For the first time since 2010, spending by Premier League clubs is lower than the previous summer. Significantly lower, in fact — from £1.59 billion to just over £1.2 billion. As the 5pm transfer deadline approached, the ticker on Sky Sports News was all about Leander Dendoncker’s move to Wolves and Harry Arter’s medical at Cardiff City. It seemed like almost as much of a washout as the first day of the Test at Lord’s.

There was a frisson of excitement in the later afternoon and early evening, with a flurry of late deals at Everton (Yerry Mina, André Gomes and Bernard) and Fulham (Sergio Rico, Timothy Fosu-Mensah, Joe Bryan, André-Frank Zambo Anguissa and Luciano Vietto), but at several other clubs this will go down