Who's been the best signing of the season so far?

Football writer Alex Keble takes a look back at the Premier League’s summer signings and picks out the best 12 performers so far.

We want YOU to tell us which signing has performed best in the campaign to date.

Gianluigi Donnarumma (Manchester City)

When Man City signed Donnarumma, so soon after bringing James Trafford back to the club from Burnley, some critics questioned whether Pep Guardiola really needed another goalkeeper.

It only took one world-class save, from a Bryan Mbeumo volley, for that critique to dissolve on Donnarumma’s debut against Manchester United, and for pundits to put to one side the Italian’s supposedly inferior ball-playing ability.

Donnarumma's save v Man Utd

Like Erling Haaland, Donnarumma represents Guardiola’s evolution towards brute force over delicate positional play. It’s working. Since his debut, the Man City goalkeeper has conceded just seven goals in 12 games in all competitions, keeping six clean sheets.

Martin Dubravka (Burnley)

Burnley have made a far sturdier start than many had expected, and although they have conceded 22 goals in 11 Premier League games (only West Ham United and Wolverhampton Wanderers have let in more), their new goalkeeper Dubravka has made the most saves in the division (46).

Dubravka's shot-stopping success is arguably the biggest factor that has kept Burnley above the dotted line of the relegation zone in 17th place. Opta's "expected points" table has them on just 5.7 points and rock bottom in 20th.

Most saves made in Premier League 2025/26

Estevao (Chelsea)

Chelsea have unearthed a gem in teenager Estevao, who looks the finished product already. The Brazilian is a quick dribbler and intelligent passer and might already be the Blues' best winger.

Enzo Maresca is understandably integrating Estevao slowly into the team, with the 18-year-old only having started four of Chelsea’s 11 matches, but his explosiveness is useful from the bench against tired legs.

Estevao has one goal and one assist so far this season. There will be plenty more of both.

Watch: Estevao's best moments for Chelsea so far

Jack Grealish (Everton)

Having spent several years tied to Guardiola's rigid positional instructions at Man City, most of us had forgotten what it was like to see Grealish in full flow.

Grealish is back playing with style and charisma, although that wouldn’t count for much if he didn’t back it up with a final ball.

Back to his silky (and consistent) best, Grealish already has four Premier League assists for Everton. He leads the Premier League in open-play chances created and is second, only behind Bruno Fernandes, in overall chances created.

Most open-play chances created 25/26

Jordan Henderson (Brentford)

Eyebrows were raised when Brentford brought Henderson back from the Netherlands to the Premier League but the 35-year-old former Liverpool captain has proved how much he has left to give.

Leadership in the dressing room and central midfield was missing following the departure of Christian Norgaard to Arsenal and Henderson has more than filled that gap.

He has performed well on the pitch, too, assisting twice already and making more progressive passes (46) than any other Brentford player.

Michael Kayode, who played for Brentford on loan from Fiorentina last season, also deserves a mention for his performances since signing for the Bees on a permanent deal in the summer.

The full-back has been solid defensively but more importantly, he has been a potent weapon with those long throws, creating more chances (15) than anyone else in the team.

Mohammed Kudus (Tottenham Hotspur)

So far, life at Spurs hasn't gone quite as smoothly as Thomas Frank will have hoped but results have been considerably better than performances, and for that he can thank Kudus for hitting the ground running.

Watch Kudus' best moments of 2025/26 so far

The winger was a notable absentee in the 2-2 draw with Man Utd recently, showing just how much Spurs have already come to rely upon his creativity since the departure of Son Heung-min.

Kudus has created 14 chances in the Premier League and contributed five goal involvements (one goal, four assists), on both counts more than any other Spurs player.  More impressively, he is top of the Premier League charts for take-ons attempted (71) and completed (34).

Bryan Mbeumo (Man Utd)

Plenty of footballers over the last few years have arrived at Old Trafford off the back of a superb season, only to find it difficult to reproduce that form in a Man Utd shirt.

Mbeumo, however, has picked up from where he left off with Brentford to score five goals and assist another in 11 Premier League games for his new club.

And it’s more than just the numbers. Mbeumo has been superb as one of Ruben Amorim’s two No 10s, playing intelligently in a hybrid winger/No 9 role.

