It’s the start of football’s awards season
While the PFA and the Football Writers have their say on the best of the best, SportsJOE is getting in on the end of season action with its New Arrivals of the Year, the team of new signings which have offered the best value for money and made the biggest impact on their club’s seasons.
David Ospina – £3m, Arsenal
The Colombian stepped in to the first team in the New Year and in his 12 Premier League appearances, Arsenal have dropped just three points and shipped just seven goals.
Eric Dier – £4m, Tottenham
The England Under-21 international looks a bargain after an impressive first season in the Premier League following his summer move from Sporting Lisbon.
Toby Alderweireld – Loan, Southampton
The Belgian central defender has anchored the meanest defence in the Premier League and one of Ronald Koeman’s top summer priorities will be to make the move from Atletico Madrid permanent in the face of stiff competition.
Robert Huth – Loan, Leicester
Arrived in January but has played a vital role in Leicester’s ascent out of the bottom three, including notching a crucial goal in the victory over West Brom.
Aaron Cresswell – £3.75m, West Ham
The 25-year-old is already being linked with the likes of Chelsea and the Hammers could profit many times over if they decide to cash in.
Cesc Fabregas – £30m, Chelsea
Hard to argue with the Spaniard’s presence here despite the fee, as the midfielder as pulled the strings for the champions-elect and leads the Premier League’s assists table by a wide margin with 16.
Esteban Cambiasso – Free, Leicester
Another low-cost, high impact signing for the Foxes, whose experienced presence in the middle of the park has been worth its weight in gold to Nigel Pearson.
Sadio Mane – £10m, Southampton
Southampton had plenty of money to spend after the heart of their team was ripped out last summer, and the cash outlay on Mane has yielded immediate dividends with six goals from wide of the Saints attack.
Bojan – £3m, Stoke
One of the surprise signings of the offseason, Bojan was a revelation at the Britannia, scoring five times in 15 games before a cruciate injury robbed him of the rest of his season.
Diego Costa – £32m, Chelsea
Like Fabregas, Costa has proven to be worth every penny for Jose Mourinho, scoring 19 Premier League goals in 23 starts.
Alexis Sanchez – £30m, Arsenal
The former Barcelona man is another to have lived up to a big price tag, settling in rapidly in an exceptional first season at the Emirates. He has 14 goals and eight assists in the league and has also scored three times in Arsenal’s run to a second FA Cup final in a row.
