Now that the madness is all over, here’s our definitive ranking of the 20 best Premier League signings of the summer just gone.
It’s very good news if you’re a Liverpool fan, less so for Arsenal and Manchester United fans. And Tottenham fans, well, you probably needn’t bother reading this article anyway.
MORE: 5 reasons for Man Utd to be positive despite transfer issues, featuring Alexis Sanchez and forgotten midfield man
Here’s our top 20 best Premier League signings based on how much they were needed at their respective clubs, the price tags paid, and whether they’re, you know, actually good at footy and that…
20) Jonny Evans (Leicester City)
One of the most solid and reliable centre-backs in the country, and signed for dirt cheap from relegated West Brom. Jonny Evans should prove a very useful purchase for Leicester.
19) Bernard (Everton)
Snapped up on a free on deadline day, Bernard had been linked with bigger clubs than Everton, so they look to have done very well there indeed to bolster their attack.
18) Sokratis Papastathopoulos (Arsenal)
Not a signing who’ll set the world alight, but Sokratis was a key player for Borussia Dortmund and brings experience to this Arsenal side after reportedly arriving on the cheap.
17) Joe Hart (Burnley)
A very ambitious buy from Burnley, with Joe Hart surely still having plenty to offer in the Premier League, even if he’d been frozen out at Manchester City and perhaps not looked entirely convincing in loans with Torino and West Ham.
16) Mateo Kovacic (Chelsea)
A decent signing on loan, though Mateo Kovacic remains something of an unknown quantity at the highest level, having rarely been a regular at Real Madrid. Could he therefore end up being the Alvaro Morata of midfield? Blues fans will desperately hope not.
15) Max Meyer (Crystal Palace)
A very smart signing on a free, Max Meyer allowed his contract to run down at Schalke and had been linked with bigger names before rocking up at Crystal Palace.
14) Felipe Anderson (West Ham)
A slightly hard one to call, but this could end up being a bit of a game-changer for West Ham. Long regarded as a top talent, Felipe Anderson shone for most of his time with Lazio, attracting links to bigger clubs, but his career stalled somewhat as he played less often last season, and one imagines there must be a reason he never made it to a bigger name.
Still, he has the natural ability to be the new Dimitri Payet for West Ham – as in, the good one who had a storming first season, not the one who got fed up and downed tools the following year.
13) Joao Moutinho (Wolves)
Wolves will be a very interesting team to watch this season as their wealthy owners and strong connections have given them a real edge in the transfer market, and Joao Moutinho is undoubtedly one of the most promising additions to their squad.
12) Andre Schurrle (Fulham)
For Wolves, also see Fulham, who have had a very busy summer and recruited plenty of players you could well imagine playing at top six clubs. Andre Schurrle shone for Chelsea earlier in his career and he could be a real difference-maker for the newly-promoted side.
11) Bernd Leno (Arsenal)
Not the biggest name in the world, but Arsenal urgently needed a new goalkeeper and they’ve got a pretty solid one here. There’s no guarantee at the moment that Bernd Leno will definitely edge out Petr Cech as first choice for the Gunners, but at least they now have a backup option that’s not David Ospina if Cech continues to perform poorly.
10) Lucas Torreira (Arsenal)
The potential is there for Lucas Torreira to be superb for Arsenal. The young Uruguay international had a strong World Cup after catching the eye with Sampdoria in Serie A, but of course there’s no telling how he’ll settle in in English football.
Still, the club will be pleased to have strengthened in that problem position of midfield after Jack Wilshere’s departure to West Ham, while players like Granit Xhaka and Mohamed Elneny have not really looked good enough there so far.
9) Kepa Arrizabalaga (Chelsea)
The same could really be said of Chelsea’s new goalkeeper Kepa, who is undoubtedly a top young talent, though he’s surely going to need some time to really settle and become the high-calibre Thibaut Courtois replacement CFC need.
Still, even if he is a bit of a David de Gea and takes time to reach top form, it could be well worth the wait.
8) Fabinho (Liverpool)
Liverpool needed to strengthen in midfield after losing Emre Can to Juventus, and Fabinho looks a very solid choice. The Brazilian has arguably looked a little slow to get going in pre-season so far, but should prove a very astute purchase once he settles.
7) Xherdan Shaqiri (Liverpool)
Another promising new face at Liverpool is Xherdan Shaqiri, who has made a very promising start in pre-season. Although some initially doubted he’d be first choice, the former Stoke City man looks perfectly suited to Jurgen Klopp’s side and ready to challenge Sadio Mane for a place in the front three.
6) Jean Seri (Fulham)
Genuinely one of the finest all-round midfield players in Europe, it’s pretty bizarre that Jean Seri has ended up at Fulham when for months there was talk of him being looked at by Manchester City, United, Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea, Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and probably a few others. This is a hugely ambitious signing by the Londoners, who clearly mean business after winning promotion from the Championship.
5) Fred (Manchester United)
Another quality midfielder coming in, Fred seems ideal for what Manchester United needed in the middle of the park this season following the retirement of Michael Carrick, and with Nemanja Matic and Paul Pogba yet to truly convince as a partnership. Fred should add something useful in between those two, and perhaps free up Pogba to play further forward as he has done to such good effect for France.
4) Riyad Mahrez (Manchester City)
A luxury signing perhaps, but Riyad Mahrez is one of the best attacking players in Europe, so seeing him play in a top side like Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City is a very exciting prospect indeed.
The Algeria international has of course already proven himself as his stunning 2015/16 form saw him win the Premier League title with Leicester and PFA Player of the Year that season, so who knows how dangerous he’ll be with service from the likes of David and Bernardo Silva, or with Sergio Aguero and Gabriel Jesus alongside him up front?
3) Jorginho (Chelsea)
A crucial signing that may have just gone under the radar slightly, Jorginho has made an instant impression in an important position for Chelsea.
The Blues made a host of poor choices in midfield last season when they sold Nemanja Matic and replaced him with Tiemoue Bakayoko and Danny Drinkwater, but Jorginho is undoubtedly a big step up after his fine form for Napoli last season.
Crucially, he also knows what Maurizio Sarri will demand from him after moving from Naples to London alongside the Italian tactician, which should have a big helping hand in making the transition to life under a new manager that bit smoother.
2) Naby Keita (Liverpool)
If you haven’t had a proper look at this guy play yet, he can honestly do just about everything on a football pitch. Perfectly suited to Jurgen Klopp’s 100mph football, the Guinea international could undoubtedly end up as a player of the year contender if he settles quickly in England.
You can’t fault Liverpool’s recent recruitment, and it’s worth noting that they were willing to pay up to land Keita last year before he ultimately made the move to Anfield this summer, such was their desperation to win the race for his signature.
1) Alisson (Liverpool)
Beating Naby Keita to top spot, however, is – shock horror – a goalkeeper. Not just any goalkeeper though, as Alisson showed in his time at Roma.
A superb shot-stopper who is also quick and intelligent with his feet, the Brazil international looks ready to make the same kind of impact that Ederson had at Manchester City last season – and that ended up being key in their rise from an unconvincing third-place finish to runaway champions.
Alisson cost big money and repairs what was obviously a problem position for Liverpool, with that defence now likely to be much more secure than it was at the start of last season.
Goalkeepers aren’t always the most talented or important players on the pitch, but in terms of what the Reds needed and what he offers, he just about gets our vote for the signing of the summer.
