With the international tournaments in the rearview mirror and the start of the new Premier League season less than a month away, business is beginning to pick up in the transfer market. With the riches that England’s top flight clubs have to offer, money is expected to be spent frivolously as the days tick down to the first game of the campaign.
Thus far, some teams have already managed to splash the cash, whether it be on players who will make an immediate impact, those who are ones for the future, or the rare talents who qualify for both. Taking these elements into account, plus the cost of the players, these are the best Premier League signings of the 2024/25 summer transfer window so far.
Ranking factors
The following factors have been considered when ranking the top 10:
- Immediate impact the player is expected to have
- The potential of the player
- The transfer fee
- Interest from other clubs
Best Premier League Signings 2024/25 Summer Transfer Window | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Rank | Player | Club Left | Club Joined | Fee |
1 | Leny Yoro | LOSC Lille | Manchester United | £52m |
2 | Amadou Onana | Everton | Aston Villa | £50m |
3 | Savinho | Troyes | Manchester City | £33.7m |
4 | Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall | Leicester City | Chelsea | £30m |
5 | Omari Hutchinson | Chelsea | Ipswich Town | £22m |
6 | Ian Maatsen | Chelsea | Aston Villa | £37.5m |
7 | Tosin Adarabioyo | Fulham | Chelsea | £0 |
8 | Luis Guilherme | Palmeiras | West Ham United | £25.5m |
9 | Joshua Zirkzee | Bologna | Manchester United | £36.5m |
10 | Archie Gray | Leeds United | Tottenham Hotspur | £30m |
10 Archie Gray
Leeds United to Tottenham Hotspur – £30m
Beloved by the Leeds United faithful, it was always hard for Archie Gray to leave a club so near and dear to his heart. With his father, grandfather and great-uncle all turning out for the Yorkshire side, the teenage midfielder was the fourth member of the Gray family to wear the famous white shirt, and nearly led Daniel Farke’s team to promotion.
In not doing so, Leeds emotionally revealed they had no other choice but to sell their star asset. Brentford originally came calling, but after a deal could not be struck, it was Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham who won the race. With him being crowned the 2023/24 Championship Young Player of the Season, Spurs have signed a player who could run their midfield for years to come.
9 Joshua Zirkzee
Bologna to Manchester United – £36.5m
The honour of becoming the first signing of the INEOS regime at Manchester United belongs to Dutch forward Joshua Zirkzee, who joined the club after weeks of speculation regarding his future. The former Bayern Munich man was bought to Old Trafford to act as an alternative to Danish frontman Rasmus Hojlund, who sometimes struggled to hit the mark in his debut season.
Although a completely different type of player to Hojlund, Zirkzee is an exciting option to have at United, giving them various ways to line-up game by game, including with him and the Dane starting in attack together. With a creative flair and eye for goal, this could turn out to be a bargain deal for Erik ten Hag.
8 Luis Guilherme
Palmeiras to West Ham United – £25.5m
One third of Palmeiras’ famed young attacking trio, Luis Guilherme is one to watch at West Ham United as he adapts to the pace and power of the Premier League. The teenage sensation made his name in his native Brazil alongside other wonderkids such as Endrick and Estevao Willian, both of whom have also secured massive transfers to Real Madrid and Chelsea respectively.
With the likes of Mohammed Kudus and Jarrod Bowen to unseat on the flanks, the long game may be the approach that new Hammers boss Julen Lopeteugi takes to ease the forward into the team. If it’s not next season, though, this is a player to keep an eye on as he blossoms into adulthood.
7 Tosin Adarabioyo
Fulham to Chelsea – Free Transfer
With financial fair play being something that Chelsea have to be very aware of this summer given their past transgressions, deals like these are priceless to Enzo Maresca’s side. In Tosin Adarabioyo, the Blues have acquired a player with plenty of proven Premier League experience, something that many of this young Chelsea team lack.
