With the 2019/2020 Premier League season almost upon us, we take a look at the best signings of the summer so far and what we should expect from them.
10. Moise Kean - Juventus to Everton
Transfer fee: £27.5 million
Contract length: Five years
Moise Kean's tag as one of the rapidly rising stars in European football is no hype and the teenager has done well to back the claim with consistent top-notch performances. The Italian international's sale by Juventus is one that will be discussed for months and years to come as there is little understanding regarding why the club decided to take this step considering the potential the teenager embodies.
There is no doubt that he is ready to feature at the top level and if anything is to go by, his seven goals in 17 appearances last season - where he was utilized sporadically - should be enough testimony. Do not be surprised if Moise Kean dazzles in the Premier League from the word go and, while there will be a weight of expectations of his shoulder, there is the tendency that the reported £27.5 million Everton paid to Juventus could look like peanuts soon.
9. Pablo Fornals - Villarreal to West Ham
Transfer fee: £25 million
Contract length: Five years
There is a reason why he is highly-rated in Spain and soon enough, Premier League fans will grow to love the playmaker Pablo Fornals is. For just 25 million pounds, West Ham did a sensational bit of business with Villarreal to recruit a player who may well rank among the league's top-assist leaders and chance creation masters at the end of the season.
He has already showed glimpses of his prowess in the preseason friendlies and it only gets better considering the kind of company the 23-year-old attacking midfielder will find himself in. This season, Manuel Pellegrini's side could easily finish among the Top Six and part of this success story could well have Pablo Fornals playing a key role in there. Remember the name!
8. Youri Tielemans - AS Monaco to Leicester City
Transfer fee: £40 million
Contract length: Four years
He tested the waters with his loan move in January and with a permanent switch now in place, Youri Tielemans is ready to take the English Premier League by storm. He was tipped to be Manchester United's potential replacement for Paul Pogba but a move to Leicester City was the one that looked more appealing to the 22-year-old central midfielder.
In his debut season in England, the Belgian international was involved in seven goals for the Foxes, scoring three goals and managing four assists in 13 appearances. Should he pick up from where he left things last season, Tielemans could bring the bigger guns to town to battle for his signature in no time.
7. Dani Ceballos: Real Madrid to Arsenal
Transfer fee: Loan (N/A)
Contract length: One year
Dani Ceballos will make his official Arsenal debut on the back of a triumphant campaign with Spain at the U21 European championship. A remarkable showing in the quest landed the 22-year-old Real Madrid loanee a spot in the UEFA 'Team of the Tournament' for the second successive time.
As far as we can attest, he has so far been underutilised at Los Blancos since his switch from Real Betis in 2017. At Arsenal, the shackles will be off as he will be expected to be an integral member of the Gunners' improved roster this season.
A proper creative player with finesse, composure and an enviable ability to initiate attack is what the Gunners have gotten their hands on.
6. Sebastien Haller - Eintracht Frankfurt to West Ham
Transfer fee: £45 million
Contract length: Five years
After terrorizing defenses in a lethal attacking partnership comprising of Luka Jovic and Ante Rebic, it was only a matter of time until Eintracht Frankfurt received bids for Sebastien Haller. The 25-year-old French striker was one of the standout performers in the 2018/2019 Bundesliga season as he managed 14 goals in 27 league appearances.
It was no surprise that West Ham shelled out £45 million on his transfer and its returns could be monumental should things go according to the script for the Hammers. With his physically imposing figure, the London club's record-signing will certainly be a handful for defenders in the whole duration of the new season.
5. Nicolas Pepe - Lille to Arsenal
Transfer fee: £72 million
Contract length: Five years
Nicolas Pepe set the world alight by scoring 22 goals and providing 11 assists in Ligue 1 last season and this incredible record was more than enough to convince Arsenal to make the Ivorian its transfer record-signing. In retrospect, only PSG's Kylian Mbappe was better than him in the French top-flight league and that only goes to show how talented the 24-year-old forward is.
