Thousands of deals and $8 billion-plus in transfer fees later, the entertaining 2025 summer transfer has officially come to a close, even if a few lingering deal sheets mean a handful of teams will be working past the deadline. With most of the business complete across Europe’s top five leagues, though, out goes the time for deal-making and in comes the time to judge how these teams went about their business.
Attacking talent was clearly top of mind for some of Europe’s most notable clubs, with Liverpool leading the pack by spending $565 million on summer signings, most of it on goalscorers, including deadline day arrival Alexander Isak. Each of England’s traditional top six, though, dipped into the continental market to bring new standouts to the Premier League, inspiring a chain reaction that resulted in major deals across Europe’s top five leagues. Many top clubs, as a result, exit the transfer window with plenty of fresh new players on the roster – but whether or not they addressed all of their needs is a different story.
In some cases, it will be too early to judge some of these teams’ windows and some of the individual players who have taken an upward mobility-themed approach to their summertime moves. Most of these transfers will land somewhere in between, but even at this early stage of the season, though, some deals feel like no-brainers no matter the cost, while others feel like clear head-scratchers.
With the window closed, here are some superlatives from a memorable summer of deals.
Best signing: Hugo Ekitike, Liverpool
This one feels almost like a dead heat between Hugo Ekitike and fellow Liverpool newcomer Florian Wirtz, each of whom fetched over $100 million in transfer fees and seem to be worth every penny. Wirtz feels like one of the sport’s next superstars, but based on a very small sample size, Ekitike edges his new teammate out. The 23-year-old has adjusted quickly to life in England with two goals and one assist in three Premier League matches, proving the Reds’ scouting department right quickly. Ekitike may not have had a huge profile this time last year, but his strong season with Eintracht Frankfurt seems not to have been a fluke.
Best deadline day signing: Alexander Isak, Liverpool
Maybe a Liverpool team that includes Ekitike, Wirtz, Mohamed Salah and Isak does not make a ton of sense but for simple entertainment value, this is a fun transfer. It is fairly reasonable to envision the Reds turning into their own version of Real Madrid after Los Blancos signed Kylian Mbappe, their imbalance impossible to overcome and forcing a rethink of their approach. Isak’s inherent quality makes him a worthy player to be the Premier League’s new record signing, but the story of his signing is that manager Arne Slot will have to find a way to make it all work. That’s an incredibly fascinating challenge, no matter how it all goes.
Worst signing: Benjamin Sesko, Manchester United
Does this feel harsh? Undoubtedly, but someone has to earn the dishonor of being the ultimate failure to launch. The theme of this summer was buzzy forwards hoping to live up to the billing with a move to England, millions of dollars splashed by Liverpool on Ekitike, Manchester United on Benjamin Sesko, Arsenal on Viktor Gyokeres and Newcastle United on Nike Woltemade. Ekitike feels out of the running in this category but unfortunately for the other three, they are high risk, high reward signings and if things do not pan out, they will find themselves on a list just like this one, retrospectively deeming them a waste of money. Sesko is the frontrunner here, some of it out of his own control – the pressure of being a No. 9 at United can be stifling and it seems like a bad fit for a player who is understandably the unfinished product at 22 years old. Manager Ruben Amorim has not been inclined to call upon Sesko so far this season, the Slovenia international going 10th in their shootout against Grimsby Town. Whether that is a managerial quirk or a reflection of Sesko’s quality, though, is worth asking.
Best value: Xavi Simons, Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur could take home the prize for weirdest transfer window, missing out on Morgan Gibbs-White and Eberechi Eze but managing to stockpile attackers by signing Mathys Tel, Mohamed Kudus and Randal Kolo Muani this summer. The headlining act, though, is very easily Xavi Simons from RB Leipzig, who will serve as the James Maddison replacement they have needed for a month since the Englishman tore his ACL. Spurs stumbled into the deal, Eze reneging at the last moment after Arsenal swiftly and successfully inquired about his availability, and the team was also linked to Aston Villa‘s Morgan Rogers. Simons probably should have been at the top of their list, though – he is younger than both (five whole years younger than Eze in particular) and after sending $70 million Leipzig’s way, is undoubtedly more affordable than the other two, who would have come with the Premier League upcharge. Simons takes Spurs’ window from average to promising all by himself, a perfect bang-for-your-buck option for a team that is a step or two behind England’s best but should be ambitious in their own right.
Best USMNT transfer: Malik Tillman, Bayer Leverkusen
U.S. men’s national team players were busy making moves over the last few months but if this summer belonged to anyone, it was Malik Tillman. His showing with the national team during the Concacaf Gold Cup makes him a real contender to be a starter in time for the 2026 World Cup, while a move to Bayer Leverkusen will allow him to put that to the test. A sudden managerial change may complicate matters but likely regardless of who succeeds Erik ten Hag, Tillman is the player designated to fill the Wirtz-shaped hole. This version of Leverkusen does not resemble the double-winning team from two seasons ago, hopefully making the pressures more reasonable for all involved and really allowing Tillman to succeed after making the jump from PSV.
Redeemed on deadline day: Aston Villa
Just about 24 hours ago, Aston Villa were about to win the award for worst transfer window handily. They may have kept most of their players but they did not replenish their squad at all, likely due to the pressures of the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules. They enter the international break with zero points and zero goals scored, too, an unexpectedly paltry showing from last season’s sixth-best team. They may have redeemed themselves ever so slightly with their deadline day business – they will take a couple of wantaways off Manchester United’s hands by signing Victor Lindelof and Jadon Sancho, for starters. More notably, though, midfielder Harvey Elloit will join the team from Liverpool and goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez is staying put, even if manager Unai Emery’s weird exchange with a journalist on Sunday made it seem like the World Cup winner would be off to United. It is enough business to avoid catastrophe though whether or not it was actually a good window is an entirely different question.
Most needed transfer: Jack Grealish, Everton
Jack Grealish became the latest player chewed up and spit out by Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, so the England international was in desperate need of a move just to have the chance to prove he’s still got it. An ambitious Everton team, then, feels like a perfect move – the Toffees have six points out of a total nine to start the season and in two Premier League starts, Grealish already has four assists.
Still stranded on a deserted island: Raheem Sterling, Chelsea
While Grealish has a chance to remind onlookers of his quality, not everyone was so lucky. Raheem Sterling is twisting in the wind at Chelsea, who were unable to secure a deal for the attacker before the deadline closed despite the fact that he is unlikely to play a sizable role for the Blues this summer. It is not a terribly surprising outcome for Sterling, whose star has fallen considerably over the last few years but it means if he is to earn real playing time this season, it will likely be outside Europe’s top five leagues.
Most dramatic saga: Alexander Isak, Liverpool
It may not have involved fax machine-related accusations or members of staff pressing the wrong buttons but Alexander Isak did his best to keep everyone entertained, long before he donned Liverpool’s famous red jersey. Training on his own and missing Newcastle United’s preseason tour of Asia was merely scratching the surface – you know a transfer saga is going to be good if a player is posting a statement on their Instagram Stories about broken promises and reportedly listing his home on the rental market. It all worked out in the end for Isak, and there’s an argument to be made that all parties involved got what they wanted. The greatest perk, though, is that Isak does not have to deal with the potential awkwardness of wanting his house back!
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