What would you do with £3.4billion?
You could buy a very small country, perhaps? Maybe your own private jet? Or just a couple of same-day train tickets from London to Manchester?
If you’ve really lost the plot, you could buy 185 people and get them to run around a field for 90 minutes every few days. Yes, the 2025-26 Premier League’s transfer windows featured a lot of gluttonous waste — and, amid the madness, some bargain buys too.
After the great success of our earlier transfer rankings this season, particularly judging by the comments section in which you heartily and warmly commended our efforts, we thought we’d combine the summer and winter windows to rank every single signing in 2025-26 from worst to best.
Some housekeeping; this is not a list compiled purely in order of how talented these players are or how good they could be in the future… it’s a weighted power ranking based on how impactful each individual has been for his new club this season, relative to expectations and cost.
For example, if you were signed for free as a fourth-choice centre-back but ended up starring in midfield as your team won a European final, you’ll do well (hello, Victor Lindelof), but if you selfishly went on strike to force an astonishingly expensive move and ended up barely scoring a goal, you’ll do badly (Yoane. Alexander. Maybe you should go and read something else).
Players who were loaned out for the season or went straight into youth setups have been disregarded, while if you’re wondering why 185 players were bought/loaned and there are 189 entries on our list, it’s because some agents were good/greedy enough to move a player twice this season (and got paid both times).
And sure, it’s a long article, but if you’re a Wolverhampton Wanderers fan, you won’t have to scroll too far. Sunderland, Manchester United and Leeds United supporters — keep going.
Right, to the rankings. And please remember, it’s just for fun!
Transfer fee: Loan
Contract length: One year
First impressions: Considered by many to be worth more than the fringe role he was given at Liverpool last season, it’s now time for Elliott to step up.
Verdict: A catastrophic deal for both clubs and the player. Villa have had a great season but if Unai Emery was their brain and John McGinn was their heart, Elliott was their appendix. Made just three starts, Emery clearly just wasn’t having him and negotiations to either cut the loan short in January or remove the obligation-to-buy clause (due to be triggered after 10 appearances; he made his ninth in March) in February so he could play during an injury crisis both failed. Shambolic, especially given how talented the 23-year-old attacking midfielder is.
Reported transfer fee: £20million (with add-ons)
Contract length: Five years
First impressions: It’s pretty hard to make a case for Broja being the striker to fire promoted Burnley to top-flight safety, given his record in the past three completed seasons for Chelsea and during loans to Everton and Fulham is three goals in 58 appearances. That’s not a typo.
Verdict: Given the fee involved, he should probably be at the bottom of the list, but let’s be honest, expectations were low. Three goals in 58 appearances has become four in 84. If you’re Coventry, Ipswich or Hull, don’t even think about it.
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £19million (with add-ons)
Contract length: Four years
First impressions: John to his mates. On his day, an exciting, game-changing forward, albeit one who won’t fill the departed Matheus Cunha’s boots in terms of end-product.
Verdict: The standard-bearer for both Wolves’ humiliating season and their pitiful recruitment last summer. One goal and no assists from the Colombian’s 23 league appearances, and he was sold back to Brazilian football with Palmeiras in February (somehow for a profit), never to be spoken of again.
Transfer fee: Loan
Contract length: One year
First impressions: It was good while it lasted… Guiu was recalled to the mothership after just over three weeks due to Liam Delap’s injury. Thanks for the memories.
Verdict: After it initially looked like his recall was a waste of time for everyone involved, Guiu played 13 times for Chelsea during the season, even scoring against Ajax in the Champions League.
Reported transfer fee: £5million
Contract length: Four years
First impressions: An attacking 22-year-old left-back who adds to Forest’s Brazilian cohort.
Verdict: Whoiabano? Didn’t get to play for Forest, as he was immediately loaned back to Botafogo. Was then loaned to their fellow Brazilians Vasco da Gama in February.
Transfer fee: Loan
Contract Length: One year
First impressions: Hailed as the next Swedish wonderkid when he moved to Bayern from Stockholm’s AIK; 6ft 5in (195cm) striker Kusi-Asare has not made it onto the pitch yet despite a striker crisis at Fulham.
Verdict: Just 49 minutes in the Premier League all season for the 18-year-old in what feels like a waste of everyone’s time, unless Kusi-Asare just fancied a gap year in London. In which case: well done, everyone.
Reported transfer fee: £55million (with add-ons)
Reported contract length: Four years
First impressions: Was Wissa really worth the hassle and the dough? He probably doesn’t even get in Newcastle’s best XI, however he is a good addition to their forward options in a busy European season.
Verdict: Disastrous debut year on Tyneside, ruined by injury and a lack of pre-season. He has never looked fit and has started just one of Newcastle’s last 22 games in all competitions. A £55million deadline-day panic buy which simply hasn’t worked. At least he got Jean-Philippe Mateta’s shirt in a swap after a one-minute substitute appearance against Crystal Palace last month.
Reported fee: £20.25million (with add-ons)
Contract length: Five years
First impressions: The 20-year-old driving, attacking midfielder should fit in well in the Premier League with his pace, physicality and creativity.
Verdict: Hooked at half-time on his Premier League debut with Brentford 3-0 down away to Nottingham Forest, then tore an anterior cruciate (ACL) knee ligament in October and remains sidelined.
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £5million
First impressions: Promising 6ft 4in (193cm) Japanese centre-back whose fee is a record for a homegrown player leaving the J-League. The 20-year-old is currently around Spurs’ first-team squad, covering for long-term injury absentee Radu Dragusin, but will likely head out on loan before long.
Verdict: No appearances for Spurs yet. Was indeed loaned out, to Borussia Monchengladbach, in January for some decent experience, and played eight times for them in the Bundesliga.
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: Nominal
Contract length: One year
First impressions: A ceremonial position that could be filled by the Honey Monster if required.
Verdict: Predictably, no appearances for the now 34-year-old Scott Carson regen, who swapped Chelsea for City in the position of homegrown box-ticker and benchwarmer. He was among the substitutes for all but one of their Champions League games and a few domestic ones.
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: Nominal
Contract length: Two years
First impressions: King of putting the cones out, right? Warmed the bench for two Carabao Cup games, but Everton are out of that competition now. Training standards: unknown.
Verdict: With Jordan Pickford playing every week, and even in the FA Cup too, the job of Everton’s third-choice goalkeeper is essentially a full-time morale-booster role.
Transfer fee: Free
Contract length: End of the season
First impressions: An injury to Will Dennis (yeah, y’know, Will Dennis?) pushed Bournemouth into the cheap-and-available-and-bored goalkeeper market. Enter Forster, who’ll enjoy the beaches down there.
Verdict: There are worse places to be enjoying the hot weather right now. Fair play.
Transfer fee: Free
Contract length: One year
First impressions: Championship-standard goalkeeper moves to Premier League club for a nice payday as a non-playing third-choice. Great to have around the dressing room, etc. Very much the No 3 behind Matz Sels and John Victor.
Verdict: Exactly as above. Got 45 minutes off the bench against Palace in February after Sels was injured. Otherwise, not allowed to play.
Transfer fee: Undisclosed
Contract length: Four and a half years
First impressions: Sunderland’s scouting network apparently extends to finding a 20-year-old Ivorian winger who was on loan at Hapoel Petah Tikva from fellow Israeli side Maccabi Netanya. Expect their next signing to be discovered on one of Saturn’s lesser-known moons. To be completely frank, we don’t know much about Ta Bi.
Verdict: We still don’t know much about him. One league appearance, during which he suffered a season-ending ankle injury.
Transfer fee: Loan
Contract length: One year
First impressions: Surplus to requirements at Brighton but fills a need at West Ham to replace the departing Nayef Aguerd. The 27-year-old is a strength-in-depth signing if ever there was one.
Verdict: Turns out he wasn’t even strength in depth, as Julio barely played at West Ham before being recalled by Brighton in January and didn’t make an appearance for them either.
Transfer fee: Loan
Contract length: End of the season
First impressions: The 22-year-old Venezuelan winger is West Ham’s pre-subscription app download for the month, in what looks like an extended trial before a potential purchase in the summer. Don’t forget to hit cancel if he’s no good.
Verdict: Only played once in an FA Cup tie at Burton Albion and looked a little out of his depth, which didn’t really bode well.
Transfer fee: Loan
Contract length: One year
First impressions: It still feels like Nelson is a youngster, but he’s 26 in December and, after a bit-part role at Fulham on loan last season (two goals and an assist in 572 minutes of game time), it’s now-or-never time to really make an impact in the Premier League.
Verdict: A low-risk addition on loan, but this didn’t work out at all. Just 118 minutes of football in the Premier League across 10 appearances, all off the bench, and struggled with his fitness.
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £125million
Reported contract length: Six years
First impressions: Isak could very well become the best striker in the world now he’s at Anfield. With no pre-season to speak of, it’s only now that he is getting up to speed, fitness-wise. Impossible to judge him properly before then.
Verdict: Played catch-up with his fitness for months after the aforementioned missing of pre-season which was, of course, entirely of his own making. Injuries were then a problem, and he scored only three league goals. Given the fee, the talent and the palaver in getting him to Anfield, it’s hard to imagine Isak’s debut season going any worse.
Transfer fee: Loan
Contract length: End of the season
First impressions: One of the strangest deals of 2025-26 moves into a more orthodox space, with Buonanotte swapping Stamford Bridge — where he spent the first half of the season on loan — for Elland Road.
