With a new Premier League season comes a raft of new exciting summer signings eager to set the division alight.
It's been an enthralling transfer window for the Premier League clubs with the Alexander Isak saga finally being wrapped up at the 11th hour. Tottenham, Arsenal, Newcastle, Manchester United and Manchester City have all forked out hefty sums to bolster their squads, while Burnley have made a fist of survival in spending well over £100m on new additions.
Last season we saw the likes of Liam Delap, Elliot Anderson, Nikola Milenkovic and Dean Huijsen impress at their new clubs, but who will be the standout signings of the 2025/26 campaign?
The bet365 News team have their say.
Xavi Simons - Tottenham Hotspur
Liam Williams
Heading into the UEFA Champions League with a new manager, it’s understandable why Tottenham fans were so frustrated with their summer activity – or lack thereof.
Mohammed Kudus was an excellent addition, as was Joao Palhinha on a risk-free loan deal, but the move to bring Xavi Simons turns an okay transfer window into a good one, and puts them in pole position to finish in the Premier League top five.
It doesn’t look like the most considered move having been jilted by Morgan Gibbs-White and Eberechi Eze earlier in the window, but they’ve probably stumbled upon the best option of all their attacking midfielder targets.
A number of clubs were linked with Simons after what was something of a down season at RB Leipzig, where the club as a whole struggled, but the season before, the Dutchman was sensational.
Tottenham have got a number 10 who’s both an elite dribbler and passer and adds the creativity Thomas Frank desperately needed.
Frank has proven himself an excellent tactician at Brentford, capable of extracting more from his teams than the sum of its parts, but to take Tottenham to the next level, more quality was required.
The likes of Palhinha, Rodrigo Bentancur, Lucas Bergvall, Yves Bissouma and Pape Sarr provide a solid base in midfield which gives Simons the platform to operate at his creative best.
He may have taken longer to come than the fans would have liked, but Simons will be well worth the wait.
Granit Xhaka - Sunderland
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William Dobbie
During a summer window that saw the British transfer record broken on two occasions, Sunderland’s modest €15m capture of Granit Xhaka will prove to be the signing of the season.
The brief at the Stadium of Light is pretty straightforward – stay in the Premier League.
It’s a feat that no promoted team has managed since Nottingham Forest in 2022/23 but the Black Cats have made an excellent start - a start that Xhaka has been central to.
At 32 years old, there is no hiding that Xhaka is very much a signing for the here and now. He’s been brought in to make an instant impact on the pitch and has so far played every single minute in the league.
Regis Le Bris made Xhaka his captain before the start of the campaign, citing consistency, maturity, influence and leadership as reasons for his appointment.
Sunderland’s 2-1 victory over Brentford on Saturday shows exactly why this was a masterstroke from Le Bris.
His curling left-footed cross to assist Wilson Isidor’s winner will undoubtedly grab the headlines (and rightly so), but it was a move that began with a long ball from that same left foot and a move that capped off a true captain’s display from Xhaka.
The Swiss international attempted and completed more passes than any other Sunderland player on the pitch, won seven aerial duels and made five clearances.
It was an all-action display by a player that completely embodies the ethos of the club that he represents and images of him adding to a powerful rendition of ‘Wise Men Say’ after the full-time whistle will only further strengthen his relationship with the Mackems.
It looks like Sunderland have what it takes to stay up, and if they do, expect Xhaka to be absolutely central to that achievement.
Alexander Isak - Liverpool
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Ellis Statham
The narrative prior to Alexander Isak’s arrival was that Liverpool will be firm competitors for the Premier League title this season, alongside Arsenal and Manchester City.
After the addition of Arne Slot’s £125m forward, there is now an expectation that Liverpool HAVE to retain the honour.
That tells you everything you need to know about what the Premier League champions are adding to their side.
Little needs to be said on the kind of player that the Reds are signing; we already know his endless qualities. An emphatic finisher who only came second to, you guessed it, Mohamed Salah in the 2024/25 Premier League top goalscorer standings, there are few, if any, strikers in the world better than the Swede at present.
Many would presume that Slot had a formidable strike-force at his disposal as his side effortlessly walked to the league title last season. While the Reds were by no means lacking in quality, there were reports that the club were set to carry out an attacking overhaul in the summer transfer window.
In signing Alexander Isak, they have strengthened their frailest area with the best available player on the market, tirelessly working to soften Newcastle’s not-for-sale stance. While the player’s actions in forcing the move no doubt made Liverpool’s pursuit simpler, their reluctance to walk away from the deal and pursue other options was what paved the way for a deadline day deal.
Questions will understandably be asked as to how Arne Slot will utilise both Hugo Ekitike, who has started the season well, and Isak, but it’s a question that I’m sure the Dutchman will gladly answer, a nice headache to have.
Recruiting the centre forward on a six-year deal doesn’t just boost their chances domestically for years to come, but the chances of boosting their European pedigree.
Signing of the season, yes, but Liverpool’s acquisition of Alexander Isak could become the signing of the decade.
Jack Grealish - Everton
Jaquob Crooke
In Shawshank Redemption after Andy Dufreyne escapes prison, Ellis Boyd "Red" Redding narrated: "I have to remind myself that some birds aren't meant to be caged. Their feathers are just too bright."
To clarify, I'm not suggesting Jack Grealish had been imprisoned by Pep Guardiola at Manchester City. The stylish and enigmatic winger was imperative in City's historic Treble triumph, mercurially dashing down the wing to (once again) claim the accolade of being the most fouled player in the Premier League, but his role in the team was refined by the Catalan.
That season was supposed to be the platform from which Grealish propelled himself into Man City stardom. Yet for whatever reason - and many have been vocal of various opinions on why Grealish's City career declined - the 29-year-old ultimately lost his sparkle.
You sensed his omission from the FA Cup final defeat to Crystal Palace was the final nail in the coffin and a change of scenery was needed.
Step forth David Moyes and Everton.
From the forgotten man on the periphery of Guardiola's XI to the main man in Moyes' ambitious quest to restore Everton amongst the top teams in the country; Grealish will embrace the responsibility of being the Toffees' key orchestrator.
His impact has been instantaneous with four assists from his opening two starts, which is double the amount he registered in the Premier League during his previous two seasons with Manchester City.
As the adulation for Grealish blossoms, expect his confidence to flourish. This is a player who revels in being in the spotlight. Yes, he is a maverick, but he's also a player that Moyes can depend on to put in the hard yards.
The Glaswegian was desperate to add ingenuity to his attacking ranks and with Grealish unshackled, the former Aston Villa man will be desperate to sustain a high level of performance as he attempts to force his way into Thomas Tuchel's World Cup reckoning.
