During the Premier League summer transfer window, what does your club hope to accomplish? Fourthofficial has the scoop…
Arsenal
This summer, Arsenal is primarily searching for a younger striker—someone with a lower profile—someone they can mould into the mould of Mikel Arteta. It indicates that they are no longer focused on players such as Alexander Isak and Ivan Toney. Joshua Zirkzee was one player they had their eye on, but he has since joined Manchester United.
In addition, it’s believed that Arsenal is looking for a new left-sided defender and has been in contact with Bologna over Riccardo Calafiori. A new central midfield player is also probably needed, as Thomas Partey approaches the final year of his contract.
The Emirates’ other operations will rely on outgoings; in light of Aaron Ramsdale’s uncertain future, a new backup custodian may be needed. Dan Bentley of Wolves is a player they are interested in, while Tommy Setford, 18, might be added when they reach an agreement with Ajax for €1 million (£840k).
A number of key supporting players, like Eddie Nketiah, Reiss Nelson, and Emile Smith Rowe, are also facing uncertain futures. On loan from Lazio with a buyout clause, Nuno Tavares joined, while Albert Sambi Lokonga signed with Sevilla.
Aston Villa
Prior to the June 30 PSR (Profitability and Sustainability Rules) deadline, Villa was one of the busiest teams, bringing in five players and offloading three, including star midfielder Douglas Luiz to Juventus. Along with midfielder Enzo Barrenechea and winger Samuel Iling-Junior, Villa also received approximately £21 million in cash as part of that agreement.
Along with signing teenage striker Lewis Dobbin from Everton and moving midfielder Tim Iroegbunam to Goodison Park, they also brought in left-back Ian Maatsen from Chelsea for £35 million and sent 18-year-old Omari Kellyman to Stamford Bridge. Ross Barkley, who was demoted from Luton, also returned to the team.
Villa has completed a buy-back agreement for Jaden Philogene since the start of the new fiscal year. He will have a medical early this week before concluding his homecoming. Up until the deadline, Villa will have an open mind about enhancing their roster. They have been considering more midfielders, such as Amadou Onana of Everton. Earlier in the summer, there were rumours of a possible trade with Giovani Lo Celso returning to Tottenham and Jacob Ramsey going to the Unai Emery-led team.
After returning from Sheffield United, Cameron Archer’s future is still unknown, and Jhon Duran is attracting interest from other teams, including Chelsea and West Ham.
Brentford
In the transfer window, Brentford is hoping to add a left-back, a centre back (both left and right), a central midfielder, and a winger.
With the intention of maybe losing Ivan Toney this summer, they already bought £30 million for the striker Igor Thiago from Club Brugge in January. However, that is by no means a guarantee, and as the Euros come to an end, little is known about the striker.
Alfie Doughty of Luton Town is one of the options at left-back whom Brentford are considering. Liverpool has a long list of centre backs, including Sepp van den Berg. Over the past 18 months, they have also evaluated a number of wingers, including Max Beier, Johan Bakayoko, Jonathan Rowe and Assane Diao.
They were among the teams interested in signing Kiernan Dewsbury Hall in midfield before he joined Chelsea, and just a few weeks ago, they were on the verge of signing Archie Grey, who, at the last minute, decided to move to Tottenham.
Brighton
Brighton will be able to invest in the team’s improvement under new manager Fabian Hurzeler because they are in a strong financial position, having turned a £122 million profit in 2022–2023. As usual, they will be selecting targets based on data, giving special attention to young players who have the potential to become major players.
They have already signed four players, including Mats Wieffer of Feyenoord, a midfielder, and winger Yankuba Minteh from Newcastle. They have also brought in two young players, Malick Youlcaye from Gothenburg, Sweden, and Amario Cozier-Duberry, who left Arsenal.
With Tariq Lamptey’s injury issues and the dependable Joel Veltman not getting any younger, the club is rumoured to be interested in acquiring a right back. Although Kyle Walker-Peters of Southampton is one of their favourite players but there is competition from West Ham and Spurs.
They are still in the market for a centre midfield player for their first squad, and Diego Gomez of Inter Miami is one of their long-term targets. A long-term interest in Leeds’ Crysencio Summerville makes another winger a possibility, but it’s important to keep in mind that Brighton already has Ibrahim Osman joining from FC Nordsjaelland.
