He took his time to decide between Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City and dragged it out to the point where we nearly stopped caring but one of the hottest properties in European football eventually opted to join the Champions League winners over the summer.
The 21-year-old Belgian didn’t get his competitive debut off to the best of starts when he comically fell over after attempting a back-heel in the Community Shield. It’s an enormous transfer fee to live up to but, once he gets a handle on the physical nature of the Premier League, Hazard,voted Ligue Un Player of the Year in two successive seasons, should shine at Stamford Bridge.
Oscar – Internacional to Chelsea, €30m
Credit: Jon Super/AP/Press Association Images
Roman Abramovich again flexed his financial muscle to capture the signature of an emerging talent from Brazil who has been compared with Kaka in his homeland. Conveniently, the 21-year-old Internacional playmaker was in London for the Olympic Games, which his Brazil side won silver in, when Chelsea swooped.
Frank Lampard has no plans to step aside for the new generation but in Oscar, Hazard and Marko Marin, Chelsea may well be looking at three players who can lead them into the future.
Santi Cazorla - Malaga to Arsenal, €22m
Cazorla (left) holds off England's Jack Rodwell. Credit: Tony Marshall/EMPICS Sport
All too often, Arsene Wenger has been accused of buying raw talent that needs years of nurturing. However, in Santi Cazorla, Arsenal have purchased a ready-made midfielder with a wealth of experience at the top level. The former Villarreal player, who was part of Spain's all-conquering team at Euro 2012, arrives from cash-strapped Malaga and is likely to be one of the buys of the summer.
Shinji Kagawa - Borussia Dortmund to Manchester United, €22m
Credit: Eugene Hoshiko/AP/Press Association Images
Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson made sure to seal a move for one of the Bundesliga's most talented individuals when he shelled out €22m for Borussia Dortmund attacker. Quick and tricky, Japan international Shinji Kagawa has an eye for a pass and also knows where the goal is - as he has already shown during United's pre-season tour.
Fergie has been impressed with how well the 23-year-old has settled in at the club, and alongside Luis Antonio Valencia and Nani, can provide the ammunition for the likes of Wayne Rooney, Robin van Persie, Danny Welbeck and Javier Hernandez.
Olivier Giroud - Montpellier to Arsenal, €17m
Credit: David Vincent/AP/Press Association Images
With Robin van Persie expressing his intention to leave during the close-season, Arsene Wenger turned to his favourite recruiting pool, France's top division, for a new striker. At 6ft 3in, Olivier Giroud is a centre forward who has the physical presence and aerial ability to transfer his form at Montpellier, where he scored 21 goals to help them win an unlikely league title last season, to the Premier League.
As a Ligue Un export, he has the potential to be more Karim Benzema than Marouane Chamakh.
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Fabio Borini - Roma to Liverpool, €14m
Credit: Byrne/PA Wire/Press Association Images
A former Chelsea youth teamer, Italian frontman Fabio Borini made a move back to his homeland with Roma last season before Brendan Rodgers offered him a chance to link up once again. Rodgers, a former Chelsea coach, brought Borini to Swansea for a successful loan period in 2011. The Reds have shown faith by paying €14m for his services and they will be hoping he can take some of the burden off Luis Suarez and weigh in with his fair share of goals.
Lukas Podolski - Cologne to Arsenal, €14m
Michael Probst/AP/Press Association Images
Another player Arsenal are buying at the right age, German international Lukas Podolski is determined to prove his worth outside of his homeland. Now 27, the striker began scoring goals in the Bundesliga as an 18-year-old and burst onto the international scene during Euro 2004. A big money move to Bayern Munich never quite worked out and he returned to his former club Cologne three years later.
The Gunners came calling this summer and Polish-born Podolski has started well - scoring twice in friendly against the side he joined from in a 4-0 win last weekend.
Michael Probst/AP/Press Association Images
Jan Vertonghen - Ajax to Tottenham Hostpurs, €12m
Credit: Nigel French/EMPICS Sport
Tottenham pulled off a bit of a coup to entice Ajax captain Jan Vertonghen to the club last month. The Belgian won the Eredivisie title and the league's Player of the Year award last season and is one of the most highly-rated defenders around at the moment.
A number of clubs, including rivals Arsenal, were interested in the 25-year-old but fortunately for Andre Villas-Boas, he was sold on Spurs.
