The stars are aligned

For the first time in Premier League history, the English top-flight has the world’s most expensive footballer in Paul Pogba. The Frenchman leads the 10 biggest incoming transfers of the close season (all fees as reported by British media). Here are the 10:

PAUL POGBA

Juventus (Italy) to Manchester United, £89 million (S$155 million)

The close season’s longest-running transfer saga concluded with France midfielder Pogba returning to former club United in a world-record move. Allowed to leave Old Trafford in 2012 after failing to win over legendary United manager Alex Ferguson, the rangy 23-year-old midfielder with the dazzling haircuts and blistering shots returns as one of the biggest names in the sport.

JOHN STONES

Everton to Manchester City,

£47.5 million

Centre-back Stones, 22, has become the biggest signing of the Pep Guardiola era after joining City in a deal that makes him the second-most-expensive defender in history, behind David Luiz of Paris Saint-Germain. The former Barnsley player had a tough final season at Everton and did not play a single minute of England’s doomed Euro 2016 campaign, but his ball-playing abilities make him very much a Guardiola player.

LEROY SANE

Schalke (Germany) to Manchester City, £37 million

Winger Sane, 20, arrives in England with a burgeoning reputation. After scoring eight goals in 33 Bundesliga appearances last season, he was named in Germany’s Euro 2016 squad and made a late substitute appearance in their semi-final defeat by hosts France.

GRANIT XHAKA

Borussia Monchengladbach (Germany) to Arsenal, £35 million

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger moved to address long-standing concerns about the lack of bite in his team’s midfield by sanctioning a big-money move for Switzerland international Xhaka. The 23-year-old was ever-present for his country at Euro 2016.

SADIO MANE

Southampton to Liverpool,

£34 million

After two fine seasons with Southampton, during which he scored 25 goals in all competitions, 24-year-old Senegal flier Mane left St Mary’s to join Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool revolution. Mane holds the record for the fastest Premier League hat-trick, when he scored three times in 2min and 56s during Southampton’s 6-1 win over Aston Villa in May 2015.

MICHY BATSHUAYI

Marseille (France) to Chelsea,

£33.2 million

A cunning and unorthodox striker, 22-year-old Belgium international Batshuayi moved to Chelsea following a prolific season at Marseille in which he scored 23 goals. With incoming Chelsea coach Antonio Conte expected to deploy a two-man strike-force, he could start the season up front alongside Diego Costa.

N’GOLO KANTE

Leicester City to Chelsea,

£30 million

The indefatigable driving force behind Leicester City’s fairytale title triumph, France international Kante became the first of Claudio Ranieri’s stars to jump ship when he left for Chelsea. In the words of former Leicester coach Steve Walsh: “No matter who we’re playing, we play three in midfield — Danny Drinkwater in the middle and Kante either side.”

ERIC BAILLY

Villarreal (Spain) to Manchester United, £30 million

Centre-back Bailly, 22, became Jose Mourinho’s first signing as United manager when he arrived from Villarreal in June on a four-year contract. The Ivory Coast international helped his country win the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations.

GABRIEL JESUS

Palmeiras (Brazil) to Manchester City, £27 million

Dubbed “the new Neymar”, 19-year-old starlet Jesus reportedly turned down an opportunity to play alongside the Brazil megastar at Barcelona in order to link up with Guardiola in Manchester. He will be loaned back to Palmeiras until the end of the year, before joining up with his new team-mates in January.

ZLATAN IBRAHIMOVIC

Paris Saint-Germain (France) to Manchester United, free

Ibrahimovic did not cost United a penny in terms of a transfer fee, but the charismatic 34-year-old Swedish star could prove to have the biggest impact of all the new recruits. After four breathtaking years in France, where he won four league titles and became PSG’s record scorer, Ibrahimovic has rejoined forces with Mourinho, with whom he worked at Inter Milan. AFP