With one year left on his contract, Brighton will be hopeful that Germany international Pascal Gross turns off interest from Borussia Dortmund and Eintracht Frankfurt. Brighton might also consider bringing in a second young center-back.
Bournemouth
The club is in a comfortable position because to owner Bill Foley’s heavy investment over the last three windows; they believe significant surgery is not necessary, unless substantial offers for important players are too good to refuse.
For instance, Dominic Solanke’s contract contains a clause worth approximately £65 million if a major Premier League team makes an offer, and Milos Kerkez, Max Aarons, and Philip Billing are attracting interest from other teams.
After failing to secure Aarons from Bournemouth, Southampton signed right-back Yukinari Sugawara of AZ Alkmaar.
A new young striker is a possibility in terms of incomings, as Kieffer Moore is also expected to depart, and even if they signed Alex Paulsen, another custodian is still on the wish list. The team is also considering bolstering their right- and center-back positions.
Chelsea
Chelsea has been one of the busiest teams in every window since Todd Boehly bought the team, and they are far from finished.
After replacing Thiago Silva with Fulham’s Tosin on a free transfer, Leicester’s Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall became the first major acquisition, costing £35 million.
Along with adding a number of exciting young players to its roster, Chelsa has also been bringing in Estevao Willian from Palmeiras, Marc Guiu from Barcelona, and Omari Kellyman from Villa, with the intention of loaning them out to sister teams.
They have agreed to terms on two young centre backs, Aaron Anselmino from Boca Juniors and Renato Veiga from Basel, who will arrive in December.
Crystal Palace
New centre backs, both left- and right-footed, as well as new wing-backs are on the roster as manager Oliver Glasner plans to stick with a back-three next season. The left-footed newcomer, Chadi Riad, a center-back, has already joined from Real Betis for £14 million.
New attackers are also needed in the system to play behind the striker, particularly with Michael Olise being a Bayern Munich player. Daichi Kamada, a Japan international for Lazio, has been signed, and they are also considering Marcus Edwards. They also desired Jaden Philogene, but he has since returned to Villa.
Eberechi Eze is expected to draw interest from other teams this summer, thus Palace will probably need to acquire more attackers. Another striker is rumoured to be in the mix as well.
Everton
Due to their ongoing financial issues, Everton will probably need to sell a key player in order to raise money to reinvest in the team. Amadou Onana, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, and Jarrad Branthwaite have all drawn interest; United has placed multiple bids for Branthwaite.
Any PSR difficulties were resolved before June 30 thanks to the sales of Ben Godfrey to Atalanta and Lewis Dobbin to Villa, along with the addition of Tim Iroegbunam from Villa. This also made it possible to acquire Iliman Ndiaye from Marseille by moving into the following year’s accounting period.
In order to preserve what they have for the time being, Everton has given Ashley Young a new contract while Dele is training with the first team in the midst of talks about a possible new contract. The club will carry out further due diligence on other possible new arrivals in the event of a takeover or significant sale.
Fulham
Despite losing two important players—Tosin to Chelsea and Joao Palhinha to Bayern Munich—and the possibility of losing a third—Willian—after his contract expired, Fulham has not added any new players.
It indicates that a new right-sided center-back, defensive midfielder, and left winger are Fulham’s top priorities at the present. Fulham was interested in Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Scott McTominay, who may be available again this summer, even as Palhinha was close to joining Bayern Munich last summer. They still have feelings for Andre from Fluminense, but they like McTominay’s profile better.
Trevoh Chalobah has drawn some interest as a center-back, but he is still weighing his options. Emile Smith Rowe has also been linked to a move to Craven Cottage.
After loanee Fode Ballo-Toure returned to AC Milan, Fulham is also looking for a new left-back and a right-winger.
Ipswich
In an effort to attempt to stay in the Premier League, the recently promoted team wants to spend money strengthening their roster. They are reportedly concentrating on finding a new striker, wingers, central midfielder, right back, goalie, and centre back.
It’s a big boost to having Omari Hutchinson back after his incredible loan from Chelsea last season, but they lost out on Jaden Philogene, their next target on the wing, who is expected to re-sign for previous team Aston Villa.