Ron Vlaar - Feyenoord to Aston Villa, €3.8m
Credit: Nigel French/EMPICS Sport
Also arriving from Holland, Feyenoord defender followed his former club mate Karim El Ahmadi to Birmingham in recent weeks. Paul Lambert is keen to rebuild after the Villains suffered a fairly depressing campaign under Alex McLeish last term and with James Collins returning to newly-promoted West Ham, Vlaar should form a new central defensive pairing with Ireland's Richard Dunne when he recovers from injury.
Alou Diarra - Marseille to West Ham, €2.5m
Credit: EMPICS Sport/EMPICS Sport
One-time Liverpool reserve Alou Diarra is back in the country where he struggled to get a break seven years ago. The defensive midfielder was compared to Patrick Vieira when Gerard Houllier signed him from Bayern Munich back in 2002. However, after a succession of loan moves, Diarra left the Reds in search of first team football and following spells with Lens and Lyon, won the French double under Laurent Blanc at Bordeux in 2009.
Sam Allardyce has been up to his old tricks again by persuading the experience French international to join the Hammers from Marseille for just €2.5m.
Michu - Rayo Vallecano to Swansea, €2.5m
Credit: Michu (left) will get to face Sergio Aguero again this season. Credit: Lalo R. Villar/AP/Press Association Images
Last season, Miguel Perez Cuesta, aka Michu, scored 15 goals for Rayo Vallecano in Spain's top flight which led to the 26-year-old being monitored by Manchester United scouts. However, a couple of weeks ago new Swansea manager Michael Laudrup was over the moon to wrap up a deal for the former Celta Vigo man.
With an ability to play as an attacking midfielder or second striker, Michu should go some way to replacing Gylfi Sigurdsson, who chose a switch to Spurs over the Welsh club.
Mladen Petric - Hamburg to Fulham, free
Credit: EMPICS Sport/EMPICS Sport
After being outbid by Reading for Pavel Pobgrebnyak, Fulham turned their attentions to two forwards who were available on a free. Hugo Rodallega arrived from Wigan and Croatian international Mladen Petric also comes in at no transfer cost after his contract with Hamburg expired in the summer.
Martin Jol knows the 31-year-old from his time in charge of the German side and obviously rates him highly.
And here are some of the best moves from within the Premier League:
Meet the new boys: 12 Premier League summer arrivals
Eden Hazard - Lille to Chelsea, €40m
He took his time to decide between Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City and dragged it out to the point where we nearly stopped caring but one of the hottest properties in European football eventually opted to join the Champions League winners over the summer.
The 21-year-old Belgian didn’t get his competitive debut off to the best of starts when he comically fell over after attempting a back-heel in the Community Shield. It’s an enormous transfer fee to live up to but, once he gets a handle on the physical nature of the Premier League, Hazard,voted Ligue Un Player of the Year in two successive seasons, should shine at Stamford Bridge.
Oscar – Internacional to Chelsea, €30m
Roman Abramovich again flexed his financial muscle to capture the signature of an emerging talent from Brazil who has been compared with Kaka in his homeland. Conveniently, the 21-year-old Internacional playmaker was in London for the Olympic Games, which his Brazil side won silver in, when Chelsea swooped.
Frank Lampard has no plans to step aside for the new generation but in Oscar, Hazard and Marko Marin, Chelsea may well be looking at three players who can lead them into the future.
Santi Cazorla - Malaga to Arsenal, €22m
All too often, Arsene Wenger has been accused of buying raw talent that needs years of nurturing. However, in Santi Cazorla, Arsenal have purchased a ready-made midfielder with a wealth of experience at the top level. The former Villarreal player, who was part of Spain's all-conquering team at Euro 2012, arrives from cash-strapped Malaga and is likely to be one of the buys of the summer.
Shinji Kagawa - Borussia Dortmund to Manchester United, €22m
Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson made sure to seal a move for one of the Bundesliga's most talented individuals when he shelled out €22m for Borussia Dortmund attacker. Quick and tricky, Japan international Shinji Kagawa has an eye for a pass and also knows where the goal is - as he has already shown during United's pre-season tour.
Fergie has been impressed with how well the 23-year-old has settled in at the club, and alongside Luis Antonio Valencia and Nani, can provide the ammunition for the likes of Wayne Rooney, Robin van Persie, Danny Welbeck and Javier Hernandez.