Verdict: A total failure for all concerned. Flopped in his one start (among three total appearances) at Birmingham City in the FA Cup and was hooked at half-time. Had he moved to Leeds in August, when they also wanted him, you wonder how much better things could have been.
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £25million
Contract length: Five years
First impressions: Given how raw and unproven he is at the top level, this is a bit of a gamble.
Verdict: A great season for Bournemouth as a club, but Gannon-Doak frustratingly played almost no part in it, missing the winter months with a hamstring injury that required surgery. The 20-year-old has only played 105 minutes in the league, all off the bench, but did recover in time to make Scotland’s World Cup squad.
Reported transfer fee: £10million (with add-ons)
Contract length: Four years
First impressions: Feels like a real coup for Burnley to sign the 23-year-old Netherlands international left-back, who is eyeing a World Cup spot next summer.
Verdict: Started well with four assists in nine games but tailed off badly, culminating in a dreadful performance against Fulham in December, after which he was no more than an unused substitute for three months. Lower down our list because expectations were pretty high. And no, he’s not going to the World Cup.
Reported transfer fee: £8m
Contract length: Five and a half years
First impressions: Intriguing Belgium Under-21 international striker with an exceptional name which makes him sound like an up-and-coming welterweight. The 18-year-old broke into the Club Brugge squad this season. “I have no doubt he will be a big player for us,” Keith Andrews said of the 6ft 3in man, which you can’t really quibble with.
Verdict: Only one appearance in the league, off the bench late on against West Ham this month, since joining in January. The proverbial one for the future.
Transfer fee: Loan
Contract length: End of the season
First impressions: Will tower over his new team-mates and indeed the entire city of Nottingham at 6ft 7in, but is Lucca any good, having only scored once in the league for Napoli this season?
Verdict: Nope. Absolutely dreadful.
Reported transfer fee: £4million
Contract length: Four years
First impressions: The 26-year-old isn’t going to usurp England’s No 1 Jordan Pickford. Standard No 2 goalkeeper stuff.
Verdict: Two Carabao Cup appearances formed the entirety of his on-pitch season, a 2-0 home win against Mansfield Town and a 2-0 defeat at Wolves. Had a great view of the new stadium, though.
Transfer fee: Loan
Contract length: One year
First impressions: The 28-year-old Ukrainian was left out of Forest’s squad for the league phase of the Europa League two days after signing. His two Premier League appearances were starts against Burnley and Sunderland and, well, he didn’t impress.
Verdict: It’s actually quite a feat to fail to impress three managers in half a season. His Forest loan was cut short and he got shipped off to Ajax for a small fee at the end of the winter window.
Reported transfer fee: £10.8million
Contract length: Five years
First impressions: Replaces outgoing captain Nelson Semedo at right wing-back. That’s a downgrade in theory, but Tchatchoua does offer breathtaking pace; albeit he is very raw.
Verdict: Given the 24-year-old’s incredible speed (the fastest player in Serie A last season) and his incredible lack of basic football ability, you had to seriously question whether he picked the right sport.
Transfer fee: Loan
Contract length: One year
First impressions: Interesting player with an impressive recent history. Getafe converted Uche from a defensive midfielder into a forward. One of the more intriguing signings of the summer.
Verdict: Only 159 minutes in the league (spread across 14 substitute appearances, no starts) and not seen on the pitch since March. Really disappointing.
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £7.8m
Contract length: Four years
First impressions: Attack-minded, ball-carrying Moroccan teenage left-back. He’s only just turned 19, so is likely to be one for the future.
Verdict: Looked really promising from the bench against Sunderland in the FA Cup in January but then was not used again, with zero minutes in the league. Some good qualities, but not yet ready physically for English football.
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £2million
Contract length: Three years
First impressions: Career has flatlined after being earmarked as a future star at Stuttgart. An excellent crosser of the ball, though, so every cloud…
Verdict: He was very cheap, so perhaps not much should have been expected of the Croatia international wing-back. In that, he’s absolutely delivered. A daft red card in the UEFA Conference League and not a lot else.
Transfer fee: Loan
Contract length: End of the season
First impressions: Twice-capped Greece international goalkeeper. Wasn’t playing at Lazio and presumably won’t play much at Bournemouth either.
Verdict: As expected, no minutes since arriving in January. Grateful to be living in an era when substitute ‘benches’ are actually posh and comfy chairs with armrests.
Transfer fee: £30million
Contract length: Six years
First impressions: It’s a big step up in level, but the 22-year-old appears to have the attributes and attitude to make it.
Verdict: Injury derailed the first half of his season, which isn’t his fault, but Delap has been dreadful. No goals in his last 26 appearances and, while he can hold the ball up well, goals are sort of the entire point for a No 9.
Transfer fee: Loan
Contract length: End of the season
First impressions: The only West Ham player hoping for relegation and therefore a new manager. The reasons behind Nuno Espirito Santo’s exiling of Ward-Prowse remain unclear (did the midfielder say he doesn’t rate the chicken wings at Nando’s? Did he tickle Nuno’s beard and call him daddy?). Burnley are the beneficiaries.
Verdict: Not much of an impact, but in a dreadful Burnley team, that wasn’t a surprise.
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £35m
Contract length: Four and a half years
First impressions: Fee feels steep given that he didn’t kick on at Spurs at all, albeit he’s still only 24. A decent addition to Palace’s dwindling squad if he can rediscover his confidence and rhythm. If.
Verdict: Narrator: “Johnson did not rediscover his confidence and rhythm.”
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £52million (with add-ons)
Contract length: Seven years
First impressions: Gittens is hugely talented, but not the finished product, and it’s difficult to envisage him becoming that at a club like Chelsea.
Verdict: Injured since January and had struggled to make an impact before that. You can see there’s a great, technical talent there, but he didn’t adapt to Premier League physicality and his confidence looked shot. The fee was remarkable, and you could see this coming a mile off.
Reported transfer fee: £10.4m
Contract length: Five and a half years
First impressions: Comes highly rated, received a Golden Boy nomination last year and is a tall, silky, roaming midfielder who ticks plenty of ‘another Bournemouth unearthed gem’ boxes. Brought manager Robbie Keane to tears when he left Ferencvaros.
Verdict: Just 137 Premier League minutes from two starts and seven substitute appearances. Unlikely to have brought Andoni Iraola to tears, unless he’s really good at emotional goodbyes.
Transfer fee: Loan
Contract length: End of the season
First impressions: One minute, you’re earning four caps in three months for England, the next you’re signing for one of the worst Premier League teams in history, who are almost certainly relegated.
Verdict: Sure, it was low risk, but the fact Gomes struggled to break into such a cataclysmically poor team tells you this move just didn’t work for him, Marseille or Wolves.
Transfer fee: Loan
Contract: One year
First impressions: Bit of a statement signing. So quick, so dangerous in the final third, and surely so motivated to revive his career in a World Cup year. Nicely done.
Verdict: Where do you start with this one? Presumably by skewing a rare shot wide of the post if you’re Kolo Muani, who had just 20 attempts at goal in 30 Premier League appearances and scored once. Only there on loan, but a huge disappointment.
Transfer fee: Loan
Contract length: One year
First impressions: A player Forest could only dream of signing a couple of years ago. If he shows his old Villa form… sheesh. Still only 27, too.
Verdict: A half-season dominated by injury issues before his loan was cut short and he was instead borrowed by former club Aston Villa (more on that later). Looked broken.
Reported transfer fee: £12.9million
Contract length: Five years
First impressions: A 21-year-old winger/forward who has played for France at five youth levels. He does have pace, but this is a real punt. An encouraging start but his quality is still in question.
Verdict: The whistles and jeers which followed his flunked 12-yard shot against Mansfield when 1-0 up in the FA Cup (Burnley lost 2-1 to their League One opponents) summed up Tchaouna’s season.
Reported transfer fee: £17.5m
Contract length: Four and a half years
First impressions: Ecuador international winger who replaces the departing Simon Adingra in the squad. Quick, creative and exciting, Angulo was arguably Anderlecht’s best player this season, with six goals and seven assists.
Verdict: The 22-year-old’s progress has been hampered by injury since arriving in February, but he clearly has potential.
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £20.7million (with add-ons)
Contract length: Five years
First impressions: Only five assists and 12 goals in 73 appearances for Brighton leave a question mark over his end-product, as does their willingness to let him leave relatively cheaply.
Verdict: Well, you can see why Brighton were happy to let him go. The 24-year-old comes with talent and skill, but not the ability to take control of matches. Went to Monaco on loan in February and has done alright there.
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £10.5m
The Athletic’s reported contract length: Five and a half years
First impressions: The number of Brazilian footballers with the same name as your auntie has doubled with the arrival of the Premier League’s second Alysson. The 19-year-old pacey Brazilian winger is a raw talent.
Verdict: Just three sub appearances since joining in January, showed he had something with some direct wing-play but hard to form strong opinions yet.
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £10million (with add-ons)
Contract length: Four years
First impressions: A 19-year-old with the world at his feet, with those feet being located at the end of a lanky, gangly, dribbling maestro. Three assists in one Carabao Cup match against Barnsley showed his tremendous potential.
Verdict: Hampered by a series of frustrating injuries and was sent out on loan to Millwall in the Championship, where he only started twice. Will look to reset for his second season with Brighton.
