Graziano Pelle
Southampton's recruits in this transfer window have been overshadowed by some high profile exits, but in my opinion their capture of Graziano Pelle from Dutch club Feyenoord will definitely please the fans. Not only does the 28 year old have slick looks, he is a natural goalscorer and will help fill the void left by veteran Rickie Lambert, who left for Liverpool. Pelle has already started to impress in pre-season, where he scored a brace on his debut. His goals could help the Saints stay in the Premier League when most of their successful team has been poached by bigger clubs.
Fabian Delph
Since his arrival in 2009, Fabian Delph has been a revelation in the middle of Aston Villa's team. The 24 year old is very undervalued in my eyes, and he would have gotten plenty of recognition had he been playing for a bigger club. The Englishman can do it all; whether it be tackling, passing, scoring or creating chances. His performances might determine whether or not Aston Villa can save themselves from relegation again this season.
Gylfi Sigurdsson
A big season awaits the Icelandic international. Since moving to the Premier League, Sigurdsson has proven his worth time after time. He can take free-kicks, deliver crosses into the box, drift inside from the wings, help out defensively and score vital goals for whichever team he plays for. In his first spell in the English league, during a short term loan deal with Swansea, Sigurdsson impressed so much that he was linked with a move to Manchester United. Eventually, he made up his mind and joined Tottenham Hotspur, where he was often extremely undervalued. Now, he has moved back to Swansea and I expect him to shine. At Spurs, Sigurdsson managed to do well despite not being played in his favoured #10 role, something he will not have to worry about at Swansea. Playing behind Wilfried Bony, Swansea will be a very lethal attacking force next season, and should not be underestimated.
Aiden McGeady
Since joining from Spartak Moscow, Everton's number 7 hasn't lived up to the hype that he brought with his price tag. This season, McGeady will have to step up his game. Last season, McGeady was behind Mirallas and Deulofeu in the pecking order, but with the latter gone, McGeady will undoubtedly get more game time. An incredibly skilled winger, the Irish international has a lot of tricks up his sleeve and the pace to match them. On his day, he could be a nightmare for full-backs. Everton fans will be hoping that he rediscovers his lethal form, which will be needed if either Kevin Mirallas or Naismith don't hit the form they were in last season.
Lewis Holtby
German international Lewis Holtby's Tottenham career never got started ever since his move to White Hart Lane from Schalke. Many thought that the small, frail looking attacker will not be able to succeed in the physical Premier League. Last season, Holtby spent the second half of the season with Fulham after being denied minutes on the pitch by Andre Villas-Boas. No one quite expected him to play as well as he did at Craven Cottage. In a Fulham side struggling to score goals, Holtby brought the creativity and flair they were missing. The German gave some hope to the fans, and although Fulham were eventually relegated, his performances did not go unnoticed. Linked with a move to Queens Park Rangers, Holtby has so far reiterated his desire to stay with the Lilywhites, a sign of a loyal gem. If he is given the central role at White Hart Lane, I expect him to succeed at White Hart Lane next season. Spurs will have a deadly attacking midfield trio of Lamela, Holtby and Eriksen behind either one of Harry Kane, Emmanuel Adebayor or Roberto Soldado. This could be the make or break season for Holtby at Spurs.
Ander Herrera
Ever since the retirements of Roy Keane and Paul Scholes, Manchester United have had a below par midfield area. Although Michael Carrick was almost single-handedly running the midfield for quite some time after Scholes' retirement, we saw last season under David Moyes that even he does not seem to be the player he was. Getting a midfielder in this transfer window was on top of United's list, and they managed to get a gem of a midfielder in Ander Herrera. The Spanish midfielder will be an instant hit at Old Trafford, in my opinion. Herrera is a box to box midfielder who can tackle, is unafraid to get stuck in, can pass, create opportunities from deep, and score himself. Although he did not come cheap, his purchase could prove to be a bargain, and he is a massive improvement on the midfield United had under David Moyes. Everyone spoke very fondly of him in Spain, and he could be the player which United were missing for so long. Under Louis van Gaal, Herrera could fulfill his potential and become one of Premier League's top midfielders.
Andreas Weimann
Aston Villa's Austrian attacker Andreas Weimann has been a sensation for them since he joined in 2010. The Austrian has often scored crucial goals, or managed to set up one of his fellow attackers. Although his finishing has seemed a bit bleak at times, the 22 year old is one of Villa's brightest creative sparks, and will be a crucial part of their campaign. With an in form Christian Benteke ahead of him, and the double pivot of Delph and Westwood behind him, Weimann could excel at Villa Park this season. Last season, himself and Gabriel Agbonlahor were burdened with the responsibilities of socring and creating chances, due to their main man Benteke being out of form. This season, if he is not burdened with too much responsibility, he can be the star in Paul Lambert's team and get Villa to the top half finish which they crave so badly.
