Premier League Transfer Window: What Each Club Must Do

The final week of the 2026 summer window has arrived, and half the Premier League still looks like it’s only halfway through its to‑do list. Squads are bloated, key positions are bare, and the deadline is roaring into view.

Here’s where every club stands – and what simply has to happen before the shutters come down.

Arsenal – Clear the decks, land a genuine game-changer

Arsenal are close. You can feel it. But to take that last step, Mikel Arteta has to be ruthless.

Gabriel Jesus is the headline decision. A £250,000-a-week wage for a forward who no longer feels central to the project is a luxury Arsenal can’t indulge. He needs to go. Fabio Vieira and Reiss Nelson fall into the same category: nice options, not essential ones. Ethan Nwaneri, bursting with talent, needs minutes elsewhere on loan.

Shift those four and the real work begins.

Bradley Barcola looks Anfield-bound, Julian Alvarez only has eyes for Barcelona, yet his situation at Atletico Madrid is toxic enough that a Premier League escape route could still open. That’s the level Arsenal must shop at now. Christos Tzolis has started brightly, but if the Gunners truly want to win the Champions League, they need someone above his ceiling on the left or through the middle.

They might win it anyway. But with Gabriel Martinelli heading to Saudi Arabia, a new forward is non-negotiable – and it has to be elite. This cannot end with a panicked, deadline-day loan for Raheem Sterling.

Aston Villa – A week to fix a whole summer

Where do you even start?

Zion Suzuki’s arrival all but confirms Emiliano Martinez is going. Ollie Watkins is expected to join Martinelli at Al-Hilal. Youri Tielemans has gone to Manchester United, Ezri Konsa is off, Morgan Rogers has departed. That’s the spine, the personality, the dressing-room leadership stripped out in one brutal window.

Unai Emery remains. That’s the lifeline. Now the club’s entire job is to keep him onside.

Villa are trying to cram an entire summer’s work into a handful of days. Suzuki is in, Johan Manzambi looks a clever pick-up to help offset the loss of Rogers, and a £65m move for Nicolas Jackson is close – an extraordinary fee for someone in Chelsea’s “bomb squad”.

But the gaps are everywhere. Konsa needs replacing and attempts to land Taylor Harwood-Bellis or Joel Ordonez have stalled. Midfield is in crisis: Tielemans has gone, Amadou Onana has suffered an ACL injury at the World Cup, and the depth is frighteningly thin.

At Brighton, Boubacar Kamara and Joao Gomes started. Kamara is brilliant but brittle; Gomes then produced a debut so bad it might live in Premier League infamy and is now suspended. Behind them? Ross Barkley and Lamare Bogarde. That’s it.

So the list is brutal and simple: sell Martinez, sell Watkins, complete Jackson, sign at least one centre-back, probably two, add a midfielder, a winger, another midfielder, another winger, maybe another striker. Villa have five days to sort a mess that could derail their season before it really starts.

They dragged themselves from a dreadful start last year to fourth place and a Europa League triumph. Right now, they look miles away from repeating anything like that. No Premier League club is in a more precarious position. PSR has bitten hard.

Bournemouth – Protect Alex Scott, fix right-back at last

Bournemouth’s window is refreshingly calm. It should stay that way – as long as Alex Scott stays put.

Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal: all have been circling Scott. Chelsea are the likeliest late movers, depending on what happens with Enzo Fernandez and any bid from City. The Cherries’ main job is to say no.

But there is one long-running issue. Right-back.

Adam Smith is a club legend, a stalwart, and still a capable defender. He’s also 35. Bournemouth have needed an upgrade for years. They need one now, before a season in Europe stretches a thin position to breaking point.

Brentford – Lock in El Hadji Malick Diouf and enjoy the quiet

Nine goals in two games. Brentford look sharp, settled and dangerous.

Keane Lewis-Potter has stepped up at left-back, Aaron Hickey offers strong depth, and the club are closing in on El Hadji Malick Diouf from West Ham to lock that flank down even further.

At centre-back, Sepp van den Berg, Kristoffer Ajer and Nathan Collins give Thomas Frank enough depth. In attack, Mikkel Damsgaard can’t even get into the XI that tore Spurs apart, and Igor Thiago with Callum Wilson is a strong rotation.

Once Diouf is through the door, Brentford might be done. Organised, efficient, slightly boring from a neutral’s perspective – and perfectly set up for another smooth season.

