There have been multiple compelling storylines in the opening seven gameweeks of the 2025/26 Premier League season. Certain teams and players have met expectations or surprised supporters with their performances so far. But others really haven’t lived up to the hype.

When it comes to new signings, the scrutiny is particularly high. Arriving at their new clubs to much fanfare, there might have been hope that they could make an immediate impact. And yet that optimism has given way to frustration and doubts over whether they were really necessary.

One hundred and fifty-five senior transfers were made in the English top flight during the transfer window. And, with over a month of football under their belts, the 12 worst signings have been named and ranked.

Ranking factors

Ranking and positions were considered based on the following factors:

• Transfer fee paid
• Impact so far
• Expectation

12

Harvey Elliott

Signed on an initial loan from Liverpool, Harvey Elliott left Anfield in search of regular minutes and a starting role, something which had eluded him on Merseyside. And considering how well Aston Villa had performed under Unai Emery in 2024/25, there was hope that the midfielder could become the key cog in a quality side’s setup.

That’s not been the case so far, though. While a period of adaptation might be necessary, Elliott has only made one start in his first three league matches at Villa Park, and he was withdrawn at half-time in that tie against Fulham. While there’s optimism that the 22-year-old will come good, it’s not been too encouraging so far.

11

Anthony Elanga

Anthony Elanga established himself as one of the Premier League’s most dangerous wingers under Nuno Espirito Santo at Nottingham Forest. Six goals and 11 assists, along with his blistering pace, demonstrated what he could add to any team. And while a few eyebrows were raised over the £55m price tag that Newcastle paid to sign the Sweden international, there was little question over his quality.

But it’s been an uncharacteristically slow start to life at St James’ Park for Elanga. Seven appearances have not yet yielded a goal or an assist, and his performances have been labelled “underwhelming.” Considering the fee paid, he needs to be showing Eddie Howe more if he wants to keep his place in the side.

10

Armando Broja

Armando Broja was a highly-rated prospect, having come through Chelsea’s esteemed Cobham academy. But his career so far has been plagued by injuries, both at his boyhood club and during loans to Southampton, Fulham and Everton.

With less than 900 minutes of Premier League football under his belt in the last two seasons, Burnley’s decision to agree a deal which could potentially be worth £20m is a strange one. The talent is there, but the consistency and the availability make it hard to justify quite a hefty outlay. With just 45 minutes in three Premier League games, none of which are starts, the signing looks more questionable with every passing week.

9

Aaron Ramsdale

Southampton’s relegation from the Premier League meant several of their stars were expected to move this summer, including Aaron Ramsdale. Although the 27-year-old has been relegated with four different clubs, he has proven over the years that he is a Premier League caliber goalkeeper who can make excellent stops.

Having lost out on James Trafford to Manchester City, Newcastle elected to sign Ramsdale on loan, paying a reported loan fee of £4m and covering his wages. They hoped that he could compete with Nick Pope for the starting job in goal, but the former Arsenal man hasn’t dislodged his teammate just yet. So far, the Magpies are paying a meaningful sum for a back-up — hardly value for money.

8

Kevin Danso

Although Kevin Danso joined Tottenham on loan in February this year, the Lilywhites decided to make the move permanent in June, paying £21m to bring him in from Lens. There had been some encouraging signs during the initial loan, as the Austrian international made 10 league appearances.

And while the defender has been brought in mainly to be a back-up to first-choice centre-backs Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven, even Danso will be surprised by the lack of minutes which have fallen his way. He’s made just one start, against Bodo/Glimt in the Champions League, and didn’t really show why he deserves more than the 18 Premier League minutes he’s got so far.

7

Florian Wirtz

Look, nobody is questioning Florian Wirtz’s ability. After all, we’ve all seen what he can do with multiple incredible performances for Bayer Leverkusen, which established him as one of the most exciting midfielders in world football. What we can all definitively say, though, is that the £116m Liverpool signing has not delivered so far.

Wirtz has looked short of confidence and seems like he’s still trying to figure out where he fits into Arne Slot’s tactical set-up, with Jamie Carragher even calling for the manager to drop the German. Given his reputation and the fact he will likely come good, we’re not putting him any higher just yet. But if this form persists, then he’ll find himself closer to the number one spot as the season rumbles on.

6

Jadon Sancho

This entire deal screamed ‘panic’ at the time and very little has happened since then to dissuade fans of that. Jadon Sancho’s loan deal from Manchester United went through on deadline day, with the Aston Villa hierarchy deciding he was the man they needed to add additional depth out wide. That was in spite of Chelsea paying a £5m penalty to escape their obligation to buy clause for the player after he enjoyed a decent, but unremarkable spell at Stamford Bridge.

Presently, unremarkable is probably the best way to describe Sancho’s move to date. He’s made just one start for the club in the League Cup and hardly got rave reviews for his performance. With Villa paying him 80% of his Manchester United salary, the only solace right now is that it wasn’t a permanent move.

5

Oleksandr Zinchenko

Nottingham Forest have been in free fall at the start of the new term. Nuno Espirito Santo was let go, Ange Postecoglou came in, and results have been terrible since then. It’s hardly what Oleksandr Zinchenko would have expected when he joined the club on loan.

The Ukrainian was something of a panic deal, as the Tricky Trees had been looking to sign Javi Galan from Atletico Madrid before that move fell through on deadline day. But Zinchenko is a poor fit for Forest’s present setup, with him ill-suited to playing in a high defensice line that Postecoglou loves to deploy due to lapses in defensive judgement. That was highlighted against Real Betis in the Europa League, and it won’t be the last time that will be exploited if he features.

4

Jamie Gittens

It was no secret that Chelsea needed to sign a left-winger in the transfer window, with Jadon Sancho not making much of a mark and Mykhailo Mudryk sidelined with a suspension after testing positive for a prohibited substance. The club settled on Jamie Gittens as a target, building on their policy of signing young players who could grow into potential stars.

Brought to the club from Borussia Dortmund for a deal which could potentially be worth £52m, the English youngster has looked very raw. With no goals or assists in his first five Premier League games, Gittens needs to develop quickly if he wants to justify the fee paid for him and displace fellow new signing, Alejandro Garnacho.

3

Mads Hermansen

Mads Hermansen had showed promise at Leicester City in 2024/25, despite the Foxes getting relegated. West Ham signed the Denmark international for £20m, believing that he could be a replacement for the outgoing Lukasz Fabianski and their long-term goalkeeper.

But it’s been an awful start to the new season for the 25-year-old. Starting the first four games of the league season, Hermansen conceded 11 times, which included some high-profile mistakes in the Irons’ match against Chelsea. Now, Alphonse Areola is back between the sticks as the starting goalkeeper, while his supposed replacement is on the bench.