At roughly the halfway point of the 2023/24 campaign, enough time has passed to pass judgment on this season's Premier League transfers.
There may only be six months of data to consider, but it often doesn't take long to be able to judge a transfer. If a player fits, they fit, and the directors can breathe a sigh of relief in the knowledge that they haven't wasted a huge sum of money.
Here are the best signings of the Premier League season - so far.
Best Premier League signings of the season so far - ranked
10. Thomas Kaminski - Luton Town
Certainly not a big name, but one that has proved crucial to Luton Town so far. Ahead of their first season in the Premier League, the Hatters hierarchy knew that every signing they made needed to land.
After not retaining Ethan Horvath on the way up, Luton had to sign a first-choice goalkeeper and Thomas Kaminski, arriving for £2.5m from Blackburn Rovers, has been a great pick-up.
The 31-year-old has quickly won the trust of the Hatters fanbase with some remarkable shot-stopping exploits, particularly against the division's elite.
9. Pau Torres - Aston Villa
Pau Torres' first hour as a Premier League footballer was the lowest ebb of what has blossomed into a stellar debut season. Rushed onto the pitch in place of the injured captain Tyrone Mings, Torres and Villa swiftly conceded three second-half goals in a 5-1 loss to Newcastle United.
Outside the furnace of a raucous St James' Park, Torres rapidly assimilated to his new surroundings and teammates. A key pillar in Unai Emery's Europa League-winning Villarreal side, Torres perfectly executes his manager's outrageously aggressive offside while offering the passing angles to start Villa's intricate buildup play with his dominant left foot.
Snapped up in his prime at 26, the £31.5m fee Villa coughed up already looks like a steal.
8. Micky van de Ven - Tottenham
It would be fair to assume that Micky van de Ven would be a little higher on the list if he did not get a serious injury just as people were starting to take real notice of the Dutchman.
He is expected to end up costing Tottenham £43m but if he can play as well as he did before the November injury against Chelsea once he's back, that will look like a pretty small fee. Van de Ven was commanding the backline, made players around him better, and broke into midfield very well. Ange Postecoglou is missing him dearly right now.
7. Dominik Szoboszlai - Liverpool
Liverpool's midfield underwent a major overhaul in the summer of 2023 and many heads were turned when they forked out £60m for Dominik Szoboszlai. RB Leipzig did not expect such a bid to arrive, but Liverpool only tend to spend that sort of money when they know they're getting someone good.
Szoboszlai has added creativity to Liverpool's midfield and while there are elements of his game that can be improved upon, the 23-year-old has been very impressive. He has four goals and three assists across all competitions which is a healthy amount in a team where the forward players are prolific.
6. Mohammed Kudus - West Ham United
Many fans have been aware of Mohammed Kudus for a few years now and it was clear he would rock up somewhere in the Premier League.
It was presumed it would be a bigger team than West Ham United, but this looks to be a great move that will cost David Moyes' side £38m with the add-ons. Before departing for AFCON, Kudus had racked up nine club goals across all competitions, six coming in the Premier League.
Even when he isn't scoring, Kudus' general play is getting the best out of Jarrod Bowen and others in the Hammers squad.
5. Cole Palmer - Chelsea
When this deal went through for £40m at the end of the summer transfer window, it seemed like Chelsea blindly ploughing into the market. To be honest, that probably is what happened, but Cole Palmer has arguably been their shining light in a terrible season so far.
Palmer has too often been the only creative spark for Chelsea, dragging the team forward whenever he can. He should also benefit from Christopher Nkunku getting fit.
4. James Maddison - Tottenham
Another bittersweet one for Tottenham fans. James Maddison was an option for so many teams in the summer and it was Spurs who snapped him up for £40m, a fee that soon appeared very low given his undoubted quality.
He got three goals and five assists from his first 11 Premier League appearances and was looking like one of the best creative players in Europe, but then injury put a stop to it. When Maddison returns, there is no reason why he shouldn't be just as effective again, and he will get more out of others in the Tottenham squad.
3. Jeremy Doku - Man City
Many wondered whether Jeremy Doku would struggle for minutes at Manchester City, but he has proved to be a superb pickup. For £55.5m, you want some sort of impact, but he has provided genuine competition on the left wing for Jack Grealish.
The Belgian chipped in with three goals and six assists across the Premier League and the Champions League before pulling up with a winter hamstring problem.
2. Guglielmo Vicario - Tottenham
Signing a 26-year-old goalkeeper for £17.2m who then becomes a clear upgrade on what you had before has to be viewed as a successful manoeuvre.
Guglielmo Vicario was very highly rated in Italy and it was no shock to see him get a move away, but he has taken to life in the Premier League incredibly well. There is now genuine talk of him becoming Italy's first-choice goalkeeper ahead of Gianluigi Donnarumma.
1. Declan Rice - Arsenal
Labelling a £100m player as a successful signing can feel odd, as it is such an incredible amount of money. It was clear that it would take a fee of that magnitude to buy Declan Rice, though.
There was an obvious need in the Arsenal squad for a midfielder like Rice, who has taken no time to adjust to life at a new club. The ballast in midfield has even chipped in with some important goals despite that not really being his job. You can't ask for a whole lot more from a signing.
There is no reason to suggest that Rice won't be key to Arsenal for many, many years to come, and that fee will start to look less daunting as his Arsenal career wears on.
