Ranking the 10 most expensive Premier League signings from summer 2025 | OneFootball

Premier League clubs continue to make big-money signings this transfer window, but last summer proves that they don’t always work out as planned.

A record-breaking total of £3.4billion was spent by Premier League clubs in the 2025 summer transfer window and there were two nine-figure deals.

We’ve taken a look at the 10 most expensive Premier League signings from last summer and ranked them by how they performed in 2025-26. Note: we’ve included potential add-ons in the fees.

10. Alexander Isak – £125m

Isak’s move to Liverpool was the transfer saga that dominated the 2025 summer window, with the then-Newcastle striker going on strike to force a move away from St James’ Park.

He ultimately got his wish on transfer deadline day after the Reds agreed to pay the Magpies a British record transfer fee of £125million.

But the Sweden international made a slow start to his Liverpool career as the lack of pre-season training left him lacking match sharpness.

He was also unlucky with injuries, most notably when he suffered a broken fibula while scoring in a win over Tottenham in December.

But the strike against Spurs was one of just three Premier League goals scored by the 26-year-old in 2025-26, making it a very underwhelming debut season.

9. Nick Woltemade – £69m

The 2025 summer transfer window won’t be one Newcastle United fans look back on with much fondness, as they lost Isak and also missed out on several top targets.

The Magpies preemptively replaced Isak by paying Stuttgart an initial £64million and £5million in add-ons for Woltemade, making him the most expensive signing in the club’s history.

Bayern Munich board member and legendary former player Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said Newcastle were “idiots” for paying the asking price.

He initially silenced any critics by scoring six goals in his first eight starts for the club, including a bullet header against Arsenal, an audacious flick against Union Saint-Gilloise and a stunning backheel at Brighton.

But the Germany international went from hero-to-zero by scoring an own goal in the Wear-Tyne derby, and goals at the right end also started to dry up.

He finished the 2025-26 season with 11 goals in all competitions and has now been linked with a move away from St James’ Park.

8. Florian Wirtz – £116.5m

Liverpool fought off competition from Bayern Munich and Manchester City to sign Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen in a deal worth an initial £100million and £16.5million in add-ons.

But the Germany international has looked a shadow of the player who lit up the Bundesliga, and he’s struggled to adapt to the pace and physicality of the Premier League.

“When I was at Leverkusen, I could have more time on the ball and turn easier,” he said. “Here you have to be so ready, with your first touch you have to be away already, because otherwise there are three people on you and smashing into you – that is also a big difference.”

The 23-year-old did show glimpses of his ability in his debut season at Anfield, registering seven goals and 10 assists in 49 appearances in all competitions.

7. Eberechi Eze – £67.5m

Arsenal swooped in at the 11th-hour and signed Eze from Crystal Palace for £67.5million after hijacking Tottenham’s deal for the England international.

A hat-trick in his first North London Derby gave him cult hero status at the Emirates, while he also netted a brace in the reverse fixture at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Outside of those two games against Spurs, the 28-year-old struggled for consistency and netted just two more Premier League goals in 2025-26.

He still helped the Gunners end a 22-year wait for the Premier League title, although his penalty shootout miss against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final puts a real dampener on his debut season at the Emirates.

6. Benjamin Sesko – £73.7m

One of three Manchester United signings on this list, Sesko arrived from RB Leipzig in a deal worth an initial £66.3million and £7.4million in add-ons.

The 23-year-old striker initially struggled to justify that price tag, scoring just two goals in his first 16 Premier League appearances.

But Ruben Amorim’s departure coincided with a dramatic uptick in form for the Slovenia international, who netted nine Premier League goals in the second half of the season.

Many of those came from the bench, giving him one of the best minutes-per-goal ratios in the Premier League in 2025-26. The striker scored a league goal every 148.8 minutes and helped United secure a third-place finish.

5. Bryan Mbeumo – £71m

Manchester United made two unsuccessful bids for Mbeumo last summer, but eventually got the deal over the line after agreeing to pay Brentford an initial £65million and £6million in add-ons.

He made a brilliant start to life at Old Trafford and picked up the Premier League Player of the Month award in October 2025.

By the end of February, the Cameroon international had netted 10 goals and picked up three assists in 22 appearances in all competitions.

But his form did dip a little after that, and he went on a three-month scoring drought before netting in the final two games of the season.

4. Hugo Ekitike – £79m

With Wirtz and Isak both failing to live up to expectations, Ekitike was arguably the only success story from Liverpool’s historic spending spree in the summer of 2025.

The France international was signed from Eintracht Frankfurt in a deal worth an initial £69million and another £10million in potential add-ons.

He struggled for consistency at times but was still Liverpool’s top scorer in 2025-26 with 17 goals in 45 appearances in all competitions, while also registering six assists.

His debut season then came to a premature end when he ruptured his Achilles tendon against Paris Saint-Germain back in April – a serious injury that could keep him on the sidelines until 2027.

3. Viktor Gyokeres – £66.3m

Having made do without a proper No 9 for some time, Arsenal identified Gyokeres as their top target last summer and paid Sporting CP an initial £57.4million and £8.9million in add-ons.

The Sweden international endured a difficult start to life at the Emirates and has faced criticism from a number of pundits for his all-round play.

But he turned things around and finished the 2025-26 campaign with 21 goals in 55 appearances in all competitions. Oh, and a Premier League winner’s medal.

The striker also produced excellent performances in both legs of the Champions League semi-final tie against Atletico Madrid, helping the Gunners reach the final of the competition for just the second time.

“He was immense,” Mikel Arteta said after the game. “You can see the reaction from the crowd every time he had the ball. His work rate and what he’s giving the team is just incredible. He’s the first one to set the tone, the rhythm, and the habits that he shows when we don’t have the ball.”

2. Matheus Cunha – £62.5m

The third and final Manchester United entry on this list, Cunha joined the club last summer after they triggered the £62.5million release clause in his Wolves contract.

He quickly became a fan favourite at Old Trafford, with his blend of flair and creativity earning him comparisons to club legend Eric Cantona.

The Brazil international has also shown a propensity for rising to the big occasion, netting the winner away at Arsenal and Chelsea, as well as the opener in a 3-2 win over Liverpool.

He finished the 2025-26 season with 10 goals and four assists in 33 Premier League appearances, although the numbers don’t tell the full story of his impact at United.

1. Joao Pedro – £60m

Pedro became the latest player to follow the well-trodden path from Brighton to Chelsea, signing for the Blues in a deal worth an initial £55million and £5million in add-ons.

He made a winning start to his Chelsea career by scoring three goals in their FIFA Club World Cup campaign, including the last goal in a 3-0 victory over Paris Saint-Germain in the final.

The striker then scored 15 Premier League goals in the 2025-26 season, making him the fifth top goalscorer in the top-flight after Erling Haaland, Igor Thiago, Antoine Semenyo and Ollie Watkins.

He is also just the third player to score 15 non-penalty Premier League goals in his debut season at Stamford Bridge, an achievement all the more impressive given the turbulence surrounding the club in 2025-26.

In total, the Brazil international registered 20 goals and nine assists in all competitions and was rewarded with the Chelsea Player of the Year award.