Top 10 Premier League transfers of the summer, so far


With so many big names arriving at new clubs across the Premier League this summer, it has been a lot of fun to track the activity during this transfer window.

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But which teams have done the best business? Which moves make the most sense?

Below we rank our top 10 signings of the Premier League summer transfer window, so far, and will update this list during the final month or so of the window.

Top 10 Premier League transfers of the summer, so far

Premier League transfer market biggest movers

Joe Prince-Wright, Andy Edwards and Nick Mendola talk about the latest Premier League transfer news, highlighting the improvements for clubs like Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea.

1. Declan Rice (West Ham to Arsenal)He will probably end up being the most expensive signing of the summer by quite some distance but boy is Declan Rice worth it. Arsenal paid close to $130 million for Rice and they beat Manchester City to his signature. The 24-year-old England international is ready for the next step and he can make all of Arsenal’s talented attacking players better. So calm on the ball and an expert at winning it back, Rice will give Arsenal extra balance in midfield and is already a supreme leader. He brings so much to the table aside from his footballing ability. Future Arsenal captain.2. James Maddison (Leicester City to Tottenham Hotspur)

This is perhaps the transfer which was most-needed by a Premier League club. Tottenham have been desperate for a pure midfield creator for several seasons (ever since Christian Eriksen left) and Maddison has the quality and character to be Spurs’ attacking hub. With Heung-min Son and Harry Kane ahead of him, Maddison is so good at threading through perfect balls to attackers and also unleashing perfect shots and free kicks himself. Maddison, 26, is ready to be at a top six team and Spurs acted quickly to sign him from Leicester City for a pretty decent fee of $51 million.

3. Andre Onana (Inter Milan to Manchester United)

There was a bit of a shock as David de Gea left this summer but United acted quickly to get their new goalkeeper. Andre Onana was excellent in Inter Milan’s run to the UEFA Champions League final last season and the Cameroonian goalkeeper has worked with Erik ten Hag in the past. Onana, 27, is also very good with the ball at his feet and that is key for the way ETH wants United to play. Onana should slot in seamlessly at Old Trafford.

4. Nicolas Jackson (Villarreal to Chelsea)

This signing went under the radar a little bit but it shouldn’t have. Nicolas Jackson, 22, had an incredible finish to last season in La Liga and he was chased by Bournemouth and Southampton in the January window before an injury scuppered any move to the Premier League. It all worked out for him in the end and Jackson has scored regularly on Chelsea’s preseason tour of the USA. His pace and willingness to run off the last shoulder of the defender will suit this Mauricio Pochettino system really well and he is a tidy finisher too.

5. Mateo Kovacic (Chelsea to Manchester City)

It was a blow for Man City to lose captain and clutch star Ilkay Gundogan to Barcelona this summer but Mateo Kovacic is a very similar player and they picked him up for a relative bargain of $32 million from Chelsea. If Kovacic, 29, can stay injury free then his ability to keep hold of the ball, pass and move and drive forward from midfield is absolutely perfect for the way Pep Guardiola wants to play. With Rodri, Kevin de Bruyne and Kalvin Phillips also in midfield, Kovacic will get plenty of minutes this season across all competitions and it would not be surprising to see him become a regular in a No. 8 role.

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6. Alexis Mac Allister (Brighton to Liverpool)

The Argentina World Cup winning star will bring a whole new dimension to Liverpool’s midfield and this was a very savvy signing from Jurgen Klopp’s side. As soon as they heard there was a release-clause in Mac Allister’s contract they snapped him up for $45 million. Even if Liverpool do end up owing another $20 million or so in add-ons over the course of his deal, that is a bargain. Mac Allister, 24, will bring creativity and intensity to Liverpool’s engine room and he can play pretty much anywhere. This transfer makes so much sense for both the player and Liverpool, with the latter badly needing new energy and ideas in midfield. Mac Allister brings that.

7. Christopher Nkunku (RB Leipzig to Chelsea)

After the months of reports and Nkunku recovering from injury, the deal finally happened. If his goals and preseason form is anything to go by, it looks like it will be worth the wait. Alongside Jackson and Raheem Sterling in attack, that trio promises to be exactly what Chelsea need to get back on track this season. Pochettino is famed for his high-pressing and Nkunku comes to life when his team wins the ball back high up the pitch. He is a composed finisher and loves to cut in off the left to drive at defenders. He could turn out to be the best signing of the summer in the Premier League.

8. Kai Havertz (Chelsea to Arsenal)

Plenty of eyebrows were raised when Arsenal paid Chelsea over $80 million for Havertz but when you break it down, this makes a lot of sense. Havertz never really fit Chelsea’s playing system but he is perfect to play in any of the front four positions for Arsenal. The way he drifts around and links up play will slot in with Martinelli, Jesus, Saka and Odegaard and it’s easy to forget he is still just 24 years old. Havertz is a confidence player and you get the sense he will be very happy at Arsenal as he is a great team player.

9. Moussa Diaby (Bayer Leverkusen to Aston Villa)

What a signing for Aston Villa. Diaby is an exceptional dribbler and for the way Unai Emery sets his teams up to be dangerous on the counter, the pace the Frenchman possesses will be crucial. But Diaby, 24, is about so much more than pace as he cuts in from the right and has already scored a few goals in preseason as he gives Villa another outlet in attack to stretch teams. He is calm on the ball, has a wonderful cross on him and is so direct with his running.

10. Sandro Tonali (AC Milan to Newcastle United)

This was a huge signing for Newcastle and even though Eddie Howe admitted that Tonali is still getting used to their system in preseason, it is only a matter of time before the Italian international is dominating games in the Premier League. His poise on the ball will give Newcastle a different dimension and allow them to control the tempo of games and give them an extra layer which complements their counter-attacking qualities. Tonali, 23, joined for $67 million and this signing reminded us that Newcastle are now a Champions League club and they want to keep it that way for many years to come.

Notable mentions: Pau Torres (Aston Villa), Harvey Barnes (Newcastle United), Mason Mount (Manchester United), Jurrien Timber (Arsenal), Arnaut Danjuma (Everton), Dominik Szoboszlai (Liverpool)



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