Just when you think the Premier League could not get any madder or more disgustingly gluttonous, the 20 clubs go and spend around £3.44billion ($4.6bn) between them on 154 players.
Whatever way you look at it, the 2026 summer transfer window was pretty astonishing and, here at The Athletic, we like to rank that astonishment in order from worst to best.
Yes, by unpopular demand, we are back. A futile exercise, they said. ‘How can you even compare a cheap, third-choice goalkeeper to a big-money striker?’, they queried. ‘How can one person’s subjective opinion be worth my time?’, they questioned.
Well, we don’t have the answers to any of those questions. Best not to think about it too deeply; just grab a cup of tea/coffee/whatever is your poison and get all shouty about this very long list.
First, some housekeeping. This is not a list ordered purely by ability, but also by cost-effectiveness, how important each new arrival will be to the team that has signed them, and whether they fill a dire and necessary need in a certain position.
We’ve trimmed it down to senior, first-team players only, excluding those who have gone straight into under-21s football. And, if a player has been signed by a club but has not joined them yet — for example, if they have stayed with their existing club on loan — they have not been added to this list.
Right, let the fun commence. And, just like last year, please leave your angry comments below.
154. Emmanuel Emegha, Strasbourg to Chelsea
Reported transfer fee: £21m
Contract length: Seven years
After some tough negotiations, Chelsea chiselled Strasbourg down to £21million for the 6ft 5in (196cm), 23-year-old Netherlands striker. This happened nearly a year ago, with Emegha allowed to stay in France for the 2025-26 season, but he only played 10 Ligue 1 games (scoring four goals) and, with no European football for Chelsea this season, it is hard to see where this guy fits in. Still, he has seven years to make an impact.
153. Loum Tchaouna, Burnley to Coventry City
Reported transfer fee: £20m
Contract length: Five years
Well, we had him 151st out of 189 in our list for impact made by 2025-26 Premier League signings at the end of the season, which, to be honest, felt quite generous after his return of one assist and two goals for Burnley in the Premier League. We should stress at this point that Tchaouna is a right forward, not a right-back. He is quick, but lacking in consistency, quality and end product. Apart from that, good deal.
152. Mykhailo Mudryk, Chelsea to Tottenham Hotspur
Transfer fee: Loan
Contract length: One year
If you were a welder, but you had not welded professionally since November 2024, would you expect one of the richest and most ambitious welding firms in the country to acquire your services? No, but you would be absolutely delighted. The fans of that welding firm, though, would be forgiven for being a little skeptical. Anyway, the point is, we can’t see Mudryk doing much at Spurs. If they take up that £75million option, I’ll quit journalism and become a welder.
151. Jonah Kusi-Asare, Bayern Munich to Fulham
Contract length: Five years
Who is this guy’s agent? The kid spent last season on loan at Fulham, played 49 minutes in the league all year, but somehow earns a FIVE-YEAR contract at the end of it? Fair play. Fulham had the temerity to claim Kusi-Asare had “demonstrated a lot of promise in his 10 first-team appearances last season,” which is presumably why Marco Silva refused to hand him a single start. Fulham point out he scored four times in five under-21 appearances, but still, this is a real punt. He finished 184th in last season’s transfer rankings and will do well to beat that in 2026-27.
150. Liam Delap, Chelsea to Nottingham Forest
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £50m (with add-ons)
Contract length: Five years
Make it make sense. A striker with more yellow cards (33) than goals (27) to his name in senior football, who netted two goals in 41 appearances for Chelsea last season after a massive, life-changing £30million move on a six-year contract, and failed to score in his final 26 matches for the club, is rewarded with a £50m move and a five-year contract? Nope, sorry, not having this one. He may reproduce his Ipswich Town form, he may be rejuvenated under Nottingham Forest head coach Oliver Glasner, but given the aforementioned facts, we have to mark this down, initially, at least, as a very questionable one.
Liam Delap has moved to Nottingham Forest (Oli Scarff/AFP via Getty Images)
149. Jack Butland, Rangers to Hull City
Contract length: Two years
An emergency parachute option of a goalkeeper, brought in for a low fee on a short-ish deal. But that parachute has a hole in it, with Butland out injured for a few months, having undergone arm surgery.
148. Alejandro Garnacho, Chelsea to Aston Villa
Transfer fee: Loan
Contract length: Five years
Villa’s now traditional loan signing of a failed Manchester United/Chelsea winger screams ‘WTF’. Did they learn nothing from Jadon Sancho last year? Or Harvey Elliott, for that matter? Garnacho showed raw quality at Old Trafford but little since, is clearly bereft of confidence and currently cannot get into the team ahead of teenage rookie George Hemmings. There is a conditional obligation to buy in the deal, too. Perhaps Unai Emery is the man to unleash the inner Garnacho, but if Liam Rosenior couldn’t manage it, no one can.
147. Steven Benda, Fulham to Nottingham Forest
Transfer fee: Free
Contract length: One year
Benda swaps third-choice at Fulham for third-choice at Forest, behind Matz Sels and John Victor. Given Forest are out of the Carabao Cup already and Benda did not even make the bench, he should probably prepare for a quiet season.
146. Callum Wilson, free to Brentford
Transfer fee: Free
Contract length: One year
Wilson’s retirement tour continues with a short-term move to Brentford after spending last year at West Ham United. He scored seven times for the Hammers in 2026-27 (averaging a goal every 177 minutes in the Premier League), which was a decent return in a terrible team. Expect the 34-year-old to do something similar with Brentford before returning to first club Coventry next year to see out his playing days.
145. Oscar Zambrano, Maribor to Hull City
Reported transfer fee: Undisclosed
Contract length: Five years
Ecuadorian defensive midfielder who swaps Slovenia for Hull. Proper Premier League. As we all remember, Zambrano was actually on loan at Hull in 2024-25, when he made eight Championship appearances. That was cut short by a doping ban (from a test in Ecuador), initially for 16 months before being reduced on appeal. Anyway, the neat, diminutive 22-year-old defensive midfielder is now available again, and Hull have seemingly signed him on the cheap. An unknown quantity.
144. Karl Darlow, Leeds United to Manchester United
Transfer fee: Free
Contract length: Two years
First Eric Cantona, then Alan Smith and now Karl Darlow. He becomes a name etched into the Leeds fires of hell for daring to cross the Pennines and join their hated rivals. OK, maybe not, but this was certainly one of the more eye-raising 35-plus third-choice English homegrown quota goalkeeper signings of recent years, following in the footsteps of Scott Carson to Manchester City, Andy Lonergan to Liverpool and indeed Tom Heaton to Manchester United, with Darlow currently in the No.2 spot ahead of Heaton and behind Senne Lammens. It’s a funny old world.
143. Dan Bentley, Wolverhampton Wanderers to Coventry City
Reported transfer fee: Free
Contract length: Two years
Wolves’ No 3 goalkeeper from last season, behind Jose Sa and Sam Johnstone, steps up to be Coventry’s No 2 behind Carl Rushworth in 2026-27. The 33-year-old was a positive dressing room influence at Molineux by all accounts, but could be prone to a howler and was not great with the ball at his feet.
142. Honest Ahanor, Atalanta to Crystal Palace
Transfer fee: Loan
Contract length: One year
He has agreed to sign for Chelsea next summer, but they cannot loan more than one player to the same Premier League club (and Axel Disasi is already on loan at Crystal Palace from Stamford Bridge). So, he has been loaned from Atalanta instead. Anyway, Ahanor is only 18 but already an Italy international, having broken into the Atalanta team last year. Back-up for a season, in all likelihood.
141. Illan Meslier, free to Arsenal
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: Free
Contract length: Two years
In theory, the move of his life, with 26-year-old Meslier joining the Premier League champions after leaving Leeds on a free at the end of last season. “I cannot wait to show the love that I’ve got for this badge, and I cannot wait to win trophies with this team,” Meslier said after signing. Well, he will get to enjoy watching them win trophies from a really nice vantage point, but it is hard to envisage him playing much given he is behind David Raya and Kepa Arrizabalaga.
140. Stephen Mfuni, Manchester City to Coventry City
Transfer fee: Loan
Contract length: One year
Versatile left-footed defender who can play at centre-back or left-back and is good in possession and when carrying the ball. But he is 18 years old and, having only played eight times on loan at Watford in the Championship last season, you have to question how much impact he will make for a battling, newly promoted side.
139. Chuba Akpom, Ajax to Ipswich Town
Contract length: Three years
No offence to Akpom, but when Ipswich made him one of their first signings of the summer, you questioned their sanity. Apparently two goals in 29 appearances for them on loan in the Championship last season was enough to convince them of Akpom’s ability to score regularly in the Premier League this year. To be fair, he scored a tap-in at Old Trafford the other day, but the 30-year-old — formerly of Arsenal, Brentford, Coventry, Forest, Hull, Brighton and Hove Albion, Sint-Truiden, PAOK, Middlesbrough, PAOK (again), Ajax and Lille — might not be the guy to fire Gary O’Neil’s team to safety. Just a hunch.
