The transfer window isn't slowing down, which is why it's best to take a step back and analyze what happened in the first month. Let's look at some of the bigger summer transfers heading into the 2023-24 Premier League season.
GOALKEEPERS
Andre Onana, Manchester United
Onana is set to take over the No. 1 role at Manchester United following his move from Inter Milan and the departure of David de Gea. Capable of playing out from the back with his feet due to his impressive passing ability and an aggressive sweeper-keeper style, Onana is a proven top-flight goalkeeper having played five seasons of Champions League football with both Inter and Ajax. He should be viewed as one of the top options in his position for fantasy managers willing to pay the price after de Gea collected 17 clean sheets in league play last season.
Guglielmo Vicario, Tottenham
Vicario joins Spurs from Empoli in Serie A and will likely take the starting spot from Hugo Lloris, who looks set to move elsewhere. While Lloris has been a long-standing pillar in goal and as the captain of Spurs, he's coming off a brutal season and has been on the downturn in recent years. Vicario's statistics don't look impressive playing for an Empoli side that finished 14th the last two seasons, but he's a capable shot-stopper and could be discounted in fantasy drafts or by his pricing in FPL due to the uncertainty over who will start for Spurs this season.
DEFENDERS
Jurrien Timber, Arsenal
Timber makes the move to Arsenal after signing from Ajax where he's experienced Champions League football the past three seasons. Mikel Arteta is trying to replicate the successful team builds of Manchester City and Timber gives him a versatile option across his backline, providing cover at center-back and right-back as a player who can progressively carry the ball better than Ben White, while adequately stepping into midfield as an inverted full-back. Timber is also capable of forming a back three with his center-back partners allowing either Oleksandr Zinchenko or Kieran Tierney the ability to get forward from left-back. The main thing Timber adds is depth for Arsenal, but he's worth a look especially if he's a cheap option in fantasy initially with the hope that he carves out a permanent role for one of the best teams in the league.
Milos Kerkez, Bournemouth
If you play FIFA (now EA FC 24) you may be familiar with Kerkez as one of the higher-potential full-backs in the game. In real life, Kerkez joins Bournemouth and will take the spot of Matias Vina or whoever (they tried a few) played on the left side of the defense. Kerkez scored five goals and provided two assists in 44 appearances between the Eredivisie and UEFA Conference League last season while sending in 100 crosses in league play. There's attacking upside, but with an uncertain role to start the season combined with a mid-level Bournemouth side, that may limit him to being a streaming option in good matchups.
Ola Aina, Nottingham Forest
Aina is a similar player to Kerkez in profile as he joins Nottingham Forest ahead of the 2023-24 season. A wing-back who can play on either flank, Aina will likely step into the role vacated by Renan Lodi, as well as Harry Toffolo, who has some betting charges against him. Aina scored once and provided only one assist in 19 appearances for Torino in an injury-plagued season, crossing 35 times. Like Kerkez, Aina is probably relegated to a matchup streamer due to an uncertain role and playing for one of the Premier League's weaker sides.
MIDFIELDERS
Mahmoud Dahoud, Brighton
Dahoud joins Brighton after five seasons with Borussia Dortmund, seeing dwindling playing time over the course of his time with the Bundesliga side. Dahoud is a smart signing for Brighton after already losing Alexis Mac Allister this summer and with the impending potential departure of Moises Caicedo. That said, there's not a lot to love here from a fantasy perspective as Dahoud is more of a defensive-minded midfielder than a progressive carrier of the ball or creator.
Dominik Szoboszlai, Liverpool
Szoboszlai makes the move to Anfield after spending the past two seasons at RB Leipzig in Germany. It's a major signing for Liverpool as they rebuild their midfield, though Szoboszlai is also adept at playing in any role across their front three. He is one of the most exciting young, attacking talents in European football, scoring 15 goals and providing 18 assists across all competitions in his two seasons at Leipzig. He's likely to play as a No. 8 in midfield alongside fellow new signee Alexis Mac Allister, but he could also feature as a No. 10 depending on how Jurgen Klopp lines up a somewhat revamped squad. Szoboszlai has major upside based on his attacking prowess but also due to his elite ability from corners and free kicks if he can wrestle that role away from the likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold and/or Andrew Robertson. The only real question is how quickly he adjusts to the league.
Sandro Tonali, Newcastle
Newcastle flexed their financial muscles by bringing in Tonali from AC Milan where he spent his past three seasons, scoring seven goals and providing nine assists in Serie A while creating 106 chances and crossing an impressive 238 times in 70 appearances. On paper, Tonali looks like a great buy for fantasy managers, but further analysis shows that while his stat totals are impressive on paper, the majority of his crosses and chances created came from his role as a dead-ball specialist, a role he is not guaranteed to carryover to his new club due to the presence of Kieran Trippier. While being an adept passer of the ball, Tonali's open-play value is not as high as many other players he may end up being priced around for fantasy purposes, and even then, league starts are far from guaranteed with Champions League now on the table for Newcastle.
FORWARDS
Moussa Diaby, Aston Villa
As a Leverkusen fan, I was holding out hope that Diaby would spend one more season at the club, but it wasn't met to be, as Aston Villa came calling. Diaby has been incredible for Leverkusen since joining the club in 2019, scoring 30 goals and providing 35 assists in the Bundesliga. Diaby is explosive as a dribbler on the ball, has electric speed and is a proven finisher, creator and crosser of the ball. There's a lot to like in this profile for fantasy purposes with the only questions being his adjustment to the Premier League and where he fits in on the depth chart at Villa.
Joao Pedro, Brighton
Pedro returns to the Premier League spending parts of two seasons in the top flight with Watford as a teenager, as he joins Brighton ahead of the new campaign. While he's put together two impressive campaigns in the Championship, scoring 20 goals and providing six assists across 73 appearances, Pedro has never quite put things together in the Premier League. That said, he was playing for Watford sides that were relegated and not a team as talented as Brighton. Pedro will have to show versatility to see consistent playing time, but minutes should be there on a team set for Europa League competition. While he's likely not a needed asset to start the season, Pedro is one to watch for fantasy managers to see just how he will be used with his new club.
Christopher Nkunku, Chelsea
Like Diaby, Nkunku is another PSG youth product who left Paris for a top-flight Bundesliga club in 2019, as he's spent the past four campaigns at RB Leipzig. Nkunku was prolific in Germany, scoring 47 goals in the Bundesliga while adding 11 more in the Champions League. Not quite a striker, Nkunku can play as a center forward, on the wings, in attacking midfield or even as an advanced No. 8. Nkunku has major upside as an accomplished goalscorer and creator who takes a ton of shots, crosses and provides chances created. He will likely be priced accordingly and should be a locked-in starter for Chelsea with the main concerns being adjustment to a new league and if Chelsea as a whole can rebound from a terrible season.
Nicolas Jackson, Chelsea
Another new Chelsea attacking option is Jackson, who joined the club after bursting onto the scene with Villarreal in 2022-23, scoring 12 times and providing four assists in La Liga. Jackson is an out-and-out striker who crossed only five times in 26 appearances, but he created 22 chances with 41 shots as a strong carrier of the ball into the penalty area. Chelsea have been crying out for a goal-scoring forward and Jackson is good at both making creative runs and playing with his back to goal while having good movement and timing in making attacking runs.
