Ten players who joined Premier League clubs during the summer transfer window are still awaiting their official debuts. Brittball.Net journalist Andrey Dyumin has ranked these players, all of whom are field players, based on the clubs' urgent needs for their services on the pitch. Topping the list is Manchester United's multimillion-pound acquisition, while the bottom spot is reserved for a returnee at Hull City.
Ranking players by clubs' need for them
1) Carlos Baleba (Manchester United, £65m)
Manchester United have high hopes for Baleba as they look to address several pressing issues within the team. While he may not be the solution at left-back where support is desperately needed, a solid midfielder with his skill set should significantly bolster the centre of the pitch. Manager Michael Carrick opted to 'wait and see' on Baleba’s fitness ahead of the international break, leaving the Cameroonian on the bench during the match against Fulham. It's likely that Baleba will find himself in the starting lineup for the home clash against Tottenham on October 10.
2) Juan Riquelme Angulo (Sunderland, £5m)
A player with a name like this is obliged to be an absolute genius on the pitch.
3) Marco Palestra (Chelsea, £47m)
This serves as a prime example that transfer fees in football often hold little significance. Chelsea have splashed out for the most expensive Italian defender in history and might already rue that decision. To be fair, the lad is currently sidelined with a quadriceps injury, and Xabi Alonso has advised him not to rush his recovery.
If not against Brentford, then definitely against Bournemouth, — was the manager's take on Palestra’s debut chances.
Perhaps he dodged a bullet by not debuting in Friday’s match at G-Tech, and is now eyeing the home game against yet-to-win cherries.
4) Christian Norgaar (Everton, £7m)
We can safely bet that David Moyes will deploy Norgaar as an extra forward at some point this season. Although officially injured, the Dane is quietly uploading clips of chest control à la Marouane Fellaini to his internal database. The former Premier League champion should be available for a red-hot Everton after the international break. Rather strange, considering the current context.
5) Leon Goretzka (Aston Villa, free)
It's intriguing how many new signings have fallen victim to debut delays. On the flip side, as Goretzka explained regarding his ‘disappointing’ likely month-long absence due to a knee injury, which also prevented him from making it to Jurgen Klopp's national squad: 'Unfortunately, my body reacted to the increased workload after time spent out.’ In short, Unai Emery has broken his new toy right away. Villa have given Goretzka some downtime at Oktoberfest but have brought him back for rehabilitation during the international break.
6) Ilyas Ansah (Hull City, £12.8m)
Ansah turned down a call-up to the Ghana national team for the World Cup; the German U21 player wasn’t keen to rush into a decision about his future. But when Ajoon Ilyjaly calls, you listen. However, a debut for Hull will have to wait.
Out at least six weeks, — said Yakirovich.
Interestingly, had we not sent him for a medical and he signed without it, he would be playing. They found some issues with his spine, I believe.
7) Emmanuel Emeka (Chelsea, £21.4m)
He probably won’t play and will still be sold for an absurd profit. The long, drawn-out negotiations with Strasbourg to secure their captain last season have led to him now sitting on the bench in a League Cup match against Luton. Xabi Alonso blocked a standard loan in the summer, praising Emeka's 'special qualities', while emphasising that the younger lads in the squad 'need to be patient' as 'they will have their chances.'
8) Femi Aziz (Brighton, £12.5m)
Femi is currently recovering from a minor injury, — says Fabian Huertseler.
As for Femi, we have to wait until this weekend, and hopefully, he will be available for the next game.
There’s also a small question of whether the newcomer from Millwall can break into the squad of one of the best teams in Europe at the moment.
9) Modu Keba Sisse (Aston Villa, £4.75m)
This signing was announced back in July 2025, allowing Sisse to remain in Austria — earning a league title as a key player — before joining Villa, who are enduring a transitional phase. The 21-year-old remained an unused substitute in a pulsating Super Cup clash against PSG after integrating into pre-season, but injury has kept him sidelined since. Unai Emery is unafraid to trust youth if the player fits his systems better than more experienced options (Alejandro Garnacho is now at the back of the queue for minutes, with teenager George Hemmings leading). Therefore, Sisse will get his shot if ready.
10) Oscar Zambrano (Hull City, undisclosed)
Returning to the Tigers after a year-long stint on loan in the Championship, Zambrano watched from the bench as Robinho Vaz and Christos Muzakitis made their debuts in a lost League Cup tie against Sunderland. That defeat took a significant dent out of his hopes for playing time. Zambrano featured in just eight matches for Hull in the Championship before receiving a year-long ban for doping, since then being excluded from Hull's Premier League squad for the first half of the season.
They are still with us, — Yakirovich commented on Zambrano and Kieran Dowell.
It’s a very bad situation for me because you train with us in sessions but are unavailable. They know the situation; I spoke to them, and unfortunately, only 25 players could be registered, and that was my decision.