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £23.4million (with add-ons)
Contract length: Four years
First impressions: The Belgian league’s Golden Boot winner (don’t be too impressed by that, seeing as Deniz Undav and Paul Onuachu are two of his predecessors) is aged 24 and, at 6ft 5in (197cm), a likely backup for Jorgen Strand Larsen.
Verdict: Wolves’ joint-top scorer in the league with (don’t laugh) three goals. He missed the entire ball so often from crosses that you questioned whether he needed more training or a trip to Specsavers. Joins Undav and Onuachu in the Hall of Shame. Premier League clubs, you have been warned: do not buy Nicolo Tresoldi from Club Brugge.
Reported transfer fee: £21.3million (with add-ons)
Contract length: Five years
First impressions: Wolves have taken a bit of a gamble on the inexperienced 21-year-old attacking midfielder – could be incredible, could be a flop.
Verdict: Not exactly a flop, but it became abundantly clear the gifted but slight Lopez wasn’t ready for the Premier League. Loaned back to Celta for the rest of the season in January.
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £40million (with add-ons)
Contract length: Four years
First impressions: A ball-carrying magician. Elegance personified in the way he saunters upfield and past defenders, although he is only 19 and his all-round game (including his end-product) needs a lot of work.
Verdict: That is a big fee for Everton and Dibling has barely featured, even when Jack Grealish was injured, and he fell behind Chelsea loanee Tyrique George in the pecking order. When manager David Moyes told him to “pull his finger out”, you knew it wasn’t going well.
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £26million
Reported contract length: Six years
First impressions: Still a kid at 18, but this centre-back is already a giant at 6ft 4in (193cm). Suffered a devastating anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) knee injury on his debut in the Carabao Cup against Southampton. May not be seen again this season.
Verdict: May well be a great addition in the long-term, but for now, his focus is on recovering.
Reported transfer fee: £13million
Contract length: Five years
First impressions: It’s hard to think of anything more 2025 than Bournemouth having £13m to spend on an 18-year-old centre-back who’s only played 17 top-flight matches in Serbia.
Verdict: We all know how well he’s done, so there’s almost no point repeating it. Oh, go on then… Milosavljevic made the odd appearance, clearly has a lot to learn and ended the season out of the squad.
Reported transfer fee: £3million
Contract length: Four years
First impressions: Jacob Bruun Larsen is back, everybody! Remember? A cheap, utility, attacking squad player. In and out of the side, workmanlike displays, what you see is what you get.
Verdict: Absolutely classic Burnley. No lack of effort, but the quality just wasn’t there. No goals and one assist in 27 league appearances tells the story.
Transfer fee: Free
Contract length: Two years
First impressions: Former West Ham man Masuaku is expected to deputise for fellow newcomer Reinildo Mandava. A bit of a ‘body through the door’, but a necessary one.
Verdict: A rare thing in that he was a Sunderland signing who didn’t make an impact, but he also wasn’t expected to. Played a bit as backup left-back and was then loaned to Lens in January to do the same job in Ligue 1.
Reported transfer fee: £8.5million
Contract length: Four years
First impressions: His levels have dropped since he first made waves at Sporting. Did alright in the Championship (on loan to Burnley) last season but physicality is an issue.
Verdict: Had a good few weeks either side of Christmas but was otherwise used pretty sparingly, with only 11 league starts.
Reported transfer fee: £13m
Contract length: “Long-term”
First impressions: The latest Premier League addition to call his move a childhood dream (he can’t have watched too much of Tottenham lately), 19-year-old Souza is the back-up left-back Spurs have needed for a while. He’s pretty fresh, but also pretty fast and skilful.
Verdict: Four substitute appearances and, this being Spurs, three different positions played. Perhaps one for next season.
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £18.5million
Contract length: Eight years
First impressions: A 20-year-old defensive midfielder who will likely provide backup to Moises Caicedo for the time being, but yet to feature having had surgery on a thigh injury.
Verdict: Eventually made his debut in March. Nobody expected Essugo to play a major role — he is very much one for the future — but looked decent when he came on a handful of times. Perhaps next year. Or perhaps he’ll be loaned to Strasbourg.
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £55million (with add-ons)
Contract length: Five years
First impressions: How much?! But, fine, it’s hard to see how this won’t be a good addition, given Elanga’s rapid improvement at Forest in the past two years.
Verdict: Well, it couldn’t have gone much worse. Didn’t score in the league in 32 appearances, failed to make a meaningful impression and ended the season out of the side. Did join Kylian Mbappe and Ferenc Puskas as one of only three players to score a European Cup knockout-phase brace against Barcelona at Camp Nou, which bumps him up the list a bit. Just don’t mention the result that night.
Reported transfer fee: £14.7million (with add-ons)
Contract length: Four years
First impressions: Nice to see an old-school surname back in the top flight. A centre-back who can also play at left wing-back, he’s a solid addition to the squad.
Verdict: Injured for a while, broke into the side after Christmas but, like Burnley (and, to be fair, not helped by the players around him), just not quite at the required Premier League standard this season.
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £30.4million (with add-ons)
Reported contract length: Five years
First impressions: Definitely got something about him, but it’s not clear yet what he is in terms of a player profile.
Verdict: Hmmm. No goal contributions in 13 Premier League appearances, added nothing to Villa’s attack, and was sent on loan to Palace in January as punishment.
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £40million
The Athletic’s reported contract length: Seven years
First impressions: Are Chelsea getting the player who could and should evolve into a global star? Or is this Jadon Sancho 2.0? The jury is out.
Verdict: The jury has returned its verdict, and it’s a unanimous decision; guilty of being an ineffective show-pony. The whole point of signing Garnacho was he could hit the ground running owing to his Premier League experience with United, but it never happened. Only one league goal in 28 appearances. Very underwhelming, and already unpopular at Stamford Bridge.
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £5.2million
Contract length: Four years
First impressions: Belgian big boy Bornauw (6ft 3in/191cm) comes via a cheap fee. Very likely to just be a squad player.
Verdict: As a cheap backup, he was fine. Evidently a limited footballer, but that’s what Leeds paid for and used him as. Headed it, booted it.
Transfer fee: Undisclosed
Contract length: Three years
First impressions: Aged 29, but spent most of his career on the bench before Botafogo gave him his big chance two years ago; however, it’ll be back to a watching brief for now behind Matz Sels.
Verdict: Briefly overtook Sels as Forest’s No 1 and showed a few attributes before a bad injury, which required surgery, ended his season in January.
Transfer fee: Free
Reported contract length: One year
First impressions: A cheap, versatile squad player. Will hope to avoid a second successive relegation from the Premier League. A cheap, versatile squad player.
Verdict: Narrator: “He did not avoid…” — well, you get the idea with that. Injuries and playing for DR Congo at the Africa Cup of Nations restricted him to 14 league appearances, in which he did fine.
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £9.4million
Contract length: Five years
First impressions: A towering aerial presence who broke into the Italy squad last season. Strong, physical, athletic and pretty quick, too, but only 21, so will need time.
Verdict: A few fleeting glimpses but remained behind Lewis Dunk and Jan Paul van Hecke in the pecking order and spent the second half of the season on loan in Ligue 1 with Paris FC, where he was a regular and helped drag them out of relegation trouble. More to come from him, you’d think.
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £9.9million
Contract length: Five years
First impressions: Replaces Rayan Ait-Nouri in the team after his move to Manchester City. The 6ft 1in (185cm) Norway left-back has looked out of his depth, though.
Verdict: Wasn’t bad defensively, but found wanting going forward and mostly played second fiddle to Hugo Bueno. With a name like that, he really should have been a better fit for Wolves.
Transfer fee: Loan
Contract length: End of the season
First impressions: Hard to fault anything about this deal. Villa have an injury crisis in midfield, and their former player perfectly fills the gap temporarily vacated by Youri Tielemans.
Verdict: A massive let-down for not one but two Premier League clubs this season. Looked great for 60 minutes on his second Villa debut in February, but has been dreadful for them ever since. Fell behind youngster Lamare Bogarde and moonlighting defender Victor Lindelof in the midfield pecking order. His £21million option fee will not be triggered.
Transfer fee: Loan
Contract length: One year
First impressions: Did anything scream ‘deadline-day panic’ more than Villa getting Sancho through the door on Monday? And they’re paying 80 per cent of his £12million annual salary. Oh, Villa.
Verdict: Flashes of brilliance, and a second straight European trophy after Conference League glory on loan at Chelsea a year ago, but generally underwhelming. Villa’s then sporting director Monchi reportedly attempting a straight swap of him for goalkeeper Emi Martinez last summer is a sacking offence (perhaps literally). Moves slightly up the list for having rejected the permanent move which would have sealed that deal.
Reported transfer fee: £500,000
Contract length: Two years
First impressions: French goalkeeper who arrives in the Premier League aged 34, and with 329 Ligue 1 appearances to his name, to be Bernd Leno’s backup and, it seems, to play in the cups.
Verdict: Seven decent cup appearances and he felt like a good addition and an upgrade, like many of the No 2 goalkeepers signed by Premier League clubs last summer.
Reported transfer fee: £4.3m
Contract length: Four years
First impressions: An ever-present for a mid-table side in the German second division last season, 21-year-old Weiss offers a cheap, developing backup goalkeeper option at Turf Moor.
Verdict: Replaced Martin Dubravka at the end of the season as already-relegated Burnley looked to the future. Only conceded once at Arsenal last week and coped well, before making some fine saves on the final day against Wolves. Promising.
