The Football season is now officially under way, teams have played their first two fixtures of the campaign and we have all finally got that first proper look at those exciting new signings.
It has been a busy summer for the majority of Premier League sides, with well over £500million being spent so far this transfer window and there are still three weeks left to go.
Best of all, for once, it is not just the Premier League elite that have made some shrewd signings. Teams like Swansea, West Ham and Crystal Palace have really impressed with some of their business.
Of course you cannot forget Stoke City; Mark Hughes has surprised everyone with his moves. His new look Stoke City have added a number of quality signings, including the wonderful talents of Xherdan Shaqiri and Ibrahim Afellay.
So here are five of the best signings so far this summer…
Andre Ayew – Midfielder – Swansea City
The highly-rated Ghana international has moved to the Liberty Stadium from French side Marseille on a free transfer, and looks a real coup for Gary Monk’s side.
Despite being only 25-years-old, the player has been around for what seems an eternity and has gained a wealth of experience playing in one of Europe’s best leagues, as well as picking up over 60 caps for his country.
Monk will be impressed by Ayew’s versatility. Although normally considered as an attacking midfielder in the number 10 role, he is equally comfortable in central midfield, out on the wing or playing up front.
The midfielder is a hard to handle speedster who loves to run at defences, he is great on the ball and will often look to play in a team mate rather than having a go himself.
He will play a massive role for his new side this summer.
With Ayew alongside Bafetemi Gomis, Glyfi Sigurdsson and Jefferson Montero in that attacking quartet Swansea City look strong this season and could offer a strong challenge for the Europa League spaces.
James Milner – Midfielder – Liverpool
Another of this summer’s best free transfers, Milner has a massive role ahead of his this season as he looks to fill the void left by Steven Gerrard at Anfield.
Milner is one of the best all round midfielders in the league. The man is comfortable doing anything – scoring goals, creating chances, passing and defending.
His main attribute is his incredible engine, the England international looks like he could run all day.
The 29-year-old brings a wealth of valuable experience to a very young Liverpool side, which is why manager Brendan Rodgers has named the midfielder as the club’s vice captain.
He will predominantly be used alongside Jordan Henderson in the centre of the park but Milner is also remarkably versatile.
During his time at Man City he was used in many other different positions, including the wing, attacking midfielder, in the holding role and even up front.
Milner is one of the most hard working footballers around and is expected to play a vital role at Anfield for the next few years.
Georginio Wijnaldum – Midfielder – Newcastle United
The Dutch midfielder has moved to Tyneside for around £14.5million from Dutch Champions PSV Eindhoven.
The midfielder looks a real coup for the club. He won the Dutch Eredivisie player of the season award last year and is considered one of the best players Holland has produced in years.
He is the complete midfielder; quick, strong and creative, comfortable trying to intercept the ball or bombing forward to create attacks. His work ethic and determination are two of the player’s best attributes.
Signing Wijnaldum is great news for Newcastle as it provides the club with a viable alternative to Moussa Sissoko and eases the pressure on the Frenchman, who has carried the Magpies for the past couple of seasons.
Wijnaldum will play in number 10 role behind the striker at St James’ Park and there is little doubt the player will be a leading performer in the league this season.
Yohan Cabaye – Midfielder – Crystal Palace
One of the first surprises in this summers transfer window was Crystal Palace signing the French midfielder Cabaye from Paris Saint Germain for £12.8million.
Cabaye is one of most talented central midfielders in Europe and is a real coup for Palace.
He links up with former manager Alan Pardew, the man who bought him to the Premier League at Newcastle and helped turn him into a brilliant midfielder.
Cabaye is comfortable in several different roles in the centre of the park, either sitting in the double pivot, play making in more of a free role or sitting behind the striker in the number 10 position.
The Frenchman’s main strength is his passing, he is a very technically gifted footballer with incredible vision and creative ability. Not to mention a talent from set piece situations.
Palace’s record signing is expected to run the game from the centre of midfield creating chances for himself and team mates. Cabaye has already got himself off the mark with a debut goal against Norwich and will be looking to regularly add to that tally.
Dimitri Payet – Midfielder – West Ham United
A sign of what to expect in the new Slavan Bilic era at The Boleyn Ground, the £10.7 million signing of Payet from Marseille is a real coup for the club.
A wonderfully talented attacking midfielder, Payet was one of the best players in Ligue 1 last season.
Payet’s most impressive talent is his creative ability. Last season the player created the most chances of out any player in Europe beating the likes of Leo Messi, Eden Hazard and Kevin De Bruyne.
It is not just his passing ability that is impressive, the French international has bags of skill and is a nightmare for defenders when he gets the ball down and attacks at pace.
With West Ham so renowned for scoring from set pieces because of their aerial presence, having a player of Payet’s calibre delivering the ball will work wonders for the side.
This was evident against Arsenal where Payet provided the delivery for Kouyate’s header, and also his goal in the Hammers’ 2-1 home defeat to Leicester City on Saturday.
The 28-year-old will play in the hole behind the front two and will be expected to provide the bulk of the service for strikers Zarate, Sakho, Valencia and Carroll this season.
