Premier League Summer Transfer Window Review 2023
After a record-breaking summer of spending and late-night brinkmanship, every Premier League club has come through the window changed. Some have retooled smartly. Some have gambled. A few look like they’ve made life harder for themselves.
Here’s how the business really stacks up.
Arsenal – Ruthless exits, targeted upgrades
Window rating: 8/10
Eight senior players out, eight out of 10. Arsenal’s summer was defined by who left as much as who arrived.
Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Martinelli, Leandro Trossard, Christian Norgaard, Fabio Vieira, Jakob Kiwior and Reiss Nelson have all gone, with Ethan Nwaneri loaned out. Over £100m banked and a hefty wage bill slashed – Jesus’ salary in particular. This was a clear reset.
The dream scenario? A marquee left winger. The club pushed to be in the conversation for Vinicius Junior and Julian Alvarez. It was always ambitious, and in the end, neither came. Had one of them walked into the Emirates, this would have been a nine or even a perfect 10.
The failure to fully replace last season’s two main left-sided threats is the one nagging issue. Supporters understand how hard those deals were, but many still question why that flank looks lighter. The answer from the hierarchy is simple: the right profile never truly emerged after the Vinicius pursuit collapsed.
So Arsenal will improvise. Christos Tzolis has already made himself a fan favourite despite a shaky outing at Villa Park. Eberechi Eze has shown he can influence games from that side. Noni Madueke and Bukayo Saka can both switch to the left, which in turn could free up more minutes for Max Dowman on the right.
There’s even talk of Riccardo Calafiori stepping into a more advanced role, with Mikel Arteta’s track record of reinventing players – think Mikel Merino and Myles Lewis-Skelly – fuelling that debate.
No new left winger. No new striker. Yet Arsenal are deeper almost everywhere else. A glance at the bench at Villa Park told the story: real defensive and midfield depth, and the ability to rotate heavily without losing edge.
Crucially, Arteta got his two big targets: Bruno Guimaraes and Ezri Konsa. That alone makes this a very strong window.
Aston Villa – Champions forced into a rebuild
Window rating: 7/10
A few weeks after lifting the Europa League, six of Aston Villa’s starting XI walked out the door. Morgan Rogers, Youri Tielemans, Ollie Watkins, Emiliano Martinez, Lucas Digne and Ezri Konsa – gone. Not even Unai Emery would have seen that level of churn coming.
Under tight financial constraints, Villa have tried to rebuild with energy and upside. Ibrahim Mbaye and Johan Manzambi bring raw potential, while Leon Goretzka and Aaron Wan-Bissaka add top-level experience. Nicolas Jackson knows the league and looked sharp on debut. Zion Suzuki’s first appearance in goal was encouraging, and Taylor Harwood-Bellis has already spoken about how Emery can push him to the next level.
The manager’s presence matters here. So does the fact Villa have balanced the books while attempting to stay competitive. It feels smart, but it still needs proof on the pitch. This is a reset no one wanted, yet it might still work.
Bournemouth – Stability, not a fire sale
Window rating: 9/10
Two summers, two very different stories. In 2025, Bournemouth cashed in on key players. This time, the priority was clear: keep the core. Mission accomplished.
Rayan, Eli Junior Kroupi and Alex Scott all stay. The club’s model allows for eventual exits, but not yet. Marco Rose was promised the team wouldn’t be sold from under him, and the board stuck to that, despite serious interest in all three.
European football has complicated the finances. Bournemouth needed to add depth and quality while trimming costs to satisfy UEFA. They’ve done it with a sharp, decisive window.
Michele Di Gregorio arrives after a standout season as Juventus’ No 1. Antonio Silva strengthens the heart of defence and looks like a bargain given his previous links to Europe’s elite. Juanlu Sanchez is a solid option at full-back, and Alvaro Rodriguez offers something different in attack.
Fringe players have been moved on. Deals were done early. No Deadline Day scramble, no sense of panic. Rose and the hierarchy will see this as one of the club’s most coherent windows in years. Now they have to prove it under European strain.
Brentford – Smart, sharp, and almost flawless
Window rating: 9/10
Brentford rarely miss in the market, and this summer might be one of their best.
They wanted a midfielder to build around. They landed Mamadou Sangare for £39m – a fee already looking like a steal. It’s early, but he has “signing of the season” potential written all over him.
