Hit or miss? Grading the Premier League’s blockbuster striker signings from last summer | OneFootball

Last summer was certainly a striker’s market for Premier League clubs, as England’s top teams spent big in search of reliable goalscorers.

A huge seven strikers joinedPremier League clubs for fees upwards of £50m, though big investment has not proven a guarantee of goals.

Here, we’ve graded thePremier League’s big striker signings from last summer

Viktor Gyokeres

Arguably the forward who has faced the most scrutiny this season.Arsenal’s need for a centre-forward was billed as the missing piece to their title jigsaw, with the Gunners settling on Gyokeres as their main man.

The Swedish striker had plundered 97 goals in 102 games for Sporting Lisbon over the previous two campaigns - but the jump from Portugal to thePremier League is a big one.

Gyokeres has underwhelmed given his prior goal record and £54m fee, but there have been some flashes that point towards an upturn in fortunes. A goal and assist inArsenal’s recent win at Chelsea was his best performance for the club to date, and an encouraging sign for Mikel Arteta.

He’s scored eight times in 25 appearances this season; disappointing, but not quite disastrous.

Grade: C 

Joao Pedro

Joao Pedro started the season on fire but his performances have stuttered since.Chelsea paid another handsome fee to Brighton in the summer to land Pedro in a £60m deal.

He scored twice and provided three assists in his opening fourPremier League games, but has managed just four goals and no assists in the following 17.

Pedro has plenty of quality, though he’s not the out-and-out goalscorer thatChelsea need.

Grade: C

Hugo Ekitike

Liverpool broke records in last summer’s transfer window, spending more than £400m on new recruits. Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak commanded most of the headlines, but it’s been Hugo Ekitike who has been the standout signing.

The Frenchman marked his debut with a goal in the Community Shield, added another on hisPremier League bow, and heightened his popularity further with a Merseyside Derby strike. He’s netted 12 in all competitions and eight in just 13 Premier League starts.

Isak’s injury might just have prevented Arne Slot a headache, not that it should have been a difficult decision on form. Judged only on performances this season, Ekitike is clear of the record recruit.

Grade: A

Alexander Isak

The saga of the summer came to a close on deadline day as Alexander Isak got his wish to joinLiverpool. The Swede’s strike at Newcastle left the Magpies with little choice, eventually accepting a £125m British record fee for his services.

Liverpool landed a player who had scored 44 goals over the previous two Premier League campaigns, but a lack of pre-season saw Isak’s start delayed. When he eventually returned, the 26-year-old looked largely off the pace.

He’s scored three times in 16 games and is currently sidelined by a fractured fibula.Liverpool will expect much more from their investment on his return.

Grade: F

Benjamin Sesko

Manchester United spent more than £200m on attacking talent last summer, with Benjamin Sesko joining Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo at Old Trafford. The former signed from RB Leipzig for a fee of £74m after impressing in the Bundesliga.

Arsenal had also courted the Slovenian striker, regarded as one of Europe’s top number nine prospects. Sesko has settled slowly in the Premier League, though a recent double at Burnley highlighted his potential.

He’s scored just four goals in the league this season, but remains the leading u-23 player for goals across Europe’s top five leagues since the start of the 2023-24 campaign.

Grade: D

Nick Woltemade

With the aforementioned Isak itching for an exit, Newcastle reinvested their incoming funds into Nick Woltemade.

One of the breakout players in Europe’s top leagues last season, Woltemade scored 17 goals for DFB-Pokal winners Stuttgart after arriving on a free transfer from Werder Bremen.

He followed that up with the Golden Boot at the u-21 European Championship, persuading Newcastle to spend a club record £69m on his services. The 6ft 6in German giant has been a big hit, scoring seven times in 16 league starts.

Grade: B

Yoane Wissa

Yoane Wissa linked up with Woltemade at Newcastle, having done his best Isak impression to engineer an exit from Brentford. A £55m fee got the deal done, only for a pre-season injury to rule the DR Congo forward out until December.

He’s registered two goals in 11 games since his return, in a sluggish start perhaps expected after a lengthy spell out.

Newcastle need the version of Wissa who scored 19 non-penalty goals in thePremier League for Brentford last season.