New Delhi: The 2024/25 Premier League season is less than three weeks away, and the upcoming season’s preparations are in full swing for all the clubs. There have been a lot of changes in personnel during the off-season, with new managers and players coming into the club. Clubs like Chelsea, Liverpool, and West Ham have new managers at the helm, while Manchester United have new owners.
Apart from these changes, the transfer window calls for new signings as it offers the clubs a chance to rectify their mistakes from last season and give themselves the right players to strengthen their position in the table. There have been some major moves in the transfer window and Aston Villa are proving to be the big spenders of the league as they prepare for their first UEFA Champions League campaign. Villa have been busy signing players like Ian Maatsen, Ross Barkley, and Jaden Philogene among others while clubs like Manchester City and Liverpool have been awfully quiet in the window.
Chelsea and Manchester United are the only ones out of the traditional ‘top six’ that have been making moves in the window. However, beyond the headline-grabbing moves for Leny Yoro, Joshua Zirkzee, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, and West Ham snapping up talented Brazilian youngster Luis Guilherme, there have been some signings that were lost either in the shadow of other big transfers or in the excitement of the recently concluded UEFA Euro 2024.
5) Daichi Kamada (Lazio to Crystal Palace: Free)
Daichi Kamada replaces Michael Olise in the Crystal Palace squad. (Photo by Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images)
Starting the list with one of the first transfers of this transfer window, Lazio’s Daichi Kamada finally joined the Premier League as he moved to Selhurst Park on a free transfer. This marks his second free transfer in a row as he joined the Italian club on a similar deal last summer. However, after only a single season in the Italian capital, the highly talented attacker moved to Crystal Palace to link up with former boss Oliver Glasner.
Kamada had a tough time while in Rome and couldn’t find his best form all season, only contributing to four goals in 38 games all season. The 27-year-old will hope to do better in England under his former manager. Glasner and Kamada were together at Eintracht Frankfurt from 2021-2023 and won the UEFA Europa League together. Kamada contributed to 13 goals and 23 goals in the two seasons he played under the Austrian and the Eagles fans’ would be hoping for more of the same when he takes the field in the upcoming season.
4) Max Kilman (Wolves to West Ham: £40 Million)
Max Kilman is one of Julen Lopetegui’s trusted men. (Photo by Rob Newell – CameraSport via Getty Images)
We have another player and manager reunion on the cards as Max Kilman joins West Ham where he is reunited with manager Julen Lopetegui. Kilman leaves Wolves after a long six-year spell at the club he captained last season. Kilman had a great 2023/24 season, starting all 38 Premier League games and performing well for a Wolves side that finished mid-table. In his 38 appearances, he won more than 70% of his aerial duels and more than 60% of his ground duels. A resolute centre-back, who is well-versed with Lopetegui’s style is a smart signing for the West London club.
Kilman was the second-most used player by the Spaniard during their time together at the Molineux and in addition to helping him implement his tactics, he provides leadership on the field as well. The Hammers are low on defenders with club captain Kurt Zouma being prone to injury and Konstantinos Mavropanos’ inconsistent form, leaving Nayef Aguerd as the only capable defender at the club. In such a situation, getting in a club captain who knows the new incoming manager well, is a brilliant piece of business by the Hammers.
3) Archie Gray (Leeds United to Tottenham: £30 Million)
Archie Gray won the EFL Championship Young Player of the season award in his first campaign in the division. (Photo by Mark Scates/SNS Group via Getty Images)
Spurs have been unsurprisingly quiet in the transfer window with their only notable addition to the squad being the arrival of Leeds’ talented 18-year-old footballer, Archie Gray. He joins the club in a deal worth around £30 million with defender Joe Rodon moving in the other direction. The youngster is very highly rated in England and just had a breakthrough campaign with Leeds last season as he made 44 appearances for the club as they lost the promotion play-off final.
A versatile squad player, capable of playing either as a right-back, central midfielder or central defensive midfielder, he provides a lot of cover to Spurs for the upcoming season. With Emerson Royale heading out of the club, the 18-year-old could slot in as his replacement on the right side of defence and can also provide cover for Yves Bissouma and Rodrigo Bentancur. He won the EFL Championship Young Player of the Season for his performances with Leeds and will be hoping to continue his run of form in the top flight as well.
2) Amadou Onana (Everton to Aston Villa: £50 Million)
Amadou Onana is second only to Moussa Diaby in Villa’s most expensive transfer list. (Photo by Neville Williams/Aston Villa FC via Getty Images)
The future of Belgian midfielder Amadou Onana was up in the air since last season ended as his brilliant performances for Everton were witnessed by everyone. The Toffees’ financial situation had made it clear that they’d have to sell some of their best players and Onana was linked with some of the biggest clubs in the world. The likes of Arsenal, Manchester United, and even Barcelona were in for the midfielder but he chose to join the Unai Emery project at Aston Villa, becoming the club’s second most expensive transfer of all time.
The 22-year-old has been tasked with replacing the departed Douglas Luiz as Villa embark on their first UEFA Champions League campaign. A towering presence in midfield, his defensive stats are excellent, making him a proper defensive midfielder who can thwart counter-attacks and win the ball for his team. He’s the club’s biggest signing of the season yet and the expectations will be high from the Belgian. With Aston Villa gearing up for the coming season, adding someone like Onana to their squad shows their intent of becoming the next powerhouse of English football.
1) Savio (Troyes to Manchester City: £35 Million)
Savio joins his third club in the City footballing group.(Photo by Mark Leech/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)
Manchester City have been pretty quiet throughout the transfer window and have only made a single addition to the squad but it is a quality addition to their squad. Brazilian winger Savio joins the club in an initial £21 million deal which could rise up to £35 million from City Football Group’s French club Troyes. Already a part of the City group, he spent the last season on loan at sister club Girona, helping them to a third-place finish in the league with nine goals and ten assists in the league.
The winger signs for the champions till the summer of 2029 and will compete with Jack Grealish, Jeremy Doku, and Phil Foden for a place on the wing. After a terrible season for Grealish, if we see Doku and Savio on the wing while Foden plays in the number 10 role where he thrives the most, just behind Erling Haaland, Pep Guardiola could steamroll his way to yet another Premier League title. The young winger can go on to have a great future at the club if he nails down a starting spot in the revolving door of Pep’s team.
Amidst all the big money moves that keep on happening during the transfer window, there are some shrewd signings that go under the radar and miss the eye of fans. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
