Lots of potential for debate here. Make your selections and tell us your thoughts. Which player do you think has made the biggest difference to their respective teams? Also interesting to hear people's thoughts on biggest transfer flop / disappointment of the season.
I voted for Alderweireld because a quality defender makes a huge difference - marginally over Kante and Payet. What baffles me is why none of those were spotted by those clubs able to outbid their present employers.
The whole list have proved to be great signings. Firmino and de Bruyne are the only ones whose price reflected their worth.
It has to be Dele Alli for me. I've been lucky to see 6 young players come through our club, who when you see them, make you smile and shake your head at what they can do. With all 6 of them, how great they would/will go on to become is the only debate. The first four - Glenn Hoddle, Paul Gascoigne, Ledley King and Gareth Bale have reached great heights with only Ledley's world class talent restricted by terrible injury. The current two, Harry Kane and Dele Alli can go on to become superstars, national captains and win 100+ caps.The limit to what they achieve is the extent of their own ambition. Incredibly, we've bought 2 of those players for spare change in the last decade. It can only be Dele Alli, no matter how good the others are. . The biggest flops are Memphis Depay and Christian Benteke but who'd have kept Lamela after his first season?
Toby because he has made the biggest difference. I know that he is highly rated but I still think he is underestimated. He is the best central defender in the world bar none with hoddlesque passing ability to boot. Our second most important player behind Dier. PS I thought we signed Alli last season a loaned him back.
Anyone not saying Kante needs to have a word with themselves. He has been the difference between Leicester City being relegation favourites to top of the league. He's world class and we signed him for 5m.
I would be interested in your definition of world class, (mine is that if we were selecting a team to represent Earth in some strange inter galactic tournament would they make the 23 man squad). I won't argue that Kante has been immense and is fully deserving of his place in the premier league team of the season, but in my opinion World class means he would have to be one of the best 8 midfielders in world football and I am not sure he is at that level (yet).
Toby has made a huge difference to us and all good teams have to start at the back. A defender of his class allows the confidence to spread throughout the team letting everyone perform to their limits. I was able to cop out of the choice between him and Alli by saying Alli was last season. Without these two players I think we would have been 5th.
Just off the top of my head the following 8 are all ahead of him - Busquets, Kroos, Modric, Pogba, Mascherano, Vidal, Muller, Rakitic
Sorry I have digressed! Toby for me all day long, just been brilliant As for flops - I would agree with Benteke & Depay, almost anyone Sherwood signed for Villa and Otamendi and Schweinsteiger have both failed to live up to expectations and for a laugh I will include Gokhan Inler!
Really, I just thought that he had been unlucky as Drinkwater & Kante have been so good, but obviously that's not the case then
He hasn't really had a chance due to Kante and Drinkwater (being the best midfielders in the league, tin hat on ha) so hard to say he's been awful but a lot more was expected. He hasn't lit things up when he has played but there's many worse signings
At last, someone who agrees with me. The most overated one footed player ever. He's not worth 50 quid.
Joleon Lescott has to be up there for me: he was supposed to make Villa solid at the back and give the team some leadership, but he's played like he can't be bothered all season. Similar can be said for Micah Richards, too.
Lescott is a great shout. Seems to have been at the epicenter of everything that has gone wrong at Villa.
