The return of the Premier League is almost upon us, with Manchester United kicking off the 2024-25 campaign on Friday evening with a showdown against Fulham at Old Trafford.
While supporters across the globe will be excited to see the return of several familiar faces, there will also be a plethora of new signings seeking to make their mark in England's top division for the first time.
Here, Sports Mole picks out some of the best new signings from this summer's transfer window to watch out for in the 2024-25 Premier League season.
Riccardo Calafiori (Arsenal)
Arsenal boasted the strongest defence in the Premier League last season and Mikel Arteta has opted to bolster his options further by recruiting Italy international Riccardo Calafiori.
The 22-year-old, a standout performer for Italy at Euro 2024, was signed by Bologna for just £3.3m this time last year, but his exceptional form in his one and only season with the Serie A outfit has since earned him a £42m switch to the Emirates Stadium.
Calafiori was an integral part of the Bologna side that secured Champions League football for the first time in their history last season, and the versatile left-footer - comfortable operating at either centre-back or left-back - is set to provide competition for the likes of Gabriel Magalhaes and Oleksandr Zinchenko in 2024-25.
Matthijs de Ligt (Manchester United)
Another high-profile defensive signing made this summer is that of Netherlands international Matthijs de Ligt to Manchester United for an initial fee believed to be £38.5m.
After two seasons at Bayern Munich, the 25-year-old reunites with manager Erik ten Hag following their time together at Ajax, where the centre-back established himself as one of the rising stars in world football, winning the Eredivisie title in 2019.
Labelled "an outstanding defender and proven winner" by new sporting director Dan Ashworth, De Ligt arrives at Old Trafford with arguably a point to prove at the highest level after failing to make the desired impact at either Juventus or Bayern Munich.
Savinho (Manchester City)
Manchester City's sole summer signing, at the time of writing, is pacey Brazilian winger Savinho, who has joined the Premier League champions from sister club Troyes for an initial £21m.
The 20-year-old elevated his game to new heights on loan at Girona last season, scoring nine goals and providing 10 assists in 37 La Liga appearances to help the Spanish club secure a surprise top-three finish and qualify for the Champions League.
Also known as Savio, the skilful South American made his international debut for Brazil against England at Wembley earlier this year, and "he has a big role to play" for Man City this season and beyond according to the club's director of football Txiki Begiristain.
Filip Jorgensen (Chelsea)
Big-spenders Chelsea have made a total of 10 news signings to date and one of those hoping to immediately force his way into Enzo Maresca's starting lineup is goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen.
The 22-year-old has moved to Stamford Bridge for around £20.7m after enjoying a breakthrough season with Villarreal, where he became the club's first-choice shot-stopper in 2023-24, making 36 La Liga appearances.
Jorgensen, an 11-cap Denmark Under-21 international, is expected to compete for the number one jersey with Robert Sanchez, while Djordje Petrovic could be moved on by the Blues.
Niclas Fullkrug (West Ham United)
West Ham United have also enjoyed a busy summer transfer window under new head coach Julen Lopetegui and one of many standout arrivals at the London Stadium is that of Niclas Fullkrug from Borussia Dortmund.
The 31-year-old Germany international was on the Hammers' radar last summer before he made the move to Dortmund, where he scored 15 goals in 46 appearances for the 2023-24 Champions League runners-up.
West Ham have spent around £27m this summer to recruit Fullkrug, a powerful target man who will hope to become the focal point of Lopetegui's new-look attack ahead of 34-year-old Michail Antonio.
Yankuba Minteh (Brighton & Hove Albion)
Brighton & Hove Albion are reported to have forked out a club-record £33m to sign highly-rated attacker Yankuba Minteh from Newcastle United.
The 19-year-old joined the Magpies for just £6.5m last summer before being immediately loaned out to Feyenoord, where he enjoyed a successful 2023-24 campaign in front of goal, recording 10 goals and six assists in 27 league appearances.
Minteh, who also gained Champions League experience with Feyenoord last season, can operate in a variety of attacking positions and has already made a bright start to life under new Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler, scoring three goals and providing two assists across 242 minutes in pre-season.
Daichi Kamada (Crystal Palace)
One of the potential bargains of the summer could prove to be Crystal Palace's signing of playmaker Daichi Kamada, who has joined the Eagles on a free transfer upon the expiration of his contract at Lazio.
The 27-year-old Japan international did not quite make the desired impact during his one and only season in Serie A, but he certainly excelled with his previous club Eintracht Frankfurt where he worked under current Palace boss Oliver Glasner.
Kamada, who was part of Glasner's squad that won the 2021-22 Europa League, contributed with 40 goals and 33 assists in 179 matches for Frankfurt between 2017 and 2023, and he will be one of the men tasked with filling the creative void left behind by Michael Olise at Selhurst Park.
Liam Delap (Ipswich Town)
Liam Delap is the most likely candidate to lead the line for an Ipswich Town side who have returned to the Premier League for the first time in 22 years, after securing automatic promotion from the Championship last season.
The Tractor Boys have successfully lured Delap away from Manchester City in a deal which could rise to £20m, after the striker scored eight goals in 31 appearances on loan at Hull City in 2023-24.
Unlike the other players on this list, Delap has made two brief Premier League appearances as a substitute for Man City - his last was in December 2022 - but the 21-year-old can still be considered a newcomer to the English top flight and will be tasked with banging in the goals for Kieran McKenna's survival hopefuls in 2024-25.
Dean Huijsen (Bournemouth)
Another promising young player hoping to make his mark in the Premier League is 19-year-old centre-back Dean Huijsen, who has joined Bournemouth from Juventus for an initial £12.8m.
Huijsen only made one senior appearance for Juve, but he impressed on loan at Roma where he played 14 times in all competitions during the second half of last season.
The Spain Under-21 international stands at 6ft 5in and is a confident, composed defender on the ball who also has an eye for goal - he scored twice on loan at Roma and netted 16 times at youth level for Juventus.
Jake O'Brien (Everton)
Everton's backline has been strengthened by the addition of Republic of Ireland international Jake O'Brien, who has moved to Goodison Park for a reported £16.4m.
The 23-year-old was formerly on the books at Crystal Palace, who sold him to Lyon for just under £1m last summer, and the 6ft 6in defender immediately made a name for himself in France, playing 27 times in Ligue 1 last season.
O'Brien is back in England and hoping to slot straight into Sean Dyche's starting lineup, potentially alongside another highly-rated centre-back in Jarrad Branthwaite.
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