Brighton – Minteh decision defines the window

Brighton’s final week hinges on one man: Yankuba Minteh.

Liverpool know the price: £70-80m. If they don’t pay it, Roberto De Zerbi keeps a rising star and moves on with what should be another strong campaign. If they do, Brighton will simply go hunting again, almost certainly for a name most people haven’t heard of yet.

The model is clear. Keep Minteh and push for Europe. Or sell high, replace smart, and bank another monster profit for 2028.

Chelsea – Clear the bomb squad, buy a grown-up goalkeeper

Chelsea are being tipped as the only side with a realistic chance of staying vaguely near Arsenal. If they want to turn “vaguely near” into a real title tilt, one thing has to happen: Robert Sanchez cannot remain first choice.

Emi Martinez is available. Chelsea know it. Everyone knows it. This is the time to act.

A top goalkeeper would change the whole feel of this team. But the annual purge of the bomb squad also looms large.

Liam Delap and Nicolas Jackson could bring in packages worth up to £110m – peak BlueCo behaviour. Beyond them, the list of limbo players is long: Mykhailo Mudryk, Gabriel Slonina, Tosin Adarabioyo, Aaron Anselmino, Marc Guiu, Emmanuel Emegha, Jamie Gittens, Dario Essugo, Wesley Fofana. Some will be sold, many will be loaned, and Strasbourg will almost certainly be involved.

Chelsea end up here every summer. Every summer they wriggle free, extracting improbable fees or parking players in France. The trick now is to combine that familiar chaos with one decisive, grown-up signing in goal.

Coventry – Inject top-flight quality, fast

Coventry’s first game back in the Premier League came against the best side in the country. It still exposed a brutal truth.

Rushworth; Van Ewijk, Thomas, Amenda, Dasilva; Onyeka, Yirenkyi, Grimes; Thomas-Asante, Simms, Tchaouna. That XI doesn’t scream safety.

Taiwo Awoniyi and Ethan Pinnock are steps in the right direction – proven, Premier League-ready players. Coventry need two or three more of that ilk, not projects, and they need them now.

The clock is ticking loudly at the CBS Arena.

Crystal Palace – Take Liverpool’s money, if the plan is ready

Ismaila Sarr has suddenly become central to two clubs’ summers.

Liverpool, frustrated in their chase for Yankuba Minteh, have turned to the Palace winger. After turning down Galatasaray’s interest, Palace have now rejected a £50m offer from Anfield.

For a 28-year-old, that’s a bold stance. If Liverpool return with £60m, Palace should cash in – but only if the recruitment team are ready to act instantly.

Adam Wharton, Dean Henderson and Daniel Munoz are locked in as core pieces. Jean-Philippe Mateta is a sale waiting to happen. Sarr’s situation, though, gives Palace a rare chance: sell one star and use the money to deepen a squad about to be stretched by the Europa League.

Pierre Sage needs two, three, maybe four more signings to survive the Thursday-Sunday grind. If Palace misjudge this, the season could turn brutal.

Everton – Sort the full-backs, dream of Europe

Everton suddenly look… stable. Even ambitious.

Brennan Johnson, Hayden Hackney, Christian Norgaard, Tyrique George and Merlin Rohl all make sense. There’s a platform here to push for a European place. But the full-backs are a glaring weak spot.

Nathan Patterson hasn’t convinced and struggles with injuries. Jake O’Brien isn’t a natural right-back and could depart. On the left, Vitalii Mykolenko is steady, but clearly upgradeable.

Right-back feels most urgent. Links with Daniel Munoz have cooled, yet the need remains. Give David Moyes two reliable full-backs and Everton’s XI suddenly looks far more complete.

And if Jack Grealish returns? That’s a luxury they’d gladly take.

Fulham – One centre-back, minimum

Fulham could use a new goalkeeper. They probably won’t get one this late.

A centre-back, though, is within reach and badly needed. Calvin Bassey and Jorge Cuenca started against Chelsea with Joachim Andersen suspended. Andersen and Bassey form a competent, ball-playing partnership, but both – like Bernd Leno behind them – are the kind of players you’d happily upgrade if you could.

The truth is Fulham need quality across the pitch. But a new central defender feels like the most realistic move in the time that’s left.

Ipswich – Give Palacios a No.10 to feed

Ipswich have started like they belong: an opening-day win and a Carabao Cup victory over Leicester. Underneath the optimism, one gap stands out.

