Premier League’s Best Signings 2025/26 Ranked (16–7): Semenyo’s spark, Guehi’s steel, Calvert-Lewin reborn
As we rattle towards the business end of 2025/26, Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal lead the pack, Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City are closing like a train, and Unai Emery’s Aston Villa won’t go quietly. Behind them, Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool are scrapping for Champions League real estate. After a summer spend north of £3.19bn — plus another £400m in January — some deals have already paid their way. Here’s my verdict on the best signings ranked 16 to 7, weighing fee, immediate impact and whether they’ve matched the noise from the stands.
If you fancy a flutter while weighing up these moves, our best betting sites guide is a handy pit stop — odds swing fast at this stage of the season, just as quickly as reputations do.
16) Noah Sadiki — Sunderland
£15m from Union Saint-Gilloise and a breath of fresh, North Sea air in Sunderland’s engine room. Under Régis Le Bris, the Black Cats roared back into the top flight and the 21-year-old DR Congo international has been relentless: an ever-present when not at AFCON, starting 22 league matches he’s been available for. Sadiki hunts, nicks and springs counters with the kind of Kanté‑style energy that makes team-mates taller. For that fee, it’s top value and then some.
15) Antoine Semenyo — Manchester City
Signed in January and he’s hit the Etihad running. Six goals and two assists in his first 11 City games, with four in a six‑match league burst that yielded five wins and a draw after a debut defeat. The big clubs all circled for a reason — he stretches defences and finishes cleanly. If City crown their chase with the title, we’ll look back on Semenyo as the mid-season jolt that sharpened Guardiola’s attack.
14) Dominic Calvert-Lewin — Leeds United
Leeds have been crying out for a proper No 9 and Calvert-Lewin, free in the summer, has reminded everyone what a fit, focused DCL looks like. Ten Premier League goals and one assist in 26 outings; after a slow start (one in his first 10), he rattled in seven in six between November and December. Classic penalty-box craft, big leaps, smart runs — Daniel Farke’s faith looks shrewd and the Elland Road crowd finally have a focal point.
13) Robin Roefs — Sunderland
Unheralded arrival from NEC Nijmegen, instant assurance. At 23, Roefs has brought calm hands and sharp feet off his line, a cornerstone of Sunderland’s defensive shape. No Netherlands cap yet, but keep this up and the call will come. Not flashy, just consistently in the right spot — which is exactly what you want from your keeper.
12) João Pedro — Chelsea
£55m from Brighton and straight into the medals with a starring role as Chelsea lifted the Club World Cup in the States. He might not be a classic No 9, but he’s been the Blues’ go-to finisher: 14 goals in 36 across all comps, despite ceding penalties to Cole Palmer. At 24, he looks a long-term scorer of important goals, knitting attacks and popping up where it matters.
11) Gianluigi Donnarumma — Manchester City
Ederson was a modern City icon, but Guardiola pivoted in the summer and brought in Donnarumma from PSG. So far, it’s been a snug fit: the 27-year-old has played every Premier League minute at the time of writing, anchoring the defence with elite shot-stopping and command of the box. James Trafford waits his turn; for now, the Italian has added gravitas to a back line that needed it.
10) Malick Thiaw — Newcastle United
£31.3m from AC Milan felt a calculated gamble — it’s paying off handsomely. Thiaw has been granite for Eddie Howe, mixing pace, aerial dominance and on‑ball composure. He’s dovetailed with Fabian Schär and Dan Burn, and the thought of a fully fit partnership with Sven Botman should have the Gallowgate End grinning. A mentality monster who’s helped re‑set Newcastle’s defensive tone.
9) Estevão — Chelsea
Just 18 and already producing. The winger arrived from Palmeiras for an initial £29m and has 10 goal contributions (seven goals, three assists) in 32 games across competitions. There’s sizzle to his game — direct running, end product, no fear — and even Willian has likened his ceiling to Europe’s brightest teenagers while tipping him to bring Chelsea silver. The bridge between exuberance and execution is being crossed in real time.
8) Marc Guehi — Manchester City
January business doesn’t get much tidier than this. The wage packet is sizeable, but £20m for a Premier League‑tested defender might be the bargain of the window. Since walking through the door from Crystal Palace, City’s defence has tightened — unbeaten in six league matches, five wins and a draw with Guehi involved. It’s early days, hence the ranking, but the instant uplift speaks volumes.
7) Senne Lammens — Manchester United
United moved on from André Onana and plumped for a 23-year-old from Royal Antwerp for £18m. Eyebrows arched; results have soothed them. Lammens has brought stability — solid shot-stopping, sure hands under set-pieces, and a calmer temperament that’s settled the back four. Emi Martínez might have been the headline choice, but the Belgian looks a long-term No 1 in the making.
From cut‑price steals to statement buys, the class of 2025/26 is shaping the title race and the scrap beneath it. And if this lot are anything to go by, the run‑in will be as much about recruitment savvy as it is about the big moments on the pitch.
