10 Teams To Follow After These Top Signings

Now that the transfer window has passed for Europe and most sides have settled into the season, let’s take a look at 10 teams that we could follow with some more confidence after these pivotal signings.

Alexander Isak

You could take your pick of the signings that Liverpool have made in this window, as all of them look to be top-quality players for them. The one that does stand out among all of them must be the signing of Isak. As dramatic as the route for him to get his preferred move was, there is no doubt that this adds so much to Liverpool.

While it is still early in the season with lots of room to improve, it has been a quiet start for Mohamed Salah by his immense standards. It has been no secret since he arrived at the club that Liverpool’s fortunes rise and fall with his form and fitness. Having someone like Isak now, who is a proven, lethal striker in front of goal in this league, does take that weight off of Salah and could help Liverpool to yet another title.

Having other players that are as consistent in games as Salah has been has been an issue for Liverpool since Sadio Mane left. Darwin Nunez & Luis Diaz sparkled for the Reds on many occasions, but they failed to keep their momentum going for a good run of games at a time. While Isak is not currently the most prolific striker in the world, he could well be if he synergises with this team.

Add in the support of other record signings, such as Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike, and you have a front four that could prove to be the best in Europe if they manage to gel together well. This is all predicated on how Arne Slot decides to set up with all his new players, but having all four on the field presents a luxury of threats that most teams will find impossible to counteract.

A big talking point has been whether the transfer saga has unsettled Isak at all and if he is ready to do the business for Liverpool after this international break. Liverpool fans will certainly have been appreciative of his efforts to land this move, so the excitement building over the next two weeks should be unmatched. The small worry about all this is that, if in a season or two, Isak does reach his full potential at the peak age of 27, will he be more diplomatic about a move if Real Madrid were to come calling? The Anfield faithful can only hope so, but even born and bred Scouser Trent Alexander-Arnold showed little allegiance when they came for him. Something that could play on the back of everyone’s minds? We will have to wait and see.

Eberechi Eze

One would expect that buying a striker with over 50 goals to his name last season would be the key signing for Arsenal, but early days suggest it will be a difficult bedding-in period for Viktor Gyokeres. It is clear that his natural game is not suited to the current Arsenal style, with Chris Wood having been the better fit for the Gunners given their set-piece dependency. If Arsenal are to get the most out of their new frontman, they must be more dynamic in attack, which is where Eze can really shine for them.

We have seen what he can do at Palace, lightning quick on the attack, taking on defenders, and carrying the ball into dangerous areas. This is exactly what Arsenal have been crying out for on the left wing to complement Bukayo Saka’s immense ability on the right and take some of the weight off his shoulders. If Arteta is to transform this side, he must break his chronic reliance on players like Gabriel Martinelli, who seem to be consistently in the side because of their ability to win corners rather than provide incisive balls in.

Having that front three of Eze, Gyokeres, and Saka would provide an intense threat and movement that teams would have to deal with. We have seen in the first three games for Arsenal that Gyokeres was easily dealt with by the much bigger Dutch duo of Virgil van Dijk and Matthijs de Ligt, with de Ligt particularly bullying him until Gyokeres was substituted at the hour mark. While he did pick up a brace against Leeds, it did little to help his typecasting of a “Championship” striker by scoring one goal when the defence failed to close him down and then a penalty.

Eze has been a top performer in the league by being allowed to play his natural game, which is getting at the defence and making chances, something that Gyokeres sorely needs to see coming his way in open play and not just in set pieces. The sheer size and skill of Premier League defenders makes it unlikely that Gyokeres will thrive off of corners, so ball into feet from the driving runs of Eze and Saka is the remedy here. Having Eze and the other attacking players draw in defenders to open up the channels for Gyokeres to run in is what he shone at doing for Sporting, so they must work at it.

