Final Grades for Every Premier League Team's 2026 Summer Transfer Window

The 2026 summer transfer window is in the books, and Premier League clubs set a new record with a total of $4.67 billion spent combined.

Despite that eye-watering figure, some teams still managed to find value in a market that feels increasingly out of control. Others, however, did not. 

So, with teams told to put their pencils down and hand in their assignments, our team of Nick Akerman, Leo Collis and Calum Rogers has been busy grading their work. They also handed out in-progress grades in early August, which will be included alongside the final mark.

Who will be able to proudly share their results with anyone who'll listen? Who should be hoping their parents simply forget to ask how they fared? Read on to find out.

Arsenal

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Notable incomings: Bruno Guimarães (Newcastle United), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), Christos Tzolis (Club Brugge), Piero Hincapie (Bayer Leverkusen), Illan Meslier (Free agent)

Notable outgoings: Leandro Trossard (Besiktas), Jakub Kiwior (Porto), Christian Norgaard (Everton), Ethan Nwaneri (Borussia Dortmund, loan), Reiss Nelson (Released), Gabriel Jesus (Barcelona), Fabio Vieira (Hamburg)

August grade: C

Last time around, Arsenal got a slightly harsh C, with the caveat that Bruno Guimarães' move from Newcastle hadn't been confirmed. Well, that was sealed shortly after, bumping Arsenal's grade to a B+.

Then Ezri Konsa came through the door. While Arsenal didn't necessarily need a center-back, despite uncertainty about how long William Saliba will be out with a back injury, the England international still provides additional strength to one of the finest defensive units on the planet, pushing the grade up to an A.

The Gunners weren't able to secure deals for Vinicius Junior or Julian Alvarez, with the latter's transfer saga ultimately ending with him going nowhere and needing to build some bridges at Atletico Madrid. That keeps the A+ rating out of reach.

But even getting some return for the perpetually injured Gabriel Jesus was good business, while sending Ethan Nwaneri out on loan is great news for everyone involved. Meanwhile, Christos Tzolis has started brightly, showing signs he was a bargain at a reported fee of just over $45 million.

In the end, Arsenal's business was excellent, but just an inch or two away from elite.

Grade: A

- Leo Collis

Aston Villa

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Notable incomings: Johan Manzambi (Freiburg), Joao Gomes (Wolves), Alejandro Garnacho (Chelsea, loan), Modou Keba Cissa (LASK), Matteo Ruggeri (Atletico Madrid), Aaron Wan-Bissaka (West Ham), Nicolas Jackson (Chelsea), Zion Suzuki (Parma), Leon Goretzka (Bayern Munich), Ibrahim Mbaye (Paris Saint-Germain), Taylor Harwood-Bellis (Southampton)

Notable outgoings: Morgan Rogers (Chelsea), Youri Tielemans (Manchester United), Donyell Malen (Roma), Lewis Dobbin (Southampton), Enzo Barrenechea (Benfica), Ezri Konsa (Arsenal), Ollie Watkins (Al-Hilal), Emiliano Martínez (Chelsea), Lucas Digne (Paris Saint-Germain)

August grade: B-

After a dream season that saw them win European silverware and secure a top-four finish in the Premier League, Aston Villa couldn't have had a more nightmarish summer.

Six of Villa's 10 most-used players in the Premier League from last season have departed, while Amadou Onana will also be out long-term because of a knee injury. In their place, Villa have made 10 signings, with a mixture of youth and experience coming through the door.

Leon Goretzka should help cover for Onana and replace the experience of Tielemans in midfield, while Nicolas Jackson and João Gomes are entering their primes and used to the demands of the Premier League. Jackson stands out as a perfect replacement for Ollie Watkins, and Villa will likely need him to hit the ground running in order to have hopes of another top-six finish.

Winger Ibrahim Mbaye, 18, and attacking midfielder Johan Manzambi, 20, are both gambles on potential, and Villa may have to accept that this season could be more of a struggle while these two get up to speed. 

It's difficult to take much issue with Villa's strategy this summer, though. While it will likely take time, there's a realistic pathway to them being competitive again in the near future while getting younger, and that's a decent achievement given all the challenges they faced.

Grade: B

-Calum Rogers

Bournemouth

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Notable incomings: Antonio Silva (Benfica), Alvaro Rodriguez (Elche), Juanlu Sanchez (Sevilla), Michele Di Gregorio (Juventus).

