The 10 best transfers of the Premier League season

Everyone loves a successful transfer. The architect of the deal, be it director or committee, looks like a genius; the manager has a useful talent on his hands; the player ascends into the hearts of the club faithful.

Smiles all around.

There were a bevy of moves that checked all of those boxes this season in England's top flight. Here are the best transfers of the 2015-16 campaign.

Honourable mentions: Wahbi Khazri, James Milner

10. Roberto Firmino (Liverpool)

Reported £29-million transfer from Hoffenheim

Life at Anfield didn't get off to the most promising of starts for the versatile Brazilian after his big-money move from the Bundesliga; Firmino had to wait until his 10th Premier League match to find the net for the Reds. Was it all a mistake? Was Liverpool's second-most expensive signing en route to being hit with the infamous - and often times hasty - "flop" label. Emphatically, no. The skillful 24-year-old would find his feet, and now sits on 11 goals and nine assists in all competitions heading into Wednesday's Europa League final. Don't rush to conclusions, kids.

9. Christian Fuchs (Leicester City)

Free transfer from Schalke

It's almost too fitting that, on a squad comprised of cast-offs and misfits, one of the most beloved, vital members arrived on a free transfer. Fuchs, the Austrian left-back who has developed into a cult hero at the King Power Stadium, made 32 appearances following his free transfer from Schalke. What he lacks in pace, the 30-year-old more than compensates for with a combination of defensive solidity and menacing deliveries with his always-dangerous left foot. His (highly active, highly entertaining) social media account didn't hurt, either.

8. Virgil van Dijk (Southampton)

£11.5-million transfer from Celtic

Southampton was incensed over the manner in which Toby Alderweireld was snatched from the club's grasp, snapped up by Tottenham after the Saints were expected to make his loan from Atletico Madrid permanent. But what could have devolved into a major issue was alleviated by the signing of angular Dutchman Virgil van Dijk, who arrived from Celtic late in the summer window, and quickly established himself as a rock alongside captain Jose Fonte in central defense. The 24-year-old made 34 Premier League appearances this season, and his impressive debut campaign prompted the club to offer him an improved six-year deal earlier this month.

7. Lamine Kone (Sunderland)

Transfer from Lorient, undisclosed fee

Of all the moves on this list, Sunderland's acquisition of imposing Ivorian defender Lamine Kone could actually be the most valuable. Looking a good bet to be playing in the Championship next season come the turn of the calendar, Sunderland engineered another miraculous escape to stave off relegation. Kone, along with fellow January signings Wahbi Khazri and Jan Kirchhoff, were instrumental in helping Sam Allardyce's side avoid the drop. Kone netted a brace in the Black Cats' 3-0 victory over Everton earlier this month, the result that confirmed their participation in the Premier League for 2015-16, subsequently consigning Norwich City and Newcastle to the second division.

6. Petr Cech (Arsenal)

£10-million transfer from Chelsea

Finally, Arsenal brought in a proper goalkeeper. After fans of the Gunners watched, simultaneously banging their heads against the wall, as Wojciech Szczesny and then David Ospina flapped their arms between the posts, dropping both crosses and much-needed points along the way, manager Arsene Wenger handed Chelsea £10 million for veteran Petr Cech. Whether or not he was actually worth the 15 points John Terry proclaimed he would be going into the campaign, is moot; Cech filled an obvious need for a side that had been undone by poor play between the sticks on far too many occasions in years prior to his arrival.

5. Anthony Martial (Manchester United)

£36-million transfer from Monaco (fee could rise to £58 million)

Remember when people thought Manchester United overpaid for Anthony Martial? We all make mistakes, some just happen to be worse than others. Martial, 19 at the time he arrived at the Theatre of Dreams, has been the Red Devils' undisputed best outfield player this season. He announced himself to the Stretford End - and Wayne Rooney, who apparently didn't know of him before the move - with a stunning solo goal in his debut against Liverpool, and carried that electrifying quality throughout the campaign. His 17 goals in all competitions is all the more impressive when you consider the abject football Louis van Gaal implemented and advocated at the storied club this season.

4. Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City)

£55-million transfer from VfL Wolfsburg

What might Manchester City have accomplished if Kevin De Bruyne was fit for the entire season? It's a frustrating question for the Citizens, who watched in delight every time the pasty Belgian strutted his vast array of attacking skills, tormenting opposing defenders and goalkeepers along the way. De Bruyne, whose transfer made him the second-most expensive player in league history after Angel Di Maria, missed two months beginning in February with damaged knee and ankle ligaments. City's once-promising season promptly went down the toilet, and it was no coincidence that an uptick in form, and historic qualification for the Champions League semi-final, coincided with the 24-year-old's return to action; his goal against Paris Saint-Germain got them there, after all.

3. Toby Alderweireld (Tottenham)

Reported £11.5-million transfer from Atletico Madrid

The best defender in the Premier League this season, Spurs' commanding presence in central defense cost less than Jonjo Shelvey. That is all.

2. Dimitri Payet (West Ham)

£10.7-million transfer from Marseille

Free-kick wizard Dimitri Payet dazzled the Premier League throughout the campaign, his move from Marseille - criminally under-looked amid other clubs tossing around enormous sums on far less impressive players - giving West Ham a legitimate attacking lynchpin around which the Hammers could build their side. His physics-defying stunner against Crystal Palace in April was easily the most spellbinding tally of the campaign, the highlight of his wonderful nine-goal, 12-assist debut season.

1. N'Golo Kante (Leicester City)

£5.6-million transfer from SM Caen

N'Golo Kante cost just £5.6 million from Stade Malherbe Caen last summer, and Claudio Ranieri summed up his tireless travails perfectly when he told the French midfielder in training: "I’m going to see you cross the ball, and then finish the cross with a header yourself." The importance of Kante to Leicester's improbable title win cannot be underestimated, as he relentlessly intercepted and won possession in the middle, sparking countless attacks. It's perhaps the greatest compliment that he stands out as the hardest worker in Ranieri's Foxes. Capable of starring in any Champions League team.