Footy Rhubarb
The EPL season started on the weekend and the excitement is starting to build. A brand new season comes with it brand new teams, managers, players, tactics, and talking points. New players is the big one though and seeing them integrate into their new teams is the most immediately satisfying aspect once the season kicks off. The Premier League has seen some fantastic players over the years and I'm sure there will be some newcomers this season that will light up the league and who knows, even end up becoming EPL legends. Lets look at some newbies who will be gracing the EPL this year.
Aaron Cresswell
Cresswell is making the step up to the Premier League from The Championship after his transfer from Ipswich to West Ham. Cresswell has been considered one of the best full-backs in the Championship for the last two seasons and at the age of 24 has still to reach his peak. He has been linked with top flight teams many times before and it somewhat of a surprise that it has taken this long for him to make the step up. He is a solid left-sided player who loves to get forward and suits West Ham's style of play to get it wide and whip balls in the box. I can see him having a good season and I think he could also plant a seed of thought in Roy Hodgson's mind and put pressure on Shaw for the back up left-back slot for England.
Alexis Sanchez
This is the most exciting one for me as he is a very talented player and I'm surprised Barcelona decided to sell him. He made a total of 88 appearances for the Catalonia club scoring 39 times - impressive for a wide player. He's got it all; pace, skill, power, strength, and a good head on his shoulders. There is no doubt he is a team player and a real battler, perfect for Arsenal. Playing for the Gunners will see him flourish, he could well be the final piece of the jigsaw for Wenger. The Chilean is perfect for the English game and will also provide a hefty amount of goals to take the burden off Olivier Giroud. Arsenal have got real depth in strength and with a suitable replacement for Vermaelen as well as a defensive midfielder - they are real contenders.
Ander Hererra
Man United have been chasing this fella for awhile and finally landed him this summer and boy they need him. A bit of class was lacking in United's midfield last season and he will definitely bring that to the table. He has great technical ability, can slip a ball through the eye of a needle, and has a good work-rate. Van Gaal hasn't made too many moves in the transfer market so far and he definitely needs to make some more but I think this acquisition will definitely pay off. Having his creativity in the middle as well as being able to pick up the ball in deep areas will push the likes of Rooney further forward and give the Dutch manager more options going forward. Some players like Hererra take time to settle and that may be the case but it wont be too long before he starts to impress.
Eric Dier
Dier is quite a weird signing as I'm assuming the main reason he's been brought in by Spurs is because he is young, cheap and English - which usually cost an arm and a leg. He has come from Sporting Lisbon and has learnt his trade in their academy which is very rare for an Englishman. He can play either center-back or defensive midfield but is primarily a defender. He's a big boy for the age of 20 and has done well to get recognized and be called up for the u21's so expect big things in the future.
Emre Can
Another young defensive midfielder who is he is so much like Michael Ballack it's scary. A big framed player with plenty of presence but also very mobile is the sort of player Liverpool need this season. Last season Liverpool relied heavily on Steven Gerrard and Jordan Henderson with back-up from Joe Allen and Lucas but with the added games of the Champions League they definitely needed more quality in the middle. He also shows Rodgers policy of signing them young but also gives the squad another player who can play that Gerrard role which could be crucial given the former England captain's age. He may struggle at first to get himself in the team with the presence of Gerrard and Henderson but as the games pile up he could be crucial. Look out for him because he looks a quality player.