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The new Premier League season will kick off on 5 August. All the top clubs in the league are gearing themselves up by being proactive in transfer deals in the summer transfer window. From big money moves to bargain deals, some exciting new signings have already been confirmed by clubs,
Let’s look at some of the most underrated signings by Premier League clubs this season. Under the radar deals that could be deal breakers this season of English football’s top flight.
Note: All the statistics from 'Fbref' mentioned in the article are from Europe's top 5 leagues + European competitions in the last 365 days.
#4 Marc Roca - Bayern Munich to Leeds United
The Spanish midfielder signed with Leeds United for a reported fee of around £10 million. Roca primarily operates as a central midfielder, often in a double pivot. With the departure of Kalvin Phillips to Manchester City, Roca is expected to fill the gap in Leeds' midfield. With a relatively low transfer fee, Roca seems like an absolute bargain for Leeds.
According to Fbref, Roca averages around 25 pressures per game. With an 88.6% successful pass completion rate, the Spaniard has established himself well in building from the back. With a composed posture, the 25-year-old has a decent passing range and his stats (2021-22 season) talk about his active involvement in his team’s buildup play as well.
#3 Taiwo Awoniyi - Union Berlin to Nottingham Forest
At £17.5 million, Taiwo Awoniyi is Nottingham Forest's record signing. The striker scored 15 goals for Union Berlin in 31 Bundesliga games last season. With an imposing physique and great pace, Awoniyi hastily assumed the role of an advanced forward. The 24-year old is equipped with equally good finishing skills.
According to Fbref, Awoniyi falls in the 88 percentile of strikers amongst Europe's top five leagues in non-penalty expected goals (npxG). With almost two progressive passes per game, Awoniyi has decent link-up play. He averages 0.95 clearances per game.(Fbref.)
#2 Julio Enciso - Club Libertad to Brighton & Hove Albion
The Paraguay international has been signed by Brighton & Hove Albion for a deal of around £9.5 million, including add-ons. At just 18 years of age, Enciso has shown some great potential to light up the Premier League on fire. Nicknamed "The Messi of Paraguay", Enciso is best known for his dribbling skills.
The prospect was involved in 14 goals in 14 matches last season for Club Libertad in the Primera Division Apertura. As per Sofascore, Enciso averaged around three successful dribbles per game in the 2022 CONMEBOL Libertadores. The youngster also enjoyed a 100% success rate in playing long balls. With 2.7 key passes per game, Enciso can be utilized as a playmaker to rip off defenses with a single pass.
#1 Boubacar Kamara - Marseille to Aston Villa
Yet another smart arrival in the Premier League, acquiring the services of Boubacar Kamara for free, warrants appreciation for Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard. A typical defensive midfielder who can also play as a centre-back, Kamara is a rare talent. He oozes calmness in event the most high-pressure situations. His defensive traits, like shielding the ball and reading the game well, have taken his game up a notch.
According to Fbref, the Frenchman has a successful pass rate of 92%. He averages an efficient 1.81 clearances per game. His long legs and exceptional reading of the game have helped him to be intercepted around 2.17 times per 90 minutes. Sofascore says Kamara averaged around 82.7 touches in the 2021-22 Ligue1 season.This clearly shows his importance in a possession-based system.
The Premier League has an immense pool of talent. It is of no surprise that there will surely be some more signings before the transfer window ends. The League is a book that never runs out of pages. So many premium players to look out for, so many players who are the talk of the season, so many more to come. With its new season starting on August 5, Premier League fans can expect yet another season of record shattering events unfurling in the 2022- 23 season of the Premier League.
