Premier League Transfer Window Verdicts: Every Club's Performance

After a record-shattering summer and a Deadline Day that barely paused for breath, every Premier League club has been dragged into the glare of the transfer-window verdicts. Some rebuilt, some gambled, some simply survived. Here’s how their business really stacks up.

Arsenal – Ruthless exits, missing one piece

Rating: 8/10

Eight senior players out, an eight out of 10 window. The numbers line up neatly at Arsenal.

Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Martinelli, Leandro Trossard, Christian Norgaard, Fabio Vieira, Ethan Nwaneri (loan), Jakob Kiwior and Reiss Nelson have all gone from the first-team picture, with only Nwaneri seen as part of the long-term core. The rest? Mikel Arteta and the hierarchy decided they could live without them.

The result is more than £100m banked and a big wage bill trimmed, especially in Jesus’ case. That money underpinned the real headline: landing Bruno Guimaraes and Ezri Konsa, the two players Arteta truly targeted.

The frustration sits out wide. Arsenal sold their two main left-sided forwards from last season and never found the replacement they wanted. Vinicius Junior and Julian Alvarez were the dream signings. Both were always ambitious, bordering on fantasy, but Arsenal were in the conversations – and that alone says something about where the club now stands.

Once the Vinicius pursuit collapsed, the right profile never surfaced. So it’s “make do” on the left. Arteta believes he has enough: Christos Tzolis has already made himself a fan favourite despite a shaky outing at Villa Park, Eberechi Eze has shown he can operate there, and both Noni Madueke and Bukayo Saka can flip sides if needed.

That shuffle could even open more minutes for Max Dowman on the right. There’s also a thought that Riccardo Calafiori could be pushed higher, just as Arteta once reinvented roles for Mikel Merino and Myles Lewis-Skelly.

No new striker either, yet look at the bench at Villa Park and the depth in defence and midfield is obvious. Arteta can now rotate heavily in those areas without a serious drop in level. The left wing remains the nagging gap, but Arsenal exit this window leaner, richer and with two major upgrades at the heart of the team.

Aston Villa – Champions forced into a reset

Rating: 7/10

A Europa League trophy in one hand, a dismantled XI in the other. Aston Villa’s summer was brutal.

Six starters from that European triumph have gone: Morgan Rogers, Youri Tielemans, Ollie Watkins, Emiliano Martinez, Lucas Digne and Ezri Konsa. Unai Emery never planned it this way, but financial constraints and offers too big to ignore forced a reset.

Villa responded by leaning into youth and upside. Ibrahim Mbaye and Johan Manzambi bring energy and potential, while Leon Goretzka and Aaron Wan-Bissaka arrive with the kind of experience Emery trusts. Nicolas Jackson doesn’t need time to learn the league and looked sharp on debut. Zion Suzuki’s first outing in goal was promising, and Taylor Harwood-Bellis has already spoken about how much room he has to grow under Emery.

The books are balanced, the squad is refreshed, but it is still a gamble. Villa have replaced known quantities with unknown ceilings. The Emery factor, and the club’s financial discipline, pull this window up. The truth of it will be written over the next few months.

Bournemouth – Quiet power play

Rating: 9/10

Two summers, two very different stories. In 2025, Bournemouth cashed in on key players. This time, they locked the doors.

Rayan, Eli Junior Kroupi and Alex Scott all stayed despite serious interest. The club had promised Marco Rose they would not strip the core from beneath him, especially with European football altering what they can spend under UEFA rules.

They still managed to upgrade. Michele Di Gregorio, Juventus’ No 1 last season, arrives in goal. Antonio Silva, once linked with Europe’s elite, strengthens the centre of defence at what looks like a smart price. Juanlu Sanchez offers reliability at full-back, while Alvaro Rodriguez adds a different attacking profile.

Fringe players were moved on early. No frantic Deadline Day, no last-minute scrambles. Bournemouth were decisive, calm and clear in their plan. They kept their stars, added quality and cut costs. Now Rose has to turn that off-field control into on-pitch results.

Brentford – Almost flawless

Rating: 9/10

Brentford’s summer reads like a textbook window.

The brief was simple: sign a midfielder to build around. They landed Mamadou Sangare for £39m, a fee already looking like a steal. He’s transformed their midfield and could yet be talked about as one of the signings of the season.

