Premier League 2019/20: Ranking the five best transfers of this summer

The English Premier League summer transfer window has now been shut. All incoming business has concluded and we are on the eve of a brand new season. The 2019/20 campaign kicks off on Friday night as Liverpool host Norwich City.

It was a fantastic transfer window over the past three months. Just like the preceding ones, this summer transfer window was full of drama as well, as Premier League powerhouses put in immense effort, going head-to-head in an intense battle to beat one another and secure the finest deals in the market. This resulted in many high-profile switches and huge transfer sums.

In this article, we rank the five best Premier League transfers of this summer, taking into consideration the difficulty of completing the move, the value of the transfer and value addition to the team.

Note: All transfer fees are from Transfermarkt.

#5 Joao Cancelo

Under the guidance of Guardiola, we may see Joao Cancelo turn into one of the best fullbacks in the league

Transfer fee: €65m (Danilo + €30m)

From: Juventus

To: Manchester City

On the fifth place of this list, we have Joao Cancelo who moved from Juventus to Manchester City this summer. It's a real surprise to see this man leaving Juventus after a very good first season in the Bianconeri shirt.

Cancelo's offensive qualities are immense and it's undoubtedly the primary reason for Guardiola bringing him in. He posted great attacking numbers last year and was one of Juve's main driving forces in pushing the ball up the field.

He is already one of the best players in his position and he could become another tactical masterstroke from Pep Guardiola. Under Pep Guardiola's guidance, he is expected to improve massively and evolve as a player. Manchester City fans should be really excited about their new man.

#4 Aaron Wan-Bissaka

Transfer fee: €55m

From: Crystal Palace

To: Manchester United

On fourth place in this list, we have another right-back. The 21-year-old Aaron Wan-Bissaka moved from Crystal Palace to Manchester United for €55m in one of the moves of the pre-season.

A strong defense was one of Manchester United's trademarks in the Ferguson era. However, defense was the worst aspect of their game last season. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was well aware of that fact so he decided to strengthen his defense with Harry Maguire and Wan-Bissaka.

The 21-year-old promising right-back has great potential and he will improve the team immensely. He is a superb talent and he could be a key man in United's side in the next decade. Without a doubt, he was United's best player in pre-season matches. With the arrivals of Wan-Bissaka and Maguire, Manchester United's defense does look sorted.

#3 Tanguay Ndombele

Tanguay Ndombele: An excellent addition to Pochettino's midfield.

Transfer fee: €60m

From: Olympique Lyon

To: Tottenham Hotspur

Last summer, Tottenham Hotspur became the first Premier League team to go through an entire summer transfer window without making a signing. However, this summer was a completely different story for them as Mauricio Pochettino signed Tanguay Ndombele, Giovani Lo Celso and Ryan Sessegnon.

Ndombele is probably the most exciting box-to-box midfielder in the world right now who has world-class potential. The French international is a high-level ball-winner, comfortable passer, and exceptional ball-progressor. His ability to recover possession, then break pressure and exploit space with an explosive dribble or a quick forward pass is extraordinary. He would've been a great addition to any elite club.

He played four out of five matches during pre-season for Tottenham, picking up one assist in the process. Spurs fans would be very excited to see what he is capable of.

Mauricio Pochettino had been busy in the transfer market.

#2 Nicolas Pepe

Nicolas Pepe: A pacey winger with extremely good finishing.

Transfer fee: €80m

From: LOSC Lille

To: Arsenal

Arsenal broke the bank this summer to make Nicolas Pepe the most expensive signing in their history. At the beginning of the summer transfer market, some newspapers reported that Arsenal have only a £45m budget to spend on new players. So, no one expected them to make a signing of this caliber. With Pepe's arrival, Arsenal fans have more reasons to be optimistic ahead of the new season.

What will Pepe offer to the Gunners? He is a pacey winger and the main trademark of his game are his runs behind the opposition defense. His speed with the ball is incredible and he is never afraid to dribble. He might create a great chemistry with Alexandre Laccazete who loves to drop deep which will open a huge amount of space for Pepe's runs.

When you consider how ill-equipped Arsenal were in the winger positions, it's clear why this transfer is listed so high on this list. Everything indicates that this could be a really exciting season for Arsenal.

#1 Rodri Hernandez

Rodri: A perfect addition for Guardiola's midfield

Transfer Fee: €70m

From: Atletico Madrid

To: Manchester City

And, the best buy of this summer was made by Manchester City when they signed Rodri from Atletico Madrid for €70m. The defensive-midfielder position is one of the most important positions in Guardiola's possession-based system. The first choice for that position in the past three years was Fernandinho. However, the Brazilian midfielder is 34 years old and it's obvious that he can't play many more years at the highest level. Guardiola knew that this summer is the perfect time to find his replacement.

Guardiola must be delighted with Rodri's arrival because he gets a top-quality player who fits his system perfectly. Rodri is a deep-lying orchestrator with great composure and confidence on the ball. He has unbelievable positional intelligence and his ability to take the ball forward from deep positions is one of the best in Europe already.

And, he will only get better under Guardiola. Manchester City have an incredible holding midfielder for the next decade who has everything to became Sergio Busquets 2.0.

Can Rodri become Fernandinho's long-term replacement?

Edited by S Chowdhury