Chelsea or Tottenham: Who's Had the Better Transfer Window?
It's been a summer of transition for most Premier League clubs, but no two have hit the transfer market quite as hard as London rivals Chelsea and Tottenham.
Frank Lampard's team have raided the Bundesliga for the best they have to offer, while José Mourinho's Spurs have kept things a little closer to home with a generally pragmatic transfer approach that suits their manager's image.
Both have seemingly addressed their respective issues, strengthened in key areas, and have left fans excited about what lies ahead.
Here, 90min have assessed the business each club has done (so far) and - because absolutely no-one asked us to - declared a winner.
Chelsea
In: Kai Havertz (£72m), Timo Werner (£48m), Ben Chillwell (£42m), Hakim Ziyech (£36m), Malang Sarr (free), Thiago Silva (free)
Out: Alvaro Morata (£50m), Mario Pasalic (£13.5m), Pedro (free), Willian (free), Malang Sarr (loan) Davide Zappacosta (loan)
Total Spent: £200m
Net Spend: £136.5m
Having come into this window off the back of a year without spending a penny on transfers, Chelsea had some work to do. And they wasted no time in getting to it.
Outgoing attackers Pedro and Willian were replaced in kind with the acquisitions of German duo Timo Werner and Kai Havertz, while Hakim Ziyech - agreed earlier in 2020 - will add further depth to the final third.
Not as much was spent on the defence as some would have liked, with Thiago Silva the only centre-back arriving this season. That's left them a little short on reliable options at the back - none of Kurt Zouma, Andreas Christensen or Fikayo Tomori are particularly convincing in the short-term.
There's also the absolute mess that is their goalkeeping situation. If Kepa Arrizabalaga could be sold (or loaned out, or just erased) they would be in better shape, but the pending aquisition of Edouard Mendy from Rennes may stand them in better stead.
Tottenham
In: Giovani Lo Celso (£28.5m), Sergio Reguillon (£27m), Matt Doherty (£15m), Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg (£15m), Gareth Bale (loan), Joe Hart (free)
Out: Kyle Walker-Peters (£12m), Jan Vertonghen (free), Michel Vorm (free)
Total Spent: £85m
Net Spend: £73m
While Chelsea went all out for the marquee signings from the off, the early part of Spurs' business was safe and sensible. The permanent acquisition of Giovani Lo Celso was formalised, and soon followed by Matt Doherty and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg - two experienced Premier League players who fill problem positions for the club.
The arrival of Joe Hart on a free had us thinking Spurs weren't really pushing the boat out at all, but now we're thinking twice. Because Gareth Bale returned to the club on loan, while Sergio Reguillon, who signs permanently, was on the same flight to London.
For Mourinho, it was all about securing some steady supporting characters to help his box-office stars shine, and the 5-2 smashing of Southampton at the weekend was an early indicator that it may be working.
So, Who's Doing it Better?
At face value, it seems there is an obvious answer. It's hard to look past the team who just signed both the present and future of German football, after all.
You just get the feeling Chelsea have let the adrenaline get to their head a little, however, and have ended up with a squad that is too top-heavy to take them anywhere near title contention...which has to be the goal after spending £200m.
Spurs, by contrast, though they have been less ambitious, have addressed the areas that needed fixed. Their full-back options have been improved immeasurably, they've landed a midfielder with the sort of bite and aggression they lacked last term. Finally, in Gareth Bale, they've added another game-changer at minimal cost.
It's not an easy call and only time will tell who has improved the most, but as things stand, it's Tottenham who look to have played it smarter.