The rest of the work is tidy and targeted. El Hadji Malick Diouf looks ready to claim the left-back spot. Jaidon Anthony has already started twice. Callum Wilson is exactly the kind of proven, selfless striker who can push Igor Thiago. Jannik Schuster gives cover at centre-back with Sepp van den Berg out.

Crucially, the spine remains. Jordan Henderson’s leadership has gone, but Thiago, Kevin Schade and Yehor Yarmoliuk are still in place, with Michael Kayode and Vitaly Janelt tied to new deals. Deadline Day was a non-event save for Jayden Meghoma’s loan to Portsmouth, a development move that fits the club’s model.

It’s not a 10 because there is always another level to reach. But Brentford have again shown they know exactly who they are and how they want to build.

Brighton – Big spend, big questions

Rating: 7.5/10

Brighton, usually the masters of subtlety, went loud this summer.

Nine first-team signings, close to £170m spent, and a squad suddenly thick with options – especially in defence. The standout is Luka Vuskovic, a £50m centre-back and a real statement of intent.

Chema Andres arrived in a late Deadline Day twist from Stuttgart, a Spain U21 holding midfielder whose profile helps plug the gap left by Carlos Baleba’s move to Manchester United. He will need time, but the talent is clear.

The issue lies up front. Danny Welbeck’s departure strips away experience and goals. Promise David has been brought in on loan to help cover that loss, but it’s a risk. Keeping Yankuba Minteh, despite Liverpool circling, feels significant and could prove as important as any incoming.

Once injuries ease and the new faces settle, Fabian Hurzeler will have a deeper, more flexible squad. Whether it has enough goals is another matter.

Chelsea – Strategy reboot

Rating: 9/10

Chelsea finally changed course.

After years of stockpiling prospects, the club pivoted towards Premier League-ready signings to sit alongside their young core. The pursuits of Jordan Henderson, Emiliano Martinez and Danny Welbeck marked a clear shift in thinking under the new regime.

They still moved for elite youth – Geovany Quenda is the latest high-upside addition – but the emphasis has moved towards immediate impact. Joao Pedro has been rewarded with an improved contract, a clear message that the core of this squad is here to stay.

Last season collapsed after Enzo Maresca’s exit and the mood around Stamford Bridge turned sour despite an FA Cup final run. Xabi Alonso’s arrival, paired with this more balanced recruitment, has re-energised the club. The 4-3 thriller against Brighton felt like a reset night.

On the pitch, Emiliano Martinez, Morgan Rogers and Maxence Lacroix all walk straight into the strongest XI. Off it, Chelsea sold well. Marc Cucurella’s exit hurt, but high fees for Liam Delap, Nicolas Jackson and Alejandro Garnacho underline their status as elite traders.

The Enzo Fernandez saga remains the one blot. A self-imposed 5pm August 15 deadline for clarity came and went without resolution, leaving fans split and uncertainty lingering into the new season. Yet three wins from three suggest the dressing room has parked the noise.

Chelsea have rebuilt the squad with purpose. Now they must show that the recruitment reset leads to a reset in results.

Coventry – Bold and brave on return

Rating: 8/10

Newly promoted sides often tiptoe into the Premier League. Coventry didn’t.

They spent aggressively but with a clear plan. Carl Rushworth returned permanently after starring in last season’s promotion. Aurele Amenda boosts athleticism at centre-back. Caleb Yirenkyi offers spark in midfield, Frank Onyeka brings top-flight know-how, and Gustavo Hamer adds creativity and familiarity.

Up front, Taiwo Awoniyi gives Frank Lampard a proven focal point, with Loum Tchaouna and Sidiki Cherif adding pace and upside around him.

Two early defeats without a goal show this attack is still a work in progress. But the squad is deeper and stronger than the one that came up. For a promoted club, this is a statement window without tipping into recklessness.

Crystal Palace – Surviving another talent drain

Rating: 7/10

Crystal Palace know this story well: lose stars, rebuild on the fly, stay competitive.

This time they waved goodbye to Maxence Lacroix and Daniel Munoz, two of their best performers. Yet they clung on to Adam Wharton, Jean-Philippe Mateta and Ismaila Sarr. That retention might prove as important as any signing.

