New Signings – Fantasy Premier League 2016/17. Spurs, Stoke, Sunderland, West Brom.

New Signings – Fantasy Premier League 2016/17. Spurs, Stoke, Sunderland, West Brom.

Part two of our look at the major Deadline Day signings includes one of the major transfers of the day as Everton and Spurs fought it out for Toon midfielder Moussa Sissoko – Spurs eventually won that race with just minutes left of the window. Daniel Levy also splashed the cash for French youngster Georges-Kevin Nkoudou. Mark Hughes was busy at Stoke as he completed loan deals for Wilfried Bony and Bruno Martins Indi as they attempt to lift themselves up the league. Sunderland continue to try and lift the gloom and they took Man City defender Jason Denayer on loan whilst also buying Didier Ndong from Lorient, while Tony Pulis suffered a frustrating day but did clinch the services of free agent Hal Robson-Kanu.

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Moussa Sissoko (Spurs – midfielder – FPL price 7.0mln)
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[/three_fourth]The biggest deadline day soap opera surrounded Sissoko. Early in the day it seemed Spurs had won the race, but then got cold feet over the 30mln fee. Everton then appeared to be in pole position with reports suggesting that a fee with Newcastle and personal terms with the player had been agreed before Sissoko then turned his phone off as Everton boss Ronald Koeman attempted to call him. Everton pulled their bid, Spurs paid up and with minutes to go before the deadline bell rang and Sissoko was declared a Spurs player. Toon fans are delighted with the deal with many suggesting the midfielder was a fraud and only appeared when the TV cameras showed up. Sissoko’s talents are unquestionable, but his consistency, work ethic and attitude will need to improve markedly if he is to make his move to Spurs a success. His performance for France in the final of Euro 2016 showed what he is capable of when he outplayed Pogba, Payet and Griezmann and of course it was reported that Arsene Wenger has been interested in bringing the player to the Emirates in the past. Sissoko has declared himself a fan of Arsenal in the past – “When I was young, Arsenal was my favourite club,” he said just two years ago. “My idol Patrick Vieira. I’ve always loved this club, I still love them” – oh, that won’t go down well! Described as a “lazy mercenary” by some, it will take all of Pochettino’s managerial skills to get the best out of Sissoko – but if he can, then he will improve Spurs no end.
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Georges-Kevin N’Koudou (Spurs – midfielder – FPL price 7.0mln)
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[/three_fourth]This was one of the strangest and most protracted deals of the window which saw N’Koudou pass a medical in mid-July, resulted in the resignation of Spurs head of recruitment Paul Mitchell, negotiations broke down then restarted, Daniel Levy trying to restructure the deal, Spurs meanwhile bidding for Crystal Palace’s Wilfried Zaha before finally the four-year £9.4mln deal for N’Koudou was completed with four hours of the window left. So what do we know of N’Koudou? Well firstly, he says we can call him ‘GK’, so that works. He is a quick winger, which is what Pochettino was looking for after Nacer Chadli left for WBA. GK has also been described as hard-working who is comfortable on either foot and a great dribbler – only six players in Ligue 1 averaged more successful dribbles per game than GK last season. GK has represented France at every youth level from U17 through to U21 and scored five goals in 28 league appearances for Marseille after moving there from Nantes where he scored 2 goals in 34 league appearances.

Still seen as somewhat of a raw talent, the hope for Spurs is that Pochettino will develop the potential of GK and bring him onto the next level, which would see him compete with the likes of Christian Eriksen in the Spurs line-up. For now, it’s a wait and see.

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Wilfried Bony (Stoke – forward – FPL price 7.3mln)
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[/three_fourth]Now this one will interest many a FPL manager. Stoke have finally signed a striker – and it’s not Saido Berahino! But when is it ever, that poor lad is destined to die in West Brom! Man City were under huge pressure to reduce the number of non-home-grown players in their squad and Bony was one of their number who departed on deadline day. The Ivory Coast striker joins the Potters on a season-long loan and will offer them a genuine goal threat, something Mark Hughes has been looking for, as the likes of Mame Biram Diouf and Peter Crouch have failed to find consistency. Since joining City, Bony has failed to force a regular start and the emergence of Kelechi Iheanacho has pushed him further down the pecking order. However 25 league goals in 54 appearances for Swansea tells us that Bony has enough quality in front of goal and with a price of 7.3mln he will be competing directly with the likes of Jermain Defoe and Christian Benteke for that mid-range striking spot in FPL. Stoke have made a slow start to the season, picking up just a solitary point so far, but their fixtures turn for the better from GW5 onwards and match fitness permitting we would have no hesitation in recommending an investment in Bony.

