Sunderland, Southampton and QPR land best deadline-day deals

Radamel Falcao to Man Utd dominated the news on deadline day, while Danny Welbeck’s Arsenal switch kept Jim White talking late into the night, but with neither assured of success this season – due to injury and finishing concerns – there were better deals taking place further down the league.

Here’s our roundup of the transfers most likely to see their respective buyers flourish in 2014/15.

Toby Alderweireld to Southampton (Loan)

Like Liverpool right-back borrow Javier Manquillo, Belgium defender Alderweireld – who started four of his country’s five fixtures at the World Cup – has had to leave Atletico Madrid this summer in search of first-team football.

The centre-half/right-back found Diego Godin, Miranda and Juanfran in his road at the Vicente Calderon, so the fact that he only started 10 league games last season, during which the La Liga champions conceded just six times, should not be looked upon as a demerit.

Southampton coach Ronald Koeman has picked up a player approaching his peak, with three Eredivisie titles and a La Liga winners’ medal the fruits of his last four terms. Not bad.

Ricardo Alvarez to Sunderland (Loan)

This Argentine international made it onto the Porto Allegre pitch for the last half hour of his country’s 3-2 win over Nigeria at the World Cup, although he couldn’t add to the Albiceleste strike he bagged a month earlier against Slovenia.

Alvarez’s value clearly lies in his creativity though, with eight assists laid on in Sere A last term, from 50 key passes in just 29 Inter appearances.

Sandro to QPR (£6m)

Prior to Spurs’ former ‘Beast’ being felled by a knee injury at QPR 18 months ago, there were few players the Lilywhites would have least liked to see leave their club.

He started just 10 Premier League matches for Spurs after that Loftus Road fixture, and new boss Mauricio Pochettino clearly felt there was no room for Sandro in his White Hart Lane masterplan.

If he steers clear of injury in west London, under a manager who got the best out of him at Spurs, then Harry Redknapp may be busy batting away offers for the Brazil international in 12 months time.

Abel Hernandez to Hull (£10m)

It’s not hard to figure out why Steve Bruce broke the Tigers’ transfer record on this Uruguay striker, who managed a goal every other game in 28 Serie B fixtures last term.

Hernandez also struck four times in three 2013 appearances for his country, which suggests last season was no flash in the pan, and at 24-years-old is probably not yet at his peak.

Oussama Assaidi to Stoke (Loan)

Mark Hughes will be delighted to see this Liverpool loanee amble back through the Britannia door, after Assaidi bagged five goals in 25 appearances for Stoke during 2013/14.

A mid-season injury curtailed the attacking-midfielder’s Potters progress after February, but the 26-year-old will pick up loads more game-time under the Welsh coach, who is clearly a fan, than he would have at Anfield.

All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.

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