The transfer window slammed shut on the 11th of this month for Premier League sides, and with it all incoming transfers for the first half of this season have been done. It is foolish to try and grade them all right now, but who doesn't love to speculate? Therefore, this is not a 'top five best transfers' because we have seen, at most, one competitive match from each of these players with their new side. Rather, it's a 'most crucial' list. What does that mean? Well, these are transfers that I think have the potential of being most important to their side. If they do well, so too will their new team. If not, they could struggle. Let's get on with it!
5. James Maddison - Leicester City
Who?
James Maddison is just 21-years-old but already has a strong reputation around him in England. Norwich's player of the year last season and named in the top-three of the EFL Championship Young Player of the Year nominees, the young number ten is making the jump up to a side that will hope to have struck gold for 25 million pounds. Purchased to upgrade the Foxes from Shinji Okazaki, Maddison's abilities as a CAM drew eyes to him with 14 goals and eight assists in the green and yellow of Norwich last season.
How?
Maddison's creativity will be key in developing chances from his position as an attacking-mid forward to Jamie Vardy or, as he did in the season opener against Manchester United, to Kelechi Iheanacho. Especially as manager Claude Puel likes to build through possession, he will be called on to be the last link from a successful build-up of play to making the final pass through on goal or getting that shot on target. Despite not playing on the wing, he will also need to pick up some of the slack that is left without Riyad Mahrez on the team. That will be shared with Demarai Gray though, so he is not alone in that. His trickery on the ball and ability to take players on will be key, but if he comes up lacking, Leicester may struggle a bit this season.
4. Lucas Torreira - Arsenal
Who?
A second young midfielder on this list, Torreira is on the defensive type. Coming to Arsenal from Sampdoria following his World Cup with Uruguay, Torreira was one of the first signings of the Unai Emery and will likely be critical to how his side lines up for as long as he is with the Gunners. He played a few years with the Italian club but even at a young age his quality is indeed apparent, which is why Arsenal signed him for 26.5 million pounds, which some may consider not even exceedingly expensive for a player like him.
How?
Emery's side is going to be flexible, but like we saw with him at Sevilla previously and in limited doses at PSG, plus with Arsenal in the opener against Manchester City, a 4-2-3-1 will likely be favored. In the opener, we saw one man in Arsenal's midfield deep two (Granit Xhaka and Matteo Guendouzi) drop deeper in the pitch while one man went forward a bit more. You can see in the heat maps at WhoScored how Xhaka got forward with a bit more freedom and how Torreira did the same when coming on for him. This will be key in attacking and defending for Emery's Arsenal and Torreira is the key to it. If he can get forward from midfield positions deeper in the park then Arsenal will be given more freedom to operate the way Unai Emery would like.
3. Richarlison - Everton
Who?
This man is one of the key reasons I listed this as a 'most crucial' transfers list on not a 'best' transfers list. The 21-year-old Brazilian marked his debut with two goals against Wolves in his first match with his new club. That said, Everton paid a staggering 35 million pounds with the possibility of reaching 50 million at some point. It's the price you pay if you want quality, but it's a steep price for a young player whose high water mark is five goals in the top flight last season.
How?
Everton's transfer window this season looks, on paper, far smarter than last season's despite how smitten the English media were with it. But no player on this list personifies importance for his team better than this man. Under Marco Silva at Watford he looked to be a rising star. Post-Silva, he fell into a heavy slump. Everton never replaced the goals Romelu Lukaku left when he went to Manchester United at striker and I'm not entirely convinced Cenk Tosun will be the answer. You don't need Richarlison to score as much as Lukaku, but his creativity on and off the ball, and ability to score goals, removes a lot of pressure from the likes of Tosun in needing to be a 12-to-15 goal a season striker that Everton might have needed. With the Brazilian in the side, Everton are an interesting side and one to watch.
2. Joao Moutinho and Rui Patricio - Wolves
Who?
Technically these are indeed two players, but the links between them are such that I will include them together. Two players, both Portuguese, both starters for the Portugal national side, both will be over-30 by the time the Premier League season ends. Patricio had been one of the top European keepers in a non Big Four league for over half a decade. Moutinho had been a midfield staple for Monaco for a similar amount of time. Both have now made the move to the team with the deepest Portuguese roots in the Premier League this season.
