10 best transfers of the Premier League season

Chelsea made the most title-defining signing, Crystal Palace made the most life-saving signing, and Manchester City made the most forward-thinking signing.

Here, in no particular order, are the 10 best transfers of the Premier League season:

N'Golo Kante (Leicester City to Chelsea)

The common denominator in Leicester City's fairy tale and Chelsea's conquest was N'Golo Kante, who joined the Blues for a reported fee of £32 million. The French midfielder, as hard-working as he is humble, had no trouble conveying his talent from King Power Stadium to Stamford Bridge. He's clearly the most important footballer in the Premier League, and was rightfully crowned as PFA Players' Player of the Year.

Mamadou Sakho (Liverpool to Crystal Palace)

If it weren't for Mamadou Sakho, Palace would have been relegated. When the French centre-back joined the Eagles in January, times were tough at Selhurst Park. But the club ended up avoiding the drop, winning five of the eight games in which he appeared, and keeping a clean sheet in four of those victories. The saviour was a man who arrived on loan from Liverpool.

Leroy Sane (FC Schalke 04 to City)

The sky is the limit for Leroy Sane, who required no time to settle upon joining City from FC Schalke 04. The German winger, who is only 21 years old, arrived at the Etihad Stadium with very high expectations, but even the most optimistic supporter couldn't have predicted how comfortable the youngster would look during his inaugural season in the Premier League.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Manchester United on free transfer)

In terms of bang for transfer fee, there wasn't a better signing than Manchester United's acquisition of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who joined the Red Devils on a free transfer. Many supporters expected the Swedish striker to regress in England, but he hit back at the doubters by tallying 17 goals and five assists until injury struck. Nobody contributed more to the club this season.

Gabriel Jesus (SE Palmeiras to City)

At 20 years of age, Gabriel Jesus is City's future. His transition from Brazilian football to the Premier League was laughably easy. Latin American footballers usually require time to adapt in England, where the defensive lines are deeper than they are in South America. But the youngster didn't struggle whatsoever, notching seven goals and four assists in just 10 appearances.

David Luiz (Paris Saint-Germain to Chelsea)

David Luiz was reinvented this season. There were chuckles when it was announced that the Sideshow Bob lookalike was returning to Chelsea for a reported fee of an initial £38 million, but the Brazilian defender ended up being at the heart of the Blues' Premier League conquest. He thrived in Antonio Conte's three-man defence and rarely made a mistake, looking nothing like the man who was the scapegoat for Brazil's humiliation at the 2014 World Cup.

Eric Bailly (Villarreal to United)

Eric Bailly might be United's best centre-back since the days of Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand. The Ivorian defender, who cost a reported £30 million and transferred from Villarreal, was excellent throughout the season, justifying what many supporters initially perceived as an exorbitant price tag. His future looks bright at Old Trafford.

Victor Wanyama (Southampton to Tottenham Hotspur)

Tottenham Hotspur's signing of Victor Wanyama was a steal at a reported £11 million. The Kenyan midfielder was reunited with Mauricio Pochettino and had a phenomenal season, establishing himself as one of the hardest-working men in the Premier League. He also toned things down, going the entire campaign without being a shown a single red card.

Marcos Alonso (ACF Fiorentina to Chelsea)

Marcos Alonso returned to England with a bang. The Spanish wing-back was a key component of Conte's tactics this season, operating on the left side of the pitch to accommodate a three-man defence. His six goals - two of which came in a 3-0 victory at Leicester - were a bonus, and supporters will be wanting him to remain at Stamford Bridge for the foreseeable future.

Christian Benteke (Liverpool to Crystal Palace)

Christian Benteke is smiling again. After a spell at Liverpool where the forward managed just 10 goals through 43 appearances in all competitions, he thrived at Palace this season, benefiting from a style of play involving lots of crosses. He bagged 15 goals in 36 appearances, and is an integral part of the Eagles going forward.