With the first half of the campaign almost wrapped up, GOAL is on hand to run through the new arrivals who have made the biggest impact
Almost £2 billion ($2.5bn) was splashed on new players across the 20 clubs in the Premier League during the summer of 2024, a number slightly down on the record-breaking 2023 window, but still comfortably the second-highest transfer spend in the competition's history. The biggest deal of the window came at Tottenham, who lured Dominic Solanke away from Bournemouth for £65 million ($82m), while Chelsea signed Wolves winger Pedro Neto for £54m ($68m), Amadou Onana joined Aston Villa from Everton for £50m ($63m) and Manchester United spent the same amount on Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Manuel Ugarte.
All of those players have impressed at their new clubs, to varying degrees, but none have set the world alight. There have also been plenty of transfers that could already be considered complete flops, like Joao Felix's £45m ($57m) return to Chelsea from Atletico Madrid, West Ham's £27m ($34m) capture of Borussia Dortmund striker Niclas Fullkrug, and Federico Chiesa's bizarre £10m ($13m) move to Liverpool from Juventus.
The players that have stood out the most haven't all been among the most expensive. In fact, several can now be described as bargains, having delivered performances far exceeding their market value, which goes some way to explaining why the table looks so tight at the midway point of the campaign.
GOAL has ranked the 10 best signings of the 2024-25 campaign so far, and it's full of surprising names. The question is: who has come out on top? Find out below…
Getty Images Sport10Iliman Ndiaye (Everton) – £15m ($20m)
Everton's decision to sign former Sheffield United star Iliman Ndiaye from Marseille is already paying off, with the 24-year-old looking right at home in English football once again. Ndiaye was electrifying in the Championship for the Blades, and has been similarly influential in the Premier League, albeit without scoring as many goals.
The Senegal international only has two to his name from 15 appearances for Everton so far, which is mainly because Sean Dyche has predominantly used him on the left wing instead of as a No.10. Despite that, he's still managed to become an instant fan favourite.
Ndiaye drags the Toffees up the pitch at every opportunity, always showing impeccable balance and control despite carrying the ball at great speed, with former Everton defender Phil Jagielka recently comparing him to a futsal player. Ndiaye thrives in one-on-one situations and his link-up play is top-notch, while he is also one of the hardest workers in the team off the ball.
Everton have admirably recovered from a poor start to the season, and with Ndiaye giving them an X-factor in the final third, Dyche's team really should be aiming for a top-half finish.
AdvertisementAFP9Georginio Rutter (Brighton) – £40m ($51m)
Brighton smashed their transfer record to sign Georginio Rutter from Leeds, with head coach Fabian Hurzeler describing him as a forward with the "capabilities to get fans off their seats." He has so far lived up to that billing, striking up a strong understanding with Danny Welbeck and Joao Pedro that has reaped great rewards for the Seagulls as they have re-emerged as contenders for European qualification.
Rutter has only scored twice and laid on three assists, but he's been a constant menace with his mesmerising dribbling and incisive passing, and has also been crucial to Brighton's counter-press. “He's a guy who doesn't need goals to believe in himself and I think he has had a great impact," Hurzeler said in October.
Rutter has brought versatility to the Seagulls' attack and at just 22 years of age, there is still so much more to come from the Frenchman.
Getty Images Sport8Maxence Lacroix (Crystal Palace) – £15m ($20m)
Palace endured a nightmare start to the campaign after losing a host of key players, including Michael Olise, Joachim Andersen and Jordan Ayew. It took a while for their new signings to adapt, including Andersen replacement Maxence Lacroix, who was one of the standout centre-backs in the Bundesliga last season at Wolfsburg.
Lacroix is now starting to make a similar impact in the Premier League, though, playing in the heart of a three-man defence alongside Marc Guehi and Trevor Chalobah. Saturday's 5-1 home defeat to Arsenal was a major setback for the Eagles, but they'd only lost one of their previous nine games across all competitions, with Lacroix even pitching in with a fine goal in a thrilling 2-2 draw with Manchester City.
The Frenchman is among the fastest players in the league, which makes him almost impossible to dribble past, has a high footballing IQ and rarely misplaces a pass. Lacroix has claimed that "teams fear playing Palace" despite their low position in the table, and it's hard to argue. His commanding presence alone makes Oliver Glasner's side formidable opponents, and they should comfortably avoid the drop if he keeps improving at such a rapid rate.
Getty Images7Jadon Sancho (Chelsea) – loan
Jadon Sancho is one worst signings in Manchester United's history, which was confirmed when Chelsea signed the winger on loan with an obligation to buy at the end of August. United paid £73m ($92m) to sign Sancho from Borussia Dortmund in 2021, and he never came close to justifying that fee, failing to even earn a regular place in the starting XI amid a series of fallouts with the club's former manager Erik ten Hag.
But there has never been any doubts over his talent. A confident Sancho can be a major asset for any team, which he proved by playing a vital role in Dortmund's run to the Champions League final after returning to the club on loan last season. He has continued in a similar vein at Stamford Bridge, recording five goal contributions in 11 Premier League appearances.
Sancho has been in and out of the team under Enzo Maresca due to the huge strength in depth Chelsea have in attack, but he's looked back to his dazzling best when he has played, most notably in a thrilling 4-3 win at Tottenham that saw him run Pedro Porro ragged, and could earn a recall to the England squad if he continues on his current trajectory.
