Few Liverpool supporters could have predicted quite such an extravagant summer transfer window.
Liverpool were destined to splurge in the market after penny-pinching last summer as they looked to reinforce a Premier League title-winning squad, but the scale of their spending has stunned even the most optimistic of fans.
The Reds have splashed a Premier League record £446.5 million ($600.2 million) and while they offset much of their spending through player sales, expectations are now sky high as they look to defend their title. Silverware is essential after an extraordinary spree.
Many have already hailed Liverpool as the winners of the summer window, but just how impressive has the club’s business been?
Best Signing: Alexander Isak
Alexander Isak’s journey to Anfield was littered with barriers. Newcastle United were unsurprisingly desperate to keep their prized asset and were quick to rebuff Liverpool’s approaches for the Swedish sharpshooter, who decided to strike in an attempt to force through a transfer. The 25-year-old’s tactics were not pretty, but they were effective.
Isaak secured his record £125 million move to Liverpool on deadline day to bring a protracted saga to a close, with the Reds celebrating the arrival of one of the world’s best centre forwards. Their new No.9 has scored 52 times across the last two seasons on Tyneside as he’s blossomed into an unstoppable force due to his effortless blend of speed, physicality and accuracy. Even Virgil van Dijk has regularly come out second best in duels with the towering striker.
Hugo Ekitiké has made a lightning fast start to life on Merseyside following his £79 million move from Eintracht Frankfurt and while he’s an astonishing talent with enormous potential, Isak is an immediate upgrade on the Frenchman. Liverpool won’t need to dip into the centre-forward market for some time.
Having secured his status as one of the Premier League’s best, there can be no denying that Isak is the signing of the summer—and not just for Liverpool.
Biggest Surprise: Giovanni Leoni
Liverpool have not made many ‘surprise’ signings this summer. Full back reinforcements were expected, as were new faces in the forward line. However, the £26 million move for centre back Giovanni Leoni did catch several off guard.
Only Serie A aficionados were fully aware of Leoni’s talent and immense potential, the 18-year-old having made an enormous impression during just 30 senior appearances at Padova, Sampdoria and then Parma. To splash such a sizeable fee on a defender with such little experience is undoubtedly a gamble.
Those with an intimate knowledge of Italian football have high hopes for Leoni, but he wasn’t necessarily the centre back Liverpool supporters expected to sign this summer.
Statement Signing: Florian Wirtz
Isak and Florian Wirtz could both justifiably stake their claim for statement signing of Liverpool’s window, but the latter’s decision to ignore Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Manchester City in favour of joining the Reds sent a strong message. Teaming up with the Premier League champions was always the 22-year-old’s priority.
The fact that Wirtz was so bullish on trading Bayer Leverkusen for Liverpool sent a statement in itself and the club’s decision to splash a then club record £116 million on his signature was another indicator of their intentions heading into the 2025–26 campaign.
Liverpool have rarely bought ready-made superstars in recent years but acquiring Wirtz saw them drift from their typical transfer model and breach the £100 million mark for the first time. The Reds want to dominate under Arne Slot and such signings are a statement of that intent.
Biggest Outgoing Transfer: Luis Díaz
Luis Díaz was both Liverpool’s most expensive and notable departure of the summer. The Colombian had been integral to their title push, scoring 13 times and registering five assists in the Premier League. He discovered a ruthless streak to support Mohamed Salah’s relentless output.
But Díaz is now 28 years old and had just two years left on his Liverpool contract, with no apparent intention to extend his time on Merseyside. To help fund their summer spending, the Reds decided to cash in on one of their brightest attacking talents.
Selling Díaz didn’t come as a complete surprise but it was a risk. Replacing the winger’s goal contributions would not be straightforward and Liverpool didn’t sign a ready-made replacement before the deadline. Slot has put his faith in Cody Gakpo, Federico Chiesa and Rio Ngumoha to carry the load between them—with Ekitiké and Isak potentially chipping in on the left flank, too.
Whether Liverpool will miss Díaz this term remains to be seen, but eight goals from their opening three Premier League matches suggests they might not.
Overall Grade
Liverpool have spent an unprecedented amount in Slot’s second summer at the helm but they have undoubtedly enjoyed an exceptional window. They have added depth in key positions that required strengthening and have immediately upgraded their first-team options, recruiting some of the world’s best talents in the process.
Have they overspent? Perhaps. But they have managed to recoup significant funds through the sales of first-teamers, peripheral figures and academy graduates. In the end, Liverpool didn’t even finish the window with the highest net spend—that award going to Arsenal.
Isak, Wirtz and Ekitiké ensure Liverpool have added to one of the most feared attacks on the planet, while Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong should be the club’s fullbacks for years to come. Even the lower profile additions of Giorgi Mamardashvili and Leoni are impressive pieces of business.
Liverpool’s extravagant summer has been an overwhelming success.
Overall Grade: A
Liverpool 2025–26 Incomings
Liverpool 2025–26 Outgoings
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Grading Liverpool’s 2025 Summer Transfer Window.
