Premier League Transfer Window: Key Moves for Every Club

The final week of the 2026 summer window is here and half the Premier League still looks half-built. Squads are bloated in the wrong areas, thin in the crucial ones, and there are big names waiting for a phone call that changes everything.

Here’s what every club still has to get done before the shutters come down.

Arsenal – Clear the decks and land a genuine elite forward

Arsenal aren’t drowning in unwanted players like Chelsea, but Mikel Arteta still has a list he’d happily drive to the airport.

Gabriel Jesus tops it. A £250,000-a-week wage for a forward who no longer feels central to the project is a luxury Arsenal can’t really justify. Fabio Vieira and Reiss Nelson are also on the expendables list, and Ethan Nwaneri needs a loan, not another season of cameos.

That’s four first-teamers to shift in days. Then comes the hard part.

They’ve been lurking in the background of Liverpool’s chase for Bradley Barcola, but the Frenchman is Anfield-bound. Julian Alvarez only wants Barcelona, yet his situation at Atletico Madrid is so strained that a Premier League escape route cannot be completely ruled out. That’s the bracket Arsenal must fish in if they want to move from contenders to serial winners.

Christos Tzolis has started brightly, but if you’re serious about winning the Champions League, you need someone a level above – on the left or through the middle. With Gabriel Martinelli heading to Saudi Arabia, a forward will arrive. It cannot be a panicked deadline-day loan for Raheem Sterling. It has to be special.

Aston Villa – Rip it up and rebuild in five days

Where do you even start?

Zion Suzuki’s arrival means Emiliano Martinez is effectively gone. Ollie Watkins is expected to follow Martinelli to Al-Hilal. Youri Tielemans, Ezri Konsa, Morgan Rogers – all out. That’s the spine of a team that finished fourth and lifted the Europa League.

Unai Emery is the constant. Keeping him content is now the club’s single biggest task.

Villa must cram an entire transfer window into a week. Suzuki replaces Martinez. Johan Manzambi is a smart signing who can help cover Rogers’ departure. Nicolas Jackson is close, but £65m for a striker Chelsea have dumped in their ‘bomb squad’ is a brutal fee.

Konsa needs a successor, but pursuits of Taylor Harwood-Bellis and Joel Ordonez are stalling. Midfield is even more alarming. Tielemans has joined Manchester United, Amadou Onana has suffered an ACL injury at the World Cup, and Boubacar Kamara – brilliant but brittle – lined up with Joao Gomes in the Brighton hammering. Gomes’ debut was so bad it might live in infamy. With him now suspended, Emery has Ross Barkley and Lamare Bogarde as central options. That’s it.

So the to-do list is ridiculous. Sell Martinez. Sell Watkins. Complete Jackson. Sign at least one midfielder, probably two. A winger. A centre-back. Maybe another centre-back. Another midfielder. Another winger. Another striker.

Villa fixed a dreadful 2025/26 start and finished in the top four. Right now, they look miles from repeating that trick. Of all the Premier League clubs, they are in the deepest hole. PSR has bitten hard.

Bournemouth – Finally sort right-back

Bournemouth’s job list is short. Keep Alex Scott. That’s priority one, two and three.

Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal have all sniffed around him. Of that group, Chelsea feel likeliest to make a late move, depending on what happens with Enzo Fernandez and any interest from City.

Beyond hanging on to Scott, Bournemouth have the same issue they’ve had for years: right-back. Adam Smith is a club legend and a very capable defender. He is also 35. For a side heading into Europe, that’s a risk.

They don’t need a revolution. Just a younger, higher-ceiling upgrade on their captain.

Brentford – Close Diouf and put the pen down

Nine goals in two games. Thomas Frank’s side are purring.

A left-back? Keane Lewis-Potter has grown into the role, Aaron Hickey is strong cover. Brentford are still closing in on El Hadji Malick Diouf from West Ham to reinforce that side anyway.

Centre-back? Sepp van den Berg, Kristoffer Ajer and Nathan Collins give them enough depth. A No.10? Mikkel Damsgaard didn’t even start against Spurs and they still carved them open. Up front, Igor Thiago and Callum Wilson look a smart rotation.

