Premier League Clubs' Final Week Transfers: What Each Team Needs

The final week of the 2026 summer window is here, and the Premier League still looks half-built. Squads are bloated, gaps are obvious, and the clock is unforgiving. Here’s what every club still has to sort before the shutters come down.

Arsenal – Clear the clutter, land a killer

Arsenal are close, but not complete.

Mikel Arteta still has too many players he doesn’t really trust. Gabriel Jesus is the headline case: a £250,000-a-week forward who no longer feels central to the project. That wage, for that role, is unsustainable. He has to go.

Fabio Vieira and Reiss Nelson are in the same bracket: surplus, useful only as assets now. Ethan Nwaneri needs minutes, not the bench, so a loan makes sense.

That’s four first‑teamers to shift in days, and that’s before the big question: who actually comes in?

The Gunners have been lurking behind Liverpool in the chase for Bradley Barcola, but the France winger is Anfield-bound. Julian Alvarez only wants Barcelona, yet his situation at Atletico Madrid is strained and Barca and Atleti don’t want to deal with each other. That gives Arsenal a sliver of opportunity. This is the calibre they need: a Champions League-winning forward, not just a handy squad piece.

Christos Tzolis has started brightly, but if Arsenal want to go from contenders to serial winners, they need someone above his level on the left or through the middle. With Gabriel Martinelli off to Saudi Arabia, a forward will arrive. It cannot be a late, panicked loan for Raheem Sterling. It has to be a statement.

Aston Villa – A full rebuild in five days

Where do you even start?

Zion Suzuki’s arrival means Emiliano Martinez is effectively gone. Ollie Watkins is expected to join Martinelli at Al-Hilal. Youri Tielemans, Ezri Konsa, Morgan Rogers – all out. That’s the spine, the personality, the swagger of Villa’s recent rise.

Unai Emery remains, and that is Villa’s biggest blessing. But now the club’s main job is keeping him onside, and that means delivering players. Fast.

They’ve at least replaced Martinez and added Johan Manzambi to help cover Rogers’ departure. A £65m move for Nicolas Jackson is close, but that’s a huge fee for a striker in Chelsea’s bomb squad.

Konsa still needs replacing. Chases for Taylor Harwood-Bellis and Joel Ordonez are stalling. Midfield is even more worrying: Tielemans has gone to Manchester United, Amadou Onana’s ACL injury at the World Cup has ripped out another option.

Boubacar Kamara, brilliant but brittle, lined up with Joao Gomes in that horror show at Brighton. Gomes’ debut was a disaster and now he’s suspended. Behind them? Ross Barkley and Lamare Bogarde. That’s it.

Villa have to sell Martinez and Watkins, close Jackson, and then somehow find a midfielder, a winger, a centre-back… probably another centre-back… and more bodies in midfield and attack. It’s a full summer’s work squeezed into a week.

They recovered from a poor start last season to finish fourth and win the Europa League. Right now, they look miles away from that level. Of all the Premier League clubs, Villa are in the deepest hole. PSR has bitten hard.

Bournemouth – Protect Scott, upgrade at right-back

Bournemouth’s to‑do list is short but crucial.

Keeping Alex Scott is non-negotiable. Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal have all circled, with Chelsea the likeliest to pounce late, depending on what happens with Enzo Fernandez and City.

If the Cherries hold their midfield gem, the next step is obvious: finally sign a right-back.

Adam Smith is a club legend, but he’s 35. He’s been a steady presence for years, but this has been an overdue upgrade for several windows. Bournemouth need a fresher, more dynamic option on that flank if they’re serious about sustaining a European push.

Brentford – Diouf in, feet up

Nine goals in two games. Brentford look sharp, balanced, and ruthless.

They’re close to landing El Hadji Malick Diouf from West Ham to lock down the left. Keane Lewis-Potter has impressed, Aaron Hickey is a strong understudy, and at centre-back the trio of Sepp van den Berg, Kristoffer Ajer and Nathan Collins looks solid.

Mikkel Damsgaard couldn’t even get into the XI against Spurs and they still carved out chances. Igor Thiago and Callum Wilson offer a neat rotation up top.