Adarabioyo is also more reliable when it comes to his fitness than many other members of Chelsea’s backline. Joining on a free transfer, the former Manchester City academy graduate represents a total steal for the West Londoners, especially given there was also reported interest from the likes of Manchester United.
6 Ian Maatsen
Chelsea to Aston Villa – £37.5m
Speaking of financial fair play and Chelsea, the next player on this list has given the Blues a total of £37.5m in pure profit, a sum that will keep the PSR margins happy. Ian Maatsen shone on loan at Borussia Dortmund, with the Dutch full back enjoying a brilliant campaign which saw him named in the Champions League Team of the Season as voted for by fans.
Dortmund weren’t able to win the famous trophy, but the 22-year-old proved he belonged at the elite level. With Unai Emery’s Aston Villa re-entering Europe’s premier competition next season, players of this calibre were a must-have, whilst also addressing an area of weakness for the Villans too.
5 Omari Hutchinson
Chelsea to Ipswich Town – £22m
After Ipswich Town’s incredible back-to-back promotions, the first thing on their transfer to-do list was simple. Keep hold of Omari Hutchinson. The starlet had shone for them in the Championship in the previous year, and keeping together the spine of the team was incredibly important for Kieran McKenna.
Given that the Tractor Boys were in League One just two seasons ago, if you had told fans then they would be spending £22m on a player a couple of years later, they would think it was unfathomable. But, that’s what it took to retain their key man, who registered 11 goals and six assists in 2023/24.
4 Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall
Leicester City to Chelsea – £30m
Another man who excelled in the Championship last season was Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. The Englishman had settled into the Foxes midfield during their most recent Premier League stint and stuck around after Leicester found themselves shockingly relegated to the second-tier last season.
Under new Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca, the 25-year-old managed 26 goal contributions in the league as his side comfortably secured promotion back to the promised land. As his head coach moved to London, Dewsbury-Hall soon followed in a move that could spell bad things for the likes of vice-captain Conor Gallagher.
3 Savinho
Troyes to Manchester City – £33.7m
The most controversial transfer of the summer goes to Manchester City signing Savinho from French side Troyes. The Brazilian was magnificent on loan at Spanish club Girona last campaign, helping the Catalan outfit secure an unlikely place in the upcoming Champions League. It led to speculation regarding his future and the Cityzens pounced.
What makes the deal so eyebrow raising is that Troyes is owned by the City Group, the collective that are also in charge of the English champions as well as other teams across the globe. With Manchester United unable to sign Jean-Clair Todibo from another Sir Jim Ratcliffe owned club, some fans believe there is a double standard to this deal. Perhaps that is just jealousy though, as the winger is bound to be an exciting prospect at the Etihad.
2 Amadou Onana
Everton to Leicester City – £50m
Everton’s need to sell players to keep the club’s finances stable and Aston Villa’s need to have players who can help them in Europe makes this deal the perfect scenario for both parties. Amadou Onana had outlived his time at Godison Park, with the Belgian international more than proving he was ready for the next challenge in his career.
There are plenty of talented midfielders at Villa Park, so competition for places will be strict. However, the sale of Douglas Luiz to Juventus may leave Onana with an open door to walk right into as Unai Emery looks to build on what has already been an outstanding 18 months in charge. Considering there was also interest from Barcelona and Manchester United, Villa have done exceptionally well to secure the 22-year-old, who could become even more impressive at his new club.
1 Leny Yoro
LOSC Lille to Manchester United – £52m
The shock of the summer. For the longest time, it seemed that teenage defender Leny Yoro was destined to wind up at Real Madrid. Los Blancos had made it clear they saw the Frenchman as a part of their future, but were unwilling to match LOSC Lille’s asking price and wanted the player to run down his contract.
There’s a line in the film ‘The Damned United’, where Brian Clough is told by his assistant that one of their targets was 99% certain to join another club. Which meant one thing. He hadn’t signed yet. Sensing an opportunity, Manchester United entered negotiations for Yoro with that mindset and came away with their man, who could become the centre-piece of their next title winning defence if things play out as Red Devils fans will hope.