Premier League Summer Transfer Window Review
After a Premier League summer that smashed records and shredded nerves, the dust has barely settled and already the verdicts are rolling in. Not from fans on social media, but from the reporters who’ve tracked every twist of the window. Club by club, the picture is clear: some have armed themselves for a title tilt, others are clinging to optimism, and a few look like they’ve walked straight into trouble.
Below is how the window really played out.
Arsenal – Ruthless, rich, and one piece short
Rating: 8/10
Eight senior players out. Eight out of 10. The symmetry isn’t lost on anyone at Arsenal.
Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Martinelli, Leandro Trossard, Christian Norgaard, Fabio Vieira, Ethan Nwaneri (on loan), Jakob Kiwior and Reiss Nelson have gone. With the exception of Nwaneri, the club decided they could live without them. The upside? More than £100m banked and a significant wage bill trimmed. In Jesus’ case, very significantly.
The dream scenario was always clear: a top-class left winger. Vinicius Junior or Julian Alvarez and this window would have been a 10. In truth, getting either was a fantasy, but Arsenal did at least get to the table. That alone says something about where the club now sit in the food chain.
They didn’t land one. And they didn’t sign a striker either. That’s where the unease lies. Last season’s two main left-sided threats have not been directly replaced and the fanbase knows it. The club insists it wasn’t for lack of effort; after the Vinicius saga collapsed, the right profile never truly emerged.
So they improvise. Christos Tzolis has already made himself a crowd favourite, even if he wobbled at Villa Park. Eberechi Eze has flashed quality on that flank. Noni Madueke and Bukayo Saka can both switch sides if needed, which in turn frees up minutes for Max Dowman on the right. There’s even a whisper that Riccardo Calafiori could be nudged higher up the pitch – very much in keeping with Mikel Arteta’s habit of reimagining players’ roles.
What Arsenal have done is deepen the rest of the squad. One glance at the bench at Villa Park showed a group with serious defensive and midfield depth. Arteta can now rotate heavily in those areas without seeing his side’s level collapse.
Most importantly, he got his two big targets: Bruno Guimaraes and Ezri Konsa. That alone makes it a strong window. Not perfect, not complete, but undeniably powerful.
Aston Villa – Champions forced into a rebuild
Rating: 7/10
A Europa League trophy in one hand, a dismantled XI in the other. Aston Villa’s summer has been jarring.
Morgan Rogers, Youri Tielemans, Ollie Watkins, Emiliano Martinez, Lucas Digne and Ezri Konsa – six starters from that triumphant night – are gone. Unai Emery never imagined ripping up half his core this quickly, but financial rules left the club with little choice.
Villa’s answer has been bold. Ibrahim Mbaye and Johan Manzambi bring pace and potential, Leon Goretzka and Aaron Wan-Bissaka bring know-how. Nicolas Jackson arrives already tuned to Premier League tempo and looked sharp on debut. Zion Suzuki’s first outing in goal was encouraging, while Taylor Harwood-Bellis admits he has plenty to learn but believes Emery can take him there.
The manager’s presence is central to the optimism. Villa have balanced the books while refreshing the squad with younger legs and a sprinkling of experience. It feels coherent. Now they need proof that this new group can live with the expectations that come after a European title.
Bournemouth – Ambition with the handbrake on
Rating: 9/10
Two summers, two very different stories. In 2025 Bournemouth cashed in on key players. This time, they locked the doors.
Rayan, Eli Junior Kroupi and Alex Scott all stay. The club’s model accepts that stars will move on, but not before they’ve given Bournemouth a meaningful chunk of their peak. Marco Rose was promised his team wouldn’t be stripped beneath him. That promise has been kept.
Competing in Europe complicates everything financially. They needed to cut costs and add depth at the same time. They’ve done it with care. Michele Di Gregorio arrives as last season’s Juventus No 1. Antonio Silva, once linked with Europe’s elite, looks a shrewd capture at centre-back. Juanlu Sanchez offers reliability at full-back, while Alvaro Rodriguez brings a different dimension up front.
Fringe players have been moved on and, crucially, the work was done early. Bournemouth barely featured on Deadline Day. For a club long used to late scrambles, that calm is a statement in itself.
Now Rose has a settled, upgraded squad. The next step is to show they belong on Thursday nights and beyond.
Brentford – Smart, sharp, and nearly flawless
Rating: 9/10
Brentford rarely miss in the market and this summer might be one of their best.
