2026 Summer Transfer Window: Premier League Clubs' Final Week Plans

The final week of the 2026 summer transfer window is here and half the Premier League still looks half-built. Squads are bloated, holes are obvious, and the clock is merciless. Here’s what every club still has to sort before the window slams shut.

Arsenal – Clear the decks and land a truly elite forward

Arsenal’s squad isn’t Chelsea-level chaotic, but there’s clutter Mikel Arteta clearly wants gone.

Gabriel Jesus is the headline case. A £250,000-a-week wage for a player no longer central to the project is unsustainable. He needs a buyer. Fabio Vieira and Reiss Nelson are also on the expendable list, while Ethan Nwaneri should be out on loan, not parked on the fringes.

That’s four first-teamers to shift in days. And that’s before you even get to the main event: a forward who can tilt a Champions League tie.

They’ve hovered around Liverpool’s chase for Bradley Barcola, but the Frenchman is now heading for Anfield. Julian Alvarez only wants Barcelona, yet his Atletico Madrid situation looks strained and Barca and Atleti don’t want to deal with each other. That at least leaves a crack in the door for Arsenal if they can tempt him to north London.

This is the level they need. Christos Tzolis has started brilliantly, but if Arsenal want to win the Champions League, they need someone above that tier on the left or through the middle.

They could win it anyway. But with Gabriel Martinelli off to Saudi Arabia, a new forward is non-negotiable. It cannot be a panicked deadline-day loan for Raheem Sterling. It has to be someone who changes the room the moment he walks into it.

Aston Villa – Fix an entire window in five days

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, Ezri Konsa and Morgan Rogers are already out. That’s the spine of a side that finished fourth and won the Europa League.

Unai Emery is still there. That’s Villa’s biggest win of the summer. Now they have to prove to him this isn’t a slow-motion collapse.

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

Konsa needs a replacement. Moves for Taylor Harwood-Bellis and Joel Ordonez are stalling. Midfield is even more alarming. Tielemans has gone to Manchester United, Amadou Onana is out with an ACL injury, and the current options are painfully thin.

Boubacar Kamara, brilliant but brittle, started with Joao Gomes in the Brighton thrashing. Gomes’ debut was a disaster and now he’s suspended. Behind them? Ross Barkley and Lamare Bogarde. That’s it.

So the to-do list is absurd. Sell Martinez. Sell Watkins. Close Jackson. Sign at least one midfielder. Sign a winger. Sign a centre-back. Probably another centre-back. Another midfielder. Another winger. Maybe even another striker.

Villa dragged themselves from a dreadful start last season to fourth place and a European trophy. Right now, they look miles off repeating anything close to that. As things stand, no Premier League club is in a more precarious spot. PSR has bitten hard.

Bournemouth – Protect Alex Scott and sort right-back at last

Bournemouth’s job is simple: don’t lose Alex Scott.

Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal have all been circling. Chelsea feel the likeliest late mover, depending on Enzo Fernandez and any potential City bid for him.

Holding on to Scott might be the only item on the board. It shouldn’t be.

Adam Smith is a club legend and a committed defender. He’s also 35. Bournemouth have needed an upgrade at right-back for years. If they’re serious about competing in Europe and keeping this project moving, they need fresh legs on that flank. Loyalty is admirable. Stagnation isn’t.

Brentford – Sign Diouf and enjoy the quiet

Nine goals in two games. Brentford look sharp, settled, and strangely… done?

Keane Lewis-Potter has impressed at left-back, with Aaron Hickey a strong alternative. Even so, the Bees are tightening that side by closing in on West Ham’s El Hadji Malick Diouf.

At centre-back, Sepp van den Berg, Kristoffer Ajer and Nathan Collins provide enough depth. In attack, Igor Thiago and Callum Wilson give Thomas Frank a strong rotation, while Mikkel Damsgaard couldn’t even get into the XI against Spurs and they still created chances at will.

This might be as close to a stress-free deadline week as any club gets. Organised. Efficient. Almost boring. Brentford will take that.

Brighton – Minteh decides everything

Brighton’s remaining business hangs on one name: Yankuba Minteh.

