Premier League Transfer Window Recap: hits, Misses & what they mean for the season

By Oluwademilade Ogunleye

 

September 1st 2025, not only marked the beginning of a new month, but also the end of the summer transfer window for the 2025/2026 season in the English Premier League.

The transfer window officially closed at 7 pm on the 1st of September, and as usual, the Premier League gave us plenty to talk about. Some clubs were busy, some spent big, some cleared out their squads, and others seemed to just be watching from the sidelines. While some signings made sense, some felt unnecessary, leaving fans wondering the reason for their club’s decision-making.

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Defending champions, Liverpool, looked like the side walking away with the biggest grin from this transfer window. They initially broke the British record transfer fee with new signing, Florian Wirtz who they signed for £116m only to break it again on deadline day by snapping up Alexander Isak from Newcastle for £125m despite missing out on the Marc Guehi’s deal.

In total, Premier League clubs spent more than £3 billion during this transfer window, highlighting the league’s financial strength.

80 days and several transfer deals later, it is now quite obvious that not all deals are created equal.

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Now that the dust has settled, one question remains: Which transfers will define the 2025/2026 Premier League season? Let’s break it all down.

 

Headline Transfers: Big moves that shook the League

The summer transfer window was busy as usual with Premier league clubs collectively spending over £3 billion to strengthen their squads, setting a new record. Several blockbuster deals grabbed the headlines as clubs sought to reshape their teams for the new season.

Liverpool Football club, led the spending spree, breaking the British transfer record twice. They first secured Florian Wirtz for £116 million, followed by the acquisition of Alexander Isak from Newcastle united for £125 million. Additionally, Liverpool signed Hugo Ekitike from Eintracht Frankfurt for £79 million to further boost their attacking options. Ekitike has made a promising start to his Liverpool career having scored 2 goals and provided 1 assist in just 231 minutes of play.

Arsenal, after finishing runners up last season made a significant statement by signing Eberechi Eze from Crystal Palace for £60 million after previously completing the transfer deals for Victor Gyokeres and Noni Madueke for £64 million and £48.5 million respectively. Kepa Arrizzabalaga also joined the goalkeeping department of the gunners for £5m.

Chelsea was active as well, investing nearly £300 million to rejuvenating their squad. Joao Pedro joined from Brighton & Hove Albion for £60 million with Esteavo joining from Palmeiras for £56 million. Jamie Gittens and Liam Delap also joined from Borussia Dortmund and Ipswich town respectively while Alejandro Garnacho switched allegiances from Manchester United to Chelsea for £40 million. Joao Pedro has been one signing with instant impact for Chelsea with 5 goals and 2 assists in 416 minutes including a goal in the Club World cup final against Paris Saint-Germain FC.

Despite a struggling season, Manchester United made significant moves to strengthen their squad. Bryan Mbeumo joined from Brentford £65 million, bringing with him a record of 20 premier league goals in the 2024/25 season. Matheus Cunha was also signed from Wolver Hampton Wanderers for £62.3 million to add depth and versatility to United’s forward line. Mbeumo has quickly adapted to life at Old Trafford, opening his goal account with a goal in the Carabao cup match against Grimsby Town and another strike to help united secure a 3-2 victory over Burnley in the Premier League. While Mbeumo’s pace and direct style have added a new dimension to United’s attack, Cunha’s movements and link-up play has been very instrumental in creating opportunities for the United team.

Tottenham FC was another team active in the transfer market. With the exit of Heung-Min Son from the club, Spurs secured Mohammed Kudus from West Ham United and Xavi Simons from RB Leipzig. The acquisition of Xavi Simmons stands out as one of the marquee signings of the 2025 summer transfer window. The 22 year old Dutch International joined Spurs for a fee of £51 million. A highly sought-after talent with Chelsea showing significant interest, the signing of Simons provides Tottenham with a versatile and creative option in the attacking midfield. Expressing his enthusiasm about the move, Simons stated “I’m really happy and can’t wait to get going. I’ve been dreaming of this for a long time”. Kolo Muani and Joao Palhinha also joined on loan from PSG and Bayern Munich respectively while Mathys Tel was signed from Bayern Munich for £30m.

Aston Villa surprised many by acquiring both Harvey Elliot and Jadon Sancho on loan. Jadon Sancho is expected to bring creativity and pace to Villa’s attack.

