The Premier League campaign has started in earnest and the health of the flagship competition has never been better. Viewed by many as the best league in the world, the competition level has increased as more money and smarter decision-making has flooded the Premier League.
With Serie A and La Liga teams still feeling the after-effects of COVID on their bottom line, the Premier League has emerged into the spotlight as the go-to league for players looking to take their careers to the next level. From the big boys to the relegation contenders, here are the top five new additions that could make a mark ahead of the 2022-23 Premier League campaign. These signings are players from outside the Premier League, we do not count transfers from English clubs to English clubs such as Arsenal’s acquisition of Manchester City striker Gabriel Jesus.
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Erling Haaland – Manchester City
Haaland has a lot of pressure on his shoulders at Manchester City this season, following his £51 million transfer from Borussia Dortmund. He was signed to make a difference in big games for City and replace the production they have failed to adequately replicate since Sergio Aguero left the club. If the opening Premier League weekend is anything to go by, Haaland has sent an ominous sign for the rest of the Premier League.
Haaland looks set to run and run, he may not touch the ball as much as his teammates but there were endless feints, dummy runs, and angled sprints that occupy the opposition defenders and add a razors edge to City’s attack.
Darwin Nunez – Liverpool
With Sadio Mane’s departure to Bayern Munich, Liverpool are re-defining their forward line much like City with Haaland, with a new number nine plucked from the Primeira Liga. Darwin Nunez’s pace, power, and aerial threat is clear from two substitute appearances in the Community Shield and Premier League early on. For years, Klopp has played with Robert Firmino as a false nine dragging defenders away from key areas that Salah and Mane would run into.
A new season brings new adjustments however and the 23-year-old Nunez looks like adding a cutting edge to the center-forward position, occupying defenders at a higher level than Firmino and causing chaos in the penalty box with clever runs and a desire for goals. His movement is already getting the best out of Salah early on. Liverpool’s £85 million summer signing has just as much pressure as Haaland for City, as the two top Premier League teams look to add a cutting edge that will fire them to the title. Nunez looks primed for the Premier League and won’t be coming off the bench for much longer.
Kalidou Koulibaly – Chelsea
After losing two established center-backs to free transfers this summer, the Blues backline needed reinforcements in order to remain competitive with their rivals who have added quality to their lineups. 31-year-old Koulibaly, reportedly costing Chelsea in the region of £33 million from Napoli, represents an upgrade in that department as one of the top centre-backs in the world.
His football skill made Koulibaly essential to Napoli under Sarri, but his personality made him indispensable. A leader in the mold of Thiago Silva, he was instrumental in turning Napoli into a top-three Serie A defense as well as being named to the Team of the Year four times in eight seasons. His first team debut against Everton should be promising to Blues fans as his quality certainly looks to have translated to the Premier League. Sterner tests are sure to come and Chelsea still need some strengthening in other areas on the pitch, but they can feel confident they have acquired one of the most accomplished and experienced center-backs in world football.
Ivan Perisic – Tottenham Hotspur
Perisic had been linked with a move to the Premier League for several years and now gets the opportunity to link up with his old manager credited with Perisic’ conversion to wing-back at Inter Milan. After suffering a muscle injury in the final game of the Serie A season, it has taken Perisic a little bit of time to recover and get up to the level required to start for Antonio Conte.
The 33-year-old did get on the pitch for Spurs in their season opener for the final 24 minutes and looked every part the experienced, world-class player Spurs hoped they were signing. With Ryan Sessegnon improving month tn month under Conte, Perisic will be bedded in slowly and will share game time with the talented 22-year-old to form a devastating rotation pairing on the left-hand side for Spurs.
If the positive comments from Sessegnon and Djed Spence (the recently signed right wing-back from Middlesbrough) are true, then Perisic’ value for Spurs is as much as his leadership off the pitch as well as on it.
Brendan Aaronson – Leeds United
The 21-year-old from New Jersey, US, arrives at Elland Road after Leeds protracted pursuit for around £25 million. Aaronson was coached by Jesse Marsch at his former side Red Bull Salzburg so the Leeds manager will be familiar with his game and have him ready to provide the
progressive, pressing profile that Leeds need since the loss of Raphina’s contributions. If Leeds coaches and management are familiar with Aaronson, then the converse is true to, “The way Jesse wants to play, I learned a lot about the system and flourished under that system, so I am really excited to get back into it again.”
An impressive Premier League debut saw Aaronson record a league-leading 31 successful pressures against a solid Wolves side, fitting purposefully into Marsch’s high-energy pressing system. If Aaronson builds upon his debut, Leeds can put the hangover of the relegation battle 2021-22 season behind them.
