Welcome to England: Top 10 Newcomers
The summer transfer window has seen Premier League clubs once again set their sights on Europe's other leagues in search of players who are capable of fulfilling their needs - footballers who can help a team close in on the title, avoid relegation, or whatever a side may require.
As is often the case, the Eredivisie, the Bundesliga, and Ligue 1 have been among the more popular fishing grounds, and it will be fascinating to see which settlers capture the imagination of the Premier League and which arrivals fail to live up to their transfer fees.
Here are the top 10 newcomers to the Premier League:
10. Jordy Clasie - Feyenoord to Southampton
An embodiment of a club on the rise, Jordy Clasie - Southampton's fifth signing of the summer - will be reunited with manager Ronald Koeman at St. Mary's Stadium. A defensive midfielder with a wide range of skills, Clasie is an ideal fit for a club that just lost the talented Morgan Schneiderlin to a Premier League giant.
9. Yohan Cabaye - Paris Saint-Germain to Crystal Palace
Another example of a player who could thrive from teaming up with a former manager, Yohan Cabaye has the ability to thrive at Crystal Palace under Alan Pardew's guidance, and could help take the club from a mid-table side to a team that can flirt with Europe. All of this, however, assumes Cabaye is capable of recovering from his failed spell at Paris Saint-Germain.
8. Idrissa Gueye - Lille to Aston Villa
Aston Villa captured an ideal replacement for Fabian Delph in Idrissa Gueye, who established himself as one of Ligue 1's top midfielders last season due to his combination of holding on to the ball for his life and contributing defensively. In Gueye, Villa has a player who can allow the club to continue its resurgence under Tim Sherwood.
7. Bastian Schweinsteiger - Bayern Munich to Manchester United
If Bastian Schweinsteiger can remain healthy for the better part of the season, Manchester United has made one of the signings of the summer. A World Cup winner with experience of the highest variety who can single-handedly dictate the tempo of a match, Schweinsteiger is a player that has 19 clubs envious of his move to Old Trafford.
6. Chancel Mbemba - Anderlecht to Newcastle
Is he 20? Is he 26? Is he 23? Is he 25? Who knows? Who cares? Newcastle United certainly doesn't. Its signing of Chancel Mbemba - who's had four separate birthdays documented throughout his career - is intended to allow the club to improve on a disastrous campaign in which it barely avoided relegation. And make no mistake about it: Mbemba can help Newcastle improve.
5. Georginio Wijnaldum - PSV to Newcastle
Georginio Wijnaldum is another player capable of helping Newcastle recover from last season. Wijnaldum was named Dutch Footballer of the Year following a 2014-15 campaign in which he notched 14 goals and three assists as PSV Eindhoven captured the Eredivisie title. His transfer fee was the third-highest in Newcastle's history for a reason.
4. Dimitri Payet - Marseille to West Ham
Should Dimitri Payet replicate his form from last season, West Ham United is in good shape for its final campaign at Upton Park. He notched six goals and a league-leading 17 assists through 36 Ligue 1 appearances last season at Olympique Marseille while also ranking first in key passes per game (3.7). Payet can single-handedly determine where West Ham finishes in the table.
3. Jordan Amavi - Nice to Aston Villa
Villa supporters will be pleased to know that the club captured the top left-back from Ligue 1 last season in Jordan Amavi, who made at least 25 more interceptions (163) than any other player in Europe's top five leagues. Amavi is a phenom who will be a staple of Villa's backline and who should have no trouble settling in the Premier League.
2. Roberto Firmino - Hoffenheim to Liverpool
In Roberto Firmino, Liverpool has a player who will score more frequently than Mario Balotelli and suffer injuries less frequently than Daniel Sturridge. European football is unfortunately in a weird place where clubs believe Brazilian strikers are destined to flop. Firmino's numbers speak for themselves, however, as he notched 47 goals in 151 appearances at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim.
1. Memphis Depay - PSV to Manchester United
United finally has a forward capable of scoring the necessary goals to launch a challenge for the Premier League title. Memphis Depay, who tallied 22 goals and five assists at PSV last season, was manager Louis van Gaal's first signing of the summer and the most impressive signing of the summer by an English club. Brace yourself, Premier League.