The £221m Premier League best new signings XI of the season - including shrewd Everton and Arsenal deals

Premier League clubs splashed out a reported £2.08bn on new signings during the 2024 summer window and it’s fair to say that some have had a greater impact than others in their debut seasons with their new clubs.

Chelsea led the way for spending with an outlay of £219.6m but it’s fair to say that the majority of their stars with the exception of perhaps Pedro Neto have failed to have a huge impact on proceedings at Stamford Bridge.

Nottingham Forest are arguably the team that have benefited most from their summer business, with their business catapulting them from 17th in the league table to European certainties under the guidance of Nuno Espirito Santo.

But who have been the best signings in the Premier League this summer? Here 3AddedMinutes has attempted to assemble the best combined XI of summer arrivals based on their impact in their debut seasons.

Goalkeeper and defence

GK: David Raya (Arsenal): Former Brentford goalkeeper David Raya joined the Gunners in 2023 on a season-long loan deal before his move was made permanent last summer. The Spanish international has made 80 saves this season, kept 12 clean sheets and hasn’t made a single error leading to a goal. Some questioned the decision to replace Aaron Ramsdale but now it appears to be a masterstroke from Mikel Arteta.

RB: Aaron Wan-Bissaka: (West Ham): West Ham’s summer transfer business definitely didn’t go to plan, but one player that has bucked the trend has been Wan-Bissaka who has impressed since his move from Manchester United. The 27-year-old has improved his all-round game and looks much more confident getting forward with two goals and four assists. He’s been a shining light in otherwise grim Hammers season.

CB: Dean Huijsen (Bournemouth): Spanish international Dean Huijsen was snapped up for just £12m from Juventus as a replacement for the departing Lloyd Kelly. The 20-year-old has slotted in excellent at Bournemouth, making 30 appearances, scoring three times and playing a key role in his team’s surprise European push.

CB: Nikola Milenković (Nottingham Forest): Quite possibly the signing of the season. Serbian international Nikola Milenkovic arrived as something of an unknown quantity from Fiorentina but has proven to be one of the most consistent performers in the league - forming a solid pairing with Murillo. The Serbian has scored four times and has played a fundamental role in one of the meanest defences in the league.

LB: Lewis Hall (Newcastle United): Lewis Hall’s loan move from Chelsea was made permanent in the summer and it’s fair to say that Magpies fans are now discovering what the hype was about. The 20-year-old looks destined to be a future England international and has brought huge quality to Newcastle’s left-hand side with four assists this season while playing a key role in the team’s Carabao Cup triumph.

Midfield and attack

CM: Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest): Plenty of eyebrows were raised when Nottingham Forest splashed out a staggering £35m on former Newcastle youngster Elliot Anderson. However, he’s stepped forward from the fringes of St James’ Park to become one of the most important players at the City Ground with two goals and six assists. He’s blessed with great stamina, strength and technical ability which makes him the perfect box-to-box player in Nuno Espirito Santo’s system.

CM: Mikel Merino (Arsenal): Former Newcastle midfielder Mikel Merino arrived at Arsenal from Real Sociedad to provide depth in the defensive midfield area. Instead he’s played as both a makeshift centre forward and as a box-to-box midfielder. He’s scored seven goals and provided two assists but has saved many of his most memorable moments for Europe, with one of his biggest goals coming against Real Madrid in the Champions League.

RM: Ismaïla Sarr (Crystal Palace): Senegal international Ismaila Sarr had plenty of hype around him at Watford but failed to hit the standards expected of him at Marseille. He cost Palace just £12.5m and has proved a bargain with seven goals and five assists. He’s won the most fouls leading to a shot attempt (via fbref) and has been a nightmare for defenders to deal with in Palace’s road to the FA Cup final, with a brace in the semi-final against Aston Villa.

LM: Iliman Ndiaye (Everton): Iliman Ndiaye like Senegal team-mate Ismaila Sarr is a player that struggled to make the grade with Marseille last season before exploding to life in the Premier League. The 25-year-old has added valuable flair and quality to an Everton team lacking potency in attack and has scored an impressive seven goals in 31 league appearances.

ST: Jorgen Strand Larsen (Wolves): Matheus Cunha is making most of the headlines at Molineux this season, but it’s hard to undervalue the importance of Jorgen Strand Larsen’s arrival from Celta Vigo. The Norwegian international has scored an impressive 13 goals in 33 appearances and has been crucial to the team’s upturn in fortunes in recent months.

ST: Liam Delap (Ipswich Town): Ipswich have endured a difficult season back in the Premier League after suffering relegation in their first top-flight campaign since 2002. Their recruitment has hardly gone to plan, but one player that is the exception to that rule is Liam Delap, who has stood out in a weak Premier League team with an impressive 12 goals and two assists in 35 appearances. He has a relegation release clause of £30m which looks destined to be activated by one of the league’s major clubs.

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