There’s no better period for a football fan than the transfer window. The excitement of seeing world-class players change teams is incredible, and this Summer was no exception. The Premier League was the competition that spent the most money, which is unsurprising given the vast amount of revenue it generates annually. However, we’re not going to focus solely on what happened in England’s top-flight. We’ll take a long, hard look at what happened in the Summer across some of Europe’s most elite teams. [banner][/banner] First, let’s see which were the Top 10 moves during the transfer window. Here’s our definitive list.
- Alexander Isak from Newcastle United to Liverpool
- Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen to Liverpool
- Viktor Gyökeres from Sporting CP to Arsenal
- Luis Díaz from Liverpool to Bayern Munich
- Gianluigi Donnarumma from Paris Saint-Germain to Man City
- Xavi Simons from RB Leipzig to Tottenham Hotspur
- Eberechi Eze from Crystal Palace to Arsenal
- Matheus Cunha from Wolverhampton to Man United
- Tijjani Reijnders from AC Milan to Man City
- Trent Alexander-Arnold from Liverpool to Real Madrid
Liverpool set the golden standard for this transfer window
It’s impossible to talk about the transfer window and not mention what Liverpool did. The Reds won the 2024-25 Premier League title, and instead of maintaining their core, they went out and spent an impressive amount of money. Gone are Luis Díaz (Bayern Munich), Trent Alexander-Arnold (Real Madrid), and Darwin Núñez (Al-Hilal). But they made sure to find proper replacements for every departing player.
On set with Isak 📸🔴 pic.twitter.com/uItIBMFc7J
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) September 3, 2025
Anfield acquired star-level players on both sides of the ball as a response. Their transfer haul included Jeremie Frimpong, Milos Kerkez, Hugo Ekitike, Florian Wirtz, and Alexander Isak. However, landing Isak and Wirtz alone would’ve been enough to call this window a success. They were two of the best players in Europe in 2024-25, and now they’ll play alongside Mohamed Salah for the reigning EPL title-holders. The Reds laid out €270 million combined on both talents, but they’re absolutely worth their price tags.
Arsenal make a significant splash in the market
Had it not been for Liverpool’s epic transfer haul, Arsenal could’ve easily won the Summer in terms of new contracts. They made a huge splash to secure the services of Viktor Gyökeres, a prolific striker who averaged nearly a goal per match during a two-year stint at Sporting CP. The fee was slightly over €65 million. However, the Gunners weren’t done with the Swedish signing. They needed depth on defence. So, they made an agreement with Piero Hincapié from Bayer Leverkusen. They also needed a winger and secured a move for Eberechi Eze, who spent 2024-25 as a key player for London side, Crystal Palace.
The final piece of the puzzle 🧩
Piero Hincapie is a Gunner 🤝 pic.twitter.com/eqLasc4AVz — Arsenal (@Arsenal) September 1, 2025
But they weren’t done. Arsenal also wanted depth in midfield and made two massive transfers, prying Martín Zubimendi away from Real Sociedad and acquiring Christian Norgaard from Brentford.
Elsewhere in the Premier League
Liverpool and Arsenal weren’t the only teams to make significant moves in the transfer window. Chelsea obtained Joao Pedro, who played a huge role in the clinching of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. Then, they continued their spending spree by signing Alejandro Garnacho from Manchester United. Speaking of the Red Devils, they revamped their attack entirely by bringing in Matheus Cunha (Wolverhampton), Bryan Mbeumo (Brentford), and Benjamin Sesko (RB Leipzig) for a combined fee of over €210 million.
Garnacho running it back with his new number at Chelsea 🤝 pic.twitter.com/0Vxn2Yi1Bv
— ESPN UK (@ESPNUK) September 3, 2025
Their neighbours in Manchester, the Citizens, will also look like a revamped squad in 2025-26. They contracted Gianluigi Donnarumma from PSG, Tijjani Reijnders from AC Milan, Rayan Cherki from Olympique Lyon, and Rayan Aït-Nouri from Wolverhampton. They had to part ways with established veterans, Kyle Walker, Éderson, and Ilkay Gündogan. Pep Guardiola’s men got younger in an effort to adjust tactically and compete with the likes of the Reds and the Gunners. Tottenham and Newcastle can’t be left out of the equation. The Spurs added two creative threats in Xavi Simons and Mohammed Kudus, while the Magpies signed two players to cover the void left by Isak.
Kudus 🇬🇭🌟#UCL pic.twitter.com/dXz2X2RsYg
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) September 3, 2025
Yoane Wissa played for Brentford in 2024-25, and rising star Nick Woltemade, who was the fourth-biggest transfer of the Summer. Newcastle spent €85 miillion to bring in the German striker, who was also a target for Bayern Munich.
Notable transfers in other leagues
There were plenty of major transfers outside of the Premier League, though it must be noted that some of the largest moves didn’t carry as notable price tags. Perhaps the best example came in Spain, as Real Madrid obtained Alexander-Arnold for a modest fee of €10 million. They reached an agreement to take him as a free agent in the transfer window, but paid to have the right-back available for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. Excluding the re-signing of Victor Osimhen by Galatasaray, the next biggest move outside of the PL was Luis Díaz’s transfer to Bayern Munich. The Colombian has enjoyed an outstanding start to his Die Roten tenure and seems to fit like a glove alongside Michael Olise and Harry Kane.
Luis Díaz took no time at all to settle in to life at Bayern 🔥 pic.twitter.com/kcXreq1JHQ
— OneFootball (@OneFootball) August 30, 2025
Bayern also acquired Nicolas Jackson on loan from Chelsea. He should be an excellent backup to Kane in case the Englishman suffers an injury or needs rest. Atlético Madrid were a busy team in the transfer market too and bolstered their squad considerably by making moves to strengthen their depth on both sides of the ball. Their hit arrival was Álex Baena, who joined from Villarreal in a deal worth €42 million. The 23-year-old winger had been one of the top creative forces in LaLiga in the last two seasons. He may very well provide a massive spark alongside Thiago Almada at the Wanda Metropolitano outfit. [banner_third][/banner_third]
The Saudi Pro League strikes again
Even though the Saudi exodus hasn’t been as big as it was in the previous two seasons, the 2025-26 edition of the Saudi Pro League will once again feature elite talent who joined directly from Europe. Some of the players who departed for the SPL are Mateo Retegui, who entered Al-Qadsiah after being the top scorer in the 2024-25 Serie A with Atalanta. Darwin Núñez arrived at Al-Hilal after departing Liverpool. Theo Hernández also joined Núñez after leaving AC Milan. Enzo Millot (Al-Ahli), Kingsley Coman (Al-Nassr), Joao Felix (Al-Nassr), and Marcin Bulka (NEOM SC) are new faces in the SPL, too.
Kingsley Coman via IG. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/3KGuvYveaE
— TCR. (@TeamCRonaldo) August 20, 2025
The presence of star-level players is slowly decreasing in the Saudi Pro League, but that doesn’t mean the competition can’t attract elite talent. The transfer window has now closed in most leagues in Europe. The next few months will be decisive to see whether these moves will be as difference-making as their price tags seem to indicate.