Saliba makes cut but Messi and Ronaldo absent from Best New Signing XI

With summer signings having now had a period of adjustment to their surroundings and in many cases, enough playing time to assess starts to life at their new clubs, it's time to do just that.

The international break affords us the chance to look back at some of the standout performers to have made moves in the most recent transfer window across Europe's top five leagues. Among our best XI, formulated using our statistical ratings, are a mixture of big money signings, loanees who will be impressing their parent clubs and the odd bargain to boot, but no Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo...

Goalkeeper: Luis Maximiano (Granada)

 
Signed From: Sporting CP (£4m)

Made to wait for his Granada debut, Maximiano took his chance to dethrone Aaron Escandell following a 4-0 defeat at Rayo Vallecano and hasn't looked back. In five starts for his new club the 22-year-old has already produced 27 saves, including a penalty stop against Celta Vigo. He made five of said saves to help Granada earn an impressive point at the Camp Nou vs Barcelona and another three on route to his first clean sheet ahead of the break in an excellent 1-0 win over Sevilla.

WhoScored Rating: 7.43

Right-back: Achraf Hakimi (Paris Saint-Germain)

 
Signed from: Inter (£54m)

The sole outlay in terms of a transfer fee in a remarkable summer of signings at PSG, Hakimi has already made good on the club's significant investment. It's been a curious career for the Moroccan, who, at 22 has already played for some of the biggest clubs in Spain (Real Madrid), Germany (Borussia Dortmund), Italy (Inter) and now France. He's impressed at all four and not least in Paris, with three goals and two assists to his name already in Ligue 1. Striking up an effective partnership with one Lionel Messi will be next on the agenda.

WhoScored rating: 7.30

Centre-back: Mohamed Simakan (RB Leipzig)

 
Signed from: Strasbourg (£13.5m)

Having lost both Dayot Upamecano and Ibrahima Konate for around £75m over the summer, Leipzig moved fast to secure a replacement and at just £13.5m, appear to have found real value in Simakan. A regular feature in our U21 team of the week over the past two seasons, the French youth international has settled into life in the Bundesliga well despite a patchy start for his club in general under new boss Jesse Marsch. As with most Leipzig centre-backs, he's more than willing to carry the ball out from the back, averaging 1.4 dribbles per 90, and has been dominant in the air, winning over 77 per cent of his duels.

WhoScored Rating: 7.33

Centre-back: William Saliba (Marseille)

 
Signed from: Arsenal (Loan)

Having spent last season out on loan at Nice, Saliba evidently hadn't done enough to convince Mikel Arteta of his first team worth at Arsenal but has done more than that at Marseille already. He's played the 90 in seven of eight league games under Jorge Sampaoli this season and like compatriot Simakan, shown great composure on the ball. He's averaged 1.1 dribbles per 90 this season and completed an outstanding 94.8 per cent of his 79.3 passes per game in France's top-flight this term.

WhoScored Rating: 6.92

Left-back: Melvin Bard (Nice)

 
Signed from: Lyon (£2.7m)

Another French youth international completes our back four, with Melvin Bard pipping Josko Gvardiol to the left-back spot. The 20-year-old made his breakthrough into the Lyon side last season, starting four of 14 Ligue 1 appearances but was allowed to leave for a very modest fee over the summer regardless. OL's potential loss has been Nice's immediate gain, with Bard coming into the starting XI following an opening stalemate with Reims and keeping his place since. He's played a pivotal part in his new club's superb start to the season, assisting in a 2-0 win at Nantes and netting his first goal - a match winner over Brest - ahead of the break, whilst averaging 2.3 tackles per 90.

WhoScored Rating: 7.22

Right midfield: Andros Townsend (Everton)

 
Signed from: Crystal Palace (Free transfer)

To say most would have considered Townsend an uninspiring signing by Everton might have been an understatement at the time. To say it already appears one of the most astute pick ups of the summer just two months on may not be an overstatment. He has five goals and three assists for his new club already, with three and two respectively in the Premier League, and his end product has improved markedly to match an already impressive work rate. He's replaced the more glamorous James Rodriguez with outstanding  efficiency thus far and his application couldn't have been in more stark contrast to the now Qatar-based Colombian.