Mateta, still scarred from a collapsed move to AC Milan last January, may have to guide Sarr through similar frustration after Liverpool’s attempts to sign him failed. Mateta’s contract is running down, so the next window could be another round of speculation.

Palace’s business is clever rather than glamorous. Axel Disasi, Dwight McNeil, Ben Chilwell and Takehiro Tomiyasu are all solid Premier League operators. Dario Osorio could be the jewel – a highly rated 22-year-old in a club that has made a habit of polishing rough diamonds. Honest Ahanor strengthens the back line, and Anan Khalaili is seen as a long-term Munoz successor.

Depth is better than it was, which matters with European football again on the schedule. Palace have become specialists in losing big names and refusing to fold. This window keeps that story going.

Everton – Chaos and missed chances

Rating: 2/10

Everton’s window is a case study in how not to manage a squad on the brink of something better.

They started by halving a strike force that wasn’t firing to begin with. Letting Beto leave for Fiorentina before Folarin Balogun was over the line looks, in hindsight, reckless. When the Balogun move stalled, they swung towards Joshua Zirkzee at Manchester United and came up empty again. It felt chaotic, panicked, avoidable.

Then came the sale of Iliman Ndiaye. All summer, Everton stressed they held the power with three years left on his deal. They still accepted £65m – a huge profit on the fee paid two years ago, but shy of the number that might have softened the blow for supporters.

The aborted swap with Spurs – Ndiaye to Tottenham for £60m and Richarlison back for £35m – only added to the confusion. The Brazilian’s valuation was high, even given his status among Everton fans, and that deal was the first to collapse on Deadline Day. Kenny Tete was another near miss, with Fulham refusing to sell without a replacement lined up. There’s a lesson there.

Ownership even weighed up a £40m offer from Nottingham Forest for Harrison Armstrong while David Moyes publicly called for reinforcements. It left fans feeling hurt, embarrassed and angry.

There were positives: Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Jack Grealish, Hayden Hackney, Christian Norgaard, Merlin Rohl, Tyrique George and Brennan Johnson all arrived. But the mood is dominated by what didn’t happen. Once again, the manager doesn’t have the tools he needs, particularly up front, where Thierno Barry stands alone as the recognised striker until at least January.

Given the backdrop, a European push looks unlikely. And if that challenge never materialises, the blame will rest with the window, not the dugout.

Fulham – High risk, high press

Rating: 7/10

Fulham’s summer is built around one big idea: Alvaro Arbeloa’s high-pressing, high-tempo football.

To play that way, he needed legs and quality in key areas. Up front, Gonzalo García arrived from Real Madrid and has started fast, scoring twice in his first three games. He looks every inch the No 9 Fulham were crying out for.

The midfield has been overhauled. Cesar Palacios and Manuel Angel, both from Real Madrid’s academy, join Shea Charles and Hugo Larsson to give Arbeloa energy, technique and options in the middle. On paper, that’s a major upgrade.

The concern is at the back. Fulham have already been exposed defensively, a natural consequence of pushing their line high and their full-backs even higher. David Affengruber’s Deadline Day arrival is intriguing: an Austria international comfortable defending big spaces, exactly what Arbeloa’s system demands.

The surprise is out wide. Harry Wilson and Samuel Chukwueze departed, yet no natural winger came in. Palacios has filled in on the left, including against Chelsea and Sunderland, but that’s not his primary role.

Fulham’s business is bold and clearly aligned with the manager’s philosophy. If Arbeloa can find the balance between aggression and control, this squad has enough to stay clear of trouble. If not, the back line could be in for a long season.

Hull – Volume with a vision

Rating: 8/10

Eighteen new faces, six of them on Deadline Day. Hull’s first Premier League summer in this cycle was frantic on the surface but rooted in a clear idea.

They wanted pace, athleticism and quality. Owner Acun Ilicali took a hands-on role in persuading targets of the club’s ambition and was willing to wait for primary options on the right terms. The result is a deeper squad built around young players who can grow with the club.

There is risk in that approach, of course, but the potential reward is huge if even a handful of those signings hit. Importantly, the core of the promotion side remains intact, preserving the spirit that dragged Hull up in the first place.

Survival in a brutal league is the aim. This window gives them a fighting chance.