El Hadji Malick Diouf should grow into the starting left-back role. Jaidon Anthony has already started twice. Callum Wilson is the ideal foil – or rival – for Igor Thiago. Jannik Schuster adds cover at centre-back while Sepp van den Berg recovers.
Just as important, the spine remains. Jordan Henderson’s leadership has gone, but Thiago, Kevin Schade and Yehor Yarmoliuk are still in the building. Michael Kayode and Vitaly Janelt have signed new deals, locking in key pieces.
Deadline Day was quiet: only Jayden Meghoma heading to Portsmouth on loan, a move that fits the club’s focus on development minutes for youngsters.
It’s a near-perfect window. The only reason it’s not a 10? At Brentford, they’ll tell you there’s always another level to reach.
Brighton – Big spend, bigger expectations
Window rating: 7.5/10
Brighton, the club famed for subtle, under-the-radar deals, went loud. Nine first-team signings, close to £170m spent, and a squad suddenly stacked with depth – especially at the back.
Luka Vuskovic arrived for a club-record £50m, a statement signing and a coup. On Deadline Day, Chema Andres came in from Stuttgart in dramatic fashion, the Spain U21 midfielder tasked with helping to fill the Carlos Baleba-shaped hole after his move to Manchester United.
He’ll need time to adapt, but the talent is obvious. Up front, though, there’s a real question. Danny Welbeck’s experience and goals have gone, and Brighton will lean on loan signing Promise David to pick up that slack.
Keeping Yankuba Minteh, despite Liverpool’s interest, is a big win.
Once the injured players return and the new faces settle, Fabian Hurzeler will believe he has enough for both the Premier League grind and the Conference League adventure. The outlay demands it.
Chelsea – Strategy shift and a jolt of realism
Window rating: 9/10
Chelsea finally blinked. After years of hoarding elite youngsters, they’ve pivoted towards balance: Premier League-ready players alongside their next-generation stars.
The moves for Jordan Henderson, Emiliano Martinez and Danny Welbeck signalled a clear change. Experience, leadership, immediate impact. Geovany Quenda still fits the “future star” model, but he’s now part of a more grounded plan.
Joao Pedro has been tied down on improved terms, a clear message to suitors: the core stays. And that core is being handed to Xabi Alonso, whose appointment has re-energised Stamford Bridge after last season’s collapse post-Enzo Maresca.
Chelsea’s 4-3 thriller against Brighton felt like a club waking up. There’s still work to do, but the mood has shifted.
The one sour note? The Enzo Fernandez saga. A self-imposed deadline of August 15 at 5pm came and went without clarity. No guarantees, plenty of noise, and a fanbase split. Yet three wins from three suggest the squad has parked the drama.
On the pitch, Martinez, Morgan Rogers and Maxence Lacroix all walk straight into the strongest XI. Off it, Chelsea have sold smartly again. Marc Cucurella’s departure hurt, but fees for Liam Delap, Nicolas Jackson and Alejandro Garnacho showed once more they are elite traders.
Now the question is simple: can they finally match that off-field excellence with results?
Coventry – Bold and grown-up in the top flight
Window rating: 8/10
Newly promoted sides often tiptoe into the Premier League. Coventry have charged in.
They’ve spent heavily, but with a plan. Carl Rushworth returns permanently after his key role in promotion. Aurele Amenda adds athleticism at centre-back. Caleb Yirenkyi offers excitement in midfield, Frank Onyeka brings top-flight know-how, and Gustavo Hamer returns as a familiar creative force.
Up front, Taiwo Awoniyi gives Frank Lampard a proven Premier League focal point. Loum Tchaouna and Sidiki Cherif inject pace and upside.
Two games, two defeats, no goals: the new-look attack hasn’t clicked yet. But the squad is undeniably stronger, deeper and more balanced than the one that came up.
For a promoted club, this is ambition without recklessness. Coventry have announced they’re here to compete, not just survive.
Crystal Palace – Losses absorbed, depth rebuilt
Window rating: 7/10
Crystal Palace have lost Maxence Lacroix and Daniel Munoz, two of their best players. On paper, that’s a major blow. In reality, they’ve become experts at absorbing departures.
Keeping Adam Wharton, Jean-Philippe Mateta and Ismaila Sarr is a significant win. Mateta is still dealing with the fallout from last January’s failed move to AC Milan. Now he may have to help Sarr through a similar period after Liverpool’s efforts to sign him fell short. Mateta is also in the final year of his deal, so his future will be a storyline again come January.
