With Euro 2016 now over, Premier League clubs are preparing for a busy season ahead with plenty of movement in the transfer market. Here, we gave our take on the best signings in the window so far.
10. Victor Wanyama (Southampton to Tottenham, £11m)
MAURICIO POCHETTINO KNOWS all about the combative Kenya captain, having brought the midfielder to St Mary’s during his time in charge of Southampton.
The 24-year-old made 85 Premier League appearances during his time with the south coast club, but was sent off three times last season.
The transfer fee of £11 million though looks like one of the more astute pieces of business this summer, considering Southampton paid £12.5 million for the player in 2013.
9. Joel Matip (Schalke to Liverpool, Free)
Matip, who came through Schalke’s youth system, made over 200 appearances for the club after making his debut at the tender age of 18.
The 24-year-old, who is most comfortable in the heart of the defence, can also operate as a holding midfielder.
Although the signing of the Cameroon international was announced in February, he still qualifies for the list as he didn’t officially become a Liverpool player until July.
8. Steve Mandanda (Marseille to Crystal Palace, Free)
The French goalkeeper has been one of the most consistent goalkeepers in Europe over the last 10 years, which has been reflected in the 31-year-old being named in the Ligue 1 Team of the Year in the last two seasons, and four times overall.
Alan Pardew’s side drifted badly in the league during the second half of last season, and will be looking to recruit players in several key positions this summer - and the signing of the French international is pretty good way to start.
7. Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg (Bayern Munich to Southampton, £12.8m)
The 20-year-old was regarded as one of Europe’s hottest prospects when he left Brondby to join German giants Bayern Munich in 2012.
But as is often the case in Europe’s top clubs, first-team opportunities were limited for those in the youth squad, with the Danish international opting to join Augsburg and Schalke on loan in the past two seasons.
Hojbjerg is most comfortable in a holding midfield role, but has the energy and talent to be a box-to-box midfielder.
The arrival of Renato Sanches to Bayern proved to be the final straw for Hojbjerg, and his transfer to Southampton seems like a smart move for both parties.
6. Granit Xhaka (Borussia Monchengladbach to Arsenal, £35m)
Swiss international Granit Xhaka was one of the first high-profile players to be on the move to this summer.
With midfielders Mathieu Flamini, Mikel Arteta and Tomas Rosicky all leaving the Emirates this summer after their contracts expired, Arsene Wenger needed to act quickly to bolster his squad.
Despite being only 23-years-old, Xhaka already has 47 international caps to his name, which included four appearances in Euro 2016, and was the captain of the Bundesliga club before joining the Gunners.
Tenacious in the tackle, composed on the ball and clever in possession, Xhaka is the first signing of many that Wenger needs to make in order to mount a Premier League challenge.
5. Nolito (Celta Viga to Manchester City, £13.8m)
Spain international Nolito chose to link up with his former manager Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, rather than rejoin his old club Barcelona after both clubs met his release clause.
It was in fact Guardiola that gave Nolito has debut at the Nou Camp, but such as the riches at Barcelona’s disposal, the forward found his first-team opportunities limited.
Most comfortable on the left of the attack, the 29-year-old scored 12 goals in La Liga last season and started all four of Spain’s games at Euro 2016, scoring against Turkey in a 3-0 win.
It is understood Nolito will be a key component as Guardiola implements his style of play at the Etihad Stadium.
4. Zlatan Ibrahimovic (PSG to Manchester United, Free)
Ibrahimovic arrives to the Premier League after winning league titles in Holland, Italy, Spain and France.
At 34, Ibrahimovic will feel he has nothing to prove, even if some commentators in England will disagree.
The former Swedish international failed to shine at Euro 2016 in a side limited on talent, but he did score 38 league goals last season as PSG romped to the title.
Ibrahimovic and new Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho struck a strong bond during their time together at Inter Milan, and will be hoping to fire United back up the Premier League table this season.
3. Henrikh Mkhitaryan (Borussia Dortmund to Manchester United, £26.3m)
The Armenian captain joins Manchester United after being named the Bundesliga Player of the Season. The 27-year-old was entering the final year of his contract with Dortmund, and joins the Old Trafford club after being linked with a host of clubs across Europe.
Mkhitaryan, who can play on either flank or just behind the striker, made 140 appearances and scored 41 goals for Dortmund, as well as contributing a league-best 15 assists last term.
2. Ilkay Gundogan (Borussia Dortmund to Manchester City, £20m)
A player of supreme technical ability, Gundogan may well flourish at Manchester City under the guidance of Guardiola, but staying fit may will be his biggest problem.
Gundogan dislocated his kneecap in training in May, which also forced the midfielder to miss out on a place in Germany’s Euro 2016 squad, having also been sidelined for their triumph in the 2014 World Cup.
The 25-year-old will miss the start of the Premier League season, but could be back by the start of September.
1. N’Golo Kante (Leicester City to Chelsea, £30m)
The all-action midfielder is Chelsea’s second signing of the summer following the arrival of Belgium striker Michy Batshuayi, and is the type of player Antonio Conte will need if Chelsea are to make a title challenge this season.
The Pensioners struggled last term, with many performances defined by a lack of energy and intensity from the Chelsea players as many games drifted past the reigning champions, something not associated with the former Leicester midfielder.
Kante has been compared to former fan favourite Claude Makelele, but that may be an unfair comparison on the 25-year-old, who has shown he is much more comfortable with the ball at his feet, not to mention his greater range of passing.
Chelsea have paid approximately five times the amount Leicester paid to bring Kante to the Premier League, but his performances in his debut season could make him one of the signings of the summer, especially when you consider the vast sums of money already spent this year.
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