The Premier League signings are steadily rolling in, so our Summer Transfer Analysis will delve into 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 Draft Premier League 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!
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The Premier League New Summer Transfer Signings covered here occurred between September 6th and September 12th.
Summer Transfer Analysis 20/21
We outline each Premier League new signing individually, providing our views on how they will perform this season and a star rating is 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!
Ryan Fraser
Position: Midfielder (Midfielder in Fantrax)
Team: Newcastle United
Signed From: AFC Bournemouth on a free transfer
Prospects: Pairing up Callum Wilson with Ryan Fraser was a brilliant piece of business by Newcastle. Just two seasons ago they combined for 12 goals in the Premier League – the second-highest tally achieved by a duo in EPL history. Like Wilson, Fraser did not perform at the levels expected of him last season, but he was part of a disappointing Bournemouth side that ultimately went down. Prior to his brilliant 2018/19 season he had solid seasons with 5 goals and 3 assists, and then 3 goals and 5 assists the season before that. All things considered, Fraser has produced the goods more often than not, and perhaps we should allow him a down year given that he was in the final year of his contract and was clearly unhappy with how things were playing out.
Verdict: Newcastle won’t become an attacking team this season, but they almost have to improve on last season when it comes to creating chances, and Fraser should be a driving force behind that. The new Fantrax projections have him at 193.5 points for the season but I think that’s a bit on the low side. I think he could hit 250.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1/2
James Rodriguez
Position: Attacking Midfielder (Midfielder in Fantrax)
Team: Everton
Signed From: Real Madrid on a free transfer
Prospects: The over-hyped signing of the summer surely falls at the feet of James Rodriguez to Everton. Remember Renato Sanches to Swansea? This smells a bit like an up-market version of that. And if you can’t remember how that turned out, there’s a reason. It was bad. It’s not identical, of course. Sanchez’s arrival was based on potential rather than pedigree, which apparently is what Rodriguez brings, but you get the picture. The success of this transfer probably lies in how many games he starts. Near or above 30, and he could be a legitimate top 20 midfielder, worthy of 70-80% of FAAB. But he’s started just 67 league games in the last 5 seasons at Bayern and Real Madrid. That is a huge red flag. The fact that Everton was able to acquire his services at what should be his peak (he’s 29 years old) is another. On the other hand…this ain’t too shabby.
Verdict: I’m going to call it: he ends with 200 points – less than Ryan Fraser and a bunch of other less exciting options. Fully aware though that I could be made to look very, very stupid. This is as “high-risk, high-reward” as we will probably see this summer.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1/2
Update: This was written on Saturday 12th…the Everton game on the Sunday hasn’t caused a complete u-turn in the assessment, but Rodriguez sure did look good (particularly so from a fantasy value perspective). The biggest positive is the fact that Ancelotti was willing to start him after he only signed on the Monday – this is a big statement of his faith in the player. ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️
Abdoulaye Doucoure
Position: Midfielder (Midfielder in Fantrax)
Team: Everton
Signed From: Watford for £19.9m
Prospects: The ex-Watford man had a down year last season, seeing his goal contributions (goals + assists) drop to just 6, after hitting double-figures in the previous two campaigns. Not surprisingly, his fantasy value suffered, and he was no longer the reliable midfield option of previous years. Can he get that back under Ancelotti? It’ll be interesting to see where he plays. With a lot of people predicting Everton to line up in a 433, the decision as to whether Doucoure gets the Pogba role or the Bruno Fernandes role will have a big impact on his fantasy value.
Verdict: In real life, I like this signing. In the world of Fantrax fantasy, I’m undecided. It really does depend on his position, and when this article is released we should know more. If he’s tasked with more defensive duties, we could have a repeat of last season (252 points). If he plays further forward, we could have a return to 2017-18 Doucoure (325 points).
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Jamal Lewis
Position: Left Back (Defender in Fantrax)
Team: Newcastle United
Signed From: Norwich City for £14.9m
Prospects: The first thing to clarify here is that Newcastle isn’t spending nearly £15m on a bench player, and with the arrival of Fraser too, the value of Matt Ritchie has taken a massive hit in the last week. Back to Lewis though. It’s tough to know how to assess him – almost all Norwich fans rate him very highly, but this ability was rarely seen last year. Yes, he was part of a horrendous defense, but if he (and Aarons and Godfrey) are as good as we are told, then that defense shouldn’t have been so bad. Newcastle is one of the rare teams whose fullbacks tend to score lower than their center-backs (Rose, for instance, had a post-restart PP90 of 3.42), and there’s nothing to suggest things have changed.
