From July 1 to August 31 of every year, teams are free to make transfers, buying players from any team in the world. Some of these summer signings just add to a team’s depth, while others make an instant impact. Below is my list of the top 10 summer transfers for Premier League teams this season.
10) Moises Caicedo, Chelsea
From: Brighton & Hove Albion
Fee: €116.00M
Even with the extremely high transfer fee, Caicedo deserves to be mentioned on this list. He has cemented himself as a top defensive midfielder through his strong defensive play with Chelsea this season. Although he has struggled to produce in attack so far, this was a great addition to Chelsea’s midfield that helped its balance.
9) Moussa Diaby, Aston Villa
From: Bayer Leverkusen
Fee: €55.00m
Moussa Diaby had an instant impact upon joining Unai Emery’s Aston Villa side, scoring 3 goals and providing 3 assists in his first 10 matches with the club, but has only provided 1 assist in the last 6 matches. Part of this comes from Emery’s choice to focus more on team-building than starting the best eleven every week, as Diaby is not getting the same minutes he did early in the season. However, the winger has still provided a spark to Villa’s attack and made a strong impact on the team’s early performance.
8) Cole Palmer, Chelsea
From: Manchester City
Fee: €47.00m
Cole Palmer was a deadline-day purchase for Chelsea, so he did not have the chance to make an impact during the first few games of the season. However, since his arrival, he has provided an instant spark to Chelsea’s attack, scoring 5 goals in a span of 8 matches. However, only one of these goals came from open play, which can call into question his true impact in the attack. Although he has profited the most off penalties, he has still been the standout performer in the Chelsea attack since his arrival.
7) Josko Gvardiol, Manchester City
From: RB Leipzig
Fee: €90.00m
Josko Gvardiol has been excellent in defense this season for Manchester City, and his flexibility to play either center back or left back has allowed him to earn minutes in the Manchester City squad. However, even with this added bonus, he still struggles to find consistent minutes due to the quality of other players in the Manchester City squad. However, Gvardiol is still only 21 years old, and he is one of the best prospects in the world, so this signing is likely focused more on the future.
6) Micky Van de Ven, Tottenham
From: VfL Wolfsburg
Fee: €40.00m
Micky Van de Ven has been a star in the Tottenham defense so far this season. His biggest impact has come through the improvement of fellow center-back Christian Romero’s play. Romero is known for being extremely aggressive, but part of this came from the perpetually unbalanced Tottenham center-back partnership. However, having a center back with good positioning beside him has improved the play of Romero. Van de Ven has also been strong individually, as his huge frame and surprising pace help him track back on defense. However, a hamstring injury in November has kept him out for 5 games and is scheduled to keep him out for 4 more. Even with this injury, he is only 22 years old and his performance so far has been auspicious for his future.
5) James Ward-Prowse
From: Southampton
Fee: €34.80m
West Ham got off to a strong start this season, and a huge part of that is thanks to James Ward-Prowse. He had 5 goal involvements in their first 4 matches, and although his goal involvements have slowed down since his attacking play from his central midfield role has been vital to their successes so far this season. Ward-Prowse is one of the best free-kick takers in world football, and his ability to turn deadball situations into chances has been a huge part of West Ham’s attack this season. This level of involvement from a central midfielder for less than 35 million euros is hard to find in the current market.
4) Dominik Szoboszlai, Liverpool
From: RB Leipzig
Fee: €70.00m
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Dominik Szoboszlai was a new addition to a Liverpool midfield that lost 5 players during the summer transfer window and desperately needed incoming transfers. Szoboszlai has exceeded expectations this season both playing in attacking, right, and central midfield. He ranks in the top 5% of midfielders in chances created, shot attempts, and goals and has provided new life to the Liverpool attack. He is also only 23 years old, so this signing has amazing promise for the future.
3) Jeremy Doku, Manchester City
From: Stade Rennais
Fee: €60.00m
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Jeremy Doku was a late signing for Manchester City, his purchase coming just a week before the August 31 deadline, but he has already made a huge impact to the Manchester City attack. His ability to win duels on the left wing and get behind the defense to cross it in has provided a new spark to the Manchester City offense in the absence of their main playmaker, Kevin De Bruyne. Doku showcased his creativity in their match against Bournemouth, where he scored a goal and supplied 4 assists. This creativity has sustained City’s attack through the absence of De Bruyne. Doku is also only 21 years old, so the fact he can already contribute to a team that won the treble last season shows great hope for his future.
2) Declan Rice, Arsenal
From: West Ham
Fee: €116.60m
Arsenal paid a ridiculous transfer fee for Rice after the loss of Granit Xhaka, but his importance to the Arsenal midfield this season is crucial. Rice has not only been solid defensively, but he has scored key goals in many games which have contributed to Arsenal’s success this season. His first goal of the season was a stoppage-time winner against Manchester United. Then he scored a goal down 2-0 to Chelsea which started a comeback eventually leading to a draw. His latest goal came in the form of another stoppage-time winner against Luton Town. Rice’s defensive prowess and attacking force have elevated Arsenal to a new level this season.
1) James Maddison, Tottenham
From: Leicester City
Fee: €46.30m
After losing Harry Kane, Tottenham needed to find a way to replace the 30 goals he provided. Most people expected the Tottenham attack to be completely ineffective in the absence of their star striker. However, Maddison made an instant impact in new manager Ange Postecoglou’s system. Postecoglou’s all-out attacking style was run through Maddison, who provided the creativity through his attacking midfield role. Maddison ranks in the top 5% of attacking midfielders and wingers in chances created and the top 20% in touches and shot attempts. Although he fell to an ankle injury in November, Maddison was the leader of the Tottenham attack that shocked the league and propelled them to the top of the table for the first two months before he was injured. The impact he had for only 46 million euros puts him at the top of my list.
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