A host of signings who have joined Premier League clubs in the summer or winter transfer windows have hit the ground running and made big impacts in 2024/25.
In conjunction with the Premier League's official banking partner Barclays, we have picked out 10 of the top recruits, and we want to know who you think is the best.
Here, football writer Adrian Clarke assesses the contenders, and you can vote in our poll.
Arsenal: Mikel Merino
It has not all been plain sailing for Mikel Merino since making a summer switch from Real Sociedad, but the Spain international’s versatility has proven invaluable to Mikel Arteta.
In the absence of Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus, the Arsenal manager was forced to turn to his 28-year-old midfielder, asking him to play as a makeshift "false nine", and without complaint he has adjusted well.
Five of Merino’s six goals have come in Premier League matches, and three have been headers, including the winning goal against Chelsea last time out.
His thumping header at home to Liverpool and a brace in the win at Leicester City were also vital contributions.
While he looks after the ball securely, and has very good tactical intelligence, it is Merino’s aerial power that stands out most.
Without a prolific goalscorer up top, Arsenal need to find goals in other ways and Merino’s arrival has facilitated that.
Most headed shots and goals for Arsenal 24/25
| Player | Headed shots | Headed goals |
| Kai Havertz | 18 | 1 |
|---|---|---|
| Gabriel | 10 | 3 |
| Mikel Merino | 8 | 3 |
| Riccardo Calafiori | 4 | 0 |
| Thomas Partey | 4 | 0 |
Aston Villa: Marco Asensio
It’s fair to say Marco Asensio has hit the ground running since arriving on loan from Paris Saint-Germain in the January transfer window. The Spain international has scored seven goals in his last five appearances for Aston Villa in all competitions.
Six of those strikes have come from Asensio's left foot, with five of them being sweeping one-touch finishes.
If the ball comes across the face of goal, Asensio has the confidence to take his shot on with accuracy, hitting them first time.
Aston Villa scoring stats with/without Asensio (all comps.)
| Last 8 matches - with Asensio | Last 8 matches - without Asensio | |
| Total scored | 16 | 10 |
|---|---|---|
| Matches with two or more goals scored | 6 | 3 |
While fellow loanee Marcus Rashford also deserves praise for his impact, Unai Emery’s side certainly pack a lot more punch in attack with Asensio involved.
They have scored at least twice in six of his eight appearances, while Asensio is is averaging 3.06 shots per 90 minutes in Premier League action, showing how much a constant threat he is.
Bournemouth: Dean Huijsen
Real Madrid’s reported interest in Cherries central defender Dean Huijsen speaks volumes about the progress made by the 19-year-old this season.
Signed from Juventus last summer for reportedly just under £13million, Huijsen capped a dream campaign when he made his debut for the Spain national team in a 2-2 draw against the Netherlands on 20 March.
Playing on the left of a central defensive pair, Huijsen is calm on the ball and progressive with his distribution.
Joachim Andersen is the only centre-back to complete more long passes per 90 minutes.
Huijsen stats and rank v PL centre-backs (min. 15 starts)
| Stat | Per 90 | PL rank |
| Successful long passes | 4.69 | 2nd |
|---|---|---|
| Clearances | 6.71 | 2nd |
| Interceptions | 2.24 | 3rd |
| Blocks | 1.28 | 6th |
Huijsen also knows how to defend, making a stream of clearances, interceptions and blocks for Andoni Iraola’s side.
The future looks bright for Huijsen, whose value has soared in the last few months.
Brighton & Hove Albion: Georginio Rutter
After failing to get to grips with Premier League football as a Leeds United player, some question marks were raised when the Seagulls reportedly paid a club record £40million to sign Georginio Rutter – but those doubts have now been erased.
Still just 22, the French forward has been a key man for Fabian Hurzeler’s side, scoring five goals and producing three assists.
Rutter’s versatility has added so much tactical value to his head coach, who knows he can trust Rutter to deliver in a variety of positions.
Rutter travels with the ball beautifully, and he plays through-balls more often than anyone else in Brighton’s squad.
Despite being able to produce moments of real skill, Rutter is also very much a team player, working incessantly hard out of possession.
Pressing is a core part of Hurzeler’s style, and Rutter makes more pressures than any of his Brighton team-mates.
Pressures per 90 minutes by Brighton players
| Player | Pressures |
| Georginio Rutter | 33.71 |
|---|---|
| Joao Pedro | 29.07 |
| Kaoru Mitoma | 28.10 |
Crystal Palace: Ismaila Sarr
Crystal Palace must be delighted with their summer capture of pacy forward Ismaila Sarr after his arrival from Marseille for reportedly just £12.6million.
Operating as one of two No 10s, usually alongside Eberechi Eze, Sarr has scored seven times, as well as adding three assists.
Sarr has been a nightmare for opponents to contain, with his willingness to make runs into the penalty area a particular highlight.
Sarr is well-suited to Oliver Glasner’s attacking, transition-based style of play as the numbers below highlight the impact he has made.
He either leads or ranks second in several of Palace’s key attacking metrics.
Sarr stats and rank among Palace team-mates
| Stat | Per 90 | Club rank |
| Touches in opp. box | 4.75 | 1st |
|---|---|---|
| Big chances created | 0.56 | 1st |
| Off-the-ball sprints | 9.74 | 1st |
| Mins per goal | 275.90 | 2nd |
| Shots from fast breaks | 0.28 | 2nd |
| Goals and assists | 0.47 | 2nd |
Sarr’s performance levels have been superb, while he is the quickest forward for the Eagles this season, having produced a top speed 34.79km/h.
