This Summer has once again seen Premier League spend big and this off season it has seemed even more so, with a new bumper TV deal starting it has given even more riches to the 20 top flight clubs.
With still a few weeks to go before the end of the transfer window the pace doesn’t seem like lighting up just yet.
Spending big hasn’t just been the preserve of the teams as the top as teams throughout the league have been flexing their financial muscle with a raft of new faces ready to make their bow in the next couple days.
In addition to that there have also been some big domestic transfers as managers make the final touches to their preparations for the start of the campaign.
Let’s now look at 6 new signings who will be looking to make their mark this season…
Paul Pogba
Where else can we start but Manchester and the world record signing of Paul Pogba. After a drawn out transfer saga that lasted all the summer the move is finally complete and now the task for Pogba is to make sure he lives up to the expectations that being the worlds most expensive player will bring.
The 23-year-old is a much changed player from the one that left Manchester United back in 2012 and Jose Mourinho will now look to build his side around the French international. United have certainly lacked that drive and determination in the middle of the park over the past few years and Pogba will be charged with reigniting a United side that missed out on Champions League football this season due to goal difference.
And Pogba will also be expected to chip in with his fair share of goals, you don’t just spend nearly £100m on someone who can pass a ball nicely. If he can get into double figures for the league campaign then United’s chances of winning a first title since 2012 will be greatly improved.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic
If it wasn’t for the arrival of Pogba then Zlatan Ibrahimovic will have undoubtedly been the signing of the Summer but with Pogba’s return to Old Trafford it means Ibrahimovic has had to take a back seat over the past couple of weeks. Although normal serviced was resumed when he scored the winner for United in Sunday’s Community Shield.
There is no questioning his talents but people will be wondering has he made his move to the Premier League perhaps a season or two too late. After scoring goals and winning trophies for fun at PSG he now finally makes his long awaited move to the Premier League but we will be seeing the same Zlatan?
A less than impressive Euro 2016 will have people saying that his best days are numbered but what better way to silence your critics than by scoring a hatful of goals this season and as we know Ibrahimovic doesn’t just do tap-ins. He may not be Ibrahimovic at his peak but he will certainly light up the Premier League over the next 9 months.
Giorginio Wijnaldum
Jurgen Klopp’s attempts at changing the Liverpool squad into something he really can call his own is starting to take shape and one of those new faces to come to Anfield over the course of the Summer is Dutch international Giorginio Wijnaldum.
Wijnaldum was one of the bright lights in a miserable season for Newcastle last season and you may wonder how he has gone for a fee of £25m but this Summer we are seeing transfer fees once again take another step change so if Sadio Mane was purchased for £34m then by that scale you would say it’s a pretty decent price.
He will be tasked with adding pace to a midfield that was functional last season but lacked width at times as Liverpool failed to really stretch teams in the way they have done before. In fairness to Wijnaldum it’s not quite the marquee signing that Liverpool fans were hoping for but perhaps the philosophy will be about the collective rather than superstar, if that brings success then Wijnaldum and the other new faces will soon become stars on Merseyside.
Michy Batshuayi
The Belgian international was chased by a number of Premier League clubs especially the London based ones and it was Chelsea who ended up beating their cross town rivals Tottenham and Crystal Palace to the signature of Batshuyi from Marseille.
At times in attack last season Chelsea looked light both in talent and personnel especially when Diego Costa was ruled out injured, Batshuyi may not be necessarily a first team player right from the off but if and when he is called upon then he will be ready to hit the ground running and chip in with the goals that Chelsea will need if they are to be real title contenders this season.
The 23 year old scored 17 times in 36 Ligue 1 appearances and at £33m his price tag will bring a weight of expectation. Perhaps he is one for the future but if he can start this season well then the future could be very promising indeed.
Victor Wanayama
With Wanyama’s Southampton contract set to expire at the end of this season it was no real surprise that he left the St Mary’s this Summer and it’s Tottenham where the Kenyan midfielder has now ended up. The 25 year old may come with a slightly dubious disciplinary record but if he can just temper that slightly it could be exactly what Tottenham need.
With Mousa Dembele suspended for the early part of the season then Wanyama will slot right into the side and add a bit of steel to a midfield that certainly looked soft in those final few matches. The 5-1 defeat to Newcastle being the perfect example of a Tottenham side seeing it’s soft underbelly exposed.
The prospect of a midfield partnership with Eric Dier looks very exciting for Tottenham and one that should be very hard to breakdown if Mauricio Pochettino’s side are to have any hopes of qualifying for the Champions League again this season then they are going to have to make sure the defensive shield in front of the back four is ready for battle and with Wanyama in their ranks they may have just found their general.
Granit Xhaka
Arsenal have been quiet in the transfer market compared to their nearest rivals and that will be cause for concern to their fans but of the small amount of business they have done it’s no less impressive. Arsene Wenger has parted with £35m to capture the signing of Granit Xhaka from Borussia Monchengladbach
Xhaka will be a key addition to a slightly lighter Midfield department. That is due to the departures of Mathieu Flamini, Mikel Arteta and Tomas Rosicky, the trio weren’t offered new contracts by Arsene Wenger as the Frenchman looks to revitalise his squad after missing out on the Premier League title last season.
With Jack Wilshere out pretty much all season Arsenal lost any real creative spark in the central areas behind Mesut Ozil. They were often accused of a weakness in the spine of the team and Xhaka’s purchase will go someway to rectifying that problem.
You would imagine he will be paired up with Mohamed Elneny in the centre, the Egyptian Elneny was purchased in January from Basle and looked better and better as the season went on. With a full pre-season under his belt a partnership of Elneny and Xhaka could be very interesting for Arsenal.
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