Ranking the Top 16 Premier League Signings of the 2015 Summer Transfer Window
The squads are taking shape for the new Premier League season, and some signings have been more impressive than others.
Whether it is a big-money arrival or a clever addition to a team's squad, new signings all serve their purpose for managers hungry to build on what happened last season or establish a new beginning. But which have been the best arrivals?
You'll all have your opinions, but here's our top 16.
16. Pedro Obiang, Sampdoria to West Ham
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Powerful and athletic, 23-year-old Spain under-21 midfielder Pedro Obiang might not be the most high-profile of arrivals into the Premier League this summer, but his addition by West Ham United has given the club a real presence in the centre of the pitch.
Educated at Atletico Madrid, Obiang has carved out a reputation as a box-to-box midfielder who doesn't neglect his defensive duties in Serie A, and that would seem to stand him in perfect stead for an impressive career in the Premier League with manager Slaven Bilic's Hammers.
15. Matteo Darmian, Torino to Manchester United
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Another player swapping Serie A for the Premier League is new Manchester United right-back Matteo Darmian, who made the switch from Torino.
The position is one with which United have somewhat struggled during recent seasons, with Rafael never truly convincing everyone and Antonio Valencia still appearing to have something of a makeshift look about him.
In the Italian international Darmian, though, United have added an international-class performer and one who looks as though he could slot into their team with ease. He'll expect to be first choice and certainly has the quality to be so.
14. Andre Ayew, Marseille to Swansea
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Clever additions have been a hallmark of Swansea's four seasons in the Premier League, with the likes of Michu and Gylfi Sigurdsson making their marks at Liberty Stadium after having arrived from elsewhere.
There is a very real sense that Ghana midfielder Andre Ayew is going to follow in their footsteps following what looks to be a very smart free transfer move from Marseille. The 25-year-old will be bringing his clever movement, leadership skills and goalscoring ability to a squad that was hardly short on those qualities in the first place.
13. Jordy Clasie, Feyenoord to Southampton
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Losing Morgan Schneiderlin to Manchester United (which we'll come to later) is of course a major blow to Southampton, but after their successes in replacing key performers last season, they'll be inclined to wonder just what all the fuss is about.
In Jordy Clasie they've added a, well, classy midfield player who should slot into the hole vacated by Schneiderlin with ease.
Linking up again with his former Feyenoord boss Ronald Koeman, Clasie's energy and enthusiasm in the centre of the pitch will be of huge use to the Saints, who might soon forget all about Schneiderlin.
12. Dimitri Payet, Marseille to West Ham
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Slaven Bilic's West Ham revolution is taking place with some eye-catching additions, none more so than French international midfielder Dimitri Payet from Marseille.
Formerly of Nantes, Saint-Etienne and Lille, Payet arrives for a first spell outside of his native country with the high hopes of the Hammers faithful, who want to be entertained in their final season at Upton Park after years of mistrusting the football played under Sam Allardyce.
Payet—capped 14 times by his country—is certainly going to help with that.
11. Nathaniel Clyne, Southampton to Liverpool
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We've often heard grumbling about "the English premium"—a price tag placed on young native players that makes them far more expensive than their foreign counterparts—and so when you can snap up a 24-year-old current England international for £12.5 million, that has to be cause for celebration.
Right-back Nathaniel Clyne might be taking a well-trodden path from Southampton to Liverpool, but there is every reason to believe that he will be the most successful of the players to make the switch from the south coast to Merseyside.
He plays in a position where the Reds struggled badly last season, and as a proven Premier League performer, he instantly improves Brendan Rodgers' side.
10. Georginio Wijnaldum, PSV to Newcastle
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There have been a number of impressive Dutch talents who've swapped their homeland for the Premier League this summer, and midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum is chief among them.
The 24-year-old and his 14 goals were vital ingredients in PSV Eindhoven's Eredivisie title win in 2014/15, and he arrives at Newcastle United to play a key role alongside the similarly energetic Moussa Sissoko in midfield, with Steve McClaren creating a squad that he hopes will avoid the relegation worries the Magpies experienced last season.
9. Gerard Deulofeu, Barcelona to Everton
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Everton supporters spent more time on the edges of their seats than sitting in them during Gerard Deulofeu's loan spell at Goodison Park in the 2013/14 campaign, and there is a sense of giddiness for his permanent arrival at the club that few other players would have been able to create.