138. Dwight McNeil, Everton to Crystal Palace
Transfer fee: Swap (with Brennan Johnson)
Contract length: Four years
It is hard to know who benefits more (or less) from this lesser-spotted swap deal, with Dwight McNeil and Brennan Johnson trading places on the substitute benches of Everton and Crystal Palace. One is a fairly average, jack-of-some-trades-master-of-none winger who can struggle for confidence and definitely needs to improve their end product. The other is, well, your guess is as good as mine.
137. Brennan Johnson, Crystal Palace to Everton
Transfer fee: Swap (with Dwight McNeil)
Contract length: Four years
See above.
136. Jordan Henderson, Brentford to Chelsea
Reported transfer fee: Free
Contract length: Two years
Chelsea have some incredibly gifted and talented midfielders: Moises Caicedo, Romeo Lavia and Valentin Barco. They also have a 36-year-old Jordan Henderson. Signing a player purely for vibes and to pat people on the back in the dressing room is a new one, but Chelsea gonna Chelsea.
135. Takehiro Tomiyasu, free to Crystal Palace
Transfer fee: Free
Contract length: Unknown
It is pretty rare for a player to have to prove himself on trial these days, which, to be honest, does not bode too well, but you would imagine Tomiyasu’s main task will be to provide back-up in Palace’s back line this season. The 27-year-old former Arsenal player was a free agent after spending the second half of last season at Ajax. Gets injured a lot, but this is a low-risk move.
134. Nicolas Jackson, Chelsea to Aston Villa
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £65m (with add-ons)
Contract length: Five years
Ollie Watkins scored 21 goals last season, 17 the year before that and 27 in 2023-24… and some Villa fans still moaned about how many chances he spurned. They may implode with Jackson now leading the line. He is a Watkins-type pacy replacement for sure, and Emery clearly likes him from their Villarreal days, but Jackson will need good service from a Youri Tielemans-less Villa. And even then, he might miss a few. It is a truly enormous fee.
133. Christian Norgaard, Arsenal to Everton
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £7m
Contract length: Five years
The 32-year-old’s career has stalled since he left Brentford a year ago, although his bank balance has likely soared. Did diddly squat at Arsenal (56 minutes in the league all season before the final day) and, given his game relies on rhythm and consistency as a midfield heartbeat, you wonder how effective he will be for Everton at his age, too. Has started the season injured.
132. Matt Targett, Newcastle United to Hull City
Transfer fee: Free
Contract length: Two years
Hull killed Targett’s Premier League dream by beating his Middlesbrough team in the play-off final in May, but cheered him up with a signing-on fee, a two-year contract and a return to the big time. He will be back-up to Ryan Giles and bring more than 150 matches of top-flight experience with him.
Matt Targett has moved to Hull City (Naomi Baker/Getty Images)
131. Cedric Kipre, Stade de Reims to Ipswich Town
Reported transfer fee: £3.86m
Contract length: Two years
After a successful season on loan, French-born and Paris Saint-Germain-nurtured centre-back Kipre joins up for Ipswich’s latest crack at the Premier League. Formerly of Wigan Athletic, West Bromwich Albion and Cardiff City, the Championship is probably Kipre’s level, but he is a middling squad addition for that fee. A big boy’s big boy.
130. Martin Dubravka, Burnley to Tottenham Hotspur
Transfer fee: Free
Contract length: Unknown
You cannot argue with the fee, but Dubravka’s excellent form at the start of last season with Burnley tailed off fairly dramatically, and he ended the season on the bench. Fine as a third-choice goalkeeper, but at the moment he is second choice. If the 37-year-old is called upon due to any injuries or loss of form to Antonin Kinsky (not like that hasn’t happened before), you would be very dubious as to what levels he can still reach.
129. Costinha, Olympiacos to Brighton
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £11m
Contract length: Five years
Signing an orthodox, 26-year-old right-back who has never played senior international football does not feel very Brighton, but Portuguese former Rio Ave defender Costinha offers a back-up option for Mats Wieffer in a season of European football. Costinha is technically pretty accomplished (as you would expect for a Brighton player) but the Premier League is a big step up for him. Just don’t expect this one to be sold to Chelsea for £100million in 2028.
128. Michael Zetterer, Eintracht Frankfurt to Leeds United
Reported transfer fee: £4.3m
Contract length: Three years
A solid, 31-year-old goalkeeper who is good with his feet and arrives with Bundesliga experience under his belt. Will play second fiddle to James Trafford.
127. Taiwo Awoniyi, Nottingham Forest to Coventry City
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £9m
Contract length: Unknown
You need goals to stay up in the Premier League, so who do you turn to? Nottingham Forest’s fourth-choice striker? Sure, he’ll do. Yeah, we’re not entirely convinced Awoniyi, scorer of six goals in the past two seasons, is the man to fire Coventry to survival. He scored 11 in 30 in 2022-23 and clearly knows where the net is when he is fully fit, but it is asking a lot for him to transform his fortunes in front of goal in a struggling team.
126. Ben Chilwell, Strasbourg to Crystal Palace
Transfer fee: Undisclosed
Contract length: Unknown
Come again? Oh right, Ben Chilwell is back at Palace after a middling loan spell in 2025 from Chelsea. He has joined from Strasbourg. Aged 29, not been very good for a while now, but he fills a hole.
125. Evann Guessand, Aston Villa to Crystal Palace
Transfer fee: Loan
Contract length: One year
Did Guessand do enough at Aston Villa last season to convince them he was worth the outlay of £30million they spent on him? Nope. Did Guessand do enough on loan at Palace last season to convince the south London club to buy him for £28m? Nope. And yet, here we are. The perennial purgatory of Guessand’s stop-start Premier League career continues apace. Who’s excited to see what he can do next? Same here.
124. Michael Svoboda, Venezia to Brighton
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £4.3m
Contract length: Four years
A 27-year-old centre-back who was Venezia’s captain in Serie B last season. He is a ball-playing big lad (6ft 5in), and the Premier League is by far the highest level of his career, albeit he probably won’t see too much of it as Brighton’s fourth/fifth-choice centre-back, brought in as part of a defensive rebuild with Jan Paul van Hecke, Adam Webster and Diego Coppola all leaving.
123. Sidiki Cherif, Fenerbahce to Coventry City
Reported transfer fee: £20.5m
Contract length: Long-term
A fascinating wildcard addition. Young striker Cherif, who is 19 and 6ft 2in, came through the ranks at Angers in France before being loaned to Fenerbahce last season, scoring a couple of goals in 16 appearances before the Turkish club bought and sold him this summer. He can play through the middle or from the left and loves directly running at defenders. Interesting profile, interesting signing, but also a huge gamble.
122. Jaouen Hadjam, Young Boys to Brighton
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £10.3m
Contract length: Five years
With Maxim De Cuyper moving further up the flank this season, 23-year-old Algeria left-back Hadjam arrives as back-up to Ferdi Kadioglu. He is quick, he is technically adept, and he is better going forwards than backwards. Low-risk at that fee.
121. Aaron Wan-Bissaka, West Ham United to Aston Villa
Transfer fee: Loan
Contract length: One year
Matty Cash played way too many games last season and was one of their standout players, but needed a solid understudy and now has one. The 28-year-old Wan-Bissaka enjoyed a decent stint at West Ham (he was their player of the year in 2024-25) and is a low-risk loan option who fills a gap. Nicely done.
120. Pep Chavarria, Rayo Vallecano to Chelsea
Reported transfer fee: £16m
Contract length: Five years
Marc Cucurella’s left-back replacement in the squad, who will probably be back-up to Jorrel Hato, or perhaps Marco Palestra. The 28-year-old moves outside his native Spain for the first time in his career.
Pep Chavarria playing for Chelsea (Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
119. Merlin Rohl, Freiburg to Everton
Reported transfer fee: £21m
Contract length: Three years
The 6ft 3in midfielder started last season injured and generally struggled to force his way into the starting XI during an initial loan move from Freiburg. That loan was made permanent when an obligation was triggered due to Everton avoiding relegation, and the 24-year-old will look to kick on, injury-free, this year.
118. Valentin Barco, Strasbourg to Chelsea
Reported transfer fee: £34m
Contract length: Seven years
The annoying pipsqueak who ran on to the field as an unused substitute to celebrate in England’s faces after Argentina’s equaliser in the World Cup semi-final (later earning a slap from Jude Bellingham for his troubles) embarks on the lesser-trodden Strasbourg-to-Chelsea route, after the two entirely separate clubs spent weeks negotiating a reported £34million fee. Barco is versatile (he can play at full-back or in midfield), creative, feisty and comes across as a bit of a berk. He will fit in well at Chelsea.
117. Jannik Schuster, Red Bull Salzburg to Brentford
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £17.2m
Contract length: Five years
A 20-year-old, 6ft 3in Austrian centre-back who is one for the future. Albeit with his aerial qualities, Schuster (who comes from a ski-jumping background) may break into the first team before long. Either way, succession planning from Brentford.
116. Jens Hjerto-Dahl, Tromso to Hull City
Contract length: Four years
Who? Exactly! Proper hipster stuff, this: a gigantic, £8million midfielder who plays for Norway Under-21s and has been marked out as a potential future star back home. He is elegant for a big boy, adept with both feet and loves attacking a set piece, scoring seven goals in 14 games this season in Norway (which runs from March to November) before making the switch to the Premier League. Could do nothing, could be amazing.
