World Football Transfers: 7 Players Set to Shine for Their New Teams

While this summer’s transfer window has been awash with talent moving across Europe, none stand out more so than the following superstars who will no doubt shine for their new teams.

There were some surprise moves this year as well, with newly-owned Paris Saint Germain and Malaga trumping the rest of Europe to claim a couple of sensational talents.

Ashley Young - Manchester United

Watching Ashley Young perform for Manchester United in their first three games of the season has been a real joy. You’d never have thought that this is a player in a new environment based on the way he’s settled.

He’s managed to link up incredibly well with Wayne Rooney and Patrice Evra on the left side of Manchester United’s attack and was on the score sheet against Arsenal on the weekend, scoring two outstanding goals.

With Ashley Young, there was never any doubt that he would leave Aston Villa to go on to bigger things in his career. His England career has really began to flourish over the past 12 months, and now that he’s at a club of United’s size, a regular starting position for England will definitely be in the cards.

There will be many expecting big things from Young this season. He has all the footballing ability to be a success at Manchester United, and a flurry of trophies are likely to be added to his CV over the coming years.

Santi Cazorla - CF Malaga

Malaga’s big money signing over the summer, Cazorla’s previous club, Villarreal, were negotiating with clubs in England before Malaga snuck in and got the deal done. For a club record £21 million, there will be huge expectation for the player to deliver and help guide the club into the Champions League this season.

Cazorla has already shown what he is capable of, scoring a fantastic free kick in Malaga’s opening day loss to Sevilla. Dubbed “Our Ronaldinho” by his former Villarreal teammates, he possess tremendous pace and skill going forward, similar to that of the Brazilian. Cazorla is a player who is able to control the tempo of the game and shine as his team’s creative outlet—even from a wide position.

Some may have been questioning Cazorla’s ambition by signing for CF Malaga,who are very much becoming the Manchester City of Spain, yet the club have signaled their intent and ambition by signing a player of Cazorla’s quality.

There is no doubting Cazorla’s ability as a Spanish player; he fits right in with the likes of David Villa and Andres Iniesta. This is a player who will have endless support from the club and the fans to succeed on the Costa Del Sol.

Javier Pastore - PSG

Possibly the biggest surprise so far of the transfer window, Javier Pastore’s move to PSG came completely out of left field and was a surefire indication that the Paris side mean business.

The Argentine arrives in the French capital with a huge price tag on his shoulders—a club record £37 million. But where many will be scratching their heads at why the player would turn down a move to a more “elite” league, this has become a chance for the French league to move further up alongside the dominating leagues of Europe.

Pastore will add flair and creativity to a new-look PSG side boasting a number of other impressive signings.

I don’t expect Pastore’s head to be turned soon by the advances of clubs like Manchester City or Real Madrid; he is a player who has very much bought into the project that director of football Leonardo was selling.

Already racking up a handful of assists so far, Pastore’s quality will shine through in Ligue 1 and help the club become a force in Europe.

Cesc Fabregas - Barcelona

The longest transfer saga in recent memory came to an end as Cesc Fabregas rejoined his boyhood club.

The player has only been at the club for three competitive matches and he has already won two trophies, surpassing the one FA Cup he won at Arsenal.

Fabregas has been instrumental already at his new club, scoring in the UEFA Super Cup against Porto, a delightful control and volley from a Messi assist, and another again in the opening La Liga game against Villarreal, Messi and Cesc linking up for a second time.

It’s clear that Fabregas has settled well in the Catalan capital, displaying the ability we are used to seeing in an Arsenal shirt. While still a little low on match fitness due to lack of preseason games, Fabregas will continue to play a big role for the European champions, with manager Pep Guardiola already adjusting the formation to suit him.

Kevin Gameiro - PSG

Kevin Gameiro was deemed to be hot property following his impressive outing for FC Lorient last season. The French hit man had been attracting interest from a number of European clubs and specifically from La Liga, but favouring a move to the French capital, PSG capitalised to get the striker.

Gamiero is a player who will need very little time getting used to his surroundings, scoring consistently for FC Lorient and helping Christian Gourcuff’s side to 11th place in Ligue 1 last season.

What will be pleasing for PSG is the production Gameiro will give the side along with Javier Pastore. Here the team have quality and creativity in midfield and also the finishing of one of the country’s best forwards.

Sergio Aguero - Manchester City

I don’t think Manchester City and even the Premier League fully appreciate the calibre of player they have in Aguero. Followers of La Liga will know him well and the quality he, along with Diego Forlan, have brought Atletico Madrid.

This is a player who almost single-handedly demolished Barcelona two seasons ago, and a player more than capable of replacing the possibly out-going Carlos Tevez.

Aguero has already made an good impression for his new club, scoring two and creating another on his debut—a debut which was less than 30 minutes.

A player who is equally adept using both feet, he can play with his back to goal and running onto balls played over the top. Aguero might be considered La Liga’s answer to Wayne Roone: a player who can create out of nothing and someone who can be the focal point of an attack.

Expect a lot more to come from the Argentine. He is someone who is more than able to carry a team forward with his ability, and coupled with the quality there is at City, he will be an outstanding player and the next Premier League superstar.

Falcao - Atletico Madrid

Signed as a replacement for the departing Sergio Aguero for a fee in the region of £40 million, Falcao will represent fantastic value for money if he can replicate his goal scoring form from his Porto days.

Last season, he fired in an outstanding 17 goals in the Europa League alone, leading his team to the final and to be crowned eventual champions. He is currently one of the finest goal scorers in Europe, netting 73 times in 84 appearances for Porto.

In Spain, he will find himself in a League not too dissimilar from the one he played in. Falcao will be very well adapted to the style Atletico play and that of the rest of the league. He is a technical player who again can score a variety of goals, and possibly the deal breaker for his huge transfer fee is his consistency.

Falcao will no doubt be a sensation in La Liga. He will play a big part in helping Atletico reach the Champions League once more, and fans will be comforted by the fact that the departing Sergio Aguero was replaced with a player of tremendous quality.