Top 5 signings made by Premier League sides based on stats and performances

The year is about to come to a close, marking the beginning of the January transfer window and the familiar ring of rumours is about to jingle in our ears. Before we run into the rumour mill and the flurry of possible big-money moves, let us take a look at the season so far and see who have been the 5 best signings from the last window.

Here, we'll be looking at the sum invested in the player by the club, the impact the player has had and the statistics racked up by the player.

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#5 Alvaro Morata

Whether it was to Manchester United or Chelsea, it was certain heading into the summer that Alvaro Morata would complete a move to England. The talented striker who was a very useful backup option at Juventus and in his two spells at Real Madrid was pushing for a chance to lead the line for a big European team. Chelsea took the splurge for him amidst all the Diego Costa commotion and boy, has it paid off.

Morata has played a direct role in 13 goals in his first 13 League appearances for the Blues (9 goals and 4 assists) and his link-up play and movement have been splendid. His amazing record with fellow Spaniard Cesar Azpilicueta, netting 5 goals off his assists is an incredible stat too. Morata’s deft touches and intelligent movement that often catches opposition defenders unaware and makes him near impossible to man-mark are his biggest assets and his aerial ability has been outrageously good.

With goals being the biggest currency in football, Morata has fit right into Antonio Conte's system and has hit the ground running at Chelsea. If he continues performing at this rate and plunders goals regularly, he is in with a good shout in the race for the Golden Boot which is going on at fine margins at the moment.

#4 Pascal Gross

Brighton have started life in the Premier League on a bright note, and have exceeded the expectations of the footballing community. The one man who has been the spark providing moments of inspiration for the team so far has been their German midfielder, Pascal Gross.

Signed for a price of €3m, an absurdly cheap amount for a player in the modern day, the price tag sounds even more repulsive when you watch Gross in action and when you also realise that he was the provider of the highest number of chances in the Bundesliga last season.

With 3 goals scored and 5 goals created, Gross has been the hero for the Seagulls in their wonderful run so far, creating chance after chance for the strikers Glenn Murray and Tomar Hemed, who haven't been wasteful and owe a fair share of their goals to the inch-perfect deliveries from Gross.

Be it set pieces, be it in open play, Gross’s ability to pick out a pass and play the killer ball has been very impressive. The fact that Gross has been delivering the goods on a regular basis makes him one of the biggest assets in an otherwise creativity lacking Brighton squad. The Seagulls are counting on him as his wonderful creative form continues to raise eyebrows in what has been a very impressive season for both Gross and the club so far.

#3 Nemanja Matic

Nemanja Matic's presence in midfield has been key for United

Nemanja Matic was a fan-favourite the moment his transfer was announced, like any big money signing from a direct title rival. The manager's reliable ally, Matic has worked his way into the fans with various solid performances, enhancing the reputation of Serbians named Nemanja amongst the Old Trafford faithful.

Matic is at the base of every Manchester United move. His exceptional reading of the game helps him complement the work of the defensive unit and to break down attacks before they begin, while his wonderful range of passing helps shift the pace of play in United's favour and to start counterattacks with passes that unlock defences.

Matic has a mean left foot that can drive the ball in with searing power (Tottenham felt it's punch in the FA Cup Semi-Final last term) meaning that he can provide the option of some effective long-range shooting too and considering the fact that the creative talents of the likes of Mkhitaryan and Mata haven't been very consistent in making an opening in the attacking third, this can prove useful especially against defensively compact opposition who like to sit deep and soak up the pressure.

Matic is a manager's dream, and Chelsea's struggles at the centre of the park to find an adequate replacement for Matic and Antonio Conte's outburst on Matic's sale shows how valuable the Serb is and how good an addition he is to the Manchester United artillery.

#2 Richarlison

Richarlison has had a stunning debut season in the Premier League

Another from the endless production line of technically gifted players in Brazil, Richarlison has been an absolute revelation in Marcos Silva's Watford project. The wily Brazilian has been crucial to the team's good showing and has provided a new dimension of attack along the flank with his trickery and tireless tenacity.

Richarlison was picked up from Fluminense for £13m, and considering the fact that he's only 20 and has hit the ground running in the league, that looks like a sum that is going to be repaid in multiples with the bigger fish swimming around this wonderful talent already.

His presence along the left flank has been phenomenal and his ability to deliver the goods even at crunch situations and clutch timings has caught the eye further. Richarlison has thrived at the latter stages of games with his tireless demeanour and has scored multiple late winners and equalisers this season already. He has formed a good understanding with his midfield and has impressed with his movement off the ball too.

A tendency to dive and gaining a reputation for the same has been the only flaw as such in his game, and while his finishing hasn't been up to the mark, the potential is sky high and it won't be long before Richarlison puts more chances to bed and further enhances his reputation in the footballing world.

One to look out for.

Honourable mentions to those who didn't quite make the cut below:

Kolasinac and Lacazette

Sead Kolasinac and Alexandre Lacazette

The Arsenal duo have been impressive and have shown moments of individual brilliance, but a failure to build upon such performances on a week to week basis sees them just miss out from featuring on this list. The Bosnian (Kolasinac) has been an absolute tank of a defender, drawing similarities to former Chelsea player Branislav Ivanovic for his ferocious nature and drive, while Lacazette has been nimble and clever inside the box and it can be safely said that he has lived up to the hype surrounding him at the Emirates.

Kyle Walker

The fullback is exactly what Manchester City needed and his price tag is the only reason why he doesn't feature in the top 5 of this list. Incredible as he has been, it is really difficult to live up to the £49m tag for a fullback.

Davinson Sanchez

An exciting prospect. An absolute beast of a centre-back who has walked into the Spurs starting line-up and has been solid. Another steal from the Ajax line of production by Tottenham. The recent drop in domestic form of the Spurs sees him miss out on the top 5.

#1 Mohamed Salah

Mohammed Salah

Talk about comebacks. On his second coming to England, Mohamed Salah has absolutely rampaged his way through the league, scoring 12 goals in the league already in addition to assisting his teammates four times. Signed from Roma for an initial fee of £36.9m, Salah has delivered some scintillating performances and considering the inflated nature of the worldwide transfer market, this does sound like one of the buys of the season, if the initial form is a measure to go by.

The 'Egyptian Messi' has been terrific, and is one of the most exciting players to watch in the Premier League at the moment. A man with nerves of steel, Salah is at the peak of his powers, carrying Liverpool on his shoulders on multiple occasions this season. His combination and intelligent interplay with Coutinho looks promising and when fully fit, there is no attacking quadrant more dangerous than the Salah, Firmino, Coutinho, Mane quintet.

Fearless on the ball and unbelievably composed, Salah’s improved finishing and wonderful link-up play coupled with his blistering pace and fearless shooting make him the stuff of nightmares for defenders. His direct style of play, raw yet elegant, makes him one of the most wily attackers around.

Salah's individual brilliance has been compared to that of Luiz Suarez's exploits at Liverpool, and if his performances continue at the same vein as they have been so far, the footballing world is in for a treat.