Hi all, I thought about having a free week due to the internationals but its only three weeks into the season and nobody needs a free week three weeks into the season right...well apart from Corey Enright that is. The transfer window is now closed and Im going to cover all the relevant transfers. Make no bones about it theres plenty of meat to this one, so Im gonna cut it into two articles(Ill post the second part later in the week). Ive posted the current price in FPL of each player next to their name  so Hazard is at his current price of  9.5...sorry...9.8...I mean 10.1. Join me over the break.... <!--more-->

Arsenal

In
Santi Cazorla (Malaga)
Olivier Giroud (Montpellier) Undisclosed
Lukas Podolski (Cologne) Undisclosed

Santi Cazorla(9mil) is looking a class act, someone who can be the natural replacement for  Cesc and the heartbeat of this Arsenal team. He has already set up his forwards with 11 goal-scoring opportunities due to his sublime passing and has demonstrated  some excellent long range shooting.   If RVP’s replacements can find their shooting boots then expect some big returns from this gem.

Lukas Podolski (8.4) is a proven performer with 44goals in 101 caps for Germany. Last year for Cologne he scored 18 goals in 29 league games.  That’s prolific looking stats.  Can play as a central striker or on the left and has done both already for Arsenal. Olivier Giroud(8.8) comes from the French league and will be hoping to have more of an impact than previous Ligue1 signings Chamakh &amp; Gervinho who will be competing for the CF place in Arsenal’s team, the  jury is still out.

Steve Bould- OK we cant pick him up but he is the signing Arsenal have been crying out for for years. They actually now look like they know how to defend. Jenkinson, Mertesacker &amp; Mannone have come in and we’ll get a better idea next week if they’re keeping their spots  as Koscielney &amp; Szczesny return to fitness. Sagna isn’t too far off either.

Aston Villa

In
Karim El Ahmadi (Feyenoord) Undisclosed
Brett Holman (AZ Alkmaar) Free
Matthew Lowton (Sheffield United) Undisclosed
Ron Vlaar (Feyenoord) Undisclosed
Jordan Bowery (Chesterfield) Undisclosed
Ashley Westwood (Crewe Alexandra) Undisclosed
Christian Benteke (Genk) Undisclosed
Joe Bennett (Middlesbrough) Undisclosed

Villa have raided the Dutch EreDivisie this year signing Holman(5.8) from AZ Alkmaar and Vlaar(4.9) and El Ahmadi (4.5)from Feyenoord.

RVP once recommended El Ahmadi to Wenger and he’s a tidy footballer. He is a defensive midfielder and although he’s already scored an absolute screamer for Villa, he has only scored ten career goals in eight years. Holman is usually good for a goal or two and scored a couple for Villa in preseason. Vlaar a Dutch international,is a big strong defender who can sometimes pop up with the odd goal. There are some question marks about the ability of Lambert’s Villa to gain clean sheets when you look at his Norwich team last year and also his emphasis on attack.

Chelsea

In
Cesar Azpilicueta (Marseille) Undisclosed
Eden Hazard (Lille) Undisclosed
Thorgan Hazard (Lens) Undisclosed
Marko Marin (Werder Bremen) Undisclosed
Victor Moses (Wigan Athletic) Undisclosed
Oscar (Internacional) Undisclosed

Hazard(10.1) has been a revelation so far with six assists and one goal (a penalty in Lampard’s absence) in only three games. He was prolific last year with Lille scoring 21 and assisting 18 in 48 matches. He has 28 international caps at age 21. Unsurprisingly he has seen massive investment in FEPL. With Torres finding his way again, the potential for goals and assists is massive.

Oscar(8.0) has huge raps on him as the future Brazilian No 10.  He has been a bit overlooked at the moment as all interest centres on Hazard. There is going to be a massive fight for places and possibly a fair bit of rotation with Ramires, Moses(6.7), Marin(6.8), Hazard, Mata and Oscar all fighting for places. Most likely Hazard, Mata and Oscar will start most games with Marin, Moses and Ramires all on the periphery.  Azpilicueta(6mil) will give Ivanovic  competition for the right-back spot

Everton

In
Matthew Kennedy (Kilmarnock) Nominal
Kevin Mirallas (Olympiacos) Undisclosed
Steven Naismith (Rangers) Free
Bryan Oviedo (FC Copenhagen) Undisclosed
Steven Pienaar (Tottenham Hotspur) £4.5m

Naismith(6.4) is a decent player that Wenger brought down to Arsenal for a trial a few years ago. His versatility should enable plenty of game-time. However, Fellaini’s emergence as a real attacking threat, as well as Mirallas’ signing, has probably cast some doubt on Naismith’s scoring returns. Also off the back of a second serious knee injury it could be a year before we see what his true scoring potential is like. Scored a preseason hat-trick against AEK Athens.

Mirallas(7.5) looks like he could be a tidy signing from Olympiacos. He scored an impressive 20 goals in 25 games in the Greek Super League last year and can play all across the forward line. Capped 28 times his familiarity with fellow Belgian Fellaini can’t hurt.

Pienaar(6.6) is back where he belongs. Scored four in 14 last season on loan and has scored this season as well. Will be on a high and will be aided by the extra quality added this summer.

