Arsenal, Barcelona, Manchester United Transfer Rumors & News 2014: Winners & Losers of Summer Window

The transfer window gives teams an opportunity to improve twice a year.

Some teams take advantage and improve mightily while other sides make messes of the situation. So where do Barcelona, Arsenal and Manchester United rank among the winners and losers of the summer 2014 transfer window?

Latin Post.com takes a look at the winners and losers:

Winners

Barcelona will not get to make any moves in the upcoming windows due to a ban from FIFA, but the team ensured that its summer window filled all of its needs. Out went a number of major players such as Victor Valdes, Cesc Fabregas and Alexis Sanchez and in came a plethora of players to bolster the lineup.

The goaltending tandem of Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Claudio Bravo offers the team two competent keepers as opposed to an unbalanced team of years past. The additions of Jeremy Mathieu, Douglas and Thomas Vermaelen have certainly improved the previously weak defense, while the arrivals of Luis Suarez and Ivan Rakitic will go a long way to improving the offense.

Atletico Madrid also did a terrific job this offseason in the wake of some sorrowful departures. The losses of Thibaut Courtois, Filipe Luis and Diego Costa were certainly the biggest this summer, but they were accounted for with the arrivals of striker Mario Mandzukic and goalkeepers Migual Angel Moya and Jan Oblak. Other big additions include Guilherme Siqueira and Antoine Griezmann. This is a strong team than has added more scoring punch, as well as some solid defensive options.

Chelsea was the benefactor of Costa, Luis and Courtois, but the side added Cesc Fabregas to the mix and has looked formidable in the early going. The latest addition of Loic Remy should also bolster the offense. The team also made additions by the subtractions of David Luiz, Fernando Torres, Ashley Cole and Samuel Eto'o.

Bayern Munich also had a solid summer with some notable additions and subtractions. Mandzukic left, but was replaced by the superior Robert Lewandowski. The defense was improved with the additions of Juan Bernat and Mehdi Benatia. The arrival of Pepe Reina provides Manuel Neuer with a reliable backup, while Xabi Alonso gives the midfield an intelligent man to help structure the side.

Liverpool also had a good window despite losing top star Luis Suarez. In his stead, the team has stockpiled some solid attacking talent including Rickie Lambert, Divock Origi and the mercurial Mario Balotelli. Alberto Moreno is looking like a stellar addition while Dejan Lovren will also help balance the defense. Adam Lallana is another solid signing and the team looks to be a lot more balanced in 2014-15.

Losers

Real Madrid have had a pitiful window. The additions of Toni Kroos, James Rodriguez and Keylor Navas looked to add depth to the side but the departures of such key figures as Diego Lopez, Angel Di Maria, Alvaro Morata, Xabi Alonso and Casemiro have left the team unbalanced. A failure to secure more defenders has left the reigning European champs exposed at the back. This team has looked pitiful in the early going and it seems that the calamitous preseason might predict what is to come.

Arsenal also had a tough window, despite some astute moves. The arrivals of Alexis Sanchez, Callum Chambers and Mathieu Debuchy are paying early dividends, but it is simply not enough. For years, fans have been clamoring for a striker to be added, but that has fallen on deaf ears. Year after year, Arsene Wenger has relied on Olivier Giroud to be the target man, but now he is injured. And despite possessing Alexis Sanchez, it is clear that without a true striker, this team is punchless. The late swoop for Danny Welbeck could help matters, but it does not completely solve the issue. The Englishman has never scored more than nine goals in a Premier League season. Arsenal still has a long way to go.

Manchester United has also been woeful this transfer window. Despite needing a major overhaul after last season's debacle, manager Louis van Gaal has remained relatively quiet. Ander Herrera, Luke Shaw, Angel Di Maria and Daley Blind improve the team, but hardly enough to make it a contender. The shock move for Falcao on Deadline Day added a star man to their team, but hardly one that was needed. What is the point of adding the superstar striker when the team already has Robin van Persie and Wayne Rooney? Is Falcao really ready to sit on the bench waiting for Van Persie to go through his seasonal injury swoon? This team is still woeful on the backend to make an impact. The start of the season, which includes no wins in four matches, provides the proof that United is not in a good position as far as personnel is concerned.

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