Premier League Transfer Window: Teams in Need of Key Signings
The first weekend is in the books. The table is barely formed, but the panic, plotting and late-night phone calls have already started.
With the Premier League window closing at 23:00 BST on Tuesday, 1 September, clubs have one last week to fix what the opening round ruthlessly exposed. Some need finishing touches. Others need surgery.
Here is where every top-flight side stands as the clock starts to scream.
Arsenal: Champions still hunting a killer edge
The champions have done their core work early. Bruno Guimaraes has been dropped into midfield, Christos Tzolis adds thrust out wide and Ezri Konsa stiffens the back line.
Yet the itch remains up front.
Arsenal retain a long-standing interest in Julian Alvarez. It is a complicated pursuit on several levels, but the club are ready to move if even the slightest gap opens.
For some supporters, the case is simple: a forward who has won the World Cup and Champions League, who is already Premier League-proven, feels like the missing piece in a side desperate to finally crack Europe.
Aston Villa: Holes everywhere, and one big up front
What do Aston Villa need after a summer of departures? Almost everything.
Ollie Watkins sits at the heart of it all. With Al-Hilal pushing to take him to the Saudi Pro League, Villa are braced to replace their main striker, with Nicolas Jackson among the names on their list.
A winger is also high on the agenda. So is another defender after Konsa’s move to Arsenal. Talks are under way for Club Brugge centre-back Joel Ordonez after bids for Southampton’s Taylor Harwood-Bellis were knocked back.
Supporters see the same picture. A striker is essential. And after a worrying defensive display against Brighton, another centre-back to join Victor Lindelof and Pau Torres would not go amiss. Midfield should settle once Johan Manzambi is fit and Leon Goretzka beds in.
Bournemouth: Holding their breath, not their wallet
Bournemouth know this script. Bigger clubs circle; Bournemouth try to hang on.
This time the focus is on Eli Junior Kroupi and Alex Scott. The Cherries insist both are not for sale, but the final days of a window have a way of testing resolve.
On the incoming front, the work is almost done. They are closing in on Juventus goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio and, beyond that, hope to get through the last week without being picked apart.
Brentford: Quietly content, one last flourish?
Brentford have already done the heavy lifting. The squad looks deeper, more balanced, and Keith Andrews finally has the options he lacked last season.
Left-back has been under review, with West Ham’s El Hadji Malick Diouf strongly linked. Yet with Keane Lewis-Potter capable as a wing-back and Rico Henry and Aaron Hickey available, it is hardly a fire to put out.
Callum Wilson offers experienced cover up front and there is strength across the pitch. A frantic deadline scramble? Unlikely.
Fans, though, can still see room for one luxury. Another forward option, especially on the left, could turn a strong window into a spectacular one. Mykhailo Mudryk’s name has resurfaced, and Brentford’s long-standing interest in him has never fully gone away. Land a player of that profile and Andrews’ summer looks close to perfect.
Brighton: Selling, reshaping, staying true to the plan
Brighton are used to change. This summer is no different.
Yankuba Minteh is expected to leave for Liverpool, which would open up space for another forward. Carlos Baleba’s impending move to Manchester United leaves a hole in midfield that may need filling.
There could be more exits, but Brighton will not rip up their blueprint. Chairman Tony Bloom’s message before the 4-0 demolition of Aston Villa was clear: keep evolving, keep investing, keep innovating, but never abandon the principles that took them here.
Supporters know what the departures mean in practical terms. They want a physically imposing defensive midfielder and a proven winger to cope with a season that includes European football. With the games piling up, squad depth is not a luxury; it is a necessity if they are to stay in the top half.
Chelsea: Less about who comes in, more who gets out
Chelsea fans see gaps. Xabi Alonso sees numbers.
Supporters talk about a new star forward or a goalkeeper to replace the unconvincing Robert Sanchez. Alonso, though, believes his squad is largely set for this summer.
