22 Sept 2026 06:34 BST |
8 min read
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The 2026 summer transfer window produced an avalanche of record-breaking transfers, including several deals that cracked the mythical €100 million mark.
From month-long sagas to hijacks and shock deals that came out of nowhere, this summer had plenty of excitement in store, yet it also illustrated that the transfer market increasingly seems to be losing touch with reality.
Transfer fees have exploded, particularly in England, with more and more big clubs choosing to pay a significant premium in order to secure players who are “Premier League-proven.”
When the window shut, FootballTransfers compiled a list of the most overpriced players of the summer, using our sophisticated Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) algorithm.
The first international break is a good opportunity to take stock of how these players have fared so far. Of course, the season has only just started and ostensible flops can still come good, but the early indications are that clubs should be more careful with their spending…
11. Goncalo Ramos: PSG to AC Milan
Transfer fee: €74m
ETV: €31.8m
Overspend: €42.2m
Grade: E
AC Milan obliterated their club record when they splashed €74m on PSG’s backup forward Goncalo Ramos. The early signs looked promising for the Portugal international as he scored in his second game for the Rossoneri.
However, it has been downhill since, with the striker mostly anonymous so far, both in terms of his attacking output and overall performances. He produced an assist in a comfortable win over Lecce before the international break after going three games without a shot on target.
The fact that he’s got a goal and an assist means that he gets an E rather than an F.
10. Savio: Man City to Tottenham
Transfer fee: €87.7m
ETV: €44.9m
Overspend: €42.8m
Grade: F
After a year-long saga, Savinho – or Savio as he now seems to be known again – joined Tottenham in an €87.7m deal from Man City that looked ridiculous at the time, and still doesn’t look any less ridiculous now.
He had done absolutely nothing at the Etihad to justify that fee, nor has he done anything at Tottenham since. He produced a goal and an assist in a Carabao Cup win over Championship side Charlton – Spurs’ only win to date – but that’s it.
He has been completely ineffective against top-level opposition in the other four games he has played. F.
9. Marco Palestra: Atalanta to Chelsea
Transfer fee: €57m
ETV: €12.4m
Overspend: €44.6m
Grade: N/A
Chelsea pounced on the availability of Atalanta youngster Marco Palestra after he was named Serie A’s Defender of the Year following an impressive loan spell at Cagliari.
His €57m fee looked like a sizeable overpay given his relative lack of top-level experience, and this seemed to be confirmed by his somewhat concerning early pre-season performances.
However, as the youngster has not yet actually played a competitive game due to injury, we’ll have to grade him later in the season.
8. Sandro Tonali: Newcastle to Tottenham
Transfer fee: €108m
ETV: €59.9m
Overspend: €49.1m
Grade: F
Sandro Tonali was adored at Newcastle, but most Toon fans would probably admit that he never quite looked like a €100m midfielder in the Northeast. His well-roundedness and versatility are perhaps a hindrance – he is good at most things but not truly great at any of them.
This has certainly been the case at Tottenham, where he has yet to really settle. The midfield was Spurs’ biggest problem heading into the summer, and this remains the case seven games into the season.
While there have been brief glimpses of promise, Spurs fans expected a lot more from their new superstar midfielder. F.
7. Ayyoub Bouaddi: Lille to Manchester City
Transfer fee: €95m
ETV: €43.5m
Overspend: €51.5m
Grade: D
Ayyoub Bouaddi was always going to be a signing for the future as far as Man City were concerned, so it shouldn’t be too surprising that the youngster has yet to crack the 200-minute mark at the Etihad.
When he has played, he has demonstrated the immense potential that convinced City to make him the most expensive 18-year-old ever. Despite his youth, he plays like he’s been around forever.
However, because he was an unused substitute in City’s last two Premier League games before the break, we can’t yet give him a higher grade than a D. He simply hasn’t played enough.
