Arsenal man leads top 10 Premier League signings of the season but Spurs dominate | OneFootball

Declan Rice, James Maddison and James Ward-Prowse all make our top ten Premier League signings of the season.

We are over halfway through the season, which means players have had enough time to show whether they are a complete bust or a future club legend.

Premier League clubs collectively spent a record £2.36billion during the 2023 summer transfer window, eclipsing the £1.92m spent the summer before.

Nobody came close to Chelsea, who were the biggest spenders in Europe, spaffing close to £400million. Only one of their new players makes our top 10 Premier League signings of the season so far. You can probably guess who it is.

He is joined by FOUR Tottenham players, who are clearly loving life under big Ange Postecoglou…

10) Pedro Porro to Tottenham (£39m) Many think Trent Alexander-Arnold has been the best right-back in the Premier League this season. Not this guy. It’s Pedro Porro all the way.

While Trent has excelled in a formidable Liverpool side, Porro has shocked us all by proving himself to be an excellent full-back, despite his signing being greeted with raised eyebrows as Antonio Conte – whose system he supposedly suited perfectly – was always going to leave Tottenham last year.

Conte’s exit came before the expiry of his contract in June and it was assumed that any success for Porro – who joined on loan last January before the move became permanent in the summer – would come under a manager who adopted a three-at-the-back system, but Ange Postecoglou has come in and used a back four from day one.

Porro has been solid defensively, registering the third-most tackles in Our League this term with 57, and has excelled going forward, which Postecoglou needs from pretty much all of his starting XI except the two centre-backs and goalkeeper. The Spaniard gets to the byline well and usually puts a decent ball into the danger area.

He has surprised us and probably quite a few Spurs fans. Thirty-nine million big ones well spent.

9) Pau Torres to Aston Villa (£27.77m) Aston Villa had to have at least one player in our top ten; they do sit second in the Premier League after all.

Moussa Diaby has been fairly decent but his performances have been bettered by Leon Bailey, while Youri Tielemans and Nicolo Zaniolo have not yet got going in claret and blue.

Pau Torres, though, has adapted very well to life in the Premier League. His adaptation is all the more impressive when you consider he is not the most physical of defenders.

Porro’s compatriot has formed a lovely partnership with Ezri Konsa – who is now in the mix for a place in England’s Euro 2024 squad – and the two complement each other very well. If Spurs spent the Porro funds well, then Villa have spent the Torres funds exceptionally well. £28m is a bargain.

8) Dominik Szoboszlai to Liverpool (£60m) The hunky Hungarian’s form has gone a bit off the boil in recent weeks but he has still been an inspired addition to a rejuvenated Liverpool midfield. The Reds are back to their heavy-metal best and Szoboszlai’s energy in the middle of the park is a huge reason they sit top of the Premier League.

Liverpool’s addition of Alexis Mac Allister looked to be an early contender for signing of the season but the fact he has been forced to play in a deeper role means Szoboszlai has been the Reds’ best summer signing, ahead of the Argentine, Ryan Gravenberch and Wataru Endo – who is off to represent Japan at the Asian Cup just as he was coming into his own.

Newcastle United were linked with Szoboszlai before he made the move to Anfield and he is currently looking like the sort of player Eddie Howe desperately needs.

7) Micky van de Ven to Tottenham (£34.5m) While Torres might not look like he is built for the Premier League, Micky van de Ven has already shown he is the perfect player for the best league in the world. Frighteningly rapid, comfortable on the ball, strong, aggressive and solid defensively, the young Dutchman has been superb.

Spurs fans will be hoping Van de Ven returns to full fitness as soon as possible with Cristian Romero out injured. Without both of them, Postecoglou’s men are bound to leak goals like the Old Trafford roof leaks water.

6) James Ward-Prowse to West Ham (£30m) West Ham have always liked causing havoc from set-pieces under David Moyes, so James Ward-Prowse was always going to be a success, wasn’t he?

His devilish deliveries have already contributed to eight assists across all competitions this term, which is an outstanding return for a player looking to surpass David Beckham as the Premier League’s all-time leading free-kick scorer.