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £27m
Contract length: Five and a half years
First impressions: Still playing his way back to his former self after injury, but this is potentially an outstanding signing for Fulham for a bargain price. The 22-year-old Norway international forward feels like a good fit and his name sounds like a silent movie star from the 1920s.
Verdict: Played Fulham’s final 14 league games in a row but failed to provide a goal or assist. Did often play on the left, with Harry Wilson occupying his favoured position on the right, but this was a very uneventful start that Fulham will hope proves to be a transition period.
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £7m
Contract length: Three and a half years
First impressions: The only thing that could scream ‘Getting ready for the Championship’ more than this would be if Wolves started wearing the EFL logo on their sleeves and the groundsman painted ‘We’re getting ready for the Championship’ on the pitch.
Verdict: One well-taken goal at Brentford and worked incredibly hard, but otherwise a thankless task as a lone striker ahead of a midfield with less creativity than the owners of a new brand pub called The Red Lion. Basically kept his fitness up ahead of next season’s Championship campaign, which he’ll be far more suited for.
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £12million (with add-ons)
The Athletic’s reported contract length: Two years
First impressions: A vital cog in Brentford’s wheel but unlikely to have the same impact at a much higher level with Arsenal, particularly given his likely lack of rhythm when he does get a game as a result of being mostly a backup.
Verdict: Not a bad signing but what did he do? With 13 cup and European appearances, he only played when he really had to. Just 56 minutes in the Premier League before he was finally handed a start on the final day at Palace… and subbed off at half-time.
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £12million
Contract length: Five years
First impressions: Lofty (6ft 2in/192cm) Juventus academy graduate who broke into the first team there last year, starting 29 games in all competitions and earning an Italy call-up.
Verdict: After you’ve been labelled as “Carl Jenkinson reincarnated” on social media, it’s difficult to know where you go from there, but Savona was decent (if limited) before a knee injury ended his season in February.
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £29.6million
The Athletic’s reported contract length: Five years
First impressions: Fast, fast and fast. Frimpong’s pace covers a multitude of defensive sins, and he’s a big asset in attack. Low price and good age (24), but may need to rein in his instincts at times.
Verdict: A season of transition? Like with their team overall, Liverpool fans will hope so. A really disappointing, injury-hit season.
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £5million
Contract length: Three years
First impressions: An upgrade on their previous backup goalkeepers Neto and Aaron Ramsdale, albeit he’s unlikely to challenge David Raya too strenuously for the No 1 spot.
Verdict: As above, but his season (as well as what seems like much of his English football career) was dominated by the Kepa Carabao Cup, where he was the hero against Palace in a quarter-final penalty shootout but then cost Arsenal the final against Manchester City when dropping a cross.
Transfer fee: Loan
Contract length: One year
First impressions: Only one Primeira Liga midfielder produced more tackles and interceptions combined than his 134 last season. A defensive midfielder’s defensive midfielder.
Verdict: Initially did pretty well in a struggling side but, like the Burnley team, petered out. Overall, he didn’t live up to his reputation.
Reported transfer fee: £2m (including add-ons)
Reported contract length: End of the season
First impressions: They said you never know what you’re going to get with the unpredictable Adama Traore. Unless, of course, you mean ridiculous pace, insane power and pitiful levels of end product.
Verdict: A low-risk deal which has worked out exactly as expected; Traore sporadically made an excitable nuisance of himself during 12 appearances off the bench, but provided no goals and only one assist. His career in a nutshell. Only Federico Chiesa (25) has come on as a Premier League substitute more times this season than Traore’s 23 (for Fulham and West Ham combined).
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £12.6million
Contract length: Two years
First impressions: Certainly did enough on loan at Everton in the second half of last season to suggest that £12.6million is a bargain fee for the 22-year-old Argentinian attacking midfielder.
Verdict: Had to wait for injuries and suspensions to get his opportunities, then didn’t really take them. Mainly used as an impact sub. There was a case for seeing more of him, but in general, not a season to remember.
Transfer fee: Loan
Contract length: One year
First impressions: One of those deals you see mooted on social media and have to double-check that it’s not from a parody account. A proper classic, old-school mad Chelsea signing.
Verdict: Basically borrowed for half a season from Brighton to try to take some minutes off Cole Palmer’s plate, which he did. Was there a long-term vision for Buonanotte at Chelsea? That he wasn’t named in their Champions League squad initially and then had his loan cut short in January suggests, amazingly, no. Nobody really knew the point of him, and still nobody really does.
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £23million
Contract length: Four years
First impressions: Potentially one of the best-value deals of the summer, given his record of 14 goals while on loan last season.
Verdict: Failed to score a non-penalty league goal for Wolves in 1,405 league minutes this season. That would place him near the bottom of this list, but they then somehow sold him to Palace in (checks notes) a more than double-their-money £48million deal on deadline day in February, which renders this a very good financial signing. For Wolves.
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: Around £17.3million
Reported contract length: Four years
First impressions: French defensive midfielder who started to make a big impact with Monaco last season. Boundless energy and not bad going forward; West Ham have got themselves a player here.
Verdict: They certainly have a footballer, but not quite the one they needed in a relegation battle. The 22-year-old is a little too inconsistent for now and not yet ready to run a Premier League midfield.
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £11.9million
Contract length: Eight years
First impressions: After prolonged negotiations between BlueCo and BlueCo, Sarr has moved from one BlueCo club to another BlueCo club and been immediately loaned back from the second BlueCo club to the first BlueCo club.
Verdict: Recalled in January to add depth and because Chelsea’s then head coach Liam Rosenior loved him, then Rosenior got the sack. Made a handful of appearances where he looked alright but has not started in two months since being played out of position and asked to mark Kvicha Kvaratskhelia in the Champions League. How did that go? He was hooked at half-time with Chelsea 7-2 behind on aggregate.
Reported transfer fee: Over £20million
Contract length: Five years
First impressions: That’s big money for Burnley. The 21-year-old France youth international didn’t enjoy his time at Southampton (on loan from Chelsea last season) but is a massive presence in Burnley’s midfield.
Verdict: Competitive, aggressive and showed signs he could thrive in the Premier League. Maybe find a better team to join next time, Les.
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £15.6million
Contract length: Four years
First impressions: Another doorway-frame ducker for Leeds, this 6ft 5in (197cm) Brazilian goalkeeper feels like an upgrade on Illan Meslier after a decent 2024-25 season in Ligue 1, but only time will tell.
Verdict: One of the few blots on last summer’s Leeds copybook. One too many poor performances saw him dropped from their league team in January in favour of Karl Darlow. Made amends with some good subsequent FA Cup displays, but for the money paid and the role he was expected to play, has to go down as a disappointment overall.
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £17.4m
Contract length: Four and a half years
First impressions: The 22-year-old, who was born in Portugal and raised in Brazil, had been one of the form strikers in the Primeira Liga with 10 goals in 13 matches for high-flying Gil Vicente. On early evidence, West Ham have signed a terrier-like forward, but they’ll want goals too.
Verdict: No goals from 14 league appearances since signing in January. Less terrier, more three-legged Golden Retriever.
Reported transfer fee: £30million
Contract length: Five years
First impressions: A dynamic, all-action, box-to-box midfielder who has already greatly elevated Sunderland’s midfield and will look to drive forward and score goals. Very talented, and only 21. Started so well, but underwent groin surgery at the end of September.
Verdict: Injuries and AFCON got in the way, and yes, there were signs of the player Sunderland thought they were getting, but he was outshone by a number of his team-mates. Next year, though?
Transfer fee: Loan
Contract length: One year
First impressions: The 26-year-old right-winger is a wait-and-see addition but his quality has been obvious, even from substitute cameos.
Verdict: A slow start, then a brilliant burst of two goals (both against Manchester City) and three assists in five games pre-Christmas… but then next to nothing in the second half of the season.
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £34.7m
Reported contract length: Five and a half years
First impressions: Gallagher is the mobile, long-term No 6 that Spurs have been chasing for some time, and it’s difficult to envisage him not being a success, given the 25-year-old’s character and leadership skills. Just needs to avoid contracting Spurs-itis.
Verdict: Asked to play in several positions in a team short on confidence and for three different managers (!), but Gallagher also clearly wasn’t the player he once was and struggled to influence games. His goal at Villa, though, was huge.
Reported transfer fee: £5million (with add-ons)
Contract length: Two years
First impressions: A player full of experience in a squad lacking it. Great addition. Tenacious, combative and fully committed to the Burnley cause.
Verdict: Seemed like such an excellent signing in the early weeks but the 35-year-old badly tailed off as the season went on.
Transfer fee: Loan
Contract length: One year
First impressions: With a name like that, you’d surely have to be a dinky, creative, wizard-like winger, but Rohl is actually a 6ft 3in (192cm) central midfielder. Injuries would be a concern, but this is a beefing-up-the-squad signing.
Verdict: Injured at first but started to force his way in towards the end of the season, however him not playing much for months after being so good in the January win at Villa was a bit strange. Moyes perhaps struggled to fit him into the side. Everton’s £18million obligation to buy was triggered when they avoided relegation.
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £31.2million (with add-ons)
Contract length: Five years
First impressions: Came on in leaps and bounds at Wolves and can be spectacular but still needs to refine his defensive game and add finesse in attack.
Verdict: A combination of injuries, AFCON and Nico O’Reilly meant Ait-Nouri’s City career is yet to really get going. Certainly hasn’t shown us what he can offer.