Notable outgoings: Marco Senesi (Tottenham), Hamed Traore (Marseille), Luis Sinisterra (Cruzeiro) Enes Unal (Getafe), Alex Jimenez (Fiorentina, loan).

August grade: D+

All in all, it looks like Bournemouth have put together a sensible summer after losing the key to their success in Andoni Iraola. Marco Rose is showing signs of getting his feet under the table after a battling 2-1 defeat to Manchester City and 1-1 draw with Everton. He hasn't been armed with a huge budget, but the new manager's work looks solid.

The Cherries found a suitable replacement for Marco Senesi, with Antonio Silva slotting straight into the defence. At 22 years old he's an exciting signing; experienced enough to lead and young enough to keep improving. New striker Alvaro Rodriguez is the same age, and has all the attributes to be an excellent Premier League addition. 

Bournemouth's window was nothing spectacular, but nothing desperate either. Just a few ins-and-outs to get the regime going under the German manager. 

Grade: C-

-Nick Akerman

Brentford

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Notable incomings: El Hadji Malick Diouf (West Ham United), Mamadou Sangare (Lens), Jaidon Anthony (Burnley), Jannick Schuster (RB Salzburg), Callum Wilson (West Ham), Joseph Wheeler-Henry (Chelsea), Darwin Guagua (Independiente del Valle)

Notable outgoings: Jordan Henderson (Chelsea), Frank Onyeka (Coventry), Ethan Pinnock (Coventry), Ethan Laidlaw (Falkirk)

August grade: B

Brentford finally shored up the left-back position with the signing of El Hadji Malick Diouf from West Ham United, giving the Bees excellent options on both sides of defense. 

The Senegal international started brightly with the Hammers last season before tailing off slightly, but if Keith Andrews can drag some consistency out of him, his crossing ability will serve Igor Thiago well all season long. 

Losing Jordan Henderson perhaps wasn't ideal, with the veteran providing experience and leadership. But the squad at the Gtech Community Stadium is already mature beyond its years, and getting the 36-year-old's wages off the books will be a blessing. Mamadou Sangare is already proving he can replace the Englishman's output and then some.

Otherwise, nothing major to report at Brentford, who are already showing that last season's run to ninth wasn't necessarily a fluke. 

Grade: B

- Leo Collis

Brighton & Hove Albion

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Notable incomings: Luka Vuskovic (Tottenham Hotspur), Zadok Yohanna (AIK), Pascal Struijk (Leeds United), Costinha (Olympiakos), Michael Svoboda (Venezia), Promise David (Union Saint-Gilloise), Jaouen Hadjam (Young Boys), Chema Andrés (Stuttgart), Femi Azeez (Millwall)

Notable outgoings: Jan Paul van Hecke (Tottenham Hotspur), Danny Welbeck (Chelsea), Diego Coppola (Paris FC), Jeremy Sarmiento (Middlesbrough), Adam Webster (Released), Solly March (Released), Joel Veltman (Released), James Milner (Retired), Carlos Baleba (Manchester United), Carl Rushworth (Coventry), Igor Julio (Burnley)

August grade: B+

Brighton added nine players this summer, with five of those signings in the back line. Luka Vušković was the headline addition in that area of the pitch, with the club-record signing ready to play immediately while possessing the upside of an elite defender.  

The picture is murkier further forward, though. Danny Welbeck's departure leaves over 2,000 Premier League minutes and 13 goals to be replaced from last season, while injuries to Kaoru Mitoma and Yankuba Minteh will cause further upheaval. 

In response, Brighton added striker Promise David from Union Saint-Gilloise and winger Femi Azeez from Millwall, while winger Zadok Yohanna had already arrived from AIK in Sweden. The theme here is that these are all younger players (25, 25 and 19 respectively) making big jumps in quality, and while it's rarely sensible to doubt Brighton, they are at risk of squandering an opportunity to win the Europa Conference League by leaving themselves short of some experience in attack.

It also can't be ruled out that the Seagulls are still good enough to win the competition while using it as a perfect development ground for these youngsters, including previous arrivals like Charalampos Kostoulas, Ibrahim Osman, Malick Yalcouyé and Maxim De Cuyper who have yet to nail down regular starting roles on the south coast. 