Fulham

In
Dimitar Berbatov (Manchester United) Undisclosed
Mladen Petric (Hamburg) Free
Kieran Richardson (Sunderland) Undisclosed
Sascha Riether (Cologne) Loan
Hugo Rodallega (Wigan Athletic) Free
George Williams (MK Dons) Undisclosed

Mladen Petric(6.3) was signed from Hamburg where Jol used to manage him. He scored an impressive 38 goals in 98 games for them. An emphatic preseason as well as  a GW1 brace had many clambering for him. It’s unclear yet if Berbatov’s arrival will cut into his game-time. Berbatov(6.9) is a flat track bully who  will punish some weaker teams this year.  Keiran Richardson(5.5) has a respectable 29 career  goals  considering he’s played a fair chunk of games at LB. Riether(5.0)  has been capped by Germany and has Champions League experience. He may be overlooked for the attacking potential of Haanglaand and Riise. Rodallega(5.8) started Fulham’s last game (at WHU) but even with a decent PL scoring record he looks likely to miss out on proper game time.

Liverpool

In
Joe Allen (Swansea City) Undisclosed
Oussama Assaidi (Heerenveen) Undisclosed
Fabio Borini (Roma) Undisclosed
Nuri Sahin (Real Madrid) Loan
Samed Yesil (Bayern Munich) Undisclosed

It’s been more about the goings than the comings at Liverpool this year, but there have been some arrivals. Joe Allen(5.4) arrived from Rodgers old club Swansea and will be influential for Pool and maybe tempt a few because of his low-pricing. Shares CK duties with Gerrard. He scored 4 from 36 last year.

Liverpool signed Assaidi(6.5) from Heerenveen , a winger with 20 goals in 68 games and has been capped 22 times for Morocco. A  crowd pleaser.

Borini(7.7) scored 6 from 12 while playing for Rodgers’ Swansea and last year scored 10 from 26 for Roma.

Sahin(7.0) (loan)comes with a pedigree, he made his Bundesliga debut at 16 and before joining Real Madrid he was voted player of the year in the Bundesliga. He has 31 caps for Turkey and Arsenal tried to sign him this year. At Dortmund he scored 17, assisted 36 in 152 games. Will do well to replicate those numbers for a transitional Liverpool.

17yr old Sterling (4.5)deserves a mention as he’s recently appeared in most of Liverpool’s games. He’s budget option and although not scoring big numbers he has been one of Liverpool’s best players, will most likely see Assaidi gobble up some game-time when fit again though.

Man City

In
Javi Garcia (Benfica) Undisclosed
Maicon (Inter Milan) Undisclosed
Jack Rodwell (Everton) Undisclosed
Scott Sinclair (Swansea City) Undisclosed
Matija Nastasic (Fiorentina) Undisclosed
Richard Wright (Unattached) Free

Maicon (6.5mil) signing is probably further evidence of Mancini’s intentions to play a 3-5-2 throughout the season. There is certainly rotation threats to Maicon’s position but when he plays he can be devastating – 28 goals and 49 assists in 365 club matches he’s also a seasoned Brazilian international.

19yr old Nastasic (5.5mil) cost 12 mil quid and is already an international player and will most likely be fighting Lescott and possibly Zabaleta for a place in the team. Played a full season for Fiorentina in Serie A last year.

With Gareth Barry almost returning to fitness we’ll probably see a three-way tussle for sitting midfield spots with Barry and the two new signings of Rodwell (5mil) and Javi Garcia (5.5mil). This should hopefully see Yaya Toure play further forward and offer high returns. Scott Sinclairs (6.7mil) JS will most likely be quite ropey.

Man Utd

In
Angelo Henriquez (Club Universidad de Chile) Undisclosed
Shinji Kagawa (Borussia Dortmund) Undisclosed
Nick Powell (Crewe) Undisclosed
Robin van Persie (Arsenal)
Alexander Buttner (Vitesse Arnhem)

RVP (13.4mil) is the signing of the summer. He’s easily the most expensive player in the game but can you afford not to have him? A goal-machine that takes corners, freekicks and penalties and is also fixture-proof. It’s a brave man that doesn’t take him.

Kagawa (8.6mil) started off very promising but faded a bit last week. SAF feels that he’s found a genuine successor to Scholes in his heyday and can expect up to 20 goals a year from him. High hopes indeed.

Buttner (5.5mil) has been described as “one of the best young left-backs in Europe” by Ferguson. It’s hard to imagine him getting regular game-time ahead of Evra at the moment though.

Powell (4.7mil) and Henriquez are both for the future.

Newcastle Utd

In
Romain Amalfitano (Reims) Free
Vurnon Anita (Ajax) Undisclosed
Gael Bigirimana (Coventry City) Undisclosed
Curtis Good (Melbourne Heart) Undisclosed

Anita’s (5mil) favoured position is as a deep lying playmaker but can also as a fullback on either flank, maybe best not to expect big returns here. As for the other three signings they all look like they’ve been bought for the future &amp; well done on Curtis Good(ex Melbourne Heart) scoring himself a mammoth 6yr contract.

Norwich City

IN


Sebastien Bassong (Tottenham Hotspur) Undisclosed
Mark Bunn (Blackburn Rovers) Undisclosed
Jacob Butterfield (Barnsley) Undisclosed
Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur) Loan
Robert Snodgrass (Leeds United) Undisclosed
Michael Turner (Sunderland) Undisclosed
Steven Whittaker (Rangers) Free
Javier Garrido (Lazio) Loan
Alexander Tettey (Rennes) Undisclosed

Snodgrass (5.9)  last season was made Leeds captain and had an excellent year. He scored 13, assisted 14 and was awarded the supporters as well as the players player of the year. He can play as a winger or forward and scored his first Norwich goal at Spurs last wk, he is a Scottish internationalist. Butterfield (4.9)isn’t quite fit yet but if he can get going after his ACL injury then he could possibly produce some returns. If you want to fly by the seat of your pants then Bassong and Garrido(both 4.5)  have joined the Norwich defense. Not for me though thanks.

Let us know your thoughts/hopes/observations on the transfers this year either for fantasy or even just what it means for your team..