We’re less than a month away from the start of the 2024/25 Premier League and pre-season preparations are underway.
While some teams are being cautious with their transfers due to financial regulations, others are splashing the cash to update their squads. There is still a way to go in the transfer window too, so we could see a lot of business to come.
But of those transfers confirmed so far, which are the most exciting?
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Leny Yoro to Manchester United
Manchester United have beaten Real Madrid and Liverpool to the signing of French centre-back Leny Yoro, generally considered one of Europe’s best young defenders. At just 18 years old, he already has 46 Ligue 1 appearances under his belt.
He was the only U23 centre-back in Europe’s top five leagues to win 60% of his aerial duels, 60% of his ground duels and maintain a 90% pass accuracy in 2023/24. Yoro averaged 1.21 tackles per 90 minutes, 1.21 interceptions and 3.27 clearances. He also won possession 55 times in the middle third and 68 times in the defensive third, which only Diogo Dalot bettered among Man Utd defenders last season.
Man Utd were defensively poor last season, with the fifth-worst xG against total in the Premier League, at 70.08. This signing — along with the potential arrival of Manuel Ugarte — could seriously change their fortunes.
Yankuba Minteh to Brighton
Yankuba Minteh’s future was a topic of conversation early this summer as there were questions on whether he would remain at Newcastle United. The teenager spent last season on loan at Feyenoord, playing 27 times in the Eredivisie. In that time, he scored 10 goals and provided five assists.
No teenager scored more goals across Europe’s top seven leagues last season than Minteh, who is also a full Gambian international. In six appearances for Gambia, Minteh has scored three goals, including two in World Cup qualifying in June.
Last season Minteh took 56 shots and hit the target 24 times, while also creating 27 chances. He’s a good presser too, with 23 possessions won in the attacking third last season, inside the top 10 in the Eredivisie.
Playing on the right, Minteh could fit nicely on a flank that did cause Brighton some issues last season.
Mats Wieffer to Brighton
Another Brighton signing, the Seagulls called Mats Wieffer” one of the best deep-lying midfielders in Europe” when announcing the dela.
Wieffer was playing alongside Minteh at Feyenoord last season, and this will be the first time he plays outside of the Netherlands. The 24-year-old is a title winner with Feyenoord, playing 25 games as they lifted the title in 2022/23 — it would have been more if not for injury.
Last season, Wieffer made a whopping 83 tackles and 50 interceptions in the Eredivisie, sitting inside the top 10 for both metrics. He also won 143 possessions in the middle third, more than any other player in the Dutch top flight. Although being involved in goals isn’t his role, Wieffer did also score five and provide three assists in the Eredivisie. He’ll be a good addition to Brighton’s midfield.
Elliott Anderson to Nottingham Forest
Another player offloaded by Newcastle United just before June 30th’s PSR deadline was midfielder Elliot Anderson.
Nottingham Forest managed to avoid relegation last season despite a four-point deduction. But on paper the promoted teams are far stronger this year, so they’ll need to improve drastically.
Signing Anderson could help them do that. The Scottish youngster arrives in a £35m deal and although goals and assists haven’t been forthcoming yet, he is widely considered to have unique technical ability.
“He is classy. He receives the ball like Peter Beardsley. He kills it and moves it all in one motion. That is a gift,” former Newcastle head scout Graham Carr said of Anderson in 2022, adding: “Newcastle haven’t produced anyone like him, in terms of his technical gifts, probably all the way back to Gazza.”