Five summer 2025 signings already facing the exit door as replacements circle

It's not often you see a player spend twelve months at a new club only to discover the ground shifting beneath their feet, yet that's precisely where several marquee summer 2025 signings find themselves as 2026 unfolds.

Alexander-Arnold's Madrid struggles

Start with Trent Alexander-Arnold at Real Madrid. The move from Liverpool promised fresh horizons, yet his debut season has been a sobering affair. Fourteen La Liga starts. No trophies. No goals. A couple of injury setbacks thrown in for good measure. And yes, that lifelong bond with Liverpool, severed.

Now comes the real test: Denzel Dumfries is heading to the Bernabéu. The Dutch full-back arrives from Inter after five seasons with the Serie A outfit, and at 30 years old, he's hardly past his prime. Despite playing fewer matches, Dumfries has delivered superior performances this campaign. Competition for places at Madrid is standard fare, certainly more than Alexander-Arnold faced in his position at Anfield, but expect those La Liga starts to remain thin on the ground next season.

Rashford's Barcelona limbo

Marcus Rashford's loan at Barcelona sits in uncomfortable limbo. The Manchester United man has been pushing for a permanent deal, yet Barcelona are hesitating over their €30m option to buy. Fourteen goals is a respectable haul, but the club's bean counters aren't convinced of the value.

Enter Anthony Gordon, whom Barcelona have just splashed €70m upon. It's a bewildering piece of business. Gordon might slot in as a Lewandowski replacement—somehow—but the more likely scenario is one English winger simply replacing another. For Rashford, the door appears to be closing.

Reijnders' Manchester City gamble

Tijjani Reijnders' first impression at Manchester City was electric: a goal and an assist on his Premier League bow. The lasting impression? Rather different. One additional assist. Four more goals in the league. Nothing since January.

City are now circling Elliot Anderson at Nottingham Forest, a midfielder very much in demand across Europe. A significant investment would be required, but City's hierarchy sounds optimistic. With Bernardo Silva heading for the exit and Rodri entering the final year of his contract—Real Madrid lurking—a midfield overhaul is brewing at the Etihad. Reijnders' future suddenly feels precarious.

Newcastle's striker saga

Here's a damning statistic: fourteen Premier League clubs boasted a higher-scoring top striker than Newcastle this season. Fourteen. The season prior, only Liverpool could claim the same, so Newcastle simply went and bought Alexander Isak. Problem solved, or so they thought.

Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa were supposed to fill that void. Instead, Newcastle have overspent on both. Woltemade, at 24 and the pricier acquisition, could be moved on this summer if a superior option materialises—though shifting him at a profit looks unlikely.

Chelsea's winger carousel continues

Chelsea have a winger problem. Not through shortage of wingers—they've spent hundreds of millions acquiring them—but through shortage of good wingers.

Alejandro Garnacho was meant to be different. The Manchester United cast-off arrived as a statement signing last summer. Now reports suggest he's available for sale again. Jamie Gittens has been even worse, but Garnacho was the bigger name, the one Chelsea hoped might finally stick.

Back to the drawing board it is, then, in search of yet another winger who might actually deliver on their hefty price tag.