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Premier League 2023-24 Review: Signings of the Season

Adam Wharton has stepped up impressively at Crystal Palace since his move from Blackburn. Photograph: Malcolm Couzens/Getty Images
Adam Wharton has stepped up impressively at Crystal Palace since his move from Blackburn. Photograph: Malcolm Couzens/Getty Images
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Premier League 2023-24 Review: Signings of the Season

Adam Wharton has stepped up impressively at Crystal Palace since his move from Blackburn. Photograph: Malcolm Couzens/Getty Images
Adam Wharton has stepped up impressively at Crystal Palace since his move from Blackburn. Photograph: Malcolm Couzens/Getty Images

- Declan Rice, Arsenal

The easiest way to explain Rice’s contribution to Arsenal is that he has somehow made £105m look cheap. The 25-year-old – who has missed just one game this season in all competitions – has transformed the Gunners’ midfield and his defensive nous, tenacity and tactical intelligence has provided freedom and room for others – particularly Martin Ødegaard – to shine. Only Bukayo Saka and Martin Ødegaard have more assists in the league for Arsenal this season – and part of the reason Arsenal have been so effective from set pieces is because of the quality of Rice’s delivery. He is a complete and elite box-to-box midfielder and a natural leader.

- Ross Barkley, Luton

“Ain’t nobody, like Ross Barkley, makes me happy, makes me feel this way”. Luton fans might have the chant of the season – to the tune of Chaka Khan’s funky classic – for one of its standout players. Kenilworth Road looked like just the latest pit-stop in Barkley’s sad decline, which had been steady since swapping the blue of Everton for Chelsea in 2018. But in a new deeper position and wearing the No 6 shirt, the 30-year-old has been a revelation. Luton managed to secure his signature on a free transfer, surely making him the bargain of the season. It helps that Barkley is at a club and under a manager where his talents are unique and revered. The bad news for the relegated Hatters is that they will surely face a fight to keep him this summer.

- Adam Wharton, Crystal Palace

Life at Palace could hardly have got off to a worse start for the boy from Blackburn. Two days after signing for an initial £18m, Wharton was brought on after 28 minutes with Palace 1-0 down away at rivals Brighton. Six minutes later Palace had conceded twice more, with Wharton guilty of losing possession for Brighton’s third. The Eagles lost 4-1 on that day in early February, but since then, the languid midfielder has started every match, and has been key to Palace becoming one of the most exciting teams in the league under Oliver Glasner. Such is the quality of Wharton’s passing, movement and positioning, Gareth Southgate is reportedly considering him for the Euros and Bayern Munich have recently been linked with a £60m move, which would represent a threefold return for Palace in under four months. “He has stepped up so quick,” said Glasner before Palace’s 4-0 thrashing of Manchester United. “His decision-making, his pre-orientation, his solutions with one or two touches are amazing.”

- Micky van de Ven, Tottenham

There are a few impressive left-sided centre-backs that could have made this list – Manchester City’s Josko Gvardiol, Nottingham Forest’s Murillo, Aston Villa’s Pau Torres – but Van de Ven is perhaps the most exciting new central defender in the league since Rúben Dias’ arrival in 2020. Voted Tottenham’s player of the season by supporters this month despite missing three months through injury, Van de Ven already looks the finished product at the age of 23. The son of an undercover detective, the Dutch defender is hardly inconspicuous: standing 6’ 4” tall, he is wonderfully aggressive on the ball and has an eye for goal too. Against Brentford in January, the £34.5m signing clocked the highest-ever speed by a Premier League player since records began in 2020 – 23.22mph.

Micky van de Ven runs with the ball

-Kai Havertz, Arsenal

It feels like it was an eternity ago that Havertz swapped blue for red, signing for Arsenal from Chelsea last June for £65m. Initially deployed as a meandering No 8 by Mikel Arteta (and even as a left-back for Germany in November), Havertz only scored once (a penalty) for his new club in his first 19 games and was widely doubted. But since becoming a false nine, the 24-year-old has been absolutely indispensable to the Gunners with his goals, link-up play, aerial threat and unselfish work rate – no Premier League striker has covered more ground per 90 minutes than Havertz. Without him, Arsenal would surely not have challenged for the title. The scary thing is that while Havertz is already an elite Champions League-winning forward with a wealth of experience, it still feel like there is still room for improvement. Waka waka.

