Nobody likes a transfer saga, do they? With this in mind, here’s a look at the most important deal for every Premier League team this summer.
Arsenal
Sign Declan Rice
The Gunners eventually ran out of steam in their pursuit of the title. Mikel Arteta’s side have picked up just 15 points from a possible 30 over the last 10 matches and will settle for a runners-up spot.
With Granit Xhaka departing this summer, Arsenal are going to need to reinforce their midfield options and Rice seems to be a priority.
Having missed out on Moises Caicedo and Mykhailo Mudryk in January, Arteta needs to ensure they land their top target this summer. The 24-year-old Rice is a best price 7/5 to be at Arsenal after the summer window.
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Aston Villa
Bring in cover for Ollie Watkins
Unai Emery sold Danny Ings to West Ham United in January and though Jhon Duran arrived, the youngster isn’t yet at the level to be rival Watkins for a start.
Villa are perhaps a little over reliant on their No. 11 and this is not a good place to be in. Emery needs to bring in cover for the 27-year-old. If he does, a push for European football could be on the cards.
Bournemouth
Keep Gary O’Neil in charge
Having stayed up this season, the temptation might be there to bring in a sexier name. After all, the Cherries reportedly wanted Marcelo Bielsa prior to giving O’Neil the manager’s job for the season.
The 40-year-old signed an 18-month deal in November but owners can get a little ahead of themselves and if they feel a ‘better’ manager is available, O’Neil could be removed from his position. He deserves another season and Bournemouth probably need another with him in charge.
Brentford
Sign a replacement for Ivan Toney
This is a pretty obvious one, isn’t it? Though Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa are both decent options for Thomas Frank, the Bees are going to have to bring in another goal threat if they are to cope with the loss of their 20-goal forward for half the season.
Toney is responsible for 35% of the goals scored by Brentford in the Premier League this term. They need to bring in another player to share the attacking responsibility with Mbeumo and Wissa.
Brighton & Hove Albion
Prevent a mass exodus
Alexis Mac Allister (1/5 to join Liverpool), Moises Caicedo, Kaoru Mitoma and Evan Ferguson are all in-demand while Levi Colwill is expected to return to Chelsea after a successful loan period. There’s also serious interest in manager Roberto De Zerbi.
Brighton are in a healthy position financially and have already shown they won’t be bullied into selling players unless their demands are met - just look at the Marc Cucurella and Caicedo situations. One or two may be sold this summer but the club should ensure they keep as many as possible ahead of their first European campaign.
Chelsea
Just stop signing players
Todd Boehly seems to think he can spend his way out of the mess Chelsea find themselves in. But the more they spend, the bigger the mess.
The Blues need stability and consistency if this project is going to go anywhere. The next manager needs to be a long-term hire as he puts his stamp on things. He won’t be able to do that if every transfer window sees an influx of players.
Crystal Palace
Keep finding young talent
The Eagles have carved out a bit of a niche over recent seasons. They’re a club that gives young talent an opportunity at the top level and it is working out pretty well for them.
Eberechi Eze, Michael Olise, Marc Guehi and Tyrick Mitchell have all caught the eye and have all been linked with big money moves. Adding one or two highly-rated youngsters to their ranks should be the norm for Palace every summer.
Everton
Move on from Dominic Calvert-Lewin
The Toffees are a better team with Calvert-Lewin in their starting XI but injuries have decimated the last two campaigns for the 26-year-old. It is no coincidence that they’ve found themselves in a relegation battle in both seasons.
Sean Dyche needs to bring in a second forward who can replicate a lot of what Calvert-Lewin does so there isn’t this reliance on an injury-prone striker.
Fulham
Sign Manor Solomon on a permanent deal
Solomon arrived on loan last summer and has four goals in 539 minutes for Fulham. Injuries limited his involvement this season but he’s proven he can have an impact in the Premier League. Marco Silva’s side possesses a lot of secure individuals but few have the X factor that the 23-year-old has.
Leeds United
Sign another centre forward
Leeds find themselves in a situation not too dissimilar to the one at Goodison Park. Their main centre-forward has been injured for large periods and the team didn’t have an adequate back-up as cover. As a result, they’ve struggled for goals and find themselves in a relegation fight.
