As the English window comes to a close, we take a look at the most promising transfers of the summer. This list includes incredibly talented players who we believe have the potential to change the course of the season – from causing upsets to winning titles. From full-backs to strikers, we cover 10 transfers that we think will have a massive impact on the league.
Harry Maguire (£80m: Leicester to Manchester United)
Read More | Another Brick In The Wall – What Will Harry Maguire Bring To This United Side? |
Last season, watching United defend was a sorry sight. Conceding a mammoth 54 goals the previous season – 6 more than 13th placed Newcastle – shows just how bad the Red Devils’ backline was. They were crying out for a leader to completely turn things around, someone to produce the ‘van Dijk effect’ for them. A commanding, positionally sound, ball-playing centre-back that won the most aerial duels last season – Maguire, perhaps might just be their man. He is also not prone to occasional lapses of concentration – unlike their current pairing of Lindelöf and Smalling. His price tag says everything – 80 million is no joke, and United fans will be counting on him to control their half with his no-nonsense fashion of defending.
Arsenal have a history of producing fine wingers, Freddie Ljungberg, Marc Overmars, and Robert Pires, to name a few. In recent times, however, Arsenal have failed to find a consistent player who can stretch the opposition’s defense from either side – barring Alexis Sánchez, who left for United, of course. However, in Nicolas Pépé, the Gunners have found an absolute gem of a player who is both creative and rapid – the makings of a superstar. The trio of Aubameyang, Lacazette, and Pépé is one that’ll strike fear in the hearts of the best defenders. Also, he was one of two players to rack up over 20 goals and 10 assists last season. The other happens to be Lionel Messi. Not too shabby, eh?
Rodri (£62.6m: Atlético Madrid to Manchester City)
LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 04: Rodri of Manchester City battles for possession with Roberto Firmino of Liverpool during the FA Community Shield match between Liverpool and Manchester City at Wembley Stadium on August 04, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)
Finally. Pep Guardiola has found the perfect Fernandinho replacement in his very own Sergio Busquets 2.0. Rodri is the perfect Guardiola defensive midfielder- accompanied by strength and bite and coupled with flair. He also adds much-needed height to the City squad after the departure of Vincent Kompany. He looked fabulous in pre-season, controlling the game with depth which has earned him praise from the likes of Kevin de Bruyne and Bernardo Silva, both calling him the right man for the job. As long as he stays fit, it looks like he’s going to have a hell of a career with arguably the best team in the world right now.
LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 04: Tanguy Ndombele of Tottenham Hotspur runs with the ball during the 2019 International Champions Cup match between Tottenham Hotspur and FC Internazionale at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on August 04, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Dan Istitene/Getty Images)
With regards to the replacement of defensive midfielders, Tanguy Ndombele has been bought for a hefty sum to add some resilience and creativity to the Tottenham midfield to plug the gap left by Mousa Dembélé who left for China earlier this year. Almost every Spurs player regarded Dembélé as the best player in the squad before he left; the fact that Mauricio Pochettino considers Ndombele a viable replacement is a testament to his diverse skill set. Guiding Lyon to a third-place finish in the league as well as the round of 16 in the Champions League, Ndombele was almost flawless last season; he will hope to continue his scintillating form for the Lilywhites this season.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka (£45m: Crystal Palace to Manchester United)
PERTH, AUSTRALIA – JULY 13: Ivan Franjic of the Glory is tackled by Aaron Wan-Bissaka of Manchester United during the match between the Perth Glory and Manchester United at Optus Stadium on July 13, 2019 in Perth, Australia. (Photo by Will Russell/Getty Images)
The defensive rock of Crystal Palace last season has adapted to United with unexpected ease. He has not looked out of place in pre-season and has been the Red Devils’ best defender. His hard-tackling stands out, as does his impressive speed and recovery time. The one part that was missing at Palace – his offensive game – has evidently grown in just a month at Old Trafford, with the 21-year-old already registering his first assist as he laid it on the plate for Mason Greenwood’s first senior goal in a friendly against Leeds. He is on his way to becoming the real deal and is likely to follow the footsteps of the likes of Gary Neville, Rafael, and Valencia, becoming yet another brilliant full-back embedded in the hearts of the Mancunians.
