Chelsea defender Kalidou Koulibaly wants to avoid Napoli in the next round of the Champions League in the hope of a potential final against his former club.

Two-time European champions Chelsea beat Borussia Dortmund 2-0 on Tuesday to progress to the quarter-finals in a 2-1 aggregate victory. 

Meanwhile, Napoli lead 2-0 in their last-16 tie against Eintracht Frankfurt ahead of the second leg next week and have emerged as one of the tournament's favourites given their 15-point lead in Serie A.

Koulibaly left the Partenopei for Chelsea at the start of the season and is keen for any reunion to be delayed until June.

"I hope to meet them as far away as possible," Koulibaly told Sky Sports. "Maybe in the final in Istanbul would be better.

"We know how important Napoli is to me, but now I'm focused on my team.

"If we meet them, we will do everything to win, but I hope it is as far as possible because I also wish them to go a long way, and why not face us in the final?"

A second straight victory for Chelsea in all competitions followed a run of just two wins in 15 before last weekend.

The poor run has Graham Potter's side in 10th in the Premier League, raising doubts about the head coach's future.

"It was a bit of a difficult moment," added Koulibaly. "We knew that this game was fundamental for us; we wanted to win it at all costs.

"We played a great game, I think, and we showed the intensity we had to show. We wanted to win at all costs, and we can be happy."

Next for Chelsea is an away trip to Leicester City on Saturday, with the Champions League quarter-final draw taking place on March 17.

Debutant Joao Felix's red card proved costly as Carlos Vinicius earned Fulham a 2-1 win over west London rivals Chelsea that piles even more pressure on head coach Graham Potter.

Joao Felix was named in injury-hit Chelsea's starting line-up, a day after joining on loan from Atletico Madrid, and saw red for a lunge on Kenny Tete shortly before the hour mark.

Chelsea had fought their way back into the match at the time of that dismissal after Kalidou Koulibaly's close-range finish cancelled out former Blues winger Willian's first-half opener at Craven Cottage.

Fulham were without suspended top scorer Aleksandar Mitrovic, but Carlos Vinicius headed in his first Fulham goal in the 73rd minute to land his side a rare win in this fixture and make it six defeats in eight for Chelsea.

Bernd Leno did well to keep out an early Lewis Hall strike in a bright start from Chelsea, with Joao Felix looking particularly lively in the final third.

Fulham soon grew into the game and struck the crossbar through a powerful Bobby Decordova-Reid effort, shortly after Carlos Vinicius had a penalty shout rejected.

However, Willian gave Fulham the lead when Chelsea's defence backed off and allowed the winger to fire away a shot that deflected off Trevoh Chalobah on its way through.

Leno continued to frustrate Chelsea, but he was almost caught out by a Mason Mount free-kick that struck the right-hand post and landed nicely for Koulibaly to squeeze over the line.

Chelsea lost another player to injury when Denis Zakaria hobbled off and then had Joao Felix dismissed for a studs-up challenge on Tete.

More misery was to follow for Chelsea and Potter as Andreas Pereira played in a delightful cross for Carlos Vinicius to get above Chalobah and power home a winning goal at the back post.

Napoli winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is "among the best in the world," according to club legend Marek Hamsik.

The Georgia international, who arrived from Dinamo Batumi in July, has played an instrumental role in Napoli's impressive start to the season, with Luciano Spalletti's side eight points clear at the Serie A summit.

No player has been directly involved in more goals this term than Kvaratskhelia (11 - scored six, assisted five), with his tally only matched by team-mate Victor Osimhen, who is the leading marksman in the Italian top flight (nine).

Unbeaten after 15 games, Napoli's surge has been all the more impressive considering three key players left in the close season, with Kalidou Koulibaly joining Chelsea and all-time top scorer Dries Mertens and Lorenzo Insigne departing on free transfers. 

But Hamsik - the club's record appearance maker (520) - is delighted at how the likes of Kvaratskhelia and Osimhen have stepped up to the plate, along with defender Kim Min-jae.

"Kvara has incredible dribbling ease and he is among the best in the world," the 35-year-old told DAZN. 

"It's incredible to see this Napoli team without the three most important players. 

"Everyone needs symbols, someone to represent the club. For the fans, it was a shame [when those players left].

"But I must say it's good how Napoli took players who play great, getting good results like Kim, Kvara, Osi, and also reduced the wage bill."

