Premier League Transfers: Four players who may have gone under the radar

Adam Baylis
05 August 2017

Chicharito aims to make it second time lucky in the Premier League

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In the wake of some big summer moves for players like Romelu Lukaku, Alvaro Morata and Kyle Walker; Adam Baylis takes a look at four shrewd acquisitions that may not have received the headlines they deserve...

"It's the signing of Hernandez that really catches the eye, best known for his cameo appearances at Man Utd he went on to score 28 in 54 appearances for Bayer Leverkusen over the past two seasons"

Bernardo Silva - AS Monaco to Manchester City

Generally a £40 million signing wouldn't fall into the 'under the radar' bracket but it seems amongst the furore of Kyle Walker's arrival at the Etihad that the acquisition of the Portuguese international has been somewhat forgotten.
He linked up with the team for the first time in a 3-0 victory over West Ham this week and despite being limited to 30 minutes, looked to fit into Pep Guardiola's midfield seamlessly. His performances against Spurs and City in last season's Champions League showcased just what he's capable of and arguably deserved more headlines than his Monaco teammate at the time, Kylian Mbappe.
Guardiola was faced with the harsh reality of the Premier League last year but acquisitions such as Silva and that of Bernard Mendy should set them on the path to a further Premier League title for which they can be backed at 15/8.

Steve Mounie - Montpellier to Huddersfield Town

Current relegation favourites Huddersfield Town face an obvious uphill battle if they're to retain Premier League status at the first time of asking. A major factor in deciding that will be Steve Mounie's ability to continue his impressive form for Montpellier last year.

The initial signs are positive, having already netted four goals in pre-season and setting his stall out as the teams primary target man. At 6ft 3 he's shown himself to be a real threat from set-pieces and David Wagner will be looking for him to notch a double figure goal tally to justify the £11m outlay.

Mounie is one of several shrewd acquisitions by the Terriers with Tom Ince having also hit the ground running with five goals in pre-season. They look to have done some of the best business in the window of the promoted clubs and the 13/8 offered for Wagner's men to finish above fellow promotion hopefuls Brighton is well worth considering.

Javier Hernandez - Bayer Leverkusen to West Ham

There were many calling for the sacking of Slaven Bilic at the end of last season but with the squad that West Ham had at their disposal, a mid-table finish was likely all they could've hoped for. However, in terms of strengthening ahead of this year's campaign, they've arguably outperformed all other teams by bringing in the likes of Joe Hart, Pablo Zabaleta and Javier Hernandez who have all tasted Premier League title glory in their careers to date.

It's the signing of Hernandez that really catches the eye, best known for his cameo appearances at Man Utd he went on to score 28 in 54 appearances for Bayer Leverkusen over the past two seasons and 'Chicharito' could be the out-and-out goal scorer that the Hammers have lacked in recent years.

He'll get good service from the likes of Michail Antonio and other recent signing Marko Arnautovic and could be the force that propels West Ham towards a Europa League spot. At the very least they can be expected to surpass some of their mid-table rivals from last season; they're EVS to finish above Southampton who still need reinforcements.

Jay Rodriguez - Southampton to West Bromwich Albion

Tony Pulis spent most of January attempting to bring Jay Rodriguez to the Hawthorns unsuccessfully but finally got his man this summer. The former Southampton man has been blighted with injuries over the past few seasons but at his peak was selected by Roy Hodgson to feature for England. Five goals primarily from substitute appearances last year showed that the flame does indeed still burn and the initial signs from pre-season at his new club have been promising, netting twice.

It's likely that Pulis will utilise Rodriguez as a foil for target man Salomon Rondon and if the pair can form a good working relationship, they have the ability to do some real damage. West Brom are still a few players short of where they need to be but providing they get fresh bodies on board, there's every chance that they can retain their title as Top Midlands Club for which they're available at 3/1.

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