The ten best Premier League signings in the summer transfer window

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The 2026 summer transfer window has now slammed shut, with Premier League clubs spending what can only be described as obscene amounts of money in order to bring in top talent from both home and abroad.

Not all of these arrivals will go on to be a success, though that won’t stop the likes of Chelsea and Manchester City from turning a tidy profit on them in the future (see Liam Delap and Savio)!

Who, though, do we think are likely to be the best signings made by English top-flight clubs this summer?

JOHAN MANZAMBI

Much has been made of the notable raft of departures from Villa Park this summer, but the West Midlands outfit have certainly replaced those leaving with some smart signings, none more so than Johan Manzambi. Still just 20 years of age, the Swiss international made quite the impression at this summer’s World Cup, scoring three times and providing a further two assists in only 200 minutes of football. At his best when operating in an advanced midfield role, Manzambi enjoyed his breakout season in 2025/26, featuring in all 15 games as Freiburg unexpectedly made it to the final of the Europa League. Opponents Aston Villa were obviously impressed, shelling out over £50m to bring that competition’s ‘Young Player of the Season’ award winner to the Premier League.

MAMADOU SANGARE

On the basis of what we have seen so far, Brentford appear to have struck gold in the transfer market once again with the signing of Mamadou Sangare. An all-action midfielder who seems perfectly suited to life in the Premier League, the Malian international represents a snip in today’s football prices, arriving in West London for a fee in the region of £40m. The 24-year-old only spent one season at Lens, helping the unfancied club to a runners-up spot in the French top-flight, as well as a first ever Coupe de France success. In fact, so impressive was he during that stunning 2025/26 campaign that he secured a place in the ‘Ligue 1 Team of the Season’, also winning the prestigious ‘Prix Marc-Vivien Foe’ as the division’s best African player.

LUKA VUSKOVIC

When you are paying the best part of £50m for a young defender, then you know he must be good. Although Luka Vuskovic never troubled the team sheet during his time at Tottenham Hotspur, the 19-year-old was absolutely brilliant on loan at Hamburg last season, helping the newly-promoted club to comfortably survive upon their return to the Bundesliga. In fact, it is a clear sign of just how well he performed that the towering centre-back was the only player from outside of the top four finishers to secure a place in the division’s official ‘Team of the Season’. Renowned for his ability to win duels, the Croatian international also offers a major threat from set-pieces, finding the net an impressive six times in the German top-flight during the 2025/26 campaign.

EMILIANO MARTINEZ

When it comes to bargain signings who fill a positional need, Chelsea’s £7.5m acquisition of Emiliano Martinez will surely take some beating. Not only is the 34-year-old capable of making some outstanding saves, but he also brings a commanding presence and some real personality to the role, qualities that the Blues were desperately seeking as they finally gave up on Robert Sanchez. A serial winner with club and country, the experienced custodian can point to a trophy cabinet that includes one World Cup, two Copa Americas, one FA Cup and one Europa League. Having added the Argentinian international to their ranks, it is easy to see why the Stamford Bridge outfit are featuring more prominently amongst Premier League predictions in the embryonic stages of the new campaign.

NOBEL MENDY

Nobel Mendy enjoyed a debut to remember in the Premier League, heading home Hull City’s second goal as they beat Manchester United 2-0 on the opening weekend of the season. Settling in nicely to the left side of the Tigers’ back-three, the £20m summer signing from Rayo Vallecano then helped his new employers to another clean sheet in an important 1-0 success at Coventry City. Largely unused in his previous club’s run to the Conference League Final in 2025/26, the 22-year-old was much more involved in La Liga, only ending up on the losing side in 25% of his appearances. Extremely athletic, as well as being comfortable on the ball, being left footed provides the 22-year-old with a distinct advantage when it comes to bringing balance to a defensive unit.

JAMES TRAFFORD

Having secured a return to Manchester City off the back of an incredible promotion-winning campaign with Burnley in 2024/25 in which he didn’t concede more than a single goal in any one of his 45 Championship appearances, James Trafford’s prospects at the Etihad Stadium took a nosedive following the arrival of Gianluigi Donnarumma. The 23-year-old showed tremendous maturity by getting his head down and helping the Citizens to win both domestic cups, but the time was right to take on a new challenge with Leeds United this summer. A confident and agile keeper who exudes authority, Trafford’s presence should benefit a defensive unit that kept eight clean sheets in the Premier League last season, so any football predictions that hint at an improvement in this category have to be taken seriously.

BRADLEY BARCOLA

The signing of two-time Champions League winner Bradley Barcola for a potential £123m from Paris Saint-Germain represents a real statement of intent from Liverpool. Having just turned 24, the French international should spend his peak years as a footballer delighting the Anfield crowd, delivering goals and assists from a starting position on the left wing. An elegant ball carrier who will get supporters off their seats, Barcola weighed in with three goals from ten attempts for France at this summer’s World Cup. Mo Salah has certainly left big boots to fill in the Reds’ attack, albeit on the opposite flank, but this young man looks more than capable of rising to the challenge and he should relish the added responsibility that will be afforded to him on Merseyside.

DANIEL MUNOZ

Manchester City, Liverpool and Manchester United are all crying out for a right-sided defender, so I find it incredible that Nottingham Forest have been able to steal in and snap up Daniel Munoz for as little as £22m. Perhaps that trio of English clubs feel that the Colombian international would not be suited to life in a back-four, but, in following Oliver Glasner to the City Ground, he should fit seamlessly into the right wing-back role that he occupied with such distinction for his Austrian manager at Crystal Palace. Seemingly blessed with endless reserves of energy, the 30-year-old offers a real attacking threat. In fact, across his two-and-a-half seasons in the Premier League, he has weighed in with eight goals and 14 assists, thus making him well worth considering against the right opponents as an anytime goalscorer.

MALICK FOFANA

The likes of Brighton, Brentford and Bournemouth are continually praised for their recruitment, but now it seems that it might be time to throw the name of Sunderland into that mix. Having brought us such gems as Noah Sadiki, Nordi Mukiele and Robin Roefs last summer, the Black Cats have now seen off competition from Crystal Palace to bring Belgian prospect Malick Fofana to the Stadium of Light. A right-footed left winger who has always appeared to be Lyon’s star performer every time he has taken to the pitch, this 21-year-old is destined for the very top of the game. An ankle injury significantly disrupted his 2025/26 campaign, perhaps resulting in a reduced transfer fee, but his controlled volley against Fenerbahce in Champions League qualifying in August suggested that he is back.

SANDRO TONALI

Eyebrows were certainly raised when Tottenham Hotspur agreed to pay Newcastle United an initial fee of £92.5m in order to secure the services of Sandro Tonali, though any scepticism was more about the amount of money being spent than the player’s quality. A midfield general with close to 80 games under his belt in the Premier League, the Italian international was a key figure when AC Milan won their most recent Serie A title back in 2021/22. Adjusting to Roberto De Zerbi’s unique tactical approach may take time, but the 26-year-old has all of the ingredients necessary to be a huge success in North London. Interestingly, the Magpies won all five of the top-flight matches in which Tonali hit the back of the net for them, so this might be an area to target when it comes to football in-play betting.

THOUGHTS

As football tipsters, we can often be left with egg on our faces, though we have every faith that these ten players can deliver for their new employers.

Messrs Martinez, Trafford, Munoz and Tonali all have the advantage of having played in the Premier League before, but it will be fascinating to see which of the remaining six individuals makes the greatest impression over the course of an entire top-flight campaign.

Whichever way the season pans out for each of them, we are certainly looking forward to the ride!