3. Jan Vertonghen - Tottenham Hotspur- £9 million
A natural centre-back, Vertonghen was singed
for £9 million from Ajax to provide competition for the like of Michael Dawson and William Gallas and to shore up the back 4 after the retirement of Ledley King; However the Dutch international makes it into the top 5 for his versatility. After regular left back Benoit Assou-Ekotto was injured in pre-season, Vertonghen has filled that berth brilliantly, showing off his defensive talents as well as a raw attacking prowess that has damaged teams this season, most notably Manchester United in Spurs' 3-2 win at Old Trafford. He has settled into life in the Premier League and we can expect more top performances.
2. Robin Van Persie - Manchester United - £22.5million
£22.5 million signing Robin Van Persie was one of the most sought after players in Europe this summer and most pundits and managers agreed that whoever he signed for would probably be in prime position to push for their domestic title. So far this has turned out to be true, with Van Persie firing 16 goals so far this season and developing a frighteningly potent partnership with Wayne Rooney which has seen Manchester United open up a 7 point gap at the top of the league. He scored a brilliant hat-trick against Southampton and endeared himself with the fans with a last minute winner against Manchester City.