The Seagulls have shown a good amount of faith in these players this summer, and perhaps that patience will be rewarded with a new crop of young gems to be sold at eye-watering prices in the next year or two. For now, though, it feels like they should've done more.

Grade: D

-Calum Rogers

Chelsea

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Notable incomings: Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa), Maxence Lacroix (Crystal Palace), Danny Welbeck (Brighton and Hove Albion), Valentin Barco (Strasbourg), Jordan Henderson (Brentford), Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa), Geovany Quenda (Sporting CP), Pep Chavarria (Rayo Vallecano), Marco Palestra (Atalanta), Emmanuel Emegha (Strasbourg), Marco Palestra (Atalanta),

Notable outgoings: Enzo Fernandez (Manchester City), Marc Cucurella (Real Madrid), Nicolas Jackson (Aston Villa), Tyrique George (Everton), Andrey Santos (Manchester United), Liam Delap (Nottingham Forest), Trevoh Chalobah (Como), Alejandro Garnacho (Aston Villa, loan), Marc Guiu (RB Leipzig), Tosin Adarabioyo (Tottenham Hotspur), Mykhailo Mudryk (Tottenham Hotspur, loan), Robert Sanchez (Como, loan), Mamadou Sarr (Real Sociedad, loan), Benoit Badiashile (Napoli, loan), Filip Jorgensen (Strasbourg, loan), David Datro Fofana (Servette)

August grade: B+

To absolutely no one's shock, Chelsea were busy in the transfer window. But what is surprising is that the Blues made a healthy profit despite shelling out over $450 million on new talent, according to Transfermarkt.

The most significant departure went right down to the wire, with Enzo Fernandez heading to Manchester City in a last-minute deal that equaled the £125 million ($169 million) British transfer record. 

Aside from the loss of a fine player, the hasty departure left little time for the Blues to sign a replacement, with efforts to sign Lamine Camara from Monaco and Manu Kone from Roma falling short. That could be a problem after Moises Caicedo's injury against Brighton & Hove Albion, leaving Xabi Alonso light on midfield options. Jordan Henderson might end up getting an unexpected run of starts. 

A lot of dead weight has been shifted, which is welcome news for a squad that was ballooning out of proportion. Getting about $90 million for Nicolas Jackson was some kind of sleight-of-hand trick, surely. 

But perhaps the most impactful signing of the window was one of the least expensive. Emiliano Martinez arriving from Aston Villa finally gives the Blues a world-class starting option in goal, something that had been missing despite the club hoarding players in the position. Meanwhile, the significantly more expensive Morgan Rogers has already shown his class in just a handful of appearances. 

So good and bad news for Chelsea during the window, but the positives just about outweigh the negatives.

Grade: B+

- Leo Collis

Coventry City

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Notable incomings: Taiwo Awoniyi (Nottingham Forest), Gustavo Hamer (Sheffield United), Ethan Pinnock (Brentford), Caleb Yirenkyi (Nordsjaelland), Carl Rushworth (Brighton), Sidiki Cherif (Fenerbahce), Aurele Amenda (Frankfurt), Loum Tchaouna (Burnley), Frank Onyeka (Brentford)

Notable outgoings: Jamie Allen (Released), Jahnoah Markelo (Shabab Al-Ahli Dubai)

August grade: D-

And so the gap between the Premier League and the Championship immediately shows itself. While Coventry's opening day defeat away at Arsenal was essentially a free hit, the weekend's 1-0 loss to fellow promoted side Hull City is a major kick in the gut this early on. 

Frank Lampard's side finished 23 points ahead of the Tigers last season, but haven't scored a goal so far in the top flight. Taiwo Awoniyi's move from Nottingham Forest should go some way to aid that, although he's going to need better service than we've seen so far. 

Gustavo Hamer could be that man after putting up 15 goals and 20 assists in his last two Championship seasons with Sheffield United. He also has Premier League previous, having scored four and assisted six in 2023-24 with the Blades. 

Ethan Pinnock and Frank Onyeka also look good value from Brentford, but there's a sense that Coventry haven't done enough, despite the completed business representing decent deals.

Grade: D

-Nick Akerman

Crystal Palace

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Notable incomings: Quinten Timber (Marseille), Ben Chilwell (Strasbourg), Honest Ahanor (Atalanta, loan), Zavier Gozo (Real Salt Lake), Anan Khalaili (Union Saint-Gilloise), Axel Disasi (Chelsea, loan), Dwight McNeil (Everton), Oscar Mingueza (Celta Vigo), Takehiro Tomiyasu (Ajax), Evann Guessand (Aston Villa).

