How different things might have been for West Ham this season as the Premier League’s top 20 signings are named – and the Hammers could have had five of them.
Nuno Espirito Santo inherited a mess from the hapless Graham Potter when he arrived at West Ham at the end of September.
In fairness to Potter, he himself wasn’t helped by the car crash of a rebuild that preceded him as Tim Steidten and Julen Lopetegui largely squandered £155m.
Potter somehow made things worse, though, leaving Nuno with an imbalanced squad sorely lacking in depth and quality.
West Ham missed out on four of the Premier League’s best players this season
Nuno was able to finally address that during last month’s winter window, bringing in five players.
But West Ham’s season could have been so different had the club and Potter pulled the trigger on a number of deals that had been lined up.
Only two Liverpool stars have a HIGHER FotMob rating than Matty! 🤯
Surely you wouldn't swap him for Gravenberch?
West Ham United's Mateus Fernandes celebrates scoring his side's third goal during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Sunderland at London Stadium on January 24, 2026 in London, England.
In fact West Ham could’ve had five of the Premier League’s top 20 signings of the season if reports from the summer were accurate.
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There may still be three months left of the campaign, but The Telegraph has named the top 20 signings of the season.
Malick Diouf playing for West Ham against Leeds.
Photo by OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images
A top West Ham scout’s stock has risen after one of the club’s acquisitions was named on the list.
El Hadji Malick Diouf was named the 16th best signing of the season, meaning the Hammers did have one name on the list.
But there could and should be more where that came from.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall
West Ham were heavily linked with Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall all last January and again in the summer.
Chelsea flop Dewsbury-Hall was available and reportedly wanted to join West Ham.
But the Hammers baulked at the former Leicester star’s fee and former West Ham boss David Moyes swooped to take him to Everton for £24m instead.
Dewsbury-Hall has been a revelation for the Blues, making that price-tag look a bargain as one of the most productive players in the top flight this season.
The Telegraph has named Dewsbury-Hall the 19th best signing of the season, highlighting the fact no player has scored more Premier League goals for Everton this season than Dewsbury-Hall (5), while being fourth for expected assists (3.38), third for chances created (24), joint-first for through-balls (8), and third for possession won in the final third (13).
Could Eli Junior Kroupi be West Ham’s biggest ever ‘one that got away’?
The Hammers agreed a £35m fee for him…
Eli Junior Kroupi of AFC Bournemouth celebrates scoring his team's first goal during the Premier League match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Bournemouth at Molineux on January 31, 2026 in Wolverhampton, England.
Eli Junior Kroupi
Missing out on Eli Junior Kroupi is the one that perhaps stings the most for West Ham fans.
West Ham were chasing Kroupi from last January, all the way through to the summer window.
So Hammers supporters felt it was a carve-up that Bournemouth were able to sign the brilliant French striker sensation for less than the Hammers offered due to their owners being involved with Lorient too.
There is no doubt West Ham would be nowhere near the relegation zone had they benefited from Kroupi’s brilliance this season.
The 19-year-old appears set for stardom and has been named the 13th best Premier League signing in the report, which points out that of the players with 25 plus shots in the Premier League this season, Kroupi has the best conversion rate, scoring eight goals from his 26 efforts (30.77 per cent).
Dominic Calvert-Lewin celebrates scoring for Leeds United
Photo by Jon Hobley/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Dominic Calvert-Lewin
Former Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin was linked with a move to West Ham in just about every transfer window for the last three years until joining Leeds on a free in the summer.
The ex England forward was offered to the Hammers again in the summer.
Hammers News exclusively revealed West Ham’s owners snubbed Calvert-Lewin due to his injury record.
The Hammers have been left red-faced at that decision, though, with the capture proving inspired business which looks set to keep Leeds up – possibly at West Ham’s expense at the time of writing.
Calvert-Lewin has been named the 12th best signing of the season with the report pointing out he has won the second most aerial duels (81) among forwards and has the second most headed goals (3).
Calvert-Lewin has also scored the joint-most goals from inside the six-yard box with five. He has scored over a quarter of Leeds’ Premier League goals this season, one of only four players to do so in 2025-26.
Granit Xhaka
Many Hammers fans turned their noses up at the prospect of bringing experienced midfielder Granit Xhaka back to the Premier League last summer.
West Ham were reportedly very interested in Xhaka on a free but Sunderland pushed harder and he has been the star turn at the Stadium of Light.
The Hammers actually did some excellent business signing young midfield duo Mateus Fernandes and Soungoutou Magassa.
But there was definitely room for an experienced head like Xhaka in the middle of the park, especially during the dark days of a dismal winter period in east London.
Ex Arsenal star Xhaka has been rated the second best signing of the season and it is highlighted that he ranks first for Sunderland in terms of passes (1,176), chances created from set-plays (11), assists (5), and also second for total chances created (25).
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