neill released, Tony Stokes released, Diego Tristán released, Jimmy Walker released

Wigan Athletic

What they wanted

Roberto Martínez wanted added firepower following an indifferent start to the season, plus a replacement for Lee Cattermole in central midfield

What they got

Frustrating. A late move for Scott McDonald at Celtic came to nothing, so much will be expected of Jason Scotland and Jordi Gómez

Pleat’s verdict

Martínez played admirable football at Swansea but has failed to take his most influential player, Ferrie Bodde, to Wigan

The deals

In: Jason Scotland Swansea, £2m Jordi Gómez Espanyol, £1.7m James McCarthy Hamilton, undisclosed Mohamed Diame Rayo Vallecano, undisclosed Hendry Thomas Deportivo Olimpia, free Scott Sinclair Chelsea, loan Antonio Amaya Rayo Vallecano, subject to international clearance

Out: Antonio Valencia Manchester United, £16m Lee Cattermole Sunderland, £6m Lewis Montrose Wycombe, free Ben Watson QPR, loan Amir Zaki Zamalek, loan ended Mido Middlesbrough, loan ended Antoine Sibierski released, Henri Camara released

Wolverhampton Wanderers

What they wanted

Mick McCarthy identified early in summer positions that needed strengthening, most notably a player who had previously scored goals in the top flight

What they got

Molineux would seem to boast an embarrassment of riches in attack, with Maierhofer and Doyle joining Ebanks-Blake, Keogh and Iwelumo

Pleat’s verdict

Rapid Vienna’s Maierhofer looked capable against Villa and Doyle should do well. But Mick McCarthy’s determination to give Championship players a platform might not work in his favour

The deals

In: Kevin Doyle Reading, £6.5m Nenad Milijas Red Star, £2.7m Greg Halford Sunderland, £2m Ronald Zubar Marseille, £1.5m Andrew Surman Southampton, £1.2m Stefan Maierhofer Rapid Vienna, undisclosed Marcus Hahnemann Reading, free Michael Mancienne Chelsea, loan Segundo Castillo Red Star Belgrade, loan

Out: Darren Potter Sheffield Wednesday, undisclosed Stephen Gleeson MK Dons, undisclosed Elliott Bennett Brighton, undisclosed Lewis Gobern MK Dons, free Neill Collins Preston, loan George Friend Millwall, loan Jason Shackell Doncaster, loan

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• Versatile Dutch international signs five-year deal
• Former Ajax man beats deadline by 45 minutes

David Moyes endured further frustration in the transfer market yesterday despite signing the Holland defender Johnny Heitinga for an initial £6m from Atlético Madrid.

The Everton manager hoped to add Heitinga plus two midfield players to his squad before the window closed only for Valencia to thwart his lengthy pursuit of Ever Banega and for several other loan inquiries to fail to come to fruition. Moyes did, however, satisfy his search for two defenders to compensate for the loss of Joleon Lescott when Heitinga signed a five-year contract at Goodison Park 45 minutes before the deadline. The 25-year-old’s fee could rise to £7m with add-ons, and takes Moyes’ spending to £20m since the sale of Lescott to Manchester City for an initial £22m last week.

Heitinga, who joined Atlético for €10m (£8.8m) from Ajax last year, can operate at right-back or central defence and flew into Merseyside on a private jet yesterday afternoon to undergo a medical. But the deal for the central midfielder Banega collapsed when Valencia pulled out of a loan agreement with Everton and insisted on a permanent transfer for the Argentinian.

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• Spaniard incensed over failure to get two more penalties
• Critical of fourth official over dismissal of Sammy Lee

Rafael Benítez has been charged with improper conduct by the Football Association following his reaction to the referee Phil Dowd’s performance during Liverpool’s 2-1 defeat at Tottenham last month.

The Liverpool manager was incensed by Dowd’s refusal to award two late penalties at White Hart Lane but, mindful of the FA’s pre-season call for greater respect towards referees, refused to elaborate on the official at the post-match press conference. Instead, Benítez removed his spectacles from his pocket and held them up to the assembled media.

Benítez did criticise the fourth official after the game, however, when he claimed 26-year-old Stuart Attwell is “too young” to officiate at Premier League level. Attwell had advised Dowd to dismiss Liverpool’s assistant manager, Sammy Lee, from the away dug-out in the closing stages, a decision that has since brought Lee an improper conduct charge of his own.

Today’s action against Benítez, however, relates to “comments made about the match official immediately following the match at White Hart Lane”. The Liverpool manager has until 15 September to respond.

Liverpool were denied two late penalties in the defeat at Tottenham, the first for what they claimed was a push by Benoit Assou-Ekotto on the substitute Andriy Voronin and the second for handball against the same player. Liverpool had earlier drawn level in the game through a penalty after Heurelho Gomes tripped Glen Johnson.

Benítez said afterwards: “I think everyone could see there was a penalty, especially to Voronin, it was so clear. The third one, you could excuse. You can say that the hand was to the ball or the ball was to the hand, it could be, but the other one was so clear, it was unbelievable. Can you get two penalties at an away ground? No. With this referee, I knew that this was impossible.”

On Attwell, the youngest-ever Premier League referee and the man who sparked controversy when he awarded Reading the infamous “ghost goal” against Watford last season, the Liverpool manager added: “The fourth official is too young. I don’t know how old he is but he is still young. We had a meeting the other day, they said we cannot speak about the referees as a person, or about the decisions, but everybody could see the situation.”

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