-Cole Palmer, Chelsea

Last summer, Palmer was linked with a loan move to Burnley. This summer, the Chelsea playmaker is off to the Euros with England as one of the most in-form players across Europe. Palmer, who turned 22 on 6 May, is only the third player in history with more than 30 goal involvements in a Premier League season while 21 years old or younger – after Robbie Fowler and Chris Sutton. From his relaxed style to his ‘Cold’ Palmer celebrations, the Wythenshawe-born youngster oozes confidence and class, with some of his performances bordering on a joke, particularly his four-goal haul against Everton. When Palmer was too ill to face Arsenal last month, Mauricio Pochettino said it was “a good challenge for the teammates” to replace him. “This is Chelsea Football Club, not Cole Palmer Football Club”, claimed the Blues manager. The result – 5-0 to the Gunners – suggests otherwise.

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Cartel Violence Fuels Doubts About FIFA World Cup Games in Mexico

People walk at a parking lot of a supermarket where several vehicles were consumed by flames days after a series of blockades and attacks by organized crime following a military operation in which drug cartel leader Nemesio Oseguera, known as "El Mencho," was killed, in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, February 24, 2026. REUTERS/Daniel Becerril
People walk at a parking lot of a supermarket where several vehicles were consumed by flames days after a series of blockades and attacks by organized crime following a military operation in which drug cartel leader Nemesio Oseguera, known as "El Mencho," was killed, in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, February 24, 2026. REUTERS/Daniel Becerril
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Cartel Violence Fuels Doubts About FIFA World Cup Games in Mexico

People walk at a parking lot of a supermarket where several vehicles were consumed by flames days after a series of blockades and attacks by organized crime following a military operation in which drug cartel leader Nemesio Oseguera, known as "El Mencho," was killed, in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, February 24, 2026. REUTERS/Daniel Becerril
People walk at a parking lot of a supermarket where several vehicles were consumed by flames days after a series of blockades and attacks by organized crime following a military operation in which drug cartel leader Nemesio Oseguera, known as "El Mencho," was killed, in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, February 24, 2026. REUTERS/Daniel Becerril

Hugo Alejandro Pérez was in his house a few miles from the Mexican stadium that is slated to host FIFA World Cup games when gunfire and explosions erupted just outside his door.

The 53-year-old restaurant owner was already skeptical about his city, Guadalajara, hosting the international sporting event.

He saw a government that failed to fix basic things, like water service to his home, along with cartel violence in the surrounding state of Jalisco and shook his head. The surge of bloodshed this week following the Mexican military's killing of the country’s most powerful cartel boss offered more confirmation of his doubts.

“I don’t think they should host the World Cup here,” Peréz said. “We have so many problems, and they want to invest in the World Cup? With all the violence, it’s not a good idea.”

Peréz joined other people Tuesday in questioning Guadalajara's capacity to be a host city for the summer soccer competition, even as the Mexican government vowed that the international event — hosted jointly by Mexico, the United States and Canada — will not be affected.

President offers ‘every guarantee’ for World Cup President Claudia Sheinbaum was asked at her daily news briefing what guarantees there are that World Cup matches will be held in Jalisco. “Every guarantee,” she said, adding that there was “no risk” for fans coming to the tournament.

Jalisco Gov. Jesús Pablo Lemus said he had spoken with local FIFA officials, who have "absolutely no intention of removing any venues from Mexico. The three venues remain completely unchanged.”

The same day, the Portuguese soccer federation said it was “closely monitoring the delicate situation” in Mexico.” Its national team was scheduled to play Mexico’s team in a friendly on March 28 at the newly renovated Azteca Stadium in Mexico City, which is scheduled to host the opening World Cup match on June 11.

Jalisco, in western Mexico, was already facing scrutiny. The state has been plagued by some of the starkest examples of cartel violence in recent years, including the discovery of a cartel killing site at a ranch last March and a crisis of disappearances.

The state, with Guadalajara as its capital, is the central hub for the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, whose leader Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, or “El Mencho,” was killed Sunday in a capture attempt by the military.

The operation and waves of violence killed 70 people. Cartel gunmen set fire to cars to block streets in states across the country, namely Jalisco, and fought with Mexican forces into Monday as the government said the conflict was under control.

The death of Oseguera Cervantes came as Mexico’s government has stepped up its offensive against cartels in an effort to meet demands by US President Donald Trump to crack down on criminal groups. The cartel, also known as CJNG, is one of the fastest-growing criminal networks in Mexico.

