Seven key summer signings who could define the Premier League season - Including Cristiano Ronaldo and Jack Grealish

It’s been a summer like no other in the transfer market…
Cristiano Ronaldo. (Photo by PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA/AFP via Getty Images)Cristiano Ronaldo. (Photo by PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA/AFP via Getty Images)
Cristiano Ronaldo. (Photo by PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA/AFP via Getty Images)

And breathe…

After a hectic window that has seen more moving and shaking than a KerPlunk tournament on a bouncy castle, the transfer window finally slammed shut on Tuesday evening.

Premier League clubs spent around £1.1 billion before the deadline passed, with some monstrous deals contributing to that eye-watering figure.

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From Jack Grealish’s British record transfer to Manchester City, to Romelu Lukaku’s return to his beloved Chelsea, we’ve picked out seven top deals that could have a notable effect on how things pan out at both ends of the top flight table this campaign.

Romelu Lukaku

Let’s start with Lukaku’s move to Stamford Bridge.

With a debut goal to his name already, the Belgian looks like a different player to the one that left Manchester United under something of a cloud a couple of years ago.

His renaissance in Italy with Inter Milan has helped him to return honed, chiselled, and arguably more lethal than ever before, and his presence in the capital could be enough to turn Thomas Tuchel’s men into genuine title contenders.

Cristiano Ronaldo

Another prodigal son with an eye for goal – to put it mildly – Ronaldo’s sudden arrival at Old Trafford was one of the stories of the transfer window.

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At 36, there are some who have questioned whether he still has what it takes to be the kind of devastating impact player that United fans recall so fondly, but even if he lives up to half of his potential, he could have a major say in this year’s title race.

Jack Grealish

The £100 million man – the most expensive player in British transfer history.

Grealish broke Aston Villa hearts when he decided to leave his boyhood club for a shot at the big time with reigning champions Manchester City, but it’s already starting to look like a mutually beneficial venture.

The 25-year-old has taken to life at the Etihad like a duck to water, and for his part he’s injected an extra element of pizzazz and razzmatazz into Pep Guardiola’s domineering attacking line up.

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City didn’t sign a striker in the end, but will Grealish’s presence be enough to paper over those cracks?

Danny Ings

When Grealish’s departure was rubber-stamped, all eyes were on Villa and how they would choose to splurge their newfound windfall.

Dean Smith and his men wasted little time in swooping for Southampton goal machine Danny Ings – and with every passing performance he continues to vindicate their outlay.

Ings was always going to be in demand this summer, so as much as his arrival is a major boon for Villa, it was also a sizeable blow to several of their nearest rivals.

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Does he have what it takes to fire the Villans to an unlikely European spot this term?

Odsonne Edouard

Another centre-forward who could prove to have a considerable influence on the Premier League this season – albeit on the lower rungs of the ladder.

Crystal Palace were crying out for a goalscorer, and in French Eddy, as Celtic fans have affectionately christened him, they have a player who could take the league by storm.

Unproven at this level, the 23-year-old’s arrival does represent something of a gamble, but if he can live up to expectations and a solid working relationship with Wilf Zaha, Eberechi Eze, and others, he could be real asset in the Eagles’ fight for survival.

Ben White

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At what point do jokes about Arsenal being in a relegation battle take on a more sinister, serious tone?

The answer is probably, ‘Not quite yet’, but there’s no denying that the Gunners are in a rut, and things are made no better by the fact that they spent a small fortune on new signings this summer.

The most expensive of these shiny new toys was, of course, Ben White, but the England international has been dunked into a baptism of fire ever since he arrived at the Emirates.

If things don’t improve for Mikel Arteta’s side soon, the centre-back could end up being held up as a further example of the Spaniard’s failings.

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We just have to hope that any potential criticism is fair and aimed at the right people – after all, White didn’t ask to be valued that highly.

Kurt Zouma

From one centre-back to another, Kurt Zouma finally got his move to West Ham in the closing stages of the window.

The Hammers shone under David Moyes last term, and bringing in players of the Frenchman’s quality can only help their hopes of kicking on again this season.

If Zouma has a big season, his presence at the back could help the Irons push for Europe.