LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - AUGUST 29: Victor Munoz of Liverpool celebrates scoring his team???s second goal during the Premier League 2026/27 match between Liverpool FC and Nottingham Forest FC at Anfield on August 29, 2026 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images)
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - AUGUST 29: Victor Munoz of Liverpool celebrates scoring his team???s second goal during the Premier League 2026/27 match between Liverpool FC and Nottingham Forest FC at Anfield on August 29, 2026 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images)
The summer sales are over and it’s time to see which Premier League clubs have spent most wisely.
Who nabbed a bargain? Were your team implicated in a daylight robbery, or have they been sold down the river?
It’s way too early to tell, but that hasn’t stopped us rushing to judgment and picking out our ten favourite deals.
Bruno Guimaraes, Arsenal
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BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND - AUGUST 31: Bruno Guimaraes of Arsenal during the Premier League 2026/27 match between Aston Villa FC and Arsenal FC at Villa Park on August 31, 2026 in Birmingham, England. (Photo by David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
Bruno Guimaraes looks a perfect fit for Arsenal (Picture: Getty)
Arsenal spent the summer chasing a marquee signing but while Vinicius Jr eluded them, his Brazil team-mate seems much more up their street anyway. A 30-minute cameo at Villa on Monday showcased the kind of incisive line-breaking passes this Gunners team haven’t really had before.
But Bruno’s leadership and more combative qualities, epitomised by his captaincy of Newcastle’s dogs of war, are ones Mikel Arteta’s men already boast in abundance. The rich just keep getting richer.
Julio Enciso, Ipswich
Julio Enciso of Ipswich Town at full time - Manchester United v Ipswich Town, Premier League, Old Trafford, Manchester, UK - 30th August 2026 Editorial Use Only - DataCo restrictions apply, No free usage or syndication, standard fees apply.
Julio Enciso of Ipswich Town at full time - Manchester United v Ipswich Town, Premier League, Old Trafford, Manchester, UK - 30th August 2026 Editorial Use Only - DataCo restrictions apply, No free usage or syndication, standard fees apply.
A mercurial South American No.10 who excelled at the World Cup is the archetypal disastrous signing for a club likely to be fighting for survival. And yet no one who saw Enciso’s extraordinary off-ball industry in Paraguay’s shock summer win over Germany will have any doubts about his willingness to roll his sleeves up and get stuck in to a seemingly lost cause.
The opening week of the season has also showcased his ability, with the 22-year-old creating two of Ipswich’s four goals so far.
Ayyoub Bouaddi, Manchester City
Ayyoub Bouaddi of Manchester City
Ayyoub Bouaddi looks perfectly cut out for the Premier League (Credits: Michael Zemanek/Shutterstock)
Sometimes it only takes a moment. Watching this teenager casually run the midfield for Morocco in their World Cup game with Brazil was enough to convince me he’s a future great. It could be a flash in the pan but a Champions League debut at 16 and 63 Ligue 1 games before his 19th birthday suggest otherwise.
The young man team-mates call ‘Einstein’ is combining his football with remote studies for a degree in mathematics. Rodri leaves huge boots to fill at the Etihad but you suspect it’s a prospect that won’t faze Bouaddi.
Mamadou Sangare, Brentford
BRENTFORD, ENGLAND - AUGUST 22: Mamadou Sangare of Brentford controls the ball during the Premier League 2026/27 match between Brentford and Tottenham Hotspur at Gtech Community Stadium on August 22, 2026 in Brentford, England. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
BRENTFORD, ENGLAND - AUGUST 22: Mamadou Sangare of Brentford controls the ball during the Premier League 2026/27 match between Brentford and Tottenham Hotspur at Gtech Community Stadium on August 22, 2026 in Brentford, England. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
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The Bees have done it again, haven’t they? It took one midfield masterclass (against Spurs, admittedly) for fans of big-six clubs spending huge money on all manner of sixes and eights to ask ‘hang on, why didn’t we buy him?’.
At £41m from a Lens side who pushed PSG close for the French title, signing Sangare was hardly like finding a pebble on a beach but the way the 24-year-old Mali man ran the show against Tonali and co was particularly eye-catching.
Victor Munoz, Liverpool
Soccer Football - Premier League - Liverpool v Nottingham Forest - Anfield, Liverpool, Britain - August 29, 2026 Liverpool's Victor Munoz celebrates scoring their second goal REUTERS/Scott Heppell EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NO USE WITH UNAUTHORIZED AUDIO, VIDEO, DATA, FIXTURE LISTS, CLUB/LEAGUE LOGOS OR 'LIVE' SERVICES. ONLINE IN-MATCH USE LIMITED TO 120 IMAGES, NO VIDEO EMULATION. NO USE IN BETTING, GAMES OR SINGLE CLUB/LEAGUE/PLAYER PUBLICATIONS. PLEASE CONTACT YOUR ACCOUNT REPRESENTATIVE FOR FURTHER DETAILS..
Victor Munoz scored his first Liverpool goal in a draw against Nottingham Forest (Credits: REUTERS)
Liverpool’s big bucks went on Bradley Barcola but, as Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak showed last season, that is no guarantee of success. Munoz cost under £40m from the modest La Liga surroundings of Osasuna and was an unused substitute in Spain’s successful World Cup tilt.