115. Tosin Adarabioyo, Chelsea to Tottenham Hotspur
Reported transfer fee: £10m
Contract length: Unknown
Deals between Spurs and Chelsea are extremely rare because they don’t like each other, with the last direct deal between them being in 2009, for goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini. To break that streak for Tosin and Mudryk, of all players, feels a bit desperate on Spurs’ part. In fairness, this was a deal cooked up pretty late after Kevin Danso said he wanted to leave, meaning Tosin will replace him as fourth-choice centre-back. Never really smashed it at Chelsea after his big move from Fulham in 2024. He is homegrown, which helps.
114. Zavier Gozo, Real Salt Lake to Crystal Palace
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £11m
Contract length: Five years
A wildcard American winger who is quick, direct and to the point. Only a teenager (aged 19) but provided six goals and four assists for Real Salt Lake in 16 matches this season. One to watch.
113. Oscar Mingueza, Celta Vigo to Crystal Palace
Transfer fee: Free
Contract length: Four years
A 27-year-old right-back or occasional centre-back who came through Barcelona’s La Masia academy and has improved as he has got older, enjoying the best form of his career in the past couple of years at Celta. Good experience and on a free, not bad. Keep your eye on his hair — he used to have a top-knot, but now has a shorter, pink bob which is frankly quite shocking.
112. Alvaro Rodriguez, Elche to Bournemouth
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £25.7m (with add-ons)
Contract length: Five years
Seven La Liga goals for Elche last season after two for Getafe the year before, but yes, we can confirm Rodriguez is a striker. To be fair, two of those Elche goals came against Barcelona and Real Madrid. Anyway, he is 6ft 4in, has yet to be picked for Uruguay’s senior team, but most importantly, offers an alternative option to Evanilson (or might play alongside him). There was lots of hype about Rodriguez, 22, when he came through at Real Madrid, and Bournemouth will hope they see that potential flourish in the Premier League. He is not the finished article, but could be great… classic Bournemouth.
111. Promise David, Royale Union Saint-Gilloise to Brighton
Transfer fee: Loan
Contract length: One year
He is massive (6ft 5in), a Canada international (four goals in 14 caps), 25, and has signed on loan. Brighton don’t do this kind of thing normally, so what’s occurring? Not the most finessed striker, but exceptional in the air and had a good scoring record in Belgium with 41 goals in 82 appearances, offering Brighton an alternative option against low blocks. Brighton also have an obligation to buy for £22million if certain criteria are met.
110. Manuel Angel, Real Madrid to Fulham
Contract length: Three years
The third Real Madrid player to join Fulham this summer, with ex-Bernabeu coach Alvaro Arbeloa going back to his former club to snare some talented/unwanted youngsters. Angel is a very low-risk gamble who, aged 23, had clearly come to the end of his Madrid road (he only made four La Liga appearances). Fulham are getting a tidy, technically savvy, rhythmic deep-lying midfielder, but how he fares in the Premier League is anyone’s guess.
109. Ilyas Ansah, Union Berlin to Hull City
Reported transfer fee: £14.5m
Contract length: Five years
The 21-year-old Germany youth international offers an alternative option to Oli McBurnie in that he is a lofty striker whose goal record at the top level is not that great. OK, basically he’s the German Oli McBurnie. Five goals in 35 games for Union Berlin last season, but he is an attack-the-channels striker who will bring enthusiasm, if not necessarily too many goals.
108. Tyrique George, Chelsea to Everton
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £24m (with add-ons)
Contract length: Five years
Only one start and 10 sub appearances during a loan from Stamford Bridge last season, but David Moyes saw enough in the 20-year-old’s fleeting cameos to sanction a permanent deal. Moyes spoke of being impressed by George’s quick, direct play, with no one else in Everton’s squad really able to stretch play like him. In today’s mad market, this could end up being a good deal, but George’s game needs work.
107. Cesar Palacios, Real Madrid to Fulham
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £8.5m
Contract length: Five years
He scored 15 goals for Real Madrid last season = amazing. It was for the B team = oh. Still, Palacios is a gifted attacking midfielder who enjoys late arrivals into the box as well as linking play through the lines. He suffered an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in 2024 but appeared to get fully over it last year, although that might partly explain why this is such a cheap fee. Like the manager who brought Palacios with him from Spain, he may or may not last the season at Craven Cottage.
106. Danny Welbeck, Brighton to Chelsea
Contract length: Two years
“It’s a special one because Brighton are my former team, I’m really looking forward to it,” Danny Welbeck said before Chelsea’s game against Brighton on Sunday. Except he didn’t play a minute. That’s the rub with Welbeck at Chelsea — he’s 35, yep, he is a great role model and can still score a few goals, but he is a big step down from first-choice centre-forward Joao Pedro. Anyway, it’s a cheap deal.
105. Savio, Manchester City to Tottenham Hotspur
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £85m (with add-ons)
Contract length: Long-term
The footballer formerly known as Savinho moves to Spurs after scoring two goals in 53 Premier League appearances for Manchester City. No, that’s not a typo. Yes, they’ve gone and paid £85million for an inconsistent winger who does not score goals and could not get in City’s team. City only paid £21.5m for the Brazilian and his reputation has probably gone downhill in the intervening two years, but Spurs, previously known for being tightfisted with money, are now as generous as Warren Buffett on a good day.
104. Florentino Luis, Burnley to Ipswich Town
Reported transfer fee: £16m (with add-ons)
Contract length: Five years
It felt like a real coup when Burnley snared Luis on loan from Benfica last season, with the defensive midfielder having registered 134 tackles and interceptions in the Primeira Liga in 2024-25. But he was a bit of a let down and, after Burnley signed him permanently for a reported £20million following relegation, he has now moved to Ipswich for a similar fee.
103. Andrey Santos, Chelsea to Manchester United
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £50m (with add-ons)
Contract length: Five years
So that’s what a Chelsea reserve player costs these days, is it? Chelsea didn’t see a regular first-team future for the 22-year-old Brazilian at Stamford Bridge, and perhaps United don’t see the same for him at Old Trafford either, given they have Kobbie Mainoo, Carlos Baleba, Tielemans and Bruno Fernandes probably all ahead of Santos in the midfield pecking order. So why sign him for £50million? Well, he is a good progressive passer who wins a fair amount of duels, and he fills a gap in a squad that needed beefing up.
102. Christos Mouzakitis, Olympiacos to Hull City
Reported transfer fee: £12.9m
Contract length: Unknown
Hull City’s 18th and final signing of a routine summer and their sixth new midfielder. Only 19, but Greece international Mouzakitis already has 76 senior appearances to his name from Olympiacos, including 10 in the Champions League last season. He is a little midfield diamond with light feet and a penchant for control. It is asking a lot to start to dominate Premier League matches, but Hull are buying one for the future more than the present, you feel.
101. Nico Elvedi, Borussia Monchengladbach to Leeds United
Reported transfer fee: £6.8m
Contract length: Three years
Elvedi played a central role for Switzerland at the World Cup in the summer and featured 318 times in the Bundesliga across 11 seasons for Gladbach. But he will probably be in the supporting cast at Elland Road as a right-sided back-up option for Daniel Farke’s three-man central defence.
Nico Elvedi has joined Leeds United (Michael Regan/Getty Images)
100. Gustavo Hamer, Sheffield United to Coventry City
Contract length: Long-term
Hamer returns home to Coventry after three years away at Bramall Lane. Coventry know exactly what they are getting from the 29-year-old, who is not going to pull up many trees at Premier League level but is a fan favourite and offers a bit of chaotic invention in midfield.
99. Elliot Stroud, Mjallby to Hull City
Reported transfer fee: £2.1m
Contract length: Four years
Tiny fee for a left-back/left-winger who broke into the Sweden squad a few months ago and went to the World Cup. Productive at Mjallby where he came up with 23 goals in 98 appearances and looks to be a high-energy, high-tempo wide man with a bit about him. Probably not going to be a Premier League star, but hey, you never know.
98. Pascal Struijk, Leeds United to Brighton
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £18m
Contract length: Five years
A key part of Leeds’ defence last season with 34 Premier League appearances, but the 27-year-old’s contract was up next year, and the sale helped Leeds from an SCR point of view. Enter Brighton, who wanted a solid back-up/alternative to an ageing Lewis Dunk (34) and Luka Vuskovic (19), which is exactly what accomplished, aggressive, ball-playing centre-back Struijk should be. That said, he can have the odd lapse of concentration and has been injury-prone in the past.
97. Ronald Araujo, Barcelona to Liverpool
Transfer fee: Loan
Contract length: One year
An opportunistic, low-risk deal with Liverpool needing numbers at centre-back. He arrives with 213 Barcelona appearances and eight major trophies to his name, but dropped out of their starting XI last season and will need to get up to speed quickly when called upon in the Premier League. Injury concerns and question marks over his ability in possession were why he was available.
96. Mohamed-Ali Cho, Nice to Hull City
Reported transfer fee: £13m
Contract length: Three years
With a career history of Everton, Angers, Real Sociedad, Nice and now Hull City, you’d picture Cho as a reliable 28-year-old right-back who never quite made the elite level. Nope: he is a maverick, dribbling, pacy forward capable of moments of brilliance. Those moments did not quite happen often enough at Nice (12 goals and 13 assists in 93 appearances), and Cho will likely be an impact sub for Hull. Hence the low fee.
