The Premier League 2023-24 season will get underway from August 12, Saturday as 20 teams will battle it out to become English champion.
With the start of the season fast approaching, clubs have been busy in the summer transfer window, strengthening their squads.
Ahead of the new season, here are five signings from the Premier League to look out for.
Rasmus Hojlund - Manchester United
Danish striker Ramus Hojlund is not as big a name as England’s Harry Kane or Nigeria’s Victor Osimhen, both of whom were linked with a move to Manchester United in the summer. However, it is not Hojlund’s global popularity that makes him one of the top Premier League signings till now, but the fact that he looks set to fulfil United’s long search for a striker.
The Red Devils have been in the market for a proper No.9 for a long time now. With Anthony Martial’s inconsistent performances and injury issues, there has been a huge gap in the United frontline, which should be solved with the arrival of Hojlund.
While short-term fixes like Wout Weghorst’s signing backfired, Erik Ten Hag will hope that Hojlund will be the answer to United scoring more goals.
United signed the 20-year-old for a reported fee of 64 million pounds from Serie A side Atalanta, where he scored nine goals in 32 matches last season.
Declan Rice - Arsenal
Arsenal signing Declan Rice was a statement, to say the least. Caught up in a bidding war with English and European champion Manchester City, there were widespread rumours that Pep Guardiola would attempt a last-minute coup for Rice, who has been Arteta’s target for a long time.
Declan Rice of Arsenal holds the FA Community Shield following The FA Community Shield match between Manchester City against Arsenal at Wembley Stadium on August 06, 2023 in London, England. | Photo Credit: Getty Images
However, it was the Gunners who secured the signature of Rice from West Ham United for a fee of 105 million pounds, making it a record transfer between two British clubs.
The 24-year-old, who signed a five-year deal with Arsenal, will most likely play as a direct replacement for Granit Xhaka, in the middle of the park, after the Swiss midfielder left for Bayer Leverkusen after spending seven years at the North London club.
Rice has already tasted silverware with the Gunners after they beat Manchester City on penalties to clinch the Community Shield.
Alexis Mac Allister - Liverpool
Liverpool landed one of the signings of the summer after securing the services of Argentina World Cup-winning midfielder Alexis Mac Allister for a meagre sum of 35 million pounds from Brighton and Hove Albion.
Aided by a clause in Mac Allister’s contract with Brighton, which was supposed to help ‘facilitate a sale’, the process of signing the in-demand midfielder for such a frugal amount seemed pretty seamless for the Reds, considering how drawn-out transfer dealings can get, especially when big-money signings are involved.
With James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain all leaving Anfield this summer, Mac Allister will be a crucial presence in the Liverpool midfield. Add Dominik Szoboszlai to the equation, and the Reds have a power-packed attacking midfield.
Josko Gvardiol to Manchester City
If treble-winner Manchester City did not have a star-studded squad already, it has added Croatian centre-back Josko Gvardiol to its ranks.
At just 21 years, Gvardiol has cemented his place as one of the best centre-backs in football right now and under Guardiola’s tutelage, his graph is most likely to go upwards. And if one doubts Guardiola’s ability to mould defenders, just look at what the Spaniard did with Manuel Akanji and Nathan Ake among others.
File Photo: Joško Gvardiol of RB Leipzig looks on during the Bundesliga match between RB Leipzig and Borussia Mönchengladbach at Red Bull Arena on March 11, 2023 in Leipzig, Germany. | Photo Credit: Getty Images
Having conceded just 33 goals in the 2022-23 Premier League season - the joint-best defensive record along with Newcastle United - Gvardiol’s addition will further bolster the Citizen’s heart of the defence, already containing the likes of Dias, John Stones and Aymeric Laporte.
City signed Gvardiol for a fee of 90 million Euros, making him the most expensive defender in the history of the game.
Nicolas Jackson to Chelsea
Nicolas Jackson is not Chelsea’s most well-known signing this summer That would probably be Christopher Nkunku. But, in terms of potential and ability to impress, rivals would be wise in not underestimating the Senegalese forward, who arrived from La Liga club, Villareal.
Signing an eight-year deal with Chelsea, after it paid Villarreal slightly more than his reported 30.1 million pounds release clause, Jackson comes with a lot of potential, which saw him score 12 goals and bag five assists in all competitions for Villareal last season. He also made his international debut for Senegal in the Qatar World Cup in a group game against the Netherlands.
File Photo: Nicolas Jackson of Villarreal CF celebrates after scoring the team’s first goal during the LaLiga Santander match between Villarreal CF and Cadiz CF at Estadio de la Ceramica on May 24, 2023 in Villarreal, Spain. | Photo Credit: Getty Images
With Nkunku suffering an injury in a pre-season game, his return to the first team is not yet known. This would be the perfect opportunity for Jackson to show his mettle.
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