Once Diouf is through the door, Brentford can do something rare at this stage of a window: relax.

Brighton – Decide Minteh’s fate and act fast

Everything hinges on Yankuba Minteh.

Liverpool know the price: £70-80m. If they don’t pay it, Brighton keep a game-breaking winger and carry on towards what should be another strong season.

If they do, Brighton will do what Brighton do – find a replacement, likely from somewhere off the beaten track, polish him, and sell him for a fortune in three years’ time.

The equation is simple. The execution, as ever, will be clever.

Chelsea – Clear the bomb squad and buy a real No.1

Plenty see Chelsea as the closest thing Arsenal have to a challenger. Most still think whoever finishes second will do so at a distance.

They can close that gap by solving one glaring issue: goalkeeper. Robert Sanchez has to go. Emi Martinez is there, willing and available. Chelsea just need to stop dithering.

A top keeper changes the ceiling of this team. But they’ve also got yet another bloated cast list to trim.

Liam Delap and Nicolas Jackson could bring in packages worth around £110m. That’s elite-level asset-flipping.

Behind them, the limbo group is huge: Mykhailo Mudryk, who could spend a year at Strasbourg; Gabriel Slonina; Tosin Adarabioyo; Aaron Anselmino; Marc Guiu; Emmanuel Emegha; Jamie Gittens; Dario Essugo; Wesley Fofana. Some will be sold, others loaned, and a few will disappear into the Strasbourg pipeline.

Chelsea do this every year. Backed into a corner, then suddenly reappearing with a big fee from a club that looked to have the upper hand. The pattern will repeat. But if they want to be taken seriously as title threats, the window has to end with a new elite goalkeeper, not just another spreadsheet victory.

Coventry – Inject real Premier League quality

Losing on the opening day to the best team in the country isn’t a disgrace. It is a reminder.

That starting XI – Rushworth; Van Ewijk, Thomas, Amenda, Dasilva; Onyeka, Yirenkyi, Grimes; Thomas-Asante, Simms, Tchaouna – does not scream safety.

Taiwo Awoniyi and Ethan Pinnock are steps in the right direction. Coventry need two or three more of that level. Proven top-flight operators who lift the whole standard, not just fill shirts.

The window clock is ticking loudly over the CBS Arena.

Crystal Palace – Take the Sarr money, if there’s a plan

Liverpool’s search for a winger has led them to Ismaila Sarr after Brighton rejected two bids for Minteh. Palace have already knocked back Galatasaray and have now turned down £50m from Liverpool for their 28-year-old star.

That’s a bold stance. If Liverpool return with something closer to £60m, Palace should cash in.

But only if they know what happens next.

Fans understandably want to keep the core of Adam Wharton, Dean Henderson, Daniel Munoz and Sarr, and move on from Jean-Philippe Mateta. Yet this Sarr pursuit offers a rare chance to reshape the squad: younger, deeper, more robust for a season that includes European football.

Pierre Sage needs at least two, probably three, maybe four more signings. Without them, the Thursday-Sunday grind could eat this squad alive.

Everton – Fix the full-backs

For once, Everton don’t look like a crisis club. They look like a team that could quietly push towards Europe.

Brennan Johnson, Hayden Hackney, Christian Norgaard, Tyrique George and Merlin Röhl all make sense. But the full-back situation doesn’t.

Nathan Patterson has struggled and spends too much time in the treatment room. Jake O’Brien isn’t a natural right-back and may leave. On the left, Vitalii Mykolenko is solid but clearly upgradeable.

David Moyes’ best XI would look far more convincing with stronger options on both flanks, particularly on the right. Links to Daniel Munoz have gone quiet, but that type of signing is exactly what they need.

Everton are still in the race to bring Jack Grealish back as well. That would be a bonus. The real job this week is to modernise the back line.

Fulham – A centre-back to raise the bar

Fulham could do with a new goalkeeper, but time is against them. A centre-back feels far more achievable.

Calvin Bassey and Jorge Cuenca started against Chelsea with Joachim Andersen suspended. Andersen and Bassey are capable and comfortable on the ball, yet both are upgradeable if Fulham want to move beyond mid-table drift.