Pepe comes into the 2019/2020 campaign on the back of a disappointing spell with Ivory Coast at the Africa Cup of Nations but his integration into the Gunners' setup should not be much of a hassle with Aubameyang and Lacazette still in top form and on-hand to help out.
4. Harry Maguire - Leicester City to Manchester United
Transfer fee: £80 million
Contract length: Six years
Heads turned and eyes rolled when Liverpool paid a world-record fee for a defender to secure the service of Virgil van Dijk. It has been past a year and a half and the recognition has been ascribed to a new player in the name of Harry Maguire.
Forget the debate about his inflated price-tag, the 26-year-old English center back's signing was a prime necessity for Manchester United rather than a panic buy. He will fix a major loophole in the backline of the Red Devils and with a track record of being extremely fit and less injury-prone, the days of the Old Trafford outfit conceding tons of goals might well be in the past.
In Maguire, Solskjaer is getting a player who is tough, good in the air, capable of helping the team from set pieces, is decent on the ball, has satisfactory long passing skills and has massive Premier League experience. He is almost the full package so Manchester United fans certainly have enough reason to have hopes high ahead of the new season.
3. Aaron Wan-Bissaka - Crystal Palace to Manchester United
Transfer fee: £50 million
Contract length: Five years
If you ask any Manchester United fan, the joy that comes with not seeing either Ashley Young or Antonio Valencia on the right side of their defense is quite priceless regardless of the amount of money paid to sign Wan-Bissaka from Crystal Palace.
In the two aforementioned, there was barely a defense assurance on the right flank and the position was usually exploited by opposing teams due to the fact that those players were wingers that were made to adapt to the role. What Wan-Bissaka brings to the table cannot be matched by any of the Manchester United fullbacks seen in recent years. Raw pace, excellent tackling and intercepting ability, and a persistent desire to apply pressure when and where needed are among the 22-year-old Englishman's top traits.
He will be crucial at the back for Manchester United and his acquisition from Crystal Palace will be hailed as a smart piece of business by the Red Devils in no time.
2. Rodri - Atletico Madrid to Manchester City
Transfer fee: £60 million
Contract length: Five years
- 91 percent pass accuracy
- 73 Touches
- 9 Recoveries
- 5/8 Duels won
- 4/5 Long balls completed
- 3 Clearances
- 1/1 Dribbles completed
These were the numbers registered by Manchester City's new boy from Atletico Madrid Rodrigo Hernández in Sunday's FA Community Shield victory over Liverpool. The truth is, we will be seeing these numbers from the Spanish midfielder on a frequent basis as he is set to take the Premier League by storm.
As a tactically intelligent player who is good at defending and has the knack to stop counter-attacks while being an adept passer who is very comfortable with the ball at his feet, Rodri is what one will call a 'Guardiola midfielder'. If City needed a proper replacement for the aging Fernandinho, then the call to get the 23-year-old Spanish international to Manchester will be worth it.
1. Ndombele Tanguy: Olympique Lyonnais to Tottenham Hotspur
Transfer fee: £65 million
Contract length: Six years
At some point, it was speculated that he was going to Real Madrid. At another point, it was Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain.
This should simply tell you how much of a deal Tanguy Ndombele is at the moment. His rise to the top has been anything but straightforward as in 2014, he was released by Guingamp. Five years on, the 23-year-old Frenchman arguably ranks among the top five central midfielders in European football and could only get better.
If you ever doubt the validity of this, be reminded that Ndombele was able to feature in the 2018/2019 UEFA Champions League Team of the Season despite his Olympique Lyon side crushing out to Barcelona in the Round of 16. As the club-record signing of Tottenham Hotspur, the weight of expectation on the shoulder of the French international will undoubtedly be huge.
However, a few things are promised; his supreme versatility will come in handy for Pochettino's side, his extremely high work-rate will be crucial in matches where Spurs need an X-factor, and his in defensive, transitional and offensive shrewdness will be hailed in no time.