How?
In the case of Patricio, it's simple. His presence in net offers Wolves a secure set of hands in net in their first season back in the Premier League. Entering this season, goalie was a concern for the Wanderers as John Ruddy led them to Championship glory, but his last stint in the Premier League (Norwich City, 2015-16) resulted in him being perhaps the worst top-flight keeper that season. Now, Wolves have a keeper who is easily a top-eight man in the Premier League and could help them win points on his own.
Moutinho's influence is a bit more reaching across the entire pitch. The obvious statement is that he knows how to win, having done so at every stop in his career and internationally, which is huge for a more inexperienced side in the top flight. More immediately though is his ability in midfield to bring out even more in Ruben Neves. Neves is Wolves' key player and if he goes, so too will the team. Moutinho will play alongside him in a formation similar to Monaco's where both men serve as sort of a defensive-mid but one can get forward while the other tracks back. Playing with an internationally renown player like Moutinho, even if he is not in his prime, could be massive for the development of the star midfielder.
1. Jean Michael Seri - Fulham
Who?
Just a summer ago, Seri was discussed in making a move to Barcelona from Nice. This summer? He ends up with a newly promoted side in Fulham. At 27, Seri is right around the prime of his professional career and will be entering it in the Premier League with a fairly talented side. Seri, though, will immediately be the star of the show as a player who has the ability to take control of a game and turn it on his head by himself.
How?
Was Fulham a decent side without him? Sure. But Seri alongside Tom Cairney immediately becomes one of the best midfield duos in the league, bar none. Adding in Kevin McDonald makes a strong three-man midfield. Seri, as shown against Crystal Palace, can take control and keep control of the game as shown by his passing and defensive display. Palace beat Fulham but did so with under 35% posssession in the game. It's a sign of growing pains for a Fulham side who was strong in the Championship but now faces a wholly different challenge. Fulham has players like Cairney and Ryan Sessegnon who have tons of talent, but very few, if any, are proven at the top flight level. Seri gives the London-based side an impact player that can provide a bit of experience, which can go a long way.
Who did I miss? Do you agree or disagree with my list? Follow me on Twitter @RMAB_Ryan and let me know, plus follow me for Liverpool FC coverage, including live Tweets during the matches, as well as AFC Ann Arbor and Michigan basketball coverage!
5. James Maddison - Leicester City
Who?
James Maddison is just 21-years-old but already has a strong reputation around him in England. Norwich's player of the year last season and named in the top-three of the EFL Championship Young Player of the Year nominees, the young number ten is making the jump up to a side that will hope to have struck gold for 25 million pounds. Purchased to upgrade the Foxes from Shinji Okazaki, Maddison's abilities as a CAM drew eyes to him with 14 goals and eight assists in the green and yellow of Norwich last season.
How?
Maddison's creativity will be key in developing chances from his position as an attacking-mid forward to Jamie Vardy or, as he did in the season opener against Manchester United, to Kelechi Iheanacho. Especially as manager Claude Puel likes to build through possession, he will be called on to be the last link from a successful build-up of play to making the final pass through on goal or getting that shot on target. Despite not playing on the wing, he will also need to pick up some of the slack that is left without Riyad Mahrez on the team. That will be shared with Demarai Gray though, so he is not alone in that. His trickery on the ball and ability to take players on will be key, but if he comes up lacking, Leicester may struggle a bit this season.
4. Lucas Torreira - Arsenal
Who?
A second young midfielder on this list, Torreira is on the defensive type. Coming to Arsenal from Sampdoria following his World Cup with Uruguay, Torreira was one of the first signings of the Unai Emery and will likely be critical to how his side lines up for as long as he is with the Gunners. He played a few years with the Italian club but even at a young age his quality is indeed apparent, which is why Arsenal signed him for 26.5 million pounds, which some may consider not even exceedingly expensive for a player like him.
How?