Liverpool know the price – £70-80million. If they don’t pay it, Brighton keep a devastating winger and roll into another season with a serious attacking threat.

If they do, Brighton will do what Brighton always do: find a replacement, probably from a league most of Europe barely watches, polish him up, and sell him for a fortune in three years.

The equation is simple. The execution never is.

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

Chelsea are being mentioned as possible title challengers, the side most likely to chase Arsenal. But even their best-case scenario has them finishing a distant second.

They can close that gap if they stop dithering over the goalkeeper. Robert Sanchez isn’t the answer. Emi Martinez is available and obvious. They just need to move.

A top-class keeper transforms the ceiling of this team, yet the annual bomb-squad circus is back on the agenda.

Liam Delap and Nicolas Jackson could bring in packages worth up to £110million. That’s elite-level asset flipping. But there are still too many players stuck in limbo: Mykhailo Mudryk, Gabriel Slonina, Tosin Adarabioyo, Aaron Anselmino, Marc Guiu, Emmanuel Emegha, Jamie Gittens, Dario Essugo, Wesley Fofana. Plus the Strasbourg pipeline that solves every logjam by sending talent to France.

Chelsea always seem cornered, then somehow emerge with a profit and a thinner squad. This time, they need to pair that trick with one decisive move in goal.

Coventry – Inject genuine Premier League quality

Losing to the best team in the country on opening day doesn’t tell you everything. But it did underline what everyone suspected.

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

Taiwo Awoniyi and Ethan Pinnock are smart, Premier League-ready additions. Coventry need at least two more of that calibre. Maybe three.

The margin for error is tiny. The time to fix it is even smaller.

Crystal Palace – Take the Sarr money, if the plan is ready

Liverpool’s scramble for attacking reinforcements has led them to Ismaila Sarr after Brighton pushed back on Minteh. Palace have already rejected two bids from Galatasaray and turned down £50million from Liverpool for the 28-year-old.

That’s a bold stance. If Liverpool come back with another £10million, Palace have a decision to make.

Cash in, but only if there’s a clear strategy to replace Sarr and spread the money through the squad. The temptation for supporters is to cling to every star – Adam Wharton, Dean Henderson, Daniel Munoz, Sarr – and simply usher Jean-Philippe Mateta out of the door.

Sarr’s situation offers something different: a chance to reshape the squad with younger options and deepen a group that has Europa League commitments. Pierre Sage needs two, three, maybe even four more signings. If he doesn’t get them, the schedule will chew this squad up.

Everton – Upgrade the full-backs

Everton suddenly look like a team that can aim upwards rather than over their shoulder.

Brennan Johnson, Hayden Hackney, Christian Norgaard, Tyrique George and Merlin Rohl are all smart pieces. The spine feels sturdier. But the flanks of the defence still sag.

Nathan Patterson hasn’t kicked on and struggles with fitness. Jake O’Brien isn’t a natural right-back and could leave. On the left, Vitalii Mykolenko is steady but replaceable.

David Moyes’ best XI would jump a level with stronger options on both sides, especially at right-back. Daniel Munoz has been heavily linked, though that trail has cooled.

Everton are also still in the mix to bring back Jack Grealish. That move would grab the headlines. The full-back business might actually decide their season.

Fulham – A centre-back, at minimum

A new goalkeeper would be nice. Realistic? Not now. A centre-back is far more likely and far more necessary.

Calvin Bassey partnered Jorge Cuenca against Chelsea with Joachim Andersen suspended. Andersen and Bassey form a competent, ball-playing pairing, but both – like Bernd Leno – are upgradeable.

The truth is Fulham need quality almost everywhere. But if they’re going to get just one key piece through the door this week, centre-back feels the most logical.

Ipswich – Find a true No.10

Two wins from two – one in the league, one in the Carabao Cup – have kept the mood buoyant at Portman Road. Look a little deeper, though, and the need for a playmaker is obvious.

Julio Enciso was outstanding against Sunderland, capable of drifting into central pockets and operating as a No.10, but he’s primarily a winger who thrives with freedom out wide. His outrageous assist for Emersonn underlined his talent, not necessarily his long-term position.

