With the summer transfer window now behind us, new research has revealed which Premier League fanbases give their new signings the biggest and best welcome on social media.

The study by Mobiles.co.uk analysed players’ Instagram accounts a week before and after their transfer date to see where new signings experience the biggest increase in followers.

Liverpool is top of the league, with new players receiving an average follower increase of 61%, helped by big moves for Wataru Endo (136%) and Dominik Szoboszlai (64%).

Chelsea has to settle for second place, despite breaking the British transfer record in August by buying Moises Caicedo (47%), with their signings averaging an increase of 56%. North London rivals Arsenal and Tottenham both make the top four, but the Gunners just edge ahead into third spot (34.2% vs. 33.8%).

At the bottom of the table is Fulham – the only club where new signings might actually see its social media following decrease. On average, transfers to Fulham had a 0.2% decrease in Instagram fans.

Across the whole league, Premier League transfers typically receive a 49,547 boost to their followings, representing an increase of 15%.

However, some individual signings saw far higher numbers this summer. Chelsea’s new 19-year-old midfielder Lesley Ugochukwu saw his Instagram following almost treble (199%) when he made the move from Rennes, making him the most popular signing on social media this year.

Liverpool’s signing of Endo is in second spot (136%), ahead of Micky van de Ven (131%), who made the switch from Wolfsberg to Tottenham.

Amrit Chatha, mobile expert at Mobiles.co.uk commented: “Football social media has exploded in recent years, with fanbases being highly competitive about who gives their clubs the most support. Our research has weighed in on the debate, with Liverpool and Chelsea coming out on top this summer.

“Players have a lot to gain by boosting their social media followings, with sponsorship packages and advertising fees often decided based on the size of their online reach. Moving to clubs with big and supportive fanbases can therefore benefit players in many ways, both on and off the pitch. Social media on mobile phones has allowed fans to be more accessible to players now than ever before.”

To find out more about the most popular players per club, please visit Mobiles.co.uk.