95. Abdoul Ouattara, Strasbourg to Ipswich Town
Reported transfer fee: £17m
Contract length: Five years
If you are a Strasbourg player who Chelsea pass up the opportunity to sign, what are you even doing with your life? Ouattara must have impressed O’Neil when the tea-drinking obsessive was in charge of the French side last year, as Ipswich have paid a fair old fee for the 20-year-old midfielder, who can also play on either side of the defence. An energetic presser who gives Ipswich a bit of tactical flexibility.
94. Sandro Tonali, Newcastle United to Tottenham Hotspur
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £100m (with add-ons)
Contract length: Six years
What is the definition of insanity? Will a picture of Tonali’s face be plastered next to the word in the dictionary in years to come? Look, he is a great athlete, has a real engine on him, can move the ball around nicely enough, can be press-resistant and can dictate possession, but given he is not a goalscorer, or especially creative, or the best tackler in the league, what is he exceptional at to merit becoming one of the most expensive footballers in history? Honestly, folks, where does this end? James Garner for £300million? Probably to Spurs next year, to be fair.
93. Zadok Yohanna, AIK to Brighton
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £21.5m
Contract length: Five years
A 19-year-old Nigerian left-footed right-winger who’s only made 18 senior appearances in his career in the Swedish league. Do we know much about him? No. Given this is Brighton, will he be the next Arjen Robben or something? Probably. Five goals and three assists in 12 appearances last season caught the attention of Brighton, and Yohanna looks quick and dynamic. One to watch.
92. Michele Di Gregorio, Juventus to Bournemouth
Transfer fee: Loan
Contract length: One year
It comes to something when Bournemouth are loaning a decent Juventus goalkeeper to potentially sit on the bench for a year. The 29-year-old Italian arrives as serious competition for Djordje Petrovic in a season where Bournemouth need greater depth owing to their European commitments. A loan works well in that regard, and there is a reported £12million option at the end of it.
91. Dayann Methalie, Toulouse to Sunderland
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £25.6m (with add-ons)
Contract length: Five years
Big money for a 20-year-old but he is a burgeoning talent, a France Under-21 international and a tall, aggressive left-back who will run all day long. Needs refining but Sunderland think they have landed another star here.
90. Ewen Jaouen, Stade de Reims to Newcastle United
Reported transfer fee: £18.4m
Contract length: Long-term
Twenty-year-old giant Jaouen (6ft 6in) arrives as a promising, long-term prospect as part of Newcastle’s revamp of their goalkeeper department. He will be back-up to the more senior Lukas Hornicek for now, but Jaouen, who kept 15 clean sheets in Ligue 2 for Reims last season, looks a real find in that he is a stop-stopper who can knock it around with his feet, too.
89. Andy Robertson, Liverpool to Tottenham Hotspur
Transfer fee: Free
Contract length: Unknown
The pace may have declined a little, but the passing, crossing, tactical intelligence, aggression and leadership remain. The Scot’s best days are behind him, but Robertson, especially on a free transfer, is a very solid addition to any Premier League squad.
Andy Robertson has joined Tottenham Hotspur (Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
88. Kjell Scherpen, Royale Union Saint-Gilloise to Ipswich Town
Reported transfer fee: £8.5m
Contract length: Four years
What’s the weather like up there? Scherpen is the Premier League’s tallest player at an incredible 6ft 9in but, having not made the grade at Brighton or Ajax, is he good enough to help keep Ipswich up, with emphasis on the word up? Well, he is more than a novelty act; he is a good shot-stopper whose distribution is not bad, but it remains to be seen if he is able to acclimatise to Premier League football. He certainly was not on anyone else’s shortlist. Sorry.
87. Sean Steur, Ajax to Newcastle United
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £21.4m
Contract length: Five years
An Ajax academy graduate who had been with the club since he was seven years old, Steur is only 18 but still cost Newcastle more than £20million, which is a pretty ludicrous amount of money after barely one season of senior football. But Newcastle were swayed by Steur’s billing as the best young Ajax midfielder since Frenkie de Jong, and the two-footed, technically gifted No 6 or No 8 clearly has huge potential. Newcastle have attempted to sign an elite midfielder before he costs £70m in a couple of years, in theory. A gamble anyway.
86. Lucas Gourna-Douath, Red Bull Salzburg to Hull City
Contract length: Five years
What on earth is the most expensive signing in Austrian football history doing signing for Hull for £3million? Well, we are about to find out. Old school stuff, this. Red Bull Salzburg paid around £12m for Gourna-Douath, but his career stalled, and loan deals at Roma and Le Havre did not work out. The former France youth international could be the next N’Golo Kante, or he could play more in the EFL Trophy than the Premier League. Who knows.
85. Allan, Palmeiras to Manchester City
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £34.2m
Contract length: Five years
The 22-year-old is versatile, quick, attacks and defends with equal aggression, and can play as a winger, midfielder, second striker or even full-back. What can’t he do? A classic, middle-of-the-road City signing who Spurs will probably sign for £95million in 2028.
84. Malick Fofana, Lyon to Sunderland
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £30m (with add-ons)
Contract length: Five years
Sunderland waited all summer to make a proper eye-catching transfer, and it was a case of better late than never with a last-ditch move for Belgian winger Fofana, despite Crystal Palace’s late efforts. He is a thrilling left-sided, right-footed winger whose primary instinct is to destroy opposition full-backs. His best season came in 2024-25, with five goals and four assists in 16 starts, plus a further six goals in 10 Europa League games, but injuries are why he has ended up at Sunderland rather than a big boy, to be frank, with the 21-year-old out for most of last season with an ankle problem. That is also why he is down our list. A maverick, though, who on his day will do something amazing.
83. Juanlu Sanchez, Sevilla to Bournemouth
Reported transfer fee: £9.4m
Contract length: Five years
Part of Bournemouth’s big-boy summer, with all four senior additions being 6ft or over. They will have to raise the ceilings at [insert name of Bournemouth’s training facility here], but how good is Juanlu? Well, he was a decent, solid right-back at Sevilla last season, making plenty of appearances but finding himself second choice to Jose Angel Carmona. A low fee, plenty of room to progress at 23 and versatile (he can play further up the flank and in midfield). Tidy addition.
82. Daniel Munoz, Crystal Palace to Nottingham Forest
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £22m
Contract length: Three years
Very Glasner. He is 30 years old, but under the Austrian at Selhurst Park, Munoz became one of the best wing-backs in the Premier League, with a decent outlay of end product which he took into the World Cup with Colombia. Wing-backs are integral to Glasner’s system, and you would imagine Munoz will edge ahead of Ola Aina on that right-sided berth. It just needs Glasner to be guaranteed to stick around long-term as Forest coach to make this one a success. Oh.
81. Jaidon Anthony, Burnley to Brentford
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £17m (with add-ons)
Contract length: Four years
Enjoyed an excellent campaign with Burnley last year, making a mockery of the £8million fee they had paid Bournemouth for him by providing eight goals and four assists in the Premier League. The 26-year-old was voted the club’s player of the season by his team-mates. A low-key, no-frills, gets-the-job-done winger who can score a few. Good business and, as he continues his tour of unglamorous Premier League clubs beginning with ‘B’, expect him to join either Brighton or newly promoted Birmingham City or Bristol City next season.
80. Carlos Baleba, Brighton to Manchester United
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £70m (with add-ons)
Contract length: Five years
At double the price of Tielemans, this is huge money. Baleba does offer something different to most of United’s other midfielders in that he is extremely athletic, can read play and cover ground quickly, as well as being a ball-carrier. On paper, a very good addition, but will he even get in the first XI? And was his shoddy form at Brighton last season just because he was distracted by this potential transfer, or a signifier that he is not an elite midfielder?
79. Morgan Rogers, Aston Villa to Chelsea
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £117m
Contract length: Six years
How much?! Look, Chelsea signing Morgan Rogers feels like a good move; he’s likely going to fit pretty seamlessly into one of those half-space No 10 spots alongside his chum Cole Palmer. He will produce some pretty football and some nice goals, but the fee (Rogers was the fifth-most expensive player in football history when he joined) knocks this down the list. Rogers is a player who does not get into England’s first XI and was being booed by Aston Villa fans last September, when he registered a pass accuracy of 42 per cent in a Europa League match against Bologna. Hmmm.
78. Sasa Lukic, Fulham to Ipswich Town
Contract length: Four years
The poster boy for what seems like Ipswich’s savvier summer of recruitment than the last time they were promoted, with Lukic and fellow midfield new boy Luis both arriving with Premier League experience and a focus on protecting the defence. Not a sexy addition, but a necessary one.
77. Aladji Bamba, Monaco to Newcastle United
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £34.1m
Contract length: Five years
Eighteen league appearances and 815 minutes of Ligue 1 action to his name and worth £34.1million, at least according to Newcastle, who were happy to pay over the odds for the 20-year-old French defensive midfielder. Stylistically, he is different to Steur in that Bamba will relish the physical side of the game, with his anticipation for danger and a hunger for retrieving possession. Otherwise, there is not much of a sample size to judge him on, albeit he won 9.1 duels per 90 minutes in Ligue 1, the most of any midfielder to play more than 500 minutes.
