The traditional ten-game marker in the Premier League season provides the first genuine opportunity to assess summer transfer business, and the results reveal stark contrasts between clubs who recruited wisely and those who wasted millions.
The Ten-Game Benchmark
Most football managers adhere to the principle of not examining the league table until at least ten matches have been played. This period offers sufficient evidence to identify title contenders, European hopefuls and relegation candidates.
The same logic applies to sporting directors and their summer recruitment. With the January transfer window approaching, clubs can now properly evaluate whether their summer investments have paid dividends.
Daily Mail Sport has conducted a comprehensive analysis of every Premier League summer signing, measuring their impact primarily through minutes played. The findings demonstrate that expensive reputations mean little if coaches don't trust players, while unheralded signings can quickly become indispensable.
The Transfer Winners
Arsenal emerge as the standout success story of the summer window. Their targeted approach focused on players who could immediately improve the starting eleven, and the results speak for themselves. The Gunners sit four points clear after eleven matches.
Key signing Martin Zubimendi has been virtually ever-present, featuring for 939 out of 990 possible Premier League minutes - an impressive 94.9% of available playing time. Victor Gyokeres (81.1%) and Eberechi Eze (62.9%) have also earned Mikel Arteta's trust, while Noni Madueke's limited 30.9% participation stems from a September knee injury rather than managerial preference.
Manchester City continue moving in the right direction with Tijjani Reijnders among seven senior permanent signings bedding in effectively. Meanwhile, Tottenham, Bournemouth and Manchester United are all benefiting from their main summer acquisitions.
Tottenham's Mohammed Kudus (88.8%) and Joao Palhinha (87.2%) have become instant regulars under Thomas Frank - particularly impressive for a club that finished 17th last season.
Bournemouth deserve credit for seamlessly replacing a goalkeeper, left-back and centre-back with Adrien Truffert, Bafode Diakite and Djordje Petrovic all flourishing under Andoni Iraola.
Experience Over Resale Value
In an era obsessed with potential resale value, Sunderland and Brentford demonstrate the enduring worth of experience. Their signings of 33-year-old Granit Xhaka and 35-year-old Jordan Henderson respectively defy modern transfer conventions.
Both command substantial wages and offer negligible resale potential, yet Xhaka has played every minute of Sunderland's league campaign while Henderson has featured in 84.4% of available minutes. Their class and experience are visibly elevating teammates.
Manchester United finally appear to have recruited players suiting their manager's system, with Bryan Mbeumo (96.6%) leading the way and Matheus Cunha (69.1%) growing in influence.
Transfer Troubles
Nottingham Forest's summer business appears particularly perplexing. Despite signing twelve players, only Dan Ndoye has featured regularly, accumulating 77% of possible minutes. The next most used signing, Nicolo' Savona (43.3%), might not have played had first-choice right-back Ola Aina remained fit.
The situation at Chelsea raises serious questions about their £339million summer expenditure. Among ten new arrivals, only Joao Pedro has become a regular starter. The Blues seem to have adopted a scattergun approach, distributing minutes evenly in hope of maintaining squad freshness rather than building a cohesive unit.
West Ham's recruitment also disappoints, with El Hadji Malick Diouf and Mateus Fernandes the only regulars among their new signings. New goalkeeper Mads Hermansen has particularly struggled.
Aston Villa continue relying on Unai Emery's coaching expertise rather than successful recruitment, with Monchi's spell at Villa Park deemed a failure and replacement Roberto Olabe facing pressure to improve.
The Unproven Cases
Liverpool's summer signings have flickered rather than shone. Florian Wirtz and Milos Kerkez have managed around 70% of possible minutes, while questions persist about whether the club needed both Hugo Ekitike and Alexander Isak.
Brighton, usually transfer market maestros, experienced an unusually quiet window. Of their new players, only Maxim De Cuyper has made any first-team impression, and even he has accumulated just 41.8% of possible minutes.
At Newcastle, Nick Woltemade and Malick Thiaw have made positive impressions, though Eddie Howe still depends largely on last season's core players.
The analysis confirms that successful summer business should make January adjustments minor rather than essential. However, for many Premier League clubs, the winter window looks set to become another frantic scramble to rectify summer mistakes.