Now plying his trade with Turkish side Trabzonspor, Hamsik spent 12 seasons at Napoli and became the club's all-time leading scorer with 121 goals, though he has since been surpassed by Mertens (148) and Insigne (122).

The former Slovakia captain revealed he declined several offers to move away from Naples, but has no regrets over those decisions.

"There were teams that wanted me," he added. "The first was Milan with [Massimiliano] Allegri in 2012, then [Walter] Mazzarri at Inter.

"There was Juve - there were a few calls with [Pavel] Nedved, but I never thought about it.

"I never needed to change. I was happy and renewed five times in 12 years, which is quite a number. The club gave me what I wanted, I was happy, my family too, and the fans loved me more and more."

England must be considered among the world's very best sides and they are capable of going all the way in Qatar, says Kalidou Koulibaly.

The Three Lions defeated Koulibaly's Senegal 3-0 on Sunday at Al Bayt Stadium to seal their place in the last eight of the World Cup.

England, World Cup semi-finalists in 2018 and Euro 2020 finalists last year, are the tournament's leading scorers with 12 goals, while they have conceded only twice across their four matches.

France are next up for England on Saturday and while Koulibaly knows the Les Bleus will provide the sternest of challenges, he believes Gareth Southgate's team have every chance of going even deeper into the tournament.

"They are very good. We know that they have a lot of talent, a lot of big players, we know all of them," Koulibaly told reporters.

"They played very well, they can go far, but the next game will be tough against France. I hope the best will win.

"They have so many options but we know every game is different in the World Cup. You can score a lot in one game and then the next one will be difficult to score.

"They have to keep going and believe it, I think they can go far."

After losing to the Netherlands in their opening Group A match, Senegal – shorn of star player Sadio Mane through injury – beat Qatar and Ecuador to progress in second place, and Koulibaly is happy with what the Africa Cup of Nations champions have achieved in Qatar.

He said: "It was a beautiful tournament for us. We wanted to get out of the group stage, we did it, and now it was a tough game against one of the best teams in the world. We can be proud of what we did."

Koulibaly's Chelsea club-mate Edouard Mendy added: "Dealing with defeat is not difficult. We came up against a better team than us, we have to accept that, England played at their best.

"They also had all their players at their disposal while we were missing some key players. We had to play without Sadio. We also had Idrissa [Gueye] and Cheikhou [Kouyate] missing.

"So when you play against a team like that with key players missing, it is complicated.

"But throughout the tournament and throughout the year, we have shown that Senegal is more than 11 players, it is a group.

"We will continue to move forward, to progress and we will come back stronger in the 2026 World Cup, God willing."

Senegal progressed to the World Cup knockout stage at the expense of Ecuador after  Kalidou Koulibaly's strike  sealed a 2-1 win at the Khalifa International Stadium on Tuesday.

Aliou Cisse's side went into the game a point adrift of their opponents, but a deserved victory saw them secure second spot in Group A behind the Netherlands, who beat hosts Qatar in the group's other game.

Senegal were brightest from the outset and went ahead in the 44th minute when Watford winger Ismaila Sarr coolly slid home from the penalty spot after he had been fouled.

Moises Caicedo pulled Ecuador level midway through the second half, but Chelsea defender Koulibaly popped up in the 70 th  minute to restore Senegal's lead and send them into the last 16. 

Senegal squandered two glorious chances inside the opening 10 minutes, Idrissa Gueye and Boulaye Dia flashing efforts just wide from inside the penalty area.

Sarr went close with a whipped effort from distance midway through the first half, before Pathe Ciss looped a header onto the roof of the net.

Senegal's dominance was rewarded a minute before the interval when Sarr slotted home from the spot after he had been brought down in the area by Piero Hincapie.

Ecuador were much improved after the break and they drew level in the 67th minute when Caicedo tapped home at the back post after Felix Torres had flicked a corner on.

Their joy was short-lived, however, as Koulibaly booked Senegal's last-16 spot just three minutes later with a side-footed volley from six yards after a free-kick had been diverted into his path by an Ecuador defender. 

Sadio Mane remains a key influence on Senegal's World Cup campaign despite his absence, with Kalidou Koulibaly revealing the forward is in constant contact with the national team.

The Bayern Munich attacker was ruled out of Qatar 2022 after undergoing surgery for a leg injury sustained on November 8 in a Bundesliga game with Werder Bremen.

