The Premier League’s Top 5 Summer Signings

The Premier League attracts some of the biggest names in world football each summer. As the 2022/23 Premier League campaign is approaching the business end of the season, It is the perfect time to focus on some signings who have made a difference to their side so far. Therefore, let's take a look at the top five Premier League signings of the season.

Choosing who deserves the fifth-place spot was actually quite difficult and I was tempted to lean towards Sven Botman of Newcastle United. However, Morgan Gibbs-White has somewhat gone under the radar this season and I believe he has massively improved Nottingham Forest. The 23-year-old versatile attacker arrived at Forest in the summer from Wolves, in a deal worth approximately £26m. Yet when this transfer was announced, eyebrows were initially raised about the hefty price tag.

Nevertheless, the FIFA U17 World Cup winner has been the creative spark in a side which lacks a tad of quality, registering five assists and scoring twice so far this season. Although his Welsh teammate, Brennan Johnson, has been taking a lot of the plaudits, Gibbs-White has been quietly producing some impressive numbers. For example, the youngster is level with Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold for key passes per game.

Nottingham Forest are currently placed 14th in the table, mainly thanks to their home form. Manager Steve Cooper has been able to get the best out of the attacker during his first full season in the English top flight and come the end of the campaign, Gibbs-White could be one of the main reasons Forest remains in the Premier League next season.

Most players who sign for a club on a free transfer are brought in to temporarily fill a gap or serve as squad depth. However, Brentford’s Ben Mee has been quite the opposite and he has arguably been their best defender this season. The ex-Burnley man has an abundance of Premier League experience due to his time at Turf Moor, often being known for his no-nonsense approach to defending.

The 32-year-old centre-half has effortlessly slotted into the heart of the Brentford backline, becoming a player that Thomas Frank can rely upon. The Bees have kept eight clean sheets this season and sit in ninth place. Although that doesn’t sound overly impressive, this is Brentford’s second-ever season in the league and if they win their game in hand, they can go one point behind fifth-place Liverpool.

Ben Mee has started all but one of Brentford’s Premier League games this season and his consistency mustn’t be overlooked. The defender is extremely commanding and has proven to be useful in both boxes, as he has scored three goals this season. Signing Mee on a free was very smart business.

27-year-old Joao Palhinha has without a doubt been the most underrated signing of the season. The already-established Portuguese international joined Fulham from Sporting for a fee of £17M, which can only be described as an absolute bargain.

The holding midfielder has made an incredible impact on Marco Silva’s side and when he is not involved, the drop-off in quality and performance is drastic. The tenacious tackler has brought grit, leadership and class which puts him alongside some of the best Premier League midfielders in his category. Other than his defensive output, Palinha has been a huge attacking threat, especially from corners and set pieces, tallying up three goals this season.

Palhinha has dominated most midfielders he has come up against and he is one of the key reasons why Fulham are in seventh place and technically on a European charge in their first season back in the Premier League. The best way to summarise the 27-year-old’s play style, is to show who tops the statistic charts for the most yellow cards and the most tackles this season in the league…

Manchester United signed a serial winner this summer, to fill a role in the midfield that the club had been lacking for numerous years. Casemiro arrived at Old Trafford for £59.7M, which is a large fee for a player that is now 31 years of age. However, the Brazilian has completely changed United and helped them develop into a winning side again, as we saw the Red Devils lift the Carabao Cup trophy recently which is their first trophy since 2017.

Casemiro scored the opening goal in that final and he has also registered three goals and two assists already in the Premier League. United have only lost two games all season when the number 18 has started, which just highlights his importance to the side. The Brazilian has also silenced any critics that believed he joined United for a payday and he has also surprised people with his ball-playing ability, in particular his passing.

The five-time UEFA Champions League winner has brought much-needed character to the dressing room. When you combine that with his fight and visible willingness to sacrifice himself for the badge, it is no wonder that he is a fan favourite and one of Erik ten Hag’s most important players.

I believe it is fair to say that Haaland is one of the most overly criticised players in the entire Premier League. We are 26 games into the season and Haaland has scored 27 goals, which is already higher than the Golden Boot’s record for the last four seasons! Not to mention the five assists and four hat tricks he has already accumulated … we are in March.

The biggest critique that comes alongside Haaland’s name, is the fact that Manchester City aren’t in first place so therefore, who is to blame? Potentially the answer to that question is nobody and that Arsenal have just consistently been unbelievably good.

Haaland signed for approximately £52M from Borussia Dortmund when he was already one of the hottest prospects in world football. Not many players walk into the Premier League and make it look easy, especially not a 22-year-old who is nowhere near his prime. Haaland is City’s long-term number nine, which is quite a frightening thought.

The Norwegian has scored 40% of Manchester City’s goals this season, which once again, is being used as a statistic to critique him. Haaland needs eight more goals in twelve games to become the record holder for the most Premier League goals by a player, which is currently held by Alan Shearer and Andy Cole (34 goals). But I wouldn’t put it past Haaland to surpass that record in the next two or three games …

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