Which recruit will shine?

LONDON. — The English Premiership starts tomorrow and which summer signing will make the biggest impact in the top-flight league that has the biggest global audience in the world? The recruitment campaign is well under way with already more than £100m spent by English football’s elite — most of it on players from outside the United Kingdom. There are still two weeks remaining before the transfer window closes, but we look at some who have arrived early and will be seeking to establish themselves in football’s richest league.
Paulinho
Age: 25: Transfer fee: £17m
Position: Midfielder
Paulinho is another strong box-to-box midfielder to play in the Premier League — a cross between Steven Gerrard and Yaya Toure when he is let off his leash. The 24-year-old was one of the many Brazilians brought to a former Soviet state in the mid-2000s, although rather than find himself at one of the Russian or Ukrainian cash-rich clubs, the Sao Paolo player played at Lithuanian club Vilnius before moving to Polish side Lodz.
He returned to Brazil where he eventually signed for giants Corinthians, helping them win the league, Copa Libertadores and two Fifa Club World Cup titles — the second being a 1-0 win over Chelsea in December.
Paulinho’s arrival will boost a Spurs midfield which is already strong, although Scott Parker may view his presence somewhat differently.
ANDRE SCHURRLE — Chelsea
Age: 22; Transfer fee: £18m
Position: Forward/winger
Mainz-graduate Schurrle, at the age of 22, comes to Stamford Bridge with plenty of plaudits having starred in Bayer Leverkusen’s last Bundesliga campaign that saw them finish third — only a point behind Borussia Dortmund.
Playing as a left winger, who can play as a second striker, he scored 18 goals in 34 appearances for the club. He had 98 attempts on goal in total, second only to team-mate Stefan Kiessling (104) in the league. Schurrle made his debut for the national side in 2010 in a match against Sweden. He came on as substitute at the same time as ex-Borussia Dortmund midfielder Mario Gotze — both becoming the first internationals to be born in reunified Germany.
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho: “Schurrle is a player who is absolutely ready and he gives us more than one position in attack and adds quality. He will be important for us.”
FERNANDINHO — Man City
Age: 28; Transfer fee: £30m
Position: Midfielder
The Brazilian is City’s most expensive signing of the summer so far and, along with Jesus Navas, was a player high on new manager Manuel Pellegrini’s hit-list.
The 28-year-old was a midfield dynamo for Shakhtar Donetsk, where he spent eight years. Like Liverpool’s Steven Gerrard he can make an effective contribution in all areas of the pitch — whether it is coming deep to help his defence or linking up with the attack, which Chelsea found to their cost in the Champions League last season.
He also possesses a fearsome shot. Fernandinho will be hoping a string of good performances for City this season will convince national team coach Luiz Felipe Scolari that he is worthy of a place in his squad.
MAARTEN STEKELENBURG: Fulham
Age: 30; Position: Goalkeeper
Transfer fee: Undisclosed (reported £4m)
Mark Schwarzer was one of the jewels in Fulham’s modestly-assembled squad. Dependable, assured and often brilliant. He has moved on to Chelsea, and has been replaced by the Netherlands number one. Surely good business by manager Martin Jol?
Stekelenburg — in goalkeeping years — should be reaching his peak. Two years ago he won the Dutch title with Ajax, and in 2010 he made several great saves, including an acrobatic effort to deny Brazil’s Kaka, to help the Netherlands make the 2010 World Cup final. The 6ft 5in Dutchman joined Roma in 2011 to help block a hole in the leaky defence, but his form was mixed during his time in Serie A, and last season he was sent off in the 2-1 home defeat by derby rivals Lazio.
RICKY VAN WOLFSWINKEL: Norwich
Age: 24; Position: Striker
Transfer fee: Undisclosed (maybe £8,5m)
Feed the Wolf and he will score — the young Dutchman has got a rabid appetite in front of goal. The 24-year-old, who is Norwich’s record signing, is already off the mark for the his new club having scored in the friendly against Real Sociedad. Canaries manager Chris Hughton will be delighted with Van Wolfswinkel’s start having admired him since his time in charge of Newcastle.
Assistant of the Dutch club, and former Netherlands international, Jan Wouters, told the BBC at the time: “He needs to improve on holding the ball and become physically stronger.” Norwich manager Chris Hughton: “He’s a player that’s always scored goals, but this is the toughest league to do it in.”
EMANUELE GIACCHERINI: Sunderland
Age: 28: Transfer fee: £6.5m
Position: Midfielder
Sunderland manager Paolo Di Canio is Italian, his backroom staff are Italian, so perhaps it comes as no major surprise that the club have been linked with several compatriots from the Italian leagues. The first to arrive at the Stadium of Light is Giaccherini, who has made the move from Serie A champions Juventus to a Black Cats side that struggled in the Premier League last season. Some have regarded the signing as a coup.
The 28-year-old, who can play on the right or in the centre, was not able to seal a regular first-team slot at Juve during his two years at the club because of Arturo Vidal, Andrea Pirlo and Claudio Marchisio taking up the key roles in midfield.
WILFRIED BONY: Swansea
Age: 24; Transfer fee: £12m
Position: Striker
The explosive Ivory Coast forward was the Eredivisie’s top scorer last season with 31 goals in 32 games for Vitesse Arnhem. His tally helped the Dutch club finish fourth — their highest league placing since 1998.
The £12m-man has already scored twice for Swansea, on his debut in the Europa League 4-0 win against Malmo, a match that saw him forge a good understanding with leading frontman Michu.
Bony, who developed his skills at ex-Milan player Cyril Domoraud’s academy in Ivory Coast, had a trial at Liverpool in 2007 organised courtesy of former Sheffield United forward Brian Deane. He eventually moved to Sparta Prague, where his 10 goals during the 2009-10 season helped the Czech side win the league for the first time since 2007.
JESUS NAVAS: Man City
Age: 27; Position: Winger
Transfer fee: £14.9m
According to one of Barcelona’s holy trinity, Andres Iniesta, the only other player Jesus Navas can be likened to in England is Gareth bale. That is quite a compliment.
The 27-year-old only scored 34 goals in 393 appearances for Sevilla — so he is a clear second best to the Welshman in that department. But he did create more goalscoring chances from open play (71) than any other player in La Liga last season, so there’s a fillip for City’s forwards. Manuel Pellegrini: “man-to-man he is a very difficult player to stop”.
City have four others like that — David Silva, Alvero Negredo, Samir Nasri and Sergio Aguero. Opposition defences, you have been warned. — BBC Sport.