The White House confirmed that the US provided intelligence support to capture the cartel leader and applauded Mexico’s army for taking down a man who was one of the most wanted criminals in both countries. On Tuesday night, US President Donald Trump appeared to briefly reference the operation during his State of the Union address, saying “We’ve also taken down one of the most sinister cartel kingpins of all. You saw that yesterday.”

Drug lord's death could lead to more violence Peréz, the restaurant owner, also commended Sheinbaum's efforts to go after cartels, saying the government has taken cartel violence more seriously than her predecessors. At the same time, he said, local authorities in Jalisco have fallen short in protecting civilians.

The root concern for many is that the death of “El Mencho” could pave the way for more violence. Killing capos, in what's become known as the “kingpin strategy,” has been criticized by Sheinbaum herself because it can often spark internal conflict between cartel factions and push rival cartels to make territorial grabs.

Vanda Felbab-Brown, an academic at the Brookings Institution, said she doesn't see more acts of “revenge” by the cartel as likely, but the future remains uncertain, especially after leading figures in both CJNG and the Sinaloa Cartel have been knocked out in recent years.

“If there is no clear line of succession (in CJNG), we might see a lot of fighting within the cartel, its breakup, and there are a lot of scenarios," she said.

On Sunday, when firefights broke out between the cartel and soldiers, and gunmen began to burn a car just feet in front of Peréz's house, he let people on the street scramble inside his home to seek cover. The fighting raged for an hour.

Now he says he doesn't see the point of holding the games, adding that he doubts any of the money from the games will trickle down to businesses in working-class neighborhoods like his, even if they are just a 10-minute drive from the stadium. Similar tensions have simmered in Mexico City.

The World Cup is expected to be a $3 billion economic engine in Mexico, according to the Mexican Soccer Federation.

“It doesn't help us residents at all, honestly. They should move it to Monterrey or Mexico City. But right now here, we're not convinced,” The Associated Press quoted him as saying. "Things aren't in good enough shape for foreigners to be coming to Jalisco for an event like this.”

On Monday, some foreign tourists trapped in the violence in the city of Puerto Vallarta took to social media to warn of the violence, with a few remarking that they didn't plan to return.

Hope of snapping back to normal Despite that, Guadalajara was snapping back to its normal rhythm Tuesday. Many businesses opened their doors for the first time in two days, and streets were packed with traffic.

Workers were busy fixing up the exterior of the soccer stadium that will host World Cup matches. Cyclists zipped around outside the stadium, and parents played with children in parks.

Heavily armed police officers and National Guard members roamed the city, a sign for some that the government had the situation under control.

Juan Carlos Pila, a 55-year-old taxi driver, rolled his eyes at the reports of violence after spending two days waiting with his family for things to calm down. He said social media and local news outlets were overplaying the extent of the violence.

“People should come, man. Everyone is welcome,” he said.

Others, like Maria Dolores Aguirre, simply hoped for the best. Aguirre runs a small corner story in the cobblestoned tourist town of Tapalpa tucked away in Jalisco's mountains, where Mexico's military killed “El Mencho."

Aguirre’s family business of over 50 years depends on the flow of tourists to the normally sleepy town. Now she worries bloodshed will deal a blow to her livelihood and change towns like hers.

“It’s going to affect us. It’s collateral damage,” Aguirre said. “The government is going to have to have a lot of security. ... The entire world just saw what happened and, of course, people are going to think twice about coming.”

Sports

‘We Won’t Talk About That’: Benfica’s Tralhao Shuts Down Questions on Prestianni 

SL Benfica's assistant coach Joao Tralhao give a press conference on the eve of their UEFA Champions League knockout round playoff second leg football match against Real Madrid CF at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid on February 24, 2026. (AFP)
SL Benfica's assistant coach Joao Tralhao give a press conference on the eve of their UEFA Champions League knockout round playoff second leg football match against Real Madrid CF at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid on February 24, 2026. (AFP)
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‘We Won’t Talk About That’: Benfica’s Tralhao Shuts Down Questions on Prestianni 

SL Benfica's assistant coach Joao Tralhao give a press conference on the eve of their UEFA Champions League knockout round playoff second leg football match against Real Madrid CF at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid on February 24, 2026. (AFP)
SL Benfica's assistant coach Joao Tralhao give a press conference on the eve of their UEFA Champions League knockout round playoff second leg football match against Real Madrid CF at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid on February 24, 2026. (AFP)

Benfica assistant coach Joao Tralhao said his side's identity did not depend on any individual player as he declined to comment on the suspension of winger Gianluca Prestianni ahead of Wednesday's Champions League playoff second leg at Real Madrid.