Verdict: I would hold off on acquiring Lewis (or bid 0 and hope nobody else bothers). He could end with 200+ points based on playing a lot of minutes, but I can’t see his FP/G ending over 7 – and those are ceiling numbers.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️
Ollie Watkins
Position: Forward (Forward in Fantrax)
Team: Aston Villa
Signed From: Brentford for £27.7m
Prospects: The high transfer fee may have been ridiculed in some circles, but in terms of ability, the general perception is that Watkins could be a very good player for Villa. There’s no doubting that he had a helluva season for Brentford last year – 26 goals were scored in total and Dean Smith would be ecstatic if he could get just half of that this year. Drafterthoughts calculated his PP90 last season at 12.2, with a fairly high GACS reliance of 42%, so owners should be wary not to expect a double-digit PP90 as he makes the climb into the Premier League.
Verdict: Watkins is definitely one to target – he will play a lot at Villa. His ceiling could be as high as 300 total points if Villa has a good season (i.e. not fighting relegation), or 200 if not.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Oliver Burke
Position: Attacking Midfielder (Midfielder in Fantrax)
Team: Sheffield United
Signed From: West Bromwich Albion for an undisclosed fee
Prospects: Is Oliver Burke the only Scottish player to have played in the Premier League, Bundesliga, and La Liga before the age of 24? I have no idea, but if someone finds out that would be a great quiz question. The strange career of Burke now takes him to Sheffield United, and Wilder has suggested that he will be used primarily as an option up top. This out-of-position status is a positive for potential owners – as is his competition for a first-team spot. McBurnie was excellent in the second half of last season, and Sharp, Mousset, and McGoldrick aren’t bad players, but it’s not like Fabio Silva walking into the Wolves dressing room and seeing who he’s up against. He’ll no doubt be on the bench for now – and may even stay there – but RB Leipzig once spent £13.7m on him so he clearly has the potential to be the number one forward at Bramall Lane by the end of the season.
Verdict: I’ve emphasized Burke’s potential in the above blurb, but that’s exactly what it is right now: potential. We’ve seen nothing to suggest he can cut it in the Premier League, so waiver bids must surely stay in the 0-2% range. Realistically Burke maybe gets just 100 total fantasy points this season, but he’s worth keeping an eye on.
Rating: ⭐️ 1/2
Michy Batshuayi
Position: Forward (Forward in Fantrax)
Team: Crystal Palace
Signed From: Chelsea on loan
Prospects: He’s back! Batshuayi is back at Palace – the place where he scored 5 goals in 757 minutes of football in 2019 (that may not sound that good, but remember: it’s Palace). It’s no secret that the forward hasn’t quite turned into the Didier-Drogba type player that Chelsea hoped when they signed him, but in fairness, he hasn’t been given that much of a chance either. Detractors may point to his disappointing loan spell at Valencia, but by my count, he’s still 4-2 up when it comes to teams he’s done well for versus teams he hasn’t. Oh, and he’s scored 18 goals in 30 games for Belgium. That’s very good.
Verdict: If his last spell at Palace is anything to go by (PP90 of 10.5, btw), Batsman could easily score 10+ goals this season, and if that’s the case, we’re probably looking in the region of 300 points. I like this signing…it’ll be interesting to see what happens with Benteke now…
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Alphonse Areola
Position: Goalkeeper (Goalkeeper in Fantrax)
Team: Fulham
Signed From: Paris Saint-Germain on loan
Prospects: This piece is being written just as the lineups have been announced for the Fulham-Arsenal game, and Areola isn’t on it. This may not seem surprising given that he only signed on Wednesday, but goalkeeper is hardly a position where a player needs time to gel with his teammates so I think it at least tells us that Areola hasn’t blown Scott Parker away just yet. I do expect him to eventually take the number 1 spot though – he was PSG’s number 1 in 2017-18, and Villarreal’s in 2015-16 – so he’s clearly good enough to beat out current incumbent Marek Rodak. Unfortunately for fantasy owners, he will be part of a Fulham side that conceded more than a goal a game in the Championship, so clean sheets are likely to be rare in the Premier League. That’s not to say he can’t still score points – after all, that’s what makes the Fantrax scoring system so good – but it definitely doesn’t help matters.
