So the transfer window has finally closed, but not without some late dramas (Yes am talking about Mesut Ozil to Arsena). While Fellaini secured a last minute deal to Manchester United, the deals for Fabio Coentrao and Ander Herrera could not be completed for lack of time. Surprisingly Chelsea off loaded striker Lukaku and he joined Everton on a season long loan. But throughout the transfer seasons we have seen a number of players to come into this league we could not have imagined before the window started. Let us take a look at few such players who were not expected to feature in Premier League, but whom we would see in action from this season onwards plying their trade in England.
Mesut Ozil
Definitely the surprise of the season. Arsenal fans still have to pinch themselves to believe that Ozil will play for them. A deal that was being processed for a long time, but was kept under the wraps very shrewdly, the first news of Ozil being linked to Arsenal came as a bolt from the blue as soon as Bale was unveiled at the Bernabeu. An extremely talented midfielder, at the prime of his career, no one expected Real to sell off Ozil so easily. But with Bale and Isco now in the team, Ozil was seen as surplus to the needs and Arsenal found their marquee signing in him. A record deal for the club, he is worth every penny of his £42.5m price. The fans would now like to believe that he has the same effect that he had on Real last season and again make Arsenal the team they were during the times of Henry and Bergkamp.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxK4cIrjsU0
Willian
Willian’s transfer to Chelsea can only be called drama at its best. When Anzhi decided to offload their star players for financial reasons, Willian initially attracted interests from Liverpool, which was unexpected even a month ago. But then Spurs threw all their weight and their Bale money behind Willian and hijacked Willian from under Liverpool’s noses, only to be given the taste of their own medicine by Chelsea. But much ado, Willian finally settled for Chelsea who paid as much as £30m for him. A decent deal for Chelsea, provided they utilize him well amid their galaxy of stars.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exo5oEy1uMw
Samuel Eto’o
Chelsea’s surprise package did not end with Willian only as they secured a deal for another of Anzhi star, Samuel Eto’o. The Cameroonian, who was one of the premier strikers during his time, had previously tasted success in other high profile leagues like Serie A and La Liga. But never had he considered playing in England, and if not for Chelsea, it would have been unthinkable of even now. The fact that he had served under Mourinho at Inter helped the cause and now Premier League fans can boast of a top striker playing in their league, albeit past his prime.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFxnacrCkeM
Mamadou Sakho
A brilliant transfer by Liverpool to say the least. Sakho is one of the most promising centre backs at the moment and when you have clubs like Barcelona wanting a player, you would hardly put your money on any clubs from Premier League, not to say the least fancied Liverpool. But Brendan Rodgers could successfully convince the PSG man to make a switch to Liverpool. The 23 year old will now feature for the Reds and hopefully render them services for a long time to come.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1csKtAOAT8
Pablo Osvaldo
No one would have imagined that Southampton could attract a top player from AS Roma, but then such has been the inconsistency of the transfer season. Osvaldo had finished last season with 16 goals behind his name, but this term the club had sold him to Southampton of all clubs for a fee of €15.1. Southampton have improved a lot under new manager Mauricio Pochettino from last season and their capability to bring in the 27 year old Italian striker validates that.
Maarten Stekelenburg
Fulham have certainly turned some heads when they announced that Stekelenburg would be joining them from Roma this season. One of the most consistent shot-stoppers, this deal was out of nowhere and the Fulham faithful could not mask their delight. Stekelenburg joining the Premier League would go on to improve the standard of goalkeeping in the league and thus this deal would have even further implications than perceived to be.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjXGbvPRdU8