From Isak to Elliot: Who have been the Premier League’s worst summer signings of 2025?

While plenty of the Premier League’s big-money summer recruits might have made an immediate impact at their new clubs, there are a handful of European superstars who have quickly found themselves at the heart of a nightmare.

Although reigning English champions Liverpool might have shattered a string of financial records during the summer transfer window, it has been many of the record-breaking new arrivals who have struggled to find their feet the most.

Quickly entering the second-half of the 2025/26 campaign, we have taken a look at some of the Premier League’s worst summer signings.

Alexander Isak – Newcastle to Liverpool

At the heart of what became a spectacularly messy divorce from Newcastle over the summer, Alexander Isak stole plenty of the Premier League’s headlines and quickly became embroiled in an epic saga.

While the Swedish marksman might have eventually forced through a move to defending Premier League champions Liverpool after both parties agreed on a record-breaking £125million move, Isak has failed to replicate his form on Merseyside.

Despite finding the net during Liverpool’s 2-1 win away at Tottenham last weekend, the now-former Newcastle striker suffered a reported leg fracture and is set for a lengthy stint on the sidelines.

With fellow summer recruit Hugo Ekitike really hitting the ground running since completing his own respective move to Anfield, Isak has often been forced to settle for a spot on the bench.

Not set to feature until February at the earliest and registering just a pair of Premier League goals for Arne Slot’s side prior to last weekend’s blow in north London, there isn’t a world where Isak imagined his start to life at Anfield would be such a disaster.

Liverpool have confirmed Alexander Isak suffered a leg fracture during Liverpool’s 2-1 win over Tottenham on Saturday.

The Sweden striker underwent surgery on Monday and while there is no timescale offered on the injury, the 26-year-old is expected to be out for a few months. pic.twitter.com/Y03U4hGnAy

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) December 22, 2025

Florian Wirtz – Bayer Leverkusen to Liverpool

While Isak might have come under serious scrutiny after eventually forcing through his controversial move to Anfield, the Swedish international is not the only record-breaking summer recruit who has endured a nightmare start to life under Slot’s guidance.

Sending shockwaves across the footballing world back in June as it was finally confirmed that Florian Wirtz had completed a £116million move to the reigning Premier League champions, there was a huge amount of excitement around the red half of Merseyside.

Widely regarded as one of Europe’s most talented young starlets, it felt that the German playmaker was set to become the new poster boy of Anfield.

However, still waiting to open his Premier League account after 16 top-flight appearances, Wirtz has failed to find the net across any competition so far this season and the 22-year-old is clearly struggling to adjust to life among England’s elite.

While Wirtz might have stated on his arrival that he wants to “win everything every year”, reports over the festive period have suggested that the ex-Bayer Leverkusen ace is already eyeing a move away from Merseyside.

Harvey Elliot – Liverpool to Aston Villa

Crowned Player of the Tournament at the the 2025 UEFA European Under-21 Championship over the summer and spearheading England’s historic title-winning charge, Harvey Elliot found his stock at a red-hot high.

Attracting plenty of heavyweight interest from across the continent, the former Fulham youngster had the world at his feet only a matter of months ago and it appeared the 22-year-old was going to stake a genuine claim for Thomas Tuchel’s World Cup squad next year.

Eventually deciding to complete a Deadline Day switch to Aston Villa on an initial loan deal, there was plenty of excitement around the Midlands.

However, remarkably not making a single appearance across any competition since a five-minute cameo during Villa’s 2-0 Europa League victory against Feyenoord on October 2nd, Elliot has often been omitted from Unai Emery’s matchday squad

With it suggested that Emery has no intention of embedding the England U21 ace and completely regretting what he deems a rash Deadline Day decision, it has even been speculated that Villa are desperate to send Elliot back to Anfield during the January window.

🚨⚠️ Unai Emery confirms Harvey Elliott is likely to leave Aston Villa in January: “Hopefully we can get a solution for him to try to play consistently, to continue in his career with us or not”.

“He is on loan here, but not definitely adding to us with a permanent contract”. pic.twitter.com/fkiMYEnQJb

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) December 10, 2025

Benjamin Sesko – RB Leipzig to Manchester United

Although both Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo might have made an immediate impact after completing their own respective summer switches to Old Trafford, another of their new striking superstars has failed to find his feet in Manchester.

With it no secret over the summer that Ruben Amorim had his sole focus on completing an attacking overhaul at Old Trafford, a new natural number nine was at the top of his wishlist.

With Rasmus Hojulnd pushed out of the United exit and completing a season-long loan switch to Napoli, Benjamin Sesko was identified as Amorim’s number one striking target and arrived from RB Leipzig for a hefty fee in the region of £74million.

Despite bagging consecutive domestic strikes on either side of opening October, the 22-year-old has not found the net since and has also been dealing with fitness issues over the past month.

Coming under serious festive scrutiny after returning from a knee issue a fortnight ago, there are already plenty of critics around the red half of Manchester who feel that Sesko is just another striking superstar who quickly falls by the wayside.

Xavi Simons – RB Leipzig to Tottenham

With it appearing for almost the entirety of the summer that Xavi Simons was set to complete a permanent switch to Chelsea, there were plenty of raised eyebrows as the Dutch international eventually arrived in north London.

With Chelsea failing to agree on terms with RB Leipzig following extensive negotiations, Tottenham swooped in at the last moment and handed Simons a Premier League lifeline.

Looking to become a key part of Thomas Frank’s new Spurs squad, the one-time Barcelona youngster was widely regarded as an eye-catching summer scalp for Tottenham.

Despite plenty of excitement prior to his arrival in the white half of north London, Simons was shown a straight red card during Spurs’ 2-1 loss at home against Liverpool last weekend and that moment almost epitomised Simons’ start to life with Spurs.

Registering just a single goal from his first 14 Premier League appearances and often becoming a figure of ridicule, Simons has cut a frustrated figure and Frank is struggling to find the best way to embed the 22-year-old.

Xavi Simons is sent off after a tackle on his Dutch national team captain Virgil van Dijk 🟥 pic.twitter.com/R2OCOS9NwS

— B/R Football (@brfootball) December 20, 2025

Jamie Gittens – Borussia Dortmund to Chelsea

Watching Chelsea once again break the bank over the summer transfer as they welcomed the likes of Joao Pedro, Alejandro Garnacho and Brazilian sensation Estevao, another one of the Blues’ new recruits has unsurprisingly become lost in the shuffle.

With the Stamford Bridge hierarchy splashing out £48.5million on Jamie Gittens back in June, that shock announcement raised plenty of eyebrows and many wondered where the 21-year-old would fit in under Enzo Maresca’s guidance.

Quickly becoming one of the forgotten stars around west London, Gittens has failed to find the net in any of his 12 Premier League appearances this season.

Completely omitted from Maresca’s matchday squad that travelled to St. James’ Park last weekend, the one-time Manchester City academy youngster has also made just a pair of Premier League starts since the end of October.

Trying to break into one of the most stacked attacking rosters in Europe and registering just a single goal involvement across any competition so far this year, it has been suggested that Chelsea are already open to a speedy January exit.

Anthony Elanga – Nottingham Forest to Newcastle

Arriving at Nottingham Forest from Manchester United in the summer of 2023, Anthony Elanga was certainly a smash hit at the City Ground and quickly became one of their most valuable attacking stars.

Spearheading Forest’s iconic European charge last season, plenty around Nottingham were heartbroken back in July as Newcastle agreed a blockbuster £55million move for the Swedish international.

However, despite embarking on a real rise to superstardom after arriving at Forest two years ago, Elanga has drastically failed to replicate a similar level and has failed to hold down a regular spot in Eddie Howe’s side.

With the Magpies still scrapping it out in the bottom-half of the Premier League table and showing some glaring inconsistencies this season, Elanga has failed to find the net in any of his first 17 top-flight outings at St. James’ Park.

Only starting in three of Newcastle’s last 13 appearances across all competitions, the ex-Man United youngster has shockingly struggled to establish himself as in Howe’s attacking pecking order.

Elanga is the perfect example of bad recruitment, not a bad player.

At Forest he played in a team that sat deep and counter attacked. His raw pace and carrying ability suits it perfectly. 11 assists last season prove that.

At Newcastle, we needed a RW that can break down low… pic.twitter.com/KdoZKkoxX0

— A Game of Two Halves (@CoachMeron) December 15, 2025