5. Nick Woltemade – £73m (VfB Stuttgart → Newcastle United)
This might be a slightly contentious pick, especially at that price point. No.9s are treated like royalty in Geordie country (fans would trample over Brad Pitt’s toes for a chat with Alan Shearer).
Alexander Isak’s acrimonious departure left a void up front, and Newcastle moved swiftly to sign the imposing Woltemade from Stuttgart. The young German made an instant impact, netting four goals in his first seven league outings, one of only five players to score against Arsenal this season.
He’s hit a minor blip lately as he adjusts to Eddie Howe’s high-pressing system. A natural link-up forward who likes to drop deep in the mould of Harry Kane, Woltemade is still adapting to the league’s intensity. Once he does, he looks every bit a long-term Premier League force.
4. Bryan Mbeumo – £71m (Brentford → Manchester United)
No player has been more central to Manchester United’s recent revival than Bryan Mbeumo. The Cameroonian has been a revelation since joining from Brentford, scoring six goals and assisting another across all competitions.
His versatility has made him indispensable to Rúben Amorim’s evolving system. Whether operating as one of the two dynamic No.10s or drifting wide, Mbeumo brings energy, intelligence, and relentless work rate, everything the ill-fated Antony experiment lacked.
His efforts were justly rewarded with October’s Premier League Player of the Month award. United finally look balanced on the right flank again.
3. Martín Zubimendi – £51m (Real Sociedad → Arsenal)
Many observers questioned Mikel Arteta’s decision to part ways with Thomas Partey. The Ghanaian knew the league inside out. Martín Zubimendi, by contrast, was seen as a technically gifted but lightweight import.
How wrong we were. The Spaniard has arguably been Arteta’s most important signing since Declan Rice, bringing calm and control to the No.6 role. More progressive than either Partey or Jorginho, he allows Rice the freedom to make his trademark surging runs forward.
Elegant on the ball and sturdier than expected, Zubimendi looks every inch the metronomic midfield general Arsenal have long craved Arteta’s very own Rodri.
2. Granit Xhaka – £13m (Bayer Leverkusen → Sunderland)
From a purely financial perspective, this may be the steal of the summer. The former Arsenal captain has made a profound impact since joining Sunderland from Bundesliga champions Leverkusen, scoring once and providing three assists.
Xhaka’s leadership and bite have transformed the Black Cats’ midfield, propelling them improbably, into the Champions League spots. It’s been a remarkable redemption arc for a player once cast aside in North London.
Having rebuilt his reputation under Xabi Alonso, ending Bayern’s domestic dominance in Germany, Xhaka now anchors a revitalised Sunderland side with the same blend of steel and sophistication that once divided Arsenal fans. What a turnaround for the Swiss stalwart.
1. Gianluigi Donnarumma – £26m (PSG → Manchester City)
Could this prove the most transformative goalkeeping signing since Liverpool bought Alisson in 2018? It’s early days, but the signs are promising.
How Pep Guardiola managed to land one of the world’s top three keepers for just £26m remains a mystery, especially after Donnarumma’s role in PSG’s Champions League triumph. The Italian has brought instant authority to a previously jittery City defence, keeping six clean sheets in twelve matches.
He may not be the archetypal “sweeper-keeper” Guardiola once preferred, but this season’s City side is playing more directly, less wedded to their intricate build-up from the back. Donnarumma, with his commanding presence and old-school shot-stopping, feels like a deliberate evolution a reminder that sometimes, raw presence between the sticks still rules.