Every Premier League manager’s first signing for their current club
- Paul Okey
- 23 June 2022
Did they hit the ground running with a signing to capture the imagination, or were the Premier League managers’ first additions best forgotten?
A manager's first signing can set the tone for his tenure. Sir Alex Ferguson's first purchase as Manchester United boss was Viv Anderson, David Moyes' was Guillermo Varela.
With Erik ten Hag still to land his first capture as United manager, Planet Sport looks back on the first incomings of the Premier League bosses.
AFC Bournemouth boss Scott Parker - Emiliano Marcondes
A fringe player at Brentford despite a man-of-the-match display in their play-off final win over Swansea, Marcondes has gone on to be…a fringe player at Bournemouth.
The attacking midfielder moved to the Vitality Stadium on a three-year deal, joining as a free agent. However, despite starting six of Cherries' first seven games of the season, coming on as a first-half substitute in the other, he finished the season out of the first-team picture and begging for games in the under-23 side.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta - Pablo Mari
Mari arrived on loan in the same January window as Cedric Soares, had been on the books of Manchester City and had just won the Copa Libertadores with Flamengo in Brazil.
Suffered serious ligament damage during spell, restricting him to just two games, but nevertheless, signed a four-year contract later in the campaign for a fee of around £8million.
Was bullied by Romelu Lukaku in Arsenal's second game of the 2021/22 season and hasn't been seen again for the Gunners, joining Udinese on loan in January. Under contract at the Emirates until 2024, he has made no secret of his desire to stay in Serie A.
Aston Villa boss Steven Gerrard - Philippe Coutinho
Steven Gerrard described Coutinho as a "special footballer" after landing the Spaniard on a six-month loan deal from Barcelona and the 29-year-old announced himself with a goal on debut against Manchester United.
Had four goals and three assists from his first eight games and although his influence declined as Villa's season tailed off, the Villans had seen enough to complete a £17million deal for the former Liverpool man.
Brentford boss Thomas Frank - Christian Norgaard
Signed from Italian giants Fiorentina, Norgaard was already known to Frank having played under him at Brondby.
"Christian can play in a variety of different positions in the midfield but has given his best performances as a deep midfield player," said Frank upon his capture.
Norgaard has since gone on to make close to 100 appearances for the Bees and was an ever-present force in the Premier League last season, winning the club's player of the year award.
Topped the Premier League's combined tackles and interceptions with 173 and won the most tackles in Europe's top five leagues, with 80. Signed a contract extension in January but has been linked with a move to club's higher up the Premier League.
Brighton boss Graham Potter - Matt Clarke
From a player who has proved a mainstay for his boss, to one who has not even made an appearance for his.
Matt Clarke can look back on an impressive 2021/22 campaign having been voted supporters' player of the year. However, the accolade came at West Brom, where he was out on loan, rather than at the Amex.
Since making the move to Brighton from Portsmouth in June 2019 the centre-back has found his way to the first team blocked and with his contract expiring in the summer of 2023 looks to be on his way in this window. Baggies boss Steve Bruce is certainly keen to keep him at the Hawthorns.
Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel - Marcus Bettinelli
Bettinelli moved to Stamford Bridge after running down his contract at Fulham.
He signed a two-year contract at the Blues and said: "I'm really excited to be involved and looking forward to trying to impress and help the team as much as I can."
Unfortunately for Bettinelli, helping the team as much as he can stretched to just one start, against non-league Chesterfield in the FA Cup.
Crystal Palace boss Patrick Vieira - Michael Olise
Palace beat off competition from Arsenal, Chelsea and Leeds to land the then-teenager who had been named in the Championship team of the season while at Reading.
The midfielder proved to be a revelation for Vieira's side, scoring two goals and providing five assists in 26 top-flight appearances. Now the Eagles have reportedly reopened contract negotiations with the 20-year-old in an effort to increase his £35million release clause.
Everton boss Frank Lampard - Donny van de Beek
With the transfer window about to slam shut, Frank Lampard thought he saw something in Van de Beek that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick had not, bringing in the Dutchman from Manchester United on loan.
He gave the midfielder every chance to prove himself, with Van de Beek featuring in six successive Premier League games, of which the Toffees lost five.
A thigh injury and a bout of Covid then dogged the remainder of the campaign and he is expected to start the new campaign back at United, with yet another manager looking to unearth the player who shot to prominence at Ajax.
Fulham boss Marco Silva - Harry Wilson and Paulo Gazzaniga
Wilson and Gazzaniga were unveiled at the same time by the Cottagers and both started the season as Marco Silva's side looked to bounce back to the Premier League at the first attempt.
However, while Wilson went on to rack up 10 goals and 20 assists in 41 appearances following his move from Liverpool, Gazzaniga found himself dropped following a 4-1 defeat to Coventry in October and only went on to make two more appearances.
