Following the first post in my 'Half Time Report' series, where I looked at the key trends we've seen in the Premier League this season, I think it's time to look at transfers, with a trio of posts on the subject. And for the first one, I want to get a bit interactive. With a number of high profile and big money signings, alone with a few hidden gems, it's a good opportunity to get your thoughts on who the best signings so far have been. On the right hand side of this post, you'll find a few opportunities to place your vote for your preferred options, so use it wisely!
However, before I get into any of the nitty-gritty, I think it's important to set out two key categories that I'll be looking at, namely, 'Best Signing' and 'Value for Money'. At the other end of the spectrum, I'll also be taking a look at the most high profile failures in the transfer market, while suggesting some that may just be slow burners that will come good towards the back end of the season.
So let's start with my nominations for 'Signing of the Season'. I get sick and tired of the hypocrisy and lack of consistency when it comes to the notion of settling in to the Premier League. Some people say that leniency should be given to those that initially struggle, while numerous players each year blow the theory out of the water. In my opinion, it's an excuse that managers use to take the pressure off their players, particularly those with the huge price tags over their heads.
With this in mind, the player to have the biggest immediate impact in the six months since arriving is Chelsea's Diego Costa. His 13 Premier League goals puts him second only to Sergio Aguero, and has provided Chelsea with the final cog to propel them back towards the business end of the title chase. However, to suggest that Costa has this award sewn up is wrong. In fact, one of his teammates can certainly lay claim to the title. Though he has considerable experience in the Premier League with Arsenal, Cesc Fabregas has really come into his own at Chelsea. His 13 Premier League assists in 18 games is already a record for a single season, and with another half to go, I wouldn't be surprised to see him top 25 this year. On top of this, Fabregas has also created an incredible 61 chances for his teammates already this year, and he's only looking like building on this in the coming months. As a result, he's certainly up for my 'Signing of the Season' (so far!).
So who else is in contention? Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez has been a revelation, immediately taking a central and pivotal role in the team the like not seen anywhere else before. Not only is he the top goalscorer for the Gunners, he is behind most of the good things in Arsenal's season. Similarly, Gylfi Sigurdsson has performed this role for Swansea. Though he is not the top goalscorer, he is behind the majority of the team's key forward movements, and chips in with a few stunning free kicks of his own. Though he has experience in the Premier League, he is showing the consistency at Swansea that he lacked at Spurs, and is one of the strongest performers so far this year. My nominations end with two strikers - Southampton's Graziano Pelle and West Ham's Diafra Sakho. Though both have gone a little off the boil in recent weeks, they hit the ground running at the beginning of the season, with Sakho breaking a club record to score in each of the Hammers opening seven league games. Such was the impact that Pelle made in his opening stint, he earned himself a shot in the Italian national side, an opportunity he took, scoring the winner in the 1-0 victory over Malta.
To go alongside this, I feel it's also important to include a category for those that may not have had as significant an impact, but deserve recognition thanks to their price tag - the definition of 'Value for Money'. This season, thanks to the dramatic increase in loan agreements and free transfers as a result of the Financial Fair Play regulations, we have a number of high profile contenders. In terms of loans, there have been three that have caught the eye so far this year. Ryan Bertrand's move from Chelsea to Southampton has coincided with the Saints recording a league joint highest of eight clean sheets. Bertrand has also been a consistent threat going forward, putting himself on the cusp of an England call up. Frank Lampard should also be considered in this category. Following his shock transfer from Chelsea to Manchester City (via New York City), Lampard has belied his age to help the reigning champions through some of the toughest moments in their season, and currently sits second on their scorers list with eight goals, behind only Sergio Aguero. Finally, Alex Song's move from Barcelona to West Ham seemed like an inspired piece of business from Sam Allardyce, and his strength in the midfield has proven pivotal in the Hammers' move up the Premier League table.
In terms of free transfers, two stand out. A torrid start to Sunderland's season defensively saw them ship eight goals at Southampton. The move from Gus Poyet to replace Vito Mannone with free signing from Manchester City Costel Pantilimon has seen the Black Cats become considerably more difficult to beat, keeping five clean sheets in the process. Mame Biram Diouf is another player who has had a significant impact since arriving back in the Premier League at Stoke on a free, scoring the only goal in the Potters' famous win at the Etihad Stadium. He has continued to play a significant role in Stoke's move into the top 10, and as such, deserves his place in this list.
As does a teammate of his - Bojan Krkic. Despite a slow start to life in England, the £5.5m winger signed from Ajax has quickly moved himself into a central role at Stoke, and was a critical figure in Stoke's excellent return of 10 points from 18 in December. He has been worth every penny of the money paid, and having come to terms with Premier League life, seems set to only improve as the months go on. As does Ayoze Perez. The Mexican striker has had an exceptional start on Tyneside, scoring four critical goals in turning Newcastle's from a struggling mid-table side into a team pushing for Europe and relieving the pressure on Alan Pardew.
So, we've now covered the best signings of the season, but who have been less successful? Best place to start is with everyone's favourite firework-loving, inappropriate Tweeter Mario Balotelli. Following a less than successful spell at Manchester City, his move to Liverpool this summer raised more than a few eyebrows. However, for £16m, he looked a fairly good deal - until he started playing. Without a Premier League goal, he has struggled for form. However, to be fair to him, we've not seen him kick off either!
His Liverpool teammate Dejan Lovren has also enjoyed a baptism of fire. Since his £25m move from Southampton, he has gone decidedly off the boil, showing little of the the form that earned him the big money move. Whether it is the price tag on his head, or simply that last season was a one off, I am unsure, but he needs to improve and fast to repay the transfer fee. Two more large transfer fees have, as yet, failed to come off. Having been part of the La Liga-winning team that went so close to the Champions League title, Felipe Luis's £15.8m move to Chelsea was designed to see him displace Cesar Azpilicueta at left back. However, six months in, and the Spaniard has retained his place, limiting the Brazilian to just a handful of Premier League appearances. Similarly, Abel Hernandez's £12m club record move from Palermo to Hull has not returned the goals it promised. Despite being a proven goalscorer in Serie A, Hernandez has struggled for form this term. In my opinion, it's always worse to see a mid-table side spend a huge sum on a player and it not come off, as it often takes a considerable toll on the financial situation on the club - just look at Leeds!
Finally, there's a bit of a curveball I'm going to throw in. Despite only being a loan signing, I have to put Radamel Falcao in the 'Worst Transfers' section. Having come to Manchester United promising goals plenty from his previous history, he has scored just twice - a poor return for a supposed world class striker. To pay a fee on a loan is practically unheard of, but the £6m United paid Monaco is almost more than both Bojan and Ayoze Perez combined, and I know who I'd prefer! With wages of £260,000 a week and a fee of £43.5m expected at the end of the year, the Columbian could end up being considerably more expensive to United, and has done little to justify such a valuation.
So there we have it. The categories and nominees are at the side, so get voting for your favourite!
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