It is not just from dead balls that Ward-Prowse has excelled. He can actually play football and isn’t some geezer who should have a YouTube channel, believe it or not.

Costing a very respectable sum makes this signing all the more impressive. The former Southampton captain has to go to the Euros. Jordan Henderson’s inevitable inclusion will make a Ward-Prowse snub even harder to take.

5) Mohammed Kudus to West Ham (£38m) “It’s baffling to me that you do sign Antony over Kudus,” is what Ian Wright had to say this week when analysing Manchester United’s recent transfer business. He’s not wrong, you know. Kudus has done more in half a season than Antony in 18 months at Old Trafford. Erik ten Hag had both players at Ajax, for crying out loud. It’s madness. Funny, mind. But madness.

Nine goals in 24 matches is a decent return for the Ghanaian, who can operate as a winger or through the middle.

December was a brilliant month for Kudus, so there is perhaps a bit of recency bias here. Saying that, he is clearly a top player and another outstanding pick-up by the Hammers.

A cheeky bonus is the fact his presence has helped Lucas Paqueta take his game to another level.

4) Guglielmo Vicario to Tottenham (£17.2m) The way Spurs play under Postecoglou means they need a good goalkeeper, and they found just that in the summer.

With Hugo Lloris quite rightly sacked off, Guglielmo Vicario has shown promise with the ball at his feet, as a sweeper-keeper, and a shot-stopper.

The Italian remains uncapped at international level, which should change pretty soon, even if Gianluigi Donnarumma exists and is three years younger than Vicario. His Italy prospects do not mean much to Spurs fans and Postecoglou, who will be happy enough seeing the 27-year-old excel in north London.

Sorry to go on and on about transfer fees, but £17m? What a bargain.

3) Cole Palmer to Chelsea (£40m) After spending an absolute fortune in such a short period, it’s about time Chelsea got a signing right. Palmer has been a revelation at Stamford Bridge since joining from Manchester City late in the summer transfer window.

Palmer has joined a club in disarray and took things by the scruff of the neck. Without him, the Blues would be a lot worse off, which probably would have cost Mauricio Pochettino his job.

The 21-year-old has eight goals and six assists in 19 appearances for the Londoners after picking up eight goal contributions in 41 for Manchester City, although the vast majority of those games came off the bench.

If Chelsea are going to do anything of note this season, it is going to be because of Palmer, who could get even better if a sodding striker joins the club in January. Imagine his assist tally if he didn’t have one of the most wasteful players in the league in front of him. Oof.

2) James Maddison to Tottenham (£40m) There had not been a better signing this season than James Maddison…until he got injured. Unfortunately, with only 11 appearances this term, it feels a bit wrong to have him top here.

The former Leicester City man was the main man before his unfortunate injury and the fact Spurs are doing so well without him is quite surprising. Dejan Kulusevski has taken on the attacking-midfield responsibilities in Maddison’s absence and is doing a stellar job, but Postecoglou’s men are definitely at their best with Maddison in the No. 10 role and Kulusevksi on the right wing.

Before limping off against Chelsea on November 6, Maddison had nine goal contributions in 11 Premier League appearances. Spurs will not be title contenders when he returns, but fourth spot will be theirs to Spurs right up.

1) Declan Rice to Arsenal (£100m) There are not very many £70m+ Premier League signings who have been a success. In fact, before Declan Rice’s move to Arsenal, Virgil van Dijk was the only player in that price bracket to be an instant hit. Jack Grealish eventually came good at Manchester City, but there seems to be a bit of a curse.

Rice has intercepted the apparent curse and progressively passed it so hard that it has simply not had an effect on him.

The England midfielder has been a demon in the Arsenal midfield, adding a bite they have missed in the No. 6 role for so, so long. He has also contributed with some massive goals already, arguably solidifying himself as the best midfielder in the league this campaign.

It feels like the Gunners’ midfield will be at its best when Thomas Partey returns – before getting injured again – but Rice has shown he can play in midfield by himself at times.

Honourable mentions: Anthony Elanga, Alexis Mac Allister, Ross Barkley, Thomas Kaminski, Jeremy Doku, Jefferson Lerma, Joao Pedro.