The priority was simple: a midfielder to build around. Mamadou Sangare, at £39m, already looks like a steal. It’s early, but he carries the profile of a signing-of-the-season contender.
He’s not alone. El Hadji Malick Diouf should grow into the starting left-back role. Jaidon Anthony is already trusted, Callum Wilson is the ideal foil – or challenger – for Igor Thiago, and Jannik Schuster adds cover at centre-back while Sepp van den Berg recovers.
They’ve also kept their core. Jordan Henderson’s leadership has gone, but Thiago, Kevin Schade and Yehor Yarmoliuk remain, with Michael Kayode and Vitaly Janelt rewarded with new deals. On Deadline Day, the only notable move was Jayden Meghoma heading to Portsmouth on loan – another carefully chosen development step.
The only reason this isn’t a 10 is philosophical: Brentford always believe they can improve. On the evidence, they probably will.
Brighton – Heavy spend, heavy rotation
Rating: 7.5/10
Brighton, usually the masters of subtle evolution, went big. Nine first-team signings, close to £170m spent, and a squad suddenly stacked with options, particularly in defence.
Luka Vuskovic arrived for a club-record £50m, a major coup. Chema Andres, prised from Stuttgart in a late Deadline Day twist, offers a high-ceiling solution at defensive midfield after Carlos Baleba’s move to Manchester United. He’ll need time, but the talent is obvious.
There are losses. Danny Welbeck’s departure strips experience and goals from the front line. Loan arrival Promise David now carries a weight of expectation.
One major win: Yankuba Minteh stays, despite Liverpool’s interest. Keeping a player of that calibre, in this market, matters.
When the injured return and Fabian Hurzeler has time to blend old and new, Brighton will expect to compete on two fronts – the Premier League and the Conference League – with a deeper, more flexible group than before.
Chelsea – Strategy reboot, Stamford Bridge reborn
Rating: 9/10
Chelsea finally blinked. After seasons of hoarding potential, they’ve pivoted to players who can perform now.
Jordan Henderson, Emiliano Martinez and Danny Welbeck were all pursued – a radical shift from the post-takeover blueprint. They still scout the world’s best young talent, as shown by Geovany Quenda’s arrival, but the balance has changed. This squad is no longer an experiment; it’s a project with a core.
Joao Pedro has been tied down on improved terms, a clear message to would-be suitors. The club intend to keep the spine intact.
Last season was a mess, the post-Enzo Maresca collapse leaving the fanbase hollow despite an FA Cup final run. Xabi Alonso’s arrival, coupled with a more grounded recruitment policy, has jolted Stamford Bridge back to life. The 4-3 win over Brighton felt like a reset.
On the pitch, Emiliano Martinez, Morgan Rogers and Maxence Lacroix all walk straight into the starting XI. Off it, Chelsea have continued to sell with ruthless efficiency. Marc Cucurella’s exit stung, but big fees for Liam Delap, Nicolas Jackson and Alejandro Garnacho underlined their status as elite traders.
The blemish is the Enzo Fernandez saga. A self-imposed deadline for clarity came and went, leaving uncertainty hanging over the early weeks. Yet three wins from three suggest the dressing room has absorbed the noise.
Chelsea now look like a club that knows what it wants. The question has shifted: not whether they can build a squad, but whether they can turn that into a team that wins.
Coventry – Brave, expensive, and serious
Rating: 8/10
For a newly promoted side, Coventry have gone big. Not reckless, but big.
They’ve bought depth for Frank Lampard and layered it with Premier League experience. Carl Rushworth returns permanently after his promotion heroics. Aurele Amenda adds athleticism at centre-back. Caleb Yirenkyi brings energy in midfield, Frank Onyeka adds top-flight nous and Gustavo Hamer returns with his familiar blend of craft and control.
Up front, Taiwo Awoniyi offers a proven focal point. Loum Tchaouna and Sidiki Cherif bring pace and potential around him.
The concern is obvious: goals. Two defeats without scoring to start the season have sharpened that question. But the squad, man for man, is stronger and deeper than the one that went up.
Coventry haven’t tiptoed into the Premier League. They’ve arrived with intent.
Crystal Palace – Losses, lessons, and quiet confidence
Rating: 7/10
Palace know this story well. Lose key players, rebuild smartly, and somehow keep moving forward.
This time, Maxence Lacroix and Daniel Munoz have gone, two of their best. Yet they’ve held onto Adam Wharton, Jean-Philippe Mateta and Ismaila Sarr – victories in themselves.
