Taking stock of the top 5 high-priced parallel imports in the Premier League summer window: Wirtz leads the way, Gittens is on the list with 0 goals in 7 games

This summer, the Premier League invested more than 3 billion pounds in the transfer market, and signed an astonishing 155 new players. With countless transfer dramas, it has been an unforgettable summer for Premier League clubs. The 20 richest teams in global football have spent this summer, and the Premier League transfer record has been completely broken. The Premier League's spending exceeded the four major leagues of La Liga, Serie A, Ligue 1 and Bundesliga combined.

Many players who joined the Premier League in the summer transfer window quickly adapted to the new environment, but many others clearly had a more difficult time adapting. The following are the five worst signings in the Premier League this summer based on their early season performance:

No. 5: Elanga (Newcastle United, 61.4 million euros)

Elanga is another gem lost from Manchester United's youth training system. The speedy winger performed well after joining Nottingham Forest, scoring 18 goals in the 2024-25 season.

However, after transferring to Newcastle for 61.4 million euros, he failed to score a goal or assist in 10 games and failed to bring substantial help to the team. The Magpies struggled early in the season with a lack of regular forwards. At present, the 23-year-old Swedish player has yet to show more value besides his speed.

No. 4: Trafford (Man City 31.2 million euros)

This summer, Trafford returned to Manchester City for 31.2 million euros. Two years ago, he was sold to Burnley by Manchester City for 17.3 million euros. The England goalkeeper hopes to return to Manchester City to prove himself, but is currently firmly pressed on the bench by Donnarumma.

At the beginning of the season, Trafford served as Manchester City's main goalkeeper, but his performance was poor. Especially the poor performance against Tottenham in August finally made Guardiola decide to spend money to sign Donnarumma. After Donnarumma joined, Trafford was completely reduced to a substitute.

No. 3: Kerkez (Liverpool 46.9 million euros)

In Liverpool's Premier League winning lineup, Robertson was considered a weak link, so the team introduced Kerkez from Bournemouth for 46.9 million euros, expecting him to replace the Scot as the main left back.

He did get a starting opportunity at the beginning of the season, but his performance was disappointing. He was unfamiliar with the entire defensive line and had frequent defensive loopholes. In his first official game for Liverpool, he was suppressed by former teammate Antoine Semenho. In the game against Burnley, he was substituted before midfield due to poor performance.

No. 2: Gittens (Chelsea 56 million euros)

Only Liverpool surpassed Chelsea in summer window spending, and Gittens is Chelsea's second most expensive signing. The England winger joined Chelsea from Dortmund for a transfer fee of 56 million euros. Now he has made only 3 starts in 7 appearances, with 0 goals and 0 assists.

Gittens is fast and direct in style, but he has no use in front of the Premier League defense. As the second-ranked player in the Bundesliga dribble list, Gittens has lost the ability to break through 1V1 in the Premier League. In the competition for the same position, Gittens has fallen behind Esteban and Ganaccio.

No. 1: Wirtz (Liverpool 125 million euros)

There is no doubt that the biggest "parallel import" in the Premier League's summer signings is Wirtz. Wirtz was Liverpool's blockbuster signing early in the transfer window, and his pre-season performance is also exciting. He was one of the Reds' best players in the Community Shield, although the team ultimately lost to Crystal Palace. However, as the season officially began, his performance took a sharp turn. In 9 appearances, he not only did not score any goals or assists, but also performed poorly in ball control, confrontation and offensive organization, and was often invisible in the game.

Although the season has just started less than 2 months ago, Wirtz may still be able to find his form, but Liverpool have not yet found the best way to use him. His sluggish performance has led coach Slaughter to consider whether to continue to start him.