Arteta must now lay the excuses at the door this season. He has been backed to the hilt, he landed his striker, and he needs to find a way to unlock his new team. The win over Manchester United needed a set piece and a goalkeeping error, but also some luck, as they faced 22 shots from a United side still bedding in new players. The Liverpool loss was a better performance, but coming up short against the other title contenders is where they’ve been the past three seasons. Backing players like Eze with their natural talent is how this Arsenal side can reach another level, but it may just take another manager to do so if Arteta stubbornly sticks to his guns.

Xavi Simons

The injuries to James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski, along with the departure of talisman Son Heung-min, have left Spurs with a dearth of creative players who can link the midfield and attack. The signing of Simons was an excellent spot by Spurs, as he has an abundance of creativity and energy backed up by a natural flair that should prove invaluable to them this season. A product of the Barcelona academy, SImons is certainly a gem that Spurs can be thrilled they landed.

While things did not entirely work out for him by going to PSG, that is not his fault for going into a side that religiously played Mbappe, Messi, and Neymar every chance they got. His stints at PSV and RB Leipzig were where he really caught the eye, performing not just in the respective leagues but also on the European stage. While only 22, Simons has well over 100 senior appearances under his belt and is an established Dutch international.

Thomas Frank was always going to have a job to do coming to this Spurs side and having to rebuild not just the team, but also the confidence. The signings of Simons and Mohammed Kudus will go a long way towards helping him patch this squad together into a top side once again. It will simply be a matter of him finding what works, in which combinations, that will make all the difference for Spurs this season.

Early signs have been promising, with a big opening day win over Burnley followed up by a workman-like and well-deserved victory over Spurs. However, it was the loss to Bournemouth that really highlighted the need for someone of Simons’ calibre. Having the three defensive midfielders against City choked the life out of them and allowed Spurs to constantly turn the ball over for quick attacks. Using the three against Bournemouth made them much less effective going forward, as Bournemouth is much better at being compact and blocking off passing lanes, rendering the three more defensive-minded midfielders ineffective at getting an attack going. Which is why Spurs had one shot in 66 minutes in that game.

That is where Simons will excel when given the chance. Sacrificing one and having two defensive midfielders behind him will allow him to be the link in play, either by showing for the balls they win and carrying them forward, or by making line-breaking passes to find the forwards. While it may take a bit of time to get up to the speed of the league, Simons does have all the attributes to give Frank a real lynchpin for his new side.

Brian Mbuemo

After many seasons of taking chances on players past their prime or players aimed more at shirt sales than on-field success, Manchester United has had a laser-focused transfer window to address their biggest issues. The lack of goals killed them last season, with a striker who cut a lonely figure in the middle and wingers more likely to hit the second row than the back of the net or a teammate’s head. The signings of the two best wingers from last season, who are not named Mohamed Salah, go a long way to fixing that.

While Matheus Cunha does look to be an absolute gem for them with the way he can light up a game, it’s the sheer work rate and efficiency of Mbeumo that should really make the difference for United. With the below-average start to the season United have had, it has gone under the radar that he is already off the mark with 2 goals and is consistently getting himself in the box for more. United as a whole has had more shots on goal and more touches in the opposition box than any other side in the league so far this season.

While there are still clearly some issues to iron out, the United faithful should expect goals to come once their frontmen start getting their sights in. The performance against Arsenal was breathtaking from them, but they were once again let down by the old goalkeeping issue. Mbuemo has proven a constant threat for them since that game, getting himself on the ball time after time and driving it up to create chances. Having both him and Cunha taking some creative duties should help Bruno Fernandes immensely, as he has carried this club alone on many occasions.

