Top 5 Transfer Stars and Flops of the Season
The first half of the Premier League has flown by and with the majority of this season’s matches completed already, it is a perfect time to examine just who has had a dream start and who has flopped at their new side. There were a plethora of signings in the summer transfer window, with players coming in on all budgets. When considering how successful these moves have been so far, I believe that the key factors are consistency, value for money, and just how integral they have become for their new paymasters. So, who have been the top 5 best and worst signings of the season to date?
Stars
Diafra Sakho:
Big Sam’s Senegalese sensation certainly did not draw the attention of fans worldwide when he arrived in East London six months ago. Now however, the versatile front man has taken to Premier League life like a duck to water, going on to notch up 6 goals in his first 6 starts in England’s top division. This led to him being the first man to achieve the feat since Micky Quinn for Coventry City in 1992, and in fact secured October’s Player of the Month in the process.
While West Ham United’s terrific start to the season cannot be solely attributed to the form of one player, Diafra Sakho has been a huge part of the change in fortune at Upton Park. Capable of playing through the middle by himself or using his pace on either flank, the reported £3.5 million man has threatened Premier League defences from the day he arrived. Such a low transfer fee is pittance in today’s market and represents perhaps the bargain buy of the summer.
Has Diafra Sakho been the bargain buy of the season?
Cesc Fabregas:
Upon capturing the former Arsenal and Barcelona star, José Mourinho reportedly punched the air and celebrated audibly. If the first portion of this campaign is anything to go by, he was certainly not underplaying the value of Fabregas to his side. Much revered has been the Spaniard’s ability to provide chances and goals for his team-mates, frequently displaying an uncanny knack of landing the ball perfectly in their path. With 14 assists to his name at Chelsea to date, what we already knew about the pass master has been further reinstated with his form thus far.
The cost to acquire the mercurial playmaker approached £30 million; top dollar even in the times where players such as Gareth Bale are changing hands for triple that. Having already churned out a great deal of match-winning performances and with a regular frequency, Mourinho and Abramovic can already feel that it was money well spent.
Alexis Sanchez:
So successful has Chile’s World Cup star been during his first six months under Arsene Wenger’s stewardship, one has to wonder why he was ever allowed to leave the Camp Nou. Financial stresses can be the only possible reason, with his £32 million supplying the funds for the pursuit of Luis Suarez. Sanchez has the outstanding ability to wriggle away from a defender’s attention, create himself the yard of space that he needs before dispatching a finish beyond the goalkeeper with aplomb.
With 12 goals already this term and countless defenders having nightmares, his place in the top 5 would already be safe, even disregarding the reliance that Arsenal have placed on him. Playing off either flank or holding his own down the middle against hardened Premier League defenders, several of his goals have come at vital moments for The Emirates side, clinching draws or snatching a tight victory. Without him, it is almost certain that Arsenal would find themselves off the pace for the top four challenge already.
Diego Costa:
Having lit up La Liga and on the even broader stage in Europe’s elite club competition, Diego Costa was courted by Mourinho and Chelsea for much of the latter half of last season before a deal was eventually agreed to bring him to Stamford Bridge. While his season in 2013/14 was undeniably brilliant, those heights had never been approached previously at any point in his career. Although the former Atlético striker would surely be brimming with confidence, there were doubts amongst some that he could continue the sparkling form and translate it into goals on English soil. 17 minutes of Premier League action later, and he was well on the road to proving any doubters wrong.
After scoring the first in a winning debut for his new side, Costa has not looked back. What Chelsea lacked up front last season; a hardened edge and ruthless finishing, has been discovered in abundance with their summer signing from Spain. Sitting at the top of the goalscoring charts so far with 15 strikes amassed in the league already, Costa has been the natural finisher that The Blues have been searching for. Scoring with either foot, his head, outside or inside the box, and unconventional finishes have set him on the way to the golden boot and should make Mourinho very happy with his summer acquisition.
Is there a more clinical finisher than Diego Costa?
Bojan Krkic:
The similarities between Bojan and Lionel Messi were clear to see and indeed discussed for much of the Stoke trickster’s career to date. His impressive rise through La Masia would surely lead to a long term career in Catalonia. However, 7 years after his breakthrough, the Potteries is his destination to exhibit the mastery of the football that is so engrained in Barcelona’s approach to youth development.
Under Mark Hughes, Bojan has flourished and added some essential physicality to his game. For the first few weeks following his bargain buy of less than £2 million, the Spaniard struggled to cope with the aggression and upper body strength of Premier League defenders. Under Hughes’ advice, a break from the limelight was taken to bulk up, and Bojan has returned at the top of his game. Everybody is aware of his dribbling ability and instantaneous acceleration, but his eye for a killer pass seems to have progressed just as far. Although a player of Bojan’s qualities and physical stature do not fit with Stoke City’s image, he has embraced the floating role behind a target man and certainly has the ability to exploit the space left between the lines. The former Roma player has knuckled down, rewarded the manager’s faith in him, and is beginning to prove on a regular basis that the skilful players can indeed perform on a rainy night in Stoke.
