UEFA

Who is the best signing of the summer?

Confirmed less than an hour before the closure of the transfer window, Mesut Özil's move to Arsenal FC generated as much excitement as any other deal this summer. Who are you most looking forward to seeing ply their trade for their new team in the UEFA Champions League group stage?

While Özil's departure from Real Madrid CF was unforeseen by many, another man's reverse journey – from north London to the Spanish capital – looked inevitable for months. Gareth Bale did finally complete his world-record switch to the Santiago Bernabéu with a day to spare, but will he be able to handle the enormous expectations that come with the deal? How will he and Cristiano Ronaldo combine?

Meanwhile, Madrid's eternal Liga rivals FC Barcelona made a big-money acquisition of their own. Brazil forward Neymar lands in Spain having never before played outside his homeland. How will new coach Gerardo Martino shoehorn him into a side already jam-packed with attacking flair?


Edinson Cavani has joined PSG
Another south American, Edinson Cavani, caused a stir by swapping SSC Napoli for ambitious Paris Saint-Germain FC. Will Laurent Blanc try to rotate the Argentina striker with Zlatan Ibrahimović or simply pair the two? Can Cavani cut it beyond Naples? The Napoli team he left behind seem to have secured an impressive forward option of their own. Gonzalo Higuaín, often second fiddle to Karim Benzema at Madrid, now has the chance to be the main man. How will he fare?

Juventus may be many observers' dark horses after quietly adding the firepower of Carlos Tévez and Fernando Llorente to their attack. Considering neither has played in Italy before, will they take time to adapt or will they immediately bring goals to the table? A similar question applies to the evergreen Samuel Eto'o, a devastating goalscorer in his pomp, but has he got it in him to continue in the same manner at Chelsea FC?


The Blues' Premier League rivals Manchester City FC have also enhanced their arsenal, luring Stevan Jovetić and Álvaro Negredo to north-west England. Potentially just as important to Manuel Pellegrini's side are the arrivals of Fernandinho and Jesús Navas. Who will have the biggest effect as City seek to get out of the group stage for the first time?