Power Rankings: The 20 best Premier League summer signings

Cameron Smith

• Updated: 26 Jul 2022 12:57 BST
• 12 min read

As many will have expected, Premier League clubs have continued their luxurious and lavish lifestyle by spending an exuberant amount of money so far this summer.

In total, the Premier League alone has posted over €1.1 billion in transfer fees paid during the 2022 summer window. Despite the financial struggles caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, there has been little to no evidence that suggests the biggest clubs have been heavily hampered.

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Arsenal and Manchester City are among the teams to spend big so far this summer, while new boys Nottingham Forest have delved into the market to the extreme in an attempt to retain their status as a top flight club next season.

FootballTransfers have put together a Power Ranking to judge the top moves in the Premier League so far, using four key factors to decide the order.

These are:

• Necessity: Does the player fill an important role?

• Value: Does the player represent value for money?

• Quality: How good is this player in relation to the club he signed for?

• Profitability: Does the player have the potential of turning a profit for his club in the future?

Premier League 2022/23 summer transfers: All the completed deals

Which teams have spent the most on transfers this summer?

What players have moved on a Free Transfer this summer?

Premier League summer transfer window power ranking

20. Christian Eriksen: Free - Brentford to Manchester United

Christian Eriksen is still a brilliant player. The Danish international made a fantastic comeback from his near-fatal health scare at Euro 2020, and thrived at Brentford in the back-end of last season.

The midfielder clearly still has a lot to offer at the top level and on a free transfer, it’s a stellar move for Manchester United.

The only real concern is where he fits in. With Bruno Fernandes and Donny van de Beek already competing for the position Eriksen suits best, the Dane may not feature too regularly.

He can play deeper or out wide, but it’s easy to imagine his role is more of a rotational one, rather than an immediate starter.

19. Nathan Collins: £20.5m - Burnley to Wolves

Republic of Ireland international Nathan Collins is perfectly suited to Bruno Lage’s Wolves system. The Portuguese manager has almost solely deployed a back four in pre-season, which isn’t a formation that naturally suits club captain Conor Coady.

Lage may revert to a back three, in which case Collins should replace the departed Romain Saiss, or if he decides to persist with a back four, then the former Burnley man is again perfect for that role.

Comfortable driving forward from defence like Maximilian Kilman, Collins is a physical threat and the kind of defender who can sustain Wolves’ status as a top-half club.

He’s also only 21 years old and has replaced a 32-year-old Romain Saiss.

18. Jesse Lingard: Free - Manchester United to Nottingham Forest

Despite the reported extreme salary package presented to Jesse Lingard by Nottingham Forest, the Englishman will vastly improve Steve Cooper’s team.

A new creative midfielder was needed after Philip Zinchernagel’s return to Watford following his loan spell at the City Ground last year, and Lingard is a stellar signing. A player wanted by European challengers has been signed by a team who will most likely be battling relegation.

He wasn't fancied by Man Utd, but his form on loan at West Ham in the second half of the 2021-22 season was supreme and he could fire Forest to survival.

Being signed for no transfer fee is also massive given the investment Forest have spent in other areas so far this summer.

17. Marc Roca: £10.8m - Bayern Munich to Leeds

A silky midfielder during his time at Espanyol, Marc Roca never really had a fair shot at Bayern Munich given the quality in their ranks.

Replacing Kalvin Phillips will be no easy task, but Roca is a player who should suit the role the Englishman played at Elland Road. The Spaniard is an excellent distributor from deep, and he also puts up impressive pressure numbers - both things that will be perfect for Jesse Marsch’s system.

Having not played too frequently over the past two seasons it may take a period of adaptation for Roca, but if his form at Espanyol is anything to go by, Leeds have signed a gem for a very good price. He’s still only 25 too.

16. Luis Sinisterra: £22.5m - Feyenoord to Leeds

Signing players from the Eredivisie is always a risk, and that factor remains an issue with Luis Sinisterra to Leeds.

However, the 23-year-old Colombian produced 19 goals and assists in 29 league starts last term, an output he matched in the Europa Conference League as well, notching 10 goal contributions in 12 games in the competition.

A dynamic and forward-thinking player, Sinisterra is an expert dribbler and he will bring fluidity and pace to a Leeds attack that needs firepower after Raphinha’s exit.

15. Darwin Nunez: £86m - Benfica to Liverpool

Darwin Nunez only features 15th on the list because of the huge price tag attached to his name. The Uruguay international is the most expensive Premier League signing of the summer, and still has questions to answer.