6. Bradley Barcola: PSG to Liverpool
Transfer fee: €123.8m
ETV: €74m
Overspend: €49.8m
Grade: F
Liverpool chased PSG winger Bradley Barcola all summer and were ultimately coaxed into paying close to €125m for him upfront, and this fee was actually seen as a win for the club because the French side had initially demanded around €170m.
When you pay that much for a winger, you expect fireworks. So far, however, Barcola has failed to get fans off their seats. In roughly 250 minutes of action, the France international has only had two shots.
His impact, at least offensively, has been virtually nonexistent. He has completed just one dribble and has neither scored nor assisted. F.
5. Enzo Fernandez: Chelsea to Man City
Transfer fee: €145m
ETV: €83.3m
Overspend: €61.7m
Grade: B
When Man City broke the bank on Chelsea superstar Enzo Fernandez, they expected an immediate impact, with the Argentine entering a somewhat familiar tactical setup under his beloved former Blues boss Enzo Maresca.
Impressively, Fernandez has managed to match the high expectations placed on him in the four games he has played. The 25-year-old has shown himself to be about as plug-and-play ready as one could have imagined, and he has even scored his first goal already from a cheeky free kick.
There is a reason why he is the only player in the history of football to move for more than €100m twice. By virtue of only joining on Deadline Day, he probably hasn’t played enough yet to get an A, so a B will have to suffice for now.
4. Morgan Rogers: Aston Villa to Chelsea
Transfer fee: €137.3m
ETV: €73.4m
Overspend: €63.9m
Grade: A
Morgan Rogers’ move to Chelsea came out of the blue – no pun intended – but the €137.3m they paid for him already looks like money well spent, with the England star seamlessly fitting into Xabi Alonso’s side.
While the Blues have struggled defensively, they have been very impressive going forward – except against Brentford – and Rogers has been at the heart of that exhilarating attack.
The 24-year-old has bagged three goals and four assists, including an incredible hat-trick of assists in the Carabao Cup when his side came from 2-0 down to win 6-3 against Leeds. That performance alone shaved €10m-€15m off Chelsea’s €63.9m overspend. A.
3. Elliot Anderson: Nottingham Forest to Manchester City
Transfer fee: €135m
ETV: €69.4m
Overspend: €65.6m
Grade: A
The third of Man City’s big-money midfield signings, Elliot Anderson has comfortably been the best so far. In fact, he has firmly entrenched himself as one of the outstanding midfielders in the Premier League.
Since Enzo Maresca has started using the 23-year-old in his preferred role after the Community Shield debacle, things have been going swimmingly for City and Anderson.
He hasn’t yet directly contributed to a goal, but the former Nottingham Forest star has hardly put a foot wrong in the Premier League. A.
2. Mateus Fernandes: West Ham to Tottenham
Transfer fee: €99m
ETV: €28.7m
Overspend: €70.3m
Grade: C
Man Utd’s decision not to match Tottenham’s €99m bid for Mateus Fernandes looks like a shrewd one. That’s not to say that the 22-year-old isn’t a good player – it’s more the fact that he’s just not worth almost €100m.
This has been blatantly obvious so far at Spurs, although it must be acknowledged that Robert de Zerbi doesn’t seem to really know what his best position is yet. That’s hardly Fernandes’ fault.
He is one of the few Spurs players to have actually contributed offensively – he has two assists – and because, unlike Tonali, he is a signing for the future and not yet a grizzled veteran, we’ll be lenient and give him a C.
1. Yan Diomande: RB Leipzig to Real Madrid
Transfer fee: €125m
ETV: €51.8m
Overspend: €73.2m
Grade: E
Real Madrid paid the biggest premium on a player this summer when they shelled out €125m on Yan Diomande after just one full season of top-level football. This signing has gone about as well as you would expect.
Diomande has struggled to come to grips with life at Real Madrid and was an almost-forgotten substitute in the first few games of the season. However, he has improved in recent outings and has started twice now.
Like Bouaddi and Fernandes, he deserves some leniency because his impact will be measured in years, not weeks. He produced an assist against Elche and has shown signs of promise, but because he was the biggest overpay of the summer, we can’t yet give him more than an E.
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