Prestianni received a provisional one-match suspension from UEFA on Monday after he was accused of directing a racist slur at Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr during the Spanish club's 1-0 first-leg win in Lisbon last week.

The 20-year-old Argentine winger denied the allegation, stating Vinicius "misunderstood what he thinks he heard," with Real midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni saying Prestianni admitted ‌to making a ‌homophobic remark instead.

"We are not going to talk about the ‌topic ⁠you asked about," ⁠Tralhao told reporters at a press conference on Tuesday.

"What we can say is that, regardless of the player on the pitch, we have an identity — a clear identity... whether player A plays or player B plays, we maintain the same profile."

Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois condemned both racism and homophobia earlier on Tuesday, describing any form of insult as "just as serious".

He also criticized Benfica fans who made monkey gestures during the first leg, calling ⁠their behavior "deplorable" and "shameful" while defending Vinicius' goal celebration as harmless.

The ‌situation adds tension to Benfica's preparations for the match. ‌Midfielder Fredrik Aursnes said the squad experienced "a little bit different week."

"It's like a final tomorrow. ‌We have to win against an amazing team in a difficult stadium," the 30-year-old ‌Norwegian added.

Benfica will also be without head coach Jose Mourinho, who is suspended after receiving a red card in the first leg.

Mourinho, 63, stirred controversy after the first leg by suggesting Vinicius had provoked the crowd with his goal celebration.

Though absent from the bench on Wednesday, Mourinho ‌led training on Tuesday, where Prestianni participated with the team.

"I don’t know where he (Mourinho) will be. We prepared this match anticipating ⁠every scenario that ⁠may happen... From our side, as staff, we prepared the team, we prepared all the scenarios so that tomorrow we can perform at our level,” Tralhao said.

UEFA has appointed an Ethics and Disciplinary Inspector to investigate allegations of discriminatory behavior, with a decision expected after proceedings conclude.

Benfica have appealed Prestianni's provisional suspension.

"We filed an appeal because we understand that nothing has been proven," Benfica President Rui Costa told reporters in Lisbon on Tuesday.

"It doesn't justify the player's absence from this game.

"I wasn't on the pitch to know what was said. What I can say is that I believe in my player. Prestianni is being crucified as a racist person and I can assure you that he is not.

"I expected something definitive, but in the end, there was only this provisional suspension."

Sports

Swansea Celebrity Co-Owner Snoop Dogg Receives Grand Welcome on First Visit 

Football - Championship - Swansea City v Preston North End - Swansea.com Stadium, Swansea, Wales, Britain - February 24, 2026 Swansea City co-owner Snoop Dogg poses with kids before the match. (Action Images via Reuters/Peter Cziborra)
Football - Championship - Swansea City v Preston North End - Swansea.com Stadium, Swansea, Wales, Britain - February 24, 2026 Swansea City co-owner Snoop Dogg poses with kids before the match. (Action Images via Reuters/Peter Cziborra)
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Swansea Celebrity Co-Owner Snoop Dogg Receives Grand Welcome on First Visit 

Football - Championship - Swansea City v Preston North End - Swansea.com Stadium, Swansea, Wales, Britain - February 24, 2026 Swansea City co-owner Snoop Dogg poses with kids before the match. (Action Images via Reuters/Peter Cziborra)
Football - Championship - Swansea City v Preston North End - Swansea.com Stadium, Swansea, Wales, Britain - February 24, 2026 Swansea City co-owner Snoop Dogg poses with kids before the match. (Action Images via Reuters/Peter Cziborra)

American rapper ‌and producer Snoop Dogg received a guard of honor and was greeted with twirling white towels on Tuesday on his first visit to Swansea City since becoming an investor with the Welsh side last year.

Dressed in Swansea's colors, the 54-year-old ‌took the ‌field ahead of the ‌Championship ⁠game against Preston ⁠North End through a guard of honor comprising young footballers from Wales, as over 20,000 fans filled the stands.

The match ended 1-1, with Swansea's ⁠Liam Cullen netting a ‌95th-minute equalizer.

Swansea ‌head coach Vitor Matos told reporters that ‌Snoop Dogg had spoken with ‌the players in the dressing room.

"He's someone that likes to be involved. He was involved not only ‌with us, but as well with the (US) Olympic team. ⁠He ⁠really loves sports," added Matos.

"It's good for him to be involved. I'm happy that we have someone like him who loves the club, loves the city, wants to be here."

Swansea, who are 14th in the English second tier, face Ipswich Town on Saturday.