Sarr’s performances between now and then will decide whether Palace’s hardline stance was justified.
In the market, they’ve been clever rather than flashy. Axel Disasi, Dwight McNeil, Ben Chilwell and Takehiro Tomiyasu are all reliable Premier League performers. Dario Osorio could be the jewel of the window, a highly rated 22-year-old at a club with a knack for unearthing gems. Honest Ahanor strengthens the back line, while Anan Khalaili is seen as a potential long-term successor to Munoz.
Depth has improved, which matters with European football on the schedule again. Palace have survived the exits of Michael Olise, Eberechi Eze and Marc Guehi in recent seasons and still pushed on. This summer feels similar: not spectacular, but quietly effective.
Everton – Chaos, missed chances and a brutal verdict
Window rating: 2/10
How do you halve a strike force that wasn’t scoring enough in the first place? Everton have managed it.
Letting Beto leave for Fiorentina before Folarin Balogun was secured looks, in hindsight, amateurish. The late lurch towards Joshua Zirkzee when the Balogun deal faltered only underlined the sense of panic.
Then came the sale of Iliman Ndiaye. All window, the message was that Everton held the power: three years left on his contract, no need to sell. In the end, £65m was enough to change minds. It’s a huge profit on the fee paid two years ago, but not enough to soothe a fanbase that wanted either a higher price or a stronger plan.
Ndiaye was initially Spurs-bound for £60m, with Richarlison returning to Goodison for £35m. That valuation for the Brazilian raised eyebrows, but the whole deal collapsed anyway. Kenny Tete didn’t arrive either, with Fulham refusing to move without a replacement. A lesson there for Everton.
All this played out while ownership mulled over Nottingham Forest’s £40m offer for Harrison Armstrong, and David Moyes publicly stressed the need for reinforcements.
There were positives: Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Jack Grealish, Hayden Hackney, Christian Norgaard, Merlin Rohl, Tyrique George and Brennan Johnson all came in. But the glow is dimmed by one stark fact – once again, the manager hasn’t been given the tools he needs.
Last season it was the lack of a right-back and a proven striker. This season Moyes goes into the campaign with Thierno Barry as his only recognised centre-forward. European qualification now looks like a dream rather than an expectation, and if they fall short, it shouldn’t be framed as failure.
The mood on Merseyside reflects that. Hurt, embarrassed, angry, frustrated. It didn’t have to be this way.
Fulham – Identity first, then answers at the back
Window rating: 7/10
Alvaro Arbeloa wants Fulham to play on the front foot: high press, high tempo, high risk. The club have recruited to that vision.
Gonzalo García, signed from Real Madrid, was the big need – a proper No 9. Two goals in his first three games suggest they’ve found one. Midfield has been overhauled too, with Real Madrid academy products Cesar Palacios and Manuel Angel joining Shea Charles and Hugo Larsson.
That mix of energy and technical quality gives Arbeloa plenty of options in the middle. The concern is behind them.
Fulham have already looked exposed defensively. Centre-backs are pushed high, full-backs even higher. In that context, Deadline Day signing David Affengruber is fascinating. The Austria international looks tailor-made to defend big spaces and cope with the demands of this system.
Out wide, though, there’s a glaring gap. Harry Wilson and Samuel Chukwueze have gone, and no natural winger has come in. Palacios has started on the left, but that’s not his natural role, and fans are right to be uneasy about that gamble.
Still, this is a bold window built around the manager’s philosophy rather than short-term patchwork. If Arbeloa can find the balance between aggression and stability, Fulham should stay clear of a relegation scrap.
Hull – Volume, ambition and calculated risk
Window rating: 8/10
Hull wanted pace, athleticism and quality. They’ve gone after it with ferocity.
Eighteen new players, six of them on Deadline Day. Owner Acun Ilicali has been central to the push, selling the club’s ambition to targets and trusting a patient approach to land them on favourable terms.
The strategy is clear: strengthen the XI, deepen the squad, and do it with young players who can grow with the club. That carries risk – so much change, so quickly – but the upside is huge if it clicks.
Importantly, the core of the promotion side remains. The spirit that dragged Hull into the Premier League hasn’t been ripped out. In a season that will test them to the limit, that could matter as much as any signing.
