EPL Transfer Talk: Emmanuel Adebayor and the 10 Best Summer Signings

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In a summer where £485 million was spent, English Premier League teams have done some serious spending in order to strengthen their squads.

Despite a brittle global market, five of the top six clubs broke the £50 million marker, and overall spending was up 33 percent from the previous summer.

Now that teams have had some time to come together, we take a look at some of the new additions that will prove to be dividends for their new clubs.

Here are the top 10 summer transfers of 2011.

10. Gervinho

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Gervinho is best described as a work in progress.  Tearing it up in Ligue 1 does not mean that Gervinho will find success in the most challenging league in the world.

Tactically, Gervinho appears to have settled into Arsenal's style of play.  His diagonal runs and understanding with Bacary Sagna on the right side will be key factors in adding a new dimension to Arsenal's attack.

Although Gervinho is still becoming accustomed to his new teammates, his selfish, go-to-goal mentality should be praised.  Arsenal have needed some teeth for awhile, and Gervinho might be the predator they have been looking for.

9. Yohan Cabaye

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Despite Newcastle losing influential midfielders Joey Barton and Kevin Nolan, Newcastle have replaced them with an energetic midfielder in Yohan Cabaye.

The move was virtually unnoticed in the media, which is really quite a shame.  Cabaye was the linchpin in Lille's championship-winning season and comes with plenty of potential to improve.

His partnership with Cheik Tiote will be a key factor in determining how well Newcastle perform this season.

8. Jose Enrique

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Ever since John Arne-Riise departed in 2008, Liverpool have failed to find an adequate replacement.

At Newcastle Jose Enrique made a name for himself as one of the finest left-backs in the league due to his pace and confidence on the ball.

His experience in the EPL will prove as a huge boost for Liverpool this season. 

7. Phil Jones

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Regarded as the future of English football, Phil Jones has so far justified such claims.

Many pundits were critical of Sir Alex splashing the cash on an 18-year-old who had only played for one season in the EPL, but so far Jones has made those naysayers eat their words.

His surging runs forward and composure on the ball in defense have made him worthy of a starting spot in the United side.  So far, United have looked more solid with Jones in their side.

At 19, Jones has over a decade of service in him as United's rock.

6. Samir Nasri

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Samir Nasri sparked a minor transfer saga this past summer while deciding which Manchester side he was going to sign with.

Ultimately, the lure of riches and baby blue jerseys made Nasri's mind up for him.

Now that Nasri is surrounded by true talent, he has begun to show his potential.  In a similar case of Fabregas, being surrounded by actual stars really does make the player better.

Nasri is only going to improve at City, which will surely make the title race all the more interesting.

5. Emmanuel Adebayor

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Emmanuel Adebayor has experience written all over him.  A proven EPL goalscorer and a threat in La Liga at Real Madrid, Adebayor is only 27 and seems to have found a perfect fit in Tottenham.

Had Lionel Messi or Sergio Aguero scored identical goals to Adebayor's brace against Liverpool, we would still be reading about it in the news.  For one reason or another, Adebayor seems not to be getting the recognition he deserves. 

This could prove to be ammunition for Adebayor to fire Tottenham into a top four finish.

4. Juan Mata

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Andre Villas-Boas made his game plan clear when he signed Juan Mata.

Most of the Chelsea players are over 30, one dimensional and losing their appetite. 

Juan Mata is the antithesis of all of these.  At age 23 and blessed with speed and flair, Mata is the type of player who will be responsible for implementing AVB's signature style on a re-vamped Chelsea side.

Mata will likely need a few more games to fully settle into the EPL, but once he settles in he is only going to improve.

3. Ashley Young

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It has been a season set up around youth for Manchester United.

The average age so far this season has been 23, yet unlike a certain London club, these youngsters are seriously producing.

Ashley Young was brought in as a transitional player with Paul Scholes retiring and Ryan Giggs' days slowly coming to an end.

Although Young has sometimes been called a one-trick pony, this pony's trick is pretty darn good.  No matter how many times defenders are faced in a one-on-one with Young, he always manages to cut inside and have a cross or shot with his right foot.

Entering the peak of his career, Young has plenty of time ahead of him to collect many medals with United.

2. Sergio Aguero

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Tevez who?

That seems to be the general consensus around Manchester. 

With Sergio Aguero fitting in seamlessly and Edin Dzeko finally learning how to score, City have themselves a real threat up top.

Already scoring eight goals for City, Aguero vs. Rooney could be the EPL's reply to Messi vs. Ronaldo.

The title race will surely have many different variables, but two of the biggest could be how Aguero and Rooney perform for their respected clubs.

1. Mikel Arteta

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In the case of Arteta, he has been a fantastic player at a poor club. 

No disrespect to Everton, but Arteta had no one to work with and no options to play off of.

Now with Arsenal, Arteta is at the perfect club to showcase his abilities as a footballer.  A club short on leadership, experience and teeth, Arteta will be responsible for instilling some order and acting as a role model to the young players.

Closing in on 30, Arteta will grab any opportunity he has to add some trophies to his cabinet.