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By Nyle Farooqui
Erling Haaland to Manchester City:
On June 13th, Man City announced that they signed the 21 year old Norwegian striker from Borussia Dortmund for $64M on a 5 year deal. A statement of intent from the Premier League champions. Signing a player like Haaland makes City even look like more of a dominant and unstoppable force, perhaps separating them even more from teams like Liverpool. Great business from City to sign one of the best forwards in the world. The scary thing is that Haaland is 21 which means that there is still room for him to grow which is crazy. The Norwegian striker scored 86 goals in 89 appearances for Borussia Dortmund. Premier League defenders will be absolutely horrified by the prospect of facing this lethal finisher.
Darwin Núñez to Liverpool:
On June 14th, Liverpool announced that they signed the 22 year old Uruguayan striker from Benfica for what was a club record transfer fee. Benfica stated the day prior that an initial fee of $78.59M had been agreed upon with Liverpool. They couldn’t get Haaland but this bright talent is not anything to frown at. Núñez had a terrific season with Benfica, scoring 34 goals in 41 games. The young Uruguayan must have caught Jurgen Klopp’s eye when Liverpool played Benfica in the Champions League last season, calling him “a handsome boy” and a “decent player”. Núñez is the player coming in while it looks like Sadio Mane is on his way out to Bayern. Klopp has however said that there is no pressure on him and that he is a work in progress signing with him being on a 6 year contract. It should definitely be understood that Núñez will need to take time to adjust to a new league. However there will be pressure on the transfer record signing which makes sense when you are at a big club like Liverpool that wants to win everything.
Julio Enciso to Brighton:
On June 17th, Brighton announced that they signed the 18 year old Paraguay forward from Paraguayan club Libertad Asuncion to a 4 year contract. According to The Athletic, the deal is believed to be worth around £9.5 million, including add-ons. Enciso has 11 goals and 3 assists in 14 matches for Libertad this season. The Athletic also states that Brighton tried to sign Enciso in January but the deal did not go through because it collapsed over personal terms. Enciso is only 18 but is still outperforming at his age level. According to Total Football Analysis, there are still parts of his game that he can improve such as his crossing and aerial ability, However, he is young and there is still plenty of room for him to grow. Total Football Analysis states that Enciso’s dribbling, longshots, movement, and pace are great strengths of his that have made him stand out in the Paraguay first division. This is a signing that really fits the mold of what Brighton has done in terms of scouting South America and signing players like Moisés Caicedo and Alexis Mac Allister. It will be interesting to see how he adjusts to the Premier League.
Yves Bissouma to Tottenham:
On June 17th, Tottenham announced that they signed the 25 year old Mali midfielder from Brighton to a four year deal. According to Fabrizio Romano, it is a €29m fee plus add-ons. He was a crucial part to Brighton’s recent success as his former club finished 9th in the Premier League this season. Bissouma is a defensive midfielder who has received praise from many. Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers was very praiseful of Bissouma’s defensive work. This is no surprise as according to The Athletic, Rodgers wanted to bring Bissouma to Leicester. He stated that Bissouma can “press the game, is aggressive, intercepts, blocks and tries to get his team on the front foot”. A good signing for Tottenham that improves their midfield as Antonio Conte looks to strengthen his team.
Gavin Bazunu to Southampton:
On June 17th, Southampton announced that they signed the 20 year old Irish goalkeeper from Man City to a 5 year deal. According to Fabrizio Romano, Man City keep 20% of his future sale and there is a buy-back option clause for Bazunu.
The Irish goalkeeper is a replacement for Fraser Forster as he left for Tottenham. According to The Athletic, Southampton wanted to sign somebody who can challenge Alex McCarthy for the number one shirt and they believe that Bazunu is the guy. Bazunu was named as the players’ Player of the Year this season at Portsmouth while he was there on loan.
Marc Roca to Leeds:
On June 17th, Leeds United announced that they signed the 25 year old Spanish midfielder from Bayern Munich to a 5 year deal.. It is for a fee of €12M plus add-ons. According to Total Football Analysis, Roca’s biggest strengths are long passing and his physicality. A good bargain signing for Leeds that helps provide cover for Kalvin Phillips as he is currently out due to an injury that he suffered with England in 0-0 draw against Italy in the Nations League on June 11th.
Calvin Ramsay to Liverpool:
On June 19, Liverpool announced that they signed 18 year old Scottish right back Calvin Ramsay from Aberdeen. Their third signing of the summer transfer window. Ramsay is a young player that still has room to grow. However, early signs show that he is playing ahead of his age. Ramsay is a very versatile player. He himself has stated that he can play as a right back, center-midfielder, and right-winger. According to Breaking the Lines, Ramsay is a good crosser of the ball. He can cut inside and use his weaker foot to make crosses. Ramsay can also drive the ball to the byline and cut the ball back across the edge of the area. Breaking the Lines also highlights that he is a good physical player as he handled the physicality of the SPFL pretty well. Ramsay is very much an attacking right back. He will need to improve defensively as well however in order to adapt well to the Premier League. The Trent-Alexander-Arnold comparisons with Ramsay will be there, but the reality is that it will take time for Ramsay to adapt to a new league. He is a player for the future so there is no immediate need for him to perform now. It will be interesting to see how he progresses into Liverpool.
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