Olivier Giroud - Montpellier to Arsenal, €17m
With Robin van Persie expressing his intention to leave during the close-season, Arsene Wenger turned to his favourite recruiting pool, France's top division, for a new striker. At 6ft 3in, Olivier Giroud is a centre forward who has the physical presence and aerial ability to transfer his form at Montpellier, where he scored 21 goals to help them win an unlikely league title last season, to the Premier League.
As a Ligue Un export, he has the potential to be more Karim Benzema than Marouane Chamakh.
Fabio Borini - Roma to Liverpool, €14m
A former Chelsea youth teamer, Italian frontman Fabio Borini made a move back to his homeland with Roma last season before Brendan Rodgers offered him a chance to link up once again. Rodgers, a former Chelsea coach, brought Borini to Swansea for a successful loan period in 2011. The Reds have shown faith by paying €14m for his services and they will be hoping he can take some of the burden off Luis Suarez and weigh in with his fair share of goals.
Lukas Podolski - Cologne to Arsenal, €14m
Another player Arsenal are buying at the right age, German international Lukas Podolski is determined to prove his worth outside of his homeland. Now 27, the striker began scoring goals in the Bundesliga as an 18-year-old and burst onto the international scene during Euro 2004. A big money move to Bayern Munich never quite worked out and he returned to his former club Cologne three years later.
The Gunners came calling this summer and Polish-born Podolski has started well - scoring twice in friendly against the side he joined from in a 4-0 win last weekend.
Michael Probst/AP/Press Association Images
Jan Vertonghen - Ajax to Tottenham Hostpurs, €12m
Tottenham pulled off a bit of a coup to entice Ajax captain Jan Vertonghen to the club last month. The Belgian won the Eredivisie title and the league's Player of the Year award last season and is one of the most highly-rated defenders around at the moment.
A number of clubs, including rivals Arsenal, were interested in the 25-year-old but fortunately for Andre Villas-Boas, he was sold on Spurs.
Ron Vlaar - Feyenoord to Aston Villa, €3.8m
Also arriving from Holland, Feyenoord defender followed his former club mate Karim El Ahmadi to Birmingham in recent weeks. Paul Lambert is keen to rebuild after the Villains suffered a fairly depressing campaign under Alex McLeish last term and with James Collins returning to newly-promoted West Ham, Vlaar should form a new central defensive pairing with Ireland's Richard Dunne when he recovers from injury.
Alou Diarra - Marseille to West Ham, €2.5m
One-time Liverpool reserve Alou Diarra is back in the country where he struggled to get a break seven years ago. The defensive midfielder was compared to Patrick Vieira when Gerard Houllier signed him from Bayern Munich back in 2002. However, after a succession of loan moves, Diarra left the Reds in search of first team football and following spells with Lens and Lyon, won the French double under Laurent Blanc at Bordeux in 2009.
Sam Allardyce has been up to his old tricks again by persuading the experience French international to join the Hammers from Marseille for just €2.5m.
Michu - Rayo Vallecano to Swansea, €2.5m
Last season, Miguel Perez Cuesta, aka Michu, scored 15 goals for Rayo Vallecano in Spain's top flight which led to the 26-year-old being monitored by Manchester United scouts. However, a couple of weeks ago new Swansea manager Michael Laudrup was over the moon to wrap up a deal for the former Celta Vigo man.
With an ability to play as an attacking midfielder or second striker, Michu should go some way to replacing Gylfi Sigurdsson, who chose a switch to Spurs over the Welsh club.
Mladen Petric - Hamburg to Fulham, free
After being outbid by Reading for Pavel Pobgrebnyak, Fulham turned their attentions to two forwards who were available on a free. Hugo Rodallega arrived from Wigan and Croatian international Mladen Petric also comes in at no transfer cost after his contract with Hamburg expired in the summer.
Martin Jol knows the 31-year-old from his time in charge of the German side and obviously rates him highly.
And here are some of the best moves from within the Premier League:
Robin van Persie - Arsenal to Manchester United
Park Ji-Sung - Manchester United to QPR
Joe Allen - Swansea to Liverpool
Junior Hoillett - Blackburn Rovers to QPR
Steven Pienaar - Tottenham Hostspur to Everton
Hugo Rodallega - Wigan Athletic to Fulham
Romelu Lukaku - Chelsea to West Brom (loan)
Ryo Miyaichi - Arsenal to Wigan (loan)
Don’t call it a comeback… Ferguson cautious on Fletcher return
Lampard uncertain over Chelsea future
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Acquisitions Additions English Premier League New boys Premier League