Truthfully, this squad needs quality almost everywhere. But a commanding, reliable centre-back would be a good place to start in the final days.

Ipswich – Find a true No.10

Two games, two wins, a lively start. Ipswich have momentum and a clear identity. Now they need a playmaker to knit it all together.

Julio Enciso was their standout against Sunderland, capable of playing centrally but generally used off the wing with licence to roam. His outrageous assist for Emersonn underlined his talent.

Exequiel Palacios is a statement signing – the sort that recalls Granit Xhaka’s transformative move to Sunderland. With Palacios controlling the middle, a dedicated No.10 ahead of him could give Ipswich their best shot at staying up.

They’ve done the hard part by getting here. Now they must give themselves enough craft to stay.

Hull – Their own Xhaka moment

Beating Manchester United on day one changed the mood around Hull overnight.

Oli McBurnie’s absence from Scotland’s World Cup squad already looks comical. Nobel Mendy and Konstantinos Tzolakis shone. Suddenly, survival doesn’t feel like a fantasy.

On paper, though, the midfield still needs one more big piece. Hidemasa Morita is a smart free transfer, but the template is clear: a seasoned, high-class midfielder in the Xhaka mould. Someone like Palacios at Ipswich – a leader, a reference point, a player who raises the floor and the ceiling.

Get that right, and Hull’s season could look very different to the one many predicted.

Leeds – A left-back and a striker to aim higher

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

James Trafford, Harry Wilson and Tarik Muharemovic all walk into the XI. Nico Elvedi strengthens the squad. No key players have been sold, unless you count Karl Darlow and Pascal Struijk, both replaceable.

Add a specialist left-back and a young forward, and this team can look up rather than over their shoulder.

James Justin has coped admirably on the left, but it isn’t his natural role. More worryingly, an injury to Dominic Calvert-Lewin – a scenario Leeds fans don’t want to contemplate – would leave Lukas Nmecha as the main striker. That’s a gamble.

Daniel Farke doesn’t need an overhaul. He needs one more left-sided defender and a versatile, high-upside forward to compete with and complement Calvert-Lewin and Nmecha.

Liverpool – Get Barcola over the line, then face the midfield truth

The Barcola saga is almost done. Agreement with PSG has finally been reached. Liverpool are on the brink of adding the winger they’ve chased all summer.

They still need more.

Another wide player would help. A central midfielder feels essential. Jamie Carragher’s assessment on Monday Night Football was blunt: this midfield doesn’t “function” as it should. There are questions over how Dominik Szoboszlai is being used, whether Florian Wirtz can truly impose himself on the Premier League, and Alexis Mac Allister looks drained after the 2024/25 title run.

A dominant presence in the middle is crying out to be signed. The problem? There’s little faith Liverpool will actually do it before the deadline.

Manchester City – A thin squad for a long season

Pep Guardiola’s exit has triggered a clear-out. The list of departures is staggering.

James Trafford, Manuel Akanji, Jahmai Simpson-Pusey, John Stones, Nathan Ake, Rodri, Nico Gonzalez, Savinho, Tijjani Reijnders, Bernardo Silva and Omar Marmoush – an entire XI gone, for around £352m.

Enzo Maresca has cash, but he doesn’t have depth. Defensively, City still look strong. In midfield and attack, the gaps are obvious.

Marc Guehi starting in central midfield on the opening weekend told its own story. Ayyoub Bouaddi has since arrived, and Enzo Fernandez remains a major target. If that deal happens, City’s outlay on central midfielders alone will soar past £300m.

Up front, the situation is stark. With Marmoush sold to Tottenham, the club’s own list of centre-forwards features just Erling Haaland and Ryan McAidoo. They have 15 midfielders and wingers on the books, including loanees and players about to leave, but precious little behind Haaland.

City need at least one more central midfielder and, crucially, replacements for Savinho and Marmoush. Right now, they are gambling on Haaland playing 50-plus games. For a team chasing Arsenal, that’s a dangerous bet.

Manchester United – Sort the back line, especially left-back

The midfield rebuild is done. Carlos Baleba, Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos have arrived for a combined £150m. Michael Carrick has options there.

Defence is another matter.

