As the premier league summer transfer window draws to a close, the focus is back on the on-field business of football. Every year Premier League is getting more competitive than ever. Even the promoted teams have made significant signings this summer, it is evident by the fact that a player like Jean Michaël Seri, who was close to a move to Barcelona last summer, has joined Fulham. As usual, even the top clubs haven't held back in the transfer market and have strengthened their squads further.
Some clarifications about the summer transfers XI:
The team will employ a 4-3-3 formation.
The objective will be to make the team as competitive on the field as possible. This may result in players not being in their natural position. Some significant signings maybe overlooked in place of some lower profile signings more suitable for the team.
Note: All the transfer values used in the article have been directly taken from transfermarkt.com
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Goalkeeper: Alisson Becker
Goalkeeping was seen as Achilles heel of the impressive liverpool side last season. The weakness was evident as two fatal errors by Loris Karius saw Real madrid beating Liverpool 3-1 in the UEFA Champions league final. This summer, Liverpool were on the lookout for an upgrade on the position. The Merseyside club's search for a new goalkeeper ended with Alisson Becker, one of the most sought after goalkeepers in the world.Liverpool beat the competition from Chelsea and signed the Brazilian shotstopper for a fee of €62.50 million, the world record for a goalkeeper at the time. Alisson however, is no longer the most expensive goalkeeper with Chelsea signing Kepa Arrizabalaga for a reported fee of €80 million.
Alisson is seen as the final jigsaw piece for Klopp's side in order to challenge for the premier league title. He is one of the best ball playing goalkeepers in Europe and is an excellent shotstopper. The 25 year old was picked ahead of Ederson, who had an excellent 2017-18 season with Manchester City which speaks volumes about his ability. His career trajectory has only been on the up ever since he moved AS Roma from Sport Club Internacional in 2016. Even though he's only had one good season of European football under his belt and he's also had an ordinary world cup but he remains the goalkeeper to watch out for in the upcoming season.
Defense:
Right Back: Ricardo Pereira
The Portuguese full back moved to Leicester from FC Porto for a fee of €22 million. After being one of the best right backs in Portugal, the 24 year old decided to test himself in the premier league. Initial signs show that he could become a lethal premier league fullback and the investment from Leicester will reap rich dividends. Also a Portuguese international, Pereira's journey to stardom might have just begun.
Ricardo's lightning speed and offensive talent will serve him well in England. He is a good crosser of the ball and has close control not often found in defenders. The ex- Porto star can also be used across the right flank as a wingback as well as a winger. Jamie Vardy would undoubtedly be excited with service down the right hand side which he will receive from Perreira. While Leicester is a wonderful premier league club, chances are that one might see him end up at a club higher than the Foxes in a couple of years.
Centre Back: Sokratis Papastathopoulos
The Greek arrives from Germany to lead a new look Arsenal defense under new coach Unai Emery. Sokratis spent five fruitful years at Dortmund, establishing himself as one of the prominent central defenders in European football. He arrives in a deal worth €16 million and provides much-needed steel for the gunners at the back.
The 30-year-old has decent distribution, is a hard tackler and also a leader on the pitch. His aerial prowess will also help him while he adapts to English football. His arrival along with Lucas Torreira can potentially make this Arsenal team much more balanced than the previous seasons. The days which saw Arsenal as a team having plenty of flair with defensive frailty might be a thing of the past. Can Sokratis help Arsenal return to Uefa Champions League spots this season? We shall see.
Centre Back: Yerry Mina
The Coumbian center back's transfer to Barcelona raised some eyebrows, and with good reason. The defender struggled for playing time as he registered mere 6 appearances last season. The gulf between the quality of Umtiti and Pique and the Columbian looked quite big and he struggled to challenge for a place in the centre of defense. He somewhat redeemed his reputation with a good showing at this year's world cup by being a rock for Columbia in defense as well as scoring three goals, amazing return for a defender.
Deadline day approached in England and Everton came calling. A deal worth €30 million has now brought him to Merseyside as he seeks to reignite his club career. Fairly competent in his own box and pretty lethal in the opposite box, Yerry Mina definitely has the tools to succeed in the premier league. The 23 year old is a modern age defender with very good feet and has a big 6ft 5inch frame which will help him to deal with the most marauding of centre forwards. Moreover, his pairing with french centreback Kurt Zouma, on loan from Chelsea for the season looks promising on the paper. The lanky center back is a promising addition to the Everton roster and Marco Silva will undoubtedly be delighted to work with him.
5) Left Back: Lucas Digne
Everton have made some shrewd signings this summer, raiding talents from big clubs who were struggling for playing time. One of them is French fullback Lucas Digne. Lucas Digne joined Everton from Barcelona in a €20 million deal on a reported 5 year contract. His arrival in a way marks a change in the history of the club as club attempts to move towards becoming a European power and also a change of guard as he represents a long term replacement for the Everton legend Leighton Baines who isn't getting any younger at 33.
Digne impressed with his stint in Italy with Roma which encouraged Barcelona to move for him in 2016. Since then, he has struggled to displace Jordi Alba, though in fairness, not many can! The 25-year-old represents a good investment for Merseyside club and has all the attributes to become a top professional fullback. He represents a solid signing and with Baines as his mentor, his adjustment period in the premier league might not be very long.