Mateta, still carrying the scars of a collapsed move to AC Milan last January, may now need to guide Sarr through similar frustration after Liverpool’s bid fell short. Mateta is in the final year of his deal, and another window of speculation looms in four months.
Sarr’s response between now and January will define whether Palace’s hardline stance was justified.
Their recruitment is, as ever, clever rather than flashy. Axel Disasi, Dwight McNeil, Ben Chilwell and Takehiro Tomiyasu are all proven Premier League operators. Dario Osorio could be the jewel, a 22-year-old with high expectations arriving at a club that has made a habit of polishing rough diamonds. Honest Ahanor strengthens the back line, while Anan Khalaili is viewed as a potential long-term successor to Munoz.
Palace emerge with more depth and another season of European football to navigate. They’ve lost big names before – Michael Olise, Eberechi Eze, Marc Guehi – and not only survived but thrived.
They don’t guarantee success with this window. But they’ve given themselves another fighting chance.
Everton – Chaos, regret, and a brutal verdict
Rating: 2/10
This is the window Everton dreaded – and then walked straight into.
They’ve halved a strike force that wasn’t scoring enough to begin with. Letting Beto leave for Fiorentina before Folarin Balogun was secured looks, with hindsight, amateur. The scramble to pivot to Joshua Zirkzee when the Balogun deal faltered only deepened the sense of panic.
Then came the sale of Iliman Ndiaye, their brightest attacking talent. The club spent the window insisting they held the cards with three years left on his deal. In the end, they accepted £65m. A huge profit on the £15m paid two years ago, but still short of the figure that might have soothed supporters.
The proposed swap with Spurs – Ndiaye to north London for £60m, Richarlison back to Goodison for £35m – collapsed, the fee for the Brazilian raising eyebrows even before the deal died. Kenny Tete was another near miss; Fulham refused to sanction his exit without a replacement in hand. There’s a lesson there.
All this played out while the ownership pondered a £40m offer from Nottingham Forest for Harrison Armstrong, even as David Moyes pleaded publicly for reinforcements.
Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Jack Grealish, Hayden Hackney, Christian Norgaard, Merlin Rohl, Tyrique George and Brennan Johnson have arrived. On paper, that’s not nothing. But the positives are drowned out by one stark reality: once again, the manager has not been given the tools he needs.
Last season, they failed to land a right-back and a proven striker. This season, Moyes heads into the campaign with Thierno Barry as his only recognised centre-forward. Talk of a European push feels fanciful. If they fall short, it should not be framed as managerial failure.
Evertonians are hurt, angry, and tired of this cycle. It did not have to be like this. Yet here they are.
Fulham – High press, high risk
Rating: 7/10
Alvaro Arbeloa has a clear idea of what he wants Fulham to be: aggressive, high-tempo, front-foot. The club have tried to give him the tools.
The headline signing is Gonzalo García from Real Madrid, a striker they badly needed. Two goals in his first three games suggest he’s ready to carry the load.
Midfield has been heavily retooled. Cesar Palacios and Manuel Angel, both Real Madrid academy products, join Shea Charles and Hugo Larsson to give Arbeloa a mix of energy, technique and flexibility in the centre of the pitch.
The problem is behind them. Fulham have already looked exposed defensively, a natural by-product of pushing the back line high and asking full-backs to bomb on. That’s where David Affengruber becomes crucial. Signed on Deadline Day, the Austria international looks tailor-made for a system that demands defenders cover huge spaces.
Out wide, though, there’s a gap. Harry Wilson and Samuel Chukwueze have gone and no winger has arrived. Palacios has started on the left, but he’s not a specialist. That will worry some.
Still, Fulham’s business is aligned with the manager’s vision. If Arbeloa can find the balance between chaos and control, they should steer clear of the relegation scrap.
Hull – Volume, vision, and a calculated gamble
Rating: 8/10
Hull wanted pace, athleticism and quality. They went and bought it in bulk.
Eighteen new players have arrived, six of them on Deadline Day. Owner Acun Ilicali has driven the recruitment, selling the club’s ambition directly to targets. The sense internally is that patience in negotiations paid off; primary targets arrived on terms Hull could live with.
The strategy is clear: build depth with young players who can grow with the club. It carries risk – not every prospect will hit – but the upside is huge if they do.
Importantly, the core of the promotion side remains intact. The spirit that took them up hasn’t been sacrificed at the altar of change. In a brutal Premier League season, that could be their lifeline.
