Ten summer signings that will affect the way their sides play

With many of the transfer window’s big deals, you know exactly what to expect. There’s no need to explain the tactical impact of Diego Costa or Luke Shaw – one will play upfront and run in behind, the other will play left-back and scamper up and down the touchline.

Other transfers are more intriguing, however, and hint that various teams are changing their approach for the new campaign. Here are ten of the more interesting summer purchases, and how they might alter their new side’s play.

Bojan Krkic, Stoke City

This feels like more of a grand statement than a clever signing. There’s no doubt Bojan is a talented player, and someone who will bring a more technical side to Stoke’s attacking play, but is there a place for him in the side?

Stoke have moved away from long ball football under Mark Hughes, but they continued with a 4-4-1-1 system last year, and it’s not obvious how Bojan – a 4-3-3 man – will fit in. He’s too lightweight to play upfront, not creative enough to play in the support striker role, and while he can press well, he doesn’t really want to spend the game protecting his full-back. Unless Stoke change shape, this might not work.

Lazar Markovic, Liverpool

Brendan Rodgers is unlikely to sign a player capable of reproducing Luis Suarez’s goalscoring contribution, which means the side will be completely reformatted.

4-2-3-1 and 4-3-3 mean the most likely shapes – the midfield diamond was just about getting the SAS upfront together – and if Rodgers takes to playing both Sterling and Markovic from the flanks, this could be an extremely direct Liverpool side with two purposeful dribblers. Adam Lallana will provide the guile.

Markovic’s best moments for Benfica often came as a substitute, however, and he’ll need time to get accustomed to the Premier League – unlike Lallana or Rickie Lambert. He might find himself in a supersub role from the outset.

Enner Valencia, West Ham

£12m Valencia is a genuinely exciting signing on the basis of his World Cup displays – he’s a ruthless central striker with a fantastic leap, and thrives on crosses. Perfect for Sam Allardyce’s West Ham.

West Ham already have Andy Carroll upfront, however, which means there’s a big question about how Allardyce will play. Will it be 4-4-2 with both upfront? Perhaps, but Allardyce loves Kevin Nolan playing just behind Carroll, and this would make the side more direct and straightforward, putting all their eggs in the ‘crossing’ basket to an even greater extent. This could prove an interesting tactical dilemma.

Alexis Sanchez, Arsenal

Sanchez can play any attacking role, and in the opening weeks of the campaign he could start on the right, while Theo Walcott works his way back from a serious knee injury. However, Arsene Wenger’s declaration that Arsenal aren’t looking for any more strikers suggests Sanchez’s primary position will be upfront, either instead of, or sometimes in tandem with, Olivier Giroud.

This would change Arsenal’s play, with a proper pacey striker, rather than someone who wants to come towards the ball and play flick-ons to onrushing midfielders. It’s difficult to think of two more contrasting forwards than Sanchez and Giroud, but if Wenger uses the duo intelligently, it could work out perfectly.

Ander Herrera, Manchester United

It’s been a while since United boasted a proper all-rounder like Herrera. Michael Carrick and Paul Scholes offered guile but not mobility, Darren Fletcher and Marouane Fellaini have physicality but lack ball-playing skill. With Anderson and Tom Cleverley not developing as anticipated, Herrera can provide an old-school box-to-box influence that has been missing since the days of Roy Keane.

Whereas Manchester United usually drop back into two deep-ish banks of four, Louis van Gaal will ask his players to press. Herrera isn’t a defensive midfielder, but his tackling statistics are always high because of his boundless energy. He’ll lead the midfield pressing, and could symbolise a completely new era for his new club.

Cesc Fabregas, Chelsea

Fabregas seems a perfect type of player for Mourinho. Chelsea have missed guile in their side since Juan Mata’s departure, and with Oscar seemingly tired throughout last season, there’s a need for someone else to provide creativity.

Fabregas can do that, but he also shares the powerful, purposeful and direct style Mourinho always demands. Likely to start in a deeper role than he was accustomed to at Barcelona, he’ll bomb forward while Nemanja Matic sits, giving Chelsea their most technical midfield for years, without turning a Mourinho side into a possession-orientated team.

Fernando, Manchester City

While Yaya Toure and Fernandinho naturally like to charge up and down the pitch, Fernando is an entirely different beast. He’s a proper holding midfielder, someone who sits very deep in the Makelele role and barely crosses the halfway line, moving laterally to make tackles and interceptions.

Naturally he’s at home in a 4-3-3 system, but it’s unlikely Manuel Pellegrini will play that way. Instead, it’s Fernando will be a more defensive-minded option in big matches, playing alongside his near-namesake Fernandinho and allowing Toure to take up a higher position.

Siem de Jong, Newcastle

Did Newcastle sign the wrong De Jong in January? If Joe Kinnear had anything to do with it, you wouldn’t be surprised. But while Luuk always seemed destined to fail because he doesn’t have the right physicality for the Premier League, his older brother Siem is a different type of player.

Indeed, while Luuk was often fielded behind another striker last season, a role he never seemed comfortable in, Siem can play that second striker role perfectly. More a forward than a midfielder, Siem is an unusual number ten, but his signing suggests Alan Pardew will play a 4-2-3-1 this season, with De Jong and Emmanuel Riviere forming an all-new strike duo.

Dusan Tadic, Southampton

Widely viewed as a natural replacement for Adam Lallana, £11m Tadic is actually a very different type of player. Whereas Lallana either started centrally and drifted out wide, or started wide and drifted in, Tadic is more direct. He can play on the left, or on the right, but surely not as a number ten.

Southampton already played direct football last season, but Tadic’s signing suggests they’ll attack even more quickly under Ronald Koeman. Tadic can dribble and score goals, but probably won’t provide Lallana’s creativity.

Bafetimbi Gomis, Swansea

Gomis seems an excellent catch on a free transfer, although he’s effectively a replacement for Michu, despite playing a different role.

While Michu’s goalscoring tally went through the roof in his first campaign, he actually preferred playing as a deep-lying forward, a number ten in support of Wilfried Bony. Gomis, however, is another central striker that plays in a similar banner to Bony. Can a Gomez-Bony forward combination work in combination with the passing football Garry Monk is trying to restore at Swansea? 4-4-2 doesn’t seem right for that approach.