76. Joe Gelhardt, Leeds United to Hull City
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £6.5m
Contract length: Four years
Once one of the brightest young attacking talents in English football, but Leeds were happy to let him go this summer. Scored 15 goals while on loan with Hull in the Championship last season, and it is a decent fee for a solid attacking midfield/forward option.
75. Dario Osorio, Midtjylland to Crystal Palace
Transfer fee: Loan
Contract length: One year
Sprightly Chile international who scored 18 goals and set up 12 in his 121 appearances for Midtjylland in Denmark. He arrived in Europe as a left-footed right-winger but was converted to wing-back, meaning he can back-up Anan Khalaili on the right or perhaps play further forward. The step-up from Denmark to England is sizeable, but whatever happens, he has lightning pace to get him out of trouble.
74. Melvin Bard, Nice to Leeds United
Transfer fee: Loan
Contract length: One year
The left-footed full-back may sound like a medieval poet, but in reality offers important defensive cover at Leeds, primarily behind Gabriel Gudmundsson, with James Justin perhaps needed elsewhere on the pitch. Bard is 25 and will only cost £860,000 on loan, with an option to buy for around £4million. Is he any good? Well, he played 153 times for Nice in Ligue 1 and is a dependable, compact, no-frills squad option. Nicely done.
73. Ethan Pinnock, Brentford to Coventry City
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £6m (with add-ons)
Contract length: Three years
A Brentford stalwart who brings some much-needed Premier League experience to the Coventry dressing room. Pinnock is 33 now and, while he slipped down the pecking order at Brentford and was in the final year of his contract, is a decent, low-fee signing for a newly promoted team.
Ethan Pinnock brings experience to Coventry City (Molly Darlington/Getty Images)
72. Shea Charles, Southampton to Fulham
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £30m (with add-ons)
Contract length: Five years
A hefty fee, but Fulham view this as a long-term investment. Charles was schooled at Manchester City and excelled for Southampton in the Championship last season. May need a bit of nurturing and patience, but the 22-year-old has the attributes to be a very good Premier League No 6.
71. Tim Iroegbunam, Everton to Hull City
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £22m (with add-ons)
Contract length: Five years
An initial fee of around £15million sounds about right for a player who never really cemented a place in Everton’s side despite making 52 appearances, with injuries disrupting his progress. On his day, Iroegbunam is a powerful, ball-winning athlete who can drive at defences and, in theory, should bring some energy and Premier League experience to Hull’s midfield.
70. Emersonn, Toulouse to Ipswich Town
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £24m
Contract length: Five years
Ipswich’s record signing only scored six league goals for Toulouse last season, having previously netted once for Goztepe in Turkey the previous year, making him about as prolific in top-flight football as the love child of Armando Broja and Rhian Brewster. But Ipswich have paid big money for Emersonn’s profile. He is tall, quick, mobile and an energetic pressing forward who will create space and opportunities for the flying forwards Ipswich have signed to play behind and around him. Big money, yes; good deal, also probably yes.
69. Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Lyon to Everton
Contract length: Three years
How much?! But in a good way. Also, it is not quite Mr Pigden levels of shock, but this is your official reminder that, yes, Ainsley Maitland-Niles is still an active footballer. He has been beavering away in Ligue 1 with Lyon for three years but, after almost joining Everton from Arsenal in 2021, returns to the Premier League to fill a sizeable gap at right-back for the Merseyside club. Maitland-Niles, who earned a few England caps in 2020, can also operate in midfield. Efficient late work from Everton.
68. Victor Munoz, Osasuna to Liverpool
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £34m
Contract length: Six years
A breakout star in La Liga for Osasuna last season with seven goals and five assists in all competitions. An old-school winger who loves nothing more than isolating a full-back and racing to the byline, but there is a question mark over why Real Madrid were happy to sell him a year ago. A good squad option.
67. Jean-Matteo Bahoya, Eintracht Frankfurt to Leeds United
Transfer fee: Loan
Contract length: One year
Leeds’ seventh and final addition of the summer and one to keep an eye on. Bahoya was ridiculously prolific at youth level and moved to Frankfurt aged 18 in 2024, mostly operating as a speedy impact winger off the bench. A France Under-21 international who can operate across the frontline but is a pure transition winger. Leeds have an obligation to sign him for €23million (£19.7m) with €5m in add-ons if he triggers an undisclosed clause in the loan contract.
66. Hugo Larsson, Eintracht Frankfurt to Fulham
Transfer fee: Loan
Contract length: One year
Sweden international who gives the Fulham midfield a different dimension, specifically of the physical, athletic, box-to-box variety. Played 87 times in the Bundesliga, a good age at 22 and will help protect the defence, too. It is a low-risk loan with an obligation of around £22million.
65. Ibrahim Mbaye, Paris Saint-Germain to Aston Villa
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £47.1m
Contract length: Five years
A ridiculously exciting talent. Mbaye services a need for Villa to sign a versatile forward who can run in behind opposition defences. The youngest starter in a PSG league match (when he was 16), the 18-year-old’s value has risen considerably since he started netting the odd goal for club and country (he has 15 Senegal caps, with four goals). Villa are paying for what he could be, not what he is right now, but that ceiling is very high indeed.
64. Frank Onyeka, Brentford to Coventry City
Contract length: Four years
The man known as ‘Frank the Tank’ reflects the fact he is not in midfield to paint some lovely picture. Onyeka is energetic, combative and loves a tackle. He spent part of last season on loan with Coventry, has 45 caps for Nigeria, and for that fee looks a decent addition for what will be a long, hard scrap for his new club this season.
63. Quinten Timber, Marseille to Crystal Palace
Transfer fee: Undisclosed
Contract length: Five years
Marseille only bought him in January on the cheap from Feyenoord as his contract was expiring, and now he joins his twin brother Jurrien, who plays for Arsenal, in London. This Timber is industrious, stocky, aggressive, and tends to play in central midfield, carrying the ball forward. Has had injuries, but could be a very useful signing.
62. Christos Tzolis, Club Brugge to Arsenal
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £34.1m
Contract length: Five years
His Norwich City record (three goals and two assists in 30 appearances) hardly screamed ‘elite’ but Tzolis has evolved a lot since then, albeit not in an elite league. Last season, no player in Europe’s top 10 leagues (yes, we’re extending out from the top five to include Belgium’s top flight) recorded more assists than Tzolis’ 23. He loves swinging over crosses and creating chances, but can he cut it in the Best League in the World™? The early signs are mixed.
61. Issa Diop, Fulham to Ipswich Town
Reported transfer fee: £8.5m
Contract length: Four years
West Ham for four years, Fulham for four years and now Diop moves to Ipswich Town aged 29 in what feels like a really solid deal for a centre-back with almost 175 Premier League appearances under his belt. Exactly the kind of ready-made defender Ipswich needed.
60. Omar Marmoush, Manchester City to Tottenham Hotspur
Transfer fee: Loan
Contract length: One year
A permanent deal in all-but name, with Marmoush obligated to join Spurs in a £60million deal (with add-ons) on a four-year contract. The 27-year-old forward scored eight goals in 36 matches last season, although he only made eight starts in the league as Erling Haaland’s back-up. He is fast, direct and versatile and, while question marks loom over what exactly his best position is, he offers some hard-working unpredictability to a forward line that desperately needs a spark.
59. Nobel Mendy, Rayo Vallecano to Hull City
Reported transfer fee: £20m
Contract length: Five years
A club record signing. The 22-year-old Senegalese centre-back enjoyed an outstanding season with Rayo Vallecano last year, but had struggled previously at Real Betis, making this one a bit of a risk, but one Hull needed to take to shore up a defence that conceded 66 times on the way to promotion last season. He is only 22 and is a stopper at the back, but that is a lot of money.
58. Jack Grealish, Manchester City to Everton
Transfer fee: Loan
Contract length: One year
Does anyone else have deja vu? Grealish returns to Everton after a hit-and-miss loan spell last season, which started so well with six assists and a couple of goals before ending in January with a foot injury. Grealish is 30 now and has not performed consistently well over a sustained period of time for quite a while, so even though this is on loan it is still a risky one (and the wages are not cheap). But at least Grealish seems to feel happy and loved at Everton and will hopefully enjoy his football again, if fit.
57. Iliman Ndiaye, Everton to Manchester City
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £65m (with add-ons)
Contract length: Five years
He could have gone to the team currently sitting joint-19th, Spurs, but instead Ndiaye (via a move for Cody Gakpo that stalled) ends up at the early table-toppers in Manchester City. No wonder he was beaming from ear to ear in his unveiling photo. Ndiaye was excellent for Everton last season, with three assists from 32 appearances (plus six goals) reflecting the finishing abilities of Beto and Thierno Barry rather than his at-times scintillating forward play. That said, from City’s point of view, Ndiaye is more of a solid squad addition than someone to improve the first XI.
56. Carl Rushworth, Brighton to Coventry
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £30m (with add-ons)
Contract length: Long term
Sorry, Coventry have spent how much? And he’s a goalkeeper? And he’s never played in the Premier League before? Blimey. It is a huge fee, but 25-year-old Rushworth kept 17 clean sheets when on loan with Coventry last season and was in the Championship team of the year. Whatever happens to Coventry this season, you would expect the goalkeeper, with his shot-stopping abilities in particular, to enhance his reputation. He will certainly be busy.
