With the transfer window now firmly shut, attention turns away from negotiations and towards performances on the field.
The time has come for the latest recruits to demonstrate their value through results rather than transfer fees.
The Premier League has witnessed countless successful and unsuccessful deals, but this list focuses on players whose arrivals transformed both their clubs and the wider competition.
Here is my ranking of the 10 most influential signings, with readers welcome to share their own choices in the comments.
Several notable players narrowly missed out. Thierry Henry is perhaps the most debatable omission, as Arsene Wenger converted him from an inconsistent winger into one of the finest strikers of his generation.
However, Arsenal had won the championship just a year before his arrival, and the club did not regain the title until his third campaign.
Cristiano Ronaldo could also be included after winning the Ballon d’Or at Manchester United, while Wayne Rooney eventually became the club’s leading scorer.
Yet Ronaldo needed time to adapt as a teenager, and Rooney, despite scoring three goals on his European debut, did not win the Premier League until his third season.
Manchester City provide several other strong candidates. Erling Haaland scored 36 times in 35 league appearances during his first season, although he joined a side already enjoying a sustained period of domestic dominance. Yaya Toure, Kevin de Bruyne and Rodri were similarly influential.
With room for only 10 players, the countdown begins here.
10. Petr Cech – Rennes to Chelsea, £7m, July 2004
Austrian goalkeeper Jurgen Macho was among the earliest arrivals of the Roman Abramovich era at Chelsea. He joined from Sunderland without a transfer fee but suffered a cruciate ligament injury and never made a competitive appearance for the club.
The goalkeeper recruited one year later would have a much greater influence at Stamford Bridge.
Signing Claude Makelele from Real Madrid was a major declaration of intent, as was bringing in Hernan Crespo from Inter Milan, but Petr Cech supplied the defensive foundation for two consecutive league titles.
Cech allowed only 15 goals during his first league season, remained unbeaten for 1,025 consecutive minutes and completed the campaign with a record 24 clean sheets.
Across 11 seasons with Chelsea, he collected four Premier League trophies and one Champions League title. His performances ensured the club received outstanding value from its £7m investment.
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