14. Nathaniel Clyne (Southampton to Liverpool, £12.5 million)
EMPICS Sport
EMPICS Sport
CLYNE HAS BEEN one of the standout full-backs in the Premier League this season, taking little time to adapt to life at Anfield, and making 57 appearances in all competitions.
13. Petr Cech (Chelsea to Arsenal, £10 million)
Steve Paston
Steve Paston
‘Solid’ and ‘dependable’ are not words you would always associate with Arsenal, but Petr Cech has been one of the most consistent performers for the Gunners since joining in the summer from Chelsea.
12. Roberto Firmino (Hoffenheim to Liverpool, £29 million)
Jon Super
Jon Super
Roberto Firmino took a while to adapt to the Premier League, but the 24-year-old Brazilian has flourished under the guidance of Jurgen Klopp, scoring 11 goals in 48 appearances in all competitions this season.
11. Shinji Okazaki (Mainz to Leicester, £7 million)
PA Archive / Press Association Images
PA Archive / Press Association Images / Press Association Images
One of the more underrated players in Leicester’s title success, the 30-year-old has featured in 35 of the Foxes’ 37 league games, scoring five goals in the process.
10. Angelo Ogbonna (Juventus to West Ham, £10 million)
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PA Archive / Press Association Images
PA Archive / Press Association Images / Press Association Images
The 27-year-old Italian international centre-back has played an important role in what has been a superb season for West Ham, helping them rise to improbable heights while falling just short in their bid to qualify for the Champions League.
9. Anthony Martial (Monaco to Man United, £36 million, potentially rising to £58 million)
EMPICS Sport
EMPICS Sport
Plenty of eyebrows were raised when Man United paid an exorbitant fee for a largely unknown teenager, and the wisdom of that purchase will ultimately be judged over a number of seasons rather than just one. However, Martial has shown promising early signs — his pace and trickery have breathed some much-needed life into an often uninspired United attack.
8. Jan Kirchhoff (Bayern Munich to Sunderland, £750,000)
Richard Sellers
Richard Sellers
Along with the purchases of Lamine Kone and Wahbi Khazri, the signing of Kirchhoff has ultimately been key to Sunderland securing their Premier League safety for another season. Despite a disastrous debut against Tottenham, Kirchhoff has thrived ever since, making more tackles and having more touches per game than any other Black Cats player.
7. James Milner (Man City to Liverpool, Free)
Jon Super
Jon Super
Like the rest of the Liverpool team, Milner struggled initially under Brendan Rodgers, but the England international has been hugely impressive in the second half of the season, topping the 2016 Premier League assists table and helping Liverpool reach the Europa League final with a series of dynamic displays.
6. Christian Fuchs (Schalke to Leicester, Free)
EMPICS Sport
EMPICS Sport
Another of the more unheralded Leicester players, it now seems remarkable that the Foxes bought the influential full-back on a free transfer. Fuchs has subsequently been part of the third-best defence in the Premier League, featuring 37 times in all competitions this season.
5. Kevin De Bruyne (Wolfsburg to Man City, £55 million)
EMPICS Sport
EMPICS Sport
The 24-year-old has taken little time to establish himself as one of Man City’s most important players. The Belgium international has scored 18 goals in all competitions since joining City, and it seems hard to imagine that they’d still be in contention for a Champions League spot without his vital contribution.
4. Robert Huth (Stoke to Leicester, £3 million)
Rui Vieira
Rui Vieira
Harshly overlooked for the PFA Premier League team of the year, alongside captain Wes Morgan, Huth has been a key component of a Leicester backline that has conceded just 35 goals in 37 games.
3. Dimitri Payet (Marseille to West Ham, Undisclosed)
PA Archive / Press Association Images
PA Archive / Press Association Images / Press Association Images
The 29-year-old has been a revelation for the overachieving Hammers since signing in the summer, and he has even just made France’s Euro 2016 squad, after scoring 12 goals in 38 appearances this season.
2. Toby Alderweireld (Atletico Madrid to Tottenham, £11.5 million)
Adam Davy
Adam Davy
Alderweireld has been magnificent for a Tottenham side that has the best defensive record in the Premier League, putting in a series of influential performances as their improbable title bid fell just short at the final hurdle.