55. Matteo Ruggeri, Atletico Madrid to Aston Villa
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £17.1m
Contract length: Five years
Big shoes to fill with Lucas Digne heading to Paris Saint-Germain, but the 24-year-old Ruggeri looks capable of doing that. He played 47 times for Atletico last season and recorded seven assists, having moved from Atalanta, where he came through the youth ranks. Ian Maatsen is certainly not Villa’s Digne-shaped replacement, so Ruggeri cannot be worse.
54. Piero Hincapie, Bayer Leverkusen to Arsenal
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £34.5m
Contract length: Five years
Last year’s loan has been made permanent for what feels like a bargain price in the current market, particularly given Hincapie’s age (24). The form of Riccardo Calafiori will limit Hincapie’s game time for now, but the Ecuadorian is one for the future as well as the present.
53. James Trafford, Manchester City to Leeds United
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £40m
Contract length: Five years
This is an awful lot of money for someone who cost Man City £27million a year ago. Trafford could be the top-level, long-term goalkeeper Leeds have been looking for for years, someone who helps elevate them towards being an established, mid-table Premier League side. Or he could be the guy who did not look comfortable with the ball at his feet for City last season, with the club promptly buying Gianluigi Donnarumma to replace him after two weeks. We will back Trafford to be the former, but his success is no given and the massive fee drops this down the list a little.
Leeds United have spent £40million on James Trafford (Michael Regan/Getty Images)
52. Brooke Norton-Cuffy, Genoa to Hull City
Reported transfer fee: £12m
Contract length: Five years
A 22-year-old bombastic right-back or wing-back who swapped England for Italy to make a name for himself with Genoa, having left boyhood club Arsenal, where he failed to make a senior appearance. After 25 starts in Serie A, Hull have brought him back to England, where you can expect to see him bustling up and down the right flank using his pace to good effect. With plenty of good Championship experience and England Under-21s caps, this feels like a promising move.
51. Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Southampton to Aston Villa
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £30m (with add-ons)
Contract length: Five years
Roy Keane’s son-in-law joins the club where the Irish legend was once an assistant manager under Paul Lambert. It’s fate. Harwood-Bellis replaces Ezri Konsa in the squad for his second crack at Premier League football after one season with Southampton in 2024-25 (they were relegated, obviously). Comfortable on the ball but also pretty robust, which he gets from his father-in-law. Feels like a sensible deal.
50. Anan Khalaili, Royal Union Saint-Gilloise to Crystal Palace
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £21m
Contract length: Five years
Israel international who scored three times in the Champions League last season, having helped Union to the Belgian title a year earlier. Can play as a right forward but has started at wing-back for Palace and became the first player since N’Golo Kante (in 2015 for Leicester City) to record 10 tackles on his Premier League debut, against Manchester City no less. He is a powerful sprinter, and at 21 looks a real find.
49. Jan Paul van Hecke, Brighton to Tottenham Hotspur
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £52m
Contract length: Long-term
This feels like a good one for Spurs, particularly under Roberto De Zerbi. Van Hecke is aggressive, brave on the ball, front-footed and physical. He was exceptional at times for Brighton last season and probably went a little under the radar in terms of the league’s best defenders. Expensive, yes, but who isn’t these days?
48. Hidemasa Morita, Sporting CP to Hull City
Transfer fee: Free
Contract length: Two years
Feels like a shrewd one, this. An important player during two title-winning campaigns at Sporting, an experienced Japanese international and a technically sound, intelligent, disciplined midfielder. Remains to be seen how he adapts to the Premier League, but you can’t knock this as a free transfer.
47. Mateus Fernandes, West Ham United to Tottenham Hotspur
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £85m
Contract length: Long-term
Heck of a player, monster fee. West Ham paid £38million for him from Southampton a year ago. While Fernandes is a gifted playmaker and starred for West Ham with tackles, duels, recoveries, long-range worldies and piercing passes, to more than double that fee in a relegated team feels like madness. However, Spurs have signed a player. Fernandes is only 22, but he is capable of running a Premier League midfield (if he is played in the right position) and should be a star at Spurs. Should.
46. Daizen Maeda, Celtic to Ipswich Town
Contract length: Three years
One of the more fun deals of the window saw Ipswich land a player who scored 79 goals in 212 appearances in Scotland, winning 10 major trophies. His very high peak came in 2024-25 when he netted 33 times and won the Scotland players’ player of the year award. Maeda is a pressing monster who can cause unpredictable chaos in the final third. Very two-footed, very intense and very good on the counter-attack. Lovely business.
45. Axel Disasi, Chelsea to Crystal Palace
Transfer fee: Loan
Contract length: One year
No option or obligation, just a straight loan for the 28-year-old, who last played for Chelsea in January 2025. Would probably have gone to West Ham on a permanent deal had they stayed up; he did well for them last year, having gone on loan in January. A solid signing for Palace, albeit not quite on the level of Marc Guehi or Maxence Lacroix.
44. Chema Andres, Stuttgart to Brighton
Reported transfer fee: £19m
Contract length: Five years
This looks a shrewd, deadline-day move from Brighton. Andres was only at Stuttgart for a year, having joined from Real Madrid last summer, and the 21-year-old is effectively Baleba’s replacement in the Brighton squad. He has been compared with Rodri in terms of his playing style as a tall, elegant, holding Spanish midfielder. That will do for us.
43. Lucas Herrington, Colorado Rapids to Hull City
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £17m
Contract length: Five years
Twenty appearances and less than seven months after his Rapids debut, Herrington exits Major League Soccer in one of the biggest deals in the league’s history, via some eye-catching displays at the World Cup for Australia. And the lad is only 18. How he has ended up in Hull is anyone’s guess, but this is an intriguing deal for a ridiculously talented left-footed centre-back, who had the strength of character to step up for a penalty in Australia’s shoot-out defeat to Egypt in the summer. He missed, but do not hold that against him.
42. Matias Fernandez-Pardo, Lille to Newcastle United
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £51m (plus add-ons)
Contract length: Five years
Newcastle’s eighth signing of the summer and, despite being 21, only their fifth-youngest addition. Fernandez-Pardo had been a long-term target, with Newcastle keen to add his pace and unpredictability to their forward line. The Belgium international (born to Spanish parents) had a breakthrough season in 2025-26 with eight goals and five assists to help Lille qualify for the Champions League. He can play wide left or up front and certainly has plenty of promise, even if that fee feels a little lofty (as does pretty much every single transfer on this list, to be fair).
41. Caleb Yirenkyi, Nordsjaelland to Coventry City
Reported transfer fee: £23m
Contract length: Long-term
Another big Coventry fee, which in fact is the largest ever received by a Danish club, but Yirenkyi will be worth it if he lives up to his billing. The Ghana midfielder was schooled by Michael Essien at Nordsjaelland and excels at the physical side of the game. He is only 20, but he is strong, powerful, improving with the ball at his feet, and looks a good fit for the Premier League. He can also pop up in the box with a crucial goal, like when he scored Ghana’s winner against Panama at the World Cup. Coventry think they have found one here.
40. Bazoumana Toure, Hoffenheim to Newcastle United
Reported transfer fee: £42.8m
Contract length: Long-term
Will dribble and cross the ball for fun, a little in the Yankuba Minteh mould. An ambitious signing, especially at that fee, but the Ivorian stands out as a really exciting addition during a busy summer for Newcastle. He is incredibly quick, starred for Hoffenheim last season with nine assists and is a demon on the counter-attack. Only 20 years old but could make an immediate impact in the Premier League.
Bazoumana Toure is an ambitious signing for Newcastle United (Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
39. Zion Suzuki, Parma to Aston Villa
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £30m (with add-ons)
Contract length: Five years
Born in Newark, New Jersey to a Ghanaian father and Japanese mother, Suzuki (who grew up in Japan) now moves from Italy to England, having previously been on loan in Belgium. Japan’s No 1 impressed during the World Cup and indeed on his debut against champions Arsenal this week, showing fantastic distribution and stop-stopping. He did look slightly sketchy under a high ball. Potentially a decent replacement for Emiliano Martinez, then? His s***house abilities are too unknown to say for sure.
38. Julio Enciso, Strasbourg to Ipswich Town
Reported transfer fee: £26m
Contract length: Five years
In terms of profile and quality, Ipswich’s signing of the summer, who could make a mockery of that fee. Could. Enciso has shown flashes of brilliance in the Premier League before with Brighton and looked lively and spiky in the World Cup with Paraguay in the summer. He can change any game with a piercing pass or jaw-dropping shot, but Ipswich will need a little more consistency and end product from him than when he last played for them in the Premier League on loan two years ago. Injury concerns, too. But let’s embrace the chaos.
37. Exequiel Palacios, Bayer Leverkusen to Ipswich Town
Reported transfer fee: £19m (with add-ons)
Contract length: Four years
A World Cup winner with Argentina, a good player for Bayer Leverkusen over a number of years and now an Ipswich Town midfielder… one of those deals that reminds you of the pulling power of the Premier League. Does he even know where Ipswich is? Anyway, he should excel in the Premier League, given his intelligence in possession and his aggressive work out of it, and he is the kind of classy player a newly promoted side would never have been able to land a few years ago. Will also give you a good kicking if necessary. Injuries are a concern, but otherwise: what a signing.