Ben Johnson from West Ham has already solved the right-back position; Jacob Greaves, a left-footed centre defender, has come from Hull City; and Liam Delap, a striker, cost £20 million from Manchester City.
With Christian Walton entering his final option year and Vaclav Hladky seemingly not signing a new deal, the custodian situation is still a top priority. Arijanet Muric has reached an agreement with Burnley.
Leicester
Leicester is said to be looking for a new left-back, central midfielder, winger, and striker before the transfer window closes. However, with Steve Cooper taking over as manager and bringing any fresh ideas to the table, this might all change.
They have already added a winger, Bobby De Cordova-Reid, on a free transfer from Fulham, and a center-back, Caleb Okoli, from Atalanta. However, they had to sell their star player, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, to Chelsea in order to comply with PSR regulations.
As part of the trade, they acquired young midfielder Michael Golding from Chelsea, although he is a development player, so they now prioritise strengthening the other positions in addition to Dewsbury-Hall’s replacement.
Liverpool
With Michael Edwards at the helm of ownership company FSG and Richard Hughes taking over as Liverpool’s new sporting director, a new era is dawning under Arne Slot.
It’s believed that the team wants to add a holding midfielder to reinforce their midfield, especially in central area where Thiago Alcantara left. Joel Matip also left this summer, so centre back is not as much of a concern. Still, if an anomaly appeared, they would take it very carefully.
In the forward positions, the same might be said. They attempted to acquire Anthony Gordon when Newcastle needed to sell before June 30 in order to comply with PSR, but the deal fell through because Newcastle wanted Jarell Quansah in exchange.
Virgil van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Mo Salah—three players who rose to prominence under Jurgen Klopp—still have long-term contracts that Liverpool needs to finalise.
Manchester United
Joshua Zirkzee, a striker for Bologna, is United’s first signing of the new era, and his addition is a huge boost. The team will now try to bolster other parts of the squad.
It’s known that United wants to get a new centre back at least. They have been in discussions for Leny Yoro of Lille, Matthijs de Ligt of Bayern Munich, and Jarrad Branthwaite of Everton. Jonny Evans has signed a new one-year contract.
Marc Guehi, a notable player for Crystal Palace and England, and Jean-Clair Todibo of Nice are both being pursued, though the latter is not feasible this summer due to the two clubs’ agreement not to trade players in order to guarantee that they may play in the same UEFA competition. Additionally, some checking has been done.
There are also plans to add a new defensive midfielder and central midfielder, and PSG’s Manuel Ugarte is a target after an initial approach was made.
Jadon Sancho has returned to the team, but United is getting close to losing Mason Greenwood to Lazio or Marseille, so a new winger might also be in the mix. While Marseille had agreed to a transaction for €31.6 million (£25.5 million) including add-ons, Lazio has announced a bid of €25 million (£21 million).
Fenerbahce, under the management of Jose Mourinho, is interested in Victor Lindelof. Meanwhile, West Ham and other teams are interested in Aaron Wan-Bissaka, and Saudi Arabia is interested in Casemiro.
Manchester City
Manchester City should not be very busy this summer given their impressive roster and ongoing success. More often than not, the issue will be whether the players desire to move on and whether new ones are needed.
In that vein, despite numerous reports on the continent of their interest, they are not anticipated to make a deal for Dani Olmo of RB Leipzig, for instance.
Following his successful loan at Girona last season, they agreed to a contract to sign Savio from sister club Troyes, which can proceed even though they agreed not to transfer clubs.
Although other clubs have expressed interest in Julian Alvarez and custodian Ederson, neither player has requested to go and no bids have been made as of yet, according to reports from Sky Sports News.
It is not a priority for City to look at left back positions again, however they might consider centre midfield given that Kalvin Phillips appears to be heading out on a permanent basis from the team.
Newcastle
By selling Elliot Anderson to Nottingham Forest and Yankuba Minteh to Brighton, Newcastle was able to resolve their PSR difficulties. In the interim, they added free agents Lloyd Kelly and John Ruddy as well as keeper Odysseas Vlachodimos.
They added Kelly, a left-sided centre back, but they also sought to sign Tosin, a right-sided centre back, before he joined Chelsea, indicating that they may be adding another centre back in the near future.
