The Premier League returns on Saturday, Sept. 13 after the September international break, and Gameweek 4 could bring a series of first appearances for players who arrived on deadline day. With many newcomers away for World Cup qualifiers and international friendlies immediately after signing, this weekend offers fans an early chance to see them in club colours.

At Liverpool, Alexander Isak is the most high-profile candidate for a league debut. Isak came on for Sweden during the international break in an upset loss to Kosovo. His preseason was disrupted by a standoff with his former club, but manager Arne Slot has suggested the striker is part of a long-term plan and that Liverpool will manage his introduction. Hugo Ekitiké and Cody Gakpo are also in the squad and could influence selection.

Aston Villa completed two deadline arrivals and Unai Emery will be keen to get both Jadon Sancho and Harvey Elliott on the pitch quickly. Sancho left Manchester United after being peripheral to Ruben Amorim’s plans at United this summer and now has an opportunity to impress his new manager. Elliott departs Liverpool as a Premier League champion and could have extra motivation to prove himself.

Manchester City reshaped the goalkeeper department with the arrivals of Gianluigi Donnarumma, James Trafford and Marcus Bettinelli after Éderson moved to Fenerbahçe. Trafford’s difficult outing against Tottenham Hotspur during the window may have influenced City’s business. Donnarumma could be in line to stake a claim for the number one role, with the Manchester derby a possible debut stage.

Newcastle lost Alexander Isak and brought in Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa late in the window. Wissa scored 19 goals for Brentford last season while Woltemade netted 12 in the Bundesliga for VfB Stuttgart. Eddie Howe also added Anthony Elanga earlier in the summer, giving the club multiple attacking options.

Tottenham Hotspur reshaped their attack with Randal Kolo Muani and Xavi Simons. Kolo Muani can provide cover amid Dominic Solanke’s injury concerns and Simons is expected to play a creative role while James Maddison is set to miss a considerable period.

Below is a brief club-player list mentioned in this piece:
Arsenal: Piero Hincapié
Bournemouth: Veljko Milosavljević
Brentford: Reiss Nelson
Brighton & Hove Albion: Charalampos Kostoulas
Burnley: Florentino Luís
Chelsea: Alejandro Garnacho
Crystal Palace: Christantus Uche
Everton: Tyler Dibling
Fulham: Kevin
Manchester United: Senne Lammens
Nottingham Forest: Oleksandr Zinchenko
Sunderland: Lutsharel Geertruida
Wolverhampton Wanderers: Tolu Arokodare

Luis Díaz’s preference to leave Liverpool in the summer of 2024 was reportedly clear to the club’s recruitment team. The Telegraph claim he wanted a move to Manchester City before the 2024–25 season. Liverpool’s newly formed transfer department, led by Fenway Sports Group’s chief executive Michael Edwards alongside sporting director Richard Hughes and manager Arne Slot, were made aware of his intentions.

According to the report, Liverpool were prepared to accommodate Díaz’s request and tabled a swap offer that would have sent him to Manchester City in exchange for Julián Alvarez. City officials rejected the proposal, refusing to do business that might strengthen a rival. Liverpool then withdrew the offer and the swap was removed from consideration.

Díaz remained at Liverpool for a further 12 months before moving on. Alvarez was allowed to leave the Etihad Stadium weeks later in a deal worth £81.5 million to Atlético Madrid. In his debut campaign at Atlético Madrid the 25-year-old scored 29 goals and contributed eight assists.

The report highlights how the failed swap had wider implications. Had Liverpool acquired Alvarez, the club would have recruited an elite striker 12 months ahead of schedule. Instead, Liverpool signed Hugo Ekitiké and Alexander Isak in the following summer transfer window, deals that together exceeded £200 million, with Isak’s transfer a British record £125 million.

Luis Díaz has since moved on and is enjoying a strong start to life with Bayern. He has two goals and two assists in his first two Bundesliga games. The sequence of events underlines the cascading effects of a single transfer negotiation and how one rejected swap reshaped recruitment choices for both clubs involved.

Everton winger Jack Grealish has claimed the Player of the Month prize after an electric start to life on loan with the Toffees. In his first two Premier League starts for Everton, Grealish produced four assists in total, creating a pair of strikes in a 2–0 win over Brighton & Hove Albion before repeating the feat a week later in a 3–2 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers.

“First one,” a shell-shocked Grealish remarked as he was surprised by his award by Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, who insisted the victory was “fully deserved”. The recognition marks Grealish’s first Player of the Month award.

Both monthly honours head to Merseyside after Liverpool manager Arne Slot secured the Manager of the Month award, fending off competition from Everton’s David Moyes. Last year’s Manager of the Season, Slot continued Liverpool’s strong start to the campaign. The club remain the only unbeaten side in England’s top flight after overseeing victories over Bournemouth, Newcastle United and Arsenal, moving out into an early lead in the standings.

Slot has had to tweak his approach following a record-breaking summer transfer window. Fans are awaiting the first appearance of new striker Alexander Isak, while there has already been notable success for fellow new signing Hugo Ekitiké. Florian Wirtz, Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong have all been added to the reigning champions as well.

This is the second time Slot has collected the monthly prize, having first won it in November 2024. The back-to-back recognition of a loaned Everton attacker and Liverpool’s head coach underlines the competitive and fluid start to the season across Merseyside and the wider Premier League.