Best transfer buys so far: 2013-14

Best Transfer buys so far 2013-14

The Sky Sports Transfer Totaliser currently stands at just over £244 million at the time this article is written, but is it money well spent? 

With well over a month to go, some teams have started to overhaul their squad, with others (such as Arsenal) deciding to wait it out as agents, players, managers and club personnel try to battle it out for the best deal.

 With nearly £250 million spent, key players have been bought and sold, but some players will probably prove more pivotal than others.

Players like:

1. Nicolas Anelka (Juventus - West Brom) free

In Anelka, West Brom have signed a forward with plenty of Premier League experience, playing over 300 games in England with clubs such as Man City, Arsenal, Chelsea and Bolton.

Despite being 34, Anelka adds firepower to a Baggies squad that finished an impressive 8th last season and will go some way to replacing the goals of Romelu Lukaku, which they will surely miss.

As many of their rivals spend big to try to ensure survival, the capture of Anelka by one of last seasons surprise packages on a free has certainly caught my attention.

2. Paulinho (Corinthians - Tottenham) £17m

Signing Paulinho is a surely a statement of intent from AVB's Tottenham team, as the Brazilian seems to have the ability to match his price tag.

The international midfielder has made 17 appearances for his national team scoring five goals and was impressive in Brazil's Confederations cup campaign. 

In the past Tottenham have flirted with signing established, expensive players, but following through has shown the faith Daniel Levy has in AVB and his masterplan.

3. Dejan Lovren (Lyon - Southampton) £8.5m

Lovren gives his Saints squad a lot of experience at the tender age of 24 as he participated in the Champions League 2009-2010 group stages, scoring a goal, as well as being on the 100 best young players Don Balón list in 2010.

He established himself playing over 50 games for Lyon in the past two seasons and there were rumours that AC Milan and Tottenham were also interested in his services so all in all he seems a good buy and should be good value for money considering his pedigree.

4. Neymar (Santos - Barcelona) £46.6m

Often cited as the best player in the world, Neymar moved to the 'best team in the world' for a whopping £46.6m, but that's still cheaper than Fernando Torres.

With Neymar, it's certain his best years are ahead of him and he now has some of the best players  in the world as his team-mates for club and country.

Neymar showed his skills with some great performances at the recent Confederations Cup and has days worth of tribute videos on Youtube for a reason.

I for one can't wait to see Neymar playing at Camp Nou.

5. Sanchez Watt (Arsenal - Colchester) Free

Compared to others on this list, this transfer may not involve a household name, but Watt is a player I've seen a few times and he is a great signing for the U's.

Watt made 3 appearances for the Gunners and scored a solitary goal as well as winning the 2008-09 Youth FA Cup, but first team games were limited for the Hackney-born striker so moving to Colchester seems like a good idea for both the club and the player and I'm sure he'll do well, especially at League 1 level.

Arsenal's academy is known for the young talent on show and Watt is no different, he must ensure he gets good playing time at such a pivotal time in his career.

6. Carlos Tevez (Man City - Juventus) £12m

With Anelka out and Tevez in, own could argue Juve like their players fiery, but in Tevez they have signed a player who can change games in an instant.

£12m is a great piece of business for a striker in his prime whatever issues he may have had in the past and as long as Tevez settles in well and feels wanted, the goals will flow for the former West Ham hitman.

He leaves Manchester City with an impressive 58 goals in only 107 games, which is a record most strikers would give their right arm for. 

7. Andre Schurrle (Bayer Leverkusen - Chelsea) £17m

Schurrle's signing adds another classy, young player to Mourinho's side, whose average age has dropped rapidly in recent seasons.

Some clubs would baulk at the £17m fee paid for Schurrle, but the German can play in a number of positions and adds yet another dimension to Chelsea's formidable midfield.

As Mourinho's first signing, big things are expected of the youngster, but his manager has already stated that he and Van Ginkel "are ready to star (for the club)" and he will probably fit in well with his squad mates as he has good technical ability.

So that's it for now, I'm sure the window will throw up more interesting transfers (like Man Utd's reported bid for Cesc Fabregas) and we'll all be watching.

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