The key here for them will be the linking of the front three. All are exceptionally talented individuals, but it will take Cunha, Mbuemo, Fernandes, and others actively seeking out Benjamin Sesko in the middle to take their game to the next level. Mbeumo so far really seems to be the one who could make that happen for them. His intensity in games brings so much to the side that they could beat just about any team if all the other players could just tap into some of that for themselves.\

It is very clear that Ruben Amorim is coaching wins for this side, but the lack of goals at the moment and goalkeeping lapses continue to hold the side back. The goals will come as long as the sheer number of chances keep being made in every game, but they will need to work on keeping them out at the other end. It is the small things at the moment that are hurting United; they’re not far away from ironing them out with more hard work, and players like Mbuemo can change all that around over the course of the season.

Dean Huijsen

It has been a quiet window from the Spanish giants, but given the transfers of the last couple of seasons, Real Madrid would have had to pump the brakes a bit so as not to run into any financial fair play issues. However, the signing of Huijsen could be one of the most important that they have done for a long while, with the Dutch-born defender pinning his allegiance to Spain now and making the big move to the capital.

Madrid have always signed attacking players with great aplomb, with the defence having to play second fiddle, especially when they had the solid centre back pairing of Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane to rely on for so many seasons. Since they have moved on, Madrid have struggled at the back, with their last 5 meetings against Barcelona seeing 4 losses and 18 goals conceded. It was clear they needed to address the issue, and they may have found the perfect signing for them here.

Huijsen excels in reading the game well and positioning himself right where he needs to win his duels, either in the air or on the ground. Add to that a high level of technical ability and the vision to make line-breaking passes from a defensive position, and you have the absolute shining example of a modern ball-playing defender. He is someone who not only suits what Xabi Alonso is attempting to do at Madrid, but his recent games for Spain also show how in demand his skill set is at the top level of the game.

With the added signings of Alvaro Carreras and Trent Alexander-Arnold, Madrid now carries a lot of threat right from the back line to the front, with almost every player able to break the line and create attacks at will. While it may still take some time for Alonso to get his system and philosophy down perfectly, these are exactly the kind of players that he needs to make a dent in Barcelona’s newfound dominance of the domestic game.

Huijsen’s ability to step in, win the ball, and then immediately turn defence into attack by either carrying the ball up himself or pinging a great pass out to someone will make a huge difference for Madrid once this season gets into full swing. While he did not come cheap from Bournemouth, at just 20 years old and starting out so strongly in his career, he could be Madrid’s centre back for the next 10 years or more if he keeps his astronomical development going.

Tijjani Reijnders

City have made a lot of signings to back Pep Guardiola and dig City out of the rut they find themselves in. While time will tell if Pep can indeed turn things around, with the losses to Spurs and Brighton showing City still do not like physical teams that sit in against them, there can be no doubt that Reijnders is absolutely a Guardiola-type signing with all the attributes he possesses.

Many cited City’s loss of Rodri to injury as a major downturn in their fortunes, but it was also the decline of players like Ilkay Gundogan, Phil Foden, and Bernardo Silva that made City lose the essence of how they would play. Both players thrived in the half spaces, picking up the ball in difficult areas of the opposition’s final third and having the ability to either dribble themselves out of it or find others with key passes to finish teams off. These are exactly the skills that made everyone sit up and notice Reijnders at AC Milan.

He may not be as likely to pop up with extremely important goals like Gundogan or have the silky range of passing like Silva, but he is a player who can keep City ticking over and over in their constant probing attacks against sides. Having a player that can carry the ball into a good area, find a pass out, move into another good area, receive the ball in a tight space, and then make it work is the bread and butter of Guardiola’s attacking midfielders.

It has been a tough start for him and his teammates, having looked so good against Wolves in their opening game, but reality came crashing down against sides that will compete for Europe this season and not relegation. Reijnders, though, looked to still be a threat in all of the games so far, maintaining a very high pass completion rate, putting key passes into dangerous areas, and still asking questions of the defence whenever he went forward. He is nowhere near as effective on the defensive side of the game, but that’s not why he was brought into the club.