Transfer fee: Loan
Contract length: End of the season
First impressions: The 19-year-old effectively replaces the injured Jack Grealish as a versatile forward option for Everton. Time to show what he can really do in the Premier League (which should be a lot).
Verdict: One start and 10 sub appearances. Didn’t force his way into the team but produced some bright cameos without ever really properly grabbing a game. A loan signing, so no real risk. More to come from him, but where next?
Reported transfer fee: Around £2.5million
Contract length: One year
First impressions: The 29-year-old former Chelsea and Villa winger offers Sunderland something slightly different in terms of being a left-footed player who drifts in from the right.
Verdict: Had been a pretty consistent and persistent presence on Sunderland’s right flank, as someone who gave his all before generally being subbed off after an hour. However, he missed almost every match after Christmas with knee injuries and Sunderland now have an interesting decision to make (they hold the option of an extra year on his contract).
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £32.8million
The Athletic’s reported contract length: Five years
First impressions: France international defender Todibo was considered a real coup when initially signed on loan a year ago, but he blew hot and cold in his debut season. Plenty to prove and dropped by both Graham Potter and now Nuno.
Verdict: Finally went on a consistent run of decent form with 12 league appearances in a row, but then picked up a couple of injuries, a red card and was outshone by winter-window loanee Axel Disasi, who displaced him in the team. Basically, too many mistakes and too much time on the treatment table.
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £52million
The Athletic’s reported contract length: Five years
First impressions: Tough to judge, this one, but he could be a game-changer for Spurs if Thomas Frank can mould the attack around him.
Verdict: Wildly inconsistent with a mixture of stunning goals, a daft red card and complete anonymity. An enigmatic presence who summed up Tottenham’s season in that he should have been so much better than he was. Now sidelined long-term with a horrible ACL injury.
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £116million (with add-ons)
The Athletic’s reported contract length: Five years
First impressions: The key to unlocking defences and arguably the key to Liverpool’s season. The fee is absolutely astronomical. Can he possibly live up to that and the hype?
Verdict: Nope. He couldn’t. Often seemed on a different wavelength to his new team-mates and, while his underlying numbers initially suggested it was they who were the problem, not him, as the season wore on it became clear the gifted Wirtz just wasn’t at the levels you’d expect. A symptom of Liverpool’s many problems, or one of the causes? We’ll find out next season.
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £26million
Contract length: Five years
First impressions: The 23-year-old scored 17 goals in Ligue 1 last season and adds to Forest’s strength in depth.
Verdict: A real frustration for Forest fans that he was barely used, especially after scoring a couple of times in the Europa League. Loaned to Eintracht Frankfurt, where he scored six times in 19 Bundesliga games, with Forest’s then head coach Sean Dyche effectively swapping Kalimuendo for Napoli loanee Lucca, which scientists will tell you is the first sign of madness.
Reported transfer fee: £34.6m
Contract length: Five years
First impressions: An exciting 22-year-old Brazilian left-winger who evolved into the star of Shakhtar’s attack last season. Stepovers, skills, invention, pace, two good feet and a lot of fun.
Verdict: Talent? Yes. Consistency? Nope. Only nine league starts and 1,038 minutes. A long-term purchase, though, and there is so much to work with if Fulham decide to keep him.
Transfer fee: Loan
Contract length: One year
First impressions: If Grealish, in a World Cup season, is given the freedom to express himself and be their main man, this has a good chance of being one of those ‘benefits everyone’ signings.
Verdict: Was top of our list in early October, but the initial burst of four assists before September that put him there subsided and his form had dropped off before a season-ending foot injury in January. He was missed by a club who had clearly taken to him, but his future is unclear.
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £61million (with add-ons)
Contract length: Five years
First impressions: Adds physicality and dynamism to a midfield that sorely lacked it last season. A gliding, elegant midfielder.
Verdict: Bit of a strange one. Like a cool, refreshing pint of lager in a sunny beer garden, he was only useful in summer before tailing off pretty hard thereafter and barely getting a kick at the business end of the season.
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £55million
The Athletic’s reported contract length: Six years
First impressions: On his day, a maverick with the dribbling ability to light up and win any match, but inconsistency and his temperament have been issues. A change of scenery appears to have done him good.
Verdict: Despite not playing since January 4, Kudus still ends the season seventh in the division for completed dribbles with 52. When he played, he was all-action and a little hit and miss, albeit not helped by his new team-mates.
Transfer fee: Free
Contract length: Three years
First impressions: The 28-year-old’s versatility should be helpful in what is a low-risk deal for a solid Premier League performer.
Verdict: Has shared right-back duties with Aaron Wan-Bissaka. Not the best right-back in the league and not the worst; for a free transfer, this was decent business.
Transfer fee: Free
Reported contract length: Three years
First impressions: Probably the best backup goalkeeper signing of the summer in the Premier League? You’ll never sing that, etc. Brings nine years of top-level European experience with Nice and PSV.
Verdict: Eight appearances, three clean sheets (most notably in a Carabao Cup win against Liverpool at Anfield) and his reputation as a very able deputy to Dean Henderson was confirmed.
Transfer fee: Free
Reported contract length: One year
First impressions: The 28-year-old has swapped weekly football in the Championship (37 league starts for Preston last time out) for what is effectively a season ticket at Anfield. Nice work if you can get it.
Verdict: We take it all back, Freddie! Dramatically called into action in the Merseyside derby last month, no less, with Alisson out and then Giorgi Mamardashvili forced off injured, and coped well amid high-stakes pressure. Played a couple more league games after that, and did pretty well.
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £38.9million (with add-ons)
Contract length: Six years
First impressions: Huge potential and still very young, having turned 20 in April, but potential is all it is for the moment. Left out of Spurs’ Champions League squad.
Verdict: Improved as the season went on from a very low bar but still maddeningly inconsistent. Could be very good, could be very bad, the Leeds game being a case in point when he scored a great goal before conceding a very daft penalty.
Reported transfer fee: £2m
Contract length: Four and a half years
First impressions: The 22-year-old arrives with plenty of Bundesliga experience; a low-risk, potentially high-reward deal for a player who was being linked with Chelsea not so long ago.
Verdict: Barely played until right at the end of the season when he broke into the side. Showed quality when he was given a chance.
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £30million (with add-ons)
Contract length: Five years
First impressions: Joins Morgan Gibbs-White, Elliot Anderson and Omari Hutchinson as a core of fledgling English talents at Forest. In theory a great addition, but the 22-year-old has only been handed one start in the league, which is typical of Forest’s chaotic start to the season.
Verdict: Given the money involved, the reputation and the ability, just 297 minutes in the Premier League makes this a poor first season. Did alright in the Europa League but none of Forest’s four head coaches seemed sure where McAtee should fit in. Looked better under Vitor Pereira, suggesting next season could be better.
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £3m
Contract length: Three and a half years
First impressions: Unlikely to see much action behind Robin Roefs (that’s not a joke about the Dutchman’s height). Given Sunderland’s incredible recruitment success rate, he’ll probably end up being the next Thomas Ravelli.
Verdict: Winter-window buy who played three league games in March when Roefs was injured and helped secure a famous derby victory against Newcastle at St James’ Park. For £3million and aged just 23, this feels like a good addition.
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £15million (with add-ons)
Contract length: Four years
First impressions: Has brought stability and dynamism in midfield, also offers good set-piece deliveries and suits Leeds’ physical approach. The second-best tackler in the Premier League so far too with 15 won. Very good.
Verdict: After an excellent start, he found himself out of the side through injury at just the wrong time, with Leeds switching to a back three and transforming their fortunes. Didn’t start a league match after that.
Transfer fee: Loan (reported £4million to £5m fee)
Contact length: One year
First impressions: Appears to have a genuine redemption story in his grasp at Newcastle, given their current first-choice goalkeeper Nick Pope’s inconsistent form. The epitome of good competition.
Verdict: Had a couple of stints in the team, but due to Pope being injured or out of form, rather than because he necessarily excelled. Was always signed as a stop-gap solution and has never really threatened to secure a permanent deal.
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £30.3million (with add-ons)
Contract length: Five years
First impressions: The 23-year-old Frenchman produced 12 goals and 21 assists in 71 matches at Strasbourg after moving from Bordeaux in summer 2023.
Verdict: Winger Bakwa played 24 times across all competitions and was a mixed bag of pace, trickery and injuries, failing to score and providing two assists. More to come next year if he stays.
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £25.1million (with add-ons)
Contract length: Five years
First impressions: The 25-year-old Morocco international winger is Dango Ouattara’s replacement, and a pretty good one at that.
Verdict: In Bournemouth’s rotating attack, he was mostly used as a substitute (21 times in 31 league outings) on the left flank. Winning goals against Liverpool (in stoppage time) and Everton were highlights of a decent season.
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: Over £21.6million
The Athletic’s reported contract length: Five years
First impressions: If someone said four years ago that Pino would end up at Palace, you’d think his career had gone drastically wrong, but this wonderkid at Villarreal saw his progress stalled by a serious knee injury in late 2023. Thrilling to watch at times.
Verdict: Difficult one to sum up. His end product was fairly limited (five goals and five assists from 50 appearances) but he was up for the physical battle and, if teams sat off him, he could run a game on his own. Moments of genius, but could get lost too.
Transfer fee: Undisclosed
Contract length: One year
First impressions: As far as cheap goalkeepers go, the 36-year-old Slovakia international is pretty much as good as it gets for a relegation-battling Premier League club. A very shrewd signing.
