You can blame Arsene Wenger for this one.
The Frenchman coined a number of ‘Wengerisms’ during his long-lasting tenure at Arsenal.
But one that regularly irked Gunners fans was his tendency to refer to an existing player as ‘like a new signing’ after again resisting the temptation to dip into the transfer market.
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Anyway, here’s five players who could certainly fall into that category this season after two weeks have elapsed.
1 Lucas Moura
Just your casual daily reminder that Spurs signed nobody in the summer. None. Zero. Zilch.
Yet two wins from two games so far and the frustration towards the board is somewhat waning, particularly after Harry Kane ended his August hoodoo.
Another bright spark has been Lucas, whose introduction to life in England was anticlimactic to say the least following his move from PSG in January.
He dipped in and out of the side last season but the Brazilian now looks fully settled after a full pre-season and scored a gem against Fulham at the weekend.
2 Benjamin Mendy
It’s astonishing to think Man City could get even better this season, but with Mendy fully fit and at their disposal they probably can.
The Frenchman was sensational for Monaco and looked set to replicate that form last season but was horribly curtailed by knee ligament damage in the early months.
Mendy appears fully recovered and he’s picked up exactly where he left off, recording four assists already in just two games.
Fabian Delph performed brilliantly in his absence, but Mendy adds a completely different dimension which makes City an even more dangerous animal.
3 David Luiz
The ultimate ‘brought in from the cold’ case this season has to be Luiz at Stamford Bridge.
A change of management looks like a change of fortune for the enigmatic Brazilian, who is far more Maurizio Sarri’s cup of tea than Antonio Conte’s.
Luiz has started both of Chelsea’s wins so far at the heart of their defence alongside Antonio Rudiger and his passing range will certainly endear him to Sarri’s style.
Let’s just see how long this latest stint in the spotlight lasts…
4 Daniel Sturridge
Perhaps Sturridge isn’t made of crisps/cotton wool/fibreglass then after all?
Although, knowing him, he’ll probably drop his aftershave on his foot in training today and miss the rest of the year.
Practically everyone thought Sturridge’s Liverpool career was over after he was shipped off to West Brom on loan in January, but he’s back and firmly in Jurgen Klopp’s plans.
Sturridge scored six times in pre-season and could be a valuable asset this season if, and that’s a big IF, he can stay fit and keep his mojo.
5 Erik Lamela
One of the most eye-catching players in the Premier League on his day, Lamela is another high profile star whose injuries have shaved years off his career.
The classy Argentine missed over a year of action between 2016 and 2018 and many Spurs fans doubted they’d ever see him don the famous white again.
But he’s back and his assist for Kane’s goal against Fulham at the weekend was vintage Lamela, jinking his way superbly past three defenders.
Alongside the likes of Lucas and Heung-min Son, Spurs have huge strength in depth to choose from in that area.
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