2026 Premier League Summer Signings: The Big Names Yet to Make Their Mark
The 2026 Premier League summer signings changed the landscape of the league, with several major arrivals adding new storylines, rivalries and expectations to the opening weeks of the season. Amid that excitement, some of thesenew players have started strongly, while several others are still struggling to find their rhythm and make an impact.
Those early struggles have been influenced by different factors, with some players still adapting to the league while others are trying to settle into their new environments. With several high-profile arrivals still searching for their best form, we take a closer look at the big names among the 2026 Premier League summer signings yet to make their mark and explore what is behind their struggles.
2026 Premier League Summer Signings: Four Stars Yet to Hit Their Stride Five matchdays into the new season, the gap between expectation and reality is already becoming clear for some of the biggest 2026 Premier League summer signings. Bradley Barcola, Savio, Andrey Santos and Alejandro Garnacho arrived with high expectations at their respective new clubs, but those expectations have not been matched by their early performances.
Those anticipations come from the pedigree of each player, with some arriving for high transfer fees and others bringing significant talent expected to make an immediate impact. Yet, their minutes, output and overall contributions have been limited in the opening weeks of the season.
However, this does not imply that the signings have already failed, but rather that their overall impact has fallen short of the reputation and transfer fees attached to them. It now remains to be seen whether these players' current struggles among Premier League summer signings will be merely a slow start or become more apparent as the season progresses.
Barcola Has the Quality, But the Impact Has Yet to Follow Barcola arrived at Liverpool as one of the expensive Premier League signings, costing £123m from Paris Saint-Germain, yet there have beenconcerns about his early form. The Frenchman possesses explosive pace, strong dribbling ability, creativity in tight areas and the capacity to progress the ball into dangerous areas.
However, those qualities have not translated into goals, assists or consistent decisive movements since joining Liverpool as one of the most expensive Premier League signings. His fit into head coach Andoni Iraola's system also comes into play, as the Spanish manager prefers direct and high-intensity attacking football that suits Barcola's strengths, yet attacking output remains the biggest problem after three matches and 170 minutes played.
That lack of output is also reflected in his involvement in dangerous areas, as he has just seven touches in the opposition box so far, underlining his limited progressive carries, positioning and impact in the opponent's box. Those numbers do not mean his long-term potential at Anfield should be questioned yet, as these are still early days, but his enormous fee as one of the most expensive Premier League signings has added another layer of scrutiny to his performances.
The key issue now is turning those promising moments and progressive carries into tangible end product that justifies his transfer fee.