According to reports, Newcastle has also been considering right-wingers, back-up forwards, defensive midfielders, and central midfielders. They’ve been watching right-wingers for a long; they made an attempt to sign Anthony Elanga during the Anderson talks, and they were also interested in Michael Olise before he signed with Bayern.
In terms of departures, Newcastle is willing to transfer Miguel Almiron to Saudi Arabia. In January, there was also conjecture on the futures of Callum Wilson and Kieran Trippier.
Nottingham Forest
By selling Orel Mangala and Moussa Niakhate to Lyon for a combined £40 million, Nottingham Forest resolved their PSR problems.
With the success of players like Anthony Elanga, Morgan Gibbs-White, Murillo, and Callum Hudson-Odoi, they can now carry on with their concept of concentrating on signing younger players under 25.
In that spirit, Forest signed Eric da Silva Moreira, a teenage winger for St Pauli, and Carlos Miguel, the custodian for Corinthians. They also signed Marko Stamenic, who they loaned to Olympiakos.
Additionally, they are in negotiations with Fiorentina on a transfer for Nikola Milenkovic in order to bolster their center-back position with more seasoned experience. It’s also possible to add a fresh forward, central midfielder, and left back.
Southampton
In keeping with their philosophy of having a core of English talent, Southampton recruited free agent Charlie Taylor at left back, Nathan Wood from Swansea, and Ronnie Edwards from Peterborough.
Additionally, they reached an agreement on Monday to sign West Ham United midfielder Flynn Downes permanently.
After being turned down by Bournemouth for Max Aarons, Saints signed right-back Yukinari Sugawara of AZ Alkmaar instead. This is in the midst of uncertainty surrounding Kyle Walker-Peters, who has Tottenham, West Ham, and Brighton interested in him.
The South Coast team is still interested in Armando Broja and wants to add a striker and another more attacking central midfield player. If they let go of Carlos Alcaraz, the disappointing midfielder, they may make further additions.
Tottenham
After numerous players were released, Tottenham focused on two positions: a No. 6/8 central midfielder of the Conor Gallagher mould and another winger-forward.
The chance to buy 18-year-old Leeds midfielder Archie Grey was too good to do down, and Timo Werner has returned on loan. However, they are still interested in Gallagher and Villa’s Jacob Ramsey before making some suggested midfield alterations.
It is expected that Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg may depart if they are able to secure a club that both the player and the club like, in addition to Oliver Skipp who is believed to desire more playing time and Giovani Lo Celso whose future is once again under consideration.
A number of players, including Emerson Royal, Bryan Gil, Sergio Reguilon, Djed Spence, and Richarlison, are eager to know for sure about their futures at the club. Any additional business in other positions will rely on outgoings. Decisions have not yet been taken.
Before the transfer window closes, movement in this area might see a youthful backup striker, right-back, or adaptable left-sided defender arrive. Kyle Walker-Peters, a right-back, is on the list of candidates for the striker position; Jonathan David and Lois Openda are favourites.
West Ham
This summer, West Ham will give priority to a few positions. One of the best was a center-back, and Max Kilman has joined. This came after attempts to get Fabricio Bruno and Jean Clair-Todibo both failed.
The team was also searching for a new right winger, and they have already signed Palmeiras’ intriguing young player Luis Guilherme.
Along with wanting another right-back, the Hammers have discussed Kyle Walker-Peters with Southampton, with Flynn Downes possibly leaving. An other name to consider is Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
They also have midfielders and strikers on their roster, including Ismael Kone of Watford, Jonathan David of Lille, Jhon Duran of Villa, and Samu Omorodion of Atletico Madrid.
Wolves
After acquiring £40 million from West Ham in exchange for Max Kilman, Wolves has some money to reinvest. They have already made good use of it by bringing in attacker Jorgen Strand Larsen, 20-year-old Rodrigo Gomes of Braga, and 18-year-old Pedro Lima.
Tottenham and other teams are also interested in Pedro Neto, while Marseille has made a bid for Hwang Hee-Chan, even if Wolves doesn’t think he’s for sale. Another player who other clubs really admire is Rayan Ait-Nouri.
Wolves would be interested in bringing in a new center-back and winger in addition to replacing any departing players.
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