Ashley Young to Man United and More: Ranking the Top 20 EPL Summer Transfers

The shutters have come down and the dealings are done.

Today fans of the 20 EPL club’s wake to the sight of the players upon whom they will be pining there hopes for the season to come.

As in all equations amidst the flurry of late deals, there were both winners and losers.

Arsene Wenger, motivated by the mauling his Arsenal team suffered at the hands of archrivals Manchester United, was uncharacteristically decisive, nabbing a total of four deadline day deals.

At the other end of the spectrum it was a window of unfulfilled promise for Tottenham Hotspur, who despite holding on to talisman Luka Modric, lost far more than they brought in, and Everton, the only EPL club who failed to spend a penny.

So: Who impressed, who is likely to impress, and who is going to bomb?

Here and definitively the top 20 EPL transfers of this summer’s window. The ranking basis can be loosely coined as an accumulation of fee, ability, early form if applicable and ultimately my personal perception of how successful they will be as acquisitions in the long-term.

Feel free to argue, clarify or refute, for this is merely my own personal response to what was an engrossing summer of transfer dealings.

20: Peter Crouch: Tottenham to Stoke for £12 Million

The height that Stoke now have at their disposal is now quite frightening following the acquisitions of Crouch and fellow big man Cameron Jerome.

Rory Delap will have a field day.

The team with the reputation as possibly the most physical in the EPL, were a frightening prospect at the best of times.

With the acquisition of England international Crouch, Tony Pulis has sent out a real statement of intent to the rest of the Premiership.

19: Stewart Downing: Aston Villa to Liverpool for 20 Million

Stewart Downing, in my personal opinion, while undoubtedly a good player, is not £20 million worth of good.

He fills a role in the Liverpool side and has certainly started the season in impressive fashion, but his inclusion so low in this list stems from my personal perception of the fee.

Liverpool have been the victims of the classic over inflation on English players scam, and while Downing will have a good season for Liverpool, he wont live up to his £20 million billing.

Better than Ashley Young? No.

18: Charles N'Zogbia: Wigan to Aston Villa for £9 Million

N’Zogbia was signed by the Villain’s to fill the void left behind by the successive departures of Ashley Young and Stewart Downing to Manchester United and Liverpool respectively.

Following a career in which the former French international has traversed the Premiership backwaters, his signing is an astute one by “Big Eck”.

Although yet to register for his new club, N’Zogbia’s energetic displays have yielded much in the Villain’s impressive start to the season.

17: Raul Meireles: Liverpool to Chelsea for £10 Million

In my opinion Raul Meireles can count himself poorly treated by the suits at Liverpool.

Signed from under a shroud last summer the Portuguese international acquitted himself very well to the pace of the Premiership.

Yet after the illogical move for Jordan Henderson, almost doubled what was paid 12 months previously for Meireles, the later was deemed expendable to the club.

In one of the most dramatic moves of deadline day, following a very late transfer request, Meireles somehow forced through a move to Chelsea and ex-Porto Boss Andres Villas Boas.

With some conjecture surrounding the fee, which was supposedly around the £10 million mark, I have no doubts that Meireles will have a big season once more.

16: Shane Long: Reading to West Brom for £7 Million

Shane Long’s presence in this list comes literally off the back of his opening three games for the Baggies.

Few eyebrows were raised after West-Brom ransacked the Championship to purchase Reading’s Shane Long for what looked a hefty £7 million.

Two goals in his first three games, including one against the Champions, have almost instantly vindicated Roy Hodgson’s expenditure.

15: Gael Clichy: Arsenal to Manchester City for £6 Million

Arsenal’s loss was Man City’s gain as the Citizens moved to fill the only palpable flaw in their squad, the left-back position, with the last surviving “Invincible”, Gael Clichy.                           

At £6 million the transfer represents good value for City, who purchase a Premiership quality wing-back for a reduced fee (in light of Clichy’s contract expiring at the end of the season.) 

The transfer doesn’t contain some of the fireworks of a Sergio Aguero or Samir Nasri deal, but too many fireworks wont create a football team. Good buy.

14: Bryan Ruiz: FC Twente to Fulham for £10.5 Million

Although Ruiz’s stock has not quite enveloped the EPL fans psyche just yet, if past glories are anything to go by, Fulham’s new man is set for big things.

