A not so frenzied transfer window followed an interesting close season for new signings with a lot of money being spent by some of the Premier League big boys.
Predictably Manchester United spent big in an attempt to kick on from last season and once again become serious challengers for the league. Chelsea and Manchester City also added to their overflowing squads in an attempt to piece together sides able to win the biggest prizes in club football.
Other clubs in the league also delved deep into their respective chairman’s pockets to try and keep up with the top sides, with Spurs, Liverpool and even Stoke spending large amounts of money on new players. But who are the players to look out for this season? And who are the big names that will make the most impact on the Premier League in 2015-16?
BIG SPENDERS
Manchester City have money to burn and made sure they got their man by offering a too good to turn down offer to Wolfsburg to lure Kevin De Bruyne back to English football. At £51m you could never say this was value for money but the Belgian midfielder is world class – it just depends on whether he will get the playing time with City’s bulging squad.
TRYING TO KEEP UP
Liverpool are desperate for the glory days to return and have banked on another Belgian international, Christian Benteke, providing the goals to fire them to victory. Although Benteke has proven Premier League pedigree it is questionable that he can do enough to reawaken Liverpudlian title hopes and that could have an effect on his own success.
NEW TRAFFORD
Louis van Gaal has made a whole host of expensive signings and kicked out what he considered dead wood in an attempt to regain bragging rights in Manchester. Anthony Martial has become football’s most expensive teenager and has a lot of pressure on his young shoulders, but Memphis Depay could be the star in the pack if he settles in quickly. One United signing that was less heralded was Matteo Darmian’s arrival from Torino. An excellent overlapping full back, the Italian could be just what United’s leaky defence needs.
SMALLER TEAMS STEPPING UP
Southampton fans must dread the end of the season as they get prepared to lose the majority of their stars to supposedly bigger clubs. But something is working on the south coast as the Saints seem to come back even stronger each year. One potentially great signing is Dutch defender Virgil van Dijk. His move from Celtic was hardly a surprise but he has all the attributes to help keep Southampton worrying the big boys of the division again this season.
‘CHEAPER’ VALUE
West Ham have made a couple of signings this summer that could prove to be very good value. The transfer window capture of Michail Antonio from Nottingham Forest beat West Brom to one of the Championship’s brightest stars. Add that to the capture of French attacking midfielder
Dmitri Payet and the Hammers could surprise a few people this season.
MONEY TALKS
Leicester’s shock signing of Swiss midfielder Gokhan Inler could turn out to be a genius move in the mould of their capture of the wonderful Esteban Cambiasso last year. But Manchester City’s new midfielder Raheem Sterling could turn out to be the buy of the summer. Frustrated at the lack of success at Liverpool, Sterling has moved to win trophies and could well do that in Manchester. There is always the question over how many games he will play in such a talented squad but he has definitely made the right move and could be the star of the new season.