All 24 League One clubs' summer transfer window ranked from worst to best | OneFootball

FLW ranks every third-tier side's transfer activity this summer

The transfer window has officially closed, and League One sides have finalised their squads for the remainder of the calendar year.

It's been a busy few months in the third tier and, overall, the majority of clubs will, or at least should, be happy with their business. Therefore, it's been pretty difficult to rank each individual side.

But who should be the happiest? Taking into account incomings and outgoings and where that's left the squad overall, here's every League One club's summer transfer window ranked from worst to best.

24 ? ? Oxford United

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When you're in the midst of a transfer embargo, it's difficult to have anything but the worst transfer window in the division. Besides a couple of loans, Oxford United haven't been able to do any business.

Their squad, fortunately, should still be good enough to get through the first few months of Aaron Ramsey's first dugout tenure largely unscathed, but they've still lost a few key men from their Championship stint.

Both Stan Mills and Brian De Keersmaecker returned to the second tier, and while the numerous players they let go on free transfers at the end of their contracts perhaps weren't at the level needed, they'd likely have been good depth options at what is a bit of an uncertain period at the Kassam Stadium.

23 ? ? Peterborough United

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Peterborough United have followed their recent model in large by looking to younger players from top-flight academies and non-league gems to bolster their squad. Ultimately, though, they've regressed in the last few years and this window doesn't show signs of that ending.

Danny Omerod is the key signing here, arriving for £600,000 from National League side AFC Fylde.

The 20-year-old did score 28 in the National League North last season, but it's a massive jump to the third tier, and with Harry Leonard ahead of him, there's no guarantee he starts. Although maybe he will begin to sit behind the frontman, as Jimmy-Jay Morgan did during his loan stint.

Luke Williams has had to deal with a lot of key departures too, with the likes of Morgan, Kyrell Lisbie and Archie Collins — three big players — all leaving, and I'm not sure they've properly been replaced.

22 ? ? AFC Wimbledon

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AFC Wimbledon are always at a disadvantage when it comes to bringing players in as a League One side, with the Dons easily having one of the lowest budgets in the division.

In that sense, being able to bring in the likes of Zack Nelson and a returning James Tilly on permanent deals is good business, but you feel players such as Jayden Stockley and Harry Cornick are in their final years as League One players.

Then, on deadline day, they bid farewell to exciting 19-year-old Junior Nkeng, who joined Charlton Athletic. He was on the cusp of a breakout year, and losing that dynamism could put them in a little more trouble than some critics feel they already are in.

21 ? ? Stevenage

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When a lower-market side overachieves and gets into the play-offs, there's always the chance that the squad gets gutted, and Stevenage have had to see a lot of key players depart.

Charlie Goode, Harvey White and Jamie Reid have all left for fellow League One opposition, while the departure of Filip Marschall to Millwall on deadline day was a massive sucker punch.

Replacing the latter with promising Arsenal prospect Tommy Setford seems good business, though, and if Michael Mellon can stay fit, that's a good young striker who can increase the Boro's goal output.

You can't help but feel that the squad, as a whole, looks a little weaker than it did last season, though.

20 ? ? Notts County

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Not many newly-promoted sides across any division can say they've lost pretty much every attacking talent who helped fire them to promotion, but Notts County, unfortunately, can.

Jodi Jones, Matthew Dennis and Alassana Jatta have all left, while Jayden Luker, Tyrese Hall and Tom Iorpenda's loan spells came to an end, too. That's 49 goals from last season, all no longer at the club.

The permanent arrivals don't exactly stand out, albeit six-foot-four striker Luka Smyth has begun life at Meadow Lane brightly, and some decent loan moves for the likes of Dan Kanu and Ollie Cooper don't really help push this up any higher than 20th.

19 ? ? Cambridge United

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It's been a relatively quiet summer at Cambridge United compared to their fellow League One counterparts, but it's not really needed to be too hectic.

They haven't lost too many key players from last year, although the late departure of promising defender Mamadou Jobe to Stockport County will definitely hurt. Otherwise, their departing players have strengthened top-end League Two clubs, rather than moved on to fellow third-tier sides.

Isaac Heath looks a bright signing; Callum Stead, when fit, should score goals, and if any side is going to bring back the Gassan Ahadme of old, it'll be Cambridge, where that old form stemmed from. Otherwise, it's pretty unremarkable.

18 ? ? Burton Albion

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Burton Albion were very busy on deadline day, and that business may have bumped them up a few places. The likes of Caylan Vickers, Raphael Borges Rodrigues and Mark O'Mahony are young players who will definitely have a point to prove.

Elsewhere, bringing in Dennis after a 14-goal campaign at Notts County is a good forward line addition; Joe Lewis has been solid for AFC Wimbledon and Curtis Tilt will provide that much-needed veteran leadership at the back.

However, it's hard not to look past the departures from the Pirelli this summer. Brad Collins, albeit on loan, was one of the better keepers in the division last year. Captain Udoka Godwin-Malife, talisman Jake Beesley and fellow striker Tyrese Shade have all also moved on, which is a massive blow.

17 ? ? Wigan Athletic

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Wigan Athletic have made 14 new additions this summer, just four fewer than the incredibly busy Sheffield Wednesday made, and you can see a pattern throughout them.

There are a lot of young players with high ceilings who Gary Caldwell will be hoping can take those next steps at the Brick Community Stadium. The likes of Finley Burns and Sonny Perkins, alongside former Caldwell favourites at Exeter City, Joe Whitworth, Akeel Higgins and Ryan Trevitt on a permanent deal, fall into that category.

Plus, it's only early days, but Wigan's loan deals look to be among the best in the division. 17-year-old Reggie Walsh is one of the brightest prospects to come out of the Chelsea academy in a while, Brad Burrowes netted near a goal a game in the Villa academy, and Charlie Gray is a ball-playing midfielder built by Manchester City.

Ultimately, though, it's been a summer dominated by key departures, such as Sam Tickle, Joe Taylor, Jason Kerr and Callum Wright, who all played big parts in the side last year. There are positives, but a few too many drawbacks, which keep them in the bottom half.

16 ? ? Barnsley

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Putting it plainly, if Barnsley lost Reyes Cleary on deadline day, this could have been a bottom-four transfer window. As it happens, one of the best players in the division is still at Oakwell, which is a massive positive.

Other than Cameron McGeehan returning to the club, there are a lot of unknowns amongst the Tykes' additions from clubs in Australia, the Netherlands and France. If they can get up to speed quickly in the EFL, this transfer window could be looked back on in nine months as a very good one.

But right now, we don't know if Ben Hamed Toure is going to be the main man in front of goal. If he isn't, who will finish off the chances that Cleary creates? Unless McGeehan ends up netting 15 from midfield, I can't see who.

Plus, David McGoldrick, Adam Phillips, Jon Russell and Corey O'Keefe have all left, all of whom provide League One experience that not many of their replacements have.

15 ? ? Wycombe Wanderers

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Like with Burton, deadline day has helped Wycombe Wanderers land in and around mid-table rather than nearer the bottom four. The late capture of Jayden Wareham could be what helps the Chairboys push towards the top six over the course of the season.

I'm also a fan of the loan move in the final week for Malik Mothersille. It didn't work out for him at all at Stockport, but he's still 22, and it shouldn't be too hard to recapture the 12-goal, nine-assist campaign he put up just two seasons ago at Peterborough.

Elsewhere, I'm not a fan of the two keepers Wycombe have brought in, but Steve Cook's a strong veteran pick-up for the level, and Silko Thomas and Emre Tezgal are promising attacking arrivals. They haven't lost anyone too major...it's relatively solid.