The 10 best Premier League transfers of 2023 (Ranked) | OneFootball

Highlights

As 2023 draws to a close, now is a time when many of us choose to reflect on the year that has been. And that’s no different with football. The Premier League has been as interesting as ever. Arsenal returned as title challengers, Aston Villa emerged as top contenders, but 2023 will always belong to treble-winning Manchester City.

A large part of the excitement this year has been the arrival of so many new faces in the division. Some of the biggest names across Europe have joined some of England’s elite. However, that doesn’t mean they were the best signings.

Players like Andre Onana and Mykhailo Mudryk have failed to live up to the hype placed upon them so far. Even the likes of Enzo Fernandez, who has not performed badly since joining Chelsea, hasn't come close to making the best of impressions so far.

Here at GIVEMESPORT, we have compiled our own top 10 Premier League signings of 2023. We have taken into account the expectations that were set of the players before their moves and their individual statistics. Most importantly, we have tried to take into account how much of a positive impact they have had on their new clubs since joining. It was tough to whittle it down, but, without further ado, let's dive into our 10...

Luton Town - Free Transfer

Let’s be honest. None of us had a Ross Barkley career renaissance on our bingo cards for 2023. After all, the Englishman started the year continuing to struggle in France for OGC Nice.

He was a free agent in the summer when Luton Town came calling. With the Hatters in need of some Premier League experience, they gave Barkley what was likely to be his final opportunity to flourish in top-flight football. And flourish he has.

The former Evertonian has occupied a deeper role in midfield, where he can get on the ball and dictate the play. It has worked a charm, with the 30-year-old pinging passes around the pitch for fun, even grabbing a goal against Arsenal. Although there is plenty of the season left to play, should Luton miraculously stay up, Barkley will have played a crucial part.

The Ghanaian international initially made a slow start to life in the Premier League. Manager David Moyes used him conservatively as he settled into life at the Olympic Stadium, but since then, the attacker has burst into life.

With five goals in fourteen games, the 23-year-old has already found the net more times in the Premier League than former Ajax teammate Antony. This is even more impressive when you learn that he has only averaged 56 minutes per game in the division since he joined West Ham, per Transfermarkt. Tipped by journalist Dean Jones to go "above and beyond" what we've already seen from him, there’s little to no doubt Mohamed Kudus will continue to be a threat going into 2024.

Another player who got off to a slow start, Anthony Gordon finally made his big move to Newcastle in January. However, his career in Tyneside didn’t take off like he would’ve hoped. The youngster struggled with his manager’s tactics and struggled with his fitness, something he admitted to the Daily Mail:

All that changed after a pre-season under his belt. He has become an integral part of Eddie Howe’s team, scoring against the likes of Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, and Manchester United. Gordon has proven himself to be a big game player, and if he continues his form, he might find his way into Gareth Southgate’s thinking for Euro 2024.

7 Cole Palmer

Chelsea - €47m

Speaking of someone who has forced their way into the England fold... Cole Palmer’s decision to leave Manchester City having come through their academy was a brave one. However, it was one made by a player keen to prove he was ready for the top.

Truthfully, there are a lot of Chelsea players who would make a top 10 of the worst signings in 2023, so the 21-year-old has been nothing short of a breath of fresh air at Stamford Bridge. He is clearly a favorite of both the fans and Mauricio Pochettino, capable of stepping up in high-pressure moments like he did against his former side. He will likely be given the responsibility of being a leading light for the Blues for many years to come.

6 Dominik Szoboszlai

Liverpool - €70m

After failing to qualify for the Champions League in the 2022/23 season, many people looked at Liverpool’s squad and came to the same conclusion - their midfield needed an overhaul. As the likes of Fabinho, Henderson, and Milner departed, Hungarian superstar Dominik Szoboszlai joined from RB Leipzig to help fill the voids that had been left.

He has started in every single Premier League game so far this season for Jurgen Klopp’s side, with only Mohamed Salah managing the same feat. That is illustrious company for the midfielder to be joined by, which signals just how important he is already becoming as part of this new-look team at Anfield. Factor in the fact he's been scoring screamers like his goal against West Ham, and the 23-year-old looks to be a seriously good signing.

5 James Ward-Prowse

West Ham - €34.8m

In Gordon and Palmer, we spoke of two players who may be starting to force their way into Gareth Southgate’s plans. In James Ward-Prowse, we have someone who should’ve been included a long time ago.

The former Southampton captain made the move to East London for a reported £30 million and continued doing what he does best. Terrorising defenses with his set pieces. The midfielder isn’t just a dead ball merchant, though. He has proven that he is just as threatening in possession. Per Whoscored, only Jarrod Bowen has more goal contributions for the Hammers in the 2023/24 league campaign than Ward-Prowse.

4 Leandro Trossard

Arsenal - €24m

Although the Belgian international may not always be considered as part of Mikel Arteta’s first eleven, we have ranked him so highly for the impact he has on Arsenal’s squad. Much of the criticism leveled at the Gunners during their title chase was that they were reliant on their first-choice players being fit due to not having enough strength in depth.

Through acquiring Trossard, Arsenal’s attack now had someone who was versatile and possessed star-quality. This meant that if someone was to become injured, the standard of football would not drop. This methodology is now taking shape across the squad; however, Trossard is still the standout of these types of additions. With 19 goal contributions in less than 2000 minutes for the north London side, the Belgian certainly looks to be money well spent.

3 Jeremy Doku

Manchester City - €60m

It has been proven over the last few years that it is very difficult to join a Pep Guardiola team and be so good that you immediately force your way into the first XI. Jeremy Doku, on the other hand, doesn’t play by those rules.

Not only has the Belgian been an outstanding pick-up, he has been one of the best players in the Premier League since he entered it. Whoscored’s rating of 7.61 sees him joint-top with Bukayo Saka, with him besting the likes of Erling Haaland, Mo Salah, and Son Heung-min. One of only nine players to register four assists in a league game, there’s an argument for him to place higher on this list. However, we feel two other players have had a bigger impact on their respective teams.

2 Declan Rice

Arsenal - €116.6m

We had been waiting to see if the former West Ham captain could make the step-up to the highest level. Now in December, it’s safe to say he has comprehensively proved he can. The Englishman has made the most tackles per 90 and the most interceptions per 90 and is also in the top five in statistics such as clearances, pass completion percentage, and blocks for his team, per Whoscored.

This is not even contributing to the leadership and personality that Declan Rice brings to the Emirates, something that is needed for such a young, blossoming team. That is despite the fact he is still improving himself.

1 James Maddison

Tottenham - €46.3m

When James Maddison joined Tottenham in the summer of 2023, he may have had dreams about all the chances he would create for Harry Kane. Not only did it turn out that wouldn’t be the case, but the 27-year-old would effectively be tasked with filling the void left by Tottenham’s greatest marksman.

Before his injury that ruled him out until January 2024, Maddison was leading a new-look Spurs to unprecedented heights. Even without Kane, Tottenham hadn’t looked so dangerous and entertaining in years. They even managed to put themselves at the top of the table.

The midfielder’s impact has been seen just as much since his injury, with Postecoglu’s men falling down the division in his absence. Fans will be hoping he returns to the same rich vein of form that he left them in.