The 2025/26 Premier League season is starting to heat up, and as the chaos of the festive period begins to loom, the contenders are beginning to distance themselves from the pack. Arsenal currently sit at the summit, with Mikel Arteta leading the Gunners on a nine-game unbeaten run, with a 4-1 demolition of rivals Spurs in the recent North London derby. Eberechi Eze’s stunning hat trick helped put the Gunners six points clear at the top of the table, prompting online betting sites to slash odds even further.
The latest online sports betting at Bovada odds currently make the Gunners the overwhelming 2/5 favorites to go on and win the title for the first time in 22 years. But Arsenal have been here before, throwing away huge leads in the title race in both the 2022/23 and 2023/24 seasons. Whether they can finally banish those ghosts and end the club’s lengthy drought remains to be seen.
But while Arsenal’s all-out assault on the crown is a hot topic, another has been the plight of many marquee summer signings. According to the highly reputable Transfermarkt, over £1.6 billion was spent by Premier League clubs on new attackers in the summer. But how have the most expensive of those signings fared in their starts to life in the English top flight? Let’s take a look.
Alexander Isak: Flop
Liverpool tried everything in their power to bring Alexander Isak to Anfield from Newcastle United during the summer, so much so that the player’s head was turned before a transfer offer was even accepted at St. James’ Park. The Swedish hitman enjoyed the most prolific season of his career on Tyneside last term, hitting 27 goals in 42 games – including the winner in Newcastle’s League Cup final victory against Liverpool at Wembley. As such, it’s clear why the Reds were so desperate to secure his services.
A British record transfer bid of £125m was ultimately enough to prise Isak away from the Toon, but not before the former Real Sociedad man isolated himself from his Newcastle teammates, refusing to report for preseason training until the club accepted a bid from the Premier League champions. And while Liverpool supporters were celebrating his defiance in the summer, it has since come to bite them in the backside.
Without a proper preseason under his belt, Isak has looked like a shadow of the player who lit up St. James’ Park across the last three seasons. Clearly unfit and struggling to integrate into Liverpool’s system, the Swede has failed to net a single goal in either the Premier League or the UEFA Champions League, with his only goal for the club thus far coming in the EFL Cup against second-tier Southampton.
With Isak in miserable form, Liverpool has plummeted down the Premier League table. After winning the title last season, they are now way down in 12th place in the table, losing nine of their last 12 games in all competitions. Fans are calling for the head of manager Arne Slot, while Isak continues to rot on the bench as his goal drought goes on. As such, he is the very definition of a flop.
Benjamin Sesko: Flop
Manchester United have become accustomed to expensive strikers flopping at Old Trafford in recent years. Rasmus Højlund, Joshua Zirkzee, Antony, and Jadon Sancho have all arrived for huge transfer fees across the last few seasons, only to deliver one disastrous performance after another. Benjamin Sesko looks to be the next in line.
The Slovenian was signed for £73.7 million in the summer following an impressive couple of years in the Bundesliga with RB Leipzig. However, he has managed just two goals in 12 appearances thus far. As such, he is certainly considered a flop, and the United faithful will be hoping he can find his shooting boots sooner rather than later if he is to avoid a similar fate to the disappointing signings that came before him.
Hugo Ekitiké: Success
Isak wasn’t the only megamoney striker Liverpool signed in the summer. In addition to the Swede, Hugo Ekitiké also arrived from Eintracht Frankfurt for the princely sum of £69m. And while the Frenchman hasn’t been able to stop the Anfield rot, he has at least looked like a striker capable of scoring goals.
The former PSG youngster has hit six goals in all competitions for the Reds in his maiden campaign on Merseyside. While that isn’t the goalscoring exploits one would expect given the mammoth transfer fee, he certainly looks like a greater threat than Isak. We consider him a success for now, but he has remained without a league goal since September 20th. If his drought continues, our somewhat generous verdict may change.
Nick Woltemade: Success
Newcastle United had a disastrous summer, firstly with the Alexander Isak saga, before then going on to miss out on huge names in their search for a replacement for the Swede. They ultimately found their man in the form of Nick Woltemade; however, even more criticism was launched at the club as they seemingly massively overpaid to sign the young German from Stuttgart. The Magpies forked out a club record £69m to land the 23-year-old, but the signing has proven to be a masterstroke.
Woltemade has netted six goals in 16 games for Newcastle so far this season. And while that may not sound earth-shattering, his brilliant all-round play and technical ability have already secured him cult hero status on Tyneside. He became just the third man in Newcastle history to score in each of his first three home games for the club, securing his spot alongside legends such as Alan Shearer and Les Ferdinand, and now he will be aiming to fire home more goals as he looks to lead the Toon Army back up the Premier League table.