Right-back remains unresolved. Diogo Dalot is entering his eighth season at Old Trafford without ever truly locking down the spot, now battling Noussair Mazraoui after previous duels with Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Antonio Valencia, Ashley Young and Matteo Darmian.

Centre-back depth is decent rather than elite: Harry Maguire, Leny Yoro, Lisandro Martinez, Ayden Heaven and the injured Matthijs de Ligt. There’s no undisputed, towering presence.

But the immediate priority is left-back. Lewis Hall would have been ideal, but Newcastle boss Matthias Jaissle has made it clear: “No chance.” That leaves United with a big decision on Luke Shaw, whose fitness record is a concern, especially with European football back on the agenda. Behind him? Dalot and Mazraoui filling in.

It isn’t enough. A move for David Raum would change the complexion of the back line. United’s top-five hopes look a lot more convincing if a new first-choice left-back walks through the door.

Newcastle – Numbers at the back or trouble ahead

Newcastle are flirting with risk.

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

Full-back depth is also thin. Lewis Hall and Tino Livramento are first choice, Amar Dedic can cover both sides, then it’s down to Leo Shahar, who won’t be trusted in big league games. Given Hall and Livramento’s own injury histories, that’s not sustainable.

Midfield looks better, boosted by Nico Gonzalez. Joe Willock, once seemingly on the way out, reminded everyone of his value with a big performance against Liverpool. Newcastle can’t afford to lose too many of these squad pieces, even if there’s interest.

Nick Pope could still depart for Celtic, but aside from that, this final week should be about one thing: defensive reinforcements.

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

Forest have a strange problem: too many strikers, and another one arriving.

Liam Delap is joining for a club-record £50m. Arnaud Kalimuendo, Igor Jesus and Chris Wood all started in the Carabao Cup defeat to Leeds. Of that trio, Kalimuendo is the likeliest to move on.

More pressing is how they spend the Elliot Anderson money. So far, they’ve reinvested in centre-back Ousmane Diomande (£34m) and Gustavo Sa (£17m), who has already gone out on loan to Olympiakos. Xaver Schlager is a smart free, but this midfield still lacks a true leader.

Forest need a commanding presence in the middle – someone who can steady the ship and give Oliver Glasner enough control to avoid Evangelos Marinakis losing patience in his usual fashion.

Sunderland – A right winger or a long, hard season

The warning signs were there before a ball was kicked. The defeat at Ipswich underlined them.

Second-season syndrome is real. Add European football into the mix and the risk multiplies. Sunderland navigated their first year back brilliantly, powered by a bold 2025 window headlined by Granit Xhaka.

This summer has been the opposite. Dayann Methalie arrived from Toulouse as only the second signing, 37 days after Thomas Meunier. Two full-backs in, no major attacking upgrade, and a congested schedule on the horizon.

The biggest gap in Regis Le Bris’ best XI is obvious: right wing. Igor Paixao and Jack Grealish have been mentioned, but both prefer the left and would crowd out Simon Adingra, Nilson Angulo and Chemsdine Talbi rather than solve the imbalance.

Sunderland don’t need to be picky now. They just need a genuine right-sided attacker who can start games. Without one, the season could turn quickly.

Tottenham – Time to sell, not spend

Tottenham have thrown money at the problem.

Omar Marmoush’s arrival will take their summer spend close to £400m, a club record and a staggering figure for a team coming off back-to-back 17th-place finishes. Savio and Marmoush should add badly needed spark and goals, particularly in the centre-forward role that has haunted them.

On the incoming front, that’s probably it. Now they have to clear space.

Lucas Bergvall asked to leave months ago, yet still started at Brentford before being hooked at half-time for £85m signing Mateus Fernandes, who partnered £92.5m man Sandro Tonali. Bergvall is likely to go before the deadline, with Nottingham Forest long-term admirers.

Pape Matar Sarr has interest from Galatasaray and Monaco. Mikey Moore, Richarlison, Rodrigo Bentancur and Kevin Danso are all candidates to move if the right offers arrive.

Spurs have spent their way out of excuses. The final week is about trimming the fat and giving Ange Postecoglou a squad that finally makes sense.