Six Shrewd Summer Signings

As the Premier League season draws to a close, I’ve decided to take a look back at the summer signings who have proven to be the best value for money. If you think there are any players who are more than worthy of a mention, drop me a comment. Otherwise, be sure to vote for who you think has been the signing of the season!

Scott Parker – £5.5million

Arriving from relegated West Ham, Tottenham splashed out £5.5million to secure the services of the combative midfielder. Parker has only missed three Premier League matches since his arrival on August 31, proving how much of a valuable asset he is to manager Harry Redknapp. The 31-year-old, who was named Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year last season, has added some steel in Spurs’ midfield and his presence has allowed the likes of Luka Modric, Gareth Bale and Aaron Lennon to express themselves more freely.  The transfer has also seen Parker become a more regular starter for England. He was named as captain for the friendly against Netherlands in February by caretaker manager Stuart Pearce and will no doubt hope to take on the role permanently as England prepare for Euro 2012 in Poland and Ukraine this summer.

Demba Ba – £500,000

Another arrival from West Ham, the Senegalese striker has been nothing short of a revelation since setting foot on Tyneside for a mere £500,000. The 26-year-old has netted 16 times for Newcastle in the league this season, including a hat-trick against Stoke, who turned down the opportunity to sign him for £7million in January 2011, claiming his knee was ‘a ticking time-bomb.’ Although Ba has struggled to replicate his fantastic early season form – he’s only scored once in the league since playing for Senegal in their fruitless African Cup of Nations campaign – he remains a key part of Newcastle’s side as they look to consolidate a European slot and has moved into a more wider role in recent games as manager Alan Pardew looks to accommodate January signing Papiss Cisse in the starting line-up.

James McClean – £400,000

Staying in the North East, the rise of James McClean at Sunderland in the second half of the season has been nothing short of remarkable. After being out of favour under Steve Bruce, McClean has emerged as a regular starter under current manager Martin O’Neill. The 22-year-old scored on his second start for the club and currently has four Premier League goals to his name as well as five assists from his role on the left wing. His performances this season have also caught the eye of Irish national coach Giovanni Trappatoni, who called him up to the squad at the second time of asking for a friendly against the Czech Republic in February, where he won his first cap coming on as a 78th minute substitute. McClean certainly has a big future ahead of him and it will be interesting to see how he performs for Ireland in their Euro 2012 campaign if he is given the playing time.

Brad Friedel – Free

Another smart signing by Harry Redknapp, Friedel, 40, has been an ever-present for Spurs in the Premier League this season. In playing every game, the American has continued his record for the most consecutive Premier League games, which now stretches to over 300 games from when he was at Blackburn and Aston Villa before his move to White Hart Lane. Friedel has been a figure of solidity in goal, a phrase that could not often be used to describe his predecessor Heurelho Gomes, and his wealth of experience has no doubt benefited the Spurs defence as they look to secure Champions League football for the second time in three seasons.

Yakubu – £1.5million

After almost making his loan move to the Championship permanent after a successful loan spell at Leicester City during the second half of last season, Blackburn signed the 29-year-old Nigerian and he has certainly proven that he can still perform at Premier League level. The Yak has scored 14 goals in the Premier League, almost a third of Blackburn’s total, including four against Swansea earlier in the season. Although Yakubu’s work rate and fitness is sometimes questioned, he is undoubtedly a huge threat in front of goal and without him, who knows what predicament Blackburn would currently be in as they battle to hold onto their Premier League status.

Danny Graham – £3.5million 

Despite the relatively low transfer fee in this day and age, Graham was Swansea’s record signing when he moved from Watford in the summer and his form this season has shown that he’s been worth every penny. After struggling for first team experience at Middlesbrough, where he scored only one league goal, Graham signed for Carlisle United after a successful loan spell. Thirty goals in two full seasons for Carlisle was enough for Championship club Watford to make a move and he continued his goal scoring form in London with another 38 goals in two seasons. The 26-year-old has 10 league goals to his name this season, making him Swansea’s top scorer, which shows that he hasn’t been fazed by the step up and is a role model to all Football League players who have ambitions of playing in the best league in the world.

Unfortunate to miss out are Newcastle’s Yohan Cabaye, a £4million signing from Lille, Sunderland’s Sebastian Larsson, who arrived on a free transfer from relegated Birmingham, and Norwich’s Steve Morison and Anthony Pilkington, who have performed well as Paul Lambert aims to finish the Canaries in the top half.