Notable outgoings: Daniel Munoz (Nottingham Forest), Maxence Lacroix (Chelsea), Brennan Johnson (Everton), Danny Imray (Wrexham), Borna Sosa (Cologne, loan), 

August grade: D-

This was a difficult window for Palace, possibly defined by two players who didn't leave and one who never showed up. 

The Jean-Philippe Mateta issue continues. It looks like that is going to come to an ugly head soon, with the player who nearly left for Milan in January now threatening to take the club to court over an allegedly invalid contract. 

Then there's Ismaila Sarr, who looked like he would depart for Galatasaray, then Liverpool, but neither move materialised. That's Palace's two most important attackers disgruntled. Things look pretty bleak when you add in Palace also lost Daniel Munoz and Maxence Lacroix, the squad's two best defenders.

The deadline day drama surrounding Malick Fofana, who at one point was joining Sunderland, Arsenal and Palace, before settling on Sunderland, is the kind of distraction the club needs to avoid right now. It's not ideal for Pierre Sage, who is replacing Oliver Glasner, arguably the best manager ever seen at Selhurst Park. 

He simply hasn't been backed enough. Sage is left with decent signings in Quinten Timber and Anan Khalaili, plus a bunch of loans and frees that few others probably wanted. Oh, and Dwight McNeil.

Grade: F

-Nick Akerman

Everton

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Notable incomings: Merlin Röhl (Freiburg), Hayden Hackney (Middlesbrough), Tyrique George (Chelsea), Jack Grealish (Manchester City, loan), Ainsley Maitland-Niles (Lyon), Brennan Johnson (Crystal Palace), Christian Norgaard (Brentford)

Notable outgoings: Iliman Ndiaye (Manchester City), Dwight McNeil (Crystal Palace), Beto (Fiorentina), Tim Iroegbunam (Hull City), Nathan Patterson (Torino), Seamus Coleman (Released), Idrissa Gueye (Released), Adam Aznou (Malaga, loan)

August grade: C+

The end of Everton's transfer window was characteristically shambolic. 

First, they lost their best player in Iliman Ndiaye, who made a deadline-day switch to Manchester City. While Jack Grealish was brought in to replace him on the wing, the club tried to use the money generated from the Senegalese's departure to purchase a much-needed striker. 

A fee was agreed with Monaco for Folarin Balogun, but delays and complications held up the signing before the United States international eventually called off the deal, leaving Everton high and dry. That the club sold one of its striker options, Beto, in the preceding hours only compounded the ridiculous situation. 

Meanwhile, a potential deal for former striker Richarlison went nowhere for one reason or another, with the Brazilian even posting a statement on his frustration about being denied a move. They also tried and failed to sign Joshua Zirkzee from Manchester United.

It's a shame, because some good work had been done by the Toffees up until that point. They arguably came out the better in the Brennan Johnson-Dwight McNeil swap, while Christian Norgaard and Hayden Hackney have provided an upgrade in the engine room. 

But losing Ndiaye and finishing the window in the most slapstick fashion is the lingering memory.

Grade: D

- Leo Collis

Fulham

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Notable incomings: Gonzalo Garcia (Real Madrid), Hugo Larsson (Frankfurt), Manuel Angel (Real Madrid), David Affengruber (Elche), Shea Charles (Southampton), Cesar Palacios (Real Madrid), Jonah Kusi-Asare (Bayern Munich), Erskine Rennie (Celtic).

Notable outgoings: Raul Jimenez (Wolves), Harry Wilson (Leeds), Sasa Lukic (Ipswich), Issa Diop (Ipswich) Harvey Araujo (Burton) undisclosed

August grade: C+

This threatened to be a difficult window after the departure of Marco Silva, but Fulham worked hard to get some interesting deals over the line. 

Alvaro Arbeloa has shopped where he knows, grabbing three players from Real Madrid and picking up David Affengruber from Elche. Gonzalo Garcia already looks great business up front, so the manager has earned time to introduce who he wants.

There's been plenty of doom and gloom around the Cottagers (from me included). I actually like the way this window has gone for them. It looks progressive after initially losing Harry Wilson, the side's best player last season. 