It has been a cruel blow for player and country, with Mane's penalty having been the victorious touch to take Senegal to Qatar 2022 in their qualifying play-off earlier this year against Egypt.

But despite his absence, Koulibaly says the forward is still a regular, virtual presence around the squad, helping to raise their game and keep them focused.

"He's always texting with us, always calling," he stated. "[He is] keeping the mentality high for the team. He's an important player for us.

"We know the importance that he has for the team and we hope he will continue [to stay in touch]. When he speaks, all of Senegal listens."

Senegal came up short in their first match of the World Cup on Monday against the Netherlands, conceding a pair of late goals to suffer a 2-0 defeat

Ahead of Friday's encounter with hosts Qatar in Group A, the Lions of Teranga are looking to get their campaign back on track, with Koulibaly stating they are stung by loss.

"It is very difficult after a defeat to get your head around things," he added. "It is a difficult pill to swallow. We've started off with a loss."

Both concessions marked a tough game for goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, with Senegal's first-choice goalkeeper having endured a hit-and-miss campaign with Chelsea.

Blues team-mate Koulibaly remains unconcerned over any fears of a dip in form however, adding: "We're brothers in arms. He's an important player for us.

"It's normal to go through difficult periods, but I think we're making a mountain out of a molehill. Edouard knows what he needs to do tomorrow, as do we. I don't think we should be making a big deal about this.

"Everyone needs to be confident in our role; everyone needs to get stuck in. It is together that we are going to be able to overcome this hurdle. I am not worried."

Kalidou Koulibaly implored Chelsea players "to look each other in the eye" with the Blues players the only "culprits" for the increasing pressure on Graham Potter.

Head coach Potter became the first Blues manager since Jose Mourinho in 2015 to lose three consecutive Premier League matches following a 1-0 defeat at Newcastle United.

The tepid nature of the Chelsea showing offered more reason for concern after the Blues managed just seven touches in the opposition box, their lowest since January against Manchester City.

With Potter's side eight points adrift of the Premier League's top four, albeit with a game in hand over fourth-placed Tottenham, Koulibaly urged his team-mates to take responsibility for their recent form.

"It hurts, we came here to take three points,'' the Senegal international told Canal Plus.

''We knew that they were in a good moment, that they are putting on the intensity and that especially at home they have their audience behind them. 

"Today, Chelsea are not in their place and the only culprits are us. So we must look each other in the eye and continue to work to put Chelsea in their place.''

The World Cup break could come at a good time for Chelsea as the Premier League pauses, with the Blues not in action again until a home clash with Bournemouth on December 27.

Koulibaly will head to the Middle East with Senegal, who are in Group A alongside hosts Qatar, Ecuador and the Netherlands, though he hopes Chelsea can atone for their mistakes after the break.

He added: ''The break comes at a good time for us, we need to recharge the batteries, think about something else and come back after the World Cup with a different mentality."

Sadio Mane has been named in Senegal's squad for the World Cup despite suffering a fibula injury less than two weeks before the tournament begins.

The Bayern Munich attacker limped out of his side's 6-1 Bundesliga thrashing of Werder Bremen on Tuesday, and the Bavarian giants subsequently confirmed he had injured his right fibula head.

Reports in Germany and France said Mane's availability for Senegal's World Cup campaign – which begins against the Netherlands on November 21 – was in question, but Bayern did not rule him out of the tournament.

Senegal coach Aliou Cisse has opted to take a risk on Mane by naming him in his 26-man party for the trip to Qatar, though he acknowledges the former Liverpool star's condition must improve if he is to feature.

"We are monitoring the situation and have sent one of our doctors to assess him," Cisse said at a press conference in Dakar on Friday.

"On Thursday, Sadio spent the whole day in Munich before travelling to Austria for further tests. The good news is that he does not need an operation.

"We want the situation to evolve in two to three weeks. I don't want to rule him out."

Mane scored the winning penalty as Senegal beat Egypt to win their first Africa Cup of Nations title earlier this year, and he has been directly involved in 12 of the last 25 goals scored by Senegal players at major tournaments (AFCON and World Cup), netting nine and assisting three.

Chelsea defender Kalidou Koulibaly will captain the Lions of Teranga in Qatar, with Blues team-mate Edouard Mendy also set to start in goal.

