Bruno Fernandes, Danny Ings and the five best Premier League signings of the season

Top-level football expert David Webb analyses the best buys of 2019-20

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  Youri Tielemans (Leicester, £40 million (Dh192m) from Monaco) - Webb: “I watched him playing for Anderlecht in an Under-19s tournament when he was only 15 and he was the best player in the tournament by far. He reminded me of a young Moussa Dembele: technically very good, strong in possession, very smart for a young player. He could score goals, he could create goals but he could also stop goals. For me, he could go a little bit higher, maybe in two or three years when he is bedded in to the pace of the Premier League." Reuters

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  Mateo Kovacic (Chelsea, £40 million from Real Madrid) - Webb: “A very, very intelligent football player. He can dictate a game effortlessly. His tactical positioning is very good. He is excellent tactically and very strong physically so he has got a bit of everything. For a good No 8 he can contribute by passing forward, he doesn’t just keep the ball safe. He can control the game if it needs to be slowed down and keep possession for a while, he can recover back defensively.” Getty

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  Oliver McBurnie (Sheffield United, £19 million from Swansea) - Webb: “A really good fit. Chris Wilder has got four different types of strikers because Sheffield United like to get crosses in, they like to get the ball forward quickly, they can keep the ball and play more possession based. McBurnie has got a bit of everything. He can contribute in the build-up play, he can contribute in the box, he is aggressive and can get on the end of crosses but he can also run in behind so he gives them a different point of attack depending on the opposition. His work rate off the ball is phenomenal. Sheffield United certainly did their homework when they recruited him.” PA

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  Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United, £46 million from Sporting) - Webb: “A fantastic signing because Manchester United lacked that creativity and lacked someone who could dictate the game for them especially with Paul Pogba being injured for long periods. When they have got a lot of pace in front like Mason Greenwood, Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial, you have to have a Bruno Fernandes. If you have someone like Fernandes playing as a No 10 or an attacking No 8 who can see a pass or split a defence, he can feed them very quickly and that’s why United’s goal rate has gone up. He can be an architect for those very quick players. It was a very, very smart signing, not only him as an individual but to get the best of the attacking players around him.” AFP

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  Danny Ings (Southampton, £18 million from Liverpool) - Webb: “Danny has always had that quality and natural knack of scoring goals and he suits a certain style of play. Southampton are very aggressive, they press from the front, they like to get the ball in to him early and the system they play suits him. Ralph Hasenhuttl is a teacher so he will get the best out of the players. Danny Ings’ strikerate wherever he has gone, apart from Liverpool where he lacked the opportunity, has always been very good, one in two or one in three, so he will score goals. Southampton was a perfect fit for him because under Eddie Howe at Burnley and Bournemouth he played a similar type of football but maybe a bit higher-paced [now]. You suddenly see Danny Ings scoring goals again but it was no coincidence he did as well as he did.” AFP

Every transfer window, Premier League clubs spend millions on signing players they hope will make their season.

Some never work out, while others can make a huge difference.

Football insider David Webb, who worked in recruitment for Mauricio Pochettino at Tottenham, scouted for Southampton and Bournemouth, discovered Wilfried Zaha and was head of football operations at Huddersfield, casts an expert eye over five of the best transfers of last season.