With the Premier League season now completed, we now have a chance to look back on who were the best signings this year?
Here are the top five EPL signings in 2014-15.
1. Alexis Sanchez € 42.5M: Barcelona to Arsenal
For the second straight year, Arsene Wenger pulled off another stunning transfer coup for Arsenal by signing one of the elite players in the game.
Before Alexis signed with Arsenal, Mesut Ozil came in and most people thought it was a one off, but with Alexis’s arrival to the Gunners a real sense of belief and confidence returned to Arsenal that they could again attract world-class talent.
This belief had been torn to shreds with the departures of former players to other clubs over the years, but its now clear that the tide had turned.
Alexis had just starred for Chile scoring and setting up goals as they reached the last 16 of the World Cup before losing on penalties to hosts Brazil. He took that amazing form into his debut season at the Emirates, multiple man of the match awards, goals and all round consistent play had fans and pundits both praising his performances.
Alexis was an instant hit this season and took on the role of Arsenals talisman in the League and Champions League.
His workrate, dribbling and will to win endeared him to everyone – along with his 24 goals in all competitions. This makes him the Number 1 signing of the 2014-2015 English Premier League season.
2. Diego Costa € 38M: Atlectio Madrid to Chelsea
Diego Costa’s swift arrival into Stamford Bridge was a turning point for Chelsea after the failure of Fernando Torres as the clubs striker.
Chelsea and more particularly Jose Mourniho had finally had a striker who could play and more importantly take all the chances that the classy midfield created.
Costa just completed a stunning season with Atletico Madrid, winning La Liga and reaching the Champions League final while scoring over 30 goals that season.
A disappointing world cup with Spain was quickly forgotten as he hit the ground running with Chelsea in his inaugural season.
He ended up with 20 goals in the Premier League, the winning goal in the Capital One Cup final and was classified an instant hit scoring goals for fun in his first few months.
The only reason he could not be ranked Number 1 is due to the injuries he had at at tail end of the campaign. Nevertheless his first 80 per cent of the season he was on fire and this is why Diego Costa is my Number 2 signing of the EPL season.
3. Cesc Fabregas € 33M: Barcelona to Chelsea
Cesc Fabregas was an unexpected signing for Chelsea which occurred before the World Cup.
He was unexpected in the sense that nearly everybody thought he would return to Arsenal after departing Barcelona to re-join Wenger and his old crew in North London.
Nobody expected Cesc to work with Jose, but it happened and boy did it work out well. In one season Cesc achieved what he could not do with Arsenal for eight – become an EPL winner.
He had the assist of the season with a sublime set up pass to Andre Schürrle against Burnley early in the campaign. The assists did not stop there too; he piled up 18 in his first season, the second highest amount ever by anyone in the EPL.
He integrated well into the Chelsea line up and his presence relived pressure off others such as Eden Hazard and Oscar. He was able to feed Diego Costa all the way to goal city.
For being such a success and proving to everyone that he still had it after Barcelona’s rejection, Cesc is my Number 3 signing of the season.
4. Sadio Mane €15M: RB Salzburg to Southampton
Sadio Mane was a relative unknown a year ago. Now he is a part of EPL history after scoring the quickest hat-trick in the league.
But that is not the only reason he features on this list. Mane was supposed to fill the Adam Lallana and Rickie Lambert-sized hole in Southampton’s attack after half of the 13-14 team left.
He filled it and some more. His 10-goal haul in his debut season while mainly playing as a winger was excellent.
In December and January, he scored in three successive matches, against Crystal Palace, Chelsea and Arsenal which was evidence to show that he was not just a flash in the pan.
The fact that he is only 23 means that Southampton have yet again scouted a quality young player who will only get better as the years go by. I can definitely see him moving to a top four team in a few years’ time if not sooner.
The future looks bright for this young Senegalese player and with Southampton’s youthful and balanced team he is in the right place to achieve his potential.
5. Alex Song: Barcelona – West Ham (loan)
Alex Song was an afterthought at Barcelona last year. He was often placed on the bench and left out of the most important games. Once he realised he was not going to make it for the best team in the world, he smartly decided to seek out a loan spell.
Most people believed that he would return to an ever-improving Arsenal but it was a surprise when Wenger decided against another of his former players, leaving Song to move to another London club.
West Ham United were that club and boy did it work out well this season. Song’s man-of-the-match performance in West Ham’s win over Man City early this season was the standout as the best highlight of his year with the Hammers.
Song ran the midfield and the show that game against a top-tier club and showed them what they were missing out on, if Song had taken that form to City perhaps they would not have failed so badly this year.
Song was back to his elite Arsenal form for most of this campaign and he has most definitely repaired his reputation. It will be interesting to see where he ends up now that his loan spell has finished.
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