Although only slightly built, Ruiz is somewhat of a goal-scoring maestro, having amassed almost 90 goals in the last three seasons in Holland.

At £10.5 million the transfer represents quite an outlay for Fulham chairman Mohamed Al Fayed, but then again, such is the price of success.

13: John O'Shea: Manchester United to Sunderland for £5 Million

Over the past decade John O’Shea has been Mr Manchester United, but now he is gone.

For their £5 million Sunderland have bought a goalkeeper, defender, midfielder, and striker all rolled into one.

The ultimate utility man, O’Shea never really cut his niche at Old Trafford, due in no small part to this adaptability.

Now I feel as If is speak for all United fans in wishing one of the club’s best servants the best of luck at the Stadium of Light.

Cheers big man.

12: Samir Nasri: Arsenal to Manchester City for £23 Million

Twelfth you say? Well yes as to me the need for Nasri at City was created rather than really needed.

At the club already they had a Nasri-esque player in David Silva who filled the slight attacking midfielder role. Nasri is simply an addition to what was already there.

Following Nasri’s transfer it is almost certain that both Nasri and Silva will be looked upon as first choice starters. I have no doubt that Nasri is an excellent player and against Tottenham he proved that he will come good for City.

It just feel that at £23 million he was a rather expensive luxury the team had no real need for.

11: Joey Barton: Newcastle to QPR for Free

In terms of pure playing ability QPR have inherited a gem of a player who will greatly aid their fight against the drop. In terms of everything else QPR have inherited a lose cannon who is liable to explode at any minute.

It is how Neil Warnock choices to manage Joey Barton that may will define the R’s season, as more than any other player it is Barton who can most disrupt the hoop’s dressing room.

Manage him correctly though and safety is all but assured. Should be interesting.

10: Scott Parker: West Ham to Tottenham for £5 Million

The highlight of what was otherwise a highly forgettable transfer window for Spurs fans, was the signing of football writer player of the year Scott Parker, from relegated West Ham.

Parker joins a Spurs midfield decimated my injury, and carrying the obviously highly unsettled Luka Modric.

If Modric fails to settle back into his role in the Spurs side following his highly published desire to move to Chelsea, Parker could well be a very key man for Harry Redknapp indeed.

9: Charlie Adam: Blackpool to Liverpool for £8 Million

Despite a brief flirtation with both Spurs and Manchester United last season, it was really very obvious that Charlie Adam would become a Liverpool player.

He has picked up where he left off for Blackpool last season with some sumptuous displays for the reds, culminating in his first goal for the club.

Holding little affinity to Scottish football I am still trying to get my head round how Adam apparently did so badly at Rangers that the club felt it apt to sell him to Blackpool for under a half million. Barmy.

8: Romelu Lukaku: Anderlecht to Chelsea for £18 Million

The Belgian teenager was signed as a long-term replacement for the aging Didier Drogba, and from an exterior façade it is easy to see the similarities.

A hulking specimen of a man, standing 6’3" and what must be 15 stone, it is hard to imagine Lukaku is still only 18.

Coming straight out of the, with all respect, not quite so high quality Belgian league, the teenager will take some time to adapt and mature into the frenetic EPL.

He certainly has the physic for it though!

7: Juan Mata: Valencia to Chelsea for £25 Million

The biggest outlay of Chelsea boss Andres Villas Boas’ infantile managerial career, was a move that quite conclusively needed to be made.

With an aging squad, many of whom are the wrong side of 30, an injection of youth was of paramount importance.

Villas Boas’ acquisitions have certainly placed the premium on youth, and at only 23 years of age Mata adheres to this stereotype.

A fast, pacy winger who was also looked at by Arsenal, Juan Mata is an excellent acquisition by Andres Villas Boas.

6: Phil Jones: Blackburn to Manchester United for £16 Million

At only 19 years of age and with only one full year’s first team action behind him, Phil Jones’ move to United earlier in the summer was a bit of a bolt from the blue.

However, following injuries to first choice defensive duo Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic, the young Englishman has been thrust into the spotlight.

Along with defensive partners Jonny Evans and in particular the brilliant Chris Smalling, Jones has adapted brilliantly to the main stage, with his all-action displays drawing a plethora of admirers.

He is almost certainly a future United and England captain of the future.

5: Per Mertesacker: Werder Bremen to Arsenal for £8 Million

Arsenal’s defensive frailties are widely acknowledged, and the eight goals conceded to Manchester United at the weekend had only exacerbated the mutterings.     

