Posted by With almost two-thirds of the season gone, enough matches have been played to judge the best signings from the Summer 2019 transfer window. The player’s performances and their price tag were taken into account when making this list. Players who have been loaned out to the same club the last two or more seasons do not qualify. This eliminates Sheffield United goalkeeper Dean Henderson, who has been on loan with the Blades the last two campaigns from Manchester United.
1) Gabriel Martinelli – Arsenal ($7.4 million)
After signing from Brazilian minnows Ituano for a modest $7.4 million, Martinelli’s impressive performances for the Gunners in the EFL Cup and Europa League group stage failed to attract widespread attention. However, the football world finally took note of Martinelli after his wonder goal for 10-man Arsenal against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, with the 18-year old forward traveling 67 yards in 10 seconds on a run that started inside his own box before slotting calmly past Kepa for the 1-1. With that goal, Martinelli became the first Arsenal teenager since Nicolas Anelka in 1998/99 to score 10 goals in a season in all competitions.
Expected to be little more than a bit-part player in North London this season, Martinelli’s rise is all the more surprising given his professional formation in the Brazilian fourth division the last two seasons. However, Martinelli routinely faced uncompromising defenders and bobbly pitches, which prepared him well for the rough and tumble of Premier League football. The Brazil youth international never looks physically outmatched, and constantly harries opposing defenders when out of possession. His all-action style perfectly suits new manager Mikel Arteta’s pleas for increased effort off the ball.
Martinelli has been almost exclusively deployed from the left wing this season, making his goal-scoring exploits all the more noteworthy. The potential he has shown so far is reminiscent of Arsenal legends Thierry Henry and Robin Van Persie, who both started their Gunners’ careers on the wings before moving inside to center-forward. With the killer instinct and razor-sharp movement that Martinelli has demonstrated in the box, he seems primed to follow a similar positional evolution. Although Martinelli had trialed at Manchester United and Barcelona before joining Ituano, the Gunners did not face stiff competition for his signature. Within six months, Arsenal are reportedly looking to triple the young Brazilian’s salary in order to fend off the interest of Real Madrid, while Manchester United and Barcelona must be kicking themselves for letting a potentially generational talent slip through their fingers.
2) Aaron Mooy – Brighton ($6.6 million)
Although the Seagulls sit only two points above the relegation zone in 15th place, they have been much easier on the eye this season under Graham Potter than they were last year under the more conservative Chris Hughton, and Australian international Mooy has been a key component of this stylistic shift. Brought in initially on loan from relegated Huddersfield, Mooy’s stand-out performances convinced Brighton to buy him from the Terriers for $6.6 million on January 24, with the South Coast club signing the Aussie to a 3.5-year deal.
Mooy’s loan move did not bear fruit immediately, with the midfielder making only 6 appearances in Brighton’s first 12 Premier League matches. Since then, however, Mooy has started 11 of Brighton’s 12 league games, only missing out against Everton in round 22 with a knee injury. During that run of starts, Mooy has contributed 2 goals and an assist, including a goal of the month contender against Bournemouth on December 28.
A versatile player, Mooy has been deployed from the left, right, or as a more traditional number 10 under Potter this season. The 29-year-old is the creative hub for Brighton along with Pascal Gross, and always seems to make the right decision when on the ball. Although he lacks pace, Mooy is an adept dribbler in tight spaces, as evidenced by his 78.4% dribble success rate.
While Brighton are not clear of relegation danger by any means, if they can continue to get quality contributions out of Mooy, they have every chance of staying up. The Australian turned in man of the match performances in victories against Arsenal and Bournemouth in December, which represent Brighton’s only two victories since early November. When Mooy plays well, Brighton play well, and to snap up a player of such importance for only $6.6 million represents a steal for the Seagulls.
3) Gary Cahill – Crystal Palace (Free)
Goal-scoring has been an issue all year for Crystal Palace. They have the Premier League’s 19th best offense with 0.9 goals/game. Last season, they averaged 1.3 goals/game on the way to a comfortable 12th-placed finish. The fact that they again sit in 12th place after two-thirds of this season is due in large part to the defensive stability that Gary Cahill has brought to the side.
