3 teams that are all smiles over their marquee summer signing

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There’s a craving among soccer supporters in the summer, one that can only be satiated when their favorite team flashes the cash and signs a star player. Bold headlines, endless Tweets, and plenty of speculation follows suit. While not every big-name signing pans out, the ones that do are celebrated each and every week.

Here are three teams whose managers are feeling rather chuffed over their marquee summer signings:

Liverpool – Sadio Mane

Sadio Mane made a switch to Liverpool from Southampton this summer for a reported £30-million fee, and while he came to the club with a hefty price tag, the Senegalese international has enjoyed a blistering start to life at Anfield.

In six appearances, Mane has already notched three goals and recorded one assist, including a brilliant effort against Arsenal on his debut in an eventual 4-3 victory. He’s unplayable at times and ever a threat in his wide role that encourages quick interchanging among Liverpool’s exciting attacking unit.

Those efforts have earned Mane the PFA Player of the Month award for August and September. And while manager Jurgen Klopp has held back on his praise of the man, you can bet he’s gushing on the inside (and on the sidelines) with each and every one of Sane’s impressive runs.

Arsenal – Granit Xhaka

Whether by circumstance or by design, Granit Xhaka’s time at Arsenal has not started in typical fashion, simply because the Switzerland midfield hasn’t figured in Arsene Wenger’s starting XI consistently as of yet. He has started in just three of his seven appearances for Arsenal, with Francis Coquelin the preferred option.

However, Coquelin picked up a knee injury as Arsenal strolled to victory over Chelsea and Xhaka now has a chance to cement a permanent spot in midfield, one that might have already had his name penciled in when he joined the club.

Perhaps Wenger intended all along to ease Xhaka into the fold. In either case, the spot is now his to do with what he will, and what Xhaka has done thus far has been jaw dropping. His long-range bombs in consecutive matches against both Nottingham Forest and Hull City certainly had Wenger smiling.

Leicester City – Islam Slimani

Fresh off a Premier League title that shocked the world, Leicester City added even more Algerian star power to its ranks this summer with the signing of Islam Slimani, who has settled in quite well under Claudio Ranieri, propped up at centre-forward where his poaching skills are best utilized.

In his short time at the King Power Stadium, Slimani has already proved an upgrade on a once familiar element of the Foxes’ attack – a big head to aim at in the box. Assuming the role formerly belonging to the immobile Leonardo Ulloa, the imposing Algerian offers aerial dominance while actually being able to mesh well with Leicester’s direct, all-action style.

It’s why Slimani’s first two goals for the club came off tap-in headed efforts as poor Burnley struggled to mark his 6-foot-1 frame; a lesson FC Porto learned – once again – in the Champions League this week.

It doesn’t take much to make Ranieri flash his pearly whites, but seeing his club record €30-million man get off to a flying start in the Premier League certainly made it easy.

Honorable mentions

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho and Manchester City counterpart Pep Guardiola can be reasonably pleased with the efforts of midfielder Paul Pogba and defender John Stones, respectively.

The two have quickly found their way into their team’s starting lineups and while under heavy scrutiny due to their astronomical transfer fees, neither player has disappointed. Pogba’s goal against Stoke City silenced his early-season critics, and Stones has helped City to top spot and an unblemished record in the Premier League.