36. Thomas Meunier, Lille to Sunderland
Transfer fee: Free
Contract length: Two years
Yes, he is getting on at 34. Yes, he will be done for pace a fair amount in the hustle and bustle of the Premier League. But what a smart, astute signing on a free transfer. Sunderland have signed a lovely, technical, calm and composed footballer who will provide creativity and nous from right-back. Very nice.
35. El Hadji Malick Diouf, West Ham United to Brentford
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £40m
Contract length: Five years
“He’s a player that fits our ideal age profile, with lots of room to still develop,” Brentford coach Keith Andrews said after the Senegal left-back moved west across the capital. The 21-year-old’s value has doubled after his £19million move to West Ham a year ago. Does that sound about right? Probably — he is quick, athletic and very enthusiastic, albeit still a little haphazard and needs some work. Brentford feels like a good home.
34. Nico Gonzalez, Manchester City to Newcastle United
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £52m (with add-ons)
Contract length: Long-term
A priority target for Newcastle once it became clear their midfield had been gutted from the inside. Nico never really pulled up any trees at Manchester City in his role as Rodri-lite, but perhaps being the main man at St James’ Park will unleash the player who looked so effective at Porto a couple of years ago. His debut at Spurs, with 94 per cent pass accuracy and 12 line-breaking passes, should be a sign of things to come, with Newcastle hoping he can bring calm to their midfield.
33. Aurele Amenda, Eintracht Frankfurt to Coventry City
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £17m
Contract length: Four years
Coventry’s recruitment looks quite whiffy at this moment in time, but Amenda may prove to be the exception. The 23-year-old Young Boys academy graduate is massive (6ft 6in), a good age and decent on the ball. Coventry are asking him to learn on the job in the Premier League, but he made 24 Bundesliga appearances last season and, even if this season is a difficult one, this feels like a very good investment.
32. Tarik Muharemovic, Sassuolo to Leeds United
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £34.1m
Contract length: Five years
Bosnia and Herzegovina international and a 6ft 4in left-footed centre-back who replaces Struijk in the team and looks an absolute beast. It is a huge investment, but Leeds have marked Muharemovic as someone who could be worth far more in a year or two. The 23-year-old is the kind of guy who kicks balls away in his sleep and also likes a long-range rake and a goal. On his home debut against Brentford, he was Leeds’ best player, contributing 19 defensive contributions including 11 clearances. Nice.
31. Luka Vuskovic, Tottenham Hotspur to Brighton
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £46m
Contract length: Five years
A club record signing and an unusual deal for Brighton who tend to buy young, yes, but normally a lot cheaper than this. Vuskovic, who never made an appearance for Spurs (spending last season on loan at Hamburg, where he was named Bundesliga rookie of the year) replaces Van Hecke, and the lofty fee reflects his status as one of the brightest centre-back prospects in European football. Has a very high ceiling, which is appropriate given he is 6ft 4in.
30. Kevin Danso, Tottenham Hotspur to Sunderland
Transfer fee: Loan
Contract length: One year
How would you describe yourself in one word? Nice? Normal? Happy? Kevin Danso goes for ‘warrior’, which accurately sums up his bolshie defensive style. He is on loan for the season at Sunderland, having been pushed down the pecking order at Spurs, although whether he walks into the Sunderland team with Nordi Mukiele, Dan Ballard and Omar Alderete among their settled back line is a problem for their coach Regis Le Bris to solve. Danso will move to Sunderland permanently for £22.25million if they stay in the Premier League.
29. Ousmane Diomande, Sporting to Nottingham Forest
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £34.3m
Contract length: Four years
Has started the season on the bench but you can’t imagine that will be the case for too long. The 22-year-old is the archetypal Glasner defender in that he is tall, powerful, quick and very comfortable stepping forward. He is all front foot and was a star at Sporting. Good business.
28. Ezri Konsa, Aston Villa to Arsenal
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £51m
Contract length: Four years
One of the league’s best defenders in the past two years and he will not even get in Arsenal’s best XI when William Saliba is fit. Konsa’s addition, which feels slightly underpriced at £51million despite his age (28), is part of Arsenal’s bid to bulk up their squad at the top end, ready for an assault on the Premier League and the Champions League this season. He should fit pretty seamlessly into a team where defending is to be relished.
27. Harry Wilson, Fulham to Leeds United
Transfer fee: Free
Contract length: Four years
Ten goals and seven assists for Fulham in the top-flight last season, a proven, ready-made Premier League player with many years of experience aged 29, great on set pieces, great at winning games single-handedly with a moment of magic, and they have signed him on a free. What’s not to like?
26. Jeremy Jacquet, Rennes to Liverpool
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £60m (with add-ons)
Contract length: Five years
The immediate impression is that this guy is a sizeable upgrade on last season’s version of Ibrahima Konate. Only 21 years old but physically looks ready for English football, and his aggressive, front-foot approach should suit both the league and Andoni Iraola’s tactical preferences. Can wriggle out of tight spaces, is very quick, and is also composed on the ball, too, which again will be important this season. Nice work.
25. Geovany Quenda, Sporting to Chelsea
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £39m-£43m
Contract length: Eight years
Chelsea waste a lot of money spending trillions on young talents from around the world who they often do not play or do not need, but Quenda could be an exception. Maybe. He might only be 19, but he is already approaching 100 career appearances and is thought of as one of Portuguese football’s future superstars. He won the league at Sporting (after becoming their youngest-ever goalscorer), he can play at wing-back or as a winger, is excellent one-vs-one, and can defend, too. Huge potential.
24. Abdul Fatawu, Leicester City to Ipswich Town
Reported transfer fee: £20m
Contract length: Five years
Yep, we like this one. The 22-year-old Ghana international registered the most successful take-ons, with 115, of any player in English football last season. He did not make a big impact the last time he was in the Premier League with Leicester City (two assists in 11 appearances two years ago). But a productive season in the Championship (nine goals, eight assists) in a dreadful team last year could have been the full season he needed under his belt. Even without end product he is almost a cheat code, as Luke Shaw can tell you after last weekend.
23. Marco Palestra, Atalanta to Chelsea
Reported transfer fee: £48m
Contract length: Seven years
There is a lot to like here — a 21-year-old wing-back who can play on either flank, dribble with either foot and is “a player built on the Playstation” according to his former manager at Cagliari. He is extremely quick, and no wing-back or full-back attempted more take-ons in Europe’s top five leagues last season. Nice.
22. Leon Goretzka, free to Aston Villa
Transfer fee: Free
Contract length: Unknown
Brilliant acquisition on a free. Versatile midfielder who can ease the reliance on Boubacar Kamara and will essentially replace Amadou Onana’s role in the squad this year while the Belgian recovers from an ACL injury. Goretzka brings bags of experience and Villa hope he will be a Marco Asensio-esque addition of quality and winning know-how. The 31-year-old was once considered Germany’s best box-to-box midfielder and, while he fell down the pecking order at Bayern, this looks a really smart signing on a free.
21. Ayyoub Bouaddi, Lille to Manchester City
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £85m (with add-ons)
Contract length: Five years
He was Lille’s youngest-ever player at 16, played against Real Madrid in the Champions League at 17, and was Morocco’s pivot in their World Cup side aged 18. What next, fly to the moon aged 19? It’s insane money, it really is, but City have undoubtedly bought a fabulous footballer. Is he Rodri? No, he is a more mobile version, and of course he is lacking in nous and experience, but he is wonderfully calm on the ball and possesses a computer-like brain for tactical instructions. It is a fantastic signing, but that price for a teenager, in that position, is a huge risk. Hey, they can afford it.
20. Konstantinos Tzolakis, Olympiacos to Hull City
Reported transfer fee: £20m
Contract length: Five years
Big money for a Hull goalkeeper but the 23-year-old looks pretty spicy in a good way. Came through at Olympiacos and became their No 1, saving three penalties in one match against Fenerbahce along the way and becoming a full Greece international. He is a big lad, he is aggressive, and he has kept two clean sheets in his first two Premier League matches, making some eye-popping saves along the way. A very promising start.
19. Marcos Senesi, Bournemouth to Tottenham Hotspur
Transfer fee: Free
Contract length: Four years
Hard to quibble with this one. The Argentine defender may have been largely snubbed at international level (he only has five caps aged 29), but excelled at Bournemouth under Iraola and offers a very solid, credible back-up option at central defence for Spurs. Senesi averaged 14 passes into the attacking third per 90 minutes last season, the highest among centre-backs in Europe’s top five leagues. You’ll never sing that.
18. Xaver Schlager, RB Leipzig to Nottingham Forest
Transfer fee: Free
Contract length: Two years
A tenacious midfielder who Glasner was quick to snap up at Forest, having previously managed him at Wolfsburg. He has 55 Austria caps, has played in the Champions League, has loads of experience aged 28, and was free. So what’s the catch? Well, he has an injury history, and there are question marks over whether he will enjoy the pace and intensity of the Premier League. But in a deep-lying, counter-attacking team, he should thrive. And the secret ingredient is the price.