Ipswich – Lessons learned, chequebook open
Rating: 9/10
Ipswich have been here before. In 2024 they spent around £110m trying to stay in the Premier League. It didn’t work.
Two years on, they’ve gone even harder – roughly £200m this window, capped by Zian Flemming’s Deadline Day arrival from Burnley – but this time with a sharper plan.
They’ve added experience, physicality and top-flight nous alongside players who can grow into major assets. Julio Enciso arrives as a record signing. Abdul Fatawu, Emersonn and Exequiel Palacios bring genuine attacking threat. Sasa Lukic, Issa Diop and Florentino Luis offer Premier League familiarity, while Daizen Maeda adds searing pace and a proven work rate.
The most striking change is depth. Ipswich haven’t just replaced; they’ve upgraded across the pitch. Gary O’Neil now has a squad that can absorb injuries and still compete.
The ambition is obvious. Now they need the cohesion to match it.
Leeds – Early work, late spark
Rating: 8/10
Leeds have known the pain of a botched Deadline Day. Twelve months ago they missed out on Harry Wilson at the last moment. This time, the key business was done early – and done well.
Daniel Farke wanted upgrades in three key positions. He got them. Wilson, Tarik Muharemovic and James Trafford all lift the starting XI’s level. That was non-negotiable.
Depth, their Achilles heel last season, has also been addressed. Nico Elvedi, Michael Zetterer and Melvin Bard provide reliable cover and competition.
Then came the wildcard: Jean-Matteo Bahoya. Electric pace, X-factor on the wing, and the potential to be a game-changer. If, in a year’s time, he has exploded, Leeds’ window will be re-evaluated as outstanding.
Even without that leap, the hierarchy have delivered what they set out to: a squad capable of consolidating in the Premier League.
Liverpool – Steps forward, gaps still showing
Rating: 7/10
Liverpool’s checklist was long. They’ve ticked several boxes, but not all.
Wide pace? Addressed. Bradley Barcola and Victor Munoz add speed and directness. With Cody Gakpo staying – Liverpool were rebuffed in moves for Yankuba Minteh and Ismaila Sarr – Andoni Iraola now has four wide options, including the emerging Rio Ngumoha. Gakpo also remains a viable understudy to Alexander Isak while Hugo Ekitike recovers.
At the back, Ronald Araujo is a pivotal signing. He can play both centre-back and right-back, vital cover with Joe Gomez, Conor Bradley and Giovanni Leoni injured. His style dovetails nicely with Jeremy Jacquet, whose move was agreed in the winter and who already looks at home as a Liverpool centre-half.
Yet the big hole remains: no natural right-sided replacement for Mohamed Salah. Barcola, Gakpo, Ngumoha and Munoz can all operate there, but none is a like-for-like heir. Another quality full-back and a specialist holding midfielder would also have transformed the squad’s balance.
There is plenty to like. Barcola oozes star quality, Munoz appears mentally built for Anfield, and the Jacquet–Araujo axis has the makings of a fan favourite pairing. The recruitment has skewed young, with an average age of around 22 across the last two summer windows, and Liverpool have already secured deals for teenagers Lucca Brughmans and Djylian N’Guessan for next season.
Still, the sense lingers that this could have been a great window, not just a good one.
Manchester City – Rodri gone, revolution funded
Rating: 8/10
On the face of it, losing Rodri – the standout player at the World Cup – should drag Manchester City’s rating down. It hasn’t.
Just as anxiety began to creep in, City lit up Deadline Day. Enzo Fernandez arrived in a record-breaking deal, the second time this summer they’ve reset their own bar. He joins Elliot Anderson and Ayyoub Bouaddi in a rebuilt midfield worth around £300m, the kind of unit that makes rivals wince.
Sales have underpinned the spree. Fees for Savio, Omar Marmoush, Nico Gonzalez, Tijjani Reijnders, Nathan Ake and James Trafford have allowed City to add Iliman Ndiaye and Allan to their attacking options without breaching their own financial thresholds.
Those close to the club insist the squad is stronger than at the start of last season, even with Rodri gone. Enzo Maresca now has the components he demanded for his tactical overhaul.
The margin for error in a title race is thin. City have spent heavily to ensure theirs remains as wide as possible.
Manchester United – Midfield rebuilt, questions elsewhere
Rating: 7/10
Manchester United entered the summer with one overriding mission: fix the midfield. They’ve done it.
Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans and Carlos Baleba have arrived for around £155m. They join Kobbie Mainoo to give Michael Carrick a range of combinations and profiles he simply didn’t have before.
