Ranking this season’s top five Premier League signings from outside of the top six
Harry Jones
17 April, 2019
5. Lukasz Fabianski:
Lukasz Fabianski has always been a good goalkeeper, but he needed to move to a smaller club to prove it. During his seven seasons as second-choice at Arsenal, he was nicknamed “Flapianski,” a jibe at his tendency to spill the ball in crucial situations. When he moved to Swansea in 2014, he started to show just how good of a goalkeeper he is. With the exception of Gylfi Sigurdsson, few would argue that there was a better performer for the Swans throughout Fabianski’s four seasons in South Wales.
Fabianski was by no means the most high-profile West Ham arrival last summer, in fact, far more headlines were dedicated to fellow ex-Gunner Jack Wilshere and Brazilian Felipe Anderson, who deserves an honourable mention on this list but has lacked Fabianski’s consistency.
His first season at West Ham has been his best to date, so much so that last season’s starter debate between Joe Hart and Adrian feels like decades ago. Fabianski has truly made the number one shirt his own; he’s deservedly one of the first names on the team sheet and should be a candidate for team of the year. His total of 126 saves is the most of any Premier League goalkeeper. In short, he’s been the saving grace of an otherwise weak defence. He will be 34 this month, but shows no signs of slowing down.
4. David Brooks:
In March, as David Brooks collected the awards for both Welsh player and young player of the year, there seemed to be stronger evidence than ever that life for Welsh football after Gareth Bale may not be so bleak after all. The £11.5 million that Eddie Howe spent on the Welshman seemed risky at the time (Brooks had only one season of Championship football under his belt), but has turned out to be a total steal. In an inconsistent Bournemouth season, he has been a shining light.
Brooks has chipped in with six goals so far this campaign and has proven himself to be a complete midfielder who can pass, dribble and add a bit of magic when required. It should also be noted that he has played pretty much every role in the Bournemouth midfield, filling in as a winger, a no. 10 or a central-midfielder. Brooks is still only 21, if he continues to progress he could be the man that both Bournemouth and Wales plan their futures around.
3. Richarlison:
Plenty of eyebrows were raised at the £50 million fee when Marco Silva brought Richarlison to Goodison Park last summer. Richarlison had tailed off the season before, after a strong start under Silva at Watford. What’s more, Everton could ill afford another big-money flop after overspending on players such as Davy Klaassen and Michael Keane the season before. It was this transfer window that had effectively cost Ronald Koeman his job, having failed to adequately replace Romelu Lukaku. With no proven striker, they desperately needed a match winner.
Richarlison has certainly been that. He has contributed 12 goals this season, and has often been the spark in attack that Everton lacked last season, so much so that he has forced his way into the Brazil set-up. At the tender age of 21, something that is often overlooked, he still has huge room for improvement.
The central dilemma surrounding Richarlison is where to play him. Richarlison has blistering pace, mesmerising dribbling ability and composure in front of goal. Such is his all-round ability that Marco Silva has experimented with Richarlison leading the line, but he is not a natural no.9, and is perhaps more at home on the wing. Still, Everton need a proper striker to replace Lukaku and complement Richarlison; they may well need to spend big again this summer to finish rebuilding their attack.
2. James Maddison:
As of March 15, James Maddison had created the most chances in Europe’s top five leagues. That’s more than Eden Hazard, even more than Lionel Messi. Maddison has had, quite frankly, an outstanding debut season. He’s made the transition from Championship to Premier League football look easy, and at 22 years old, he’s one of the most exciting young midfielders in Europe. Like David Brooks, he is living proof that Premier League clubs do not need to look to Europe for young talent, as there are plenty of gems to be found in the English Football League.
If Callum Hudson-Odoi is starting for England, it is baffling that Maddison hasn’t yet been given a senior call-up. Surely, it is only a matter of time. With Brendan Rodgers now at the helm, Jamie Vardy is starting to profit from Maddison’s creativity and is racing up the goalscorers chart. If Rodgers been there all season, Vardy could well be among the top scorers in the league. Maddison is also a fantastic set-piece taker, which he proved once again last weekend with a stunning set-piece strike against Huddersfield.
A close look at the quality in Leicester City’s squad will tell you why Rodgers was willing to jeopardise his relationship with Celtic fans to jump ship mid-season. With players like Ben Chilwell, Ricardo Pereira and Wilfred Ndidi still approaching their prime, Rodgers has a top-class nucleus to build around. Still, even amongst such a breadth of talent, James Maddison has proven himself to be Leicester’s crown jewel.
Raul Jimenez:
If Wolves hold on to seventh place this season, they will have achieved the highest final position for a promoted side since Ipswich in 2001. Their record against the big sides is staggeringly good; they’ve taken four points off Manchester United and Chelsea, three off Spurs, drawn with both Manchester City and Arsenal and knocked Liverpool and United out of the FA Cup. Next season, if they learn to deliver similar performances when dominating possession against the smaller teams, it is very possible that they could be knocking on the door of the top 6.
Central to their success has been the strike partnership of Diogo Jota and Raul Jimenez. Jimenez was brought in this season on a season-long loan deal from Benfica, which has since been made permanent for £32 million. Jimenez and Jota both possess great technical ability and a lethal finish; when they click, they are perhaps the most exciting duo to watch in the league. It would be unfair to say one has been better than the other, but since Jota arrived a year earlier, it is Jimenez who tops this list.
Jimenez has registered 12 goals and 7 assists in the league so far, the £32 million fee that Wolves have paid seems more than reasonable. Benfica, his former club, have certainly raised eyebrows by letting both Jimenez and Frankfurt’s Luka Jovic depart in a single season in favour of keeping 35-year-old striker Jonas. Without option-to-buy clauses in both striker’s contracts, they may have fetched astronomical fees for the pair.
Perhaps Jimenez’s most memorable moment of the season was his opener in the FA Cup against Manchester United, but for the perfect example of what he and Jota have brought to the Premier League this season, look no further than Wolves’ 2-0 victory over Cardiff on 3 March. For Wolves’ first, the duo danced through the Cardiff defence with a neat one-two, before Jimenez played a perfectly-weighted through ball for Jota to finish. The second was started by Jimenez dispossessing Sol Bamba in his own half before crossing for Jota with the outside of his boot, who then controlled it and squared back to Jimenez for an easy finish. If the two players carry their form into next season, it’s not inconceivable that Wolves could break into the top 6, and either one could be amongst the top scorers in the league.
(Photo by Agencia de Noticias ANDES/ Wikimedia Commons)