Ten players tipped to shine for their new clubs.
10. Kolo Toure (Liverpool)
Despite failing to rediscover his best form from his Arsenal days since joining Manchester City in 2008, Kolo Toure’s versatility and experience should make him a good signing for Liverpool, even if only as a squad player. The 32-year-old has won the Premier League twice in his career and his kn0w-how could be invaluable in a young Liverpool squad that will be missing veteran Jamie Carragher after his retirement.
9. Jose Canas (Swansea City)
Swansea enjoyed great success in the transfer market last summer, with manager Michael Laudrup’s knowledge of Spanish football bringing in some bargain signings in Michu and Chico, two players who were among the best in their positions in the Premier League in 2012/13, and who only cost a combined fee of £4million.
Joe Canas will arrive from Real Betis on a free transfer, and could be another excellent addition. The 26-year-old is a solid defensive midfield player who looks ideally suited for Premier League football, and could give the Swans something a little extra in defensive cover from the middle of the park.
8. Fernando Amorebieta (Fulham)
Fernando Amorebieta on a free transfer looks a great coup by Fulham. Martin Jol’s side were weak in defence this season, and the Spaniard will be a big upgrade on the slow and error-prone Philippe Senderos. Amorebieta has been a regular for Athletic Bilbao since a young age, and will bring bags of experience with him to Craven Cottage. The likes of Arsenal had been linked with him before he eventually joined Fulham.
Although the 28-year-old has never been capped for the senior Spain team, he was part of their victorious Under-19 team in 2004. He also has runners-up medals in the Europa League and the Copa Del Rey from his time with Bilbao.
7. Maarten Stekelenburg (Fulham)
Another excellent signing by Fulham is Roma goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg. The experienced Dutchman may have fallen out of favour with Serie A side Roma, but he is still first choice for his country and was another player attracting serious attention from Arsenal this summer.
The 30-year-old is the ideal replacement in goal for veteran ‘keeper Mark Schwarzer, who left the club on a free at the end of the 2012/13 season.
6. Ricky van Wolfswinkel (Norwich City)
There is a lot of excitement surrounding Norwich’s record signing. Dutch striker Ricky van Wolfswinkel was confirmed as signing for the Canaries for £8.5million back in March, and could be the player to take Chris Hughton’s side to the next level in the Premier League.
Still only 24, the Netherlands international has scored 45 goals in the last two seasons in Portugal, and was prolific at his old club FC Utrecht as well, showing that he has the quality and eye for goal to adapt to different leagues. He will be particularly useful with Grant Holt looking past his best and possibly leaving the club this summer.
5. Fernandinho (Manchester City)
Fernandinho looked like a highly impressive player in the Champions League this season, when he played for Shakhtar Donetsk against the likes of Chelsea and Juventus. His form attracted attention from a lot of big clubs, but Manchester City won the race for his signature, signing him for around £28million.
The strong and skillful midfielder should be an upgrade on the likes of Gareth Barry and Javi Garcia, giving City a better chance of competing for the Premier League title again, with some slow and sloppy displays from their midfield pairing all too often in 2012/13.
4. Wilfried Zaha (Manchester United)
One of the brightest prospects in English football, Wilfried Zaha, will finally making his eagerly-awaited debut for Manchester United next season after joining from Crystal Palace in January. The 20-year-old spent the second half of the season on loan with his old side, helping them to win promotion via the playoffs.
A skillful attacking player able to perform up front or on the wing, Zaha should be a useful addition to a United attack that looked highly reliant on Robin van Persie for inspiration for much of this season. He may take a bit of time to adapt, but he has the quality to become a star at Old Trafford for many years to come, and could make the difference as soon as next season.
3. Andy Carroll (West Ham)
Andy Carroll’s Liverpool nightmare has finally come to an end as he joins West Ham for £15million. The England international spent 2012/13 on loan at Upton Park, and despite some problems with injuries he looked close to getting back to his best. Now that he’s settled and with the club permanently, he can get his career back on track, and should be a good signing for the Hammers, playing under a manager who will suit his game well in Sam Allardyce.
With West Ham managing a solid 10th place finish on their first year back in the Premier League, they look in good shape to build on that in 2013/14, and securing their priority signing of Carroll should give them a major boost ahead of the new season.
2. Jesus Navas (Manchester City)
Spanish winger Jesus Navas was said to be high on the list of priority signings for new Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini. The former Sevilla star has been one of the best players in La Liga for a number of years and now looks ready to make the step up at a bigger club.
Some eyebrows were raised when City paid £17million for a player who failed to score in La Liga this season, but there’s no doubt Navas has the potential to be a great attacking option for any top side.
With the likes of Samir Nasri and James Milner stagnating at City this season, the pace and directness of Navas out wide should provide City’s strikers with more regular ammunition next year, as the Spain international is a more natural winger than either of those two.
1. Andre Schurrle (Chelsea)
One of the most exciting prospects coming out of German football is Andre Schurrle, who ended a long transfer saga by finally signing for long-time admirers Chelsea earlier this month.
The winger, who can also play upfront, scored 13 goals and provided 8 assists for Bayer Leverkusen in 2012/13, and will give the Blues something a little different in their attacking midfield, with the talented trio of Juan Mata, Eden Hazard and Oscar all playing in a similar style behind the main striker.
Schurrle certainly looks at the moment to be the signing of the summer, and this top talent could make all the difference in the destination of the Premier League title in 2013/14.