It was a relatively quiet window for Pep’s Manchester City. Following Kevin De Bruyne’s exit, the citizens signed Tijani Reijnders, a promising midfielder from AC Milan to add more creativity and energy in the middle of the pack. Alongside him, Ryan Cherki joined from Lyon to boost City’s defense and Marcus Bettinelli came in from Chelsea as well, adding more options to the goalkeeping department. Deadline day brought with it a shocker for the Citizens as the exit of first choice Goalkeeper, Ederson meant that the team had to employ the services of Gianluigi Donnarumma from Paris Saint-Germain Football Club.

While some blockbuster signings have already made a strong impression and secured starting roles, others are yet to fully showcase their potential. Nonetheless, these promising additions continue to hold the hope of making a significant impact as the season unfolds.

 

The Misses?

Not every signing during this transfer window was met with cheers. Some clubs splashed big cash on players whose form has dipped or who simply failed to excite the fans of the club who signed them. Some signings also raised eyebrows due to high fees and doubts over their immediate impact. Here are some of them:

Marcus Bertinelli to Manchester City

One of such moves is Marcus Bertinelli’s move from Chelsea to Manchester City on a one year deal. After just one appearance in four years at Chelsea, many believes he will be very lucky to get a starting shirt at City, where he is behind several goalkeepers including Scott Carson.

Jadon Sancho to Aston Villa

Nothing screamed deadline day panic than Villa getting Sancho signed on Monday. After a goal involvement in 95 minutes across 158 appearances for Boroussia Dortmund, it seemed that Sancho was a star in Germany but a proven flop in England. Though Villa helped Rashford revive his dying career, it might not be same for Sancho who will be payed 80 percent of his £12m annual salary.

Axel Tuanzebe to Burnley

The 27 year old former Manchester United player was signed by Burnley for free in a one year deal. Tuanzebe will hope to avoid a second successive relegation from the Premier League after the first with Ipswich Town.

Hugo Ekitike to Liverpool

Ekitike made an immediate impact for Liverpool, scoring on his Premier League debut in a 4-2 victory over Bournemouth. However, Isak’s arrival leaves fans in doubt on whether the young lad will be assured a starting shirt at Liverpool.

Alexander Isak to Liverpool

While Isak is clearly talented with great movement and sharp finishing, his injury prone career remains a concern considering his price tag. Isak has over the years had injuries spanning from the 2016/2017 season down to the just concluded 2024/2025 premier league season. In fact, his Thigh problems in the 2022/23 season ruled him out for 107 days while still at Newcastle.

While it’s still early days for many of these players, the weight of expectation and price tags already have fans asking the tough questions. Of course, time could turn things around but they remain under the microscope until they prove us wrong.

Noteworthy Transfers outside the Big Six

While the spotlight may shine on the ‘Big Six’ clubs, some clubs outside of the big six also made ambitious moves during this summer transfer window. Clubs like Sunderland, Fulham, and Nottingham Forest amongst others made some moves in the transfer market to add to the strength of their team and help them contend for titles.

Bertrand Traore from Ajax to Sunderland

Signed on transfer deadline night, Traore was signed by Sunderland for a fee around £2.5m. The 29 year old former Chelsea and Aston Villa winger offers Sunderland a promising future as he is a left-footed player who drifts in from the right.

Oleksandr Zinchenko from Arsenal to Nottingham Forest

The Ukrainian international joined Forest on a season long loan after a late deadline day deal, which materialized following Forest’s attempt to sign Javi Galan from Atletico Madrid. Zinchenko had been seeking a move away from the Emirates stadium, having fallen down the pecking order at Arsenal due to the emergence of academy graduates, Myles Lewis-Skelly and the arrivals of Riccardo Calafiori and Piero Hincapie. Despite interests from Marseille and Fenerbache, concerns over his wage demands, reportedly exceeding £100,000 per week, proved to be a stumbling block. The move to Nottingham Forest means that Zinchenko bring versatility and experience to the Forest’s squad, capable of playing as a left-back, wing-back or central midfielder.

 

Arthur Masuaku from Beskitas to Sunderland

The 31 year old left-back joined Sunderland on a free transfer, signing a two-year contract and became the club’s 10th signing of the summer. While primarily expected to serve as a backup to Reinildo, Masuaku’s attacking prowess are seen as valuable assets, especially with concerns over Denns Cirkin’s fitness and contract situation.

