The Premier League New Signings are coming thick and fast, so we’re here to analyze the prospects of all the major transfers. We use a five-star rating model to rank the new signings; use these hints and tips to help get your Fantasy EPL draft season off to a flyer!
Read below for the potential impact these players could have on your Draft League. It’s imperative that you know who the new signings are ahead of the upcoming drafts, and what kind of impact they could have on the Premier League!
The Premier League New Signings covered here occurred between July 2 and July 14.
Part 1 of our Premier League New Signings features those that occurred between 18th May and 15th June
Part 2 of our Premier League New Signings features those that occurred between 16th June and 1st July.
New Signings 19/20
We outline each Premier League new signing individually, providing our views on how they will perform this season, and a star rating given based on their upcoming prospects!
We’ve ranked the prospects based on a star rating, from 1 to 5:
⭐️ = Steer clear
⭐️⭐️ = Wait and see
⭐️⭐️⭐️ = Could be worth a punt
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ = Great prospect
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ = The Premier League signing you’ve been waiting for!
Leander Dendoncker
Position: Central Midfield
Team: Wolves
Signed From: Anderlect
Prospects: Dendoncker has made his loan move to Wolves a permanent one, after a good first season with the Midlands club. Wolves had an incredible season last time around. Dendoncker was instrumental to their form during the second half of the season after biding his time before being given a chance to shine. The Belgian midfielder was brought in to a central midfield trio alongside Neves and Moutinho. Dendoncker averaged 7.08 points per game, which is pretty good for a little known central midfielder. We expect much of the same this season.
Verdict: Dendoncker had now firmly established himself in the Wolves starting lineup. We expect him to tick along as a consistent, and under the radar, points scorer. We’ve ranked the Belgian in our Top 60 Midfielders for our Draft Rankings. He’s in there because he consistently scores 6/7/8 points each game. Worth drafting towards the end of the draft in bigger leagues.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️
Jack Clarke
Position: Left Wing
Team: Tottenham Hotspur (but loaned straight back to Leeds!)
Signed From: Leeds United
Prospects: Jack Clarke has been signed by Tottenham, but returns to Leeds for the 19/20 season. The young winger performed well for the Yorkshire based club last season. A name to keep in mind ahead of next season!
Verdict: N/A
Rating: N/A
Gabriel Martinelli
Position: Forward
Team: Arsenal
Signed From: Ituano
Prospects: Martinelli is certainly one for the future, but he could potentially surprise a few managers this season. The Brazilian youngster only made 17 appearances for lower league side Ituano, scoring six goals, but he has already made a big impression. Martinelli was actually called up to the Brazil squad to be involved in the preparation training sessions before the Copa America! Certainly a talented footballer, but likely to be one for the future.
Verdict: We’re not recommending drafting Martinelli by any means, but keep an eye out for him. The new Arsenal man has already been dazzling defenders with his pace during pre-season. Could make an impact later on in the season, but don’t go in for him during the draft!
Rating: ⭐️
Tanguy Ndombele
Position: Central Midfield
Team: Tottenham Hotspur
Signed From: Lyon
Prospects: Ndombele has joined Spurs from Lyon in a club-record deal. The central midfielder will slot into the heart of the team, most likely alongside youngster Harry Winks. Tottenham have been crying out for a combative midfielder to dominate… hopefully Ndombele is the answer! The Frenchman has been very impressive during his two seasons with Lyon, after being snapped up from lower league side Amiens. He’s still only 22 years old and looks to have a bright future.
Verdict: Ndombele could be the surprise package of this Premier League New Signings analysis! As we mentioned in our Tottenham Team Preview, the central midfielder is a worthwhile proposition for any Fantrax Draft Manager. Tackles and interceptions are Ndombele’s game, so he’s likely to score well on these categories. We’re thinking he’s a bit of a Doucoure or Ndidi type player – both of these Chaps score consistently decent points. Ndombele should be in for a good debut season!
