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With a little under four weeks remaining in the 2026 summer transfer window, the question is which among Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and the rest of the Premier League big six has handled its business best so far.

It has been a hectic summer for the big six, with clubs such as Chelsea and Tottenham still flexing major spending power despite not having European football to offer in the 2026/27 season.

Elsewhere, Liverpool and Manchester United have arguably been relatively quiet, which perhaps counts as a small boost for title favourites Arsenal and Manchester City, although both of those clubs have had slightly mixed windows as well.

Here is our attempt to rank the big six transfer windows so far, from worst to best.

OUT: Rasmus Hojlund, Casemiro, Jadon Sancho, Tyrell Malacia, Andre Onana (loan)

Although the arrivals of Tielemans and Santos appear quite encouraging, they are not exactly the transformative midfield pairing supporters would have been desperate for. There were loftier ambitions, including Elliot Anderson, according to Ben Jacobs, while the move for Ederson notably fell through after problems with his medical.

There is also a worrying shortage of investment in defence and attack up to this point. A new left-back surely has to be a priority as the ageing Luke Shaw continues to battle fitness and form issues. Further forward, Marcus Rashford's future also remains unresolved.

IN: Jeremy Jacquet, Victor Munoz

OUT: Mohamed Salah, Ibrahima Konate, Andrew Robertson, Rhys Williams

So far, it has not been good enough from Liverpool, especially when you consider the number of players who have departed, though there are still perhaps a few reasons to remain hopeful.

Jeremy Jacquet looked an outstanding talent at Rennes and should develop into an important defensive figure as Liverpool look to replace Ibrahima Konate, while Victor Munoz is another excellent young prospect capable of making an impact both now and in the years ahead.

At the same time, it also appears that Liverpool are leading the race to sign Bradley Barcola this summer. The Frenchman is one of Europe's leading attacking talents and is still only 23, so he could be an ideal player to build around for the long term.

IN: Morgan Rogers, Maxence Lacroix, Geovany Quenda, Emmanuel Emegha, Marco Palestra, Jordan Henderson, Danny Welbeck, Valentin Barco

OUT: Marc Cucurella, Andrey Santos, Tyrique George, Alejandro Garnacho (loan)

As usual, Chelsea have been busy, but there is still arguably more to do, especially when it comes to trimming this bloated squad. Players such as Liam Delap, Nicolas Jackson, Jamie Gittens and Romeo Lavia surely look surplus to requirements, and there are several others who may be difficult to accommodate.

Morgan Rogers and Maxence Lacroix do look like excellent signings, to be fair, but the Blues need more proven Premier League-ready stars in that mould rather than this unusual mix of inexperienced youngsters such as Valentin Barco and Geovany Quenda alongside Jordan Henderson and Danny Welbeck.

IN: Elliot Anderson, Jeremy Monga,

OUT: Bernardo Silva, John Stones, Manuel Akanji, Nathan Ake, Sverre Nypan (loan)

Things began encouragingly with the signing of Elliot Anderson in a big-money move from Nottingham Forest. The England international is unquestionably one of the best in the world in his position right now, so Manchester City have done well to move before anyone else could.

Even so, it looks as though Anderson will be replacing Rodri, which is perhaps not ideal, especially given that experienced high-profile names such as Bernardo Silva and John Stones have also followed Pep Guardiola out of the Etihad Stadium exit door.

Perhaps, after the heavy spending on Antoine Semenyo and Marc Guehi in January, there is not quite the same need for City to go overboard now, but considering the calibre of the players they have lost, you might still have expected a little more in terms of arrivals.

IN: Sandro Tonali, Mateus Fernandes, Jan Paul van Hecke, Andrew Robertson, Martin Dubravka, Marcos Senesi

OUT: Luka Vuskovic, Alfie Devine, Will Lankshear, Tynan Thompson, Alejo Veliz

Tottenham have spent heavily, but they have also spent wisely. Tonali and Fernandes are major signings who immediately improve the midfield, and it is well established that Spurs beat other big clubs to secure both players. Van Hecke should also prove to be an outstanding defensive addition, while Robertson and Dubravka are clever free transfers that add depth to Roberto De Zerbi's squad.

IN: Christos Tzolis, Piero Hincapie, Illan Meslier

OUT: Leandro Trossard, Christian Norgaard, Jakub Kiwior, Karl Hein

Arsenal have so far signed Christos Tzolis in what could turn out to be a bargain, directly replacing Leandro Trossard. Piero Hincapie's loan move has also been turned into a permanent deal, while Illan Meslier adds depth on a free transfer.

Bruno Guimaraes should also be officially announced very soon, and that would represent another superb bit of business, with the Gunners bringing in one of the Premier League's best midfielders to join an already strong trio of Declan Rice, Martin Zubimendi and Myles Lewis-Skelly.

The outgoing players should not be too much of a concern for the club, though there may still be scope to raise a bit more money to help fund the marquee attacking signing this squad still appears to be missing.