Verdict: Started so well and was Burnley’s best player in the opening months, but had a nightmare against West Ham in November and was more down than up thereafter, albeit not helped by a porous defence in front of him. Ended the season out of the side.
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £48m (with add-ons)
Contract length: Four and a half years
First impressions: Surely it’s not just us; this is a bit nuts, isn’t it? Spending up to £48million on a non-goalscoring striker probably makes this the winter window’s boldest deal, to put it nicely.
Verdict: Three early goals made him a fans’ favourite but he gradually tailed off and, other than a goal against Shakhtar Donetsk in the Conference League semi-finals, he hasn’t scored since early March, with a fit-again Mateta showing up the Norwegian’s physical limitations.
Transfer fee: Free
Contract length: One year
First impressions: Are West Ham getting the England international of only two years ago, or the guy who didn’t score last season in 22 short-lived appearances (spread across just 458 minutes) and is now 33?
Verdict: A decent haul of seven goals from a stop-start season, with the highlight being a stoppage-time winner over Everton (rather than a stoppage-time equaliser against Arsenal, which was chalked off by VAR).
Transfer fee: Loan
Contract length: End of the season
First impressions: Allowed to leave by Villa just six months after joining for £30million, which reflects how disappointing he was at Villa Park. Stick this one in the ‘Hmmm’ pile.
Verdict: Much more suited to life at Palace. Came up with a couple of goals, including a late winner against Wolves, and looked transformed until a knee injury curtailed his progress.
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £52million (with add-ons)
The Athletic’s reported contract length: Five years
First impressions: Positives: a very effective, direct and pacy dribbler who excels in one-v-one situations. Negatives: can be injury-prone, can be inconsistent, his end-product needs work, and the fee is very large for a likely backup forward.
Verdict: Pretty much exactly as expected. Helped mitigate against Bukayo Saka’s absence and epitomised Arsenal’s canny squad building, but was expensive and still very hit and miss, particularly with his lack of composure in shooting positions.
Reported transfer fee: Around £20million
Contract length: Five years
First impressions: You question how great West Ham’s need for a new goalkeeper was. Conceded 11 goals in his opening four appearances, including a couple of wafty howlers, before being dropped.
Verdict: Restored to the side in February in place of Alphonse Areola. Initially raised the bar (not literally) with some great performances but, like West Ham, his inconsistency has proved costly on occasion, like that recent dopey pass against Newcastle.
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £29million (with add-ons)
Reported contract length: Six years
First impressions: You’d be hard-pressed to find a better shot-stopping goalkeeper in his age range in Europe than the giant (6ft 5in/197cm) 24-year-old Georgia international.
Verdict: A whopping 20 appearances owing to deputising for the injured Alisson was a prolonged audition for the long-term No 1 spot and, despite some tremendous saves and a decent physical presence, he’s certainly not at that standard (yet). Distribution was jelly-level wobbly.
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £27million
Contract length: Five years
First impressions: A howler or two and Trafford was unceremoniously dumped in favour of fellow summer signing Gianluigi Donnarumma. A great No 2 for City, but this isn’t what Trafford needs in his career right now.
Verdict: Seventeen appearances and eight clean sheets, including in both the Carabao Cup final and the FA Cup final, have helped Trafford end the season with his reputation enhanced and a place in England’s World Cup squad.
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: Around £19.5million
Contract length: Five years
First impressions: A highly rated 20-year-old Belgium youth international whose addition is a bit of a coup. High ceiling, but he’s only 5ft 9in (175cm), so that’s not an issue. Been a little isolated at times, but clearly talented and looks like there’s plenty more to come.
Verdict: Scored memorable goals against Newcastle, Liverpool and Chelsea. Used from the bench a lot but has shown his undoubted class, and also broke into the Morocco squad.
Reported transfer fee: £35million
Contract length: Five years
First impressions: The 24-year-old Switzerland international isn’t the finished product, and his lack of physicality may be an issue, but his desire to take players on and make things happen will be fun to watch.
Verdict: There’s a player there, but for £35million, you’d have expected more than two goals and two assists in all competitions, albeit he wasn’t helped by Forest changing their manager a fair amount (to be fair, he joined the wrong club if he wanted managerial consistency).
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £37.5million
Contract length: Five years
First impressions: Forest are paying a premium because of his nationality (English) and his potential (high). One of those who you’d expect more from in a better team, but has bizarrely been left out of their Europa League squad.
Verdict: Like many of Forest’s new signings, Hutchinson got used in a variety of positions under four different managers and struggled for consistency. Some potential, reflected by seven Premier League assists, but Forest fans will want more from their current record signing next season.
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £31.3million (with add-ons)
Contract length: Five years
First impressions: There are high expectations for the 6ft 1in (185cm) 18-year-old, who mostly operates as a striker.
Verdict: Only 550 all-competitions minutes, but you could see in one second against Bournemouth in January what a talent he is, with that ridiculous overhead-kick goal. Raw, exciting, occasionally electric, but clearly a work in progress.
Transfer fee: Free
Contract length: Five years
First impressions: A pacy, ball-playing defender who completed more long passes than anyone in Europe’s top seven divisions in 2023-24. Could be one of the summer’s best deals if/when he breaks into the team.
Verdict: A good player mostly trapped behind a very established centre-back partnership at Brighton. Made nine league starts, seven of them in 2026, and looks like a clean fit for possession football, albeit at 181cm (just shy of 6ft) there are slight concerns over his lack of aerial/physical prowess.
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £34.6million (with add-ons)
Reported contract length: Five years
First impressions: Aggressive, technical French centre-back who was a pillar of Lille’s defence last season. Aged 24 and looks capable of big things.
Verdict: Seemed to settle into the team pretty quickly and impressed with his athleticism but after losing his place to James Hill in December he couldn’t get back in the side, with Bournemouth only losing one more league match (at home to title-bound Arsenal) thereafter.
Reported transfer fee: £10million
Contract length: Five years
First impressions: The 20-year-old centre-back is very much in the up-and-coming mould, with emphasis on the word ‘up’ – he’s 6ft 6in (198cm) and needs climbing up to win headers against, but he still has ‘good feet for a big lad’.
Verdict: Played a fair bit towards the end of the season once Vitor Pereira was head coach. Calm, quick and has a high ceiling (at that height, he needs it). Really promising prospect.
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £18.1million
The Athletic’s reported contract length: Four and a half years
First impressions: Doesn’t feel like the most natural fit for Unai Emery style-wise, but getting a body through the door as backup to Ollie Watkins was crucial in January.
Verdict: Clearly has been backup for Watkins and not had much game time, but has scored some significant goals which have secured vital points. In which case: job done.
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £27.5million
Contract length: Four years
First impressions: A colossus at 6ft 4in (195cm) who can hold the ball up and is mobile, strong and shows good movement. A bit of a risky one, as yes, he’s raw, and no, he may not score a load of goals just yet.
Verdict: Took until his 14th Premier League appearance to produce his first shot on target, against Bournemouth in December. After that, a much-improved run of eight goals in 22 games. Endured some really tough times (including some boos from his own supporters), work to do, but enough signs there that next year might be better.
Transfer fee: Loan
Contract length: One year
First impressions: The 25-year-old Netherlands international joined Leipzig for around £17million last summer after coming through the ranks at Feyenoord. He played more than 200 times for the Rotterdam club, mostly at right-back, but he can also fit in as a central defender.
Verdict: His versatility proved useful, with appearances at centre-back, right-back and also in midfield. A classy player who progressed the ball nicely and was probably a little bit underused.
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £44million (with add-ons)
Reported contract length: Five years
First impressions: Very ‘pure profit’, this. Newcastle were short of midfield cover and Ramsey, with his dynamism, athleticism and positive attacking mindset, gives them a fresh option. Injury history is a concern.
Verdict: Took time to settle and an ankle injury early on affected him, too, but Ramsey really came into his own during the second half of the season and looked like the kind of technical but athletic player Newcastle require to evolve as a team.
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £17.3million
Contract length: Five years
First impressions: Replaces Pervis Estupinan in the squad and provides competition for Ferdi Kadioglu.
Verdict: Rotated at left-back with Kadioglu (who outshone him on the way to being voted Brighton’s player of the season), which was sometimes tactical and sometimes down to form. Lived up to his reputation in that he was decent going forward but not so sharp defensively. In general, a busy, creative addition to their squad.
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £18million
Contract length: Four years
First impressions: Leeds have loved a gamble on an injury-prone attacker this summer. Already in the team and making an impact.
Verdict: Overall, surpassed expectations. Came with an injury record but featured in 29 league games and made a big impact — eight goals and one assist is a decent return for a relegation battler. His double in April’s win at Old Trafford will go down in Leeds history.
Transfer fee: Loan
Contract length: One year
First impressions: For Spurs to bring the former Fulham man back to England for peanuts adds a layer of steel to their midfield that has been missing for some time.
Verdict: His presence as a second defensive midfielder alongside Rodrigo Bentancur initially caused a bit of a Spurs culture war. Won a lot of tackles, perhaps wasn’t quite the player Spurs fans perhaps wanted or needed him to be but where would they be without him? Probably the Championship, seeing as Palhinha scored crucial goals in three of Spurs’ 10 league victories, including vital winners against Wolves and on the final day against Everton.
