Some players went to extreme measures to force through moves while others got no reward for behaving impeccably
The 2025 summer transfer window has just slammed shut in England, Italy, Spain, Germany and France – and a crazy couple of months was capped by a suitably insane deadline day that saw Liverpool sign Alexander Isak for a British-record fee while the Reds' deal for Marc Guehi collapsed at the 11th hour.
Newcastle also finally managed to convince Brentford to part company with Yoane Wissa, Nicolas Jackson's on-off switch to Bayern Munich eventually went through, while both Manchester United and Manchester City brought in new goalkeepers. Overall, though, there were very few major deals in Europe's other 'Big Five' leagues, which only served to highlight just how powerful the Premier League has become thanks to its global popularity and massive TV rights deals.
So, who were the big winners and losers of the window? Which sides are now perfectly placed to challenge for major honours this season? And which players have been left lamenting the collapse of badly-needed moves? GOAL breaks it all down below…
Getty Images SportWINNER: FSG
This time last year, Liverpool fans were once again cursing the club's owners for their perceived parsimony, with Fenway Sports Group (FSG) having provided new coach Arne Slot with just one new player in Federico Chiesa. Now, though, John Henry & Co. are being lauded for their foresight, as last summer's prudence paved the way for a club-record spending spree that has rocked English football to its very core.
There are, of course, no guarantees that every single signing will work out, while missing out on Guehi was undoubtedly a blow. However, the #FSGOUT brigade have been stunned into silence – because Liverpool didn't just spend big, they also sold brilliantly too, recouping almost half of their record-breaking outlay through outgoings, meaning they have zero PSR problems.
Basically, Liverpool are the best team in the Premier League right now – and also arguably its most well-run club.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportLOSER: Bayer Leverkusen
This was always going to be a trying summer for Bayer Leverkusen. It was inevitable that several members of Xabi Alonso's 2023-24 domestic double winners would follow the Spaniard out of the door at the Bay Arena. However, nobody could have envisaged just how traumatic the transition would prove to be.
Leverkusen have already sacked Alonso's successor, Erik ten Hag – and after just two Bundesliga games – while Piero Hincapie and Victor Boniface joined Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong, Jonathan Tah and Granit Xhaka in becoming the latest big names to depart when they joined Arsenal and Werder Bremen, respectively, on deadline day.
Poor Jarell Quansah must be wondering what he's let himself in for by leaving Premier League champions Liverpool for Europe's newest crisis club!
Getty ImagesWINNER: Striking strikers
Isak and Wissa were widely castigated for their refusal to play for Newcastle and Brentford, respectively, in order to force through transfers. Guehi, by complete contrast, was championed as a model of professionalism throughout his own transfer saga.
However, whereas Isak and Wissa secured their dream moves, Guehi is still at Crystal Palace, who pulled the plug on his transfer to Liverpool at the 11th hour. One cannot help but fear, then, that a worrying precedent has been set this summer because the rather sad moral of these three stories is that striking works.
Getty Images SportLOSER: England's middle class
The rise of the Premier League's 'middle class' was one of the stories of last season. As Pep Guardiola repeatedly pointed out, it had become more difficult than ever for the biggest clubs to beat brilliantly-coached teams like Brentford and Bournemouth.
However, it's been a brutal window for the over-achievers. Brentford lost their manager and two best forwards, while Bournemouth's defence was dismantled.
Furthermore, Aston Villa's hopes of building on their remarkable recent progress under Unai Emery have been dashed by their failure to qualify for the Champions League, resulting in the Birmingham-based outfit having to rely on the loan market to bring in new players. Newcastle, meanwhile, were made painfully aware of their place in the pecking order by Isak – and the plethora of players that rejected a move to St. James' Park.
With the Premier League's elite having flexed their financial muscles during the summer, it appears as if we might see a re-establishment of the old order this season – which will doubtless spark further debates about the systemic financial inequality in England.