Grade: C+

-Nick Akerman

Hull City

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Notable incomings: Jack Butland (Rangers), Oscar Zambrano (Maribor), Matt Targett (Newcastle), Hidemasa Morita (Sporting CP), Nobel Mendy (Rayo Vallecano), Konstantinos Tzolakis (Olympiakos), Lucas Herrington (Colorado Rapids), Lucas Gourna-Douath (RB Salzburg), Elliot Stroud (Mjällby), Joe Gelhardt (Leeds), Ilyas Ansah (Union Berlin), Tim Iroegbunam (Everton), Mohamed-Ali Cho (Nice), Brooke Norton-Cuffy (Genoa), Sorba Thomas (Stoke), Jens Hjertø-Dahl (Tromso), Robinio Vaz (Roma)

Notable outgoings: Ivor Pandur (Rangers), Kyle Joseph (Middlesbrough), Cody Drameh (Genoa)

August grade: D

Hull City have ripped off two successive wins to start their season, and they have attacked the transfer window with similar gusto.

The team looked well short of the levels of quality and physicality required to compete in the Premier League when graded in early August. Since then, though, the likes of Nobel Mendy, Brooke Norton-Cuffy, Mohamed-Ali Cho, Ilyas Ansah, Lucas Gourna-Douath and Tim Iroegbunam have arrived to ensure Hull can be an awkward physical matchup for most teams at the very least.

The jewel of their summer may well be 23-year-old goalkeeper Konstantinos Tzolakis, who has kept two clean sheets despite Hull allowing an expected goals tally of 3.1 through their first two games, per FotMob.

It's still too early to walk back Hull's widely predicted demise this season, but they've given themselves a fighting chance while also securing some young talents who could be sold on for a profit if the worst does happen. 

Grade: B

-Calum Rogers

Ipswich Town

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Notable incomings: Zian Flemming (Burnley), Exequiel Palacios (Bayer Leverkusen), Julio Enciso (Strasbourg), Sasa Lukic (Fulham), Florentino Luis (Burnley), Daizen Maeda (Celtic), Issa Diop (Fulham), Abdul Fatawu (Leicester), Chuba Akpom (Ajax), Kjell Scherpen (Union Saint-Gilloise), Emersonn (Toulouse), Kayne van Oevelen (Volendam), Cedric Kipre (Reims).

Notable outgoings: Arijanet Muric (Sassuolo), Conor Chaplin (Leicester), Ashley Young (retired), Sammie Szmodics (Derby, loan), George Hirst (Stoke City), Ben Johnson (Stoke, loan), Wes Burns (Leicester City), Ali Al-Hamadi (Sheffield Wednesday, loan), Harry Clarke (Preston North End)

August grade: C+

In the last set of grades, Nick Akerman warned that Ipswich shouldn't make the same mistake they made the last time they were in the top flight, when they signed a bunch of players to little success. Well, it seems the lessons haven't been learned.

There is something to be said about the business this time, though. The Tractor Boys have signed some real quality, including Exequiel Palacios and Julio Enciso, while Florentino Luis was one of the best of an admittedly bad bunch in Burnley's plummet to the Championship last season. Another of those Clarets players who came out with some credit was Zian Flemming, who has arrived at Portman Road after scoring 11 goals in the Premier League last season.

Gary O'Neil will need to make them jell quickly, though, and the confidence gained from an opening-day win over Sunderland has soured slightly after a 5-2 thrashing by Manchester United. 

They get a slight grade bump thanks to some smart business, but that's only half of the battle on the way to Premier League survival.

Grade: B-

- Leo Collis

Leeds United

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Notable incomings: James Trafford (Manchester City), Harry Wilson (Fulham), Tarik Muharemovic (Sassuolo), Nico Elvedi (Borussia Monchengladbach), Michael Zetterer (Eintracht Frankfurt), Melvin Bard (Nice), Jean-Mattéo Bahoya (Eintracht Frankfurt)

Notable outgoings: Karl Darlow (Man United), Pascal Struijk (Brighton), Illan Meslier (Arsenal), Jack Harrison (New England Revolution), Lucas Perri (Torino)

August grade: B-

Leeds United have been somewhat restrained in building on the success of last season's comfortable survival, but they've quietly had a strong summer.

