Premier League stars have proved Bundesliga tax is becoming a thing of the past – but how are the class of 2025/26 shaping up?European football expert, Andy Brassell, has run the rule over how 10 arrivals from Germany’s top-flight have fared in England thus far. Erling Haaland, Ryan Gravenberch, Josko Gvardiol, Jean-Philippe Mateta, and Micky van de Ven are all current Premier League stars who have made a successful switch from the Bundesliga.However, the continued struggles of Niclas Fullkrug and Jadon Sancho prove it’s still far from a sure-fire thing for English clubs.Last summer, Premier League clubs spent record fees on Bundesliga players, with mixed results – here, Trans Europe Express presenter Brassell provides his definitive rankings to talkSPORT.com…10. Xavi Simons – 4/10The Dutchman enjoyed the best performance in a Spurs shirt with an assist in last week’s 4-0 Champions League win over Copenhagen.However, that was Simons’ first goal contribution since his debut, and he’s yet to open his scoring account for the club in 14 appearances.The £52million summer signing was brought on and then substituted by manager Thomas Frank after a nightmare in a 1-0 loss to Chelsea.Jamie O’Hara labelled the 22-year-old as ‘Tottenham’s Antony’, but Brassell falls in the David Bentley camp of wanting to give more time.“We’re going to go straight to Xavi Simons, who I believe and I want to believe,” he said. “I don’t know if there’s a difference there. I think I still believe, but I definitely want to believe.”Brassell added: “Not great so far. I do think he’ll get there, for the moment, four out of ten.”Simons is still waiting for his first Premier League goal9. Amin Adli – 4.5/10The Moroccan scored two goals in 20 appearances under Xabi Alonso last season with Bayer Leverkusen before joining Bournemouth.However, the £25m winger has struggled for minutes for the Cherries, making just one Premier League start across eight matches thus far.“He’s a player who wasn’t expected to start every game at Leverkusen, who I think stylistically will really suit what [Andoni] Iraola wants to do,” Brassell explained. “He’s someone who’s very difficult to pick up.“He can fill a number of forward positions; he’s intelligent, and he’s perfect for the way that Iraola and Bournemouth want to play the game. “But he’s just had that one start in the Premier League so far, so it’s difficult to make any sort of judgment. “Again, long-term, I think he’ll be good for the moment. Four and a half out of 10, I think, is fair to say.”Adli has had to play second fiddle at Bournemouth thus farGetty8. Jamie Gittins – 5/10Brassell continued: “I would guess the same for Jamie Gittins, who scored that brilliant goal against Wolves in the Cup as well, which underlined his talent.“I always wondered if Chelsea really needed him, to be perfectly honest. And the thing is, he was coming from a position where he had a brilliant first half to last season and quite a poor second half.”In July, Gittens joined in a deal worth £55m that was questioned by Jamie Carragher following the sale of Noni Madueke.The 21-year-old almost immediately saw competition for places increase after Chelsea bought Alejandro Garnacho a month later.The English winger has managed just two Premier League starts across 250 minutes over nine appearances in the top-flight.His only goal was a stunning volley in Chelsea’s 4-3 Carabao Cup win over Wolves, while he also has an assist in the Champions League. Brassell added: “We’ve seen little hints of what he can do, but it’s not been amazing so far. So, five, I guess, for him.”Gittens played just seven minutes in the Premier League win over WolvesGetty7. Florian Wirtz/ 6. Jeremie Frimpong – 5/10The close friends share a score in Brassell’s rankings, with Frimpong just slightly edging sixth spot as a result of his injury struggles.The latter and Wirtz both joined Liverpool from Bayer Leverkusen but have each struggled to hit the ground running.Frimpong was the first arrival of the Reds’ record-breaking £416m summer spend as the replacement for Trent Alexander-Arnold.He scored in the Community Shield loss to Crystal Palace in August, but suffered an injury on his Premier League debut.Frimpong, who is yet to start another match for the Reds in the top-flight, then tweaked his hamstring in the 5-1 win over Frankfurt.The Dutchman, who will now be sidelined for another next six weeks, has completed 90 minutes at Anfield just once, in the Carabao Cup third round victory over Championship Southampton.Wirtz, meanwhile, is yet to score since his £116m transfer, while he is also without a goal contribution in the Premier League thus far.Frimpong has combined for a goal eight times with Wirtz, the third highest among any of his teammates in his career, despite often playing on opposite sides“I think we have to take Frimpong and Wirtz together, because obviously, Wirtz is the headline act. There’s no doubt about that. “He’s expected to be someone who’s a key player for Liverpool for probably the next 10 years. But I think the way that those two click together on and off the pitch has been a huge factor in what’s gone well for Bayer Leverkusen over the last couple of years under Xabi Alonso.“And the fact that Frimpong has had a few little injuries has probably not helped it, actually. “I think to have like a familiar face and a familiar pass, a familiar passing target, not there, has been a bit unfortunate for him.“Leverkusen were built all around him, and Liverpool were built around Mo Salah. Clearly, they’re trying to commute from one to the other in the medium term.