WhoScored.com look at the key stats on 10 of this season's top-performing summer signings
Saturday 19 January 2019 07:43, UK
Premier League sides are scrambling for January additions but which summer signings have shone so far this season?
From West Ham's Felipe Anderson to Leicester's James Maddison, WhoScored.com have picked out 10 of the top performers.
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When West Ham spent a club-record £42m to sign Felipe Anderson, few could have foreseen the Brazilian having such a sustained impact so early on in the capital.
The Brazilian has scored eight and assisted two in his 22 Premier League outings for Manuel Pellegrini's side. He has made 41 key passes - more than any other West Ham player. Anderson is also top for successful dribbles (41) and, interestingly, for tackles (52) too.
The former Lazio man has returned a WhoScored.com rating of 7.33 for his efforts, that the 12th highest in the Premier League this season.
Wolves' impressive summer transfer business has helped them to 11th after 22 league games, and a top-half finish remains the target for the Midlands side. More impressive still is that they're just three points off seventh and while just one win in their last five has seen them drop off the pace slightly, Nuno Espirito Santo will be confident of improving their position.
Striker Raul Jimenez has played an influential role on the frontline, the Mexican enjoying a fine debut season in England. Indeed, Jimenez has scored six and assisted four goals for Wolves in the Premier League, having a direct hand in 10 of the 23 league goals they've netted. As such, it's no surprise to see him land a WhoScored.com of 7.00 for his efforts.
A deal that was confirmed out of nothing, Liverpool's capture of Fabinho swelled their midfield ranks and is a key reason for the Reds' sustained title pursuit. The Brazilian may have struggled to command a regular spot in Jurgen Klopp's preferred XI in the early months of his Liverpool campaign, but he is now one of the team's midfield linchpins.
His versatility is an added bonus for Klopp and the title favourites, yet it's his defensive discipline that has caught the eye, with Fabinho chipping in with 2.5 tackles and 1.2 interceptions per 90 minutes in the Premier League this season, returning a WhoScored.com rating of 7.00.
Sticking with the Reds, Xherdan Shaqiri has proven to be quite the hit at Anfield, notably due to his man-of-the-match display in the 3-1 win over Manchester United that ultimately cost Jose Mourinho his job.
The Swiss star has added another dimension to Liverpool's attack and provides crucial cover in a number of positions across the frontline, which has helped their title push. The 27-year-old has six goals and two assists to his name, meaning Shaqiri is having a direct hand in a goal every 111.5 minutes, gaining a 6.91 WhoScored.com rating.
Manchester City made Riyad Mahrez the second-most expensive signing in the club's history when they paid Leicester City £60m to secure the Algerian's services over the summer.
A low point came with his penalty miss in the 0-0 draw at Liverpool, but with five goals and two assists to his name, the 27-year-old is beginning to look the part in Pep Guardiola's Manchester City side. His WhoScored.com rating of 6.87 may not be worth shouting home about, but that increases to 7.28 when excluding substitute appearances.
One of the success stories of the season comes from Leicester, with Ricardo Pereira's WhoScored.com rating (7.35) enough for him to feature in the Premier League team of the season so far. The Portuguese defender has made an immediate impact the King Power Stadium following his arrival from FC Porto, becoming a key player for Claude Puel's side.
He has scored two goals and assisted three, but he has also shone with his defensive work. Pereira has made more tackles (80) than any other Premier League player this season, reinforcing a statistically-calculated WhoScored.com strength of 'tackling'.
On the opposite flank in the Premier League team of the season so far, Lucas Digne has grabbed the opportunity to revive his stuttering career with both hands. The Frenchman ended a difficult two-year spell in Barcelona when he swapped Catalonia for Merseyside last summer, with Marco Silva earmarking the Frenchman as Leighton Baines' long-term successor.
Indeed, his WhoScored.com rating (7.36) is the best of all new signings and it's not hard to see why. Digne has scored three goals and provided three assists. He ranks top among defenders for accurate crosses (49) and key passes (41) in the Premier League this season.
Arsenal have long required a tenacious defensive midfielder and they corrected the problem position with the capture of Lucas Torreira last summer. The Uruguayan youngster arrived from Sampdoria and quickly stamped his authority in the middle of the park, his battling playing style rapidly instilling him as a fan favourite at the Emirates Stadium.
His 2.5 tackles and 1.7 interceptions per 90 minutes highlight his defensive work, leading many to dub Torreira as one of the signings of the season. His WhoScored.com rating (6.84) may not be the highest, but from starts only, it increases to a commendable 7.07 to help reinforce a successful opening few months to his Arsenal career.
After chopping and changing between Joe Hart and Adrian last season, West Ham appear to have settled on a first choice number one. Lukasz Fabianski may not be one of the most glamorous names in football, but the Pole has the Premier League experience the Hammers required between the sticks.
Only Cardiff's Neil Etheridge (81) has made more saves than Fabianski (80) in England's top tier this term while his WhoScored.com rating (7.01) is second only to Tottenham's Hugo Lloris (7.07) among Premier League goalkeepers.
The Championship's standout star last season, James Maddison hasn't looked out of place in the top-flight after making the leap between the two divisions. Leicester were the winners in the race to secure his services and they're benefitting from his performances in the final third, with the 22-year-old scoring five and assisting three for the Foxes.
He's top for key passes (53) of players aged 23 and under in Europe's top five leagues this season and his good form saw him rewarded with an England call-up in November. A series a solid displays have helped him to land a WhoScored.com rating of 7.16, the fourth best of all Leicester players this season.
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