They need a proper attacking midfielder.

Julio Enciso was their standout performer against Sunderland, drifting in from the wing and producing a stunning assist for Emersonn. He can play as a No.10, but his best work comes with the freedom to roam from wide areas.

Behind him, Exequiel Palacios is a superb signing – a move that echoes Granit Xhaka’s transformative switch to Sunderland. With Palacios running the midfield, an inventive playmaker ahead of him would give Ipswich their best shot at staying up.

Survival might hinge on finding that link man.

Hull – Find their own Xhaka

Hull couldn’t have scripted a better start: beat Manchester United and silence the doubters in one go.

Oli McBurnie’s World Cup omission now looks even more ridiculous. Nobel Mendy and Konstantinos Tzolakis both impressed, and after 90 minutes, the mood around their survival chances has shifted.

Look at that XI, though, and one need stands out: a central midfielder with authority.

Hidemasa Morita is an excellent free signing, but Hull still lack the kind of experienced, high-class midfielder who can drag a promoted side up a level. Someone in the Granit Xhaka or Exequiel Palacios mould. Land that profile and Hull’s outlook changes from survival scrap to something more ambitious.

Leeds – A left-back and a striker to chase Europe

Leeds have quietly had one of the best windows in the division.

James Trafford, Harry Wilson and Tarik Muharemovic walk straight into the team. Nico Elvedi adds depth. Crucially, no major player has been sold. Karl Darlow and Pascal Struijk have gone, but both were replaceable.

To turn a solid summer into a potentially special one, Leeds need two more pieces: a left-back and a young forward.

James Justin has done an admirable job on the left but it isn’t his natural side. More worrying is the situation up front. An injury to Dominic Calvert-Lewin – always a possibility – would leave Lukas Nmecha as the main striker. That’s a scenario Leeds fans dread.

Daniel Farke needs another forward: younger, more versatile, more unpredictable than his current options. Get that and a specialist left-back, and Leeds can realistically eye a European push.

Liverpool – Finish Barcola, then face the midfield truth

Liverpool’s brief is clear: get Bradley Barcola over the line. An agreement with PSG is in place. This deal should happen.

But Barcola alone won’t fix everything.

They need another winger. They almost certainly need a central midfielder. Jamie Carragher’s verdict that Liverpool no longer have a midfield that can “function” was harsh, but not wildly off. Dominik Szoboszlai looks misused, questions hang over Florian Wirtz’s Premier League impact, and Alexis Mac Allister has looked jaded since the 2024/25 title win.

A commanding midfielder is crying out to be signed. The problem? There’s little faith Liverpool will actually do it in time.

Manchester City – A stripped core, a thin squad, a huge gamble

Pep Guardiola’s exit has triggered something close to a clear-out.

Manchester City have sold an entire XI this summer: James Trafford, Manuel Akanji, Jahmai Simpson-Pusey, John Stones, Nathan Ake, Rodri, Nico Gonzalez, Savinho, Tijjani Reijnders, Bernardo Silva and Omar Marmoush. That group would comfortably compete in the Premier League. The fee? Around £352m.

Enzo Maresca has inherited a light squad. Defensively, City still have depth and quality, but the first game of the season told its own story: Marc Guehi starting in central midfield. Since then, Ayyoub Bouaddi has arrived, and Enzo Fernandez remains a major target. City could end up spending well over £300m on central midfielders alone.

Up front, the numbers are alarming. With Marmoush gone to Tottenham, the only listed centre-forwards on the club’s website are Erling Haaland and Ryan McAidoo. Fifteen players are classed as midfielders or wingers, including two loanees, Floyd Samba, Jeremy Monga, the outgoing Nico Gonzalez and left-back Nico O’Reilly.

City still need at least one more central midfielder, and they absolutely have to replace Savio and Marmoush. At the moment, they are betting everything on Haaland staying fit for 50-plus games. That’s a huge risk in a title race against a deeper, more settled Arsenal.

Manchester United – One left-back away from feeling serious

The midfield rebuild is done. Carlos Baleba, Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos have arrived for £150m. Now Michael Carrick has to turn his attention to the back line.

Right-back is an unresolved problem. Diogo Dalot is entering his eighth season at Old Trafford without ever truly nailing down the job, and now shares the role with Noussair Mazraoui.

Centre-back? There’s depth – Harry Maguire, Leny Yoro, Lisandro Martinez, Ayden Heaven and the injured Matthijs de Ligt – but no towering, dominant presence who inspires absolute confidence. It’s a solid group, not a title-winning one.

