Deadline day hero not guaranteed

This is a world which demands instant gratification; one in which you can play guitar on a games consul rather than practise the real thing until your fingers bleed; one in which football chairmen cannot wait months let alone years for success — and one in which high-profile transfer deadline-day signings are expected to be heroes before they have unpacked their suitcases.

That is the pressure facing the likes of Mesut Ozil, Marouanne Fellaini and James McCarthy this weekend as they prepare to play for their new clubs for the first time since a much-hyped deadline day on which €166.5m was spent by Premier League clubs in a bid to buy instant success.

A record €750m was spent over the course of the summer and almost every match in this weekend’s line-up will feature a new man aiming to make a name for himself.