This isn’t to say they should move on from Patrick Bamford but another striker needs to be on the agenda this summer, regardless of what league they are going to be playing in.
Leicester City
End Jamie Vardy’s party
There’s a bit of a theme here, isn’t there? Many of the relegation-threatened teams have been reliant on injury-prone forwards who had previously delivered for them.
In Leicester’s case, it is Jamie Vardy. The 36-year-old has struggled this term yet still gets the nod over Kelechi Iheanacho and Patson Daka.
There needs to be an overhaul in attack with the Foxes bringing in their long-term heir to Vardy.
Liverpool
Sign at least one midfielder
The Reds haven’t signed a midfielder since 2020 and they’ve only added three middle-third options since 2018. James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain are all leaving on a free, so there are places to be filled. Previously, the Reds have resisted the urge to dip into the market if their top target isn’t attainable.
This can’t happen this summer.
Manchester City
Replace Ilkay Gundogan
According to reports, City are still trying to tie the 32-year-old down to a new deal but Barcelona and Arsenal are interested. If he does leave, he needs to be replaced, immediately.
He’s been a key cog in this Manchester City over the years, playing numerous roles to a high level. He also chips in with vital goals. City need to find another player with his profile if they’re to extend their period of dominance.
Manchester United
Don’t sign Neymar
United need to resist the urge to bring in a big name and instead focus on addressing the weaknesses within the squad. Adding Neymar (best price 14/1 but as short as 5/1 with one bookmaker) helps the brand of the club from a commercial point of view but what does it do for them on the pitch?
It would be Cristiano Ronaldo all over again. United need to buy for the long-term ten Hag project and be smarter with their money. That is what leads to sustained success.
Newcastle United
Don’t disrupt the squad harmony with a big money name
Having secured Champions League qualification, the Magpies could push the boat out and start bringing star names to St James’ Park. That may be a little premature though.
Eddie Howe has built something special at the club, with everyone chipping in. If they bring in players who are purely there for the big nights, it could quickly unravel.
It should be more of the same this summer for Newcastle.
Nottingham Forest
Don’t repeat the Jesse Lingard mistake
Last summer, it felt like Nottingham Forest couldn’t go a day without signing someone. They went big on Jesse Lingard thinking the former Manchester United man would be the one to help them in their quest to stay up.
In the end, he was barely involved. Morgan Gibbs-White, Brennan Johnson and Taiwo Awoniyi, all young with a point to prove, played their part in securing the club’s Premier League status. That should be the target for Forest in this summer window.
Southampton
Sign experience
By comparison, the Saints need to add some experience to their ranks.
Over the past 12 months, they have invested heavily in youngsters. Now, they’re likely going to turn a profit on most of these players when they’re eventually sold but this strategy is why they’re playing Championship football next season.
They signed players who are inconsistent due to their age and as a result, they struggled to perform at a consistent level. A few players learning on the job is fine but Southampton had a host of them, all at once. It wasn’t sustainable.
Tottenham Hotspur
Keep Harry Kane
Spurs are in a period of transition right now and it would be easy to sell England captain Harry Kane (6/4 to join Man United) to fund the next phase of this project under the new manager. But they aren’t in a position to sell guaranteed goals. He’s the one constant and removing that could see Tottenham slip into the mid-table mix, at least in the short-term.
West Ham United
Don’t waste the Declan Rice money
West Ham are going to pocket a lot of money when they part ways with Rice. The latest reports suggest he could fetch in excess of £90million.
We’ve seen a lot of clubs in the past waste money after a big sale - Spurs after Bale and Liverpool after Suarez. West Ham don’t exactly have the best recruitment record over recent years but they need to be smart with this Rice money so as not to waste this opportunity.
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Move away from Jorge Mendes clients
Maybe it is time Wolves distance themselves a little from Jorge Mendes and start to run the club properly. Matheus Nunes was signed last summer for a club record fee and was an odd fit all season.
Goncalo Guedes, another Mendes client, was signed in the summer and then loaned to Benfica in January. Ruben Neves is expected to leave this summer and Pedro Neto has been linked with clubs recently too.
Their entire strategy seems built around giving Mendes an opportunity to shift clients and it isn’t sustainable or viable for a Premier League club.