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £69.3million (with add-ons)
Reported contract length: Six years
First impressions: They can’t exactly call him their first choice, but Newcastle finally have a forward in the door and yes, he’s a very good one. Surname will be pronounced ‘Walt Made’ by thousands of Geordies.
Verdict: He could be anonymous, but he could also be spellbinding. Scorer of one of the greatest penalty kicks in Premier League history, a unique talent and netted 11 times in an inconsistent side. Got moved from centre-forward into midfield and didn’t look comfortable until a late-season switch to the No 10 role in a tweaked 4-2-3-1 system.
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £11.4million (with add-ons)
Contract length: Four years
First impressions: Several commanding, unflustered displays and a winning goal against Forest in September. A proper defender.
Verdict: Rugged, reliable and a front-foot defender who loved getting stuck in. One of many very good Sunderland signings this season.
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £15million
Contract length: Five years
First impressions: Slovenia international centre-back. The 6ft 3in (190cm) 26-year-old’s profile was summed up by an Athletic subscriber under a recent Leeds article: “Big, hard b*****d that can play a bit. Nice one.”
Verdict: Bornauw, but with far more quality. A brute in the middle of the back three but had a pass on him, too. Good battler with opposition strikers, and a bargain for that fee.
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £500,000
Contract length: End of the season
First impressions: A short-term deal to cover Victor, who is out for the rest of the season with a knee injury.
Verdict: A cheap mid-season upgrade on Victor, he generally did pretty well as Forest’s Europa League goalkeeper, playing 10 times in all competitions.
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £55.8million
The Athletic’s reported contract length: Five years
First impressions: If Arsenal get the player they think they are getting, Zubimendi will help facilitate an improved attacking dynamic for Arteta’s side.
Verdict: Had a season of two halves. Felt like Arsenal’s difference-maker initially but seemingly suffered a huge loss of confidence that club legend Ian Wright said he hadn’t seen in a top player “for a long time” and has ended the season out of the side, and probably also physically spent.
Transfer fee: Loan
Contract length: One year
First impressions: Hincapie has been primed for a move to an elite European club for some time; the 23-year-old can play at left centre-back or as a wing-back.
Verdict: Versatility proved to be a strength. Was fully committed in everything he did and an outstanding defender who won the club’s player of the month award in April. Not so good going forward, though, and Arsenal’s £45million option to buy is a lot.
Transfer fee: Free
Contract length: Two years
First impressions: The first player from Mozambique in the Premier League (finally!), the 31-year-old has filled Sunderland’s problem left-back position for no fee.
Verdict: Very good in one-v-ones, pretty solid and consistent, albeit sometimes crossed the line with his aggression. They missed him when he was absent, which was fairly frequently (AFCON, an injury and a suspension). For a free transfer, you can’t get much better value.
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £79million (with add-ons)
The Athletic’s reported contract length: Six years
First impressions: It feels rare for a striker who is both young and extremely expensive to hit the ground running in this way. Ekitike’s pace, height and physicality look ideally suited to the Premier League.
Verdict: Began the season well, easily outshone fellow new striker Alexander Isak and his goals per minutes played ratio was good. Did then end his season with a run of two in 13 appearances before suffering a horrible injury in April, but given how hard-working he is and how clinical he can be, Ekitike can certainly be viewed as a very good addition.
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: Around £40million
The Athletic’s reported contract length: Five years
First impressions: May take a while to settle in and adapt, but it’s hard to see the 21-year-old Hungarian, who was recently named in the PFA Premier League Team of the Year for last season, not being a success.
Verdict: Perhaps overawed in the opening months when he was a fish out of water but once he got to grips with the style of play, he started to show hints of last year’s form and was much more consistent in the second half of the campaign. One you’d expect to kick on in 2026-27.
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £20.9million
The Athletic’s reported contract length: Five years
First impressions: Given the injury records of Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven, he’ll play plenty. Limited as a player but very solid and a great character in the dressing room.
Verdict: Not an elite centre-back but surprisingly solid amid the madness at Spurs — barring a mistake that cost them an April win against Brighton. Played 36 times and on the whole did a great job when called upon, particularly if that job was to head crosses clear.
Transfer fee: Undisclosed
The Athletic’s reported contract length: Three years
First impressions: Had been Brest’s No 1 goalkeeper for the past four seasons and moved to Villa Park probably expecting to be their Carabao Cup fill-in, but will now be known for one of the Premier League’s greatest managerial interview meltdowns… “Marco Bizot.”
Verdict: Fourteen appearances in total due to various ailments and withdrawals from Emiliano Martinez. Clearly better than the man he replaced as their No 2, Robin Olsen. Can’t say fairer than that.
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: Loan (£6million fee)
Contract length: One year
First impressions: Ball-playing centre-back who can also operate in midfield. The 26-year-old, left-footed Czech Republic international oozes quality and is composure personified.
Verdict: Wolves’ best signing of the season, for sure, but that’s a bit like winning best Wi-Fi signal on the UK’s rail network. The £20million deal already in place for them to sign him permanently feels like a bargain.
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £25.9million
Contract length: Five years
First impressions: A box-office, Harlem Globetrotter of a goalkeeper, Donnarumma comes with baggage but remains one of the best at his position in the world game.
Verdict: Could be terrifying with the ball at his feet, a la the goal he gifted to Arsenal in April, but generally a fantastic keep-the-ball-out-our-net goalkeeper.
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: Over £34.5million
The Athletic’s reported contract length: Seven years
First impressions: Classic Chelsea stockpiling. Still only a teenager, but played 111 times for Ajax and has been in and out of the Netherlands’ senior squad for almost two years. He may have to bide his time behind Marc Cucurella.
Verdict: Struggled at first but came into his own towards the end of the season. Versatile enough to cover left-back or centre-back and 36 appearances in all competitions was probably more than the promising now 20-year-old was expecting.
Reported transfer fee: £19million
Reported contract length: Five years
First impressions: The Senegal international, one of the outstanding players in the Czech league last season, looks a real prospect. An overlapping full-back who can whip over a hell of a cross.
Verdict: A bit chaotic at times, which was to be expected given his age (he turned 21 just after Christmas), but his pace, athleticism and attacking adventure were attributes that, if honed, should help him thrive in English football.
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £25million
Contract length: Five years
First impressions: Yep, very good. Solid start with three clean sheets so far, aiding Bournemouth’s title bid.
Verdict: Only Dubravka at doomed Burnley made more saves than Petrovic, despite Bournemouth’s lofty league position. Like his team, he started so well, then dipped, then ended the season really strongly. A calm presence between the sticks who was probably better than Neto and Travers before him, and maybe even Kepa too. Underrated.
Reported transfer fee: £8million
Contract length: Four years
First impressions: Low expectations, but made a wonderful start to the season with four goals in seven Premier League appearances.
Verdict: Made a mockery of that fee with eight goals and four assists in the league. If he didn’t provide Burnley’s end-product, there wasn’t a huge amount else to write home about, and those numbers were excellent in a very poor side — his team-mates voted him their player of the season.
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £62.5million
Contract length: Five years
First impressions: A truly gifted footballer who has already proved he can thrive in the Premier League, but ironing out the temperament issues that scared higher-ranked teams off will be key.
Verdict: A slow start and had a habit of trying to do too much and ending up doing nothing, but really improved as the season went on and finished with a respectable 10 league goals. One of many who looked better once Michael Carrick was appointed in January, and someone you’d expect to kick on even more next time.
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £20million
Contract length: Four years
First impressions: Ridiculously talented, works his a**e off and has the touch of an angel. There is a question mark over exactly where head coach Regis Le Bris fits him into the Sunderland XI.
Verdict: Tremendous work rate, six goals and six assists, and a versatile, technically gifted presence who looked at home in the Premier League.
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £71million (with add-ons)
Contract length: Five years
First impressions: Busy on and off the ball; works extremely hard, and the end-product will probably come once he hones his role in the side.
Verdict: The fee was a lot and, like Cunha, didn’t hit the heights he scaled at his previous club, but was a reliable, functional forward. Certainly a very good addition to United’s forward line in a promising first season as part of their best summer of recruitment for some time.
Transfer fee: Loan
Contract length: One year
First impressions: Real Madrid and now Milan have both been happy to let the fiery (12 bookings and a red card across all competitions last season) 20-year-old Spain youth international move on. Enter, well… Bournemouth.
Verdict: His loan was made permanent in February when he made a certain number of appearances to trigger an obligation to buy. Had been consistently excellent at right-back but his recent suspension by the club has thrown his future in doubt.
Reported transfer fee: £12million (with add-ons)
Contract length: Four years
First impressions: Has played most of his career on the right flank but Le Bris has used Mukiele at centre-back and been rewarded with a couple of colossal performances.
Verdict: His pace, athleticism and composure led to Mukiele becoming a real fans’ favourite on Wearside. Sunderland looked better with him in the side, both in defence and attack.
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £63.4million (with add-ons)
The Athletic’s reported contract length: Five years
First impressions: Will need to kick on soon if he is to be that game-changer for Arsenal’s title prospects this season. Great at charging after loose balls, less so at controlling said ball.
Verdict: Improved dramatically after Christmas. His goal and throwback performance in the Champions League semi-final at Atletico Madrid was a highlight. Not great at football, let’s be honest, but very good at scoring goals, and 21 of them in all competitions is an impressive first-year return.
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £67.5million (with add-ons)
The Athletic’s reported contract length: Four years
First impressions: Adds much-needed balance to Arsenal’s attack.