Ipswich – Lessons learned, money spent
Window rating: 9/10
Ipswich have been here before. In 2024 they spent around £110m trying to stay in the Premier League. It didn’t work. This time, they’ve gone bigger and smarter.
Fourteen players in, 18 out, roughly £200m spent, capped by the Deadline Day arrival of Zian Flemming from Burnley. It’s a statement that the club have no intention of yo-yoing quietly.
Julio Enciso headlines the arrivals as a record signing. Abdul Fatawu, Emersonn and Exequiel Palacios bring guile and attacking threat. Sasa Lukic, Issa Diop and Florentino Luis add experience and steel, while Daizen Maeda offers searing pace and a proven work rate.
The most striking change is depth. Ipswich haven’t just replaced bodies; they’ve upgraded almost every department. Gary O’Neil now has options everywhere – and the responsibility of moulding them into a coherent side quickly.
The early signs this season suggest they’ve learned from the mistakes of two years ago. Now comes the real test.
Leeds – Early work, late spark
Window rating: 8/10
Leeds’ window will be remembered for a successful Deadline Day, but the foundation was laid much earlier.
Daniel Farke wanted upgrades in key positions. He got them in Harry Wilson, Tarik Muharemovic and James Trafford. All three improve the starting XI. All three raise the technical ceiling.
Depth, a glaring issue last season, has been addressed with Nico Elvedi, Michael Zetterer and Melvin Bard. Then came the wildcard: Jean-Matteo Bahoya. The winger brings blistering pace and the potential to change games on his own.
If Bahoya hits his ceiling, this window will look even better in a year’s time. Even if he doesn’t, Leeds now have a squad that looks fully capable of consolidating their Premier League status.
Liverpool – Youth, pace, but one big gap
Window rating: 7/10
Liverpool have ticked several important boxes, but left one big one empty.
Pace out wide was a priority. Bradley Barcola and Victor Munoz address that. With Cody Gakpo staying – he was never likely to go once Liverpool failed in moves for Yankuba Minteh and Ismaila Sarr – Andoni Iraola now has four wide options when you include Rio Ngumoha.
At the back, Ronald Araujo arrives with the versatility to play both centre-back and right-back, vital with Joe Gomez, Conor Bradley and Giovanni Leoni injured. His style dovetails nicely with Jeremy Jacquet, whose deal was agreed in the winter and who already looks at home in a Liverpool shirt.
But the glaring issue remains: no natural right-sided winger to truly replace Mohamed Salah. Barcola, Gakpo, Ngumoha and Munoz can all operate there, but none are like-for-like. A top-level full-back and a holding midfielder would also have transformed the squad’s balance.
There is plenty to like. Barcola has star quality. Munoz looks mentally built for Anfield. Jacquet and Araujo have already struck a chord with supporters. The average age of Liverpool’s signings over the last two summers sits at around 22, and deals for 18-year-olds Lucca Brughmans and Djylian N’Guessan underline the long-term planning.
Yet you can’t escape the feeling that, with one or two more precise moves, this could have been a great window rather than just a good one.
Manchester City – Painful exit, powerful response
Window rating: 8/10
Selling Rodri, the best player at the World Cup, to Barcelona should have been a disaster. Manchester City have done everything they can to make sure it isn’t.
As anxiety grew among fans, City struck late and hard. Enzo Fernandez arrived on a dramatic Deadline Day, the club breaking their transfer record for the second time this summer. He joins Elliot Anderson and Ayyoub Bouaddi in what could become a £300m midfield that rivals any in Europe.
The outgoings were significant – Savio, Omar Marmoush, Nico Gonzalez, Tijjani Reijnders, Nathan Ake and James Trafford all departed – but the money allowed City to reshape the squad. Iliman Ndiaye and Allan bolster the attack, adding depth and variety.
Inside the club, there’s a firm belief the squad is stronger now than at the start of last season. Enzo Maresca has the tools for his City “revolution”. The only question is whether they’re enough to go again in the title race.
Manchester United – Midfield rebuilt, gaps left
Window rating: 7/10
Manchester United went into the window with one clear mission: fix the midfield. On that front, they’ve delivered.
Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans and Carlos Baleba have come in for around £155m. Alongside Kobbie Mainoo, they give Michael Carrick a range of combinations and profiles he simply didn’t have last season.
