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Premier League clubs have continued to spend heavily in the current transfer window, but the events of last summer are a reminder that big fees do not always guarantee success.

Clubs across the Premier League spent a record-breaking £3.4billion in the 2025 summer transfer window, and that included two deals worth more than £100million.

Here, we take a look at the 10 most expensive Premier League arrivals from last summer and rank them according to their performances in 2025-26. Note: the fees include potential add-ons.

Alexander Isak’s switch to Liverpool was the transfer saga that defined the 2025 summer window, with the then-Newcastle striker going on strike in an effort to force an exit from St James’ Park.

He eventually secured the move he wanted on transfer deadline day after Liverpool agreed to pay Newcastle United a British-record transfer fee of £125million.

However, the Sweden international endured a slow beginning to his Liverpool career, with his lack of pre-season preparation leaving him short of match sharpness.

He also had poor luck with injuries, most notably when he suffered a broken fibula while scoring in a victory over Tottenham in December.

That goal against Spurs was one of only three Premier League strikes managed by the 26-year-old in 2025-26, making for a hugely disappointing first season.

The 2025 summer transfer window is not one Newcastle United supporters will remember fondly, as the club lost Isak and also failed to land several leading targets.

Newcastle moved early to replace Isak by paying Stuttgart an initial £64million plus £5million in add-ons for Nick Woltemade, making him the most expensive signing in the club’s history.

Bayern Munich board member and former club great Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said Newcastle were “idiots” for meeting the asking price.

He initially answered his critics in emphatic fashion, scoring six goals in his first eight starts for the club, including a thumping header against Arsenal, a daring flick versus Union Saint-Gilloise and a superb backheel at Brighton.

But the Germany international then went from hero to villain after scoring an own goal in the Wear-Tyne derby, and his output at the right end of the pitch also began to dry up.

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

Liverpool beat competition from Bayern Munich and Manchester City to sign Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen in a transfer worth an initial £100million, with a further £16.5million in add-ons.

But the Germany international has looked a pale version of the player who dazzled in the Bundesliga, and he has found it difficult to adjust to the speed and physicality of the Premier League.

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

Even so, the 23-year-old did provide flashes of his quality in his first season at Anfield, recording seven goals and 10 assists in 49 appearances across all competitions.

Arsenal made their move at the last moment and signed Eberechi Eze from Crystal Palace for £67.5million after hijacking Tottenham’s deal for the England international.

A hat-trick in his first North London Derby made him an instant cult hero at the Emirates, and he also scored twice in the return fixture at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Away from those two matches against Spurs, though, the 28-year-old struggled to deliver regularly and scored only two more Premier League goals in 2025-26.

He still played a part in helping the Gunners end their 22-year wait for the Premier League title, although his penalty shootout miss against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final casts a shadow over his debut season at the Emirates.

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

The 23-year-old forward initially found it hard to justify that fee, scoring only twice in his first 16 Premier League appearances.

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

Many of those came as a substitute, giving him one of the strongest minutes-per-goal records in the Premier League in 2025-26. The striker scored a league goal every 148.8 minutes and helped United finish third.

Manchester United had two failed bids for Bryan Mbeumo last summer, but eventually completed the transfer after agreeing to pay Brentford an initial £65million and £6million in add-ons.

He made an outstanding start at Old Trafford and was named Premier League Player of the Month for October 2025.

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

However, his form dipped slightly after that, and he went three months without a goal before scoring in the final two matches of the season.

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

The France international joined from Eintracht Frankfurt in a deal worth an initial £69million, with another £10million in possible add-ons.

He was inconsistent at times but still finished as Liverpool’s top scorer in 2025-26, with 17 goals in 45 appearances in all competitions, while also contributing six assists.

His debut campaign then ended early when he ruptured his Achilles tendon against Paris Saint-Germain in April, a serious injury that could keep him out until 2027.

After going without a recognised No 9 for some time, Arsenal made Viktor Gyokeres their leading target last summer and paid Sporting CP an initial £57.4million plus £8.9million in add-ons.

The Sweden international had a tough start to life at the Emirates and came in for criticism from several pundits over his all-round game.

But he recovered strongly and ended the 2025-26 season with 21 goals in 55 appearances in all competitions. And he also picked up a Premier League winner’s medal.

The striker also delivered outstanding displays in both legs of the Champions League semi-final against Atletico Madrid, helping the Gunners reach the final of the competition for only the second time.

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

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

He quickly became a favourite with the Old Trafford crowd, with his mix of flair and imagination leading to comparisons with club icon Eric Cantona.

The Brazil international has also shown a habit of producing in the biggest moments, scoring the winner away to Arsenal and Chelsea, as well as netting the opener in a 3-2 win over Liverpool.

He finished the 2025-26 season with 10 goals and four assists in 33 Premier League appearances, although those figures do not fully capture his influence at United.

Joao Pedro became the latest player to make the familiar move from Brighton to Chelsea, joining the Blues in a transfer worth an initial £55million and £5million in add-ons.

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

The striker then scored 15 Premier League goals in 2025-26, making him the fifth-highest scorer in the division behind Erling Haaland, Igor Thiago, Antoine Semenyo and Ollie Watkins.

He also became only the third player to score 15 non-penalty Premier League goals in his debut season at Stamford Bridge, an even more impressive feat given the turbulence around the club during 2025-26.

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