The Football Faithful
·12 August 2024
The Football Faithful
·12 August 2024
This summer has been no different and we’ve picked out five of the best players Premier League clubs have signed from the Championship in 2024.
Aston Villa have owned up to their mistake this summer after re-signing Jaden Philogene from Hull City. The academy graduate was allowed to leave Villa Park last summer but an exceptional season in the second tier sparked a scramble for his services.
Ipswich looked to be leading the race until Villa activated their first-option clause, which alongside a 30% sell-on clause inserted in last summer’s sale allowed Unai Emery’s team to re-sign the 22-year-old for around £13m.
Philogene’s performances last season suggest he is worth more than that sum after 12 goals and six assists in the Championship for Hull. A ludicrous Rabona goal earned calls for the Puskas award in 2024, while his form for The Tigers saw the winger break into the England u-21 side, for who he has scored three goals in four appearances.
Villa had success after signing Morgan Rogers from the Championship last season and, after initial error last summer, are confident Philogene has what it takes to thrive at the top level.
Arijanet Muric has been handed a second shot in the Premier League after Ipswich snapped up the shot-stopper from relegated Burnley. Muric’s introduction into the side coincided with the Clarets’ upturn in performances last season, though it was not enough to prevent an immediate return to the second tier.
However, the 25-year-old showed his talent with several strong performances. Despite featuring just 10 times in the Premier League, Muric ranked second in the division for Expected Goals Prevented (5.7) behind only Wolves’ Jose Sa.
There were some high-profile errors alongside excellent shot-stopping but Muric looks a sensible signing for an Ipswich team who have risen rapidly to the top tier across the last two seasons.
Another signing designed to improve Ipswich’s defensive strength this season, The Tractor Boys have signed one of the Championship’s most-coveted centre-backs.
Jacob Greaves has been a formidable presence for Hull in recent campaigns, winning the club’s Young Player of the Season award in three consecutive campaigns, before claiming the senior award in 2023-24.
He was also named in the Championship Team of the Season last term and some at Hull believe England honours are not beyond the 23-year-old.
Last season, Greaves ranked in the top 4% of centre-backs in the Championship for aerial duels won and in the top 8% for percentage of aerial duels won (72.9%).
Tottenham have spent big to sign one of English football’s hottest properties with Archie Gray arriving in North London in a deal valued at £40m.
The teenager turned the heads of England’s elite during a breakout season at Leeds, where the midfielder made 52 appearances in all competitions as the club reached the Championship play-off final. Defeat to Southampton in that fixture has forced Leeds to cash in on the academy product, who made his England u-21 debut in March and marked the occasion with a goal against Azerbaijan.
Gray’s all-round game has already seen him thrive as a ball-playing midfielder and right-back, while Ange Postecoglou has experimented with the teenager in central defence during pre-season. Acknowledged as the Championship’s Young Player of the Season in 2023-24, he will be one to watch in his maiden Premier League campaign.
Leeds’ second significant sale of the summer has seen Crysencio Summerville sign for West Ham.
The winger was named the finest player in the Championship last season after dazzling at Elland Road, where the dynamic Dutchman scored 20 goals in all competitions and provided nine assists.
Summerville will be targeting a regular run at Premier League level as he looks to break into the Netherlands set-up and join the long lineage of his countrymen to have thrived in wide roles in English football.
At 22, Summerville has the potential to develop into a top-flight star and joins an exciting cast of attacking talent at the London Stadium alongside Jarrod Bowen, Mohammed Kudus and fellow recruit Niclas Fullkrug.