With the new season of Premier League football in full swing, managers will have to make do with the sides they assembled over the summer until at least January before making changes. Across the league over £1.3 billion was spent on attracting top talent from across the world to England’s elite league, with the likes of Casemiro, Darwin Núñez, Antony and Erling Haaland arriving for big-money moves.
Despite so much investment, there is still a plethora of elite talent hidden in the crevasses of the continent and after a good start to the new campaign they’re finally starting to get the respect they deserve. The Premier League is perhaps the most competitive division across Europe, and it takes a special kind of player to come in and hit the ground running. The football betting odds have shown it’s unpredictability and that only adds to the pressure on a player’s shoulders. With that in mind, let’s look at some of the best imports yet to grace the division, and how effective they would be in the English game.
Jude Bellingham – Liverpool
Since his arrival at Borussia Dortmund in 2020 as the most expensive 17 year old in the world, Jude Bellingham has lived up to the promise, becoming one of the best young players in the world.
It looks likely that he is ready for the next step in his career with long time admirers Liverpool leading the race. The talented midfielder has been in Liverpool’s eyeline for over a year and there is speculation a transfer could happen at the end of the season.
Bellingham is having a stelar season so far having scored 8 goals already this season including 4 in the Champions League. He would be a valued addition to any top team in Europe and will be highly sought after.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia – Napoli
Considering Napoli lost the core of their squad over the summer, their recruitment has been second to none, rewarded by a flying start to the new Serie A season. The likes of Kalidou Koulibaly, Lorenzo Insigne and Dries Mertens left Naples this summer but their departures from the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium have been overshadowed by the brilliance of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
Dubbed the ‘Georgian Messi’ by his new set of adoring fans, Kvaratskhelia arrived in Naples from Dinamo Batumi after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, setting his new employers back a paltry £10 million. Teams from England’s top flight will be kicking themselves their scouts failed to identify the tricky winger, who has proved to be a thorn in the side of defenders across Italy as well as Liverpool and Rangers in the Champions League. The next step up seems inevitable in the near future, but whether or not his career lies in England remains to be seen.
Borja Iglesias – Real Betis
Despite a valiant effort last season, Real Betis were unable to secure Champions League football in La Liga. However, some good form earnt them a Copa Del Ray title and the Sevillanos have carried their good form into the new campaign, largely down to the goals of Borja Iglesias. Currently second in the La Liga scoring charts behind Barcelona’s Robert Lewandowski, the Spaniard has notched up six goals so far and his physicality would be a perfect fit for the Premier League.
A target for West Ham until they opted for Gianluca Scamacca, you wonder if David Moyes would still have found himself in a difficult situation had he called on the goals of Iglesias, who remained at the Benito Villamarín as opposed to the London Stadium.
Ibrahim Sangaré – PSV
One of the most sought-after midfielders over the summer, it came as a surprise when Ibrahim Sangaré remained a PSV player considering the interest from Liverpool and Manchester United. Jürgen Klopp’s side has suffered a stuttering start to the new campaign and after failing to secure a move for Aurélien Tchouaméni and it looks as if Sangaré is the next best thing if Jude Bellingham is unavailable next term.
The Ivorian has an imposing physical presence, yet moves with subtlety and grace that makes him a deceptively quick dribbler. Capable of sitting in front of the defence as well as a more advanced number eight, the 24-year-old showed his class in the Europa League and it wouldn’t be a surprise if we saw him on English shores in the near future.
