5) Dejan Lovren
£8.5m to Southampton from Lyon
The classy Croatian centre-back could end up being a snip at just £8.5m, considering the inflated values of current Premier League players. (The £12m valuation put on Swansea’s Ashley Williams for example.) At 24, Lovren has yet to reach his peak, and his ability on the ball will suit Mauricio Pochettino’s footballing philosophy perfectly.
4) Ricky Van Wolfswinkel
£8m to Norwich from Sporting Lison
The Dutch 24-year-old scored 45 goals in two seasons in Portugal, which is a very impressive record in anyone’s book. If he can get close to that in the Premier league then his value will quadruple. In Holland, he was affectionately known as ‘HatRicky’, on account of his habit of scoring three goals in a match, and the Canaries will be excited to see their pacey forward in action.
3) Paulinho
£17m to Tottenham from Corinthians
He would be higher on this list if it wasn’t for the large transfer fee; but the box-to-box Brazlian is a fantastic signing for Spurs nonetheless. He was integral to Brazil’s Confederations Cup triumph, and outshone Xavi and Andres Iniesta in the final. His Brazilian midfield partnership with Sandro will give Spurs a platform for a top-four finish, and possibly even higher.
2) Gerard Deulofeu
Loan to Everton from Barcelona
Getting one of the most promising talents in Spain leant to you for a season is a brilliant bit of business for any club. Deulofeu scored 18 goals for Barcelona B last season from a wing-forward position. When you consider Liverpool recently paid £6.8m for Luis Alberto, who scored 11 goals playing in the same team as Deulofeu, the deal looks even more impressive. He will fit perfectly in to Roberto Martinez’s fluid attacking style of play, and Evertonians will be drooling at the prospect of seeing the wonderkid in action.
1) Wilfried Bony
£12m to Swansea from Vitesse
Swansea must be pinching themselves, after managing to sign a striker who scored 37 goals in 36 games last season for just £12m. Bony is quick, very powerful and scores plenty of goals. On the surface, he seems perfectly equipped to set the league alight. Those worrying that his goals have only come in Holland, should look to the feisty Czech league; where he scored 30 goals in 75 games for Sparta Prague, all before he turned 22. With Michu playing off Bony, and Pablo Hernandez cutting in from the left, Swansea could well have an even better season than last.
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