We take a look at five English Premier League 2016-17 signings that are going to be talked about during the next nine months.Eric Bailly (Manchester United)His signing might have been slightly overshadowed by the eye-catching purchases of Paul Pogba, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Henrikh Mkhitaryan but nonetheless, the tall Ivory Coast centreback will play no lesser part for the Red Devils in the forthcoming season. Purchased from Spanish side Villarreal for £30m two months ago, Bailly has wasted very little time in making a mark, having been adjudged player of the match in the recent Community Shield victory over league champions Leicester City. A stingy defence is one of the hallmarks of Jose Mourinho’s teams and the 22-year old’s acquisition fits the bill perfectly, bearing in mind that he enjoyed a brilliant season with the Yellow Submarine last time around.Sadio Mane (Liverpool)In his first full season at Liverpool, Jurgen Klopp will have a lot of expectations riding on his shoulders. And Senegalese international Sadio Mane will be expected to feature heavily in the German’s plans.
A combative midfielder in his own right, the 24-year old’s habit of chipping in with the odd goal persuaded the Anfield hierarchy to shelve £34m for his services. Alongside fellow new signing Georginio Wijnaldum from Newcastle United, Mane is a key addition to the squad that is expected to fight on a number of fronts this season.Granit Xhaka (Arsenal)Ever since the departure of French midfielder Patrick Vieira, Arsenal’s lack of bite in the centre of the park has been well noted. Keeping that in mind, Swiss midfielder Xhaka’s signing is a crucial piece of business by the Gunners. Signed from Borussia Monchengladbach for £30m, Arsenal’s third most expensive transfer, Xhaka will add some much needed spark and creativity in midfield, besides acting as the shield of the four-man defence. The 23-year old experienced a heartbreaking penalty shootout defeat to Poland at Euro 2016 so he will be desperate to erase the bitter memories of his spotkick miss and hit the ground running.Vincent Janssen (Tottenham Hotspur)In the absence of Harry Kane, the Premiership top-scorer last season, Tottenham often lacked ideas in front of goal. The £17m recruit of the talented striker from AZ Alkmaar looks set to put pay to all the worries.
Janssen was the highest goalscorer in the Eredivisie last season and is regarded in many quarters as the next big thing in Dutch football. The 22-year old’s hard work without the ball will endear him to Mauricio Pochettino but first and foremost, he must face stiff competition from Kane for a starting berth.John Stones (Manchester City)City have already signed the likes of Ilkay Gundogan, Nolito and Leroy Sane but the £47.5m purchase of Stones, regarded by many as the future England captain, was the icing on the cake.
Vincent Kompany is the undisputed leader of the pack but the Belgian captain often lacked an able deputy at the centre of defence. Step forward Stones, whose ball-playing skills and calming presence have significantly impressed Pep Guardiola.
Thursday, April 25, 2024