Any suggestion of rust was dispelled when the flame-haired winger came off the bench to win a vital late penalty in the draw at Newcastle, then celebrated his first start with a lovely turn and smart finish in the stalemate with Nottingham Forest. An encouraging start.
Emi Martinez, Chelsea
LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 30: Emiliano Martinez, goalkeeper of Chelsea applauds the fans after winning the Premier League 2026/27 match between Chelsea FC and Brighton & Hove Albion at Stamford Bridge on August 30, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Nigel French/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 30: Emiliano Martinez, goalkeeper of Chelsea applauds the fans after winning the Premier League 2026/27 match between Chelsea FC and Brighton & Hove Albion at Stamford Bridge on August 30, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Nigel French/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images)
Plenty has been made of the many deals done between Aston Villa and Chelsea in recent seasons and £7.5million for one of the Premier League’s most reliable goalkeepers certainly raises eyebrows.
The one position Chelsea have refused to invest heavily in during the BlueCo era has remained their one glaring area of weakness. In World Cup-winner Martinez they’ve probably managed to fix it while again avoiding serious expense.
Thomas Meunier, Sunderland
Daizen Maeda of Ipswich Town in action with Thomas Meunier of Sunderland
Thomas Meunier will bring plenty of experience to Sunderland’s defence (Credits: Alan Walter/Shutterstock)
Nothing flashy about this one but, at 6ft 3in tall and with the stamina to get up and down the right flank, Meunier is made for the Premier League. The only surprise is that it’s taken the right-back from Belgium’s ‘golden generation’ until near his 35th birthday to get here.
Is it too late? Possibly. but Meunier arrived on Teesside on a free and Granit Xhaka proved last season Sunderland has the infrastructure in place for quality players seemingly in the twilight of their careers to thrive.
Mateus Fernandes, Tottenham
LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 29: Mateus Fernandes of Tottenham Hotspur during the Premier League 2026/27 match between Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on August 29, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Shaun Brooks - CameraSport via Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 29: Mateus Fernandes of Tottenham Hotspur during the Premier League 2026/27 match between Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on August 29, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Shaun Brooks - CameraSport via Getty Images)
What to make of Roberto De Zerbi’s supermarket sweep? Not much on early evidence. So picking out a man whose two previous Premier League campaigns have both ended in relegation seems a bit perverse. But there’s something about Fernandes.
It’s there in the unfussy way he receives and passes the ball in tight spaces, seemingly unfazed by the chaos happening around him. Qualities which will come in handy at Spurs this season.
Nico Gonzalez, Newcastle
LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 29: Nico Gonzalez of Newcastle United under pressure from Mateus Fernandes of Tottenham Hotspur during the Premier League 2026/27 match between Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on August 29, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 29: Nico Gonzalez of Newcastle United under pressure from Mateus Fernandes of Tottenham Hotspur during the Premier League 2026/27 match between Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on August 29, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images)
We are slaves to premature opinions in the first days of September, but don’t look Newcastle look so much more refreshed and inspired than in the dying months of the Howe era? Matthias Jaissle cuts a confident jib on the touchline, they play with real purpose and the early signs are their recruitment has been very good.
[Arsenal's Spanish manager Mikel Arteta applauds fans after the English Premier League football match between Aston Villa and Arsenal at Villa Park in Birmingham, central England on August 31, 2026. Arsenal won the game 1-0. (Photo by Darren Staples / AFP via Getty Images) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. /
Arsenal's Spanish manager Mikel Arteta applauds fans after the English Premier League football match between Aston Villa and Arsenal at Villa Park in Birmingham, central England on August 31, 2026. Arsenal won the game 1-0. (Photo by Darren Staples / AFP via Getty Images) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. /](https://metro.co.uk/2026/09/01/mikel-arteta-sends-message-viktor-gyokeres-arsenal-allow-star-leave-29507235/)
Lukas Hornicek looks dominant in goal, Amar Dedic a tireless presence on the right flank and Sean Steur a precocious midfield talent. Gonzalez is the one new arrival with Premier League experience and, in the win at Tottenham, it showed. The Spaniard slotted straight in just days after arriving on Tyneside, controlling the tempo and nonchalantly pinging cross-field bombs to ignite attacks.
Konstantinos Tzolakis, Hull
HULL, ENGLAND - AUGUST 22: Konstantinos Tzolakis of Hull City during the Premier League 2026/27 match between Hull City and Manchester United at MKM Stadium on August 22, 2026 in Hull, England. (Photo by Molly Darlington/Getty Images)
HULL, ENGLAND - AUGUST 22: Konstantinos Tzolakis of Hull City during the Premier League 2026/27 match between Hull City and Manchester United at MKM Stadium on August 22, 2026 in Hull, England. (Photo by Molly Darlington/Getty Images)
Two teams have yet to concede a goal in the top flight so far this season. One are the defending champions with three-time Golden Glove winner David Raya in goal. The other rely on Tzolakis to keep the opposition at bay. Hull’s pre-season prospects were so bleak they were being measured up for the all-time dunce’s cap currently worn by 2009 Derby County.
Instead they have six points and two clean sheets, with their 23-year-old Greek custodian, a club-record signing from Olympiakos, looking the pick of an excellent recruitment class.
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