Ipswich – Lessons learned, money spent

Rating: 9/10

Ipswich have been here before. In 2024 they threw around £110m to try to cling to Premier League status and failed. Two years on, they’ve doubled down – and look far more organised.

Around £200m has gone out the door this time, capped by Zian Flemming’s arrival from Burnley on Deadline Day. The profile of the signings suggests a club that has studied its mistakes.

Julio Enciso is the new record signing, a statement of attacking intent. Abdul Fatawu, Emersonn and Exequiel Palacios add real cutting edge in the final third. Sasa Lukic, Issa Diop and Florentino Luis bring Premier League experience and steel, while Daizen Maeda offers relentless running and proven output.

Depth is the headline. Ipswich haven’t just replaced what they lost; they’ve strengthened almost every line. Gary O’Neil now has a squad built to compete, not just survive. His challenge is to knit it together quickly enough to keep their encouraging start rolling.

Leeds – Smart upgrades, one wild card

Rating: 8/10

Leeds’ Deadline Day drama grabbed the attention, but the real work was done early.

Daniel Farke identified three positions to upgrade and got his men: Harry Wilson, Tarik Muharemovic and James Trafford. All three walk into the starting XI and lift the individual quality of the side.

Depth, a glaring weakness last season, has been addressed with Nico Elvedi, Michael Zetterer and Melvin Bard. The final arrival, Jean-Matteo Bahoya, is the gamble – an electric winger with pace to burn and the potential to be a game-changer.

If Bahoya explodes over the next year, this window will look even better in hindsight. Even if he doesn’t, Leeds have built a squad that should comfortably consolidate their Premier League status.

Liverpool – Good business, nagging gaps

Rating: 7/10

Liverpool ticked several big boxes but left one glaring one open.

They wanted pace out wide and got it in Bradley Barcola and Victor Munoz. With Cody Gakpo staying after failed moves for Yankuba Minteh and Ismaila Sarr, Andoni Iraola now has four wide options when you include Rio Ngumoha. Gakpo can also cover centrally with Hugo Ekitike still sidelined.

At the back, Ronald Araujo is a key signing. He can play centre-back and right-back, vital cover given injuries to Joe Gomez, Conor Bradley and Giovanni Leoni. His style dovetails with Jeremy Jacquet, whose deal was agreed in the winter and who already looks at home as a Liverpool centre-half.

The problem is the right wing. With Mohamed Salah gone, Liverpool never landed a natural right-sided specialist, even if Barcola, Gakpo, Ngumoha and Munoz can all operate there. Another top-level full-back and a true holding midfielder would also have transformed the squad’s ceiling.

Still, Barcola brings star quality, Munoz has the mentality to thrive, and the Araujo–Jacquet pairing has already caught the eye. The club’s recent recruitment has skewed young – the average age of first-team signings over the last two summers is around 22 – and that continues with deals for 18-year-olds Lucca Brughmans and Djylian N’Guessan, who arrive fully next season.

It’s a good window. It could, and perhaps should, have been a great one.

Manchester City – Painful loss, lavish rebuild

Rating: 8/10

Selling Rodri, the standout player at the World Cup, would usually spell crisis. Manchester City have treated it as a pivot point.

Just as anxiety began to creep in, they lit up the final days of the window. Enzo Fernandez arrived on Deadline Day in a record-breaking deal – their second transfer record smashed this summer. He joins Elliot Anderson and Ayyoub Bouaddi in a rebuilt midfield worth around £300m.

Inside the club, there’s a firm belief the squad is stronger than it was a year ago. Sales of Savio, Omar Marmoush, Nico Gonzalez, Tijjani Reijnders, Nathan Ake and James Trafford funded further moves, including the arrivals of Iliman Ndiaye and Allan to bolster the attack.

Enzo Maresca has the tools for his version of City. The question is whether this new-look side can absorb the loss of Rodri and still go punch for punch in the title race.

Manchester United – Midfield mission accomplished

Rating: 7/10

Manchester United went into the summer with one overriding priority: rebuild the midfield. On that front, they delivered.

Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans and Carlos Baleba cost around £155m combined and give Michael Carrick a range of combinations alongside Kobbie Mainoo. For the first time in years, United’s midfield looks balanced on paper.