Once Diouf is through the door, Thomas Frank might just be able to watch deadline day unfold in peace. Boring? Maybe. But it’s the sort of boring most clubs would kill for.

Brighton – Decide Minteh’s fate, act accordingly

Brighton’s window now hangs on one man: Yankuba Minteh.

Liverpool are weighing up whether to meet Albion’s £70-80m asking price. If they don’t, Brighton keep a game-changer and carry on. If they do, Brighton will do what Brighton always do: sell big, buy smart, and pull a name from a market barely anyone else is scouting.

Keep Minteh and they’re set. Sell him and they’ll need a replacement, probably another under-the-radar winger who looks like a gamble now and a bargain in three years.

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

Chelsea are being talked up as Arsenal’s closest challengers, but there’s still a gap. One big fix is staring them in the face.

Robert Sanchez is not the goalkeeper of a title contender. Emi Martinez is available. The solution is obvious. Just get it done.

A top goalkeeper changes everything for a side this talented. Behind that, the annual bomb squad purge is in full swing.

Liam Delap and Nicolas Jackson could bring in packages worth up to £110m between them, which is elite-level asset management. But there are still too many players in limbo: Mykhailo Mudryk, possibly off to Strasbourg; Gabriel Slonina, Tosin Adarabioyo, Aaron Anselmino, Marc Guiu, Emmanuel Emegha, Jamie Gittens, Dario Essugo, Wesley Fofana.

Chelsea live in this chaos every year and somehow still sell fringe players for huge fees or stash them in Strasbourg. This week is about doing it again – and pairing that with the signing of a goalkeeper who actually matches their ambitions.

Coventry – Inject real Premier League quality

Coventry’s return to the top flight began with the toughest assignment of all: Arsenal. The performance only underlined what many suspected.

They need more Premier League-level players.

That starting XI – Rushworth; Van Ewijk, Thomas, Amenda, Dasilva; Onyeka, Yirenkyi, Grimes; Thomas-Asante, Simms, Tchaouna – looks short of top-flight security.

Taiwo Awoniyi and Ethan Pinnock are smart, survival-minded signings. Coventry need another two or three of that standard. The clock is ticking, and the margin for error is thin.

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 rebuffed two bids for Minteh. Palace have already turned down offers from Galatasaray and rejected a £50m bid from Liverpool.

That’s a bold stance for a 28-year-old forward. If Liverpool come back with £60m, Palace should be ready to say yes – but only if they know exactly what they’re doing next.

Keeping Adam Wharton, Dean Henderson and Daniel Munoz is vital. Jean-Philippe Mateta still looks like the obvious sale. Yet Sarr’s situation offers Palace a rare chance to reshape the squad with younger, hungrier talent.

With Europa League commitments on top of the league grind, Pierre Sage needs at least two, maybe four more signings. If they cash in on Sarr without a clear reinvestment plan, this season could turn brutal.

Everton – Modernise the full-backs

Everton suddenly look like a team with upside.

Brennan Johnson, Hayden Hackney, Christian Norgaard, Tyrique George and Merlin Rohl have all nudged them forward. A European push doesn’t feel fanciful. But the full-back positions still drag the squad down.

Nathan Patterson has struggled with form and fitness. Jake O’Brien is not a natural right-back and could leave. Vitalii Mykolenko is steady but limited.

A high-level right-back, ideally both sides upgraded, would transform David Moyes’ best XI. Daniel Munoz has been heavily linked, though that trail has cooled.

They’re also still in the race to bring back Jack Grealish. That’s a luxury, not a necessity. The real structural fix lies out wide in defence.

Fulham – A centre-back, at minimum

Fulham could do with a new goalkeeper, but time is against them. A centre-back is more realistic – and more urgent.

Calvin Bassey partnered Jorge Cuenca against Chelsea with Joachim Andersen suspended. Andersen and Bassey are a decent pairing, but both feel like players you’d happily upgrade on if you want to move beyond mid-table.

The truth? Fulham need quality almost everywhere. But a commanding, reliable centre-half would at least give them a stronger base to build from.

Ipswich – Find a proper No.10

Ipswich have hit the ground running: a win on opening day, a Carabao Cup victory over Leicester, and a feel-good buzz around Portman Road.

