Manchester United and Tottenham Yet to See Returns on Summer Spending
The short version
- Tottenham are bottom of the Premier League after five games (two draws, three defeats) despite spending over €200 million on Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes.
- Manchester United's rebuilt midfield has struggled: Youri Tielemans has underperformed, Carlos Baleba is yet to debut due to an ankle injury, and Andrey Santos has played sparingly.
- Santos, 22, started defeats to Hull City and Brighton and has added only 42 minutes in his other appearances combined.
- Brighton's Luka Vuskovic, 19, has been a regular starter as the club climbed to third in the table.
- James Trafford has conceded three goals in five league games for Leeds, while Jeremy Jacquet has stabilized Liverpool's defense.
Manchester United and Tottenham's costly Premier League recruitment has brought slow starts, while signings at Brighton, Brentford, Leeds and Liverpool have settled fast.
Premier League clubs spent freely again during the 2026 summer transfer window, though the opening weeks of the new season have exposed a gap between outlay and results for several of the division's heaviest investors. Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur stand out among clubs whose costly recruitment has yet to deliver the intended improvement. Elsewhere, more modest spenders have watched a string of new arrivals settle quickly.
United finally began the midfield rebuild that had long been expected, and the early signs have been discouraging. Youri Tielemans, signed from Aston Villa, has fallen short of expectations, while Carlos Baleba has yet to make his debut because of an ankle injury.
Andrey Santos, a 22-year-old Brazil international who arrived from Chelsea as a long-term successor to fellow Brazilian Casemiro, has made the most difficult start of the group. He began the defeats against Hull City and Brighton & Hove Albion and has added only 42 minutes across his remaining appearances. There is still time for the new midfield to gel, but United need a turnaround soon after a sluggish opening to the season.
Tottenham's problems have been more severe. Spurs sit bottom of the Premier League after five matches — two draws and three defeats — after spending more than €200 million on midfielders Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes, an investment that led some pundits to tip the club for the top four. Manager Roberto De Zerbi has so far been unable to draw the best from the pair, who must improve sharply in the months ahead.
Defender Jan Paul van Hecke has also found the demands of a move to one of the league's biggest clubs testing. His judgment in defensive situations has been poor, and Tottenham may come to regret giving up Luka Vuskovic in order to complete the signing.
Brighton & Hove Albion stepped in to replace Van Hecke with the Croatian teenager. Vuskovic, 19, never played a senior match for Tottenham but developed on a strong loan spell at Hamburg in the Bundesliga. He has started regularly since joining the south-coast club this summer, adjusting well to different tactical setups and helping Brighton climb to third in the Premier League. It ranks as another well-judged addition at a club with a strong record in the market.
Brentford, who have repeatedly found players to sell on at a profit, made Mali international Mamadou Sangare their latest development project after signing him from Ligue 1 club Lens. His energetic performance on the opening weekend left Tottenham's remade midfield unable to contain him, and he has continued to impress since. His early form has prompted suggestions that United were wrong to pass on him this summer.
Two further summer signings have made smooth starts elsewhere. Goalkeeper James Trafford has conceded only three goals in five league matches for Leeds United, and Jeremy Jacquet has brought stability to a Liverpool defense that struggled badly a season ago.
Games to watch
