Last summer was a record-breaking summer for football transfers. There was a new ‘most expensive player’, over a billion pounds spent, and more super-coaches than ever before in the premier league. Here are the ten best pieces of business from the last summer.
10. Mustafi, £35m
Perhaps Mustafi is an unorthodox choice, but he has been everything Arsenal has been lacking. They have needed a solid central defensive partnership for a long time, and his partnership with Koscielny looks promising. He has also delivered diagonal balls for the attack, and has provided a few assists as well.
VALUE: 7/10
DEFENCE: 8/10
ATTACK: 6/10
RATING: 7/10
9. Defour, £8m
Steven Defour has been fantastic for Burnley this season. He provides grit and determination, and works hard at pressing in defence, whilst also providing an offensive threat. He often darts forward on long runs from the midfield to the box, and gives Burnley another dimension in attack.
VALUE: 8/10
DEFENCE: 7/10
ATTACK: 6/10
RATING: 7/10
8. Højbjerg, £12m
Højbjerg has been an unsung hero in the Southampton side. After the core of the team left last season as well as the manager, some even questioned whether the Saints could be in for a relegation battle. Højbjerg among others has proved all doubters wrong. He has been a shield in front of the defence, and has an unquenchable desire to win the ball back. He is also a good passer of the ball, and though he has not scored any goals as of yet, he has been a key schemer in the midfield of the team.
VALUE: 7/10
DEFENCE: 7/10
ATTACK: 7/10
RATING: 7/10
7.Allen, £13m
Joe Allen has forced Bojan out of the team on many occasions and has been the creative magic Stoke has longed for. He has provided flair in the final third, setting up 2 goals and scoring 5 himself. A measure of his success was that he was named in the 40 man shortlist for UEFA’s team of the year. Despite this, however, Stoke have not improved considerably, and perhaps need to work on their defence more than the offence.
VALUE: 8/10
DEFENCE: 4/10
ATTACK: 8/10
RATING: 7/10
6. Ibrahimovic, free
Many doubted whether the 35 year old Zlatan Ibrahimovic still had the ability to do well in the premier league, but he has proved them all wrong. Mourinho in fact stated that he was doing what many 25 year old strikers coming into the Premier League dreamt of. He has scored 11 goals in 16 appearances for Manchester United, and though he goes through barren spells, he has proved he is more than capable of achieving great things. Although he came in for free, he is still costing Manchester United £220, 000 a week, so this move wasn’t without risk.
VALUE: 6/10
DEFENCE: 3/10
ATTACK: 9/10
RATING: 8/10
5. David Luiz, £34m
Having sold him for about £50 million to PSG in 2014, it seemed odd when he returned last summer for just £16 million less. He was thought to be a bit of a madman in defence, fancying himself as perhaps more of a striker than a defender. However, on his return, he has been magnificent. Conte’s 3-4-3 formation has allowed him freedom on the pitch, but he has also been more disciplined as a player. He is one of the main reasons that Chelsea has gone 11 consecutive wins and is top at Christmas.
VALUE: 6/10
DEFENCE: 10/10
ATTACK: 5/10
RATING: 8/10
4. Negredo, loan
Although not as prolific as Ibrahimovic and only scoring 5 goals in 15 games, he is in a team where chances are much more sparse. He has taken most of his opportunities with seeming ease, and has scored some truly remarkable goals in the meantime. He is the difference between Middlesborough and the other relegation candidates.
VALUE: 8/10
DEFENCE: 2/10
ATTACK: 9/10
RATING: 8/10
3. Gana Gueye, £7m
After being the standout player in an abysmal Aston Villa side last year, he has provided a shield for the ageing Everton defence, and has pressed the opposition with his boundless energy, stopping attacks with crunching tackles. The poor man’s Kanté, he has been phenomenal value for money, and is one of the signings of the season. He has made the most tackles so far this season, with 77 to his name so far, 11 ahead of the runner up.
VALUE: 10/10
DEFENCE: 9/10
ATTACK: 6/10
RATING: 9/10
2. Mané, £32m
The rapid 24 year old has made his mark on the Premier League. Forming a lethal triumvirate with Firmino and Coutinho, his pace coupled with his finishing ability are one of the reasons why Liverpool are second at Christmas. Scoring 8 goals and assisting 4 in only 16 appearances is a demonstration of his ability.
VALUE: 7/10
DEFENCE: 4/10
ATTACK: 10/10
RATING: 9/10
1. Kanté, £32m
Helping Leicester City win the title last year and guiding Chelsea to the title this year, Kanté has shone in the Premier League. His limitless energy and defensive ability has meant that that Chelsea have only conceded 11 times in 17 games. He has formed a strong partnership with Nemanja Matić, and it is therefore only right that he has a 67.3% win rate in the Premier League, the highest of any current player in the competition.
VALUE: 8/10
DEFENCE: 10/10
ATTACK: 5/10
RATING: 10/10
THE SPORT BLOG 