“I think that makes it really difficult, because a lot of the problems in fitting Wirtz in are to do with changing the shape that made Liverpool so successful.Wirtz previously revealed Frimpong helped teach him English while they were at LeverkusenAFP“You can’t fit him into the same shape Liverpool team as there was last season. I think it’s a little bit different to that. “As well, the amount of work he’s expected to do off the ball is increased as well. So long term, I’m not worried about Wirtz, but it’s not been an amazing start. I’m going to go five out of 10.“I would also go five for Frimpong, not really fault of his own, you’ve got to cut him a bit of slack because of the injuries.“I think he’ll be really good for Liverpool going forward. But Wirtz, I mean, obviously, it could be a lot better.”Frimpong hasn’t started a Premier League game since the season-opener due to injuryGetty5. Anton Stach – 6/10The German midfielder is making a name for himself just 10 matches into his Premier League career, having played through a broken rib!He scored a stunning free-kick in Leeds’ 3-1 win at Wolves, and has covered more distance than any player in England’s top flight so far.Even more impressively, it comes after Stach lost his place in Daniel Farke‘s midfield for two matches to Ao Tanaka, before reclaiming his spot in the 3-1 defeat to Nottingham Forest.That decision was one the 26-year-old surprisingly agreed with, having admitted during an interview in his homeland that injuries left him mentally unable to deal with the Premier League’s intensity.“Stach is ideal for what Leeds are trying to do,” Brassell claimed. “They’re trying to make themselves difficult to play against.“They’re trying to make themselves physical. He’s made a good impression straight away. “It’s clear that he wants to do a lot of work from the team, and the sort of unglamorous signing that could be absolutely vital for Leeds. “Obviously, they could do a few more goals and that sort of stuff.“But in terms of making their presence felt in the Premier League, I think he’s going to be a big part of it. So I will give him six out of ten.”Stach admitted it was right for him to come out of the Leeds starting XI4. Benjamin Sesko – 6.5/10The Slovenian international was the third and final part of Ruben Amorim‘s summer overhaul of his three-pronged attack.Signed for a total of £74 million, including add-ons, the 22-year-old has scored a measly two goals in 12 Premier League games.Gary Neville claimed Sesko was ‘miles off it’ compared to Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo, the latter having just been crowned Premier League Player of the Month for October.He then suffered an injury that forced him out of the 2-2 draw with Tottenham, having only come on as a substitute after 58 minutes.Yet Brassell argued: “I think Benjamin Sesko will work out. But we’ve seen other players have difficulties at United.“Given the pressure on them every time they lose a game, it makes it really impossible to be judged fairly, to be judged reasonably.“They knew, if they’d done their research, that he’s still a work in progress when they bought him, and he took a little bit step back in terms of goals, at least last season. I think he’ll get there.“He has made some good contributions so far, even though they’ve got to find the right blend up front; they’ve got to find how it’s all going to fit together. I would give him 6.5 out of 10 so far.“I just talked myself down to 6 for Sesko, but I think he’ll be excellent.”Sesko has scored two goals in his first 12 appearances for United3. Hugo Ekitike / 2. Nick Woltemade – 8.5/10Ironically, two strikers intertwined with Alexander Isak have both flourished at the start of this season, while he has struggled.Ekitike and Woltemade have each netted six times in all competitions since their moves to Liverpool and Newcastle, respectively.“I knew they’d both be good,” Brassell said. “But the speed with which they’ve been good and the speed with which they’ve become important to their teams is super impressive.“Whereas Ekitike has been great straight away, I’ve been surprised that A, Woltemade has treated the pressure like it’s nothing, and B, seeing him realising that he has got a long way to go, and he can get better and better and better, I think probably makes him the pick so far.“So, if we’re talking about how they’ve adapted, I would give both Woltemade and Ekitike 8.5 out of 10. “But if I had to rate the player who’s going to be long-term, the player who’s going to be the better Premier League striker, I think I’d go Woltemade by a whisker, because there’s such a high ceiling. “So, I think that’s huge – Woltemade’s just above Ekitike on the two 8.5s…I guess Woltemade goes first because he’s a bit taller!”Ekitike has had a better start to life at Liverpool than IsakGettyWoltemade hit the ground running at St James’ ParkGetty1. Granit Xhaka – 8.5The Sunderland captain has topped another summer transfer list, having been hailed as the Premier League’s signing of the season.The Swiss midfielder has played every minute for his new club so far this term after returning to the Premier League in the summer.Xhaka completed a £13millon switch from Bayer Leverkusen just two years after leaving Arsenal in 2023.Already a two-time FA Cup winner, the 33-year-old won an unbeaten league and cup double during his first season back in Germany.Xhaka has transformed Sunderland on-and-off the pitchGettyHe then opened his goal account for Sunderland by scoring in the 1-1 draw with Everton to preserve the club’s unbeaten home record. “Buying Xhaka isn’t like buying any 32/33 year old,” Brassell concluded. “He had just come off the two best years of his career with Leverkusen, where he was Xabi Alonso’s voice on the pitch, and he was a massive get for Sunderland. “That he wanted to come was a huge turning point for their transfer window and a sign that they were to be taken seriously. “He has been every bit as great as hoped so far – leader, organiser and still just a really, really good player.”