Verdict: Goalkeepers should always be a week-by-week pick in my opinion, but especially so early in the season. It’s unlikely that there will be many (/any) weeks where Areola looks the good option to bring in.
Rating: ⭐️
Ethan Ampadu
Position: Centre Back/Defensive Midfielder (Defender in Fantrax)
Team: Sheffield United
Signed From: Chelsea on loan
Prospects: Twitter seemed to really love this signing, which is strange considering that the player has played just 566 minutes of first-team football in the previous two seasons. I’m guessing that the love is based on FIFA/Football manager – not exactly a convincing argument (it could also be that there are a lot of subscribers to Chelsea’s under-23 matches, but I’m going to guess that it’s not this). Like Burke and the man below, Ampadu has been signed to bolster what was a thin squad, though of the three he is probably the most likely to break into and consolidate a starting spot.
Verdict: It’s unclear whether Ampadu will play more in defense or midfield, but either way, this is not a signing to get too excited about. All of Sheffield United’s players will probably finish a couple of points below last season’s FP/G’s, and probably 50+ points below their season totals, so don’t make the mistake of thinking he could be the “new O’Connell” or “new Norwood”.
Rating: ⭐️ 1/2
Jayden Bogle
Position: Right Back (Defender in Fantrax)
Team: Sheffield United
Signed From: Derby County for £3.5m
Prospects: Another player brought in by the Blades to act as competition in the defense; this time to Baldock on the right-hand side. Unlike Ampadu, Bogle has been signed permanently, and at 20 years old he could be seen as one for the future, and therefore not rushed into the first team any time soon. He’s had two good seasons at Derby County, racking up an impressive 14 assists in 80 appearances. Again, don’t expect to see fantasy returns similar to Baldock last season; in part because I don’t think Baldock will replicate those, but also because Bogle will take time getting used to the wingback system employed by Wilder (he played in a back 4 at Derby). People talk about Sheffield United being dependent upon their system (which they are), but this isn’t reflected in the fantasy world. If it was, we would see backups return similar numbers to starters, and last season showed that not to be the case (see Osborne, Robinson, and to a lesser extent, Berge).
Verdict: Clearly not a draft-able or waiver-able option for now, but is he someone to stream if/when Baldock is rested/dropped? I’m not so sure. Probably looking at next season before he makes an impact.
Rating: ⭐️
Vitor Ferreira
Position: Attacking Midfield (Midfielder in Fantrax)
Team: Wolverhampton Wanderers
Signed From: FC Porto on loan
Prospects: Very little to go on with this, with the 20-year-old having played just 118 minutes of first-team football (all as a substitute at Porto). But Wolves know a thing or two about the talent in Portugal, so that’s something. Sofascore suggests that he is predominantly a central attacking midfielder, perhaps with a tendency to drift out to the right, but this is based on very little time on the pitch, so who knows how Nuno will use him (if at all).
Verdict: It would be a huge surprise if Vitor Ferreira (or Vitinha as he is often known) becomes fantasy relevant this season. Perhaps at the back end of the season he might become useful, similar to Daniel Podence last year.
Rating: ⭐️
Kenny Tete
Position: Right-Back (Defender in Fantrax)
Team: Fulham
Signed From: Olympique Lyon for £2.9 m
Prospects: Fulham’s 7th signing of the summer (just 4 have been permanent) is 24-year old Kenny Tete, who was previously the back-up right back for 3 years at Lyon, and back-up right back at Ajax for 3 years prior to that. Despite this, he has managed to accumulate an impressive 13 caps for the Netherlands. Sofascore’s attribute overview pentagon suggests he’s a considerable upgrade on Dennis Odoi in pretty much every aspect, so it may not be long before he does finally become a first-team regular.
Verdict: A defender at a team favored to be relegated? No thanks. It’s not impossible that such situations can still be productive (see Rico and Masina’s occasional big returns last season), but these tend to be very much the exception to the rule.
Rating: ⭐️ 1/2
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