Senegal squad: Seny Dieng (Queens Park Rangers), Alfred Gomis (Rennes), Edouard Mendy (Chelsea); Fode Ballo-Toure (Milan), Pape Abou Cisse (Olympiacos), Abdou Diallo (RB Leipzig), Ismail Jakobs (Monaco), Kalidou Koulibaly (Chelsea), Formose Mendy (Amiens), Youssouf Sabaly (Real Betis); Pathe Ciss (Rayo Vallecano), Krepin Diatta (Monaco), Idrissa Gueye (Everton), Pape Gueye (Marseille), Cheikhou Kouyate (Nottingham Forest), Mamadou Loum (Reading), Nampalys Mendy (Leicester City), Moustapha Name (Pafos), Pape Matar Sarr (Tottenham); Boulaye Dia (Salernitana), Famara Diedhiou (Alanyaspor), Bamba Dieng (Marseille), Nicolas Jackson (Villarreal), Sadio Mane (Bayern Munich), Iliman Ndiaye (Sheffield United), Ismaila Sarr (Watford).

Kalidou Koulibaly knows his "time will come" under Graham Potter at Chelsea, while the centre-back admitted he misses his former club Napoli despite choosing to leave.

The Senegal international ended an eight-year stay in Naples as he moved to Stamford Bridge in July for a reported £33.8million (€40m), signing a four-year contract with the Premier League side.

Thomas Tuchel, backed heavily in the transfer market by new owner Todd Boehly, was the man to sign Koulibaly before the Chelsea chairman dismissed the German and brought in Potter.

Koulibaly has been overlooked for the first two games of Potter's tenure, but the 31-year-old remains confident he will soon get his chance.

"It's true I haven't played yet with the new manager, but I'm easy, I know my time will come," Koulibaly told reporters.

"We have a lot of games and I will give everything in training. I am a big worker and when I don't play, I like to put all my energy into my work.

"At the moment, I am working good and trying to give my best in training to show him he can use me on the pitch and play my first game for him."

While the former Napoli defender remains patient for his chance to impress, Koulibaly acknowledged he misses life in Italy.

"I expected this. It is hard to move eight years of my life to come to London. I know that I have reached a big club, one of the best clubs in the world, so everything is hard," he continued.

"I do miss Napoli and Naples but it was my choice. I wanted to come here to London, I wanted to come and join this club, one of the best in the world.

"We knew it would be difficult, everybody says so. Even some of the best coaches in the world said so because everyone knows that to go from Italy to England is difficult.

"But I was ready to take on this challenge. At the moment, we are going through a process that is normal and I am working very hard. I like it here and I'm very happy to be there. 

"But we all have to work. I think my time will come. I am easy, I know that it's a normal process. So I have to keep on working, stay passionate and my time will come."

Koulibaly will hope to get a chance in Potter's starting XI when Chelsea host Milan on Wednesday, the Blues aiming for their first win at their third attempt in Champions League Group E.

"I think today the most important thing is that Chelsea have to win the game tomorrow because I know we didn't start well in the Champions League with a defeat and draw," he added.

"I am not worried about anything, I just want Chelsea to win the games as we did at the weekend.

"We showed a lot of good things this weekend and I am really happy for the team and everybody because we have a good team spirit and it's difficult when you change a manager.

"But you see this team is going up and up and I hope that tomorrow we will show a lot of good things to win the game."

Graham Potter opted for Cesar Azpilicueta ahead of recent arrivals Kalidou Koulibaly and Wesley Fofana as Chelsea switched to 4-3-3 in their new head coach's first game.

The Blues operated in a 3-4-3 system for most of Thomas Tuchel's tenure, but the German was dismissed after an underwhelming start to the season.

Potter was convinced to leave Brighton and Hove Albion for Stamford Bridge and made three changes ahead of his first game at home to Salzburg in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Thiago Silva returned to the starting line-up, with club captain Azpilicueta partnering the centre-back as Potter decided to leave out Koulibaly and Fofana, who were recruited from Napoli and Leicester City respectively.

Jorginho came in to the midfield trio, along with Mateo Kovacic and Mason Mount, while former Brighton defender Marc Cucurella replaced Ben Chilwell at left-back.

Chelsea continued with the same front three, though – Raheem Sterling, Kai Havertz and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang up top, the latter making his home debut for the Blues.

The Blues lost 1-0 at Dinamo Zagreb in their Group E opener, which was Tuchel's 100th game in charge, and also his last.

Thomas Tuchel wants more signings before the end of the transfer window, but the Chelsea boss has said he will still be happy if no more players arrive.