The wide man is a nippy, creative force who has quite clearly been schooled in the Barcelona way at La Masia, and now on board full-time at Everton following a cut-price deal, he'll be a key player for manager Roberto Martinez in a 2015/16 that promises yet more excitement for Blues fans.
8. Morgan Schneiderlin, Southampton to Manchester United
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Balance in midfield has been something that Manchester United have been craving for a while, and in the signing of French international Morgan Schneiderlin, they appear to have brought in a player who fits that need perfectly.
Schneiderlin's move from Southampton brings in a player with English league experience—both in the Premier League and the lower leagues—and as Michael Carrick advances in years, it is possible to see Schneiderlin holding court in the centre of the pitch for longer than his four-year contract.
7. Roberto Firmino, Hoffenheim to Liverpool
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Everyone loves a maverick Brazilian, and with the arrival of Roberto Firmino at Liverpool, the Premier League is about to see one.
The 23-year-old makes his way to Anfield via Hoffenheim in Germany, and it is that spell in European football that has generated such high hopes among Reds supporters, who will expect that their new man has received sufficient grounding on the continent to succeed.
Just how Firmino adapts to English football promises to be one of the more fascinating aspects of the new campaign, and it's going to be fun to find out what happens.
6. Memphis Depay, PSV to Manchester United
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With Robin van Persie and Radamel Falcao having departed and Manchester United in need of a quick attacker to supplement the rest of their talented squad, their move for the Dutch international Memphis Depay looks to be an incredibly shrewd one.
Depay—who played under Louis van Gaal at last summer's World Cup—might not go straight into the side at Old Trafford, but his promise is vast as a striking alternative.
5. Raheem Sterling, Liverpool to Manchester City
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Discussions over the vast £49 million fee might still be doing the rounds, but Manchester City have secured themselves a real talent in Raheem Sterling—who at 20 years old only looks like he's going to get better.
A key player at Liverpool under Brendan Rodgers, there is a maturity to Sterling's game that belies his youth, and he adds a welcome element to a City squad that had begun to look a little long in the tooth.
If he hits the ground running, that fee will be the last thing on people's minds.
4. James Milner, Manchester City to Liverpool
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Although not possessing the technical ability of some of the players lower down this list, James Milner gets a seal of approval for his switch from Manchester City to Liverpool simply because it is a move that looks absolutely perfect for all parties involved.
Add in the fact that it was a free transfer, and you have all the elements of a deal that really should work out for both the player and his new club, who look set to give him a central role as they embark on life without Steven Gerrard.
3. Bastian Schweinsteiger, Bayern Munich to Manchester United
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The doubters will tell you that he's past his best and has suffered with injuries in the past couple of years, but Bastian Schweinsteiger's move from Bayern Munich to Manchester United seems to be more than just a transfer. It has restored a swagger to the club that had been missing.
On the pitch, Schweinsteiger will bring authority and organisation to a United side whose midfield has been too weak for too long, and his influence will allow Louis van Gaal to have both a leader on the pitch and a player he trusts implicitly following their time together at Bayern Munich.
2. Yohan Cabaye, Paris Saint-Germain to Crystal Palace
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Few transfers into the Premier League this summer have raised as many eyebrows as Yohan Cabaye's from Paris Saint-Germain to Crystal Palace, where the former Newcastle United midfielder will link up with his old Toon boss, Alan Pardew.
After superbly leading Palace to safety and beyond last season, Pardew will now be determined to create a lasting legacy at Selhurst Park, and the addition of the classy French international Cabaye will certainly add to that possibility.
1. Petr Cech, Chelsea to Arsenal
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An £11 million deal for a 33-year-old seems like an unlikely No. 1, but Arsenal's move for Petr Cech is quite an unusual transfer.
The Gunners have immensely strengthened their squad with the addition of the Czech veteran, who comes into Arsene Wenger's side and immediately improves it in an area where it drastically needed surgery.
Cech could prove to be the difference between a credible title challenge and just another season in the top four for Wenger's men, and given the promise they showed at Emirates Stadium last season, they seem to be in a perfect position from which to build.
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