Scouting 3 of Premier League's Most Surprising Transfer Deadline Day Signings
The January transfer deadline day failed to provide the sort of drama modern football demands; most of the "big" clubs kept quiet, refusing to alter their squads at extortionate prices, with the likes of Watford, Everton and Newcastle United taking centre stage for their dealings instead.
Transfer links came in their droves this winter, with plenty of big names touted to be joining prominent sides, but from Sadio Mane to Alex Teixeira, almost every single one fell through.
Prudence reigned despite the Premier League title sitting there for the taking. Arsenal signed a player for the long term, Leicester City refused to endanger their group dynamic and Manchester City put faith in what they had.
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Deadline day did throw up its customary set of far-flung signings, though, with several foreign imports signing for Premier League clubs and arriving amidst a shroud of mystery. Even with the globalisation of football, some players are still unearthed, so to speak.
Here, B/R takes a look at the lesser-known players to arrive on English shores on Monday and provides a snippet of what they can offer.
1. Giannelli Imbula, FC Porto to Stoke City
Giannelli Imbula was the biggest deadline day signing of the lot, joining Stoke City for a club-record £18 million just shy of 30 minutes before the window shut.
It’s another mark of their magnificent progress—as recently as December, Imbula started a do-or-die UEFA Champions League tie at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea. Now he’s a Potter.
The 23-year-old has a wicked blend of strengths which should see him become an impactful player at the Britannia Stadium and a crowd favourite very quickly. Physically, he’ll find the Premier League a breeze, while technically, he’s extremely gifted too.
People will look at his build and assume he’s a pure destroyer, a cruncher in challenges. He is strong and he does put his weight into tackles, but he’s not a direct replacement for the departed Steven N’Zonzi; he’s so much more than that.
Imbula is a dribbling machine; he loves the thrill of nipping the ball past his marker and surging forward into space. Per WhoScored.com, he embarked upon 2.9 successful dribbles per game in 2014-15 with Marseille in Ligue 1, and the year before—in the Champions League—he managed an astonishing 4.5 per game.
He’s the guy you want picking the ball up on the edge of your own box and starting attacks. His passing range is good—not great—and he can travel at speed with it at his feet. He can lock shoulders and beat markers physically when required.
Imbula does have weaknesses. He loves a long-distance shot, perhaps overly so, and his goal return of three league goals in two-and-a-half years doesn’t justify the number of shots he has taken.
He’s also said to have a slightly difficult personality—perhaps a reason FC Porto cut him loose just six months after signing him—but Mark Hughes has tamed Marko Arnautovic; he’s not afraid of extracting talent with a challenge.
2. Oumar Niasse, Lokomotiv Moscow to Everton
It was no surprise to see Everton hit the market in January. They’ve underperformed this season in accordance with the talent at the club, and a notable new addition might be just the jolt needed to unlock better form.
Oumar Niasse was linked to the Premier League throughout the month, with Manchester United, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur all mentioned as possible destinations by the Guardian. It was The Toffees who bagged his signature, though, paying the necessary £13.5 million to persuade Lokomotiv Moscow to let him go.
The Senegalese hitman is a versatile, speedy player who can make an impact in two positions from the off: centre-forward and left wing. He impressed greatly in 2015 in both roles, scooping the Russian Premier League Player of the Year award in the process, melding his game to suit the new requirements.
The 25-year-old is quick across the ground, shows good awareness of runners and finds passes to set up counter-attacks well. A heads-up finisher, adapting his game to play as a central striker hasn’t been difficult because of his reliable ability to find the back of the net.
Niasse can play to Romelu Lukaku’s left to begin with, then fill in for the Belgian if required. With Arouna Kone’s star fading and Kevin Mirallas standing as one of the most mistrusted members of the squad, there’s a first-team berth there for him to seize immediately.
3. Adalberto Penaranda, Granada to Watford (loaned back to Granada)
Adalberto Penaranda is hardly a victory for Watford’s scouting department; Giampaolo Pozzo owns both the club he has joined and the club who sold him, Granada. He’d been performing under their very noses all season long.
The Venezuelen’s 2015-16 season so far has those back in his homeland excited that they might just have a precocious attacking talent at their fingertips. He’s caught the eye in La Liga after scoring four and assisting one in his first nine starts, per WhoScored.
Penaranda runs at defences as if his life depends on it. His raw speed, ability to make slight directional changes at pace, and willingness to run down your throat makes him difficult to stop. He will put you under so much one-on-one pressure you will likely wilt.
He remains an unpolished player, but at 18 years of age, that’s hardly a concern. Granada are one of La Liga’s weakest sides and have averaged the fourth-least possession per game (46.9 percent), but that’s actually suited Penaranda, as it’s allowed him to utilise a high-energy counter-attacking game.
The first goal he scored against Levante in December was absolutely sublime, searing past the defence on the counter with a well-timed run and bringing down a lofted through ball with a first touch Lionel Messi would have been proud of. He then calmly popped the ball through the goalkeeper’s legs.
He’s capable of brilliance, but most of it is explosivity-based or reactive. Penaranda has a lot to do to round off his game and become a Premier League-level striker, but he’s worth monitoring closely to see if he can...because, boy, is he fun to watch.