Having the international break is always a huge disruption in the season, especially at the start, but it may have just benefited City after two losses on the bounce. Letting the players reset their heads and come back fresh could be just what they need as they come up against city rivals United next. There, Reijnders should have the space he wants to  show what he can do, as United are not quite up to speed under Ruben Amorim, as he and the other new signings need some time under the new system to learn and grow. Once the season is in full swing, he could easily be the player pulling the strings for City.

João Pedro

While a Chelsea transfer list these days is some heavy reading on the ins and outs, at the top of the pile as their most expensive transfer of this window is João Pedro. The young Brazilian coming over from Brighton after a promising, if unspectacular, last season represents a huge investment in his future potential by Chelsea as they continue their project of collecting talent to either build a squad with or sell on for profit.

Pedro does have all the attributes it takes to be a top striker, as well as a good deal of experience in England since being picked up by Watford in 2019. His last season at Brighton was his best goalscoring season so far, with 10 goals in 30 appearances, showing that he still has some way to go to be the kind of striker Chelsea have been looking for since the days of Drogba. Having scored 2 already in 3 games, he may just be in the right team for his talents.

Chelsea are also short of striking options, with Liam Delap seemingly out until the festive period and Nicolas Jackson on loan with Bayern Munich, so Pedro is going to get a serious run of games to prove himself with. He can make his name now by fulfilling the potential that many saw in his maiden season for Fluminense,but he will have to be prolific to stamp his place in the squad, with Chelsea currently always looking to add more to their ranks if they see an opportunity.

There is likely to be a rotating cast of wingers around him, as Chelsea are flush with them this season, so that may present an issue if he cannot strike up a good rapport with any of them on a regular basis. He will have to rely on his finishing, which is rapidly improving, as well as get a bit more selfish with the ball if he doesn’t have a good enough connection with the wingers to pass off responsibility of finishing off the attacks.

At just 23, Pedro does have a lot of improving to do and could do with some targeted coaching to help him hone his edge in front of goal. However, he does have what it takes to be that kind of striker, with his recent call ups to the Brazilian squad showing even the national side is taking notice now. If Chelsea can help him grow his game, he could be a huge asset to Cole Palmer as a target for those killer final passes he can do.

Jonathan David

Not a signing that many were talking about, but David going to Juventus for free could be the best bit of business done this season. The Canadian frontman let his contract run out at Lille with the hopes of picking up a big move after having three 20-plus goal seasons. While many clubs seemed to hold an interest, it was only Juventus that sprinted off the line for this one. And for good reason, when you look at their recent history with strikers.

Dusan Vlahovic was meant to be the next Lewandowski, but with just 60 goals in nearly 150 games, he has flattered to deceive. Randal Kolo Muani was meant to be a huge get for Juventus, but he is now on another loan from PSG at Spurs. Moise Keane, Paulo Dybala, and many others have pulled on the famous Juventus stripes, but none have managed to channel any of the great strikers of the past and get Juventus any closer to another Scudetto.

David went under the radar of many of the top clubs as they fought it out for younger talents with big potential, severely overlooking what is already the finished article in a 25-year-old striker who has had Champions League experience while at Lille. Perhaps they find him being Canadian a bit unfashionable, or they don’t think goals in the French league will translate to their own league, but it will be their loss as he sets out for Juventus this season.

Lightning quick, able to press, great movement off and on the ball, top finishing, David has all the attributes that you would want in a modern striker. This has been what Juventus have been looking for since Cristiano Ronaldo led them to their last league title in 2019/20. There are some talented players around his position who should be able to pick him up well if he is to be the lone striker, but he could also finally bring out the best of Vlahovic if they were to strike up a partnership.

David’s transfer is a great move from Juventus, as they cannot lose on it, having got him on a free. If he helps him to win something, he would command a huge price from the big clubs finally coming in for him, and it would be a massive profit for Juventus. There could be a few red faces across Europe of those clubs who passed up on David this window, as he is already off the mark for the Old Lady and impressing his teammates from the start.