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Bruno Martins Indi (Stoke – defender – FPL price 5.0mln)
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[/three_fourth]Martins Indi is another loan signing at Stoke, with the Potters have the option of a permanent deal next summer. The Dutch defender can play in the centre or on the left but will be expected to partner Ryan Shawcross in the middle. The versatile defender began his career at Feyenoord, where he made 120 appearances in four seasons after breaking into the team as an 18-year-old. He then joined Porto on a four-year contract for £6mln in 2014, and has since gone on to make 71 appearances in two seasons for the Portuguese side. Martins Indi has been capped 31 times for the Dutch national side, but can hardly be described as a huge goal threat with just seven club goals and two for Holland. In that regard, there are cheaper options into the Potters’ defence, most notably Erik Pieters and Phil Bardsley, while the soon to return Jack Butland and Glen Johnson are also cheaper than the new recruit. Hughes however is pleased with the acquisition, “He is a guy that we feel can come in and make an immediate impression, because he boasts all the attributes needed to perform at the top level of the Premier League.”
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Didier Ndong (Sunderland – midfielder – FPL price 5.0mln)
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[/three_fourth]Sunderland broke their transfer record by paying Lorient £13.5mln for Didier Ndong, who has been described as the “new Michael Essien”. A tough-tackling defensive midfielder, Moyes will hope his new recruit will provide some protection for his much maligned defence. It is reported that Lorient officials were shocked by Sunderland’s large offer for one of Ligue 1’s toughest tacklers. When Moyes’s scouts travelled to France last week to watch him, Ndong was sent off after 30 minutes and will, accordingly, be suspended for Everton’s visit to the Stadium of Light on Monday week. Ndong is excited anyway, so that’s nice – “I am very proud and happy to sign for Sunderland,” he said. “This is a new adventure for me and to play in the Premier League is a dream come true. Maybe the Sunderland fans don’t know me yet but I promise they will quickly discover I will give everything for them and the club. It will be an honour to wear the Sunderland shirt and I will wear it with a true understanding of what it means. Today is the most beautiful day of my life.” Lovely.
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Jason Denayer (Sunderland – defender – FPL price 4.9mln)
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[/three_fourth]Moyes has strengthened the Black Cats at the back by securing a loan deal for Man City defender Jason Denayer, who is desperate for first team football. The 21-year-old spent last season on loan at Galatasaray and the Turkish club had expressed an interest in signing him again this summer. The centre-back had been named the PFA Young Player of the Year during a loan spell with Celtic in the 2014-15 season, when he won the Scottish Premiership and Scottish League Cup and won the Turkish Cup during his time with Galatasaray. From a FPL point of view, Lamine Kone, Papy Djilobodji and Javier Manquillo are all cheaper and we feel that 4.9mln for Denayer is not great value, unless he starts thumping in headers from set pieces.
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Hal Robson-Kanu (West Brom – forward – FPL price 5.0mln)
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[/three_fourth]Free agent Robson-Kanu has been snapped up by West Brom on a two-year deal with an option for a further year. The 27 year old is best known for his wonder goal for Wales vs Belgium in Euro 2016 but found himself without a club after letting his contract run down at Reading. It is thought that he will struggle to win an immediate starting spot for the Baggies but does provide decent strength in depth for Tony Pulis if Salomon Rondon gets injured and Saido Berahino remains moody. The striker began life at Arsenal as a schoolboy but was released by the Gunners at just 15 years old and he joined Reading. A couple of loan spells at Southend and Swindon followed but he has played the majority of his football for the Berkshire side. His scoring history is hardly impressive – 24 goals in 198 appearances for the Royals – suggesting that he is more capable of the odd moment of brilliance rather than the consistent goalscoring that Albion desperately require.

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Thanks for reading New Signings – Fantasy Premier League 2016/17. Spurs, Stoke, Sunderland, West Brom.. This article was written by Cookie

Follow @SteveCook9

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