It is not always easy for players arriving from foreign countries to get used to the culture and style of the English Premier League. Most players take a few games to find their feet while few require a whole season at least.
This transfer window has brought another influx of big names from all over the world to England. Arsenal signed Granit Xhaka from Borussia Monchengladbach. Manchester United were huge winners with the signings of Eric Bailly from Villarreal and Zlatan Ibrahimovic from PSG.
Although they also roped in Paul Pogba for a world record fee from Juventus, the Frenchman was unavailable for the opening weekend. Clubs like Middlesbrough and Leicester made shrewd rather than exuberant signings in an attempt to strengthen for the new campaign.
On that note let’s take a look at 10 players who had no problem settling into their respective clubs and had debuts to remember:
#10 Lynden Gooch
David Moyes is renowned for placing his trust in young players and 20-year-old Lynden Gooch did not let him down. After making his way through the youth ranks at the side, Gooch was sent on loan to Gateshead and Doncaster. He was given his opportunity on the opening day of the new season and had a fine debut on his return to Sunderland.
Gooch showed great maturity on the left hand side of midfield and was extremely forceful in his play. Although he did not receive many touches of the ball (not many do against Pep Guardiola’s sides) he showed glimpses of his potential and could be a future American star.
Rating - 6/10
#9 Alvaro Negredo
Alvaro Negredo already had a taste of Premier League football at Manchester City, but after a disappointing campaign at Sevilla, arrived at Middlesbrough with low expectations. After a successful pre-season, he slotted straight into the Middlesbrough lineup.
The Spaniard won 6 aerial duels and showed tremendous heart and desire to get on the end of a Gaston Ramirez cross to score Boro's only goal in the opening exchanges of the game.
Rating - 6.5/10
#8 Nathan Redmond
Claude Puel has compared new signing Nathan Redmond to Thierry Henry. Although this seems pretty far-fetched, Puel may still have unearthed a gem. Employing him as a striker instead of on the wing, Puel brought out the best in the 22-year-old Englishman.
Redmond had a sluggish first half but improved drastically as the game progressed. A brilliantly controlled volley earned the Saints a deserved point against 10-men Watford. Redmond was also at his creative best, contributing 4 key passes in the match.
Rating - 7/10
#7 Idrissa Gueye
Idrissa Gueye was a shining light in Aston Villa’s disappointing campaign last season. After signing for Everton this summer for just £7m, Gueye was thrown into the deep end against Spurs for his debut. Gueye was constantly on the move, breaking up Spurs’ play and throwing himself into challenges.
Gueye controlled the midfield throughout the game and made an admirable 6 successful tackles, the second highest of the weekend. If his debut is anything to go by, Gueye could be one of the signings of the season.
Rating - 7/10
#6 Pierre- Emile Hojbjerg
Hojbjerg signed from Bayern Munich this summer for £12million. Although expected to start, Claude Puel decided to leave the Dane on the bench in what turned out to be a huge mistake. After coming on with just over 30 minutes to go, Hojbjerg had an instant impact in the midfield.
Constantly on the move, the 21-year-old operated on both sides of the midfield diamond and immediately exerted his control on the game. He made 43 passes with a ridiculous 100% completion rate and also constantly relieved pressure by finding runners on the flank. Hojbjerg also had a shout for a penalty late on which was denied.
Rating - 7/10
#5 Fernando Llorente
Llorente has all the makings to be a top Premier League striker. After the departures of Andre Ayew and Bafetimbi Gomis, Swansea were short on striking options but Llorente seems to be the perfect fit. Adding a different dimension to the attack, he is expected to forge a fine partnership with fellow Spaniard Borja Baston, who was unavailable on opening day.
Tall, lanky and strong, the Spaniard perfectly defines the English ‘target man’ of the 80’s. Llorente had a decent debut, taking 6 shots and winning 8 aerial duels, the most in the league. It was also his header which was swatted away to Leroy Fer that resulted in Swansea’s goal.
Rating - 7/10
#4 George Friend
It would be impossible for someone who watched Middlesbrough’s game against Stoke to think that George Friend was making his Premier League debut. The second Middlesbrough player on this list, the 28-year-old left back played a major role in Middlesbrough's promotion and he looks to have brought that form into the EPL.
The left back provided a brilliant attacking outlet with his constant runs on the flank and completed more dribbles than any other defender in the league with 5. He also managed several interceptions (4) and blocks to maintain Boro’s stability at the back.
Rating - 7.5/10
#3 Eric Bailly
Although Manchester United were left exposed at the back a few times in the second half and ended up conceding a goal, Eric Bailly still had a fine debut.
He has already formed a solid partnership with Daley Blind and with his fierce tackling and comfortable with the ball at his feet, he could establish himself as a United regular. Bailly received his second consecutive Man of the Match award after he received one against Leicester in the Community Shield last week.
Rating - 7.5/10
#2 Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Great things were expected of Zlatan after he confirmed his switch to Manchester United from PSG and the Swede did not disappoint. Making his Premier League debut against Bournemouth, Zlatan got off to a slightly slow start after a clash of heads with Simon Francis but the Swede grew into the game as it progressed.
The mercurial striker almost got on the scoresheet when a curling, dipping free-kick was beaten away by the keeper, but he followed it up just minutes later with a low strike from distance. The Swede received the ball in midfield and rifled a long-range shot into the bottom corner past Artur Boruc to ensure all 3 points for the Red Devils.
The footballing legend has now scored 3 goals in 4 appearances for United and shows no signs of stopping. Overall a fine debut.
Rating - 8/10
#1 Sadio Mane
After a blistering pre-season campaign, Sadio Mane slotted straight into the Liverpool squad following his move from Southampton. Mane had a tough time of it in the first half against an energetic Hector Bellerin, but as Liverpool raised their level in the second half, so did Mane.
The Senegalese was a constant threat with his pace and his bombing runs down the right-hand side. Mane also managed a fantastic solo goal which all but sealed the win for the Reds.
After making a mockery of Arsenal’s defence, the winger cut inside from the right flank and unleashed a vicious effort into the top left-hand corner past a helpless Petr Cech. Mane was also the most fouled player this weekend (6) indicating his constant threat to Arsenal’s defence. If Mane can continue performances like these, he is well on his way to becoming a Liverpool legend.
Rating - 8.5/10
