GK Petr Cech (Chelsea > Arsenal) £10m
Probably the safest pair of hands that you could buy anywhere in the world at that price. Arsène Wenger was not just interested in Petr Cech’s goalkeeping ability – his commanding presence and Champions League-winning experience will be vital if Arsenal are to boast the organised defence that used to be the bedrock of the club’s past title-winning sides. Cech showed his worth in the Community Shield and his transfer could yet come back to haunt Chelsea and José Mourinho on a grander scale than the loss of the season’s curtain-raiser.
RB Cédric Soares (Sporting > Southampton) £3.6m
A Portugal right-back with the ability to get forward bought at a price less than three times what Liverpool paid for the player he is replacing at Southampton, Nathaniel Clyne. The 23-year-old has come through the youth ranks at Sporting and represented Portugal at every level. He also won the Portuguese Cup last season. When he first broke into the Sporting team he was criticised for being too attack-minded but has since been moulded into an all-round modern full-back with the ability to pick a pass. Southampton fans were impressed with his display in the 3-0 Europa League qualifying victory over Vitesse Arnhem. They’ll hope for more of the same in the Premier League.
LB/CB Tyrone Mings (Ipswich Town > Bournemouth) £8m
It was somewhat of a coup for Bournemouth when they announced that Tyrone Mings was to join the newly promoted club from Ipswich for a club-record fee. Arsène Wenger had confirmed in January that Arsenal were interested in the towering defender, who excelled at left-back for Mick McCarthy last season but who could also develop into a fine centre-back. Eddie Howe and his team deserve great credit for persuading the player that Dean Court is the best place for him to showcase his ability and force his way into the England squad. They’ve also bought one of the most charitable footballers around. Mings has bought tickets for fans who could not afford them, fed homeless people and paid off his mum’s debts in his short career so far. It’s nice to be nice.
CB Micah Richards (free agent > Aston Villa)
It is almost 10 years since an 18-year-old Micah Richards sported a goofy grin and dropped an F-bomb on live TV after scoring his first goal for Manchester City against Aston Villa in a 1-1 draw in the FA Cup. Where did the time go? That’s probably the question the 27-year-old, who left Manchester City in the summer, asked himself as he turned up to sign for Aston Villa. He has never realised the rich promise he showed as a teenager. That’s partly down to Manchester City’s wealth and Pablo Zabaletta’s brilliance – Richards was a good right-back, but not that good. Often criticised for his tactical indiscipline, Richards believes he is now better suited to play at centre-back and thinks his season on loan at Fiorentina has taught him much about how to play a more patient game in defence. Aston Villa need a leader at the back after Ron Vlaar’s departure. Richards’s enthusiasm and desire to prove himself could work in their favour.
LB Jordan Amavi (Nice > Aston Villa) £7m
The 21-year-old was one of the best full-backs in Ligue 1 last season, impressing with his high-energy displays and playing in all but two of Nice’s league games. Tim Sherwood will hope that the France Under-21 international, having survived that kind of rigorous schedule at such a young age, can withstand the physicality of the Premier League and help him realise his ambition to have a more attack-minded Villa side from back to front. “He’s dynamic, gets forward and has a good delivery,” said Sherwood. He’s also not bad at defending and frustrated a number of good wingers in France last year. Ligue 1 has been known for offering good value for money in recent years. Villa may have got themselves a full-back who will fill the role for many years.
RM Gerard Deulofeu (Barcelona > Everton) £4.2m
The winger impressed in a loan spell at Goodison Park in 2013-14 when Everton ran Arsenal close in the race for Champions League football. A raw talent and product of Barcelona’s La Masia academy Deulofeu is a single-minded, supremely confident player. The only question is whether he’s too similar to Kevin Mirallas. He can frustrate and dazzle in equal measure but has time on his side and the Everton manager, Roberto Martínez, believes Deulofeu has matured in the season he spent on loan at Sevilla in 2014-15. Perhaps a clean break from Barcelona will do him good. “When he gets the ball you stand up and pay attention,” said Martínez. “That type of player is very difficult to find.” If Everton can give the 21-year-old the platform to fulfil his rich promise, he will be a steal at just over £4m.
CM James Milner (free agent > Liverpool)
Liverpool’s midfield was crying out for experience when Steven Gerrard left for Los Angeles Galaxy. James Milner, at 29, was perfectly equipped to fill the void. Having made his Premier League debut at 16, won the title twice and gained Champions League experience in a team with a similar passing ethos to Brendan Rodgers’ side, he is a quality addition. Grumblings over his £150,000-a-week wages are valid but he agreed to take a pay cut to join Liverpool in order to reestablish himself as a central midfielder. Liverpool have had to take risks in the transfer market in recent seasons. Milner, wages aside, seems about as risk-free as they could get.
CM Jordy Clasie (Feyenoord > Southampton) £8m
Southampton are hopeful that Jordy Clasie can limit the impact of Morgan Schneiderlin’s departure to Manchester United. That’s how highly Ronald Koeman, who managed him at Feyenoord, rates him. “He’s a perfect replacement for Morgan in that position. I know that because I worked for three seasons with Jordy.” The 24-year-old has played 11 times for Holland and impressed at the World Cup, captained Feyenoord under Koeman and has the kind of quick-fire passing game that should enable him to adapt to the Premier League without too many teething problems. He also likes a tackle, which made him extremely popular with Feyenoord fans, who gave him a rousing reception when he went back to the club for a pre-season friendly with Southampton.
LM Ibrahim Afellay (free agent > Stoke City)
Five years ago Barcelona rated the Holland winger Ibrahim Afellay so highly that they inserted an £85m release clause in his contract. That he now plays for Stoke City says as much about Mark Hughes’s astute monitoring and capture of hugely talented enigmas such as Marko Arnautovic and Bojan Krkic as it does about Afellay’s fall from grace. Repeated injuries haven’t helped and he did shimmer briefly, in 2011-12, when he played regularly for a half-season under Pep Guardiola. He’s a silky dribbler with a wicked delivery who, should he prove to be only half the player he was once tipped to be, will still be a handy free addition to Stoke’s new breed of technically accomplished entertainers.
CF André Ayew (free agent > Swansea City)
It says much about Swansea’s growing reputation as a club that can harness and improve a player’s talent that the Ghana forward chose to end his decade-long association with Marseille in the summer to play for Garry Monk. Even with a reported signing-on fee of £5m it was thought that André Ayew would perhaps choose to play at a club that could offer European football. That he chose to play a central role for Swansea is something of a coup. He is a leader on the pitch who has vast experience of two World Cups and four Africa Cup of Nations. “He is not going to be a one-player saviour for the team or anything like that,” said Monk, trying to play down the expectation surrounding his new forward after Ayew scored a fine goal in the pre-season friendly against Nottingham Forest. Chelsea’s defence may want to keep an eye on him in the Premier League opener at Stamford Bridge.
CF Shinji Okazaki (Mainz > Leicester City) £7m
The Japan forward has scored 43 goals in 93 international games. That’s not too shabby. His 14 goals for Mainz last season helped the club achieve a respectable seventh-place Bundesliga finish and it was also a total that topped anything that Leicester’s strikers could reach last term. His sure touch and intelligent movement will offer Claudio Ranieri’s side something different from the hustle and bustle of Jamie Vardy, Andrej Kramaric and David Nugent, and the robust presence of Leonardo Ulloa could be a good foil for him. He’s not young at 29, but it was experience that helped get Leicester out of the mire last season and another wise head can do them no harm.