The obvious shortcoming is at left-back. United didn’t get one. But the staff point to Noussair Mazraoui, who played there effectively for Morocco at the World Cup, and Diogo Dalot as cover options.
Departures didn’t materialise as expected. Joshua Zirkzee, Manuel Ugarte and Marcus Rashford all stayed, limiting the room to manoeuvre elsewhere. The flip side is that if Rashford continues his bright start, he could feel like a new signing in his own right.
This isn’t a perfect window. It is, however, a coherent one in the area that mattered most.
Newcastle – From near-mess to statement signings
Window rating: 8/10
At one point, Newcastle’s summer looked like it might unravel. Early hijacks threatened to derail their plans. They recovered impressively.
Eight signings arrived, the last of them Matias Fernandez-Pardo on Deadline Day. Of the group, Lukas Hornicek, Amar Dedic, Nico Gonzalez and Fernandez-Pardo all look like immediate starters.
Sean Steur, Aladji Bamba, Bazoumana Toure and Ewan Jaouen are different: raw, young, high-ceiling projects.
Newcastle spent £262m, offset by £245m in sales for Sandro Tonali, Bruno Guimaraes and Anthony Gordon. The squad is younger, deeper and, crucially, more ambitious. The combined £101m outlay on Gonzalez and Fernandez-Pardo feels like the real line in the sand.
Add in the impact of last summer’s £110m duo Anthony Elanga and Yoane Wissa, who are now truly bedding in, and this feels like a team that has quietly added four or five “new” weapons.
Nottingham Forest – Manager backed, one gap left
Window rating: 7.5/10
Oliver Glasner’s first Forest window was about giving him his players.
He wanted a physical No 9 with huge upside. Liam Delap fits the bill. He wanted a starting wing-back. Daniel Munoz, a familiar face from his past, arrived. Ousmane Diomande was another Glasner target, as was Xaver Schlager, with whom he worked at Wolfsburg.
The plan has been clear and largely executed. The one disappointment is the failure to replace Elliot Anderson with a young, dynamic, forward-thinking midfielder. The fee from Manchester City softened the blow, but that profile is still missing.
Even so, this is a solid platform for Glasner’s first full season.
Sunderland – Late drama, key men retained
Window rating: 7/10
Sunderland flirted with frustration all window, then exploded into life at the death.
They wanted a winger for weeks. They ended up with Malick Fofana in the final hours, after working their way down the list. Even then, it wasn’t straightforward. A tug-of-war at Lyon airport with Crystal Palace forced owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus to intervene and push the deal over the line.
Given the effort and the fee, Fofana has to start. So does big-money signing Dayann Methalie.
The real success, though, was keeping the core. Granit Xhaka, Brian Brobbey and Noah Sadiki all stayed. For a club that has often been forced into selling, that stability could be priceless.
Tottenham – Money spent, questions unanswered
Window rating: 7/10
On commitment, Tottenham get a 10. On the quality of the individual deals, they sit at a seven, and that’s where this window lands.
Spurs promised to spend big and did. They beat Manchester United to Mateus Fernandes. They pulled off a surprise move for Sandro Tonali. Roberto De Zerbi has effectively been handed the keys to reshape the squad.
Jan Paul van Hecke arrived for around £50m with only a year left on his deal – the sort of move Spurs would once have walked away from. Defence and midfield have been heavily worked on.
The problem? The glaring weakness last season was in the forward line. The year-long pursuit of Savio finally ended in success, with Omar Marmoush joining him to lift spirits. De Zerbi then wanted one more marquee addition, believed to be Cody Gakpo. Manchester City’s interest killed that.
Then came the twist. After a damaging defeat to Newcastle, Spurs agreed a fee with Everton for Iliman Ndiaye, with Richarlison going the other way. It looked like the kind of deal to electrify the fanbase. By Monday, Ndiaye chose City instead, and Richarlison publicly criticised Spurs.
The response was dramatic. Tottenham turned to Chelsea for Mykhailo Mudryk and Tosin Adarabioyo. Spurs and Chelsea simply don’t do business – until now. Mudryk is a huge risk, having barely played competitively for nearly two years, but he also represents a massive show of faith in De Zerbi from the board and recruitment team.
If De Zerbi can unlock the winger who once terrified defences, this window will look very different in hindsight. If not, all that spending may feel like another missed opportunity in a league where hesitation is punished.