The problem is size. Chelsea still have 39 players and need to cut that to around 25 in the next eight days. That is the job now. The club do not want a dressing room full of frustrated, unused players.
Fans agree the focus must be on outgoings. Without European football, a bloated squad makes no sense. If anyone does arrive, many would prefer it to be a top-class goalkeeper rather than another outfield name.
Coventry: Survival first, but one big swing in mind
Coventry’s window has been about building a squad to stay in the division. By and large, supporters feel that job is done.
Yet there is still room for ambition. The club are in the hunt for Mykhailo Mudryk as the Chelsea winger looks to restart his career after serving a 20-month suspension for testing positive for meldonium.
Frank Lampard may also seek defensive cover, and players such as Luke Woolfenden could be allowed to leave on loan. But the core aim remains simple: consolidate, stay up, then think bigger.
Crystal Palace: New manager, new era, same old gaps
Change has swept through Selhurst Park. Maxence Lacroix has gone, Pierre Sage has arrived, and the club are trying to build a squad robust enough to cope with a Europa League campaign.
They are not there yet.
Sage wants a senior centre-back. Chadi Riad’s injury in the opening game at Everton has only sharpened that need and may push Palace towards adding another defender as well.
Supporters see centre-back as urgent. Axel Disasi is a start, but fans would like a bigger, permanent addition there, plus a central midfielder to round off the squad.
Everton: One problem position they can no longer ignore
Everyone at Everton knows the issue. Everyone outside does too.
They need a right-back. Desperately.
The club have been wrestling with the problem for over a year, unable to land or afford their preferred targets. The result? Talented midfielder Merlin Rohl started at right-back against Crystal Palace, with Jake O’Brien and James Garner also filling in at times.
It cannot continue. A decision must finally be made and a signing completed before the window closes.
There is also a question up front. Beto and Thierno Barry still have to convince, and David Moyes may yet move for another striker. Chelsea’s Liam Delap is a regular name in the conversation.
Fulham: Tidy work so far, but two clear needs
Alvaro Arbeloa is broadly satisfied. Fulham have recruited sensibly, but the manager knows the squad can be more balanced.
The club have explored adding another central defender, sounding out Rennes’ Abdelhamid Ait Boudlal two weeks ago. That area remains a likely focus in the final days.
Fulham do not shop at the very top of the market and they have a history of late business. That pattern could repeat.
Fans are looking at the right flank. With Harry Wilson gone, they want either a firm commitment to Oscar Bobb or a new right winger to replace those lost goals. A right-sided centre-back is also on the wish list, amid doubts over how Joachim Anderson fits Arbeloa’s system.
Hull City: Ambitious and still not finished
Hull have already had a busy summer, but they are not easing off.
The club are pushing to bring in two forwards, Mohamed Ali-Cho and Ilyas Ansah. Real Betis winger Pablo Garcia has been on the radar, although that deal has slowed after Betis increased their valuation. Stoke’s Sorba Thomas is another option being monitored.
A goalkeeper, a midfielder and a right-back are also on the list for Sergej Jakirovic as he looks to shape a squad capable of challenging.
Supporters want one more big push: a left winger, another striker on top of Ali-Cho, a central midfielder, an attacking midfielder and a right-back to compete with Lewie Coyle. Hit most of those and Hull enter the season armed to attack, not just survive.
Leeds United: Big spend done, now looking for value
Leeds stretched themselves to sign James Trafford from Manchester City. That means another marquee signing is unlikely in the final week.
They have explored a loan for Mykhailo Mudryk but have not yet found an agreement with Chelsea and are weighing up other left-wing options.
Leeds are also considering back-up for Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Lukas Nmecha, and have been linked with Frankfurt goalkeeper Michael Zetterer if Lucas Perri, as expected, joins Torino on loan.
Supporters are delighted with most of the business but see one obvious gap: a left-footed left-back to cover Gabriel Gudmundsson. Beyond that, another forward or creative midfielder to compete with Harry Wilson, Brenden Aaronson and Noah Okafor would sharpen the attack.
