PartialLogo
The Big Kick-Off

The Premier League new faces: which signings will be hits and misses

Tanguy NDombele, Dani Ceballos, Christian Pulisic, Sebastien Haller & more

Sebastien Haller should be a hit for West Ham
Sebastien Haller should be a hit for West HamCredit: Alex Grimm

Transfer hits

Che Adams
Birmingham to Southampton, £15m
Southampton needed a goalscorer and Che Adams is one of those, notching 22 times for Birmingham last season. Those with long enough memories may remember Adams terrorising Tottenham in a League Cup tie as a teenager, suggesting he will make the step up.

Tanguy NDombele
Lyon to Tottenham, £55m
Spurs have solved their Mousa Dembele-sized midfield problem by signing one of Europe's best young players. The 22-year-old French international possesses the same ability as Dembele to carry the ball past opponents, has an eye for a pass and goes box to box.

Dani Ceballos
Real Madrid to Arsenal, loan
As the kids may say, Ceballos is a baller. He struggled to find a spot at Real Madrid but is young enough to become a regular one day and has backed himself to prove that at Arsenal. Only Artur and Toni Kroos had a better average pass-completion in La Liga last term.

Rodri
Atletico Madrid to Man City, £62.8m
Spain's next Sergio Busquets topped the midfield stats for tackles and ball recoveries in La Liga last season but his passing ability was underused at Atletico Madrid. That won't be an issue at Man City and Pep Guardiola is the perfect coach to take Rodri to the top level.

James Justin
Luton to Leicester, £8m
A versatile full-back who can play on either flank but it's not his defending which attracted interest. Justin is a talented footballer and the ideal modern-day full-back with the pace to get up and down as well as the ability to create goals. He just needs regular chances.

Christian Pulisic
Dortmund to Chelsea, £58m
It's unrealistic to expect Pulisic to easily replace Eden Hazard but the winger can make his mark. Jadon Sancho's emergence at Dortmund combined with injuries hampered his progress last term but he remains USA's great hope of becoming a world-class outfield player.

Dan James
Swansea to Man Utd, £15m
United are giving pace a chance and the fee is cheap for a winger who may develop, with coaching and patience, into a star. James's rise at Swansea was as rapid as his running style and he could be the quintessential pinch-hitter from the bench against tired teams.

Sebastien Haller
Eintracht Frankfurt to West Ham, £45m
Pronounced Al-air - West Ham fans will have no problem dropping the H and the Frenchman should become a crowd favourite. The imposing forward was third for aerial duels won in Europe last season, scored 15 Bundesliga goals and was also credited with nine assists.

Pablo Fornals
Villarreal to West Ham, £24m
Fornals is much lighter and smaller than Haller, but could have a similarly impressive impact if he can cope with the physicality of the English league. The fee is relatively low for a young playmaker with a YouTube highlights reel to match most of Europe's elite.

Trezeguet
Kasimpasa to Aston Villa, £8.5m
No not that Trezeguet - this is an Egyptian winger who lacks the consistency of compatriot Mohamed Salah but is capable of producing something spectacular. Trezeguet scored eight goals from outside the box in his last two campaigns in Turkey and is a potential gamechanger.

Jesus Vallejo
Real Madrid to Wolves, loan
It's not easy to start for Real Madrid and Vallejo needs to start because he was outstanding on loan at Eintracht Frankfurt where he was comfortable in a back three. Then boss Niko Kovac said of him: "He is scandalously good. I have never seen a player like him."

Jury's out

Joelinton
Hoffenheim to Newcastle, £40m
The Brazilian's name is pronounced Jo-el-in-ton but the Toon Army won't care about that as long as he scores. However, he bagged only seven times for one of Europe's most attack-minded teams last term which has to be a concern even though his link-up play is admired.

Moussa Djenepo
Standard Liege to Southampton, £14m
Jet-heeled Djenepo scored eight goals last season for Standard Liege and is capable of progressing into a Premier League player with a touch of perseverance needed for raw talent. Expect a few eye-catching moments from a winger who possesses lightning speed.

Lloyd Kelly
Bristol City to Bournemouth £13m
Few deserve a step up more than Kelly, who was in foster care from the age of six, and many believe the England Under-21 left-back will develop into an international-class centre-back. Kelly's athleticism stands out but playing for Bournemouth usually leaves defenders exposed.

Leandro Trossard
Genk to Brighton, £15m
Trossard may have work to do in Brighton's local community after being heavily criticised for singing a homophobic chant during Genk's title celebrations. The standard in Belgium is not the same as the Premier League but he did score 14 goals from out wide last season.

Luke Freeman
QPR to Sheff Utd, £5m
It's been a long route back to the Premier League for Freeman who signed for Arsenal in 2007 after making his debut aged 15 for Gillingham. He excelled for Stevenage, Bristol City and QPR, however will Sheffield United have enough of the ball to suit the playmaker?

Misses

Wesley
Club Brugge to Aston Villa, £22.5m
Tallies of 11 and 13 in the last two years in Belgium do not mark a player out as must-buy material and last season's performance data from StatsBomb has to be a concern. The Brazilian recorded low numbers for shots, expected goals and expected goals per shot last term.

Ralf Fahrmann
Schalke to Norwich, loan
Experience isn't a problem for former Schalke skipper Fahrmann but he has totally lost his confidence, hence a loan deal to Carrow Road. Norwich boss Daniel Farke has a difficult task on his hands getting the 30-year-old giant back to his previous levels.


Today's top sports betting stories

Follow us on Twitter @racingpostsport

Like us on Facebook RacingPostSport

Mark LangdonRacing Post Sport

Published on 28 July 2019inThe Big Kick-Off

Last updated 12:17, 6 September 2019

iconCopy