17. Zian Flemming, Burnley to Ipswich Town
Reported transfer fee: £17m (with add-ons)
Contract length: Four years
From a jobbing Championship forward at Millwall to a second successive season in the Premier League; not bad for a 28-year-old Dutchman with no international caps. Flemming scored 11 times for an abominable Burnley team last season and had already netted three times this term in the second tier, making that fee look pretty cheap. He is a bustling, determined, strong forward with an eye for goal and should settle in pretty seamlessly at Ipswich. Really good work.
16. Sorba Thomas, Stoke City to Hull City
Reported transfer fee: £7.5m (with add-ons)
Contract length: Four years
Very nice. Enjoyed a stellar season in a godawful Stoke City team last season in the Championship, scoring 10 goals and setting up another 13 to earn himself a spot in the Championship team of the season, as well as Stoke’s player of the year, although that would have felt quite hollow. Extremely good at cutting in from the left flank and swinging over a come-and-get-me cross. He is 27 and feels like a Jaidon Anthony-type signing, which worked well for Burnley last year.
15. Lukas Hornicek, Braga to Newcastle United
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £25.7m
Contract length: Five years
Newcastle believe they have signed one of European football’s best young goalkeepers in 24-year-old Czech Republic international Hornicek, and he certainly looked that good in their win at Spurs, keeping a clean sheet with a few really smart saves. Hornicek had to wait patiently for his chance at Braga, joining the Portuguese club as a teenager before finally establishing himself last year, playing 55 times in all competitions and keeping seven Europa League clean sheets as they reached the semis. Better with the ball than Nick Pope and can pull off an outstanding save. Good one, this.
Lukas Hornicek is a significant signing for Newcastle United (Stu Forster/Getty Images)
14. Amar Dedic, Benfica to Newcastle United
Reported transfer fee: £30.8m
Contract length: Five years
The Bosnia and Herzegovina international has made a fantastic start to life at Newcastle, with three assists so far (one in the Premier League, two in the Carabao Cup) but, more than that, his all-action displays up and down the right flank have got Newcastle fans pretty excited. He can defend, he bursts forward, his crosses are accurate, he is a constant outlet and his positioning is intelligent. He is only 24 and looks like a great signing.
13. Youri Tielemans, Aston Villa to Manchester United
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £35m
Contract length: Five years
Unlike so many transfers on this list, United may not have overpaid for Tielemans. Sure, he is 29, but the Belgian is also pretty much guaranteed to offer grace and poise on the ball with line-breaking passes and should, as he did with Rogers at Villa, greatly benefit the attacking midfielder ahead of him, who in this case is Fernandes. A sensible, low-risk addition. See, you can still find them.
12. Hayden Hackney, Middlesbrough to Everton
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £25m (with add-ons)
Contract length: Five years
The Championship players’ player of the year in 2025-26 could have joined pretty much any mid-level Premier League side, and it is Everton he plumped for, presumably for the clear pathway to regular first-team football. Playmaker Hackney created chances for fun in a stellar season for boyhood club Middlesbrough last year and will now look to kick on in the Premier League, aged 24. With the initial fee being just £16million, this feels like a good one for Everton.
11. Joao Gomes, Wolverhampton Wanderers to Aston Villa
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £35m
Contract length: Five years
He may have endured a disastrous debut akin to Jonathan Woodgate at Real Madrid, but look past that, and you will see one of the most effective ball-winners in the game today. Since his Premier League debut for Wolves in 2023, no one in Europe’s top five leagues has won more tackles than Gomes’ 380. He was a level above any player at Molineux last year (which isn’t saying much, to be fair) and can cover a few roles in Villa’s midfield. Only 25, too. It’s a cheap signing.
10. Maxence Lacroix, Crystal Palace to Chelsea
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £52m
Contract length: Six years
A broken clock is still right twice a day, a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while and very, very occasionally. Chelsea make a really sensible signing. The least Chelsea-ish deal imaginable also makes the most sense for what they needed this summer; a proven, experienced, normal centre-back who should offer consistently good performances and will fit nicely into a back three. Last season, he was the only Premier League player to record more than 50 tackles, win more than 200 duels and clear the ball more than 250 times.
9. Enzo Fernandez, Chelsea to Manchester City
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £125m
Contract length: Long-term
In a mad summer of madly overpriced deals, paying £125million for a guy who cost Chelsea £107m in January 2023 and did very little to justify that incredible fee is, well, something you cannot really explain or justify. At his best, Fernandez is an elite passer, organiser and tempo-setter from a deep No 8 role, but he never consistently hit those heights at Chelsea. Let’s be honest, though, he will absolutely smash it in that City team.
8. Gonzalo Garcia, Real Madrid to Fulham
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £34.2m
Contract length: Five years
Four goals in five matches at last year’s Club World Cup brought Garcia to the attention of the watching world (we use that term frivolously) but, with some chap called Kylian Mbappe in his way, the 22-year-old was restricted to 952 minutes in La Liga in 2025-26. He still scored six goals, by the way, and netted two in his first two appearances for Fulham this season too. It is asking a lot for him to replace Raul Jimenez and he will need good service, but Garcia’s movement, intelligence and finishing ability stand him in good stead.
7. Antonio Silva, Benfica to Bournemouth
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £25.6m
Contract length: Five years
Yep, really good. He is 22, has won 20 caps for Portugal, and has long been earmarked as the future of the Portuguese defence, having made his international (and Champions League) debut as a teenager. Why have Benfica let him go for relative peanuts not long after he was being linked with Europe’s brightest and best? Well, his progress stalled slightly, and he dropped to third-choice centre-back under Jose Mourinho last season. But the talent remains — he is a ball-player and a tackler who is good under pressure. A very good Senesi replacement.
6. Johan Manzambi, Freiburg to Aston Villa
Reported transfer fee: £51m
Contract length: Five years
One of the most coveted players of the window chose Villa ahead of Newcastle United after an excellent World Cup and an impressive Europa League campaign last season with Freiburg (he was named the competition’s best young player). His athleticism, ball-carrying ability and power, as well as his capability of winning a match on his own, make the 20-year-old a mouthwateringly good signing in theory. The last time Villa signed a young attacking midfielder Emery had spotted playing against him in a cup competition, it went quite well, and he ended up moving to Chelsea for £117million, so there’s that.
5. Bradley Barcola, Paris Saint-Germain to Liverpool
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £123m (with add-ons)
Contract length: Five years
The initial fee of £106million only makes him the third most expensive Liverpool signing in the last year behind Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz, who both flopped last season. Third time lucky? Surely Barcola will be a success… surely? He is an elite-level forward who has pretty much everything you want, with pace, style, panache and flair. He scored 39 goals and set up another 35 in 152 appearances for PSG, he is 23 and he is absolutely devastating on the counter-attack. Will Barcola shine at Liverpool? Almost certainly. Is he a £123m player? No, but who is? Magnificent addition anyway.
Bradley Barcola is an expensive addition for Liverpool (Franck Fife/AFP via Getty Images)
4. Elliot Anderson, Nottingham Forest to Manchester City
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £116m
Contract length: Five years
So great was Anderson’s impact at the City Ground, some fans called him one of the best and most talented Nottingham Forest players of all-time. You would not want to be the guy at Newcastle who approved his £35million sale two years ago. His numbers were utterly outrageous last season, with Anderson having more touches and winning more duels and making more possession gains than any other player. He won the ball 306 times, the most in Europe’s top five leagues, and added 104 tackles and won 297 duels. Absolutely ridiculous. Bring that game to the Etihad over a prolonged period of time, and he will be worth every penny. Almost.
3. Mamadou Sangare, Lens to Brentford
Reported transfer fee: £38.5m
Contract length: Five years
Oh lordy. One of the best midfielders in France last season (he was named in the Ligue 1 team of the season) and enjoyed a stellar debut against Spurs. But hey, lots of players can do that and then tail off (hello, Tijjani Reijnders), so how convinced are we that this guy is the real deal, given Red Bull Salzburg were happy to ditch him just two years ago and, well, Brentford have managed to sign him now? Good point and yes, his game does need refining, but he looks pretty swish for now; an all-action midfielder who can both destroy and create. An aggressive ball-winner, a line-breaking passer, and he’s fun too. We like.
2 Bruno Guimaraes, Newcastle United to Arsenal
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £75m
Contract length: Four years
It is a lot of money for a 28-year-old, as Newcastle were very keen to point out when they sold him, but Guimaraes is pure, proven, Premier League class. The Brazilian is a luxury addition in that the champions can take their time to gradually ease him into the side, given how good their midfield already is, but once he is in tune, it is hard to argue against this being an excellent signing. Anyone who can come in and improve the champions has to be rated extremely highly, and Guimaraes offers something slightly more incisive than what Arsenal already have.
1. Emiliano Martinez, Aston Villa to Chelsea
The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £7.5m
Contract length: Two years
Like his international team-mate Barco, you have to say there is no more appropriate club for Martinez to join than Chelsea. He is brash, cocky, excessive, and really irritating but, to be fair, he is also still a really good goalkeeper. After a slightly off-colour 2024-25, he was pretty much back to his best last season, is still a top-three ‘keeper in the league, and is a player Chelsea have been crying out for for ages. Where Robert Sanchez could be indecisive and haphazard, Martinez will be aggressive, proactive, and solid. Great business for a fee that Chelsea would normally spend on a back-up winger’s wages for a season.