Signed on a free transfer after 7 years at Chelsea, the 34-year-old Cahill has become a leader at the back for Palace. Despite missing all but one match in December with a knee injury, Cahill has formed a solid center-back partnership with James Tomkins. The former England international has made 15 starts for his new club, who have the 5th-best defense in the league with only 28 goals conceded.
In addition to marshaling Palace’s backline, Cahill has been crucial to their approach play. His technical ability means that he often plays the first pass out from the back, and Cahill has the highest pass completion rate on the team (88.6%) despite being bestowed with this responsibility. Furthermore, Cahill has been precise with his more ambitious passes, completing 179 of the 219 long balls he has attempted (82.5%).
Given his success at Chelsea, where he helped the Blues to two Premier League titles and was voted into the PFA Team of the Year on three occasions, it was surprising to see Cahill drop down to a mid-table club like Palace. Given the difficulties that David Luiz has endured at Arsenal, surely Cahill would have been the better former Chelsea center-back for the Gunners to sign last summer.
4) Rodri – Manchester City ($82.5 million)
Signed for a club-record fee from Atlético Madrid, the pressure was on Rodri to establish himself in a talented crop of City midfielders despite being just 23 years old. The Spanish international has handled the weight of expectation with aplomb, appearing in 22 of the Citizens’ 24 Premier League matches, with 18 starts. Rodri’s solid play at the base of midfield has allowed Brazilian veteran Fernandinho to fill in at center-back for the injured Aymeric Laporte.
As in any Pep Guardiola side, City’s 2019/20 vintage has looked to dominate possession in every match they play. Rodri has fit perfectly into City’s possession-based style, as evidenced by his passing statistics. The former Villarreal midfielder has made the 4th-most passes in the league with 1,553 and has the most passes per minute of any player in the Premier League, making nearly a pass a minute (0.97 passes/minute). Despite being on the ball constantly during a match, Rodri rarely loses possession. He has the 3rd highest pass completion rate in the league at 92.1%, behind only fellow City man Nicolás Otamendi and Norwich midfielder Tom Trybull. Yet, Rodri has played nearly 500 more minutes than both Otamendi and Trybull, and is far more ambitious with his passes. The Spaniard completes 4.8 long balls a game, while Otamendi (2.1) and Trybull (1.9) pale in comparison.
Rodri’s passing statistics also compare favorably to Chelsea midfielder Jorginho, one of the Premier League’s best defensive midfielders due to his metronomic passing ability. In his first season in England, Rodri completes more long balls per game (4.8 vs. 3.6), makes more key passes per game (1.1 vs. 0.8) and has a higher pass completion percentage (92.1% vs. 87.5%). Despite the huge sum City paid for Rodri, his performances so far this season show that he can be a crucial player in their setup for the next ten years, making his transfer fee worthwhile.
5) Allan Saint-Maximin – Newcastle ($21.2 million)
Despite missing almost half of the season so far with multiple thigh problems, Saint-Maximin has been arguably the standout player in a relatively pedestrian Newcastle side under Steve Bruce. His pacy, direct wing play from the left made him a quick fan favorite on Tyneside after coming in from French side OGC Nice for $21.2 million. Saint-Maximin’s 4.2 dribbles per game is the 3rd-highest figure in the league behind Premier League stars Adama Traoré and Wilfried Zaha. Furthermore, Saint-Maximin has saved some of his best performances for matches against Top 6 opponents, giving Kyle Walker a torrid time in the 2-2 draw against Man City before providing the assist for Isaac Hayden’s late winner against Chelsea in round 23.
Besides the assist to Hayden, Saint-Maximin has registered only two more goal involvements in his 914 minutes of Premier League play (1 goal, 1 assist). Yet, all three of those contributions have come in Saint-Maximin’s last six matches, with the Frenchmen averaging a goal or assist every 173 minutes during that spell.
Followers of Ligue 1 will feel that Saint-Maximin has been around forever. The winger has enjoyed a journeyman career since making his professional debut at just 16 with Saint-Étienne in 2013. After leaving Les Verts, Saint-Maximin represented Monaco, Bastia and Nice in France and Hanover 96 in Germany before joining Newcastle. Nevertheless, Saint-Maximin is still just 22, and has the potential to become one of the Premier League’s best wide players if he continues his development. Although the $48.8 million spent on Joelinton last summer has been a failure so far, Newcastle saved their blushes by paying less than half that fee for Saint-Maximin.
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