We are about two months away from the end of the 2023/24 football season. As the season comes to an end, it is clearer to see which players have been the most impactful signings of the season.
The Premier League, La Liga, Serie A and the Bundesliga have all had players that joined them only this season, but have been impactful to their respective teams. There are a lot of players worthy of mention, such as Serhou Guirassy, Declan Rice, Guglielmo Vicario and Loïs Openda among others. However, the four mentioned in this article have been particularly exceptional this season for their respective clubs.
Jude Bellingham – Real Madrid
Jude Bellingham has been making headlines since joining Real Madrid. The young midfielder’s impact was instant, and the pace has never fallen off. Even when returning from injury, Bellingham’s momentum picks up right where he left off, never skipping a beat.
Bellingham is at the top of the list for U21 players this season in terms of combined goals and assists in Europe’s top five leagues with 26 goal contributions. As for all competitions, Bellingham has 29 goal contributions, with 20 goals. His season has been so impressive, so much so that not only is he getting Ballon d’Or shouts, but he is also being compared to Zinedine Zidane.
Cole Palmer – Chelsea
Sharing the top spot of the U21 players this season in terms of combined goals and assists in Europe’s top five leagues with Bellingham is Cole Palmer. The two young Englishmen have 19 goal contributions in La Liga and the Premier League respectively.
Cole Palmer joined Chelsea from Manchester City, and just like Bellingham, had an instant impact. Palmer has displayed great quality since joining the London side, leading to Pep Guardiola being asked on multiple occasions if he regrets selling the young talent.
Palmer is Chesea’s current top scorer, with 14 in all competitions. He has 26 goal contributions for the Blues in all competitions.
Harry Kane – Bayern Munich
Harry Kane had been loyal to Tottenham since 2009 and made the shocking decision to leave the club at the start of the 2023/24 season. He joined Bayern Munich, and much like Palmer and Bellingham, has shown his importance to the team.
His move was taken well by fans, with many assuming that the Englishman would win his first major trophy with Bayern Munich by winning the Bundesliga title. However, Bayern has been struggling under the leadership of Thomas Tuchel. Bayern Munich are currently 2nd in the standings, 10 points behind title leaders, Bayer Leverkusen.
Despite Bayern Munich’s struggles, Kane is still flourishing as a striker. He is the Bundesliga’s top scorer with an astonishing 31 goals. In all competitions, Kane incredibly has 47 goal contributions, with 37 goals leading the European charts.
Marcus Thuram – Inter Milan
Marcus Thuram joined Inter Milan on a free transfer. The Frenchman now has 23 goal contributions in all competitions, with 12 goals to his tally.
Internazionale is top of the Seria A table with a healthy 14-point gap. Thuram has been crucial to Inter’s triumph with his movement, link-up with Lautaro Martinez and space creation.
Thuram does not always need to score to make an impact during games. He adds depth and unpredictability to Inter and always finds a way to create opportunities for his team. For a player who was brought into Inter Milan for free, he has proven to be of much greater value.