In the Premier League, a successful signing might be the difference between a team winning the league and staying up. A good signing can define a team’s season. It’s simple to evaluate a player only on price tag these days given the amount of money invested in England’s top division. Jadon Sancho and Leon Bailey, among others, have already failed to live up to their expectations this season, while others have flourished after changing teams and been a great revelation for their respective sides.
Let’s look at some of the top acquisitions so far this season and how they’ve performed throughout the campaign as the Premier League season starts to wind down and we approach another transfer window.
Luis Díaz
The number of superlatives we can use to describe Luis Dáz’s meteoric ascension at Liverpool is rapidly diminishing. For the second half of the season, Jürgen Klopp’s team has a new dimension thanks to the Colombian, who joined from Porto in January following their Champions League exit. While players typically take some time to adjust to the German’s demanding system, Daz has quickly cemented himself as one of the first names on the team sheet.
With his lightning-quick pace and eye for goal, he could make the difference if the Reds do manage to win the fabled quadruple this season. He has scored three goals in ten domestic starts and helped the team qualify for the Champions League final. Now, £37 million seems like a great deal.
Gallagher, Conor
The Premier League relegation odds all predicted Crystal Palace to be dropped at the beginning of the season. Compared to Roy Hodgson, Patrick Vieira was a less experienced coach, and the club had just dismissed 13 players during the preseason to reduce their payroll. Palace was at a turning point. Conor Gallagher, a Chelsea loanee who has excelled at Selhurst Park this season, is largely responsible for the fantastic job Vieira has done to keep the Eagles afloat.
While Gallagher’s loan at West Bromwich Albion last season ended in relegation, it’s evident that it gave him the confidence to feel like he belongs in the topflight. He has played more often this year in his preferred attacking midfield position. It would be intriguing to see if the 22-year-old returns to Stamford Bridge next season or whether Palace spends much to get Gallagher permanently after he scored goals and received an England call-up.
Kulusevski Dejan
Dejan Kulusevski, a versatile attacker, was acquired by Tottenham Hotspur on loan from Juventus whilst Dáz was unable to be signed by the club back in January. Kulusevski has been crucial to Tottenham Hotspur’s success in Antonio Conte’s debut campaign in north London. The Italians still have a lot to do to improve this team, but if they can place themselves in the Champions League, they’ll probably be able to keep Kulusevski on a long-term basis. There were undoubtedly questions about this signing because the Swedish international had a lacklustre goal-scoring record while playing for Turin. However, all sceptics were quickly dispelled when the Swedish international teamed up with a revitalized Harry Kane and Heung-Min Son to form a lethal attacking trio.
Another new season-long prize in the Premier League is for the Most Powerful Goal. This honour went to Brazilian midfielder Fernandinho of Manchester City for his potent goal against Leeds’ home team on April 30, 2022. Fernandinho’s strike recorded 73.08 miles per hour, making it the fastest goal-scoring shot in a Premier League season (117.61 kilometres per hour).