Chelsea could be set to be one of the busier of the biggest Premier League clubs this week, with Tuchel's side in the market for several players.

Wesley Fofana's move from Leicester City is due to go through once the defender completes a medical, while the Blues are also interested in Everton winger Anthony Gordon and Barcelona striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Wilfried Zaha has also been mooted as a target.

There could be several outgoings as well, with Conor Gallagher, Armando Broja and Trevoh Chalobah drawing reported interest. Callum Hudson-Odoi, meanwhile, is set to join Bayer Leverkusen on loan.

Among others, Chelsea have brought in Raheem Sterling, Kalidou Koulibaly and Marc Cucurella, but Emerson, Timo Werner, Romelu Lukaku, Malang Sarr and Levi Colwill are among those to have left, either permanently or on loan.

"Right now I think we could need more players in some positions," Tuchel said in a press conference ahead of Tuesday's clash with Southampton.

"But it's very close to the end of the transfer window and when September 1 comes I will be a very happy coach whatever happens, and try to find solutions, not think what could have happened or what could be.

"Everything that matters is the moment, finding a way to win, stepping up individually, stepping up from my side and this is what we will do no matter if players come in or not."

Asked if he had to treat players whose futures are still uncertain differently, Tuchel replied: "It's maybe human, if there is a transfer window and the players are not only with us at Cobham. Once they leave the building they will have their phones on, get calls, maybe think about their future – there is a World Cup coming, which everybody talks about and everybody thinks about.

"At the moment I accept that it is like this and from September there are no more excuses and distractions, so I am very happy when the transfer window is over, because then the commitment has to be here 100 per cent and we will not accept 99.

"But the reality is that sometimes in the last days of the window you have to accept it, no matter what you wish for, it's the reality."

One player who has swiftly settled into life at Stamford Bridge is Koulibaly. The former Napoli defender was sent off in a 3-0 defeat to Leeds United on August 21, but had looked impressive in Chelsea's opening two matches.

"He's a fantastic player, a fantastic personality," Tuchel said of Koulibaly, who will be back in the fold against Southampton.

"I am so happy with what I see, not only that we managed to convince him to come to the club but also how he plays, how he trains, I see a lot of quality and I think when we play Southampton he will be on the pitch. He's a massive player for us."

Thomas Tuchel has played down his clash with opposite number Antonio Conte at the end of Chelsea's thrilling 2-2 draw with Tottenham, describing the melee as natural at the end of an "emotional" match.

Chelsea twice led Spurs in an absorbing London derby on Sunday, opening the scoring through Kalidou Koulibaly's stunning volley and responding to Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg's equaliser by going 2-1 ahead through Reece James.

But Harry Kane's 96th-minute header saw Conte snatch a point on his return to Stamford Bridge, causing chaotic scenes on the touchline as the two coaches were given red cards after clashing over a post-match handshake.

Tuchel and Conte have now both received a card in three separate Premier League games since the start of last season, more than any other managers in the competition. 

But Tuchel told Sky Sports such incidents are to be expected between top competitors, saying: "When you shake hands I thought we look into each others' eyes but Antonio had a different opinion… it was emotional.

"He was happy when they equalised and then it got a bit heated but nothing big. We both got a red card? I think it was not necessary. But a lot of things were not necessary, so that's another poor decision from the referee today.

"It's emotional. You like it. We don't need comments now, and it being heated up and heated up.

"Just look at it. It's the Premier League, it's the game. You love it, no? We love it. We are emotional coaches."

Asked whether he would seek Conte out to apologise for his role in the confrontation, Tuchel was non-committal, adding: "If we meet, we meet, If not, then not. It's not a problem, it's over a football match.

"Come on guys, it's between two competitors and nothing bad happened."

Tuchel celebrated by racing down the touchline in jubilant fashion when James re-established Chelsea's lead with 13 minutes remaining, and admits his actions may have played some role in causing the scenes witnessed at full-time.

"In the middle of it I thought I should not do this but sometimes a match gets you totally, this match sucked me in," he smiled. 

"It was a brilliant effort after an undeserved equaliser. It was pure joy, and it may offend the opposition but they did the same when they equalised."

Harry Kane scored a dramatic 96th-minute equaliser as Tottenham twice came from behind to salvage a 2-2 draw in an ill-tempered London derby against Chelsea.

