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The winter transfer window is open and we have witnessed some great deals and some surprise deals. FC Barcelona is running riots in the transfer market sealing Kevin Prince Boateng on a loan deal and then following it up with De Jong's €90 million done deal.
Roman Abramovich is no bad either. Chelsea has sealed Christian Pulisic and loaned him back to Dortmund while calling Higuain in for reinforcement up front.
Real Madrid made a move and successfully completed the signing of Brahim Diaz from Manchester City.
In a very surprising move, AC Milan managed to bag Genoa's top scorer and one of the top 5 scorers in Serie A, Krzysztof Piątek.
The Polish will stay with AC Milan until 2023. After witnessing these deals, it makes us wonder about the future of these players. Sometimes transfer turns out to be amazing and sometimes the new team is just not suited for the player and they lose form.
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Here we take a look at some big-name signings from last year and rate their progress with their new team.
Note: Arrange ascendingly in terms of popularity of the signing and impact of the player.
#10 Theo Walcott (Arsenal to Everton)
The Englishman switched allegiance from North London to Merseyside for a €20 million deal. After switching sides, he also went on to comment that he wasn't enjoying life at Arsenal.
Last season when he arrived at Everton, the Toffees already had Wayne Rooney, Oumar Niasse and young Calvert-Lewin with them. Plus, they also added Cenk Tosun with them. Yet, Walcott, for all the hype he had performed up to the level that people expected from him.
Even though he joined after half-season and made only 13 appearances, he scored three goals and made three assists (highest by any Everton forward in 2017/18).
He also completed at least 2 dribbles per game and made 1 key pass per game. His average number of passes made was second only to Wayne Rooney. Walcott's addition provided the depth that the Toffees needed up front.
This season he has scored three goals and got two assists so far in 19 appearances(starts). The addition of Richarlison sees the Brazilian being the more imposing figure among the forwards.
Richarlison and Walcott have made 21 and 23 appearances each with the Brazilian playing more minutes. In front of goal, Richarlison has been lethal, scoring nine goals.
However, Walcott is much better when it comes to ball control and keeping possession. Richarlison gets dispossessed more and has worse touches than Walcott.
Our conclusion is that Walcott has done more than justice to his price tag and played a valuable role for Everton. After Rooney's departure, he has complemented Richarlison's goal tally with his better control and chance creation.
Rating: 6/10
Verdict: The Englishman, for his price tag, did well adapting last season but has been just about average till now. The Toffees rely more on Richarlison for scoring.
#9 Mario Gomez (Wolfsburg to Stuttgart)
Mario Gomez was on top of the world when he was at Bayern Munich. Super Mario scored for fun when he played for the Bavarians.
Later on, he had an underwhelming spell at Fiorentina. He moved to Besiktas and then to Wolfsburg. But finally, he returned to his very home and the place where he started from, VfB Stuttgart. His transfer fee was just about £2.7 million.
Despite being 33 and the oldest forward in the Stuttgart roster, Gomez ended the season with eight goals. Although he joined in January, his goal tally was enough to make him the top-scorer of his team.
He also had more passes per game than all the other forwards including, Asano, Donis, and Ginczek.
Mario Gomez is still the leading goal-scorer for Stuttgart with five goals. As Stuttgart struggle at the 16th spot, Mario still has scored almost 35% of his team's goals.
As he is aging, Mario's career is almost in its twilight and he is playing the best he could for his first club.
Although he has scored, there has not been any major impact in the team's performance with his addition this season. Last season though, his goals played a major role in winning some games in March and April.
Rating: 6/10
Verdict: Super Mario can still score but he has not been able to lift his team this season. However, he made match-winning contributions last season. He tips Walcott because of adding more value to the team.
#8 Marc Bartra (Borussia Dortmund to Real Betis)
Former Barcelona man, Marc Bartra moved from Borussia Dortmund to Real Betis for €10.5 million.
Quique Setien who had experimented with both three and four-man defenses till then made Bartra a regular starter.
Setien mostly used a three-man defense as he does even now. Zouhair Feddal and Aissa Mandi started alongside Bartra in the three-man formation.
From January till the end of the season, Bartra adapted really well to the situation and style that Real Betis employed.
Bartra averaged a massive 2.4 tackles per game, 2 interceptions per game and almost 6 clearances per game. Even Raphael Varane had averaged only 1 tackle and 1 interception per game.
In 2018/19, Bartra is still a regular starter in the team and plays alongside Mandi and Javi Garcia mostly in the three-man defence.
Even in the new season, he boasts of better stats than both Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane.
Marc Bartra surely wouldn't have cost a fortune for Real Madrid and yet he has been so good under Setien. His stats speak volumes of his success with Betis. He has been a really good signing for Betis.
Rating: 7/10
Verdict: Bartra has been a good addition to the defensive line and does well whenever he is on the pitch.