James Trafford is only a year removed from Manchester City and Pep Guardiola selecting him as their new No. 1 (until they got cold feet when Gianluigi Donnarumma became available). The 23-year-old gives Leeds a clear upgrade on last year's starters, Karl Darlow and Lucas Perri, while also possessing the room to grow into a top-level stopper.

Elsewhere, Nico Elvedi and Tarik Muharemovic are both big, strong defenders who look ready-made both for the Premier League and Leeds' more physical style. Free-agent Harry Wilson was also a good-value pickup who should provide some more variety in attack after registering 17 Premier League goal contributions for Fulham last season. 

On deadline day, Leeds also added speedy winger Jean-Mattéo Bahoya from Eintracht Frankfurt. The 21-year-old Frenchman had yet to nail down a regular starting place in Germany prior to his departure, but Leeds have enough depth in attack to bring him along slowly if needed until he's able to contribute more consistently.

With Melvin Bard also providing depth and competition at left-wing-back, Leeds appear more than ready for another strong season, and it's impressive that they already look secure in the league just over a year after promotion. 

Grade: A-

-Calum Rogers

Liverpool

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Notable incomings: Victor Munoz (Osasuna), Jeremy Jacquet (Rennes), Ronald Araujo (Barcelona), Bradley Barcola (Paris Saint-Germain)

Notable outgoings: Mohamed Salah (Released), Andy Robertson (Released), Ibrahima Konate (Released), Curtis Jones (Inter Milan), Harvey Elliott (Valencia)

August grade: D-

Liverpool had to wait almost the whole summer to get their superstar attacking signing, but Bradley Barcola's arrival should make a massive difference for Andoni Iraola's team.

The 24-year-old Frenchman's ability to attack space at speed is almost unrivaled, and with many Premier League teams making man-to-man defending a key part of their game plans, Barcola's sheer athleticism and dribbling ability could make him a significant weapon against such approaches.

Jérémy Jacquet is the only other clear addition to the starting eleven after arriving from Stade Rennais in a deal agreed to in January. The 21-year-old looks ready to be a consistent contributor immediately, though, and his combination of physicality and on-ball quality gives him elite-level potential.  

The biggest concern for Liverpool after the deadline is depth, with the back four and central midfield looking especially light on quality. At right-back, for example, Jeremie Frimpong is still being relied upon as a starter despite having made minimal impact on Merseyside, and his competitors for minutes—Conor Bradley and Joe Gomez—have both struggled to stay healthy.

Despite the question marks, though, Liverpool have come away from this summer with both a potential superstar attacker in Barcola and a top-level centre-back prospect in Jacquet. And despite some fan sentiment to the contrary, keeping Cody Gakpo leaves Iraola with a deep selection of potential match-winners that should serve him well once the squad gets to grips with the new manager's approach.

Grade: C+

-Calum Rogers

Manchester City

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Notable incomings: Enzo Fernandez (Chelsea), Iliman Ndiaye (Everton), Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest), Ayyoub Bouaddi (Lille), Jeremy Monga (Leicester), Allan Elias (Palmeiras), Pierce Charles (Sheffield Wednesday), Geronimo Rulli (Marseille) Mathys Detourbet (Troyes)

Notable outgoings: Rodri (Barcelona), Savio (Tottenham), Omar Marmoush (Tottenham, loan), Tijjani Reijnders (Al Qadsiah), Nico Gonzalez (Newcastle), Jack Grealish (Everton, loan), John Stones (Inter), Bernardo Silva (Real Madrid), Divine Mukasa (West Ham, loan), James Trafford (Leeds), Nathan Ake (Fenerbahce), Manuel Akanji (Inter), Reigan Heskey (Cologne), Issa Kabore (Wrexham), Max Alleyne (Burnley, loan), Kalvin Phillips (Sheffield United, loan).

August grade: D

Man City rebuilding their entire midfield in one summer with three of the best players available says everything about the club. 

There is no time to wait; Enzo Maresca needs to challenge Arsenal right away. Adding Elliot Anderson and Ayyoub Bouaddi sorts the team for the next decade; plopping an Enzo Fernandez cherry on top makes Man City legit again right now. It feels an overall upgrade on Rodri, Nico Gonzalez and Tijani Reijnders, despite Rodri being the best midfielder in the world.

Iliman Ndiaye is also an excellent signing who could have filled important roles at Liverpool, Arsenal or Manchester United if they went after him.

