Arthur Melo, Denis Zakaria, Manuel Akanji and more: Styles and strengths of latest Premier League signings

Several late Premier League transfers were completed on deadline day with Liverpool, Chelsea and Man City all adding to their squads

(Getty)

The transfer window has finally closed and clubs’ business is all done for another few months - with several sides in the Premier League leaving it very late to add the last pieces of the puzzle.

Some clubs have felt their hand forced by injuries, others by early-season results not going their way - and yet others simply didn’t get started until far too late to have a real impact.

Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City were all in the mix, but arrivals from the continent also signed on with Leicester, Fulham and Southampton.

Manchester United conducted a few summer-long sagas of their own, discussed in more detail here, while there were also returning faces to the Premier League in Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Willian, formerly teammates at Arsenal but now both at very different sides in west London.

Here’s a run-down of six of the most notable new arrivals who arrived on deadline day and what to expect from each.

Arthur Melo

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp went back and forth somewhat over the Reds’ need for a new central midfielder, but they eventually landed Arthur on a season-long loan from Juventus.

While he hasn’t been anything like a regular starter for the Turin side, his time in Serie A did at least start positively as he showed what he’s capable of from a defensive perspective: part ball-winner, part impressive passer, a scurrying presence in the centre with tremendous tenacity which wasn’t always matched by consistency and application.

He’ll need to find the latter for sure to earn a spot in Liverpool’s midfield, but at his best he can play a deeper protecting role or, as he did while at Barcelona, a more adventurous, forward-running No8 role. He’s not a out-and-out attacker or clever dribbling conduit, but adds guile and final-third running when used in that spot. A Thiago alternative is the most likely use for him initially.

Denis Zakaria

Another who has left Juventus, the Swiss midfielder signed for Chelsea on loan and will look to rediscover his pre-injury top form. That best is somewhat in the rearview mirror right now; a knee injury in 2020 ended what had been a stellar run of form for him as both a defensive shield and ball-carrying line-breaker for Borussia Monchengladbach.

He is, without question, capable of doing both jobs - similar to that of Mateo Kovacic already at Stamford Bridge, for example - but he has not quite had the same dynamism or continuity in his game since returning from that injury.

The move from Germany to Italy didn’t really offer him enough minutes to recapture his top level but Zakaria was once courted by many of Europe’s top sides. His passing is good enough to replicate some of Jorginho’s deeper work on the ball too, while being more mobile than the Italian.

Manuel Akanji

Man City beefed up their defensive options by signing Akanji from Dortmund for €17.5m. He is a central player primarily, though BVB also used him on the sides of a three and even at full-back in a four at times...not usually with a positive outcome from the latter, it should be noted.

At his best he’s a speedy and dominant presence, really strong from a technical perspective in building from deep and unafraid to carry the ball upfield when space is presented. Akanji has also, however, been afflicted by concentration issues and error-strewn games - something which has been a Dortmund-wide problem for some time, so perhaps it was more environment or asked-for role than actual skill-set.

There’s big competition for places at City in defence, even accounting for current injury issues, so it will interesting to see which new teammate the Swiss defender partners - if at all.

Layvin Kurzawa

Once one of the most dangerous-looking attacking full-backs in France, Kurzawa’s career has somewhat fallen by the wayside since joining PSG from Monaco as one of those early big-money switches. He has been a firm backup player over the past few campaigns and only made the bench twice in Ligue 1 last season.

Kurzawa won 13 caps for France between 2014 and 2019 but has irregularly featured at club level since then (AFP via Getty Images)

A switch to Fulham, then, will hopefully revitalise this once-exciting youngster; now 29 it remains to be seen how much of his old explosivity and adventurism he can rediscover. Kurzawa’s best traits included his one-on-one dribbling and crossing on the run; less so his defensive reliability and aerial prowess.

It’s also worth pointing out current left-back Antonee Robinson has had a good start to the campaign, so starts are far from assured at Craven Cottage.

Wout Faes

Brave, on the front foot, quick to put in a challenge: certainly. Patient, strong aerially, a reliable long-range passer: certainly not.

It has been a tough summer for Leicester fans and Wout Faes is the only first-team present they were offered. As a centre-back, he’s in a similar mould to Caglar Soyuncu, Tyrone Mings or Martin Skrtel, often trying to nip ahead of an attacker as the ball is played into them to make a clearance, too frequently fouling or getting turned in the process.

Don’t let forwards tempt him into trying to follow them and make a challenge in the channels, because he’s not recovering that ground afterwards. As a last line of defence, however, he may well help the division’s second-worst defence at present keep the scoreline down a little.

Duje Caleta-Car

Another centre-back in from France, Caleta-Car was one of Liverpool’s considerations in January 2021, was linked with Newcastle in January 2022 and has ended up at Southampton this summer.

A very strong and physical performer, he’s not lightning but has good positional play if he’s alongside a vocal presence to remind him not to stray and his heading, clearing and basic defensive traits are all reliable.

The Croatian is good on the ball and the new £8m Saints signing adds a little more experience and brawn to what is this season a very young, if exciting with potential, back line.