Which new players have made the biggest impact in the Premier League this season and what would it look like if we put them all in one team?
To construct our XI, we’ve used average ratings from WhoScored and fit them into a formation to include the best players possible. At this stage of the season, we will only include players with at least three Premier League starts.
That means a 3-4-2-1 formation for now but we’ll be keeping this fluid as the season progresses…
GK: Konstantinos Tzolakis (Hull City) – 7.31
Hull City have made a far better start to the season than any of us imagined. There were some shouts that they could rival Derby’s record for the lowest number of points in a Premier League season; in reality, they’re just one more win away from making a mockery of those predictions – and we’re only five games into the season.
The fact they seem to have unearthed a goalkeeper they can depend upon has certainly helped. A £20m signing from Olympiacos, Tzolakis kept clean sheets in each of his first three Premier League games – and two of those were against sides in the Champions League this season.
CB: Tarik Muharemovic (Leeds United) – 7.46
Leeds spent big on Muharemovic this summer and the imposing left-footed centre-back has been ever-present for them so far.
He made the third-most clearances in Serie A last season with Sassuolo and has continued doing what he does best in the Premier League, now ranking highly for clearances this season.
CB: Nobel Mendy (Hull City) – 7.22
Another Hull representative and the second left-footer in our back three, Mendy became the Tigers’ record signing when he joined from Rayo Vallecano.
He was brought in for his defensive ability, but enjoyed a dream debut at the other end by scoring against Manchester United. He missed Hull’s first defeat of the season at Newcastle with a head injury.
CB: Luka Vuskovic (Brighton) – 7.21
Tottenham’s decision to sell the 19-year-old to Brighton and take Jan Paul van Hecke for more money might well go down as one of the all-time worst transfer mistakes.
Vuskovic has been excellent this season for Brighton and made a total of eight clearances as Brighton absolutely battered champions Arsenal to go third in the Premier League table. Liverpool’s Jeremy Jacquet is unlucky to lose his spot.
RB: Ronald Araujo (Liverpool) – 7.27
Signed as a squad option at centre-back but at some point during the 2-2 draw with Nottingham Forest, Andoni Iraola lost patience with Jeremie Frimpong and decided that the Uruguayan was the answer at right-back. Since then, Liverpool have not conceded a goal in three matches. And it’s not all down to the excellent Jacquet.
CM: Mamadou Sangare (Brentford) – 7.16
We’re not sure Sangare passes off as a shrewd signing given he cost more than anyone Brentford have ever bought before, but boy, he looks a find.
The £39m-or-so man (reports vary on the actual size of the fee) has started four of Brentford’s games so far, taking just 12 minutes to make an assist on his debut against Spurs. The Bees are so good they could afford to start him on the bench v Chelsea.
CM: Elliot Anderson (Manchester City) – 7.13
You’d hope so for all that money.
In fairness, Anderson isn’t doing a bad job of silencing those of us who predicted he’d be a massive flop. And there were lots of us.
He ranks highly for passes, touches and interceptions this season after starting all five of Manchester City’s Premier League games so far.
He now faces that age-old challenge of having to add goals and assists to his game to truly win over the naysayers. Work in progress.
LB: Andy Robertson (Tottenham Hotspur) – 6.65
Bit of a curveball here and the lowest-rated player fitting into our XI. Nobody was exactly screaming about Robertson as a signing of the season contender when Tottenham picked him up on a free transfer after his Liverpool exit.
But it was a sensible enough move to add some experience into a squad bereft of genuine leaders. Until he did this.
What we are saying here is that nobody bought left-backs this summer.
AM: Morgan Rogers (Chelsea) – 7.38
You’d hope so for all that money.
Currently the second-highest-rated new signing of them all, Rogers was involved in a goal in each of his first four Premier League appearances for Chelsea.
Goals against Fulham and Arsenal bookended his assist against Brighton, before he opened the scoring against Hull. A bright start, then, for the most expensive English player in football history. Yes it still sounds weird.
We rate him as the best of the real big-money signings.
AM: Savio (Tottenham) – 7.25
There might be a lack of end product but Savio’s underlying numbers have been pretty extraordinary. After just three Premier League starts, the Brazilian has created more chances than any other Tottenham player, while he has actually dribbled past more players in just three games than any other Premier League player in all five fixtures.
CF: Liam Delap (Nottingham Forest) – 6.85
Big striker moves were few and far between in the Premier League this summer, unlike last year with your Alexander Isaks, your Benjamin Seskos, your Viktor Gyokereseseses.
Delap joined Forest for what felt like a sizeable fee and has paid back a percentage of that fee with precisely one Premier League goal but also a fair number of dribbles and created chances. Shorthand: It’s gone okay.
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