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"Play for the name on the front of the shirt and they'll remember the name on the back"

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22 July, 2014

Assessing 5 Premier League Imports




Alexis Sanchez (Arsenal, undisclosed)

Sanchez comes to Arsenal from the Catalan giants Barcelona, whom he joined in 2011.  Sanchez can play every attacking position and possesses great pace and creativity.  Sanchez impressed for Chile in the 2014 World Cup, and convinced Arsene Wenger to dole out a reported 35 million pounds for the winger.  Sanchez is seen by many the solution to Arsenal’s striking options, but it remains to be seen whether or not the Chilean speedster is the answer at the Emirates.  

Lazar Markovic (Liverpool, 20m pounds)

Markovic marks Brendan Rodgers’ fourth signing of the summer.  Markovic possesses great pace and acceleration, and can be deployed on either wing.  He is just 20 years old, but has been capped by the Serbian national team 13 times already.  Markovic was crucial in helping Benfica reach the Europa league final but missed the actual fixture due to suspension.  With champions league football and more fixtures on the horizon for Liverpool, Markovic will undoubtedly be marked for inclusion this year.  

Ander Herrera (Manchester United, 29m pounds)

Herrera has proven himself in La Liga as a true box-to-box midfielder in the making, creating 53 chances and completing 73 tackles in the 2013/2014 season.  His tackling numbers were better than any Spanish player at the World Cup, and it is foreseeable that he could feature heavily in the Euro 2016.  He was crucial in Spains U-19 World Cup victory in 2011, and is reportedly settling in at Old Trafford very well with the new staff.  

Diego Costa (Chelsea, 32m pounds)

This not-so-baby-faced assassin comes to London from Atletico Madrid, where he amassed 27 La Liga goals in 2013/2014.  Costa, who caused quite the stir in Brazil this summer by suiting up with Spain over his home country, will be the talisman striker for Chelsea, who did not boast any dominant center forwards last season.  Costa has a rare combination of size and athleticism, which make him one of the worlds deadliest strikers when he is in form.  

Fernando (Manchester City, 12m pounds)

This signing fits the modus operandi of Manuel Pellegrini, in that he is an established club player who is reliable and experienced.  However, he does not fit the m.o. of Manchester City, who we are accustomed to seeing spend barrels and barrels of oil money each transfer window.  It’s a very good signing however, in that Fernando has so much experience with Porto, having been a first team player since 2007, still at the tender age of 26.  Fernando, ironically, will most likely partner with Fernandinho in midfield, perhaps forming one of the most confusing midfield duos in history.  

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