Sébastien Haller (£40.7m: Eintracht Frankfurt to West Ham)
Read More | Manuel Pellegrini Has Steadied The Ship At West Ham, Can He Take Them One Step Further?
Sébastien Haller is probably the most underrated transfer this time around, coming off the back of a truly spectacular season with Frankfurt having scored 20 goals and setting up 11 assists in all competitions. The fact that a club other than the ‘top six’ has managed to bag a player like him is astounding, especially taking into consideration a transfer fee of merely 40.7 million in a market of exponentially rising prices. His creativity and positioning on and off the ball is remarkable, as is his 6’2” presence in the box. Pellegrini has pulled off a blinder on this transfer, and we believe he’s going to prove to be absolutely crucial to West Ham’s hopes this season.
Youri Tielemans (£40m: Monaco to Leicester City)
Read More | Knocking On The Door – Potential Challengers To The Big 6 |
Before the deal was confirmed, Brendan Rodgers stated that the club would do “everything they possibly can” in order to sign Tielemans on a permanent basis, showing just how valuable he was to Leicester last season. Although Leicester have an array of midfielders – Ndidi, Maddison, Barnes, Mendy, to name a few – all of them have a specified position and aren’t too flexible. Tielemans, however, is extremely flexible, and can consequently play in any position as a midfielder – preferably as a box to box midfielder, one that Leicester does not possess at the moment. With a certain grit, while defending, the Belgian does not shy away from taking shots from range, adding an attacking quality to his defensive game that Leicester requires, more so against big teams when they play defensively. Youri Tielemans thus adds a fresh dimension to the midfield and can fill the void left by Kante, proving to be extremely vital to the Foxes’ cause.
Raúl Jiménez (£30m: Benfica to Wolves)
From the Archive | Raúl Jiménez – The Mexican Nomad Finding His Home At The Molineux |
BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND – AUGUST 01: Raul Jimenez of Wolverhampton Wanderers takes a shot at goal during the UEFA Europa League Second Qualifying round 2nd Leg match between Crusaders and Wolverhampton Wanderers at Seaview Stadium on August 01, 2019 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)
When Jiménez arrived from Benfica on loan last season, many critics took a pop at his ability. A year on, he has shut them all up with a brilliant season in the hardest league in the world, taking the newly-promoted Wolves to seventh place – their highest since 1980. 13 goals as well as 7 assists made him Wolves’ talisman last season, and now that his place has been secured on a permanent basis with the club showing faith in his abilities, things can only go up. Come the start of the new season, he’ll be raring to go and will become a force to be reckoned with.
Ismaïla Sarr (£30m: Rennes to Watford)
Starring in Rennes’ surprise run to the round 16 of the Europa League was Sarr, a relatively unknown Senegalese international who had announced himself in the World Cup, with a series of inspired performances alongside Sadio Mané. He chipped in with 8 goals and 6 assists last season as Rennes crumbled to a tenth-placed finish as it became too much to compete both domestically as well as in Europe. Sarr, however, was the sole survivor in Rennes’ decline, which earned him a move to Watford. His insane pace and ability to get out of tight situations, along with his pinpoint shooting remind us of a certain Mohamed Salah – and we believe he has all the tools to have a successful first season in England.
As a Liverpool fan, it pains me to say this, but kudos to Everton. They have snapped up probably the best teenage striker in the world – Moise Kean for £29million. An absolute steal. If this list wasn’t in order of transfer value, Kean would be right at the top of it. On a good day, he is ferocious and can torment any defender in the world. Learning from the likes of Ronaldo, Buffon, and Chiellini at Juventus, he has a bright future ahead of him. Despite scoring in almost every game he played at Juventus and not securing a starting birth, he took the bold decision of leaving for Everton. And we believe it is going to pay off big-time. There is no better way to put this than the way Ian McCourt did: “If there is not a statue of Moise Kean outside Goodison Park by the end of the season, I will be gobsmacked.”
Don’t agree with the list? Do you think we need to replace any of the names above with someone else? Do reach to us and we’ll try figuring something out.
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