Look closer at the XI that beat Sunderland, though, and one gap stands out: a natural playmaker.

Julio Enciso was their standout, capable of operating as a No.10 but usually more effective drifting in from the wing. His outrageous assist for Emersonn underlined his creativity, but Ipswich need a specialist in that central pocket.

Exequiel Palacios is a superb signing, a Xhaka-style anchor to run the midfield. Put a clever, inventive No.10 ahead of him and Ipswich give themselves a genuine shot at staying up.

Hull – Their own Xhaka

Hull’s opening-day win over Manchester United flipped the narrative in 90 minutes.

Oli McBurnie’s absence from Scotland’s World Cup squad already looks absurd. Nobel Mendy and Konstantinos Tzolakis impressed on debut. Suddenly, survival doesn’t look like a fantasy.

On paper, though, that team still needs a central midfielder of real pedigree. Hidemasa Morita is an astute free transfer, but Hull could use their own version of Granit Xhaka – the kind of experienced, high-quality operator who can drag a promoted side up a level.

Ipswich have found theirs in Palacios. Hull need to find theirs before Tuesday night.

Leeds – Left-back and a young striker to dream bigger

Leeds have had a sharp, efficient window.

James Trafford, Harry Wilson and Tarik Muharemovic all walk into the XI. Nico Elvedi strengthens the squad. Crucially, they’ve kept their core together. Only Karl Darlow and Pascal Struijk have gone, and neither was central to the future.

Add a left-back and a young striker and this side could genuinely chase Europe.

James Justin has done a solid job on the left, but it’s not his natural role. Up front, the picture is riskier. An injury to Dominic Calvert-Lewin – always a concern – would leave Lukas Nmecha as the main striker. That’s a big ask.

Daniel Farke could do with a younger, more versatile forward to complement and eventually succeed Calvert-Lewin. It’s not essential for survival. It is essential if Leeds want to aim higher than that.

Liverpool – Close Barcola, then face the midfield truth

Liverpool are finally close to agreeing a deal with PSG for Bradley Barcola. That has to get over the line.

But the work doesn’t stop there.

They still need another winger. And they definitely need a midfielder who can anchor and organise a unit that currently looks disjointed.

Jamie Carragher’s assessment that Liverpool “don’t have a midfield that can function” is hard to argue with. Dominik Szoboszlai feels misused, Florian Wirtz has yet to fully convince in the Premier League, and Alexis Mac Allister has looked drained since the 2024/25 title win.

A commanding central presence is essential. The problem? There’s little faith they’ll actually sign one in the final days.

Manchester City – Fill the holes, fast

Pep Guardiola’s exit has triggered a clear-out at Manchester City.

Bernardo Silva, John Stones, Rodri – all gone. They’ve sold an entire XI this summer: James Trafford, Manuel Akanji, Jahmai Simpson-Pusey, Stones, Nathan Ake, Rodri, Nico Gonzalez, Savinho, Tijjani Reijnders, Silva and Omar Marmoush. Around £352m banked, but a huge amount of experience lost.

Enzo Maresca inherits a lighter, leaner squad. Defensively, the numbers are still strong, but Marc Guehi starting in central midfield on matchday one was a warning sign.

Ayyoub Bouaddi has arrived. Enzo Fernandez remains a major target, a move that would push City’s spend on central midfielders beyond £300m.

Up front, it’s even starker. With Marmoush gone to Tottenham, the only recognised centre-forwards listed are Erling Haaland and Ryan McAidoo. They have a glut of midfielders and wingers, including loanees and players on the way out, but they’re one Haaland injury away from a crisis.

City need at least one more central midfielder and another forward. Without that depth, they’re relying on Haaland to play 50-plus games and staying fit. That’s a huge gamble in a title race against a deep, settled Arsenal.

Manchester United – Sort the back line

Manchester United’s midfield rebuild is done. Carlos Baleba, Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos have arrived for £150m, giving Michael Carrick options and variety.

Now the spotlight turns to the defence.

Right-back remains unresolved. Diogo Dalot is entering his eighth season at Old Trafford without ever nailing down the role. Noussair Mazraoui is competition, not a solution.

