Gyokeres? Sesko? Ranking which team won the Premier League striker summer signing transfer wars

The Premier League saw an influx of new strikers during the transfer window last summer, with almost every top team beginning the new season with a big number nine signing.

Transfer records were smashed and huge gambles were made on foreign and domestic talent in the hopes that the likes of Liverpool, Manchester United and Arsenal could all find their new goalscoring talisman.

With just over a quarter of the season remaining, much has been learned about the new stars on the block and some sides will feel as though they have made shrewd purchases, while others may look at their business with some regret.

But which team won the striker war, at least based on the campaign so far? FootballTransfers ranks the six leading strikers to have joined a new Premier League club this season.

6. Alexander Isak (Liverpool) – €145m

Arguably the saga of the summer ended in Liverpool smashing the British transfer record on deadline day for the second time during the window with the €145 million purchase of Alexander Isak from Newcastle.

Based on Isak’s performances for the Magpies, Liverpool had no reservations about the quality of player they were getting, even with the astronomical fee for a player who had gone on strike to force the move.

However, Isak’s debut campaign at Anfield has been nothing short of a disaster, with the 26-year-old enduring poor form, a barren goalscoring run and a host of fitness issues, culminating in a potentially season-ending leg break in December.

Even before his injury, the Swede’s record of just three goals in 16 games was causing alarms and Liverpool will be hoping for a full recovery over the summer to get their record transfer back to his true self to avoid Isak going down as one of the worst signings in Premier League history.

5. Nick Woltemade (Newcastle) – €75m

Newcastle replaced Isak with a record signing of their own, bringing in Nick Woltemade for €75m after a breakout campaign with Stuttgart where he scored 12 times in 28 Bundesliga games.

However, the signing was a major risk, so much so that Newcastle were ridiculed by Bayern Munich for the amount they spent on the German considering he had never proven himself outside of a few months of good form for Stuttgart.

Newcastle instantly brushed off any doubts after Woltemade netted five times in his first eight appearances but the 24-year-old has struggled since and recently went on a run of 14 matches without a goal.

Woltemade has struggled to establish himself as a focal point in Eddie Howe’s team, which has seen him moved into midfield and led to speculation over his future and his polarising season could see Bayern have the last laugh in their assessment of the deal.

4. Benjamin Sesko (Manchester United) – €76.5m

Manchester United were also on the lookout for a new striker last summer and eyebrows were raised when they replaced Rasmus Hojlund with another young and unproven striker for big money in Benajmin Sesko.

Sesko rejected Newcastle to move to Old Trafford for €76.5m from RB Leipzig, having once been considered a top target for Arsenal only for the Gunners to baulk at his asking price.

United knew the deal was a risk and the gamble looked to have backfired after Sesko scored just two goals in his first 17 appearances, further adding to the problems of then-manager Ruben Amorim.

But the arrival of Michael Carrick as manager has coincided with a dramatic turnaround in Sesko’s form, with six goals in his last seven games giving United hope that they may have finally found the striker they have been craving for years.

3. Joao Pedro (Chelsea) – €63.7m

Joao Pedro’s €63.7m move to Chelsea perhaps did not get the same fanfare as some of the other deals on this list due to the Brazilian not being known as a natural goalscoring number nine during his time at Brighton.

The Brazilian scored 30 goals in 70 games for the Seagulls, 15 of which were penalties, and Pedro was largely signed due to his versatility of being able to play out wide or as a number ten instead of as a pure striker.

But Pedro has found rhythm as a striker under Liam Rosenior by scoring seven times in his last nine appearances to take his total to 14 goals this season in all competitions, with no penalties.

While there are some question marks over whether Pedro will truly become Chelsea’s long-term number nine, the 24-year-old has been a worthy signing so far and just needs to continue being consistent in front of goal to prove his credentials further.

2. Viktor Gyokeres (Arsenal) – €67m

Arsenal’s signing of a number nine was potentially going to be the difference maker over whether they could finally break their Premier League title curse or finish as runners up for the fourth year running.

After much speculation and with many names being considered over the years, the Gunners landed on Viktor Gyokeres for €67m after his prolific stint with Sporting.

While Gyokeres has certainly struggled at times to make the step up to the Premier League, the 27-year-old has slowly adapted to Arsenal’s style of play and, crucially, is providing a goal threat up front that Mikel Arteta’s side have desperately lacked in recent seasons.

Gyokeres’ signing might only be judged based on where Arsenal finish this season but, with 15 goals in all competitions, the Swede is silencing many doubters after finding his feet in recent weeks.

1. Hugo Ekitike (Liverpool) – €95m

Perhaps the biggest compliment to Hugo Ekitike’s impact on Liverpool is that his signing begs the question as to why the Reds felt the need to break the bank for Isak despite signing a seemingly better player weeks earlier.

Any doubts over Liverpool’s decision to splash €95m on Ekitike after just one season at Frankfurt were quickly dissolved after three goals in his first three games and the Frenchman has shown his class ever since.

Although Ekitike has had patches without goals at times this season, the 23-year-old has scored 14 times this season and has proven to be everything that Liverpool hoped Isak would be, all while displaying the potential to become even better over time.

Ultimately, if you turned back time and asked every team which player they would have liked to sign, Ekitike would likely come out on top and, having even made the most expensive player in Premier League history look redundant, Liverpool may have both won and lost the first wave of the striker wars…for now.

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