WhoScored Rating: 7.34

Central midfield: Andre-Frank Anguissa (Napoli)

 
Signed from: Fulham (Loan)

The fact that Anguissa has now secured two loan moves to strong clubs on the continent but failed to nail down a starting berth during two relegation campaigns at Fulham tells you a lot about the player. Is he the sort of player you want in a dog fight at the foot of the table? Evidently not, but in stronger sides and indeed systems he has flourished and could yet play a big part in a title bid this season. Napoli have perhaps been the most impressive team on the continent to date, with 7 wins from 7 Serie A matches, and Anguissa's power in midfield has been evident. He's averaged 2.4 dribbles per 90 at an 80 per cent success rate and completed 92.9 per cent of his passes across five league appearances.

WhoScored Rating: 7.26

Central midfield: Conor Gallagher (Crystal Palace)

Signed from: Chelsea (Loan)

Another player perhaps not best suited to a relegation battle in a defensive system, Gallagher has thrived thus far in a new look, more attack minded set up under Patrick Vieira. In what is now his fourth loan spell away from Chelsea the youngster has put all that he has learned previously at Charlton, Swansea and West Brom to develop an impressive all round game. Indeed, the 21-year-old looked a real goal getter early on at the Addicks, more creative in Wales before having more defensive duties at the Baggies, and now looks to be combining the three. He has two goals and an assist to his name in six starts whilst still averaging an impressive 2.2 tackles per 90.

WhoScored Rating: 7.19

Left midfied: Kamaldeen Sulemana (Rennes)

Signed from: FC Nordsjaelland (£13.5m)

Following a busy summer of change at Rennes in which the club spent big but lost top prospect Eduardo Camavinga, Sulemana has proven to be a revelation. Signed off the back of an outstanding Championship play-off campaign in Denmark, the Ghanaian international has continued a tradition of exciting young wingers at Rennes, following in the footsteps of the likes of Ismaila Sarr and Raphinha. Both went on the secure Premier League moves and given his start to life in Ligue 1, it wouldn't be surprised if the 19-year-old followed suit before too long, scoring three goals thus far. He registered his first assist of the campaign in a sensational win over PSG before the break too and is averaging 4.4 successful dribbles per 90.

WhoScored Rating: 7.30

Forward: Edin Dzeko (Inter)

Signed from: Roma (Free transfer)

Having allowed their top scorer and star man to leave over the summer for a nine-figure fee, replacing him with a 35-year-old free transfer might have discouraged Inter fans following a Scudetto winning season but Dzeko has hit the ground running. His record in Serie A is not to be sniffed at, that's for sure, but after an apparent season of regression in Rome, the former Manchester City striker is already just one goal shy of his 2020/21 Serie A tally, scoring six goals for the Nerazzurri, including five in his last four league appearances. With a goal and assist on debut and a decisive strike before the break, he's bookended a superb start to life in Milan.

WhoScored Rating: 7.58

Forward: Romelu Lukaku (Chelsea)

Signed from: Inter (£103.5m)

Partnering the man that replaced him at Inter, Lukaku's Chelsea homecoming has certainly been a success to now, even if the goals have dried up of late. The Belgian has three in six league appearances to date but his overall hold up play has been excellent and an area of his game that improved markedly at Inter. An average of 1.7 key passes per 90 is a career high in a league campaign to date, whilst also averaging 1.3 dribbles and winning 3 aerial duels per 90 too. Ironically he just edges out the man he ultimately replaced at Stamford Bridge, in Tammy Abraham, in a trio of transfers that saw the England international take the place of Dzeko at Roma. Sometimes transfers can be win-win for everyone...

WhoScored Rating: 7.53