Watch: How Mbeumo won October's Player of the Month award

Joao Pedro (Chelsea)

Joao Pedro instantly repaid his fee with three goals in three knockout games in the FIFA Club World Cup and has continued that form into the new season, already contributing seven goal involvements in the Premier League, putting him fourth among all players and first among those signed in the summer.

The former Brighton & Hove Albion forward's ability to play as a No 10 and as a No 9 has helped Chelsea cover for the loss of Cole Palmer, but more importantly his work as a "false nine" is creating space for wingers such as Estevao.

Malick Thiaw (Newcastle United)

Eddie Howe’s defence was transformed once Thiaw, signed for a reported £35million from AC Milan, made his full Newcastle debut.

The club conceded just six goals in the first nine matches in all competitions with Thiaw in the side, and at that point they were second in the Premier League for clean sheets, with five.

The Magpies, and Thiaw, have suffered a little more of late, losing 3-1 to both West Ham and Brentford in November. Nevertheless, Thiaw has been an important, powerful centre-back; Newcastle have won seven of the 12 games he has started in all competitions.

Adrien Truffert (AFC Bournemouth)

The way Bournemouth have seamlessly continued their good work under Andoni Iraola, despite losing Milos Kerkez, Dean Huijsen, and Illia Zabarnyi to three of Europe’s biggest clubs, is astounding.

Every member of the Bournemouth defence has performed well above expectations, including new goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic, but none quite as well as Truffert – the all-action left-back who, in the space of just a few games, has shown he is Kerkez’s equal.

Both defensively (23 tackles, 54 ball recoveries) and offensively (eight chances created, 47 crosses attempted) he is out-performing Liverpool's new left-back.

Granit Xhaka (Sunderland)

Sunderland have enjoyed an incredible start to the season and there are numerous new signings who have played a key part in that - including Nordi Mukiele, Robin Roefs, and Brian Brobbey to name but three – and yet there is still no question who has been their biggest star.

Xhaka is a leader in the dressing room and on the pitch, in defending the box and in controlling the tempo with his metronomic passing. His over-sized influence is captured in the numbers because in so many of the major metrics, Xhaka isn’t just Sunderland’s best performer – he’s out on his own.

How Xhaka compares to Sunderland team-mates

Martin Zubimendi (Arsenal)

It is easy to overlook the influence Zubimendi has had on Mikel Arteta’s midfield, so quickly has the Spaniard adapted to life in England.

He has completed more passes (627) than any other player in the Premier League aside from Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson, and among Arsenal players, only Jurrien Timber (40) has made more combined tackles and interceptions than Zubimendi’s 33.

A smart threader of passes through the lines and a neat-and-tidy screener in the Rodri mould, Zubimendi is the main reason Arsenal’s defensive record has gone to a whole new level in 2025/26.

Watch Zubimendi's double against Nottingham Forest

Writers pick their best signing

Adrian Clarke: Martin Zubimendi

There have been some brilliant signings like Xhaka, Mbeumo and Nick Woltemade for example, but I genuinely think Arsenal’s acquisition of Zubimendi has potential to be the most impactful of all. The Spaniard offers so much with and without the ball; he is quick across the turf, intelligent and hard-working. He does not always do amazing things individually (although he is capable) but Zubimendi does make the players around him look and play better, which is a fantastically important quality. He is the man making Arsenal tick this season. He has been a massive upgrade for the team.

Ninad Barbadikar: Bryan Mbeumo

During his time at Brentford, Mbeumo was considered by many to be one of the best players in the league. Since joining Man Utd, he’s only further enhanced his reputation, looking perfectly at home in a new system and new team-mates. The Cameroon international has settled better than anyone expected he would and has played a big part in the positive run of results that Ruben Amorim’s team have enjoyed.

Ben Bloom: Granit Xhaka

Take your pick from three central midfielders who have instantly been superb: Xhaka, Henderson and Zubimendi. I’ll put Xhaka top because he has had made the biggest difference to his team, helping them rise to fourth place, way beyond expectations.

Daniel Edwards: Martin Zubimendi

Honourable mentions go to Xhaka and Mbeumo, but my pick is Zubimendi, who has become a key cog in Arteta’s well-oiled machine. Not only does the Spaniard set the tempo, but he is a net positive from a defensive standpoint too, and that’s a combination that’s tough to find. He has already proven indispensable.