MOSCOW, RUSSIA - JULY 15: Raphael Varane of France celebrates with the World Cup Trophy following his sides victory in the 2018 FIFA World Cup Final between France and Croatia at Luzhniki Stadium on July 15, 2018 in Moscow, Russia. (Photo by Matthias Hangst/Getty Images)
Every year, the Premier League brings in new and exciting players to take the competition to the next level. In the past, it was players such as Gianfranco Zola, Eric Cantona and Thierry Henry. In the modern world, it’s players of a similar level of quality, but with perhaps a slightly different profile. We’ve taken a quick look at some of the top players who have been signed so far, players who have the potential to light up the league.
This is perhaps one of the most long and drawn-out transfer sagas in the history of the league. Jadon Sancho might not have had the game time that some feel he deserved at the Euros, but for anyone who saw Borussia Dortmund play last season, they will know that this signing is not a gamble. In fact, it would be safe to say that Manchester United transfers in the past have been a bit like a newcomer to an online casino. Maybe they didn’t look at the best performers and just went for the flashiest ones. This signing should be different.
Sancho is also a bit different from players in the past. He’s not a foreign player who will be bringing something different to the league. Sancho is originally a homegrown player. In fact, if things had been a little bit different, he could have been lining up next to Phil Foden for Man City. Sancho will have his chance to show everyone in England what he can do. If his season goes as planned, then he could be fighting his way into the England side for the World Cup.
Another Man United signing? It would be wrong to ignore this one though. United have been slightly weak in the spine for a while. They have been tryingtosolve the problems, and the last two big signings they made for the spine of the team have been fantastic ones. Bruno Fernandes and Harry Maguire have made a big difference to the side, and United truly look like a team that could compete for honours in the future. The signing of Raphael Varane is a huge statement signing and could be the one to take United to the next level.
It’s obvious that Sancho is going to light up the Premier League and will add a little more flash and spark to United, but Varane will bring something that’s just as important: stability. In Varane and Maguire, it’s safe to say that United will have one of the top centre-half pairings in Europe. This could be the signing that takes the title back to the red half of Manchester. Whatever happens, it’s not going to be such an easy ride for Man City this season.
He might not have the big name that other Premier League signings have, but Emiliano Buendia is easily one of the most exciting players around. Last time Buendia was in the Premier League, he was one of the top chance creators in the league, even though Norwich crashed out of the division with a whimper. Last season, he helped to propel Norwich back to the top flight, but when Aston Villa came calling, both the player and Norwich were unable to say no.
Whether Buendia is a replacement for Jack Grealish or if he has been bought to play with him remains to be seen. Whatever the case, Buendia is a solid addition to an ambitious Villa side and could definitely help with their ambitions of fighting it out for a place in Europe. The thought of both Grealish and Buendia creating chances for Ollie Watkins should strike fear into the heart of most Premier League defences.
Francisco Trincao is one of the most exciting young players in Portugal. Coming up in the same youth team as Pedro Neto, it’s no surprise that he ended up at Wolves once his availability was made public. Playing for Barcelona last season, he didn’t get the game time that he perhaps felt he deserved. However, when arguably the best player of all time plays in your position, there is a good reason why Trincao was unable to break into the first team on a regular basis.
It’s pretty safe to say that if it wasn’t for Barcelona’s financial troubles, Trincao wouldn’t have left this summer. Even though he’s initially on loan, if Trincao does well, then it’s likely that Wolves will turn the transfer into a permanent one. With Wolves’ strong Portuguese contingent already in place, as well as a new Portuguese manager, it’s likely that he will hit the ground running. Not only could Trincao light up the Premier League this season, but he could also turn out to be one of the biggest bargains.
Boubakary Soumare is a player who a lot of teams in the Premier League have been looking at over the last few years. Liverpool have been rumoured to be trying to bring him in, and there have been rumoured rejected bids from both Wolves and Newcastle. Leicester managing to bring him in, and for a relatively low fee, is definitely a bit of a coup. Soumare is an extremely strong midfield player. Aggressive in the tackle and comfortable on the ball, he will fit in perfectly in an already very strong midfield.
Adding to Wilfred Ndidi, Youri Tielemans and James Maddison, Leicester have one of the best midfields in the league. Brendan Rodgers will be looking to finish higher this season after two promising campaigns. Midfield has easily been the strongest aspect of Leicester’s recruitment over the last decade, with N’Golo Kanté the obvious standout. However, Riyad Mahrez was also picked up by the Leicester scouting team, and Danny Drinkwater played his best football for the club.
By adding Soumare to an already strong engine room, Jamie Vardy and Kelechi Iheanacho forming a solid strike partnership, and the addition of Ryan Bertrand to bring some experience to the defence, this could be the season that Leicester finally manage to deliver on their obvious potential.