This campaign will likely be remembered more for its poor transfers than its good ones, but that's not to say there hasn't been any smart recruitment
There's been a lot of focus on poor Premier League signings over the past few seasons. Most of these sins have been committed by Chelsea and Manchester United, though these recruitment blunders have been witnessed throughout the league.
This seems to prove how difficult it can be to get good value for your money when every selling club knows how well-resourced you are. However, it's not all bad news for Premier League sporting directors. Amid this deluge of disappointment, there's been other signings that have thrived at their new clubs during the 2023-24 season.
From free agents rekindling the magic of their youth, to record-breaking fees being forgotten about in a matter of games, GOAL takes a look at some of the players that have bucked the trend. Here are the 21 best signings of the Premier League season:
Getty Images21Callum Hudson-Odoi – Nottingham Forest (£5m)
Nottingham Forest haven't always been the smartest in the transfer market, but their signing of Hudson-Odoi will go down as one of the best-value deals in recent Premier League history. The Tricky Trees paid Chelsea just £5 million ($6.3m) for the winger's services this summer, a quite incredible price considering he counts towards their homegrown quota and was once courted by Bayern Munich.
And after several years of toil following a damaging Achilles injury, Hudson-Odoi has repaid the faith shown in him by Forest, chipping in with a string of important goals. He saved his best display for one of Forest's most-important games of the season too, notching a match-winning brace against Sheffield United in early May.
AdvertisementGetty Images20Justin Kluivert – Bournemouth (£10m)
Bournemouth had a busy summer, making nine signings as Andoni Iraola attempted to stamp his identity on the squad. Not all of his new arrivals have been hits, but Kluivert – one of his cheapest additions – deserves praise for establishing himself as the Cherries' go-to No.10 during the second half of the season.
Bournemouth have never lost a game in which the Dutchman has scored whilte his work-rate without the ball also suits him well to Iraola's master plan. There's still improvements to be made in his game, but after registering his best seasonal goal return since leaving Ajax as a youngster, all the signs are positive heading into the new season.
Getty19Joao Pedro – Brighton (£30m)
After being linked with a move away from Watford for what felt like an eternity, Joao Pedro finally upped sticks and joined Brighton last summer. The Seagulls did well to secure the Brazilian's signature, with a host of top Premier League clubs taking a look at the forward at some point over the past few years – and his performances since arriving show why.
Pedro scored in every one of his side's Europa League group-stage games, including an 88th-minute winner against Marseille, which gave Brighton fans one of the best nights in recent memory. He's chipped with a decent amount of Premier League goals too, including the dagger in a 4-1 victory over rivals Crystal Palace, with that strike helping him reach the 20-goal mark for the first time in his young career.
Getty Images18Adam Wharton – Crystal Palace (£22m)
He may have only arrived in the Premier League at the tail end of the January transfer window, but Wharton has still done enough to warrant inclusion on this list. After a tricky start on his debut against rivals Brighton, where he was responsible for one of the Seagulls' four goals, he quickly became one of Oliver Glasner's most important players.
Drawing similarities to Declan Rice, Wharton's well-rounded, dominant midfield displays have even seen him mentioned as a wildcard pick for England's Euro 2024 squad. One thing's for sure, a few Premier League clubs will be cursing themselves for allowing Palace to sign him practically unopposed this winter.