Ndiaye's hardworking nature gives Maresca the perfect rotation for Rayan Cherki. He's someone who will track back, has the skill to beat people and will aid whoever plays in the problem right-back position that looks City's only real weakness at the moment. He's very Maresca, and should star.

Grade: A-

-Nick Akerman

Manchester United

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Notable incomings: Carlos Baleba (Brighton), Andrey Santos (Chelsea), Youri Tielemans (Aston Villa), Tynan Thompson (Tottenham) Karl Darlow (Leeds), Cristian Orozco (Fortaleza), Kit Margetson (Swansea).

Notable outgoings: Rasmus Hojlund (Napoli), Toby Collyer (West Brom), Andre Onana (Trabzonspor, loan), Jadon Sancho (released), Casemiro (Inter Miami), James Scanlon (Arsenal), Ethan Williams, (Peterborough), Tyler Fredicson (Lausanne-Sport), Sekou Kone (Lausanne-Sport, loan), Sonny Aljofree (Rotherham), Ethan Wheatley (Lincoln, loan), Altay Bayindir (Celta Vigo, loan), Tyrell Malacia (released).

August grade: B-

Manchester United clearly have a transfer strategy these days. Last year, the Red Devils focused on the attack. This year, it was midfield. At least one defender, a left-back, was needed, but that now looks like next summer's problem as the club obviously works towards securing Lewis Hall.

The same happened with Carlos Baleba last season. Twelve months later, he is the final piece of United's midfield rebuild. Fans can be cautiously excited; Baleba, Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos have the talent to make Michael Carrick's midfield far more mobile and ready to fight.

Tielemans' progressive passing was on show in the win over Ipswich. If Kobbie Mainoo continues to play like he did in that win, he'll outrank all the new midfielders.

Aside from the left-back issue, United really need to consider centre-backs soon. A genuine goal threat to push Benjamin Sesko could have also been useful.

Arguably the main point from the summer is this: United are no longer willing, or able, to consistently compete for the readymade superstars that rivals Man City go after without a second thought. It's a different league entirely now.

Grade: B-

-Nick Akerman

Newcastle United

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Notable incomings: Matias Fernandez-Pardo (Lille), Nico Gonzalez (Man City), Amar Dedic (Benfica), Lukas Hornicek (Braga), Aladji Bamba (Monaco), Bazoumana Touré (Hoffenheim), Sean Steur (Ajax), Ewen Jaouen (Reims).

Notable outgoings: Bruno Guimaraes (Arsenal), Anthony Gordon (Barcelona), Sandro Tonali (Tottenham), Nick Woltemade (Juventus, loan), Kieran Trippier (Wolves), Odysseas Vlachodimos (Sevilla, loan), John Ruddy (Wolves), Emil Krafth (released), Matt Targett (Hull).

August grade: F

What a difference a couple of weeks makes. Newcastle's exodus looked set to define their season, but new manager Matthias Jaissle has the team playing exciting football. He also landed Matias Fernandez-Pardo, a key target, on deadline day.

Fernandez-Pardo is potentially an excellent addition. The 21-year-old was influential for Lille last season and should fill the role Nick Woltemade was being forced into much more naturally. Woltemade's departure also brings an end to the square peg in the round hole issue that developed under Eddie Howe, with the tall striker never quite finding his place after an initial burst of form after arriving last season.

Nico Gonzalez was excellent on his debut away at Spurs, and Amar Dedic is already playing with the fight and confidence that will make him a fan favourite at St. James' Park. 

The Magpies have gone about good work amidst a summer of flux defined by Anthony Gordon, Bruno Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali and Eddie Howe stepping away. The early signs suggest the new manager and his signings have what it takes to get Newcastle back on track.

Grade: B-

-Nick Akerman

Nottingham Forest

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Notable incomings: Liam Delap (Chelsea), Daniel Munoz (Crystal Palace), Ousmane Diomande (Sporting CP), Xaver Schlager (Free agent), Steven Benda (Free agent)

Notable outgoings: Elliot Anderson (Manchester City), Omari Hutchinson (AC Milan, loan), Taiwo Awoniyi (Coventry), Dilane Bakwa (Lille, loan), Stefan Ortega (Released), Willy Boly (Released), Angus Gunn (Released), Morato (West Ham United, loan)

August grade: F

Nottingham Forest practically crawled out of the traps in the transfer window, signing just one player, Xaver Schlager, by August 3.