They did not land a specialist left-back, but the staff are comfortable that Noussair Mazraoui and Diogo Dalot can cover there when required. Plans to refresh other areas were hampered by players who stayed put. Joshua Zirkzee, Manuel Ugarte and Marcus Rashford all remained, limiting room to manoeuvre.

If Rashford sustains his encouraging early-season form, he may feel like a new signing anyway. United haven’t fixed everything, but they have addressed the area that mattered most.

Newcastle – Crisis averted, ambition restored

Rating: 8/10

Newcastle’s window threatened to unravel early on. It didn’t.

By the time Matias Fernandez-Pardo signed on Deadline Day, he was their eighth new arrival. Lukas Hornicek, Amar Dedic, Nico Gonzalez and Fernandez-Pardo all strengthen the starting XI. Behind them, Sean Steur, Aladji Bamba, Bazoumana Toure and Ewan Jaouen represent the future – raw, but with high ceilings.

They spent £262m and brought in £245m from the sales of Sandro Tonali, Bruno Guimaraes and Anthony Gordon. That churn is brutal, but the late moves for Gonzalez and Fernandez-Pardo, at a combined £101m, feel like a statement of intent.

Early-season form from last summer’s big buys, Anthony Elanga and Yoane Wissa, only adds to the sense of a squad evolving fast. A window that once looked like it might implode now looks like a platform.

Nottingham Forest – Glasner gets his types

Rating: 7.5/10

Oliver Glasner’s first Forest window was about aligning the squad with his demands.

He wanted a physical No 9 with upside. Liam Delap fits. He wanted a starting wing-back he knew and trusted. Daniel Munoz, his former player, arrived. Ousmane Diomande was another direct Glasner target, and Xaver Schlager reunites with his old coach from Wolfsburg days.

The one regret is failing to replace Elliot Anderson with a similar young, progressive midfielder. They did, though, secure a strong fee from Manchester City for him, which softens that blow.

It’s a coherent window, if not a spectacular one. Glasner has his building blocks.

Sunderland – Late drama, big calls

Rating: 7/10

Sunderland flirted with disaster, then threw money at the problem.

They spent the entire window chasing a winger and, with less than 24 hours to go, ended up on Malick Fofana. He wasn’t the first choice, but by the time a tug-of-war with Crystal Palace broke out at Lyon airport, he had become the only realistic option.

Owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus stepped in, upped the offer and forced the deal through. After that saga, Fofana has to start. So does Dayann Methalie, the marquee signing of the summer.

The real success, though, lies in retention. Granit Xhaka, Brian Brobbey and Noah Sadiki all stayed. Sunderland emerge with a stronger XI and their core intact. The path they’ve chosen is clear. Now they need Fofana and Methalie to justify the chaos.

Tottenham – All-in on De Zerbi

Rating: 7/10

Tottenham promised to spend and did exactly that. On commitment alone, it’s a 10. On the actual signings, the jury is still out.

They burst out of the blocks, beating Manchester United to Mateus Fernandes and landing Sandro Tonali, a player many assumed was beyond their reach. Roberto De Zerbi has effectively been handed the keys to reshape the squad.

Jan Paul van Hecke’s £50m move, despite having only a year left on his contract, underlines how far Spurs have shifted from their old cautious model. Defence and midfield have been addressed, but last season’s glaring issue was the forward line.

The club finally landed Savio after a year-long pursuit and added Omar Marmoush, moves that thrilled supporters. De Zerbi then publicly pushed for one more big signing. That was expected to be Cody Gakpo, until Manchester City entered the race and changed the landscape.

The late twist came with a fee agreed for Iliman Ndiaye, Richarlison heading to Everton, and Spurs fans daring to dream. Then Ndiaye chose City and Richarlison turned on his former club in public. Spurs scrambled, turning to Chelsea for Mykhailo Mudryk and Tosin Adarabioyo.

Mudryk’s arrival is seismic in its own way. Tottenham and Chelsea simply don’t trade. Yet here he is, a huge risk after nearly two years without competitive football, but a winger whose ceiling remains high. Chelsea’s insistence on a hefty loan-to-buy structure shows they haven’t fully given up on him either.

Spurs have backed De Zerbi to the hilt. Whether this expensive, high-risk rebuild finally ends their drift is a question that will hang over the season.