The clubs doing the most to improve their sides.
Although Premier League big boys Arsenal and Manchester United have been quiet in the transfer market this summer, that hasn’t been the case throughout the division.
Here’s the top five busiest clubs in the league.
Crystal Palace
New signings: Seven; Stephen Dobbie (Brighton), Dwight Gayle (Peterborough), Jerome Thomas (West Bromwich Albion), Jose Campana (Sevilla), Kevin Phillips (Blackpool), Elliot Grandin (Blackpool), Osman Sow (Syrianska).
Ian Holloway’s men probably have the hardest task of all three of the promoted sides from the Championship, with little money making new acquisitions difficult to secure.
Mostly the new faces have been free transfers but the Eagles did feel moved to pay a club record £4.7m for striker Dwight Gayle.
Hull City
New signings: Eight; Maynor Figueroa (Wigan Athletic), George Boyd (Peterborough), Ahmed Elmohamady (Sunderland), Curtis Davies (Birmingham City), Allan McGregor (Besiktas), Steve Harper (Newcastle United), Danny Graham (Sunderland – loan), Yannick Sagbo (Evian).
Like Palace, Hull have found the need to strengthen heavily this summer with no fewer than eight new players arriving at the KW Stadium.
Manager Steve Bruce knows a thing or two about keeping teams in the Premier League however and under the Englishman’s guidance the Tigers stand a good chance.
Norwich City
New signings: Eight; Semi Ajayi (Charlton Athletic), Javier Garrido (Lazio), Ricky Van Wolfswinkel (Sporting Lisbon), Nathan Redmond (Birmingham City), Carlo Nash (Stoke City), Martin Olsson Blackburn Rovers), Leroy Fer (FC Twente), Gary Hooper (Celtic).
It’s exciting times at Carrow Road currently as the big and coveted names just keep arriving at the club and donning a Norwich shirt.
The Canaries paid a club record £8.5m for Van Wolfswinkel, but Leroy Fer, Gary Hooper and Nathan Redmond are all equally impressive acquisitions.
Swansea City
New signings: Eight; Jose Canas (Real Betis), Jordi Amat (Espanyol), Gregor Zabret (NK Domzale), Alexander Gogic (Olympiakos), Alejandro Pozuelo (Real Betis), Jonjo Shelvey (Liverpool), Wilfried Bony (Vitesse Arnhem), Jernade Meade (Arsenal).
The signing of Michu for £2m from Rayo Vallecano last season confirmed Swans manager Michael Laudrup’s eye for a decent transfer and the Dane has been busy again.
Along with Hull and Norwich the Welsh club have also signed eight new players, with a club record £13m paid for prolific striker Bony and Shelvey’s signing from Liverpool also looks shrewd.
Sunderland
New signings: Nine; Duncan Watmore (Altrincham), Valentin Roberge (Maritimo), Cabral (FC Basel), Modibo Diakite (Lazio), David Moberg Karlsson (IFK Goteberg), Vito Mannone (Arsenal), Jozy Altidore (AZ Alkmaar), El-Hadji Ba (Le Havre), Emanuele Giaccherini (Juventus).
Yet with a new Italian flavour at the Stadium of Light it is Paolo Di Canio’s Sunderland who have overseen the biggest recruitment with no less than nine players.
Although many of the names are relatively unknown to fans in England, 14 caps and back-to-back Serie A titles for Giaccherini shows the Italy international’s credentials.
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