Carrick’s immediate priority, though, is left-back. Lewis Hall would have been ideal, but Newcastle boss Matthias Jaissle has already made it clear: “No chance.”

So United face a choice: gamble on Luke Shaw’s fitness, with Dalot and Mazraoui as emergency cover, or move decisively. Shaw, with Europe back on the agenda, is a risk. Someone like David Raum would change the picture.

One strong left-back signing, and United’s top-five prospects look far more convincing.

Newcastle – Reinforce the back line or invite trouble

Newcastle are flirting with danger if they don’t move in this final week.

They were already light at centre-back. Dan Burn’s injury has pushed them to the brink. Behind Malick Thiaw and the injury-prone Sven Botman, there’s only Fabian Schar, 34 and just back from a broken ankle.

Full-back depth is also thin. Lewis Hall and Tino Livramento are the first choices, with Amar Dedic able to cover both sides. After that, it’s Leo Shahar – not someone Jaissle will want to throw into Premier League starts.

Given the injury records of Hall and Livramento, that’s asking for trouble.

In midfield and attack, Newcastle look better. Nico Gonzalez adds quality, Joe Willock’s performance against Liverpool has probably saved him from the exit list, and players like Jacob Murphy and Willock himself are useful squad options. Nick Pope might still move to Celtic, but big outgoings shouldn’t be the focus now.

The priority is simple: give Jaissle enough defensive cover to get through a long, unforgiving season.

Nottingham Forest – Turn Anderson’s fee into a midfield general

Forest have too many strikers. And they’re about to sign another.

Liam Delap is arriving for a club-record £50m. Behind him, Arnaud Kalimuendo, Igor Jesus and Chris Wood all started in the Carabao Cup defeat to Leeds. Kalimuendo is the likeliest to leave, but the imbalance is obvious.

The bigger issue is elsewhere. Two defeats from two to start the league campaign underline what everyone can see: the Elliot Anderson money hasn’t been fully reinvested.

So far, Forest have spent on centre-back Ousmane Diomande (£34m) and Gustavo Sa (£17m), who has already been loaned to Olympiakos. Xaver Schlager is a smart free signing, but this squad still lacks a true midfield enforcer, someone to control games and protect the back line.

Get that profile in and Oliver Glasner might just avoid the full force of Evangelos Marinakis’ notoriously short fuse.

Sunderland – A right winger or a long, hard season

Sunderland were already a worry before a sobering defeat at Ipswich. That loss simply confirmed the fears.

Second-season syndrome is real. Add European football into the mix and it becomes even more dangerous. Granit Xhaka’s arrival last summer powered an extraordinary campaign and continental qualification. This window has been the opposite: slow, cautious, underwhelming.

Dayann Methalie has finally arrived from Toulouse, 37 days after Thomas Meunier. Two full-backs, one young, one experienced, are useful. They are nowhere near enough.

The biggest hole is obvious: the right wing.

Igor Paixao and Jack Grealish have both been linked, but both prefer the left. If either came in, they’d simply join Simon Adingra, Nilson Angulo and Chemsdine Talbi in the queue for that flank, while the right side would remain understocked.

Sunderland need a natural right winger with end product. Without one, a gruelling season in two competitions could quickly spiral.

Tottenham – After £400m spent, now comes the clear-out

Tottenham have thrown money at their problems. Nearly £400m of it, with Omar Marmoush’s arrival set to push them to a record outlay.

It hasn’t immediately fixed the on-pitch issues. The 3-0 defeat at Brentford felt horribly familiar. Still, the signings of Savio and Marmoush add pace and flair in attack, and Marmoush in particular addresses the long-standing centre-forward void.

Now the focus has to flip. From spend, spend, spend to sell, sell, sell.

Lucas Bergvall asked to leave months ago, yet started at Brentford before being hooked at half-time for £85m signing Mateus Fernandes, who joined £92.5m man Sandro Tonali in midfield. Bergvall will almost certainly go before the deadline, with Nottingham Forest likely to revive their interest.

Pape Matar Sarr has admirers at Galatasaray and Monaco. Mikey Moore, Richarlison, Rodrigo Bentancur and Kevin Danso could all plausibly depart too.

Spurs have built a new-look squad at huge expense. The final week is about trimming the excess and giving this bloated group some balance at last.