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Another extraordinary summer transfer window left clubs around the world lighter in the wallet and fans questioning some eye-catching signings. Premier League sides alone spent about $4.8 billion, yet several headline deals already look difficult to justify.
Sávio
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Tottenham Hotspur paid a staggering sum to bring Sávio from Manchester City — a move that immediately provoked disbelief among supporters. The reported fee of $101.9 million stood out, especially given his modest Premier League return of two goals across two seasons at the Etihad.
Speculation briefly pointed to complicated accounting or a sell-on arrangement linked to other deals, but those explanations were later dismissed. The size of the outlay leaves Sávio with little margin for error: he will need to make an immediate impact in north London to justify that valuation.
Mykhailo Mudryk
Tosin Adarabioyo’s arrival at Tottenham was already a surprise. The parallel loan for Mykhailo Mudryk raised more eyebrows.
Mudryk joined on loan from Chelsea despite not having played competitively for almost two years while serving a doping ban that has since been lifted. His form before the suspension was patchy, and Spurs now hold an option to buy reportedly worth $101.9 million — the same figure paid for Sávio. If Mudryk rediscovers his best form, the gamble could pay off. If not, the club will face criticism for taking a high-risk bet on a player returning from a long absence.
Liam Delap
Nottingham Forest shelled out roughly $61.2 million to sign Liam Delap from Chelsea — an amount that surprised many observers.
Chelsea reported massive summer sales that helped them raise about $520 million, and Delap was one of several players they were keen to move on after a difficult season. His debut campaign at Chelsea produced only three goals in 49 appearances, though he had previously scored 12 top-flight goals for Ipswich in 2024–25. Still, paying that fee for a striker with such recent struggles struck many as excessive.
Emmanuel Emegha
Chelsea completed a transfer for Emmanuel Emegha from Strasbourg that had actually been agreed months earlier, with the fee reported at about $28.5 million. The 23-year-old was expected to act as backup to João Pedro.
Instead, the club’s subsequent signing of Danny Welbeck has pushed Emegha down the pecking order in a one-striker setup. That leaves him facing limited minutes and a tough challenge to sustain his development at Stamford Bridge.
Randal Kolo Muani
Juventus re-signed Randal Kolo Muani from Paris Saint-Germain for around $43.8 million, backing the forward after a previous loan spell in Turin.
Critics pointed to his uneven recent form: a loan at Tottenham yielded five goals in 41 appearances, while his earlier loan at Juve produced a more encouraging 10-goal return. The transfer is a clear win for PSG’s negotiators, but for Juventus it represents a significant outlay on a player whose recent performances have been inconsistent.
Gonçalo Ramos
AC Milan invested roughly $80 million to bring Gonçalo Ramos from PSG, a move intended to bolster their attacking options.
Ramos had been used primarily as a rotation player at PSG, often appearing off the bench behind Ousmane Dembélé. His return of 13 goals in 50 appearances suggested competence, but many questioned whether that record warranted such a hefty fee in today’s market.
Gabriel Martinelli
Arsenal accepted an offer from Al Hilal reported at about $81.5 million to sell Gabriel Martinelli — a deal that made financial sense for the clubs involved.
For Martinelli, though, the move to Saudi Arabia marks a surprising departure at age 25. After a testing 2025–26 season, he could have pursued a path to rebuild at a Champions League club. Instead, the transfer reads as a prioritization of financial reward over staying at Europe’s top competitive level. On his day, Martinelli still offers pace and tenacity that many teams would value.
Mohamed Salah
Mohamed Salah left Liverpool on a free transfer to join Trabzonspor — a high-profile capture for the Turkish club.
The move gives Trabzonspor global star power, though it reportedly comes with substantial wages. For Salah, the transfer surprised some observers who expected offers from Saudi Arabia or Major League Soccer. Choosing Türkiye’s fourth-largest club is widely viewed as less glamorous than other available options, even if he remains capable of world-class performances on his best days.
