We’re rapidly approaching the end of 2020 - *hooray!* - which means the transfer window is about to re-open.
The transfer window in England for Premier League and EFL clubs opens on January 2 and closes on February 1.
But we thought we’d look back at the most expensive signings from the past 12 months and give every featured player a rating out of 10 based on the impact they’ve made so far.
A host of high-profile signings were made over the course of 2020, including Bruno Fernandes to Manchester United, Kai Havertz to Chelsea and Diogo Jota to Liverpool.
But which signings have been masterstrokes, and which players have flattered to deceive?
17. Rhian Brewster | Sheffield United (£23.4 million)
Rating: 1/10
Strikers are judged by the number of goals they score and Rhian Brewster is still looking for his first Premier League goal as a Sheffield United player.
Zero goals in 475 minutes isn’t quite what Blades fans were expecting when their club forked out £23 million to sign the youngster from Liverpool.
16. Nelson Semedo | Wolves (£27 million)
Rating: 5/10
WhoScored.com rate Nelson Semedo as Wolves’ fourth-best performing player of the season so far, which seems a little generous to us.
Nevertheless, the Portuguese right-back - who signed from Barcelona - is a decent full-back who will be looking to have more of an impact at Molineux over the coming weeks and months.
15. Steven Bergwijn | Tottenham (£27 million)
Rating: 5/10
With the exception of a couple of excellent goals against Manchester City and Manchester United, Steven Bergwijn hasn’t offered Tottenham an awful lot.
The Dutch winger is yet to score or assist a single Premier League goal so far this season.
14. Rodrigo | Leeds United (£27 million)
Rating: 5/10
Two goals (plus two assists) is a distinctly average return for a player who cost Leeds £27 million.
Patrick Bamford (10 goals, three assists) remains Marcelo Bielsa’s most important forward.
13. Sergio Reguilon | Tottenham (£27 million)
Rating: 8/10
Because he arrived at the same time as Gareth Bale, Sergio Reguilon’s signing went slightly under the radar at the time.
However, unlike Bale, the left-back has significantly improved Spurs in recent months. He’s provided Jose Mourinho’s side with more width and set up a couple of goals for his teammates.
12. Giovani Lo Celso | Tottenham (£28.8 million)
Rating: 7/10
A key player for Spurs last season, Giovani Lo Celso’s stats don’t always reflect his overall contribution.
The Argentine, who signed permanently in January 2020, has been a little more disappointing this term but there’s no doubt the Argentine is a top midfielder.
11. Wesley Fofana | Leicester City (£31.5 million)
Rating: 8/10
Arguably Leicester’s second-best player so far this season behind Jamie Vardy, Wesley Fofana is clearly a top centre-back in the making.
Signing the Frenchman from Saint-Etienne looks a masterstroke from Brendan Rodgers and his recruitment staff.
10. Donny van de Beek | Manchester United (£35.1 million)
Rating: 4/10
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s reluctance to start Donny van de Beek has puzzled United fans this season.
The Dutch midfielder has only been named in a Premier League starting line-up on two occasions so far. Did Solskjaer even want him at Old Trafford?
It’s still early days, of course, but the jury is firmly out over the former Ajax star.
9. Fabio Silva | Wolves (£36 million)
Rating: 4/10
A legend on Football Manager, by all accounts, we’re yet to really see what all the fuss is about with Fabio Silva.
That said, he is still so young. The Portugal Under-19 international only turned 18 in July and is certainly one for the future.
8. Hakim Ziyech | Chelsea (£36 million)
Rating: 6/10
The best is still to come from Hakim Ziyech, who has endured a difficult start to life at Chelsea due to injuries.
However, we’ve already seen glimpses of brilliance from the Moroccan winger and Frank Lampard will be desperate to get him back into his starting XI as soon as possible.
7. Diogo Jota | Liverpool (£40.23 million)
Rating: 8/10
It seemed impossible for any player to force their way into Liverpool’s attack, but Diogo Jota managed to do just that following his move to Anfield from Wolves.
The Portuguese forward scored five goals in nine league appearances before sadly suffering a knee injury against Midtjylland, which threatens to keep him out of action until February.
6. Nathan Ake | Manchester City (£40.77 million)
Rating: 5/10
Pep Guardiola wanted a left-sided centre-back in the summer and managed to secure the services of Nathan Ake from Bournemouth.
The Dutch defender has only made six Premier League appearances so far, so it still feels a bit too early to be able to judge him properly.
5. Ben Chilwell | Chelsea (£45.18 million)
Rating: 8/10
Although it’s been a difficult few weeks for Chelsea, Ben Chilwell has been one of the Blues’ most consistent performers so far this season.
The left-back has already scored two goals and provided four assists for his new employers in the Premier League.
4. Timo Werner | Chelsea (£47.7 million)
Rating: 4/10
Big things were expected from Timo Werner following his transfer from RB Leipzig, where he scored 34 goals last season.
But the German forward has been rather disappointing so far, netting just four goals in his first 16 appearances for the west London outfit.
However, his fans will argue that he’s not always been played in his preferred position by Lampard, while the fact he has also provided five assists for his teammates means it would be harsh to call him a bad signing at this moment in time.
3. Bruno Fernandes | Manchester United (£49.5 million)
Rating: 10/10
At this rate, Bruno Fernandes will go down as one of the best signings of the Premier League era.
The Portuguese midfielder has transformed Man Utd since January. Where on earth would the Red Devils be right now without him?
Bruno registered eight league goals and the same number of assists during his first half-season and currently has 10 goals and seven assists to his name this term. A wonderful, wonderful player.
2. Ruben Dias | Manchester City (£61.2 million)
Rating: 6/10
Because he cost so much money, there is more expectation on the shoulders of Ruben Dias.
The 23-year-old hasn’t been able to turn Man City into an impenetrable unit so far, but it’s obviously still early days in his spell at the Etihad Stadium. The early signs, though, have been reasonably impressive.
1. Kai Havertz | Chelsea (£72 million)
Rating: 2/10
We were all expecting magic from the highly-rated Kai Havertz following his big-money move from Bayer Leverkusen, but the German playmaker has been a bitter disappointment so far.
It’s important to remember that he’s still only 21 years old and adjusting to life in a different country, but he needs to start producing the goods on the pitch - and quickly.
(All transfer fees are per Transfermarkt)