article_snippet: CIES Football Observatory have compiled the top 12 signings of the season in the top five European leagues for rigour, take-ons, recovery, chance creation, distribution and shooting - using statistics to analyse and narrow distribution and shooting - using statistics down.
article_snippet: Fabregas is in second place on the 'chance creation' indicator despite Fabregas 15 league this season .
article_snippet: Here are how the CIES Football Observatory Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) work: .
article_snippet: Some more surprising names in that list come from Fiorentina, Villarreal and Eibar in the form of Khouma Babacar, Luciano Vietto and Felipe Caicedo respectively - with West Ham's bargain buy Diafra Sakho coming in just outside the top five in seventh.
article_snippet: Alexis Sanchez, despite Alexis Sanchez recent drought, is 12th.
article_snippet: Karim Bellarabi (left) is top for 'take on' as Toni Kroos showed by going past Atletico's Guilherme Siqueira last week .
article_snippet: Another surprise name doing well in the distribution group is former Cardiff City flop Gary Medel (left)
article_snippet: Inter Milan's Gary Medel, who signed from relegation Cardiff City in the summer is fourth with Ivan Rakitic fifth.
article_snippet: Players from the Premier League dominate the 'take on' group, with Angel di Maria (second), Sanchez (third) and Sadio Mane (fifth) - although all fall in the wake of Bayer Leverkusen trickster, and reported Manchester United target, Karim Bellarabi.
article_snippet: Walter Gargano looks to have been a top signing for Napoli if you trust Walter Gargano recovery stats .
article_snippet: Dejan Lovren surprisingly tops the 'rigour' category despite a difficult first season with Liverpool .
article_snippet: Burnley's Michael Keane (left) is another surprise name on that list after moving from Manchester United .
article_snippet: While there are some surprise names on the lists, perhaps the biggest is Liverpool's £20m centre back Dejan Lovren, who somehow finishes top of the 'rigour' category for 'ability to minimise goal opportunities for opponents through robust duelling'.
article_snippet: Dejan Lovren, widely regarded as a transfer flop, finishes ahead of Roma's Davide Astori - who also scored highly in the 'recovery' category - and Burnley's Burnley's Michael Keane (left).
article_snippet: And Rafael Benitez seems to have done good business in signing Walter Gargano for Napoli.
article_snippet: Rafael Benitez tops the 'recovery' category with only one English-based player in the top 12, Manchester United Daley Blind - in
article_snippet: Manchester United Daley Blind is the only top 12 player in terms of 'recovery' from the Premier League .
highlights_snippet: Stats from CIES Football Observatory reveal this season's top signings .
  
highlights_snippet: No 1 at shooting out of all big-five league signings .
  
highlights_snippet: Dejan Lovren surprisingly tops 'rigour' category ahead of Michael Keane .
  
highlights_snippet: Bayer Leverkusen's Karim Bellarabi beats Angel di Maria for 'take ons'
  Walter Gargano, signed by Napoli in the summer, tops 'recovery' table .