#7 Manuel Akanji ( FC Basel to Borussia Dortmund)
Manuel Akanji after some sparkling performances with FC Basel moved to Germany. Borussia Dortmund paid a sum of about €21.5 million to acquire the services of the Swiss.
Akanji was bought to add depth to the defense of Borussia Dortmund. He played only 10 games last season for Dortmund. If we remove Bayern's 6-0 routing of Dortmund, they conceded only nine in nine matches when Akanji played.
Akanji average two tackles per game in the 2017/18 season, more than Benjamin Pavard and Jerome Boateng, two of Bundesliga's best.
This season Akanji has already featured in 13 out of 18 games for Borussia Dortmund. He has built a solid partnership with Dan Axel Zagadou at the back.
Dortmund has conceded the least number of goals in Bundesliga this season, along with Leipzig and Monchengladbach. (18)
Akanji's comparison with respect to his last season shows his improvement as a defender. His interceptions have gone from 0.6 to 1.3 this season.
His tackle rate is at 0.8 per game and the foul rate is at 0.2 per game. If he is getting 3 out of four tackles right, then it is amazing, isn't it?
He is still young but after Sokratis left, he has done well to hold the lines along with Zagadou.
Rating: 7.5/10
Verdict: Akanji has improved massively from last season and hasn't let the void left by Sokratis disturb the team. He is rated higher than Bartra due to his progress and impact on the team.
#6 Olivier Giroud (Arsenal to Chelsea)
After Arsenal acquired the services of Pierre Emerick Aubameyang from Borussia Dortmund, Chelsea confirmed the signing of Olivier Giroud for a fee of €17 million.
Giroud scored only three goals in 13 appearances for Chelsea and had one assist. He only had one key pass per game on an average, which even Alvaro Morata bettered. (1.1 key passes per game)
Giroud's arrival did not have much of an impact on the already lopsided season for the Blues. He scored on only two of his 13 appearances but the team went on to win both times.
Even this season, Giroud is not any favorite to start. He has only played about 600 minutes in the league out of a possible 2000.
In his 18 appearances, 12 were as a substitute. He has scored only one goal this season and assisted 4 but his average match rating is worse than last season.
(6.76 last season, 6.53 this season) His key passes per game are now less than one and so are his dribbles per game.
With Giroud not showing any signs for improvement or making a case to be added to the first team, we cannot expect to see him starting more often.
When Chelsea sign Higuain as a backup striker even though Giroud is present, we can contemplate what the coach and management think of the Frenchman.
Maybe his Chelsea days are numbered as well. However, his signing has not been a hit by any means.
Rating: 5/10
Verdict: Giroud is truly out of sorts in the current Chelsea team and has not lived up to what the management expected from him. He is a top transfer because he was a popular signing.
#5 Lucas Moura (PSG to Tottenham)
Lucas Moura joined the Spurs from PSG for €28.4 million in the last winter transfer window. Lack of playing time at PSG would have been the main reason behind his move but he did not get any playing time in Tottenham either.
However, he was patient and has played over 1300 minutes in the league. Not only has he played for this much amount of time, but his performances are also up to the mark with his teammates.
He has scored six goals this season. He is not much of a playmaker though. He has only 0.9 key passes per game and has no assists.
But despite not being the best of passes, he is a great contributor even in the defence. He averages one tackle and one interception per game.
He helps Mauricio Pochettinho's style of changing the starting 11 regularly. When Son Heung-Min or Dele Alli need a rest, Lucas Moura can be put right into the attacking midfield position, left, right or center.
Moura has also started as a center forward this season. He has shown exceptional performances, notably against United in the 3-0 win and against Barcelona in the 1-1 draw.
Moura has shown that he has the quality to start and succeed in Tottenham. We can expect him to improve over time. He has fulfilled the purpose he was bought for, add depth and perform well.
Rating: 7.5/10
Verdict: A star apart from the fab-four was Tottenham's requirement. We can even call the forwards as fab-five now. Moura has fit right into the team.
#4 Philippe Coutinho (Liverpool to Barcelona)
The most expensive winter transfer in history. Philippe Coutinho joined Barcelona for a sum of €130 million.
Coutinho's start to his Barcelona career was amazing, to say the least. He made 18 appearances for Barcelona while scoring eight goals and creating five assists. He also had 1.5 key passes per game, 2.5 dribbles per game and an average match rating of 7.66.
However, almost one year after he joined Barcelona, even now he couldn't cement his place in the starting lineup.
What is his problem? No one has an exact answer. He is not good playing at the left-wing and neither in the central midfield.
Ousmane Dembele's astounding performances have earned him a place in the starting lineup and Coutinho is under more pressure to perform.
Maybe due to this pressure, he never really looks to play killer through balls. He'd rather pass it sideways to make sure he doesn't make a mistake.
But in Barcelona, they expect players to take risks and also succeed in it. Coutinho doesn't want to be the person to make a mistake.