1. N’Golo Kante (Caen to Leicester, £5.6 million)
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EMPICS Sport
Described by Man United legend Alex Ferguson as the player of the season, with his courage, commitment and tireless work ethic, Kante has epitomised all that’s been good about new Premier League champions Leicester.
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Ranking the 14 best signings of the Premier League season
Updated at 09.45
14. Nathaniel Clyne (Southampton to Liverpool, £12.5 million)
CLYNE HAS BEEN one of the standout full-backs in the Premier League this season, taking little time to adapt to life at Anfield, and making 57 appearances in all competitions.
13. Petr Cech (Chelsea to Arsenal, £10 million)
‘Solid’ and ‘dependable’ are not words you would always associate with Arsenal, but Petr Cech has been one of the most consistent performers for the Gunners since joining in the summer from Chelsea.
12. Roberto Firmino (Hoffenheim to Liverpool, £29 million)
Roberto Firmino took a while to adapt to the Premier League, but the 24-year-old Brazilian has flourished under the guidance of Jurgen Klopp, scoring 11 goals in 48 appearances in all competitions this season.
11. Shinji Okazaki (Mainz to Leicester, £7 million)
One of the more underrated players in Leicester’s title success, the 30-year-old has featured in 35 of the Foxes’ 37 league games, scoring five goals in the process.
10. Angelo Ogbonna (Juventus to West Ham, £10 million)
The 27-year-old Italian international centre-back has played an important role in what has been a superb season for West Ham, helping them rise to improbable heights while falling just short in their bid to qualify for the Champions League.
9. Anthony Martial (Monaco to Man United, £36 million, potentially rising to £58 million)
Plenty of eyebrows were raised when Man United paid an exorbitant fee for a largely unknown teenager, and the wisdom of that purchase will ultimately be judged over a number of seasons rather than just one. However, Martial has shown promising early signs — his pace and trickery have breathed some much-needed life into an often uninspired United attack.
8. Jan Kirchhoff (Bayern Munich to Sunderland, £750,000)
Along with the purchases of Lamine Kone and Wahbi Khazri, the signing of Kirchhoff has ultimately been key to Sunderland securing their Premier League safety for another season. Despite a disastrous debut against Tottenham, Kirchhoff has thrived ever since, making more tackles and having more touches per game than any other Black Cats player.
7. James Milner (Man City to Liverpool, Free)
Like the rest of the Liverpool team, Milner struggled initially under Brendan Rodgers, but the England international has been hugely impressive in the second half of the season, topping the 2016 Premier League assists table and helping Liverpool reach the Europa League final with a series of dynamic displays.
6. Christian Fuchs (Schalke to Leicester, Free)
Another of the more unheralded Leicester players, it now seems remarkable that the Foxes bought the influential full-back on a free transfer. Fuchs has subsequently been part of the third-best defence in the Premier League, featuring 37 times in all competitions this season.
5. Kevin De Bruyne (Wolfsburg to Man City, £55 million)
The 24-year-old has taken little time to establish himself as one of Man City’s most important players. The Belgium international has scored 18 goals in all competitions since joining City, and it seems hard to imagine that they’d still be in contention for a Champions League spot without his vital contribution.
4. Robert Huth (Stoke to Leicester, £3 million)
Harshly overlooked for the PFA Premier League team of the year, alongside captain Wes Morgan, Huth has been a key component of a Leicester backline that has conceded just 35 goals in 37 games.
3. Dimitri Payet (Marseille to West Ham, Undisclosed)
The 29-year-old has been a revelation for the overachieving Hammers since signing in the summer, and he has even just made France’s Euro 2016 squad, after scoring 12 goals in 38 appearances this season.
2. Toby Alderweireld (Atletico Madrid to Tottenham, £11.5 million)
Alderweireld has been magnificent for a Tottenham side that has the best defensive record in the Premier League, putting in a series of influential performances as their improbable title bid fell just short at the final hurdle.
1. N’Golo Kante (Caen to Leicester, £5.6 million)
Described by Man United legend Alex Ferguson as the player of the season, with his courage, commitment and tireless work ethic, Kante has epitomised all that’s been good about new Premier League champions Leicester.
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Angelo Ogbonna Best signings Jan Kirchhoff Kevin De Bruyne Nathaniel Clyne Petr Cech Robert Huth roberto firmino standouts