Sunderland could finish in the bottom half and Manchester City could finish second, yet they dominate our ranking of the top 10 Premier League signings of the season.
Sunderland’s ambitious window saw Granit Xhaka return to the Premier League and immediately handed him the captaincy, while Nordi Mukiele and Robin Roefs have been brilliant as well.
Anyway, signings of the season ahoy. Here’s our Premier League top 10.
Click here for those signings who might just be a bit sh*t.
10) Noah Sadiki (Sunderland, £15m)
From Bertrand Traore for only £2.1m to Habib Diarra for £27m via Granit Xhaka for £13m, Sunderland’s summer business was tremendous. We honestly can’t believe how successful their signings have been.
With the exception of Simon Adingra, Sunderland didn’t waste a single penny. Reinildo on a free transfer has been a revelation and Sadiki has made £15m look like a bargain as well.
The former Union St-Gilloise midfielder gave up Champions League football to join the ambitious Black Cats and he will not regret that decision. Of all the players Regis Le Bris brought to the club last summer, he feels the most likely to land a huge transfer to a Big Six club.
9) Senne Lammens (Manchester United, £18.1m)
The bar was set seriously low by Andre Onana, so perhaps Lammens’ impressive season is actually just…decent. He was getting standing ovations simply for confidently collecting a cross at first. To be fair, it was something United fans hadn’t seen in a long time.
Still, Lammens has added so much to this United team. Having a solid goalkeeper breeds confidence throughout the side, and that’s exactly what the Belgian has done. He hasn’t been extraordinary, but he’s been safe as houses.
8) Antoine Semenyo (Manchester City, £62.5m)
The only January signing in our top 10, Semenyo edges in ahead of a couple of new team-mates in Marc Guehi and Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Arsenal fans will wonder why they spent over £50m on Noni Madueke when Semenyo was right there. And if they bottle the Premier League title again, City bringing in Semenyo and Guehi mid-season will be a major reason why. But ultimately, Arsenal’s biggest threat to success remains themselves.
7) Omar Alderete (Sunderland, £10m)
Sunderland dominate this ranking, with Alderete coming in as the second of five Black Cats summer signings.
This guy is a dog. His player-of-the-match performance against Manchester City epitomised everything he’s about. He has that South American bravery that sees him put his body on the line time and time again. He’s just fantastic.
We’re not sure how Sunderland have nailed their summer business to this extent, but they’ve made some absolutely outstanding signings for very modest fees.
6) Martin Zubimendi (Arsenal, £60m)
Zubimendi is a big reason why Arsenal are strong favourites to win the Premier League this season.
The Spaniard has slotted perfectly into the No.6 role, freeing Declan Rice to push forward and setting off a domino effect that’s lifted Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard too.
He keeps things ticking over beautifully while adding the defensive steel Mikel Arteta craves. It will take something special to reach Rodri levels of control, but Zubimendi might be the final piece of Arsenal’s title-winning puzzle.
5) Rayan Cherki (Manchester City, £34m)
Another monster Man City signing.
Cherki has shown he can win City points on his own and, aside from the goals and assists, he’s simply an incredibly exciting player to watch.
The Frenchman’s flicks, tricks and keepy-ups are a joy to behold – a breath of fresh air in a sport that is becoming increasingly more dull.
4) Nordi Mukiele (Sunderland, £9.5m)
If we’re being brutally honest, the signing of Mukiele looked nailed on to be a waste of time and money. It’s been anything but.
Arriving from Paris Saint-Germain after a loan spell at Bayer Leverkusen, he seemed destined to flop.
Instead, the Frenchman has adapted seamlessly to Premier League football, excelling in both a back four and a back five under Regis Le Bris.
3) Robin Roefs (Sunderland, £9.5m)
As we have already been keen to emphasise, Sunderland’s summer business has been a roaring success, and Roefs has been at the heart of it.
The young Dutch goalkeeper has brought calm, composure and confidence between the sticks.
Five Sunderland signings in this top 10? That’s insane.
2) Anton Stach (Leeds, £17.3m)
Leeds made some solid additions last summer but none have been better than German midfielder Stach.
He has added a threat to set-pieces with his ability to take them and his incredible height. Stach brings control to the Leeds midfield and dominates most of his individual battles. Simply put: he’s brilliant.
Stach’s team-mate Dominic Calvert-Lewin deserves an honourable mention.
1) Granit Xhaka (Sunderland, £13m)
Premier League signing of the season: Granit Xhaka.
We couldn’t believe Xhaka wanted to swap Bayer Leverkusen for Sunderland, especially given the record of newly promoted sides. But his arrival has gone a long way to ensuring the Black Cats buck that trend.
The Switzerland and Sunderland captain has clearly raised the levels at the Stadium of Light and looks one of the best No.6s in the league, underlining just how vital that position has become.
It’s no coincidence that Zubimendi, Sadiki, Stach and Xhaka are all in this top 10, and that Rodri won the Ballon d’Or last year. The defensive midfield role has become the position every manager wants to build around.
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