Flops
Rio Ferdinand:
After his widely covered departure from a long term home at Old Trafford, Rio Ferdinand would have been desperate to prove that his days at the top of the game were not over and that the experience gained could serve him well. However, the fresh start given to him at Loftus Road by Harry Redknapp has not been a fruitful one. After a short stint in the team in the first few weeks, his most frequented location on a match day is on the substitutes’ bench.
For a player who arrived in London on a massive wage packet, a great deal was expected from him in order to fulfil the faith placed in him by Redknapp. It seems that during QPR’s pre-season, it was made all too clear that Ferdinand could no longer perform as one of only two centre-halves, instead requiring an additional pair alongside him in a back three. With the remainder of the team highly unsuited to this formation, the disturbance could not be justified when his performances failed to emerge from the dip. I cannot see much of a future for Rio Ferdinand at either QPR or even in the Premier League as a whole, and the Londoners would do well to get him off the wage bill as soon as possible.
Mario Balotelli:
Not so Super Mario came to Anfield with huge expectation on his shoulders and has not even come close to delivering. Balotelli’s first few matches for Liverpool were actually relatively promising; a determined display against Spurs on his debut and scoring a crucial goal against Ludogorets. Since then, motivation has seemed to evaporate and has unfortunately become partnered with a selfish attitude which, whilst not producing on the pitch, is a highly frustrating trait. Famously having attempted more shots on goal than any other Premier League player so far this season, he has yet to net on the domestic scene.
With a recent return to fitness, the limited play time that he has been offered speaks volumes for Brendan Rodgers’ current thoughts on the maverick. When, and not if, he is sold, I would be amazed if Liverpool could even recoup half of the £16 million they splashed out on the Italian less than six months ago.
Does Mario Balotelli have any future at Anfield?
Hatem Ben Arfa:
It would be an understatement to say that Hatem Ben Arfa’s footballing career has stagnated over the last 24 months. From the levels the Frenchman was at when he beat half the opposition to score a goal running from his own half, only a few weeks ago he was hauled off before half-time in a game for Hull City. Steve Bruce criticised his effort, desire, and mental approach in the post-match comments. It is not up for debate that Ben Arfa possesses outstanding natural ability and flair, but he will forever be held back if the team’s needs are not appreciated too.
After enduring a less than pleasant 12 month spell at St James’ Park, Bruce secured a loan deal for the French winger in what was seen as somewhat of a coup at the time. Ben Arfa was seen to be a player who had been frozen out but only needed his talent nurtured to become a threat to almost any side in the not too distant future. In a brutal assessment of his move to the K.C. Stadium, Hull City terminated the loan prematurely and, unwanted on Tyneside, Ben Arfa has ended up in his native France with Nice.
For a player who can dribble past others at will when on his game, and even pop up with the odd spectacular strike, he had the chance at Hull City to re-establish himself as a force to be reckoned with in the Premier League. Hardly an opportunity that he grabbed with both hands.
Romelu Lukaku:
Some people may believe that this is a controversial choice but in my opinion, Romelu Lukaku has been a huge disappointment since his £28 million permanent switch to Everton in the summer. This was a club record fee and after his displays on loan last campaign were a significant factor in the Merseysiders having a successful year, it is entirely understandable that the Everton faithful expected a great deal from the big Belgian.
Whether it is as a result of this fee weighing heavily on his shoulders, or in fact he is not quite at the level to perform consistently for a top club, but Lukaku has not even approached the heights of last year. Everybody thought Mourinho to be crazy for not giving the youngster a chance to shine at Stamford Bridge, but possibly his true colours are starting to emerge. While it has to be said that he has still bagged a few goals for Martinez’s Everton this season, the numbers are hardly as impressive as last term. Indeed, his overall build-up play and movement have not been up to scratch. He certainly has time on his side and the Goodison Park crowd will not lose faith in him just yet, but Lukaku needs to start justifying his price tag.
Brown Ideye:
Another Premier League side who broke the bank and their transfer record in the process was West Brom when they picked up Brown Ideye for £10 million. Six months later, and fairly consistent rumours suggest that they would be more than willing to listen to offers for the Nigerian. Having only played 11 times for The Baggies thus far, Ideye has only been able to muster 1 goal in his first season in England.
After ex-manager came out with some extraordinary comments regarding the forward’s fitness issues, a few consecutive appearances have at least now been achieved. However, not nearly enough has been shown by the man who cost more than any other signing in West Brom’s history. I imagine that a move to a European league is in order, perhaps suiting his style of play more and I can only hope for fans at The Hawthorns that the club can receive an offer at least approaching the £10 million they spent.
Let us know @TBRFootball who you think have been putting in consistently brilliant performances for their new clubs, and who has flopped since the summer at pastures new.