Unlike the departed Sadio Mane, Nunez isn’t particularly strong in possession and won’t be able to provide the link-up play that the Senegal international provided so well for Jurgen Klopp’s side.

The technical side is still lacking and certainly needs work, as seen by some of his pre-season antics. On the other hand, his goal-scoring instincts were incredible at Benfica, and he combines strength and speed, which is deadly when given space in behind.

14. Taiwo Awoniyi: £18.5m - Union Berlin to Nottingham Forest

Taiwo Awoniyi is an awesome signing for Nottingham Forest and provides them with the centre-forward they desperately need. Keinan Davis was the man who partnered Brennan Johnson through the middle last season, but he has returned to Aston Villa after his loan spell and only scored five Championship goals last campaign anyway.

On the other hand, Awoniyi bagged 15 for Union Berlin in the Bundesliga, and while attackers from the German top flight have struggled to adapt to the Premier League, such as Timo Werner and Wout Weghorst, Awoniyi is the perfect foil for Johnson and will have regular service.

His physical size means he won’t be overawed by Premier League centre-backs, and he matches his xG almost perfectly, suggesting his finishing is top notch.

13. Lisandro Martinez: £51.6m - Ajax to Manchester United

Lisandro Martinez’s height is a real problem for a centre-back in the Premier League. At just 5ft 9in, he may well be physically exposed by the rough and tumble of the English top flight.

However, he is an outstanding player. While he’ll lose aerial duels frequently, he is experienced in how to disrupt an opponent far taller than him, and his ability on the ball is exceptional.

The Argentine will help Man Utd's build-up exponentially and he knows Erik ten Hag and the system the Dutchman wants to implement. His progressive ability in possession will help the Red Devils massively.

12. Moussa Niakhate: £9m - Mainz to Nottingham Forest

Nottingham Forest’s squad needed major surgery heading into the Premier League season, and adding a defender with such quality will prove vital.

The back three that played in the Championship simply isn’t top flight quality, especially veteran Steve Cook, and Moussa Niakhate helps alleviate the problem.

He thrived at Mainz, and is the type of shrewd acquisition that could help keep Forest up.

11. Sven Botman: £33.3m - Lille to Newcastle

Wanted by AC Milan, Sven Botman was snatched by Newcastle, which shows the pull Eddie Howe’s side now have. He’ll improve the backline no end and truly is a Champions League quality player.

£33.3 million is a fairly sizable amount, but Botman is the type of player that will consolidate Newcastle’s status in the top-half and help them push towards a European place in a few years. At 22 years old, he could become a Newcastle legend.

10. Cheick Doucoure: £21m - Lens to Crystal Palace

Dougie Freedman and the team at Crystal Palace have successfully transitioned from an ageing and fairly limited squad under Roy Hodgson to arguably the club with the best transfer philosophy in the division since Patrick Vieira’s arrival.

The likes of Joachim Andersen, Marc Guehi and Michael Olise all arrived last summer with great success, and this time around they’ve continued their style of shrewd acquisitions of young talents. Malcolm Eboiwei is a promising signing on a free transfer from Derby County, but Cheick Doucoure is the standout name from their summer business so far.

Signed from Lens for just over £20m, Palace have acquired one of the Ligue 1’s best midfielders over the past 12 months, and a player whose quality went slightly under the radar due to Seko Fofana.

Doucoure is likely to replace Conor Gallagher’s place in the starting XI and will be an excellent fit. Last season he ranked in the top seven percent of midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues for progressive passes and progressive carries per 90. That tells you all you need to know.

9. Raheem Sterling: £47.2m - Manchester City to Chelsea

The only reason this deal is only ninth is due to the fact Chelsea paid nearly £50m for a player who had only one year left on his Man City contract.

Nevertheless, Raheem Sterling is a superb addition for Chelsea and finally provides Thomas Tuchel with a Premier League proven goalscorer. He brings experience of winning trophies, which is something Chelsea need given their incredibly poor record in cup finals in recent years.

Sterling will complement Kai Havertz and Mason Mount in the Blues attack, and should make up for the relative lack of the output from Havertz since he joined Chelsea.

8. João Palhinha: £18m - Sporting CP to Fulham

Newly promoted Fulham have signed a defensive midfielder who is good enough for a Champions League level side, and they’ve done so for just £18m.

