As the 2021/22 Premier League season draws ever nearer, and punters begin to scour the bet exchange for the best opening weekend odds and campaign outrights, now seems like the perfect chance to take a look at this summer’s biggest transfers. After all, these are the players that the top-flight clubs will be hoping can make all the difference this season…
Jadon Sancho – Manchester United, £73m
Manchester United haven’t been afraid to break the bank in recent years, with Harry Maguire, Paul Pogba and Romelu Lukaku all costing the Red Devils in excess of £70 million, and they haven’t held back in their pursuit of Jadon Sancho either — forking out £73m to lure the young English winger away from Borussia Dortmund. The 21-year-old, who scored eight goals and provided 11 assists in the Bundesliga last season, has been a target of Man United for the last couple of seasons now and the Old Trafford faithful will be eagerly anticipating finally seeing Sancho in their club’s jersey.
Ben White – Arsenal, £50m
Ben White’s £50m transfer to Arsenal is all but confirmed. The English centre-back made a name for himself on loan at Leeds United in the 2019-20 season, as he helped the Yorkshire side gain promotion back to the Premier League for the first time in over 15 years, and he put in some solid performances back at his parent club Brighton & Hove Albion last season. Cut from England’s Euro 2020 squad, White is expected to have his Gunners medical on Wednesday and we have no doubts he will complete his mammoth transfer before the start of the season on August 13th, when Arsenal will be hosted by Premier League new boys Brentford.
Raphaël Varane – Manchester United, £40m
If the signing of Sancho wasn’t enough to get Manchester United fans excited ahead of next season, and perhaps ease the tensions between them and the Glazer family, then the imminent arrival of Raphaël Varane will definitely have them chomping at the bit. According to renowned football journalist Fabrizio Romano, a deal to bring the Real Madrid centre-back is very close. He reports that the clubs have reached an agreement for the transfer of the 28-year-old, and with personal terms already agreed, it’s just a matter of time before the £40m transfer is revealed by Man United.
Emiliano Buendía – Aston Villa, £38m
Aston Villa splashed a club-record fee of £38m to beat Arsenal to the sought-after signature of Emiliano Buendía. The exciting winger scored 15 goals and provided 16 assists, more than any other player in the second-tier, as Norwich City won the Championship title last season — landing the Player of the Season accolade in the process. The Argentine international, who had reportedly attracted interest from several of the Premier League’s big guns, put pen-to-paper on a five-year deal at Villa Park.
Ibrahima Konaté – Liverpool, £36m
After Liverpool’s crisis at the back last season, it was no surprise that the Anfield side’s hierarchy moved fast to bring in a new defensive recruit this summer. They had the option to permanently sign Ozan Kabak, who spent the latter half of last season on loan at the Reds from Schalke. However, they opted to bring in another promising Bundesliga centre-back, Ibrahima Konaté. The 22-year-old, who cost £36m, signed a long-term contract with the Reds at the end of May.