The Tricky Trees eventually picked up the pace. Ousmane Diomande's long-drawn-out signing was eventually confirmed a week or so later, with the club snagging a center back who had previously been on the radar of some top teams. 

Meanwhile, Liam Delap has arrived from Chelsea, giving the Reds a player in the mold of Chris Wood but with significantly fewer miles on the clock and a much higher ceiling. 

Manager Oliver Glasner also raided his former club Crystal Palace for right-back Daniel Munoz, which is an excellent signing. The Colombian has eight goals and 13 Premier League assists in two-and-a-half seasons in the division, while also providing significant defensive strength. 

Keeping Morgan Gibbs-White around for another season should also not be ignored, although there were surprisingly few rumors surrounding the 26-year-old (hi, Mr. Marinakis). 

But, perhaps crucially, the Elliot Anderson-shaped hole in the middle of the park hasn't been filled, and that could really come back to bite the club. 

It's a step up from August's F grade, but it still wasn't a great window for the club.

Grade: C-

- Leo Collis

Sunderland

OLIVIER CHASSIGNOLE/AFP via Getty Images

Notable incomings: Malick Fofana (Lyon), Dayann Mathalie (Toulouse), Juan Riquelme Angulo Caicedo (Independiente del Valle), Jules Ahoka (Royal Antwerp), Kevin Danso (Tottenham Hotspur, loan), Thomas Meunier (Free agent)

Notable outgoings: Eliezer Mayenda (Rennes), Bertrand Traore (Released), Arthur Masuaku (Konyaspor), Dennis Cirkin (Released), Luis Semedo (Clermont)

August grade: F

Sunderland signed pretty much any player they could get their hands on in last season's summer window, which made the lack of activity this time around a little surprising.

But the Black Cats sprang into life as the window began to close, notably hijacking Crystal Palace's move for Malick Fofana from Lyon. The player was linked to Arsenal, making the midfielder's arrival a bit of a coup for the club from the north-east. 

Left-back Dayann Mathalie has also arrived at the Stadium of Light, with high hopes attached to the 20-year-old Frenchman. Similarly, Jules Ahoka and Juan Riquelme Angulo Caicedo are promising talents for now and the future.

Meanwhile, Kevin Danso has joined from Spurs in a loan deal as a senior option to shore up the back line.

It was a less scattergun approach from Sunderland in the window, replaced with a more targeted strategy. With European football on the docket, though, a few more arrivals would have been advised.

Grade: C+

- Leo Collis

Tottenham Hotspur

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Notable incomings: Andrew Robertson (Liverpool), Marcos Senesi (Bournemouth), Martin Dubravka (Burnley), Jan Paul van Hecke (Brighton), Matheus Fernandes (West Ham), Sandro Tonali (Newcastle), Omar Marmoush (Man City), Savio (Man City), Mykhailo Mudryk (Chelsea), Tosin Adarabioyo (Chelsea)

Notable outgoings: Yves Bissouma (released), Radu Dragusin (Fiorentina), Luka Vuskovic (Brighton), Manor Solomon (West Ham), Djed Spence (Inter Milan), Cristian Romero (Atletico Madrid), Guglielmo Vicario (Juventus), Pape Matar Sarr (Juventus), Kevin Danso (Sunderland)

August grade: B+

After two defeats to open the season and a disappointing end to the window that saw the club agree to baffling deals for both Tosin Adarabioyo and Mykhailo Mudryk from Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur's summer feels far more questionable than it might have done a couple of weeks ago.

This is still a much stronger squad than the team that finished 17th last season, however. Matheus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali are both big upgrades in midfield, Jan Paul van Hecke is a sensible enough replacement for Cristian Romero, and Omar Marmoush and Savio are both exciting additions in attack. 

There is a risk, though, that this is simply too big of an overhaul in too short a space of time, regardless of what you think of the players brought in. With no European football on the schedule, this season represented a chance for Spurs to take advantage of their extra rest and put themselves back among the top six. Instead, they will likely spend far too much of it bedding in new signings and ideas for that goal to be realistic.

Spurs deserve some credit for their ambition in trying to arrest their decline, and they have improved, despite what their results say. But their desperation to turn things around has led them to attempt to build Rome in a day, and given the $424 million outlay to enact a plan that has them looking like a fringe Europa League qualifier at best, it's hard to be overly generous with their grade.

Grade: C

-Calum Rogers