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jonjoward1998

Top 20 Signings of the Season



There have been many new faces who have let up the Premier League this season but there have also been many who have disappointed. The goods ones will best remembered and I've ranked my best 20 of them. Let's see who I've got on my shortlist.


20. Craig Dawson - West Ham to Wolves - £3.3 million


Wolves were much better defensively in the second half of the season and Dawson was a key reason why. He put in crucial challenges when his team needed him to and was a leader in their backline which was something they lacked after losing Conor Coady. His solid performances at the back were crucial to Wolves staying up and pulling clear of danger.


19. Dango Ouattara - Lorient to Bournemouth - £20 million


Bournemouth weren't scoring that many goals before Ouattara came in and the Burkina Faso international made a difference the moment he arrived. They were a more dangerous side going forward when he was in the team as he always posed a threat from out wide with his pace and work rate.


18. Marcus Tavernier - Middlesbrough to Bournemouth - £12 million


Tavernier scored some vital goals as Bournemouth beat the drop this season and also gave them a lot of energy in the midfield. The Cherries didn't score a bag load of goals this season but when they needed someone to step up on that front in their midfield, Tavernier did that 5 times.


17. Morgan Gibbs-White - Wolves to Nottingham Forest - £42.5 million


Out of the many signings Forest made this season, Gibbs-White was the most consistent and effective out of all of them. HIs 5 goals and 8 assists were crucial in Forest beating the drop and he was even named their player of the season which was rightly deserved.


16. Willian - Corinthians to Fulham - Free


Willian's career appeared to be over after a poor spell at Arsenal a couple of years ago. But since he's been at Fulham he's shown that there is still plenty of life left in him at 34 years of age. He registered 5 goals and 6 assists as Fulham finished 10th and always came up with a moment of quality when his team needed one.


15. Leandro Trossard - Brighton to Arsenal - £27 million


Despite the lack of strength in depth in the Arsenal squad, Trossard has given them another option in their attack by stepping up whenever he's been called upon. 1 goal and 7 assists marks a decent first half season with the Gunners the impact he's made has brought some competition for places in the Arsenal attack.


14. Alexander Isak - £63 million


It might have been an injury-hit first season at St James' Park for the Swedish forward but Isak has still been able to make an impact by scoring 10 goals. He's brought both quality to and competition for places in the Newcastle squad and is someone who can take the Magpies onto the next level.


13. Bernd Leno - Arsenal to Fulham - £8 million


Fulham have been much improved defensively compared to their last two spells in the Premier League and one of the reasons why is that they've had a higher quality of keeper. Leno kept 8 clean sheets and made many crucial saves as Fulham were more tighter at the back and his presence between the sticks made sure of that.


12. Gabriel Jesus - Man City to Arsenal - £45 million


Jesus has brought a winning mentality to the Arsenal squad this season as they almost won the title. He also gave them what they lacked last season in a top class centre forward who can both score goals and link up with the players around him. He scored 11 goals in his debut season at the Emirates and he could've had more had he not picked up that injury at the World Cup.


11. Joao Palhinha - Sporting Lisbon to Fulham - £20 million


Fulham have been much more solid this season and Palhinha has arguably been the reason why. He made more tackles than any other player and his presence in front of the Fulham defence made sure that they were more difficult to beat. He's been a game changer for them.


10. Andreas Pereira - Man United to Fulham - £13 million


Pereira has given Fulham some extra quality in attack that they didn't have in each of their previous two spells in the Premier League. He brought lots of creativity to the attack with the amount of chances he created and is finally at a club where he can make the most of his talent.


9. Julian Alvarez - River Plate to Man City - £14 million


He might've played second fiddle to Erling Haaland for most of the season but when he's been given the opportunity, Alvarez has taken it. He made an impact both off the bench and as a starter and his 9 league goals were all crucial to City winning the title.


8. Oleksandr Zinchenko - Man City to Arsenal - £32 million


Like Jesus, Zinchenko has also brought a winning mentality to the Arsenal squad after achieving a lot of success with City. He put in some excellent performances at left back for the majority of the season and stepped up as a leader on the pitch when the Gunners needed someone to.


7. Manuel Akanji - Borussia Dortmund to Man City - £15 million


Akanji has been solid at the back all season for City as they won a third successive Premier League title. He made crucial interventions when his team needed him and hasn't put one foot wrong whenever he's played. He's arguably been the bargain of the season given how much he cost.


6. Sven Botman - Lille to Newcastle - £42 million


Newcastle had the joint best defence in the league this season and Botman was a major part of it. His partnership with Schar at the back made the Magpies a tough team to beat defensively and his influence back there took Newcastle onto another level.


5. Christian Eriksen - Brentford to Man United - Free


I was quite sceptical about this transfer because of United's poor recruitment in recent seasons and Eriksen now in his 30s. But the Danish playmaker has proved that he can still play at a high level by registering 8 assists and playing all kinds of passes from almost anywhere on the pitch. United are a better side when he's around because of the creativity he brings.


4. Lisandro Martinez - Ajax to Man United - £56.7 million


There were questions about his height when he first arrived but Martinez has since proven that he's physical enough to play in this league. He's been strong when challenging for the ball both aerially and on the ground and he's also been comfortable with the ball at his feet which is the kind of player his manager likes. His partnership with Raphael Varane has made United a much solid team defensively.


3. Nick Pope - Burnley to Newcastle - £10 million


Pope was the main reason why Newcastle had such a solid defence this season because of his commanding presence between the sticks and the crucial saves he made. He kept 12 clean sheets as the Magpies qualified for the Champions League and was without a doubt the best keeper in the league this season based on the consistency of his performances.


2. Casemiro - Real Madrid to Man United - £70 million


Casemiro has made such a difference for United this season and he's arguably been their game changer. United were lacking a defensive midfielder to control the flow of the game and the Brazilian has done that ever since he arrived. He's also brought a winning mentality to the team after achieving a lot of success at Real Madrid.


1. Erling Haaland - Borussia Dortmund to Man City - £51 million


This guy just had to be at no.1. Haaland has had an incredibly ridiculous debut season at City as he scored a record breaking 36 goals and broke all kinds of records on his way to winning the golden boot and City winning a third straight title. He's taken City onto another level.

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