Ipswich Town: Liam Delap
Ipswich Town pulled off one of last summer’s most astute purchases when landing Liam Delap from Manchester City for a reported fee of £15million plus add-ons.
The 22-year-old had shown flashes of promise during three loan spells in the Championship, but in goalscoring terms he has exploded into life at Portman Road, scoring 10 Premier League goals so far.
He is tailor-made for Kieran McKenna’s counter-attacking style of play.
Delap can hold on to the ball when defenders relieve pressure, while he is magnificent at carrying it forward with real purpose.
His 21 shots at the end of ball carries is a season-high among regular centre-forwards, and his stellar individual goal at home to Fulham is a great example of what he brings.
Delap's goal v Fulham
And of all the players to have featured for at least 800 minutes, Delap is only ranked behind Anthony Elanga and Michail Antonio for the length of progressive carries, averaging 15 metres.
Manchester City: Omar Marmoush
Egyptian forward Omar Marmoush has made an electric start to life at the Etihad Stadium.
Continuing the vibrant form he showed for Eintracht Frankfurt before completing his reported £59million move, the 26-year-old has scored four goals in six starts for Man City, including a tremendous hat-trick against Newcastle United.
His ferocious strike at home to Brighton last time out also showcased what a natural finisher he is.
Marmoush's goal v Brighton
Marmoush has looked good driving in from the left under Pep Guardiola, but he has shone even brighter as a No 10, playing just behind Erling Haaland.
When those two front men switch positions with their clever movement, they are so tough to contain.
One of the standout traits he has exhibited so far, aside from his eye for space, is clinical shooting.
Of all the top-flight players to have scored at least four goals, his conversion rate is the second-best.
Highest conversion rates - PL 24/25 (minimum four goals)
| Player | Conversion rate |
| Chris Wood | 33.96% |
|---|---|
| Omar Marmoush | 28.57% |
| Alexander Isak | 27.54% |
| Mohamed Salah | 25.47% |
Nottingham Forest: Nikola Milenkovic
Bringing him in for reportedly just £12million from Fiorentina, Nottingham Forest pulled off an incredible value-for-money signing with Nikola Milenkovic.
Tall and physically dominant, the Serb is the perfect foil for Murillo - and together they have formed arguably the most reliable centre-back partnership in the Premier League.
Milenkovic usually wins his battles with opposition strikers, ranking inside the top five for duel success both in the air and on the ground.
PL defenders' duel success rates (minimum 15 starts)
| Duel success | Aerial duel success | ||
| Virgil van Dijk | 69.43% | James Tarkowski | 77.50% |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maximilian Kilman | 69.15% | Ibrahima Konate | 75.00% |
| Nikola Milenkovic | 69.01% | Konstantinos Mavropanos | 72.37% |
| Ezri Konsa | 68.84% | Virgil van Dijk | 71.20% |
| James Tarkowski | 68.73% | Nikola Milenkovic | 70.91% |
Milenkovic’s defensive nous is of critical importance, especially in a side that absorbs plenty of pressure before striking quickly on the counter.
The 27-year-old has also contributed four goals for Forest this season, with no Premier League defender surpassing his 16 headed shots.
Inside the box, he is a real danger to opponents.
West Ham United: Aaron Wan-Bissaka
There was not a great deal of fanfare surrounding Wan-Bissaka’s arrival in east London, but he has proven to be their best acquisition in 2024/25.
A model of consistency at right-back, or at wing-back, the former Manchester United defender has been a great asset with and without the ball.
Only two players across the league have made more interceptions than Wan-Bissaka, who leads the West Ham rankings by some distance in the majority of defensive categories.
Wan-Bissaka stats and rank among West Ham team-mates
| Stat | Total | Club rank |
| Interceptions | 49 | 1st |
|---|---|---|
| Tackles won | 35 | 1st |
| Poss. won in defensive third | 71 | 1st |
| Poss. won | 139 | 1st |
| Open-play crosses | 54 | 2nd |
| Chances created from open play | 24 | =2nd |
The 27-year-old has also got forward excellently this season, adding plenty of width and penetration to West Ham’s attacks.
His assist for Jarrod Bowen’s goal at Arsenal was a highlight, as was his goal against the Gunners at London Stadium.
With skill and pace aplenty, he is a great outlet for Graham Potter’s side down the flank.
Wolverhampton Wanderers: Emmanuel Agbadou
Ivory Coast international Emmanuel Agbadou has done a fantastic job of stabilising Wolverhampton Wanderers’ shaky defence.
Prior to his arrival from Reims in January, Wolves were conceding 2.14 goals per match, but that has been reduced to 1.57 since he came into their back three.
Agbadou offers an outstanding physical presence, winning two-thirds of his duels so far.
No one has regained possession inside the defensive third more regularly than Agbadou, who is also the leader among centre-backs for ball recoveries.
Most possession won per 90 minutes - PL defenders 24/25
| Possession won in defensive third | Possession won | ||
| Emmanuel Agbadou | 4.64 | Tino Livramento | 6.35 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marcos Senesi | 3.81 | Emmanuel Agbadou | 6.14 |
| Ola Aina | 3.76 | Marcos Senesi | 6.06 |
Agbadou is terrific with the ball at his feet, making 4.94 successful long passes per 90 minutes, the third-best of all top-flight defenders.
His decision making is also excellent. Remarkably, in seven starts for Wolves, the Ivorian is yet to commit a single foul.