Midfield:
Central Defensive MIdfield (Regista): Jorginho
One would struggle to find players better than Jorginho in his position at the base of midfield. Many experts feel that Chelsea left it too late in the signing of new coach Maurizio Sarri, due to which they might struggle initially this season. If there is anything Chelsea could do to dispel that concern, it was to sign Jorginho. The London club did just that and welcomed Jorginho and his former boss Sarri together as their first signings of the summer. More remarkable is the fact that Chelsea stole him from right under the nose of Manchester City and his admirer Pep Guardiola.
The Brazilian turned Italian is the man to make "Sarriball" work. He had one of the best passing completion rates last season across Europe. Expansive passing range, vision second to none and an excellent first touch, the metronome has it all. His defensive capabilities are also underrated, the ex-Napoli player puts in a hard tackle and is also tenacious. His partnership with Kante and Fabregas, in addition with Kovacic and Ruben Loftus-Cheek makes Chelsea's midfield potentially among the best in the world.
Central midfield: Naby Keïta
Nobody can claim to predict Naby Keïta's potential. Sky is the limit for him. There are not many midfielders in world football which have a comparable skillset to the Guinean. He caught they eye of football scouts with his exploits with Red Bull Salzburg. His rise continued with his move to RB Leipzig and eventually culminated into a €60 million move to Liverpool during 2017-18 season and according to the arrangement he joins Liverpool from 2018-2019 season. He is the man who makes Liverpool title contenders, improving Liverpool's midfield overnight.
Given the shirt number 8, he will be a worthy successor to the Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard. He is the definition of a complete midfielder- spectacular offensively, tactically refined, solid defensively and all this is complemented by his impressive athleticism. He will soon be classified as a world class midfielder and his hefty price tag might prove to be a bargain in the long run. Premier league is indeed fortunate to have such a talent gracing the competition in the upcoming season.
Central Midfield: Mateo Kovacic
He is seen as the heir apparent to Luka Modric, a tag not to be taken lightly by any means. The Croatian midfielder impressed with Inter Milan which earned him a big money move to Real Madrid where he struggled for playing time. Kovacic's talent is undeniable, but at Real Madrid, he struggled to displace either of Kroos, Modric and even Casemiro. He made up his mind to look elsewhere for consistent playing time which led him to Chelsea on loan for the season and there is a good chance that it might become a permanent arrangement.
His move to Chelsea is beneficial for both sides- Kovacic gets a better shot at playing time in a top European club and Chelsea get a midfielder whose skillset is not replicated anywhere in the squad. Kovacic can occupy any of the three positions in Sarri's midfield. He can combine with the front three with his excellent close control and dribbling, can put in a shift and he also puts in a hard tackle or two. The Croatian will no doubt be motivated to prove his ability at the highest level and under Maurizio Sarri, he gets the perfect oppurtunity to showcase his talent.
Forwards:
Right Winger: Riyad Mahrez
Riyad Mahrez finally got his big club move this summer with Manchester city signing him from Leicester this season for a reported fee of €67 million. One of the best wingers in the league, it is surprising that top clubs have taken this long to sign him. He was the talisman of Leicester in their fairytale title winning run in 2015-16.
The Algerian winger was close to exit last season as well but the moves could not come to fruition. With Manchester city, even though they are stacked with world class talent at wide positions, it would still not be a big surprise that Mahrez is one of the first names on the teamsheet. He has only strengthened Manchester City, a winning machine. Most likely, he will play on the right hand side of City's attack. He has close control which many wingers can only dream of and is a perfect fit for possession based Pep Guardiola's system. There is absolutely no doubt that the world will finally appreciate the talents of Riyad Mahrez as he is surrounded by a players at a much higher level than his previous club Leicester and see him as a top European winger.
10) Left Winger: Richarlison
Richarlison's name has been on the rise ever since he got linked with a move to premier league. The 21 year old moved to Watford at the start of 2017-18 season and his performances earned him a big money move to Everton worth €40 million this summer. His critics doubt whether he is worthy of such a hefty price tag but neverthless, he remains a talented young player with a high ceiling.
His move to Everton comes at a time when the Merseyside club is recruiting heavily with acquiring promising and talented players from clubs like Chelsea and FC Barcelona among others. It looks increasingly evident that the club is looking to challenge the top six clubs in England and Richarlison could also follow a similar growth curve and might rank among the league's best players a few years down the line. His pace and trickery causes trouble to most defenders in the league and the Brazilian also has a good eye for a goal. The youngster could prove to be a good fit for Everton and he can also continue his growth as a player as he reunites with the manager that brought him to the premier league in the first place, Marco Silva.
Striker: José Salomón Rondón
This selection might be an unpopular one but it is about time that Rondon is recognised as a striker who deserves to play in the premier league. The Venezuelan striker has moved on loan to Newcastle United this season on loan as his parent club West Bromwich Albion toils in the Championship. It was looking quite likely that premier league clubs could be looking to bring him in as his club got relegated. The relegation should not be coorelated with his quality as a player.
Any striker would have struggled playing for The Baggies last season. Rondon is a striker who has good poaching instincts and can hold off the strongest of defenders. He is an all round striker who can run behind the defense, can finish off a move and bringing other technical players behind him into play. As he moves to the Toon, under Rafael Benitez' tutelage, we might see the very best of Salomon Rondon as he as a good chance of having his best goalscoring season in the premier league this time.
