12 Worst Premier League Signings of 2025-26 [Ranked]

There have been multiple compelling storylines in the opening 11 gameweeks of the 2025/26 Premier League season. Certain teams and players have met expectations or surprised supporters with their performances so far. But others really haven’t lived up to the hype.

When it comes to new signings, the scrutiny is particularly high. Arriving at their new clubs to much fanfare, there might have been hope that they could make an immediate impact. And yet that optimism has given way to frustration and doubts over whether they were really necessary.

One hundred and fifty-five senior transfers were made in the English top flight during the transfer window. And, with over two months of football under their belts, the 12 worst signings have been named and ranked.

Ranking factors

Ranking and positions were considered based on the following factors:

• Transfer fee paid
• Impact so far
• Expectation

12

Jadon Sancho

This entire deal screamed ‘panic’ at the time and very little has happened since then to dissuade fans of that. Jadon Sancho’s loan deal from Manchester United went through on deadline day, with the Aston Villa hierarchy deciding he was the man they needed to add additional depth out wide. That was in spite of Chelsea paying a £5m penalty to escape their obligation to buy clause for the player after he enjoyed a decent, but unremarkable spell at Stamford Bridge.

Presently, unremarkable is probably the best way to describe Sancho’s move to date. He’s yet to start any of Unai Emery’s side’s Premier League games, coming off the bench on four occasions. With Villa paying him 80% of his Manchester United salary, the only solace right now is that it wasn’t a permanent move.

11

Harvey Elliott

Signed on an initial loan from Liverpool, Harvey Elliott left Anfield in search of regular minutes and a starting role, something which had eluded him on Merseyside. And considering how well Aston Villa had performed under Unai Emery in 2024/25, there was hope that the midfielder could become the key cog in a quality side’s setup.

That’s not been the case so far, though. While a period of adaptation might be necessary, Elliott has only made three league appearances at Villa Park. While there’s optimism that the 22-year-old will come good, it’s not been too encouraging so far, and a theory as to why he’s not getting a look-in has since emerged.

10

Mads Hermansen

Mads Hermansen had shown promise at Leicester City in 2024/25, despite the Foxes getting relegated. West Ham signed the Denmark international for £20m, believing that he could be a replacement for the outgoing Lukasz Fabianski and their long-term goalkeeper.

But it’s been an awful start to the new season for the 25-year-old. Starting the first four games of the league season, Hermansen conceded 11 times, which included some high-profile mistakes in the Irons’ match against Chelsea. Now, Alphonse Areola is back between the sticks as the starting goalkeeper, while his supposed replacement is on the bench.

9

Jamie Gittens

It was no secret that Chelsea needed to sign a left-winger in the transfer window, with Jadon Sancho not making much of a mark and Mykhailo Mudryk sidelined with a suspension after testing positive for a prohibited substance. The club settled on Jamie Gittens as a target, building on their policy of signing young players who could grow into potential stars.

Brought to the club from Borussia Dortmund for a deal which could potentially be worth £52m, the English youngster has looked very raw. With no goals or assists in his first nine Premier League games, Gittens needs to develop quickly if he wants to justify the fee paid for him and displace fellow new signing, Alejandro Garnacho.

8

Benjamin Sesko

With two goals and an assist in the Premier League so far this season, Benjamin Sesko hasn’t been a complete disaster. But when you factor in his £73.7 million price tag – and the fact that Bryan Mbeumo is outperforming him by some distance – Red Devils supporters are still waiting for the Slovenian international to show what he’s truly made of.

His link-up play has been promising, but some fine-tuning is still needed before he can earn his way off this list. The fact he doesn’t always make Ruben Amorim’s starting XI shows there’s still work to do, but if he can take inspiration from those around him, he will be just fine.

7

Xavi Simons

Signed for £51.8 million as an alternative to Eberechi Eze – who ultimately joined rivals Arsenal instead – Xavi Simons was met with widespread admiration from neutrals, while Tottenham fans likely felt their transfer window had been made perfect with his deadline day arrival.

However, he’s looked anything but the finished article so far. Utterly incapable of dealing with pressure on the ball and still struggling to adapt to the physical demands of English football, the Dutchman has failed to make his mark. To be fair, he hasn’t been helped by a misfiring forward line, but the fact that he so often disappears in matches that need someone to grab the game by the scruff of the neck does little to help his cause.

6

Milos Kerkez

The first of three struggling Liverpool signings that feature in this list, Milos Kerkez was expected to rejuvenate the left-back role under Slot but so far he’s looked about as shaky as can be. This all came to a fore in recent weeks, as Andrew Robertson has started each of the Reds’ last three games.

In particular, he looked poor in a recent home loss to Man United, with Jamie Redknapp labelling the defender a ‘nervous wreck’, whereas Gary Neville took it a step further and described him as looking like a ‘baby’ or ‘youth team player.’ Kerkez won’t be used to such scrutiny, having arrived from Bournemouth, but there have been some promising performances throughout as well – not least his clean sheet against Arsenal, where he kept Noni Madueke to scraps.

5

Liam Delap

Chelsea have developed a bit of a habit of spending big on players in positions where reinforcement isn’t exactly a priority. In Liam Delap’s case, he’s had the added misfortune of suffering a long-term hamstring injury – but that doesn’t change the fact that the club’s £30 million decision to sign him was hardly essential.

To his credit, he does bring something different to the table compared to his rival for the striker role, with his strength and power offering a more physical dimension to Chelsea’s attack than Joao Pedro provides. However, considering his arrival was largely based on one solid Premier League season – in which he scored 12 goals in 37 appearances for Ipswich Town – it’s far from guaranteed that he can replicate that form at Stamford Bridge.

4

Jean-Clair Todibo

Unfortunately for West Ham, they’ve got two failed transfers near the top of the list. Jean-Clair Todibo was signed on loan in the 2024/25 season, having built a reputation for being an exciting young defender for Nice, with that move made permanent for £36.3m after an obligation to buy was activated. But based on what’s happened since then, Hammers fans might be wishing that those funds were allocated elsewhere.

The Frenchman was dropped by Graham Potter after lacklustre performances at the start of the new term, with Jamie Redknapp labelling his defending in West Ham’s 5-1 defeat against Chelsea as “scandalous.” A disaster waiting to happen, the 25-year-old is assisting opposition goals like he’s playing for the other team, contributing to a defence that has shipped 23 goals in 11 matches.

3

Anthony Elanga

Anthony Elanga established himself as one of the Premier League’s most dangerous wingers under Nuno Espirito Santo at Nottingham Forest. Six goals and 11 assists, along with his blistering pace, demonstrated what he could add to any team. And while a few eyebrows were raised over the £55m price tag that Newcastle paid to sign the Sweden international, there was little question over his quality.

But it’s been an uncharacteristically slow start to life at St James’ Park for Elanga. Eleven appearances have not yet yielded a goal or an assist, and his performances have been labelled “underwhelming.” Considering the fee paid, he needs to be showing Eddie Howe more if he wants to keep his place in the side.