The first seven match-days of the Premier League has seen some riveting action with a number of new faces impressing. Like every year, the English clubs were more proactive than their continental counterparts and if early season performances are any indicator, their activism seems to have worked a charm.
However, new signings don’t always enjoy the best of times in their new surroundings. One need only to look at the likes of Fernando Torres and Angel Di Maria to drive the point home. Although there have been a few signings that have gone pear-shaped, the Premier League clubs have been relatively shrewd over the years.
Even in the 2018-19 season, some signings have hit the ground running while a few are yet to find their feet. Through the course of this article, we would look at the former sort of players whose acquisitions have proven to be masterstrokes.
Without wasting further time, here is a look at the 5 best Premier League signings of the summer:
#5 Alisson Becker (Liverpool)
The Brazilian No.1 was signed from AS Roma in the off-season and he has been the solid goalkeeping presence that Liverpool had been crying out for. Apart from a howler against Leicester City, he has been worth every penny of his enormous transfer fee.
In the recent humdinger against Chelsea, he produced numerous world-class saves to keep Liverpool in the game. In an earlier game against Crystal Palace, he was equally impressive as he helped the Reds grind out a gritty victory at Selhurst Park.
Alisson has also played a vital role in acting as the sweeper keeper and starting attacks out from the back, something which Karius and Mignolet were unable to do.
Liverpool look like serious title contenders this term and if they are to have any chance of ending their wait for the elusive Premier League crown, Alisson has to play as pivotal a role as he has been playing in the initial phases.
Thus, for these reasons, he ranks as the 5th best signing of the summer.
#4 Mateo Kovacic (Chelsea)
The Croatian arrived in West London on a season-long loan from European champions, Real Madrid. Having warmed the bench at Real Madrid, the change of scenery has worked wonders for the Croatian. For the vision to sign Kovacic and make him an integral part of things, Maurizio Sarri deserves massive credit.
Kovacic is one of the most underrated footballers on the planet and was unfortunate to be behind the likes of Kroos, Modric and Rakitic for his club and country. However, in West London, he is a vital cog in Chelsea’s midfield which has helped the team remain undefeated after two months of action.
Kovacic’s displays have been superb, considering the new philosophy he has had to embrace. Playing on the left side of a midfield three, Kovacic has developed a telepathic understanding with Eden Hazard. An understanding which helped deliver the opening goal against Liverpool.
Kovacic has also contributed defensively and made the Chelsea midfield a tough proposition to handle. If he can come up with similar performances for the entirety of the season, Chelsea will be in with a real shout for the title.
Hence, for his importance to the team and his performances, Kovacic ranks as the 4th best signing of the summer.
#3 Richarlison (Everton)
The enigmatic Brazilian was signed from Watford for a deal believed to be around 40m. He started the season with a bang, scoring on his debut and continuing his form in the month of August. Despite a red card against Bournemouth, Richarlison has provided Everton with an impetus, an impetus which was sorely lacking from their game last season.
Under the tutelage of Marco Silva, Richarlison has found his best form and also earned a call-up to the national side. At present, the Brazilian is the most exciting option Everton have in their ranks and has the ability to trouble the meanest of defences.
In 5 league appearances for the Toffees, he has made the net bulge on 3 occasions, which is a very good return considering he doesn’t play as a striker. Everton have had an unspectacular start to the season and currently find themselves in the bottom half. However, if things are to change, their new talisman, Richarlison has a huge role to play.
Though he was signed just a few months back, he looks like a shrewd investment. On the back of his performances, one can safely assume that he would carry the Toffees’ attacking burden for years to come. Thus, he makes the Top 3 of our list.
#2 Joao Moutinho (Wolverhampton Wanderers)
Joao Moutinho, aged 32, was signed from the French club, AS Monaco for a meagre fee of around 5m. His signing wasn’t met with much fanfare. However, two months into the new season, the Portuguese has proven to be one of the best acquisitions of the summer.
In 7 league games for Wolves this season, Moutinho has averaged 58 passes at a remarkable accuracy rate of 87%. Additionally, he has provided 1.9 key passes per game. Along with Ruben Neves, he has been the rock on which Wolves’ early-season heroics have been built.
Apart from his impressive passing, Moutinho has also shown steel in his defensive game. He has averaged 3 tackles per game in the league and has been the epitome of a complete midfielder.
At 32, many thought that Moutinho’s best years were past him. However, the Portuguese has shown the world that he still has some gas left in his tank. At a cost of 5m, Moutinho is certainly the best bargain buy of the season. In addition to this, he also qualifies to be one of the best signings of the summer and hence takes the runner-up spot in our list.
#1 Jorginho (Chelsea)
Jorginho was brought through the Stamford Bridge door by Sarri with the intention of making him the torch-bearer of ‘SarriBall’ at Chelsea. A couple of months later, one can safely say that Jorginho has ensured that the SarriBall revolution has engulfed Chelsea and the rest of the Premier League.
Jorginho is a metronomic passer of the football and rarely puts a foot wrong with the ball at his feet. He has started every league game for Chelsea and averages an astounding 108 passes per game at an accuracy of 90%. However, his crowning glory came at St. James’ Park where he out-passed the entire Newcastle team en route to a 2-1 victory.
Jorginho has been the fulcrum around which the Chelsea team has revolved. He has helped Sarri ingrain his philosophy on the team. With Jorginho working a charm, Chelsea have embarked on an unbeaten run which has seen them occupy the 3rd place on the league table.
In the off-season, Sarri pulled out a masterstroke by snatching Jorginho from under Manchester City’s noses. If he continues in the same vein, Jorginho could help Chelsea win the title they won back in 2016-17.
Therefore, for these reasons, Jorginho ranks as the best Premier League signing of the summer.