Jack Grealish

It would be safe to say that Grealish’s time at City has not gone exactly as he expected. Bought for £100 million, big things were always expected from him. His first season was tough, mainly as a substitute, as he had to “learn the new system”, but the second season did have him emerge as a key player in a treble-winning side. Since then, he has seen himself float in and out of the City side for the likes of Jermey Doku and other youngsters getting a chance. Not the kind of career you’d expect from a player bought for that kind of money, especially when the likes of Darwin Nunez, Paul Pogba, and many more were big-money signings that saw no end of media disdain, while no one ever questioned his one good season.

While this Everton move could be seen as City putting him out to pasture, this is really a second life for Grealish that he seems to want to take with both hands. His start for the Toffees has been bright and positive, with the Jack Grealish we saw at Aston Villa coming out rather than the City Grealish. Running at players, dribbling past them, flicks and tricks, this is the Grealish that many considered worth £100 million at the time.

David Moyes is no fool when it comes to building a side. At this very club, he built his reputation on having a tough-as-nails, workman-like squad with a few flair players thrown in to give Everton the edge they needed in games. Grealish here is a throwback to the likes of Mikel Arteta or Steven Pienaar at the old Everton, the player everyone would pass to to get on the ball and make something happen. Grealish thrived on this at Villa, and you can see he is loving it at Everton now.

It is something Everton have sorely needed, with so many of their games last season seeing them completely shut out due to their lack of ideas in the attacking third. A player with the skill and now experience of Grealish can figurehead this side more towards their goals. Everton did not spend nearly a billion Pounds on a new stadium for cup games; they want to get into Europe. It is only with players like Grealish that they can do so in time, so it was a perfect signing for them.

Being allowed to play his natural game once again has given Grealish a new lease on life. His performance against Wolves before the break was inspirational and won them a game that they would have easily lost last season. No more cutting the ball back to the full back or defensive midfielder here, it is full-on action for Grealish with the licence to go forward and take on players, and he looks like he will deliver big for the Toffees thanks to it.

Amar Dedić

A signing that will go well under the radar because: 1. Benfica is not a side followed by as many people as English sides are, and 2. Dedic is a right back from Bosnia and Herzegovina, a footballing country that also not many watch. Like most signings that start out in Portugal, though, this is one that people will be talking about in a season or two.

Dedic is a very gifted right back who plays a lot more like a winger than he does a defender. Constantly wanting the ball at his feet and looking to take on his defenders and beat them, Dedic has exceptional dribbling skills and pace to burn that make him a constant threat to be dealt with down that side of the pitch. He is always looking to get the ball into a dangerous area for his side and create overwhelming threats to deal with.

While this forward-thinking approach does have him up at the other end of the pitch a lot of the game, his sheer stamina and determination to get back every time on defense does see attackers get little change out of him as they have a lot of ground to cover, having had to track him all the way to their own box already. This makes for a tenacious player who is a handful in all the various transitions of the game.

Dedic is still a very raw talent that is in need of polishing, but he has shown in his first three games for Benfica that he is more than capable of making that step up and delivering for them, having already claimed an assist and looked lethal going forward. Benfica are a side that is well known for taking unknown players, working with them for a few seasons, and then collecting a high fee from top European sides once the players explode in talent, so he is in the right place for him.

This is a player that would not look out of place in a Barcelona, Real Madrid, or Man City side, so many of these clubs could be keeping tabs on him throughout his time in Portugal. Dedic has all the attributes to make him a top player, but he just needs the right kind of coaching to get the very best out of him. Should Benfica do that, he will light up these group stages of the Champions League for them once we get back to normal action.

As a final thought, these players will go a long way to making these teams more backable during the season. However, we must still consider all the footballing factors like fixture congestion, injury concerns, form of the opponents and sudden managerial changes. That is where the Punter is here to help guide you using our many years of experience and stat-backed picks to find value in this chaotic market.