Emery's side is going to be flexible, but like we saw with him at Sevilla previously and in limited doses at PSG, plus with Arsenal in the opener against Manchester City, a 4-2-3-1 will likely be favored. In the opener, we saw one man in Arsenal's midfield deep two (Granit Xhaka and Matteo Guendouzi) drop deeper in the pitch while one man went forward a bit more. You can see in the heat maps at WhoScored how Xhaka got forward with a bit more freedom and how Torreira did the same when coming on for him. This will be key in attacking and defending for Emery's Arsenal and Torreira is the key to it. If he can get forward from midfield positions deeper in the park then Arsenal will be given more freedom to operate the way Unai Emery would like.
3. Richarlison - Everton
Who?
This man is one of the key reasons I listed this as a 'most crucial' transfers list on not a 'best' transfers list. The 21-year-old Brazilian marked his debut with two goals against Wolves in his first match with his new club. That said, Everton paid a staggering 35 million pounds with the possibility of reaching 50 million at some point. It's the price you pay if you want quality, but it's a steep price for a young player whose high water mark is five goals in the top flight last season.
How?
Everton's transfer window this season looks, on paper, far smarter than last season's despite how smitten the English media were with it. But no player on this list personifies importance for his team better than this man. Under Marco Silva at Watford he looked to be a rising star. Post-Silva, he fell into a heavy slump. Everton never replaced the goals Romelu Lukaku left when he went to Manchester United at striker and I'm not entirely convinced Cenk Tosun will be the answer. You don't need Richarlison to score as much as Lukaku, but his creativity on and off the ball, and ability to score goals, removes a lot of pressure from the likes of Tosun in needing to be a 12-to-15 goal a season striker that Everton might have needed. With the Brazilian in the side, Everton are an interesting side and one to watch.
2. Joao Moutinho and Rui Patricio - Wolves
Who?
Technically these are indeed two players, but the links between them are such that I will include them together. Two players, both Portuguese, both starters for the Portugal national side, both will be over-30 by the time the Premier League season ends. Patricio had been one of the top European keepers in a non Big Four league for over half a decade. Moutinho had been a midfield staple for Monaco for a similar amount of time. Both have now made the move to the team with the deepest Portuguese roots in the Premier League this season.
How?
In the case of Patricio, it's simple. His presence in net offers Wolves a secure set of hands in net in their first season back in the Premier League. Entering this season, goalie was a concern for the Wanderers as John Ruddy led them to Championship glory, but his last stint in the Premier League (Norwich City, 2015-16) resulted in him being perhaps the worst top-flight keeper that season. Now, Wolves have a keeper who is easily a top-eight man in the Premier League and could help them win points on his own.
Moutinho's influence is a bit more reaching across the entire pitch. The obvious statement is that he knows how to win, having done so at every stop in his career and internationally, which is huge for a more inexperienced side in the top flight. More immediately though is his ability in midfield to bring out even more in Ruben Neves. Neves is Wolves' key player and if he goes, so too will the team. Moutinho will play alongside him in a formation similar to Monaco's where both men serve as sort of a defensive-mid but one can get forward while the other tracks back. Playing with an internationally renown player like Moutinho, even if he is not in his prime, could be massive for the development of the star midfielder.
1. Jean Michael Seri - Fulham
Who?
Just a summer ago, Seri was discussed in making a move to Barcelona from Nice. This summer? He ends up with a newly promoted side in Fulham. At 27, Seri is right around the prime of his professional career and will be entering it in the Premier League with a fairly talented side. Seri, though, will immediately be the star of the show as a player who has the ability to take control of a game and turn it on his head by himself.
How?
Was Fulham a decent side without him? Sure. But Seri alongside Tom Cairney immediately becomes one of the best midfield duos in the league, bar none. Adding in Kevin McDonald makes a strong three-man midfield. Seri, as shown against Crystal Palace, can take control and keep control of the game as shown by his passing and defensive display. Palace beat Fulham but did so with under 35% posssession in the game. It's a sign of growing pains for a Fulham side who was strong in the Championship but now faces a wholly different challenge. Fulham has players like Cairney and Ryan Sessegnon who have tons of talent, but very few, if any, are proven at the top flight level. Seri gives the London-based side an impact player that can provide a bit of experience, which can go a long way.
Who did I miss? Do you agree or disagree with my list? Follow me on Twitter @RMAB_Ryan and let me know, plus follow me for Liverpool FC coverage, including live Tweets during the matches, as well as AFC Ann Arbor and Michigan basketball coverage!
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