Verdict: Patchy in the first half of the season but five goals against Spurs (including a hat-trick) gave him hero status and he slowly edged ahead of Martin Odegaard, albeit he could still lack the influence and authority to run a game.
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £18million (with add-ons)
Contract length: Five years
First impressions: A goalkeeper once described by Jurgen Klopp as the best No 2 in the world now steps up to be a Premier League No 1.
Verdict: Much more reliable than predecessor Mark Flekken and overall a very good addition. Made a few mistakes but also saved three penalties, including one from Bruno Fernandes in a 3-1 win against Manchester United.
Transfer fee: Loan
Contract length: End of the season
First impressions: A textbook winter-window signing. The 27-year-old Disasi played 27 times last year but hasn’t kicked a ball in senior football this year, so expectations may have to be tempered.
Verdict: A good winter-window signing who was a step up on Todibo and Maximilian Kilman. Had the odd boob in him but formed a pretty good partnership with Konstantinos Mavropanos, which was a key factor behind West Ham’s improvement from January onwards.
Transfer fee: Free
Contract length: Two years
First impressions: His ability is not in doubt, but the 26-year-old has endured horrendous luck with injuries. A low-risk punt.
Verdict: A very good stand-in for Dominic Calvert-Lewin and popped up with big goals, notably the late winner against Fulham in January. Six goals in around 1,000 league minutes was good going.
Transfer fee: Free
Contract length: Two years
First impressions: Surprisingly slotted back into the Premier League like he hadn’t been away.
Verdict: Proved a lot of people wrong. Actually only started 22 league games but in the early months of the season in particular he was a leader and a stabilising presence after a huge summer of change at Brentford.
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £73.6million (with add-ons)
Contract length: Five years
First impressions: The 22-year-old is not the finished product but United are getting a lightning-quick, relentless, agile attacking artist who, in theory, should be a superstar in time.
Verdict: Injuries and a long adaptation period meant it was a while before United saw Sesko’s potential, showcased in a run of seven goals from 10 appearances towards the end of the season. Many of those came from the bench and Carrick’s task is to fine-tune Sesko’s all-round game next year. Yep, there’s plenty to work with there. Scored a goal every 148 minutes, one of the best ratios in the league.
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £17million
Contract length: Five years
First impressions: Has made a nuisance of himself at times but nothing substantial of note yet for a player whose Premier League pedigree is unknown.
Verdict: Sunderland fans will tell you he was worth £17million just for that stoppage-time winner at St James’ Park in March. His deciding goal in November’s comeback victory over Bournemouth and last-gasp equaliser against Arsenal a few weeks earlier were also highlights of their season. A battering-ram of a striker, annoying to play against and a very good focal point.
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £42million (with add-ons)
Contract length: Five years
First impressions: His talent isn’t in doubt, but it is an astonishing amount of money for a Bournemouth backup player.
Verdict: Seven goals, three assists and a fine first season in west London. He had a big job replacing Mbeumo on the right wing but Brentford’s club-record signing scored in wins against Villa (twice), Liverpool and Newcastle and justified that lofty fee.
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £10million
Contract length: Four years
First impressions: Good for Lille, good for Sweden’s national team, but will the 26-year-old left-back cut it in the Premier League?
Verdict: Hard to believe, given his attacking enthusiasm and ball-carrying ability, that he didn’t score (in the opposition net, there was one own-goal against Fulham in September) or provide an assist in the league. Great business for £10million, very dependable and will probably attract decent offers either this summer or next.
Reported transfer fee: £10million
Contract length: Four years
First impressions: Forest needed competition for Chris Wood up front, and the 24-year-old fits the bill as a senior Brazil international who has scored at a healthy rate back home.
Verdict: Didn’t make Carlo Ancelotti’s World Cup squad, but 16 goals in 52 appearances in all competitions, especially at that price, make him Forest’s best signing of the season. Good in the Europa League (scoring seven times in 13 games) and was an important player for them with Wood out for so long.
Reported transfer fee: £26million
Contract length: Four and a half years
First impressions: An energetic, hard-working forward in the Nuno Espirito Santo mould.
Verdict: Pretty frantic, but you could forgive him a lack of ruthlessness when he was running around like a toddler on two packs of Haribo. Wholehearted chutzpah, a few good goals and a bit of a cult hero. Nice January business, albeit his six goals couldn’t save the Hammers.
Reported transfer fee: £7million
Contract length: Four years
First impressions: Has a name that suggests he arrived from a tropical location. Nope, just Bermondsey. Solid Championship performer. Should chip in here and there.
Verdict: Burnley’s player of the season ended up with 11 goals in the league, despite only starting 21 matches. They must have had some side to keep him out. An excellent return for £7million.
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: Over £17.3million
Contract length: Four years
First impressions: The 6ft 4in (193cm) midfielder excels at breaking up play, reading and dictating the game and playing incisive passes. A real steal at £17.3m, too.
Verdict: Lived up to the hype. Set pieces, shooting, tackling, carrying, passing, heading and endless running; an all-action player whose goal against Villa in February was the highlight of a stellar first campaign.
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £49million (with add-ons)
Reported contract length: Eight years
First impressions: Forget the excellent statistics so far, just watch him and smile. What a talent.
Verdict: Just very, very fun. Often more effective off the bench against tired legs than from the start but it was fair to allow the teenager some leeway regarding him physically adjusting to the Premier League. Injury ended his season and his World Cup hopes.
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £17.8million
Contract length: Five years
First impressions: DR Congo international who fits the Sunderland model in terms of age (20) and experience (134 senior appearances for club and country already).
Verdict: Covered every blade of grass with the urgency of Joe Wicks trying to hit 20,000 steps before midnight. An intelligent team player who helped the more creative players in Sunderland’s side to thrive.
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £22.9million (with add-ons)
Contract length: Four years
First impressions: Marc Guehi’s long-term successor? Turned 19 just over a month ago and has 14 Ligue 1 starts to his name. Quick, athletic and can operate at defensive midfield, too.
Verdict: Was supposed to be one for next season, but broke into the first XI in February following Guehi’s move to Manchester City and had a stellar three months. So composed, so fast and made huge improvements on the ball after a shaky start last year. Looks an exceptional signing.
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £10million (with add-ons)
Contract length: Four years
First impressions: Literal one-time England international who has lost his way in recent seasons following ACL and Achilles injuries in 2020 and 2021 respectively, hence the relatively low fee.
Verdict: Recruited as a backup full-back, so had to bide his time. Got that chance on New Year’s Day and started every league game thereafter. Dependable in every position across the back line. The full package.
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £62.5million
Contract length: Five and a half years
First impressions: Big money, yes, but also perhaps not really, given the talent and the fact he’s coming into his prime at the age of 26. A ready-made star.
Verdict: A star was indeed born; 11 goals, including an impudent winner in the FA Cup final. The overall performances weren’t actually that great at times, but his goals record outweighed that.
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £25million
Contract length: Five years
First impressions: Creates chances, is incessantly positive and one of the best passers in the league in the final third. Excellent.
Verdict: After an electric start, he reined in the bookings and added end-product, finishing with eight goals and four assists. The pick of the new-signings bunch for Everton, whose work ethic was always impressive. An average end to the campaign, along with the rest of their team.
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £20million
Contract length: Five and a half years
First impressions: Fantastic ability, great age (25), exceptional fee, homegrown, excellent temperament and the potential to get better… what can you question about this deal?
Verdict: A couple of wobbles, in particular in the costly early-May draw at Everton, but mostly he was the calm, composed and authoritative defender City knew they were buying for a bargain price.
Transfer fee: Free
Contract length: Two years
First impressions: Hard to pick fault with this one, given Villa’s financial restrictions. Remains fourth-choice centre-back.
Verdict: Easily Villa’s signing of the season. Deputised brilliantly for Pau Torres in defence and then, after Douglas Luiz and Lamare Bogarde had failed to fill the Boubacar Kamara-shaped hole there, stepped up to boss the midfield towards the end of their Europa League-winning run. For a free transfer, this was excellent business.
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £13million
The Athletic’s reported contract length: Five years
First impressions: Forget the future, Mosquera looks ready now. Only 21 years old, but is imposing, strong, calm and good in duels. Looks to be one of the bargains of the summer.
Verdict: Exceptional against Bayern back in November, exceeded all expectations and impressed throughout, making 34 appearances, including a few at right-back. For that fee, one of the bargains of the season for any club.
Reported transfer fee: £14.4million (with add-ons)
Contract length: Five years
First impressions: Capable of eye-catching and all-encompassing displays on the left wing, both defensively and offensively.
Verdict: Dynamic, technically gifted, loved an overlapping run and threw himself into tackles for fun. At his current trajectory, he’ll be sold for £60million in a year. Classic Bournemouth.
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £11.7million (with add-ons)
Contract length: Five years
First impressions: A bit of a revelation. Good handling, quick off his line and a great shot-stopper.
Verdict: Good character, a big presence, and a substantial reason behind Sunderland’s hugely successful season. The 23-year-old has all the attributes required in that he can command his area, has good distribution and is a top-level shot-stopper. What a find.
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £1.7million
Contract length: 18 months
First impressions: Now 34, Gross is the ultimate utility man who adds class and experience to a squad that has lacked consistency for a while. For the fee, this is a great deal.
Verdict: After searching for 18 months for a Pascal Gross replacement, Brighton finally found one. They were 14th when Gross made
