After a busy summer with Euro 2020 and the Olympics, its finally time for the start of the new Premier League season.
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Over the past few months EPL teams have had players come and go as they rebuild their squads for the 2021/2022 challenge.
Some new additions have caught the eye more than others, so here are five summer signings you need to look out for this season.
Ben White – Arsenal (£50m from Brighton)
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White is widely regarded as one of the EPL’s best young defenders. He’s only 23, but has managed to win over the fans at Brighton as well as at Leeds two seasons ago.
White has been described as an ‘old-fashioned British defender’, which means he’s not afraid of hard work and does not shy away from a challenge.
He has plenty of potential, but it remains to be seen how he will fare at a relatively bigger and more demanding club like Arsenal.
Jack Grealish – Man City (£100m from Aston Villa)
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100 million is a huge amount to pay for one player, even for a wealthy club like City. What’s even more puzzling is why the Premiership champions would bring in another attacking midfielder when they already have Kevin De Bruyne, Riyad Mahrez, Bernado Silva and Raheem Sterling.
Nevertheless, with City once again expected to challenge for every single trophy, Grealish will provide an additional option for manager Pep Guardiola.
He’s also worth keeping an eye on, just to see how he copes with being the most expensive player in Premier League history.
Jadon Sancho – Man United (£72.9m from Borussia Dortmund)
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Arguably one of the best young wingers in the game today. Based on his performances for Dortmund he certainly has what it takes to become a regular fixture for both United and England.
His past Champions League experience will also be invaluable to the Red Devils, as they launch another attack on Europe this season.
Expect Sancho to get straight into the action, in the absence of Marcus Rashford who is out with a long-term injury.
Romelu Lukaku – Chelsea (£97.5m from Inter Milan)
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Seven years after a less-than-impressive spell at Chelsea, Lukaku finds himself back at Stamford Bridge a completely changed man.
Over the years with Everton, Man United, Inter and the Belgium national team, he has built a reputation as one of the most reliable strikers in the game.
Lukaku scored 24 league goals for Inter last season as they captured the Serie A title. He will be looking to emulate that form with Chelsea, where he feels he still has unfinished business.
*Raphael Varane – Man United (£42m from Real Madrid)
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This entry comes with an asterisk, because technically the transfer has yet to be officially announced at the time of writing.
United and Real have already agreed on a fee while the player has completed his medical and signed personal terms, but the move has yet to be finalised because of image rights.
Varane should bring some stability to United’s notoriously shaky defence, with the Frenchman no stranger to the pressure cooker atmosphere that comes with playing for a top club.
In his decade with Real Madrid, Varane made 350 appearances and won 18 major trophies.
The new Premier League season, exclusively on Astro with all 380 matches live in HD and selected matches in 4K UHD via the Astro Ultra Box, kicks off with newly promoted side Brentford facing Arsenal on 14 August 2021.
By: Nicholas Darren John