Leeds boss Jesse Marsch - Brenden Aaronson
After guiding Leeds to Premier League safety, Jesse Marsch is hoping to build a side which will avoid another worrying end to the season.
On May 26, 2022, the club announced their first signing of the Marsch-era, with Red Bull Salzburg midfielder Brenden Aaronson joining the fold.
Considering the 21-year-old was nicknamed "Medford Messi" during his time in the MLS and Austria, expectations will be high when he makes his Elland Road debut.
Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers - James Justin
Rodgers' first signing at King Power was right-back James Justin who arrived from Luton for a fee of around £6million.
He established himself in the Foxes side in the latter stages of the Covid-disrupted 2019/20 campaign but saw his progress stymied by an ACL injury in the early part of 2021.
However, he has since returned to full fitness, playing 13 games in the second half of last season and earning a call-up to England's Nations League squad.
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp - Marko Grujic
Grujic became Klopp's first signing as Liverpool manager in January 2016, joining the Reds in a £5.1million deal from Red Star Belgrade.
But the midfielder played less than 400 minutes for the club in all competitions, spending the vast majority of his time at the club out on loan - at Cardiff, Hertha Berlin and Porto, where he eventually moved on a permanent deal in the summer of 2021 for £8million.
Made 21 appearances for Porto last season as they won the Primera Liga.
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola - Ilkay Gundogan
Now 31, Gundogan was signed from Borussia Dortmund in June 2016 for a reported fee of £20million on a four-and-a-half year deal.
His debut was delayed after he suffered a dislocated kneecap in training which ruled him out of Euro 2016.
Nevertheless, he has since gone on to prove himself as one of the best midfielders in world football, having racked up 157 appearances and 36 goals for the Premier League champions.
Has been linked with a move away from the Etihad in the summer.
Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag - Yet to make a signing
Erik ten Hag is yet to make a signing since becoming the new United manager, although the club are reportedly targeting Barcelona star Frenkie de Jong and Ajax winger Antony.
Nottingham Forest boss Steve Cooper - Keinan Davis
Loanee Davis scored five and provided two assists as he returned to fitness in time to help Forest gain promotion back to the Premier League at Wembley, via the play-offs.
Parent club Aston Villa have subsequently slapped a £15million valuation on the striker, which looks to have prompted Forest to look elsewhere, with Union Berlin forward Taiwo Awoniyi in advanced talks to move to the City Ground.
Newcastle boss Eddie Howe - Kieran Trippier
Kieran Trippier has arrived. 🎯👏pic.twitter.com/WA4chsfaht
— SPORTbible (@sportbible) February 8, 2022
Trippier was a real statement signing for the Magpies despite a broken metatarsal restricting him to just six appearances in black and white.
A La Liga winner with Atletico Madrid, his return to the Premier League heralded a bright new future for the north-east club following their Saudi-backed takeover.
Two free-kick goals in his first four appearances helped maintain the feelgood factor at St James' Park and though he didn't return until the last month of the season, Newcastle's fortunes had literally been transformed.
Southampton boss Ralph Hasenhuttl - Moussa Djenepo
The Mali international agreed a four-year contract at St Mary's in the summer of 2019, joining from Standard Liege off the back of an outstanding season in Belgium, where he scored 11 times to help his side to Europa League qualification.
However, it has been a largely stop-start time ever since for the winger, with injuries and loss of form restricting the 24-year-old to four goals in 67 appearances for the Saints.
Tottenham boss Antonio Conte - Dejan Kulusevski
Tottenham signed Kulusevski on an 18-month loan deal from Juve at the end of January with an option to buy. It was the second time director Fabio Paratici had signed the young Swede, after being the chief in Turin who captured him for the Old Lady.
The Swedish international proved a revelation for Conte's side, with five goals and eight assists in 18 appearances.
It was reported that Spurs were set to make the deal permanent this summer but it now looks like they will let the loan deal run down before committing to his signature.
West Ham boss David Moyes - Darren Randolph
Having been stung by his opening move for Guillermo Varela at Man Utd (4 appearances in four years), Moyes chose to play it safe by making a third-choice keeper his first addition on his return to West Ham.
It was Randolph's second spell at West Ham, too, with the keeper rejoining from Middlesbrough in January 2020 in a £4million move.
Has made just five Premier League appearances since and even in a season when the Irons seemed to be playing every other day, he failed to feature in any competition in 2021/22.
Wolves boss Bruno Lage - Yerson Mosquera
Colombian Yerson Mosquera arrived shortly after Lage in the summer of 2021, moving to Molineux from Atletico Nacional on a five-year-deal.
Wolves technical director Scott Sellars said Wolves had been "monitoring Yerson for quite a while and that "Bruno has been involved in the process."
However, Mosquera managed just nine minutes of EFL Cup action before sustaining a hamstring injury that required surgery.