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Luke Freeman
Position: Central Midfield
Team: Sheffield United
Signed From: Queens Park Rangers
Prospects: The Englishman joins the Blades having impressed last season for QPR in the Championship; Freeman scored seven and assisted six goals in a struggling QPR side. Among his strengths, Freeman is considered a specialist over the set-piece, which given Sheffield United’s combative game-plan, will undoubtedly benefit Freeman owners. We’ve gone mid-range three-star rating on this chap. Given that he’ll be playing for newly promoted Sheffield who will find life in the Premier League tough; we felt Freeman’s rating will be somewhat hampered by the fact most newly promoted clubs struggle. But equally, Freeman has potential and should certainly be on your Draft ‘ones-to-watch’ list.
Verdict: The attacking midfielder is likely to find himself in a prominent role for the Blades this season. We expect Freeman to make the starting 11 in a central attacking midfield role; thus making him a handy fifth to sixth midfield round option.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Phil Jagiekla
Position: Centre Back
Team: Sheffield United
Signed From: Everton
Prospects: The veteran defender has re-joined his boyhood club, after 322 league appearances for Everton! Jagielka is a very experienced player and gained 40 caps for England. He is, however, now 36 years old, and probably not good enough for the Premier League. Jagielka has been a great servant to the EPL, but we would have expected him to have retired after leaving Everton. Sheffield United have gained an experienced player, and he’ll be vital for them in the dressing room if he’s not up to the task on the pitch!
Verdict: Jagielka is likely to slot into Sheffield United’s three-man defence, but we don’t expect much in terms of Fantrax Scoring output! The veteran isn’t known for his high scores and playing for the worst team in the league won’t help his chances! Avoid drafting or signing Jagielka. Fair play to him for sticking around for another season, but we’re not expecting much from the 36-year-old centre back.
Rating: ⭐️
Ayoze Perez
Position: Forward
Team: Leicester City
Signed From: Newcastle
Prospects: Perez has moved to Leicester in a £30 million move from Newcastle after scoring 42 goals in 179 appearances for the north-east club. This was a somewhat surprising move, but we’re really liking it! The Spaniard managed an average point per game of 9.39 last season, playing for a largely poor Newcastle side. Now that Perez will be playing for a much better side, with much better teammates, we’re expecting his points-scoring abilities to increase! Perez is likely to play off Vardy, joining the likes of Maddison and Tielemans in support of the number 9.
Verdict: As we’ve said, we’re really liking this move. Perez has been ranked in the top 20 of our Fantasy EPL Draft Rankings for Forwards, and he has potential to breach the top 15. Leicester is looking very good ahead of the new season, which bodes extremely well for Perez. Snap him up as a second or third forward, and you won’t be disappointed come the end of the season.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Rodri
Position: Central Midfield
Team: Manchester City
Signed From: Atletico Madrid
Prospects: Rodri has arrived at Manchester City as the eventual successor to the long-serving Fernandinho. The Citizens have spent a huge sum of £63 million on the Spanish defensive midfielder, but it looks as though that will become money well spent. Rodri only spent one season with Atletico Madrid, after joining from Villareal in June 2018. A successful season helping Atleti to a second-place finish in La Liga, and Pep came calling. Rodri won’t feature in every game this season, as he’s sure to share game time with the more experienced Fernandinho. Expect him to be a big player for City in a couple of years time!
Verdict: As we’ve said, we’re expecting Rodri to share playing time with Fernandinho. Like most City assets, he’ll probably score well when he plays. But rotation is always an issue under Pep. Most of his new signings see little playing time during their first season with the club. Bernardo and Mahrez are just two of the many examples. Therefore, Rodri doesn’t look to have great prospects for this season. Especially considering Fernandinho is still one of the best in the business despite being 34 years old!
Rating: ⭐️⭐️
Ralf Farhmann
Position: Goalkeeper
Team: Norwich City (Loan)
Signed From: Schalke
Prospects: Farhmann, the 30-year-old German shot-stopper was Schalke’s replacement to Manuel Neuer when he left for Bayern Munich in 2011. Having played over 200 career matches for Schalke, including 25 last season, it comes as somewhat of a surprise that Daniel Farke has been able to pick up the experienced keeper. But last year was a disappointing one for Schalke who ended the season only five points clear of relegation, and for Farhmann who was dropped towards the final third of the campaign. Farhamann will be in direct competition with Tim Krul for the no.1 starting spot, with Krul having just signed a new long term deal we expect Farhmann to have to wait his turn. But he wouldn’t have joined the Canaries if he was just going to settle for Carabao Cup matches right?
