As every Premier League season comes to a close, the summer transfer window is immediately on the minds of fans around the world who turn in week after week. How a season ends for each team, as well as players contracts expiring, dictates what work will go into the transfer window for each club.
While transfers are announced and squads are built we get an idea of who looks more prepared for the new season ahead. The teams in the Premier League are amongst the richest in the world and the league itself is hugely appealing to players from all over the world. Once again, prior to the start of the 2024/25 season, there were some really eye catching signings coming into the league, as well as between Premier League sides, and we have some of the best here.
- Riccardo Calafiori
After missing out to Manchester City once again last year, Arsenal looked to make the next step to challenge for the Premier League this year. The defence received a boost with the signing of Ricardo Calafiori from Serie A side Bologna. By increasing their depth they shortened their Premier League odds for the title. Injury hampered his start to the season, but Calafiori has helped become a huge addition to the team and could help them finally get above Manchester City come the end of the season.
- Dominic Solanke
The other North London side looked to add a focal centre forward going into a second season since losing Harry Kane. A successful season at Bournemouth scoring 19 goals last year meant Tottenham splashed the cash on former Chelsea and Liverpool player spending £65 million to secure the move.
Solanke provides Spurs with a powerful and complete centre forward in the team which allows Son Heung-Min to move back out to the wing which often has been so successful and dangerous in Ange Postecoglu’s system. With an out and out striker in this system once again Tottenham now have a great chance of competing for the top four and making their way back into the Champions League.
- Jadon Sancho
Nothing has gone well for Sancho at Manchester United. Falling out with Erik ten Hag, a loan move to Borrusia Dortmund got him enjoying his football once again. This season, a loan move to Chelsea has seen him find the chance to return to London, though has moved from one club with issues to another.
Chelsea’s squad is obscenly large, so fighting for regular time on the field can be tough. Sancho though has found minutes and has linked up well with his teammates when given the opportunity. While he alone may not be the reason for Chelsea competing for Champions League football this season, having so much quality in depth could lead them to regain their previous form where they regularly competed for titles sooner rather than later.
- Emile Smith Rowe
After a number of big departures in Joao Palhinha and Tosin Adarabioyo, Fulham spent a record fee on Arsenal attacking midfielder Emile Smith Rowe who cost them around £34 million. While a popular figure at Arsenal, Smith Rowe found it hard to get regular football with Martin Odegaard ahead of him in the pecking order. Moving from North to West London now gives him the chance to be a key figure in the side and look to push his career to reach his potential.
- Manuel Ugarte
A late addition in the transfer window, Manchester United seeked out Manuel Ugarte to bolster a midfield which lacked any real bite.
The former heavyweights have been struggling under Ten Hag who may have an FA Cup trophy in the cabinet, but has looked lost at times with the Red Devils seeming like a mid table team far too often. Ugarte is the long term replacement for Casemiro who has looked well off the pace of the league this season. Defensively they have struggled where after the opening eight games of the season they were sat twelfth with a minus two goal difference.
Ten Hag has placed a lot of hope in Ugarte not only helping the team reach European Qualification places, but also save his job.
- Aaron Ramsdale
After losing out to David Raya at Arsenal, Ramsdale was brought in by Southampton to help with their quest to survive in the Premier League after promotion last season. Russell Martin’s side faces a huge challenge to stay up this season, and got off to a terrible start to life back in the top flight.
Ramsdale is a huge upgrade in goal for Southampton and they will hope that his saves and ability in the box can keep them in as many games as possible. While he is a quality goalkeeper, it may be beyond him to save the team from the drop this year.
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