Antonio Conte had twice looked set to finish empty handed on his Stamford Bridge return, with Kalidou Koulibaly opening the scoring with a sumptuous volley on his home debut for Chelsea early on.

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg levelled with a long-range strike in the second half, but Chelsea again looked to be on course for the win when Reece James side-footed home after racing onto Raheem Sterling's pass.

But Kane was on hand to head home from a late corner and spark wild celebrations from Conte, who was promptly sent off amid a touchline clash as Spurs claimed a potentially vital point from a trip to a likely rival for Champions League qualification.

Napoli are closing in on the signing of Verona striker Giovanni Simeone as Luciano Spalletti said the Serie A club are beginning a "new cycle" following a host of big-name exits.

Spalletti's team threatened a first Scudetto since the Diego Maradona era before tailing off to finish third last season, but have since seen the likes of Kalidou Koulibaly, Dries Mertens and Lorenzo Insigne depart.

Reports have suggested Napoli will combat the losses of Mertens and Insigne – the top two goalscorers in the club's history – by bringing in Verona striker Simeone on an initial loan deal.

Simeone – the son of Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone – scored 17 Serie A goals last season, a tally bettered only by Ciro Immobile (27), Dusan Vlahovic (24) and Lautaro Martinez (21).

The Argentine averaged a goal every 157 minutes throughout the campaign, converting 55 per cent of his big chances.

Ahead of Napoli travelling to Verona for their Serie A opener on Monday, Spalletti revealed the striker's arrival was imminent as he pledged to rebuild the Partenopei's side.

"If everything is okay, of course he will come, we are waiting for him, if you stay, say hello to him too!" Spalletti said amid reports Simeone was undergoing a medical with Napoli.

"He is one we need and Naples is what he needs, it is a correct purchase.

"We will do our best right away, and that I am convinced that we will make the fans fall in love again, as happened last year.

"Now we are talking about a Napoli that no longer sees in their ranks the most important players, and there is talk of players for a new cycle.

"It's a responsibility that stimulates me a lot. Of course, a little support from the city and society is needed, the most difficult things are those of the changing room dynamics.

"They changed without [Faouzi] Ghoulam, [David] Ospina, Mertens and Insigne. In addition to the game dynamics there are those of character, and we have to recreate those there. I'm not afraid of anything." 

Just 11 weeks have passed since Manchester City lifted the Premier League title to bring down the curtain on the 2021-22 Premier League campaign, yet plenty has changed ahead of the start of the new season.

City have undergone a facelift of sorts, with Erling Haaland their marquee arrival of the window, while last term's runners-up Liverpool have replaced the ever-reliable Sadio Mane with Darwin Nunez in attack.

The chasing pack have also been busy as they desperately attempt to keep pace with City and Liverpool, but the exciting signings of the close season to date have not been solely reserved by those competing in the upper echelons.

With the 2022-23 season getting underway on Friday, Stats Perform picks out 10 players we are most looking forward to seeing in action in the Premier League for the very first time.

Erling Haaland (Manchester City)

Arguably the highest-profile signing of the transfer window, Haaland arrives at City with a reputation of being one of Europe's most ruthless goalscorers at the age of just 22.

Haaland was prolific during his short time at Salzburg and scored 86 goals in 89 appearances in all competitions for Borussia Dortmund.

That is a tally bettered by only Robert Lewandowski (122) and Kylian Mbappe (89) across the same period, both of whom played 19 games more.

Darwin Nunez (Liverpool)

Liverpool will also have a new frontman this campaign after spending an initial £64million (€75m) to bring in Nunez from Benfica.

While not a direct like-for-like replacement for Mane, the Uruguay international will have to both score goals on a regular basis and also help to get the best out of his fellow attackers, such as Mohamed Salah. 

The figures suggest Nunez should be well up to the task, with his conversion rate of 27.2 per cent being the highest of all players with 55 or more non-penalty shots in Europe's top-six leagues last season.

Ivan Perisic (Tottenham)

Tottenham were successful in getting the majority of their transfer business out the way early on, giving Antonio Conte a chance to integrate the likes of Clement Lenglet, Djed Spence, Richarlison and Yves Bissouma into his squad.

Each of those will add something different, but it is Perisic who is the most intriguing signing of the lot. Regularly linked with a switch to the Premier League, the former Dortmund, Inter and Bayern winger finally gets a chance to test himself in England's top flight. 