Simon Adingra from Brighton to Sunderland

On July 10, 2025, Sunderland secured the services of the 23 year old Ivorian winger for a reported fee of £21m. Adingra signed a five year contract making him one of the club’s most expensive acquisitions to date. Adingra’s arrival makes for a promising top-flight football for Sunderland as he is expected to play a pivotal role in their attacking lineup.

Jack Grealish to Everton

One of the surprising moves of the summer, Jack Grealish joined Everton on loan from Manchester City, aiming to get more regular playing time. His instant impact on the team saw Grealish score 2 goals, one each against Nottingham Forest and Brighton & Holve Albion.

Calum Wilson from Newcastle to West Ham

West Ham reportedly paid £12m to Newcastle for Wilson on a two-year contract with an option for a third year. This move came as West ham seeks to strengthen their attacking options and Wilson’s Premier League experience was seen as a valuable addition to their squad depth.

Samuel Chukwueze to Fulham

The Nigerian forward was signed from Villarreal after several weeks of speculation. The deal reportedly cost Fulham around £15m. Chukwueze had been a standout winger at Villarreal and was known for his quick feet, ability to cut inside and knack for scoring goals. Fulham’s signing of Chukwueze will be a move to make Fulham compete more strongly in the league as his direct style and flair will provide more goal threats from wide areas.

What these signings mean for the season

The 2025 summer transfer window has been filled with so many drama with clubs making significant moves. However, what do these signings mean for these clubs?

For Liverpool, embarking on a record-breaking spree of £446m to usher in new talents meant that in every department – goalkeeping, defense, midfield and attack – they have the most expensive player/second most expensive players. The addition of Isak, Wirtz, Ekitike and Frimpong to the already expensive Allison Becker and Virgil Van Djik definitely adds Liverpool to the list of big money spenders. These signings aim to increase Liverpool’s squad depth and reduce reliance on key players like Mohammed Salah during International tournaments such as the African Cup of Nations.

Arsenal’s focus this transfer window was on strengthening their midfield and attack and this they did with the acquisition of Eberechi Eze, Viktor Gyokeres, Noni Madueke and Martin Zubimendi. It is now a case of “No Saka? No problem’ for the Gunners as evidenced in their Premier League game against Liverpool. Zubimendi can now take the place of Odegaard while Eze could be an upgrade on Gabriel Martinelli.

It seemed like a bitter-tale however for Newcastle FC as their transfer targets were often rejecting them, putting doubts on the future fate of the club’s squad depth. The deals for Eberechi Eze and Mohammed Kudus were hijacked by Arsenal and Tottenham respectively while Isak had to force a deal out of the club to join Liverpool. However, all hope is not lost as the signing of Nick Woltemade from Stuttgart for £69m aims to add to their attacking lineup, filling the void left by Isak.

For Tottenham, the strategic additions of Xavi Simons, Kolo Muani and Mohammed Kudus could be a lethal weapon for their top four chase. Joao Palhinha is also one player to look out for. He scored his first goal for Tottenham in their 2-0 victory over Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on August 23, 2025.

Chelsea on their own part made both acquisitions and sold out players to balance their squad and finances. Despite signing Pedro, Delap, Esteavo and Garnacho, the Left-back problem remains unsolved following the injury to Levi Colwill.

Newly promoted Sunderland also had a very good transfer window as they made statement signings in their quest to fight for top-flight football. They made a statement with the signing of Granit Xhaka from Bayern Leverkusen for an initial £13m. Xhaka’s premier league experience has been invaluable in their quest to establish themselves in the Premier League.

For Everton, Jack Grealish and Dewsbury Hall have been a very key addition to the team. Jack Grealish in his first start, provided two assists in a 2-0 victory over Brighton & Holve Albion followed by two more assists in a 3-2 win against Wolver Hampton Wanderers.

Fulham’s acquisition of Chukwueze from Villarreal also pose a great threat in Fulham’s attacking line.

Finally, for Manchester United, the influx of attacking talents suggests a shift towards a more dynamic and aggressive playing style under Amorim. However, the lack of reinforcements in midfield and defense has raised much concerns. This season will sure be a critical test of the club’s rebuilding effort after a disappointing 15th place finish in the 2024/25 Premier League season.

 

Now that the transfer window is closed, fans have plenty to be excited about, but also some questions. Some new signings are already making waves while others still need time to settle in. At the end of the day, only time will tell who really made the right decisions, but for now, we can sit back and see how it all plays out.