Left-back remains a worry. United didn’t land a specialist, but they do have makeshift options. Noussair Mazraoui has covered the role for Morocco at a World Cup, and Diogo Dalot can also step across.
Departures didn’t materialise as expected. Joshua Zirkzee, Manuel Ugarte and Marcus Rashford all stayed, limiting room to manoeuvre elsewhere. That may yet prove a blessing. If Rashford builds on his bright start to the season, he could feel like a new signing without costing a penny.
United haven’t solved every problem. But they’ve addressed the biggest one.
Newcastle – From crisis talk to controlled ambition
Rating: 8/10
At one stage, Newcastle’s summer looked like unravelling. Early hijacks and major sales had supporters braced for the worst.
They’ve emerged with eight new signings and a very different mood. Matias Fernandez-Pardo, the Deadline Day arrival, completes a class that also includes Lukas Hornicek, Amar Dedic, Nico Gonzalez, Sean Steur, Aladji Bamba, Bazoumana Toure and Ewan Jaouen.
Of those, Hornicek, Dedic, Gonzalez and Fernandez-Pardo slot straight into the strongest XI. The rest are young, raw and full of upside.
The numbers are eye-catching: £262m spent, £245m recouped from the sales of Sandro Tonali, Bruno Guimaraes and Anthony Gordon. The final splurge on Gonzalez and Fernandez-Pardo – £101m combined – feels the most daring and the most decisive.
Add in the early-season impact of Anthony Elanga and Yoane Wissa, both big-money arrivals last summer, and this looks like a squad still climbing, not one in retreat.
Nottingham Forest – Clear plan, one missing piece
Rating: 7.5/10
Oliver Glasner arrived at Nottingham Forest with a clear shopping list. He’s ticked almost every box.
He wanted a physical No 9 with high potential. Liam Delap fits that brief. He wanted a starting-calibre wing-back. Daniel Munoz, reunited with his former coach, delivers that. Ousmane Diomande was another Glasner favourite, as is Xaver Schlager from their Wolfsburg days.
The one regret is the failure to replace Elliot Anderson with a young, forward-thinking midfielder. Manchester City paid good money, but Forest haven’t yet found the next link between midfield and attack.
Even so, this feels like a manager-led window. Forest look more like a Glasner team now.
Sunderland – Drama at the airport, resolve on the pitch
Rating: 7/10
Sunderland took Deadline Day to the edge.
They needed a winger. Malick Fofana wasn’t the first name on their list, but as the hours ticked down he became the best available option. Then he made it complicated.
A tug-of-war with Crystal Palace at Lyon airport turned farcical. Owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus eventually stepped in, upped the offer and dragged the deal over the line.
After all that, Fofana has to start. So does Dayann Methalie, the marquee summer signing. But the real victory is retention. Granit Xhaka, Brian Brobbey and Noah Sadiki all stay, giving Sunderland continuity and quality.
The window was messy at times, but they’ve emerged stronger.
Tottenham – Money spent, verdict delayed
Rating: 7/10
On commitment, Tottenham score 10 out of 10. On the actual deals? The jury is very much out.
They’ve spent heavily, often at prices that would once have been unthinkable for this club. Beating Manchester United to Mateus Fernandes and landing Sandro Tonali signalled intent. Handing Roberto De Zerbi the power to reshape the squad has led to bold calls, like paying around £50m for Jan Paul van Hecke with just a year left on his deal.
Defence and midfield have been addressed. The glaring issue last season, though, was up front. The year-long pursuit of Savio finally ended in success, and he was joined by Omar Marmoush to widespread approval.
De Zerbi then went hunting for one more big name. Cody Gakpo was the dream, but once Manchester City entered the race his destination was never in doubt.
The late drama was brutal. A fee was agreed with Everton for Iliman Ndiaye, with Richarlison heading the other way. Ndiaye would have electrified the fanbase. Instead, he chose City. Richarlison, frustrated, went public with his criticism of Spurs.
Tottenham pivoted again, this time to Chelsea. Mykhailo Mudryk and Tosin Adarabioyo arrived, a remarkable move between two clubs that traditionally avoid each other. Mudryk is a gamble – he hasn’t played competitive football in nearly two years – but De Zerbi believes he can reignite him. Chelsea’s insistence on a high loan-to-buy fee suggests they haven’t fully given up either.
Spurs have spent, and they’ve backed their manager. Now they have to live with the risks they’ve taken.