Joao Palhinha is an exceptional talent, and it’s a major coup from Marco Silva, who reportedly played a key role in getting his compatriot to sign.

Palhinha has over 10 caps for Portugal and was turned to by Fernando Santos after reaching the round of 16 at Euro 2020 instead of Wolves’ Ruben Neves. Fulham desperately needed a defensive midfielder too, and have signed a player that could’ve added a lot for many top sides.

7. Kalidou Koulibaly: £34m - Napoli to Chelsea

Chelsea were faced with a major issue when Antonio Rudiger announced he was leaving the club this summer to join Real Madrid, but they’ve managed to replace him well.

After years of speculation linking Kalidou Koulibaly with a move from Napoli to the Premier League, it’s finally happened, with the Senegal international joining Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea.

Koulibaly has been one of the best centre-backs in Europe for half a decade, and is expected to form an impressive partnership with Thiago Silva at the back.

The only concern is that Chelsea have replaced Rudiger with a player two years his senior, but Silva has proven age is just a number during his time at Stamford Bridge.

6. Ivan Perisic: Free - Inter to Tottenham

Antonio Conte has been reunited with one of the stars of his Scudetto-winning Inter Milan squad, and one that improved further under his successor Simone Inzaghi.

The fact Ivan Perisic has been brought in is brilliant news for Conte, who clearly wasn’t satisfied with the wing-back options at Tottenham ahead of the summer window. Ryan Sessegnon impressed in the back-end of last season, but Perisic is a class above and contributed 15 goals and assists from left-wing-back for Inter last campaign.

He may be on the wrong side of 30, but on a free transfer, Perisic is a wonderful short-term fix while Sessegnon continues to develop.

5. Oleksandr Zinchenko: £31.5m - Manchester City to Arsenal

Arsenal desperately needed left-back depth and a quality central midfielder ahead of the summer. In Oleksandr Zinchenko, they’ve fixed both of those problems with one signing.

The Ukraine international was an excellent inverted left-back at Man City, while he was able to express his true ability in midfield for his country.

With Kieran Tierney perennially injured, Zinchenko will provide great cover there, while he may well displace Granit Xhaka in midfield. This is a fantastic signing for Mikel Arteta.

4. Gabriel Jesus: £45m - Manchester City to Arsenal

While Man City used to nab Arsenal’s players in the early 2010s, the tide has turned this summer. Gabriel Jesus was never a first-choice striker at the Etihad Stadium, but he’ll be given the chance to impress through the middle at Arsenal.

The Brazilian always impressed in limited minutes at Man City, with his movement and link-up play two of his standout qualities. At Arsenal, he’s hit the ground running in pre-season and could be the signing to take them back to the Champions League.

With Alexandre Lacazette leaving, a quality replacement was needed, and Jesus is a vast improvement on the now-Lyon forward.

3. Yves Bissouma: £25m - Brighton to Tottenham

Yves Bissouma seemed destined to leave Brighton this summer after a few seasons of incredible performances.

The Mali midfielder has been bought by Tottenham for just £25m as his contract at the Amex had just one year left to run. As a result, Spurs have picked up one of the division’s best midfielders for a cut-price fee, which is outstanding business.

Bissouma is an excellent ball-winner, and partnered with the grace and technique of Rodrigo Bentancur, he could form one half of a truly brilliant midfield pivot.

2. Boubacar Kamara: Free - Marseille to Aston Villa

Boubacar Kamara just misses out on top spot, but the Frenchman could be a game-changing signing for Steven Gerrard.

Kamara is more than comfortable mopping things up in defensive midfield, while he possesses an incredible close control, which allows him to manoeuvre the ball away from opponents with ease.

He can also fill in at centre-back, and regularly drops in between the two centre-halves, when playing in midfield, to pick up the ball and start attacks from deep. A huge upgrade on Douglas Luiz and Marvelous Nakamba.

1. Erling Haaland: £51.3m - Borussia Dortmund to Manchester City

This man needs no introduction. Erling Haaland has arrived at Manchester City to provide Pep Guardiola with a reliable goalscorer through the middle for the first time since Sergio Aguero left the club.

After a brief, but prolific spell at Borussia Dortmund, Haaland is one of very few players in world football that could actually improve this Man City side.

The kind of signing that could help them finally break their Champions League duck.

Honourable mentions

Richarlison: £60m - Everton to Tottenham

Neco Williams: £16m - Liverpool to Nottingham Forest

James Tarkowski: Free - Burnley to Everton