This transfer window has seen a lot of activity so far. Its time to look at which three signings have been the best Premier League transfers of the window. These will be assessed on cost, ability, potential, how well they fit into the team as well as how badly the team needed to improve in that area.
3 Best Premier League Transfers of the 2017/18 Summer Transfer Window
3. Sandro Ramírez to Everton
Sandro is one of the best strikers under the age of 23. He wasn’t good enough for Barcelona, but considering they have the M-S-N trio as a front three that shouldn’t be held against him. His time at Málaga proved that he is a more than capable striker with 14 goals in the league last season.
He averaged a goal every 165 minutes in the league which is impressive considering Málaga finished 11th. The young striker was also important creatively as well because he created 32 chances with three of them being converted.
The Toffees managed to sign him for £5.2 million, as that was his buy-out clause. This was a bargain considering his age and proven ability. In the context of the current transfer market, inflation must be acknowledged. That has driven fees up significantly. Even compared to players of similar quality this is a good deal as Steve Mounié cost Huddersfield £11 million.
The sale of Romelu Lukaku means that this is an area that Everton desperately needed to strengthen. Sandro isn’t enough to replace Lukaku on his own, but he is an excellent addition to the team. Adding another striker to complement Sandro and Wayne Rooney would be a smart way to replace the Belgian striker. Everton’s transfer business has been ambitious and smart in this window, the acquisition of Sandro supports this.
2. Alexander Lacazette
Lacazette is the striker that Arsenal have needed for the past few seasons. Creating chances has never been an issue for the Gunners, especially with Mesut Özil in the team, but converting them has been an area of concern. With Lacazette, they have someone who is guaranteed to score 20 goals a season in the league if injuries don’t interfere.
Lacazette is a proven goalscorer. He has scored over 20 goals in the past three league seasons. He also managed a personal record of 37 goals in 45 appearances across all competitions. Some would argue that penalties have boosted this amount significantly, but only 11 of his goals last season were penalties. They also boosted Lyon’s points total by six points, so they were still important goals, regardless.
Experience in European competitions isn’t an issue either. Lacazette has played in both the Champions League and the Europa League. Last season, he helped Lyon get to the Europa League semi-finals where they lost to Ajax. He scored six goals in the competition with one of them being a wonder strike from outside the box against Roma.
Arsenal finalised the move early in the window which means he has a full pre-season to get used to the new surroundings. He has also played his first game for the club, so he is starting to build some chemistry with teammates. This is vital because it means he is better equipped to hit the ground running at the start of the season.
An initial fee of £46.5 million which could rise to £52.6 million is a lot of money. However, the desperate need for a player like him and his proven quality makes this a great deal. He will bring the goals that Arsenal needs to seriously challenge for the title.
1. Aaron Mooy
It may be surprising for this to be the top transfer considering he only cost Huddersfield £8 million. Most Premier League clubs have spent significantly higher fees on players in this window. However, Mooy is central to how this team plays. Everything goes through him as he dictates games from the centre of the pitch.
Without Mooy, the Terriers would really struggle to deal with the step up to the Premier League. Getting him was pivotal if they want to avoid relegation in their first season in the Premier League. Acquiring him permanently along with some other impressive pieces of business means that Huddersfield stand a good chance of staying up.
His statistics in the Championship last season prove his importance to the team. There was only one game in which he didn’t play, and he played a total of 4161 minutes. He averaged 69.3 passes per game with a success percentage of 82.6% as well as 2.1 key passes per game. His direct contributions were impressive as well because he scored four goals and assisted seven.
The creativity he brings to the team is key because he created a total of 98 chances last season. He starred in key games such as the play-off semi-finals against Sheffield Wednesday as well as the final against Reading. His importance to the team is invaluable, so this has to the best transfer of the window based on how much it boosts the team.
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