Liverpool: Wingers wanted, but a familiar hole in midfield
The brief has not changed much all summer. Liverpool want wide players, and the expectation is that at least one, possibly two, wingers will arrive in the final week.
Andoni Iraola insists personnel is not the core problem at defensive midfield. Yet the way Liverpool were sliced open twice on the counter at Newcastle tells its own story. The space between defence and midfield remains a concern.
Fans have been tracking the winger hunt closely, with Bradley Barcola, Ibrahim Mbaye and Yankuba Minteh all on the radar. Rio Ngumoha’s uncomfortable outing on the right at St James’ Park only underlined the need.
But that performance also reopened an old wound. Since Fabinho left, supporters have been crying out for a genuine defensive midfielder. With only days left, Liverpool must decide whether to finally address it or gamble that the current structure can cope.
Manchester United: Midfield sorted, eyes on the flank
Manchester United’s midfield rebuild is effectively done. Carlos Baleba’s imminent arrival completes that part of the puzzle.
Attention now turns to left-back. The club want someone to compete with Luke Shaw and have long admired Newcastle’s Lewis Hall. Barcelona’s Alejandro Balde and Racing Santander’s Jorge Salinas are also being assessed.
Another forward could come in, but that hinges on departures. Joshua Zirkzee is the likeliest to make way if United choose to reshape their attack.
Fans see left-back as non-negotiable. This is not a knee-jerk reaction to defeat at Hull City; Shaw cannot be expected to play every game and there are still doubts about how much Michael Carrick truly trusts Patrick Dorgu defensively.
Newcastle United: Youth impresses, experience still required
Newcastle’s youngsters stood up to the test against Liverpool on their Premier League debuts. They did not shrink from the occasion.
Even so, Matthias Jaissle could use another midfielder with real top-flight experience after the sales of Bruno Guimaraes and Sandro Tonali. A move for Manchester City’s Nico Gonzalez is progressing.
A mobile, versatile forward is also on the wish list to share the load with William Osula and Yoane Wissa. One more attacker who can contribute across the front line would change the complexion of their season.
Nottingham Forest: Slow start, late push
Only three new signings so far. Nottingham Forest know that is not enough.
They are working on deals, with a striker and a full-back at the top of the list. Talks are under way for Chelsea’s Liam Delap, while Fiorentina right-back Dodo is another target.
Oliver Glasner has publicly played down the need for midfield reinforcements, even after Elliot Anderson’s move to Manchester City. His focus is clear: add cutting edge up front and stability out wide.
Sunderland: One obvious gap and a thin front line
Sunderland have ticked off two important signings: French full-back Dayann Methalie from Toulouse and Antwerp midfielder Jules Ahoka.
That leaves one glaring hole. Right wing.
Sporting’s Geny Catamo is the name most strongly linked. Sporting boss Rui Borges insists Catamo is happy where he is, but in this window that sort of statement rarely ends the story.
Up front, Eliezer Mayenda’s departure leaves Brian Brobbey and Wilson Isidor as the only senior central strikers. Another centre-forward feels more like a requirement than a luxury.
Tottenham Hotspur: De Zerbi needs finishers, not just builders
Tottenham have spent heavily, but one question refuses to go away: who is going to finish Roberto de Zerbi’s attacks?
Dominic Solanke was not used as a regular main striker on the opening weekend, where Richarlison led the line in the defeat at Brentford. A deal for Manchester City’s Omar Marmoush is moving forward, but there are doubts over whether this is his best role.
Spurs can play through pressure. They can reach the final third. What they lack are forwards who turn those situations into goals.
Supporters are blunt about it. They want a winger and a striker who can lift the level of the attack and finally give De Zerbi the ruthless edge his system demands.
One week left. Squads are being patched, trimmed and, in some cases, completely reshaped. The season has only just started, but the decisions made before Tuesday night will define how far these teams can really go.
