Premier League clubs had a net transfer spend of £877.9 million during the 2018-19 offseason. The summer spend was affected by the shorter transfer window offered to managers. The early window closure has arguably made the current season even more thrilling as clubs couldn’t make panic purchases.
Some clubs got their business done early thanks to advanced scouting and negotiations. Others failed to grab the players they needed and are now struggling. The Premier League has seen a number of transfers succeed so far and Forebet looks at the top 5 succeeding for their new teams.
Xherdan Shaqiri – Liverpool
Xherdan Shaqiri is arguably the best summer transfer of any Premier League side. Signed for £13.2m from Stoke, Shaqiri has played as a winger or central midfielder under Jurgen Klopp. His arrival is straight out of the pages of Moneyball as Liverpool found a key contributor on the cheap side other clubs passed up. Shaqiri has scored six goals and provided two assists in 14 league games. He has contributed to a Liverpool goal every 89.5 minutes.
Felipe Anderson – West Ham
Signed for a club record fee, Felipe Anderson has shaken off a rocky start to become one of West Ham’s top stars. West Ham paid Lazio £34.2m after he had overstayed his welcome in Rome. In 19 games, Anderson has scored eight goals and tallied two assists.
Alisson – Liverpool
Liverpool had the biggest summer of the teams in the Premier League and it is paying off. Goalkeeper Alisson was the biggest of the team’s transfers and the most needed. Alisson has revolutionised Liverpool’s defence. The Reds have 12 clean sheets in the league, four more than the second-place team. At the halfway mark, Alisson is already five clean sheets away from equalling last season’s total.
Matteo Guendouzi – Arsenal
Matteo Guendouzi was a signing that flew under the radar. The Gunners paid just £7m to Lorient for the teenager. Since arriving, he has been ever-present in Arsenal’s midfield. The holding midfielder has been brilliant linking attack and defence, and the French international will only get better at the Emirates.
Aleksandar Mitrovic – Fulham
Fulham made striker Aleksandar Mitrovic’s loan deal permanent in the offseason after he helped the club to Premier League promotion. Fulham may be in the bottom three, but Mitrovic hasn’t stopped scoring. The striker has tallied seven of Fulham’s 17 goals. He has also added two assists making Mitrovic the provider of over half Fulham’s goals this season. His play has proven he is a capable Premier League talent after Newcastle gave up on him.