Verdict: The German gets a low rating based on two very key factors. First of all, Farhmann is likely to be the reserve keeper going into the new season. Secondly, Norwich had a very tough time in keeping a clean sheet last seasons Championship. But wouldn’t all Norwich City fans like to see that change; perhaps Farhmann will go some way in fixing the Canaries leaky defensive record?
Rating: ⭐️⭐️
Stephen Henderson
Position: Goalkeeper
Team: Crystal Palace (Loan)
Signed From: Nottingham Forest
Prospects: This chap looks to be a genuine backup goalkeeper. With both established keepers Wayne Hennessey and Vincente Guaita fighting out for the no.1 jersey.
Verdict: Don’t go there chaps.
Rating: ⭐️
Erik Pieters
Position: Left Back
Team: Burnley
Signed From: Stoke
Prospects: The Dutch left-back was a mainstay for Stoke in the Premier League before their relegation, but Pieters found himself surplus to requirements this summer. Burnley have swooped for the experienced defender, but we’re not expecting him to start for The Clarets. Charlie Taylor is likely to keep his place in the side for now.
Verdict: Low prospects at the moment, as Pieters looks to have been brought in as a backup player. There’s no point in drafting the Dutch defender!
Rating: ⭐️
Youri Tielemans
Position: Central Midfield
Team: Leicester City
Signed From: Monaco
Prospects: We called it from the moment Leicester signed him in January; this chap is class. Tielemans was well known to Championship (Football) Manager players as a mercurial talent, so we were not surprised to see him rip up the Premier League. In only 13 appearances, Tielemans scored three and created four goals as he sparked interest from some of the bigger clubs in the league. The only reservation you might have over Tielemans is that with James Maddison already in the squad, and having added Ayoze Perez also; Leicester effectively have three top-class no.10’s at their disposal.
Verdict: The concern will be whether Brendan Rodgers can fit Perez, Maddison and Tielemans all into the same starting 11. We think he can, but will understand some peoples reservations. Tielemans was so influential over games last season, we think he’ll be one of the first names on the team sheet. As an outright midfielder on Fantrax, you must consider Tielemans as a genuine second-ranked midfield option for your draft strategy.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Jack Stacey
Position: Right Back
Team: Bournemouth
Signed From: Luton
Prospects: This chap has an excellent future ahead of him. A key player in Luton’s promotion to the Championship, Bournemouth had to fight off interest from Celtic for the 23-year-old’s signature. Stacey played 45 fixtures last season, scoring four and picking up eight assists from right back.
Verdict: Stacey is unquestionably a talented young player with great potential. With Bournemouth looking a tad light at right-back considering Nathaniel Clyne returned to parent club Liverpool. But with established Adam Smith, Stacey will have to settle for a spot on the bench to begin with.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️
Tyrone Mings
Position: Centre Back
Team: Aston Villa
Signed From: Bournemouth
Prospects: Mings joined Aston Villa on loan in January and was inspirational in their promotion to the Premier League. The centre back played 15 games, scoring two goals. Mings has always been a talented player but suffered lots of injuries during his time with Bournemouth. It was only a matter of time before he made the move to Villa permanent. The Villains needed a good centre back with Premier League experience. And Mings needed a fresh start. Dean Smith has had to spend £20 million to get Mings, but we think he’s worth it.
Verdict: Mings doesn’t have the best scoring history, but he’s not been a first-team regular for Bournemouth in recent years. The Englishman is likely to be Aston Villa’s “dominant” defender, picking up the points for aerials and interceptions. Therefore, Mings is a decent shout this season. Draft him towards the final rounds.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Jay Rodriguez
Position: Forward
Team: Burnley
Signed From: West Bromich Albion
Prospects: He’s back!! The once upon a time Burnley legend has returned from his travels in the south coast (Southampton) and midlands (West Brom). Last season, J-Rodz racked up an impressive 22 goals and six assists for WBA in the Championship. Clearly fully fit and back to his best, J-Rodz looked to be a Premier League striker languishing in the second tier of the English football league. We think Burnley have picked up an astute signing here, J-Rodz knows the Premier League, is a proven goal scorer and comes back to Turf Moor with form and confidence.