Among many other qualities, Perisic created the most chances following ball carries – defined as any instance when a player moves five-or-more metres with the ball – of any player in Serie A in 2021-22 (26), showing he can still be a menace out wide even at the age of 33.

Lisandro Martinez (Manchester United)

New head coach Erik ten Hag has largely stuck to what he knows when it comes to Manchester United's transfer activity in his first window in charge. Christian Eriksen, Tyrell Malacia and Martinez have all either worked under Ten Hag or have strong connections with the Eredivisie.

Eriksen is already an established name in English football, whereas Malacia and Martinez are gearing up for their first taste of the Premier League. While Malacia is expected to be used as a squad player, Martinez will surely be a regular in the heart of defence if his £48m (€57m) price tag is anything to go by.

Despite concerns being raised over his lack of height, Martinez boasted an aerial duel success rate of 70.2 per cent in the Eredivisie last season, which was fourth-best return of any player.

Kalidou Koulibaly (Chelsea)

Another perennially linked Premier League player, Koulibaly has joined Chelsea after eight years as a Napoli player. Following the departures of centre-backs Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger after the expiration of their contracts, Koulibaly will have to hit the ground running at Stamford Bridge.

If his time with Napoli is anything to go by, Chelsea will have a solid and reliable player in the heart of their defence for the next few years. Across his time in Naples, no defender in Serie A won more tackles (344) or made more successful passes (14,528) than the Senegal international.

Fabio Vieira (Arsenal)

Arsenal mean serious business ahead of Mikel Arteta's third full season in charge. The Spaniard has used his Man City links to recruit Oleksandr Zinchenko and Gabriel Jesus, having already added Vieira to the squad earlier in the window.

Central midfield was not exactly an area Arsenal were light, yet Arteta felt the need to strengthen and in Vieira he has a player with experience of winning a couple of league titles with Porto prior to turning 22.

In contrast to legendary Arsenal namesake Patrick, the Portugal Under-21 international is more accustomed to playing high up the field and recorded the most assists (14) of any Porto player in the league last season, while also chipping in with six goals of his own. 

Tyler Adams (Leeds United)

Leeds escaped relegation by the skin of their teeth last season – now they must do so again without their most important player following Kalvin Phillips' move to Man City. 

Plenty of eyes will be on Adams in the holding midfield position, the United States international having arrived at Elland Road on the back of three years with New York Red Bulls, followed by three more years with sister club RB Leipzig.

Adams recovered possession an average of 5.69 times per 90 minutes across his 24 Bundesliga appearances last season, which is nearly half the number Phillips (10.2) managed in the Premier League – the best return of any player with 900+ minutes in the competition.

Boubacar Kamara (Aston Villa)

Aston Villa boss Steven Gerrard has quietly gone about his transfer business ahead of his first full season in Premier League management. The signing of Kamara, a defensive midfielder by trade, went somewhat under the radar given it was announced just a day after the previous season finished.

Kamara was a big part of Marseille's strong 2021-22 campaign, which saw them finish second in Ligue 1 and reach the semi-finals of the Europa Conference League.

Of midfielders in the French top division in last season, only Johan Gastien and Jordan Ferri made more than Kamara's 2,383 passes, while of those who made over 1,000 passes, only five players had better accuracy than his 90.68 per cent.

Gianluca Scamacca (West Ham)

It says an awful lot about the work carried out by David Moyes at West Ham over the past two seasons that finishing seventh last time out – a drop from sixth the year before – was considered a disappointment.

If Moyes' men are to once again challenge on multiple fronts this coming season, bringing in a player who knows how to find the net was always going to be imperative. In Scamacca, West Ham appear to have exactly that.

The Italy international scored 16 goals in 36 Serie A appearances for mid-table Sassuolo last season and converted 70.59 per cent of his big chances, a figure only bettered by Gianluca Caprari (83.33) and Dusan Vlahovic (73.91) among players to hit double figures.

Aaron Hickey (Brentford)

Brentford have broken their transfer record multiple times this window to help build on an impressive first ever campaign in the Premier League. Christian Eriksen may have departed, but other areas have been strengthened, including in defence.

The £14m (€16.6m) signing of Hickey from Bologna arguably strengthens Brentford in both full-back departments, given the Scotland international's versatility with both feet. 

He also has an eye for goal, having netted five times in the Italian top flight and assisted another last season. Among Serie A defenders in the 2021-22 season, only Genoa's Domenico Criscito (six) and Nahuel Molina (seven) of Udinese scored more goals.