Arsenal duo Rice and Havertz among Premier League’s best new signings
After the conclusion of the 2023/24 Premier League season, we’ve taken a look back at the new signings that stood out for their respective sides. Represented in our top 10 are Luton, Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal, Tottenham, Crystal Palace, West Ham and Manchester City.
10. Ross Barkley (Luton) - 7.05
Ross Barkley ended the season as Luton’s highest rated player having arrived as a free agent following their promotion to the Premier League last summer. The former Everton and Chelsea midfielder was involved in nine league goals (5 goals, 4 assists) in an impressive comeback campaign.
9. Nicolas Jackson (Chelsea) - 7.07
Chelsea’s £30m summer signing Nicolas Jackson ended the season with 14 goals and five assists to his name in the Premier League, a strong return for a 22-year-old in their debut campaign. The Senegal international finished the season well, with four goals and an assist in his last five matches.
8. Alexis Mac Allister (Liverpool) - 7.09
Many saw Alexis Mac Allister’s move to Liverpool as one of the standouts of the summer window when he made the switch for a reported £35m. The Argentine World Cup winner settled in right away at Anfield, registering five goals and five assists in his debut season on Merseyside.
7. Kai Havertz (Arsenal) - 7.16
Eyebrows were raised when Arsenal opted to pay £65m for the then out of favour and out of form Chelsea attacker Kai Havertz last summer, but the Germany international has started to look the part at the Emirates. Having struggled in the opening half of the season in a midfield berth, Mikel Arteta moved Havertz into the number nine role and reaped the rewards. The 24-year-old’s strong second half of the campaign saw him end the season with 20 goal involvements (13 goals, 7 assists).
6. James Maddison (Tottenham) - 7.17
Tottenham midfielder James Maddison’s debut season in north London panned out in almost reverse fashion to that of Havertz, with the ex-Leicester man starring in the opening months of the campaign, before suffering an ankle injury that would keep him out for 12 weeks. Despite that, the £40m-man ends the season with four goals and nine assists to his name.
5. Daniel Munoz (Crystal Palace) - 7.17
Now to one of the low-price, low-key signings of the season in Crystal Palace wing-back Daniel Munoz, who arrived from Belgian side Genk for a reported £7m in January. Since joining, the Colombian has looked right at home in Oliver Glasner’s fluid 3-4-2-1 system, and registered four league assists.
4. Mohammed Kudus (West Ham) - 7.23
Many were surprised to see West Ham as the destination for the highly coveted Mohammed Kudus last summer, and the Ghanaian has showcased his talents in the biggest league of them all this season. After not starting a league match until October, the 23-year-old went on to score eight times and register six league assists, sparking talk of big-money move for the second successive summer.
3. Jeremy Doku (Manchester City) - 7.24
Despite starting less than half of his side’s league matches this season, Jeremy Doku has looked yet another smart pick-up for Pep Guardiola’s rampant Manchester City. The Belgian managed three goals and eight assists in the Premier League, while his 87 successful dribbles were bettered only by the man preceding him in this top 10.
2. Declan Rice (Arsenal) - 7.38
England midfielder Declan Rice proved arguably the most transformative signing of the season after arriving from West Ham for a reported £105m last summer. The 25-year-old accomplished a personal best campaign for both goals (7) and assists (8), but ultimately could not help the Gunners to an elusive fourth Premier League title.
1. Cole Palmer (Chelsea) - 7.48
With a WhoScored rating of 7.48, Chelsea’s Cole Palmer was the highest rated new signing in the Premier League in 2023/24. The £42.5m paid to Manchester City last August will now feel like a snip for the Blues, as Palmer ended the campaign with more goal involvements than any other player in the division (33 - 22 goals, 11 assists).
