Five impressive summer signings to watch in Champions League

Craig Forrest, Jim Brennan and James Sharman take a look at all the latest from the UEFA Champions League.

The UEFA Champions League group stage concludes this week, and while some clubs have already wrapped up their spots in the round of 16, others will be jockeying for position as they look to advance.

Many teams bulked up their squads in the off-season by adding some big-name signings who have thus far lived up to expectations. Other sides made low-key, astute moves in the market, and those players are proving to be valuable additions.

With that in mind, here are five summer signings who have impressed at their new teams this term that you should keep close tabs on this week.

Kylian Mbappe – Paris-Saint Germain

When a club commits to paying €180 million for a player after the season, then it expects an instant impact. Mbappe has done exactly that.

Mbappe has cooled off slightly since the start to the campaign, but he has been excellent for Paris Saint-Germain, playing up top with Neymar and Edinson Cavani. One would argue that it’s easy to partner two world-class forwards. However, the 18-year-old moved to his hometown club amid sky-high expectations and was asked to play out of position on the right wing. The ex-Monaco man settled in quickly without any complaints.

Sometimes it’s hard to fathom that Mbappe is still a teenager who is playing his first full professional season as a starter. He also plays a vital role. The Parisian provides pace, directness and vision. Neymar is the main man up top, but without the teenage protégée, the “MCN” frontline is not as devastating.

Watch Mbappe against Bayern Munich – who he shredded on Matchday 2 at the Parc des Princes – and his true value will show.

Alvaro Morata – Chelsea

Amid the much-deserved hype surrounding Mohamed Salah at Liverpool, Chelsea’s record signing has delivered rather quietly by comparison.

Morata never completed a full season as a club’s primary No. 9 during his stinsts at Real Madrid or Juventus, despite his key role en route to Juve’s appearance in the 2015 Champions League final. However, 10 goals and three assists in 15 games in all competitions for Chelsea this season is a very solid output.

The Spaniard has not been as lethal in front of goal in the Champions League, but he is a crucial player in other facets of the game. His chemistry with Eden Hazard and vision allows the Belgian to thrive in a central role alongside Morata. That’s what led to his brilliant displays versus Atletico Madrid and Chelsea.

The Blues have already clinched a spot in the round of 16, but a victory over Atletico would ensure they top Group C ahead of AS Roma. Morata will surely be a central figure in Tuesday’s match.

Nelson Semedo – FC Barcelona

Paulinho arrived in Barcelona with plenty of skepticism and he’s proven the critics wrong thus far. However, Semedo – one of the other major signings – has not received anywhere near as many plaudits.

While he has not earned a consistent run of games recently, Semedo’s potential is clear to see. Barcelona had not properly replaced Dani Alves, but it appears that the Portuguese can instill those Alves-like qualities at right-back. The speed and vision are there. His defending is solid, too.

He’s still not the finished article, but Semedo should hit similar heights if he logs consistent minutes.

Bruno Fernandes – Sporting

It’s very likely that manager Ernesto Valverde and Barcelona will be planning to thwart Fernandes when the Spaniards host Sporting on Tuesday.

The Portuguese international was signed from Sampdoria for around €8.5 million in the summer and Sporting immediately inserted a €100 million release clause in his contract.

It’s now easy to see Sporting’s rationale behind that decision, as the 23-year-old has been dominant for Jorge Jesus’ side. He had a goal and an assist across both games versus Olympiacos earlier in the group stage, unlocking its defence on several occasions.

Fernandes has accumulated seven goals and three assists in 18 games in all competitions. That is very impressive considering he’s primarily known for his creativity, dribbling and technique.

Pepe – Besiktas

Besiktas topped Group G in the Champions League to reach the last 16 for the first time. The Black Eagles were also the first Turkish club to finish first place in their group.

Cenk Tosun, Anderson Talisca, Ricardo Quaresma, Ryan Babel and Canadian Atiba Hutchinson have all contributed to this success, but it’s the defence that has truly stood out. Veteran centre-back Pepe has been vital in that regard.

The 34-year-old joined from Real Madrid and became a valuable member of the squad. Besiktas has only conceded four goals through five games in the Champions League. Only Barcelona, PSG (1), Manchester United (2), Manchester City and Atletico (3) have allowed fewer.

Besiktas close out the group stage against RB Leipzig. However, if the Turkish giants have any hope of progressing to the quarterfinals, they will need Pepe to stay in top form at the back.

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