Premier League club transfer grades: Four get As, two given Es

02.09.2025 - 16:14 | source: Transfermarkt | Reading Time: 9 mins

All 20 clubs

Premier League transfer grades - Every club's summer window rated with four As and three Es

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The summer transfer window has finally closed and, for some Premier League clubs, it will come as a welcome relief. The clamour for new signings was arguably higher than ever in 2025, with the 20 English clubs splashing out a record €3.58billion between them. In fact, nine of the top 10 spending clubs in Europe's top five leagues were from England, highlighting the sheer wealth and financial muscle that exists in the top flight.

The distractions of players' futures and new signings to gel into the squad is inevitable when the season starts towards the tail end of the window. But now that it's over, managers can concentrate on getting things right on the training pitch when they return after the international break in 10 days' time. As ever, some clubswere busier than others. But who got their business spot on, preparing them for the trials and tribulations of the nine-month domestic campaign? Transfermarkt has got you covered, analysing all 20 Premier League clubs' windows with a grade between A-F.

Disclaimer: The opinions included in this article and attributable grades are solely the opinion of the author and not necessarily representative of Transfermarkt.

Mikel Arteta finally has a regular goalscorer up front in Viktor Gyökeres, a Bukayo Saka deputy in Noni Madueke and the midfield orchestrator, Eberechi Eze. He also brought in two talented defenders, Piero Hincapié and Cristhian Mosquera, while successfully moving on some of the dead wood in the squad. But after spending another €293.5m this summer, questions will inevitably be asked of Arteta if the Gunners aren't challenging for the Premier League title.

Aston Villa: C

The end of the window looks a lot more promising for Unai Emery after snapping up Jadon Sancho and Harvey Elliott on loan, in addition to Evann Guessand joining in August. The Villains spent most of the summer hamstrung by PSR issues, but some shrewd negotiating got them the players they needed to replace returning loanees Marco Asensio and Marcus Rashford. Plus, goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez signed a new contract instead of joining Manchester United.

If there's any positives for Bournemouth fans to take from this summer, it's that the model is working. Ilya Zabarnyi, Dean Huijsen, Milos Kerkez and Dango Ouattara were signed for modest fees and sold for significant amounts. All six of their arrivals were under the age of 25 and with a net profit of €100m, the Cherries will be content with their business - Ben Doak and Djordje Petrovic the highlights - although their squad looks now considerably weaker for Andoni Iraola.

Brentford: E

As soon as Thomas Frank left, it was bedlam in the Brentford bee hive. Bryan Mbeumo, Yoane Wissa, Christian Nørgaard and Mark Flekken all departed, eroding the backbone of the team. New signing Ouattara has opened his account for the club, while Antoni Milambo and Michael Kayode are rated highly as future prospects. But there's a reason why Keith Andrews' side are relegation candidates and the west Londoners have done little to address the gaping holes in the squad.

Brighton: D

João Pedro is gone, their squad depth has thinned and the Seagulls have predominantly focused on snapping up promising talent. The only relic of joy for Fabian Hurzeler is that he managed to keep Carlos Baleba out of the clutches of Europe's elite. Brighton know how to extract profit from their talented squad, and the 2-1 win over Manchester City suggests they have enough quality. But their reliance on unproven youth such as Stefanos Tzimas and Charalampos Kostoulas could be their undoing this year.

If you told Burnley fans a year ago they would be promoted with Kyle Walker, Lesley Ugochukwu, Florentino Luís and Armando Broja in their squad, they might have laughed. But it's the reality for Scott Parker's men, who have spent their funds wisely on established players without breaking the bank. Of course, 14 new players represents a lot of turnover, but the Clarets have given themselves a fighting chance of avoid the drop.

Chelsea: C

It looked so promising in the early weeks of the window when João Pedro, Jamie Gittens and Jorrel Hato arrived along with Brazilian sensation Estevão. But Chelsea's window descended into farce with the Nicolas Jackson saga, which forced them to recall Marc Guiu from a one-month loan spell at Sunderland. They then curiously signed Facundo Buonanotte on loan - having been linked with big-money deals for Xavi Simons and Fermín López. For once, they've been outspent and those title aspirations now look less likely.

Crystal Palace: D

Late on Monday, it was reported that Oliver Glasner had threatened to walk out if Marc Guéhi was sold, which just about sums up the drama of Palace's summer. Their fans will be relieved and disappointed in equal measure, knowing that their captain is staying until January at least. But the failure to find a replacement is a failure on the Eagles' part. Yeremy Pino is a fine replacement for Eberechi Eze, although their squad is one or two injuries away from a crisis.

David Moyes has revitalised the Toffees with some smart additions, bringing in Premier League stalwarts Jack Grealish and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, while bolstering their attack by signing Thierno Barry. They also managed to keep Jarrad Branthwaite, which is just as important to their future as capturing starlets Tyler Dibling and Adam Aznou. Exciting times lie ahead for Everton fans, and it's been a long time since anyone said that.