Centre-back is “fine” rather than convincing. Harry Maguire, Leny Yoro, Lisandro Martinez, Ayden Heaven and the injured Matthijs de Ligt provide depth, but there’s no dominant, ironclad presence.

Carrick’s main priority is a new left-back, and he’s right. Lewis Hall would have been ideal, but Newcastle boss Matthias Jaissle has ruled that out.

That leaves a big decision: trust Luke Shaw again, despite his injury record, with Dalot and Mazraoui as cover? It’s a risky strategy with European football back on the schedule.

Someone like David Raum would change the picture. If United want to feel secure about a top-five finish, they need a new first-choice left-back in Carrick’s best XI.

Newcastle – Numbers at the back

Newcastle are flirting with danger if they don’t add defenders.

Dan Burn’s injury has pushed centre-back up the list. Behind Malick Thiaw and the injury-prone Sven Botman, there’s only Fabian Schar, 34 and just back from a broken ankle.

Full-back is thin too. Lewis Hall and Tino Livramento are first choice, with Amar Dedic able to cover both sides. After that, only youngster Leo Shahar, who won’t be trusted regularly in the league.

Given Hall and Livramento’s fitness issues, that’s a problem.

Midfield depth looks healthier, especially with Nico Gonzalez arriving, and Joe Willock has reminded everyone of his value. There might be interest in squad players like Willock and Jacob Murphy, but Newcastle need them more than they need a few extra million.

Unless Nick Pope heads to Celtic, outgoings should be minimal. The priority is simple: give Jaissle enough defenders to get through the season.

Nottingham Forest – Spend the Anderson windfall properly

Forest are overloaded with strikers and about to add another.

Liam Delap is coming in for a club-record £50m. Arnaud Kalimuendo, Igor Jesus and Chris Wood all started in the Carabao Cup defeat to Leeds, and Kalimuendo looks the likeliest to leave.

But the bigger issue is elsewhere. Two defeats from two in the league suggest they’ve not used the Elliot Anderson money aggressively enough.

So far, they’ve reinvested in centre-back Ousmane Diomande (£34m) and Gustavo Sa (£17m), who has gone straight out on loan to Olympiakos. Xaver Schlager is a smart free, but Forest still lack a true midfield general.

Oliver Glasner needs that presence to stabilise performances and, frankly, to protect himself from the wrath of Evangelos Marinakis. The money is there. It has to be used now.

Sunderland – A right winger or trouble ahead

Sunderland were already a concern before their defeat at Ipswich. That loss underlined why.

Second-season syndrome is real, and adding European fixtures only heightens the risk. Last summer’s ambition, crowned by Granit Xhaka’s arrival, has not been matched this year.

Only two signings have come in: Thomas Meunier and Dayann Methalie, the latter arriving more than a month after the first. For a club balancing Premier League survival and Europe, that’s nowhere near enough.

The glaring hole is on the right of the attack. Igor Paixao and Jack Grealish have been linked, but both prefer the left, where Simon Adingra, Nilson Angulo and Chemsdine Talbi already compete. That still leaves no natural right-sided starter.

Unless Sunderland address that flank quickly, their second season back could turn from celebration into struggle.

Tottenham – Time to sell

Tottenham have thrown money at the problem. Nearly £400m in one window once Omar Marmoush is confirmed. It had to happen after back-to-back 17th-place finishes.

The 3-0 defeat at Brentford felt painfully familiar, but the arrivals of Savio and Marmoush should add the spark and cutting edge they’ve lacked up front. Marmoush, especially, carries the burden of solving their centre-forward issue.

Incoming business should now be done. The focus has to flip to exits.

Lucas Bergvall asked to leave months ago, yet still started against Brentford before being hooked at half-time for £85m man Mateus Fernandes to join £92.5m signing Sandro Tonali.

Bergvall is likely to move before the deadline, with Nottingham Forest still a plausible destination. Pape Matar Sarr is wanted by Galatasaray and Monaco. Mikey Moore, Richarlison, Rodrigo Bentancur and Kevin Danso could all go if the right bids land.

Spurs have spent their way into a new era. The last week of the window will decide whether they can trim the excess and finally build a squad that looks as coherent as their outlay suggests.