At the moment, he tries too much all alone. Tries to dribble and cut inside of the defender and then finish with his finesse shot. But that is not enough because that is about everything that he does. No involvement in build-up play is not excusable at Barcelona even for a No.9.
He had shown some good signs against Eibar but he gave the ball away cheaply yesterday in Copa del Rey which resulted in a Sevilla goal. He had better pull his socks up and start delivering because sooner than later, he will lose his coach's trust.
Rating: 5/10
Verdict: A lot was expected of Coutinho and Barcelona splashed the cash on him. It is not Coutinho's fault entirely, there is absolutely no position where he can replace another player in the team.
#3 Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Borussia Dortmund to Arsenal)
One of Borussia Dortmund's biggest exports. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang joined the Gunners for a sum of €63.75 million.
Aubameyang got off to a quick start and bagged 10 goals in 13 appearances. He also got 4 assists to go with it. But Arsenal's season was not going very well when Aubameyang came in and thus they couldn't salvage a Champions League spot.
Now that we are in the new season Aubameyang has made several adjustments to the game. In comparison to his last season, he has won almost double aerial duels per game. His passing accuracy (0.6 to 1.2) has also increased to 75% from 69%.
Also, it is worth noting that he has lowered the average number of passes per game. In turn, he is making himself well-positioned to receive passes and cutbacks into the box.
He has no defensive contributions as such but he more than makes it up with his offensive game. Aubameyang has bagged 14 goals this season with three assists.
He is only behind Salah. He is in the running for Golden Boot this season and he has impressed under both Wenger and Emery.
Rating: 8.5/10
Verdict: Aubameyang has been directly involved in 35% of the goals scored by Arsenal in the Premier League. He has been as good as he was last season and has cemented his spot in the starting 11.
#2 Aymeric Laporte (Athletic Bilbao to Manchester City)
When Pep Guardiola demanded this kid from Athletic Bilbao, a few eyebrows were raised. But for Pep Guardiola it is not a new thing.
Ever since he joined City, he has the free hand to demand any player he wants and Sheikh Mansoor would splash some cash on him. That's how it works. But what is different between Guardiola and PSG, is that Guardiola asks for players with potential rather than a big name.
Laporte was just one of the potentials that Guardiola loved. He only made nine appearances in the Premier League last season and he showed his worth in each of them.
City conceded only five goals in the nine games that Laporte played, and that included keeping a clean sheet against Chelsea and restricting Spurs to 1 goal only.
Come this season, Pep has put more trust on Laporte. Alongside John Stones, he is now the first-choice center back for Pep Guardiola with Otamendi moving to the bench.
But the only things that have changed are the minutes given to Laporte and the season. His performances are still the same, ever consistent. He averages the same 0.9 tackles and 1.1 interceptions that he did last season. Astounding isn't it?
Laporte's stats show his consistency and he has been ever present in the defense and at times pushes into the midfield as well.
The only person who doesn't trust Laporte as much is Didier Deschamps and he didn't make it to the Nations League Final without him.
Rating: 9/10
Verdict: As good as Aymeric Laporte is, we cannot give him a 10/10. Simply, he has done very well at the back for City, it is not like they don't face shots or counter-attacks. But we cannot have two people with a perfect 10.
#1 Virgil Van Dijk (Southampton to Liverpool)
The best defender in the world at the moment. The best defender in the world this season. There is absolutely no argument against the two statements.
This season, nobody has been better than Virgil Van Dijk in the back end. Neither Ramos, nor Varane, nor Pique or anyone else.
Last summer, Liverpool were trolled heavily for their winter transfer window. They let go off Coutinho and they signed a player who was hardly known to many people.
To add to it, they paid €78.8 million to land the Dutchman at Anfield, making him the most expensive defender till date. But one year after the deal, Van Dijk has shown everybody that 75 million for him was a bargain.
After Van Dijk's arrival, Liverpool's defense was steadied and looked more than composed. This showed in the remaining league matches and the UEFA Champions League knockout stages.
In the final against Real Madrid, never once was the defense broke or left-behind as such. Two goals were gifted by Karius and one was a flash of brilliance from Bale.
Van Dijk had averaged 1.3 interceptions and 1.1 tackles per game last season. This season he averages 1.1 interceptions and 0.9 tackles.
But Liverpool seems a far better side especially defensively. In two league games, even Manchester City scored only two past them. Liverpool has the best defensive record in the league and has conceded only 13 goals.
Van Dijk has been a rock at the back. Even if Liverpool concede 20 goals in the remaining 15 games they will have a better defensive record than the last season. With Van Dijk in front of the keeper, even that is just a weak possibility.
Rating: 10/10
Verdict: A perfect signing by Liverpool. Not only are his performances up to the mark but he has steadied the whole defensive line, exactly what Liverpool asked of him.