Marco van Ginkel
An injury hit season saw the young prospect get barely any minutes on the pitch last season. Following the disappointed domestic season he had, van Ginkel also missed the chance to represent his country in the World Cup, which would have shattered his heart and confidence. However, van Ginkel seems hell bent on proving a point and has impressed during the chances given to him by Mourinho in pre-season, where he has mostly played alongside a relatively young side. In a crowded midfield where he will be competing with the likes of Cesc Fabregas, Nemanja Matic, Ramires and Mikel for a place in the squad, the young Dutch midfielder will need to prove his worth if he is to succeed at Stamford Bridge.
Dusan Tadic
Another fantastic recruit by Southampton, Tadic will be hoping to fulfill his potential at the St. Mary's following his switch from FC Twente. Southampton were in desperate need for attacking talent following the dismissals of Rickie Lambert and the inevitable transfer of Pablo Osvaldo away from England. Tadic, a flamboyant dribbler, could light up the St. Mary's, and should excel in his role if played in an attacking three consisting of Jay Rodriguez, Graziano Pelle and Tadic himself. The Serbian will be hoping to fulfill the expectations and become an instant fans' favourite. He could play a crucial part in Southampton's season, and will need to share the burden of creating goalscoring opportunities for Jay Rodriguez and Graziano Pelle.
Stevan Jovetic
Another player whose first season in England was ruined by injuries, Jovetic will be hoping to feature much more in his second season. Playing for a Manchester City side who have been missing a creative striker at times during the long Premier League campaign, Jovetic could be a key player for Pellegrini's side as they hope to retain the Premiership. Alvaro Negredo's poor recent form, alongside Sergio Aguero's recent habit of spending long amounts of time on the sidelines could mean that Jovetic will be playing a lot more should he manage to stay injury-free. Having scored a couple of impressive goals already for City in pre-season, this could be the season in which Jovetic outshines his fellow strikers at the Etihad Stadium.
Harry Kane
The young English striker broke into the Spurs first team under Tim Sherwood last season, and has not looked back since. In the absence of Emmanuel Adebayor in Spurs' pre-season tour, Kane has impressed alongside Roberto Soldado at the front. He will be hoping to force his way into the the starting XI, and score crucial goals for his club. Spurs often struggled for goals last season, but Harry Kane will be hoping to change that, as the young English striker hopes to announce his name to the White Hart Lane faithful by scoring his way into their hearts.
Lazar Markovic
The departure of Luis Suarez left Brendan Rodgers with a massive void of creative genius up front. Instead of going out and buying a like for like replacement for the Uruguayan, Rodgers decided to invest in younger talents who will join their creative sparks to fill the void left by the prolific striker. Markovic, who I must say does look like a player with massive potential, is one of these recruits. Although he does carry on his shoulders a massive price tag, Benfica's prized asset could light up Anfield with his combination of trickery, pace and creativity. Markovic managed to notch 5 goals in 19 appearances for Benfica in the Liga Sagres last season, an impressive tally for someone of his age. The Serbian will be burdened with the task of creating vast chances for Liverpool's Daniel Sturridge and Rickie Lambert, who will primarily be playing up front. But the responsibility should not be too heavy for a player of Markovic's quality, and with Brendan Rodgers being able to bring the best out of young players like Raheem Sterling, I believe Markovic could have a fantastic start to his Liverpool career.
Siem de Jong
In the second half of last season, Newcastle struggled to create any chances, meaning their strikers like Papiss Cisse where having to feed off scraps. This was mainly due to the departure of midfielder Yohan Cabaye, who left the club to join Paris Saint-Germain in January. Although Loic Remy's goals from the first half of the season ensured that the Magpies did not have to get involved in the relegation dogfight, this summer Alan Pardew had to address this major issue. Finally, Newcastle landed Ajax's captain, Siem de Jong, someone who has shined in the Eredivisie for a long time. Although the Newcastle supporters will be a bit uncertain of him, as his brother's stint in Tyneside proved to be a waste, they should rest assured because Siem de Jong is a fantastic player and should be able to excel in his role as Cabaye's replacement. Having already scored a wonderful goal on his debut, Siem de Jong has already given a glimpse of his potential during pre-season to the Geordies.
All of the aforementioned players have an important season ahead of them. Who do you think will outshine the rest in the upcoming Premier League season?
Article written by Mayank Tiwary. Follow me on Twitter: @VanPerseing
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