Fulham: D

Marco Silva's frustrations appeared to be reaching boiling point after failing to secure the targets he wanted. But on deadline day, the Portuguese managed to get some new faces in - club-record buy Kevin arrived from Shakhtar Donetsk, with Samuel Chukwueze from AC Milan and Jonah Kusi-Asare from Bayern Munich signing on loan respectively. That said, there's a feeling that the Cottagers aren't really much stronger than they were last season.

Leeds: B

Eight signings totalling just over €100m, with a mixture of youth, Premier League experience and Daniel Farke's Bundesliga expertise. What more could Leeds fans ask for? Despite rumours that their American owners would splash out on big names, the biggest fee spent is €20m on Anton Stach, offering a sensible and measured approach for a newly-promoted side. Whether it will be enough to keep them up is another matter, but Leeds fans can have no complaints with how their summer has gone.

Liverpool: A

Arne Slot has the potential to dominate English football for years to come after a shopping spree that would make Jurgen Klopp envious. Alexander Isak's deadline-day switch took their spending to €481.9m after Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitiké, Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez. The only blot against them is the failure to capture Guehi, as Crystal Palace didn't have sufficient time to find a replacement. But for Slot, attack appears to be the best form of defence.

Despite their reputation for splashing the cash, City were surprisingly shrewd with their money this summer. Rayan Cherki, Tijjani Reijnders and late arrival Gianluigi Donnarumma cost roughly the same amount combined as Liverpool's Wirtz, with Rayan Aït-Nouri and James Trafford improving their strength in depth. But without a star signing - Rodrygo was heavily linked - can Pep Guardiola really be expected to bridge the ever-widening gap to Liverpool?

Rúben Amorim may be faltering in the dugout, but the higher ups at Old Trafford carried out the job asked of them this summer. Matheus Cunha and Mbeumo are excellent signings, if not for inflated fees, and the capture of Senne Lammens will prove to be a shrewd deal for years to come. All of that while managing to offload Rasmus Højlund and Antony - two expensive failures signed during Erik ten Hag's reign. And yet, things don't appear to have improved in terms of results just yet.

The ugly saga involving Isak concluded with a bitter 37-word statement and a British record transfer fee of €145m. But Newcastle have spent the funds wisely, sanctioning the club's biggest-ever transfer for Nick Woltemade - chased by Bayern Munich for much of the summer - and 19-goal Wissa from Brentford. The Magpies sprung a surprise by moving for Malick Thiaw, while Jacob Ramsey and Anthony Elanga add more variety to Eddie Howe's squad options. But the pain from Isak's exit will be felt for many months.

Nottingham Forest: C

There's no rhyme or reason to the way Forest operate in the market, it's just pure chaos. No fewer than 13 new players turned up at the training ground this summer and four of them came from John Textor's Botafogo. Four wingers signed too, ranging from Dan Ndoye to Omari Hutchinson. Keeping Morgan Gibbs-White was crucial for their season, but the growing friction between Nuno Espirito Santo and owner Evangelos Marinakis has the potential to ruin it.

Sunderland: A

A stunning window for the Black Cats and arguably one of the best in recent memory for a promoted side, to the extent that no one even mentions Jobe Bellingham anymore. Swooping for Granit Xhaka was a sign of their ambition and they matched with a string of impressive additions: Habib Diarra, Simon Adingra, Nordi Mukiele, Brian Brobbey, Chemsdine Talbi and Lutsharel Geertruida all represent huge upgrades for Régis Le Bris.

Thomas Frank was an excellent hire from Spurs and their recruitment under the Dane has been similarly impressive. Yes, Eze slipped through their grasp but they did beat Chelsea to Xavi Simons without overpaying. Randal Kolo Muani on a straight loan is a fantastic deal, as shown by his form for Juventus last year, while Mohammed Kudus is a guaranteed dangerman on the right flank. The experience of João Palhinha in the middle cannot be understated too.

West Ham: E

It's a bleak time to be a West Ham fan, with goals leaking left, right and centre. Their transfer business offered little reprieve and was only salvaged by the signings of Mateus Fernandes and Soungoutou Magassa to strengthen their porous midfield. There are already doubts about Mads Hermansen in goal and the €40m spent on Jean-Clair Todibo. And the failed attempt to sign Charlie Cresswell summed up a frustrating summer for Graham Potter's side.

Wolves: E

Losing Cunha and Ait-Nouri so early in the summer set the alarm bells ringing at Molineux, but it at least gave Wolves time to find replacements. The only question is what to expect from the likes of Tolu Arokodare, Fer Lopez and Jhon Arias. None of their six signings came from Premier League clubs, giving Vitor Pereira a bit of an unknown as they head into a tough relegation battle.

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