In essence Arsenal needed an adequate partner in the centre for Belgian Thomas Vermaelan, after a string of less than adequate stop-gaps failed to deliver on a consistent basis.

To find a German international with north of 70 international caps, who was a captain at his former side for a paltry eight million…well it was a masterstroke.

The 6’5" Mertesacker will have a big say in the resurrection of Arsenal FC.

4: Roger Johnson: Birmingham to Wolves for £7 Million

You might be surprised to see Johnson so high up in this ranking, but to me the proof is in the pudding.

The new captain at Molineux has come in and shored up what was, last season, among the league’s leakiest defences. A move that has paid dividence, with Wolves sitting pretty on seven points from three EPL games.

I salute Wolves for getting their man, the man they needed to dramatically improve their squad and now reaping the rewards.

3: Mikel Arteta: Everton to Arsenal for £10 Million

After the long-protracted sagas that ultimately lead to the departure of Samir Nasri and captain Cesc Fabregas to Manchester and Barcelona respectively, Arsene Wenger was a manager on the edge.

Shorn of the quality befitting a club of Arsenal’s stature, many were predicting the beginning of the end of the once great Arsenal FC.

With the signing of Everton’s precocious Spaniard, Mikel Arteta, Wenger has not only appeased as disgruntled fan-base desperate for top-class reinforcement, he has acquired himself a mighty fine player into the bargain.

The Arteta to Arsenal transfer was the logical move, that could be made in the short space of time available that would go some way to restoring “the old Arsenal” back to the Emirates stadium.

Arsene Wenger, not a man known to pursue the obvious avenues, should be applauded for doing the right thing for the club and ultimately himself.

2: Sergio Aguero: Atletico Madrid to Manchester City for £38 Million

Sergio Aguero comes to the Etihad stadium looking to live up to the billing as the world’s richest club’s record signing.

Initially bought, at least to all reports, as a replacement for disillusioned club captain Carlos Tevez, Aguero came to Manchester with glowing references.

Even though he has so far only managed two full games for his new side, it is obvious what all the clamour is for; testament to “Kun’s” three goals in as many matches.

The young Argentine’s partnership with the reinvigorated Dzeko has thus far confined Tevez and stroppy man-child Mario Ballotelli to the bench. Quite a feat in only three games.

1: Ashley Young: Aston Villa to Manchester United for £16 Million

Young has taken to the Manchester United attacking system like a duck to water. Outshining last seasons club player of the year Nani, to gain the early season wing-maestro bragging rights.

When young came to the club many questioned the temerity of Ferguson’s decision to acquire the ex-Aston Villa man’s services. After the first three games in which his performances are only matched by team-mate Wayne Rooney and possibly Manchester City striker Edin Dzeko, only a fool would reiterate such misgivings.

Ashley Young the buy of this EPL Summer.

Honourable Mentions

Owen Hargreaves to Manchester City on a free transfer: The jury is still out on whether the former United can recapture his former heights, but if he does the transfer will represent the coup of the summer.

Jordan Henderson to Liverpool for £20 million: A good player most certainly, i just have my doubts whether the £20 million fee warranted Liverpool's need.

Niklas Bendtner to Sunderland on loan: If Bendtner lives up to his own opinion of himself Steve Bruce will enjoy 2011/12.

Shaun Wright-Phillips to QPR for £2 million: Little man, big reputation. Neil Warnock will get the best out of him.

Davide Santon to Newcastle for £5 million: Looks set for big things.

Yohan Cabaye to Newcastle for £4 million: Has big shoes to fill to live up to the legacy of the Barton/Nolan show of last season, but comes with a promising reputation and initial signs are positive.

Wes Brown to Sunderland for £1 million: Hugely experienced defender bought for a snip of a fee.  

Craig Bellamy to Liverpool for free: A great buy on a free transfer, I just wonder how the now 31-year-old will adapt back into the frenetic pace of the Premiership after what was a rather underwhelming Championship loan in 2010/11.

Scott Dann to Blackburn for £5 million: Had a great year last time out. If he can carry this form into the new term with Blackburn, known suitors Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea may grow to rue letting him slip by.

David de Gea to Manchester United for £18 million: If he lives up to reputation he will be massive. Slow start but the signs are there