Exequiel Palacios is a superb signing, the kind that can anchor a midfield in the way Granit Xhaka did for Sunderland. Put a creative No.10 in front of him and Ipswich suddenly have a structure that gives them a real shot at staying up.

Hull – Their own Granit Xhaka

Beating Manchester United on opening weekend was a statement. Hull didn’t just nick it; they outplayed an expensively assembled side and made them look ordinary.

Oli McBurnie missing the World Cup with Scotland now looks almost comical. Nobel Mendy and Konstantinos Tzolakis shone on debut. After 90 minutes, the narrative around Hull’s survival chances shifted.

On paper, though, that team still needs a central midfielder of real pedigree. Hidemasa Morita is a clever free transfer, but Hull would benefit massively from their own version of Xhaka – the kind of experienced, top-level midfielder who can drag a newly promoted team up a tier, just as Palacios is expected to do for Ipswich.

Leeds – One left-back, one striker, and Europe becomes realistic

Leeds have quietly put together one of the best windows in the division.

James Trafford, Harry Wilson and Tarik Muharemovic walk into the starting XI. Nico Elvedi strengthens the squad. Crucially, they’ve kept their key players, with only Karl Darlow and Pascal Struijk departing – neither irreplaceable.

Two more moves could change their season: a left-back and a young forward.

James Justin has done a solid job on the left but it isn’t his natural side. Up front, everything hinges on Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s fitness. If he breaks down, Lukas Nmecha becomes the main striker. That prospect will terrify Leeds fans.

Daniel Farke doesn’t need another veteran. He needs a younger, more versatile forward who can complement and, in time, succeed Calvert-Lewin. Get that and a specialist left-back, and a European push stops sounding fanciful.

Liverpool – Close Barcola, then dare to fix midfield

Liverpool have one obvious job this week: finish the Bradley Barcola deal. An agreement with PSG is finally in place, and he adds pace, goals and variety to the front line.

But that’s not the end of their to-do list. They still need another winger. And the midfield remains a glaring concern.

Jamie Carragher’s assessment was blunt: this midfield doesn’t “function”. Dominik Szoboszlai’s role feels muddled. Questions linger over Florian Wirtz’s suitability to the league. Alexis Mac Allister has looked jaded since the 2024/25 title win.

A dominant, controlling presence in the middle is essential. The problem? There’s little faith Liverpool will actually go and get one.

Manchester City – A thin squad for a long season

Pep Guardiola’s exit has sparked an exodus. Bernardo Silva, John Stones, Rodri – serial winners have walked away, and City have been open to selling almost anyone with a market.

The list of departures is staggering: James Trafford, Manuel Akanji, Jahmai Simpson-Pusey, Stones, Nathan Ake, Rodri, Nico Gonzalez, Savinho, Tijjani Reijnders, Silva, Omar Marmoush. That’s an entire XI gone, raising around £352million.

Enzo Maresca now has money and a lighter squad. Defensively, the numbers are still decent, but Marc Guehi starting in central midfield on opening day said everything about where they’re short.

Ayyoub Bouaddi has arrived since the Bournemouth win, and Enzo Fernandez remains a priority. If that deal happens, City’s spend on central midfielders alone this summer will soar past £300million.

Up front, the situation is stark. With Marmoush at Tottenham, the only recognised centre-forwards on the club’s website are Erling Haaland and Ryan McAidoo. The wide and attacking midfield options are plentiful, but City still need another central midfielder and at least one forward to replace Savio and Marmoush.

Right now, they are banking on Haaland playing 50-plus games. This squad, as it stands, doesn’t look deep enough to outlast Arsenal over 38 matches.

Manchester United – Sort the back line, starting at left-back

United have overhauled their midfield with Carlos Baleba, Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos for a combined £150million. Michael Carrick now has variety and depth in the middle.

The defence is a different story.

Right-back remains a long-running issue. Diogo Dalot is entering his eighth season at Old Trafford without ever truly nailing down the position, battling successive rivals from Aaron Wan-Bissaka to Antonio Valencia. Noussair Mazraoui is the latest to share minutes rather than take control.