Verdict: Last season’s Achilles heel was goals for Burnley. Scoring only 45 goals put them joint sixth-worst in the Premier League and their top scorer Barnes picked up 12, with Wood next best with 10. We believe J-Rodz will work his way into the starting 11 if pre-season is anything to go on; then Dyche is said to be impressed with a number of players of which we understand J-Rodz to be one. Regarding the strategy for the draft, it is a wise move to keep J-Rodz on the back burner here. Pick him up as a third or fourth choice forward as a punt, of look to the waivers after a game or two having assessed his start to the season!
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Ezri Konsa
Position: Centre Back
Team: Aston Villa
Signed From: Brentford
Prospects: The young England under-21 international impressed at both Charlton and more recently Brentford. It has been quite the meteoric rise for Konsa, who played only one season for Brentford in the Championship having joined from League one outfit Charlton last summer. A favourite of Villa manager Dean Smith, who signed Konsa for Brentford will undoubtedly develop under the tutelage of former Chelsea and England central defender John Terry.
Verdict: A tough one to call here. With Villa having already signed Mings to fill one centre back spot it would be a bold move to stick the young pair together. But having looked back at last year, it is clear Villa chopped and changed at the back never really settling on a central defensive partnership. Elphick played 11 games, Chester 28 games, whilst Tuanzebe (who was on loan from Manchester United) partnered Mings in the play-off final. Both Mings and Tuanzebe played 18 and 27 matches. Konsa could well start, partnering Mings; but backing newly promoted defences is always a risk.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️
Callum Robinson
Position: Forward
Team: Sheffield United
Signed From: Preston
Prospects: Robinson’s 12 goals and three assists for Preston last year have rewarded him with a shot at the Premier League through new boys Sheffield United. Robinson is one of many new attacking players brought in by Sheffield United and will fight for a place in the starting lineup alongside established first-team players Sharp and McGoldrick; as well as new boys Freeman, Morrison and Mousset. This being said, Robinson is capable of playing as a centre forward, or behind the strikers; giving him greater scope for pushing a starting spot.
Verdict: We’d advise just to keep an eye on Robinson this season. It’s tough to call whether or not he will start ahead of the competition we’ve outlined already. Home grown and fan favourite Billy Sharp is likely to take one of the forward slots, leaving Robinson, McGoldrick, Morrison and Mousset to fight out the other. One for the ‘watch’ list hey chaps!?
Rating: ⭐️⭐️
Transfers Out
These Chaps have left the Premier League this summer:
Sandro – Everton to Real Vallodolid (Loan)
Helder Costa – Wolves to Leeds (Loan)
Brendan Galloway – Everton to Luton (Loan)
James Wilson – Manchester United to Aberdeen
Ander Herrera – Manchester United to PSG
Samir Nasri – West Ham to Anderlect
Arijanet Muric – Manchester City to Nottingham Forest
Alberto Moreno – Liverpool to Villarreal
Albert Adomah – Aston Villa to Nottingham Forest
Luke Garbutt – Everton to Ipswich (Loan)
Ivan Cavaleiro – Wolves to Fulham (Loan)
Sam Gallagher – Southampton to Blackburn
Part 4 of the Premier League New Signings will be coming very soon!
Check out our Fantasy EPL Draft Rankings: Goalkeepers | Defenders | Midfielders | Forwards | Top 100 |
Also check out our EPL Team Previews: | Arsenal | Aston Villa | Bournemouth | Brighton | Burnley | Chelsea | Crystal Palace | Everton | Leicester | Liverpool | Manchester City | Manchester United | Newcastle | Norwich City | Sheffield United | Southampton | Spurs | Watford | West Ham | Wolves
Follow The Fantasy Football Chaps on Twitter @TheFFChaps for all the latest!