The 2021 summer transfer window was a wild one, with several big-name stars coming into the Premier League. Cristiano Ronaldo and Romelu Lukaku returned to England after their stints in Italy, while the likes of Jadon Sancho, Raphael Varane, and Jack Grealish made their way to Manchester in big-money moves.
However, none of those stars have reallyshone thus far this season. Instead, it’s been the less-prestigious players who have gone on to exceed expectations.
SBOTOP takes a look at five of the top summer signings who have quickly made their mark with their new clubs in the Premier League.
Aaron Ramsdale, Arsenal
Arsenal were widely ridiculed for their decision to spend close to £30m on Aaron Ramsdale, a young goalkeeper who was relegated with Bournemouth and Sheffield United in back-to-back Premier League seasons.
However, the 23-year-old shot-stopper has proven his many critics wrong after unseating Bernd Leno as Arsenal’s undisputed No 1 with his stellar play. Ramsdale has already made a host of spectacular saves this season, including one on a James Maddison free-kick that is surely among the top Premier League 2022 highlights.
Ramsdale recently won his first international cap for England, and if he continues his fine form for the rest of the season, he has a very realistic shot at being part of the squad for the World Cup in Qatar.
Takehiro Tomiyasu, Arsenal
Arsenal spent heavily on defence during the summer. Aside from signing Ramsdale and breaking their transfer record on centre-back Ben White, the Gunners also got a new right-back in Takehiro Tomiyasu.
The 23-year-old Tomiyasu came over from Bologna in Serie A, and the Japanese international wasted little time establishing himself as an ever-present in Mikel Arteta’s side.
Tomiyasu has started all 16 Premier League games he has played since coming over to the Gunners and has been one of the team’s most consistent performers this season. The sheer effortlessness Tomiyasu has adapted to a new league and a new culture has been quite impressive.
Along with Ramsdale, White, and Kieran Tierney, Gunners fans are hoping Tomiyasu can be a part of their promising, young back four for years to come.
Jose Sa, Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolves had a big hole to fill when veteran goalkeeper Rui Patricio left the club in the summer after three seasons at Molineux. But the Wanderers found themselves a worthy replacement in another Portuguese keeper: Jose Sa.
Wolves have the second-best defensive record in the league – just 16 goals conceded in 21 games – in large part due to Jose Sa, who has been one of the busiest keepers around. He has made 68 total saves – fifth in the league – and has a league-leading 84.8 save percentage.
Jose Sa has been an absolute bargain at a mere €8 million, and Wolves’ Premier League 2022 odds of making it into Europe could very well pay out if he continues to play as well as he has.
Tino Livramento, Southampton
After being named Chelsea academy player of the year in 2020-21, Tino Livramento could not come to terms on a new contract and moved to Southampton in search of consistent playing time.
That signing has proven to be a shrewd piece of business for the Saints, as Livramento has been one of their players of the season thus far. The 19-year-old has made 18 Premier League appearances (all starts) and has cemented the starting right-back position with his consistent performance of both ends of the pitch.
Chelsea reportedly have a buy-back clause for Livramento, and if the youngster continues his fine play, the Blues could very well be tempted to exercise that option in the not-too-distant future.
Conor Gallagher, Crystal Palace
Speaking of Chelsea academy products, Conor Gallagher is making a very strong case for his inclusion in the Chelsea first team with his outstanding performances on-loan at Crystal Palace this season.
The 21-year-old midfielder has been a major factor in the Eagles’ success this season, contributing seven goals and three assists in 19 appearances. That’s a massive leap in production from the two goals in 30 Premier League appearances he had with West Brom last season.
Gallagher still has to develop a few more aspects of his game to become a truly top-class player, but he has certainly exceeded expectations thus far and is quite clearly on the right track in his development.
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