Centre-back depth is fine on paper – Harry Maguire, Leny Yoro, Lisandro Martinez, Ayden Heaven and the injured Matthijs de Ligt – but there’s no commanding presence who convinces everyone in the ground.

Carrick’s main focus, though, is left-back. Lewis Hall would have been ideal, but Newcastle boss Matthias Jaissle has already shut that down.

So United must decide how much faith they have in Luke Shaw with European football back on the calendar, and Dalot and Mazraoui as emergency cover. It’s a huge gamble.

Someone like David Raum would change the picture completely. Sign a high-level left-back and United’s top-five prospects suddenly look far more secure.

Newcastle – Numbers needed at the back

Newcastle are flirting with danger unless they move decisively in defence.

They were already light at centre-back. Dan Burn’s injury has only underlined that. Behind Malick Thiaw and the injury-prone Sven Botman, there’s just Fabian Schar, 34 and coming off a broken ankle.

Full-back depth is just as fragile. Lewis Hall and Tino Livramento are first choice, with Amar Dedic covering both sides. Beyond that? Only Leo Shahar, who isn’t ready to start Premier League games. Given Hall and Livramento’s injury records, that’s asking for trouble.

Midfield looks healthier, especially with Nico Gonzalez arriving, and Joe Willock has probably played himself out of the departure lounge. Newcastle need to keep those squad players now.

Unless Nick Pope leaves for Celtic, outgoings can wait. Defensive reinforcements can’t.

Nottingham Forest – Turn Anderson cash into a midfield general

Forest have too many strikers. And they’re about to add another, with Liam Delap arriving for a club-record £50million.

Arnaud Kalimuendo, Igor Jesus and Chris Wood all started the Carabao Cup defeat to Leeds. Of that trio, Kalimuendo looks the most likely to move on, but the imbalance is obvious.

More pressing is what they do with the Elliot Anderson money. So far, they’ve only spent on centre-back Ousmane Diomande (£34m) and Gustavo Sa (£17m), who has already gone to Olympiakos on loan. Xaver Schlager is a smart free transfer, but he isn’t the dominant midfield presence this team is crying out for.

Forest need a leader in the middle of the park, someone who can control tempo and protect the defence. Without that, Oliver Glasner risks finding out exactly what it means to be on the wrong end of Evangelos Marinakis’ patience.

Sunderland – A right winger or a long, hard season

The warning signs were already there before Sunderland’s opening-day defeat at Ipswich. That loss simply sharpened them.

Second-season syndrome is real. Throw in European football and the risk multiplies. Sunderland earned that adventure with a superb 2025 window topped by Granit Xhaka. This summer has been far quieter.

Dayann Methalie is only the second signing, arriving more than a month after Thomas Meunier. Two full-backs for a club balancing the league and Europe in year two back in the top flight? It’s nowhere near enough.

The biggest hole is obvious: the right side of the attack. Igor Paixao and Jack Grealish have been discussed, but both prefer the left, where Simon Adingra, Nilson Angulo and Chemsdine Talbi already compete. None is a natural right winger.

Le Bris needs a specialist there. Without one, Sunderland risk drifting into a battle their hierarchy seem convinced they’ve already avoided.

Tottenham – After £400m spent, now they have to sell

Tottenham’s answer to back-to-back 17th-place finishes has been blunt: spend their way out of it.

Omar Marmoush’s arrival takes their summer outlay close to £400million. Savio and Marmoush should add the flair and punch Ange Postecoglou’s attack has badly lacked, with the Egyptian expected to finally solve the centre-forward problem.

Once Marmoush is through the door, incoming business should be done. Outgoings, though, are overdue.

Lucas Bergvall asked to leave months ago yet still started at Brentford, only to be hooked at half-time for £85million signing Mateus Fernandes, who joined £92.5million man Sandro Tonali in midfield. That’s not a sustainable situation.

Bergvall will almost certainly go before the deadline, with Nottingham Forest likely to reappear as suitors. Pape Matar Sarr has admirers at Galatasaray and Monaco. Mikey Moore, Richarlison, Rodrigo Bentancur and Kevin Danso are all in that grey area where a late bid could change everything.

Spurs have thrown money at the problem. Now they have to prove they can trim a squad with the same conviction.