There’s one month left of the summer transfer window and the Premier League‘s top order — for the most part — have been extremely busy reshaping their squads in preparation for the 2026-27 campaign.
Let’s run a fine-tooth comb over the business they have completed so far and assess the different approaches at play. Is your club splashing the cash or are they holding firm on valuations? Are they preparing for a formation switch, or swapping players like-for-like?
Here’s the thinking behind the summer’s actions so far.
Jump to:
Arsenal | Aston Villa | Chelsea | Liverpool
Man City | Man United | Newcastle | Tottenham
0:50
Why Vinícius Jr. is linked with a move to Arsenal
Strategy: Don’t overpay for transfer targets
Arsenal have stuck rigidly to their valuations on players so far this summer, resulting in an overall lack of business going in or out.
Piero Hincapié‘s loan has rightly been made permanent, but otherwise, all they’ve done is swap out Leandro Trossard (31) for Christos Tzolis (24) as a depth forward, getting younger and more spritely in that position.
But there are other areas of the squad that need addressing, and so far, the Gunners have simply refused to pay the transfer fees they have been quoted for the players they want. Morgan Rogers, Ezri Konsa, Bruno Guimarães and Bradley Barcola are, or have all been, on Arsenal’s wishlist, but Rogers went to Chelsea, and there’s been little progress on the latter three so far.
In the age of exorbitant fees, you cannot criticise a club for drawing a firm line in terms of what they’re willing to pay and refusing to cross it. But as the clock ticks on the transfer window, it will be interesting to see if the approach changes.
1:18
Why Alejandro Garnacho’s Aston Villa move starts as a loan
Strategy: One out, one in; try to find like-for-like replacements
It’s been a tumultuous summer for Aston Villa, who are set to be down at least four regular starters from last season’s XI due to transfers and injury. Rogers (to Chelsea) and Youri Tielemans (to Manchester United) have gone, left-back Lucas Digne is set to join Paris Saint-Germain and central midfielder Amadou Onana tore his ACL at the 2026 World Cup.
The mammoth £117 million transfer fee Chelsea paid for Rogers has alleviated the financial pressures imposed on Villa following a UEFA settlement agreement that limits the losses they are allowed to make, but it has not given them complete freedom to operate in the market. Instead, they are basically operating on a one out, one in basis — clearly, there’s a list of players to turn to each time a departure arises.
World Cup star Johan Manzambi is Rogers’ replacement. The Switzerland international offers some similar traits in how he dribbles and carries the ball, pokes passes through the lines and runs in open space. Central midfielder João Gomes, who arrived from Wolverhampton Wanderers, is an underrated passer who will go some way towards replacing Tielemans, and what he may lack in terms of creative pedigree, he makes up for with mobility and aggressiveness.
Chelsea’s Alejandro Garnacho has replaced Jadon Sancho as a wing option, capable of stretching the pitch. He adds a dimension no one else in the squad offers. The primary target to replace Digne at left back is AC Milan‘s Pervis Estúpiñan, who Unai Emery worked with at Villarreal from 2020-2022.
There will be more departures before summer’s end and, in turn, those players will be replaced, seemingly one by one.
1:13
Does Welbeck to Chelsea make sense?
Strategy: A statement signing for Alonso, prepare to play a back-three
Like Villa, Chelsea are operating under the watchful eye of UEFA as they too are in a financial settlement agreement that limits the losses they can make. But unlike Villa, they’re spending liberally — in fact, they spent £117 million on Villa’s best attacker, Rogers — likely because they are confident they can make hundreds of millions from player exits to balance the books.
That Rogers signing felt like a massive statement. Allying that with the high-profile appointment of Spanish coach Xabi Alonso as manager, we can safely say that Chelsea consider their 10th-placed finish last season a shambles and are working aggressively to correct that.
The other signings, though, are less star-powered and more carefully considered. Marco Palestra was an outstanding wingback in Serie A last season, while Maxence Lacroix has excelled as the central center back for Crystal Palace these last two years. Are Chelsea trying to give themselves the flexibility to switch to a back three on command? We’re yet to see that system early in preseason, but it was a favourite of Alonso’s during his unbeaten, title-winning campaign with Bayer Leverkusen in 2023-24.
1:20
Nicol has ‘doubts’ over Liverpool’s move for PSG’s Barcola
Strategy: Prioritise players’ speed and energy
Liverpool have signed just one player so far this summer in Víctor Muñoz. A speedy, energetic winger who never seems to stop moving, he embodies new manager Andoni Iraola’s tactical philosophy perfectly.
But the Reds need much more if they’re going to compete for the Premier League title this season, and they need it fast. Muñoz is the start of an incomings list that needs to be five or six long by summer’s end.
They’re now set to bid for Paris Saint-Germain’s Bradley Barcola, who like Muñoz, is absolutely rapid and willing to put in the hard yards when pressing and tracking. This makeover of the front line Iraola is attempting isn’t exactly subtle.
Taking that theme, we can expect any other signings Liverpool make — be it in center midfield, right back or even center back — to have a certain intensity and athleticism to them. That’s standard procedure for the Premier League these days, but Iraola will push those traits to the maximum, knowing they’re crucial to his high-octane style of play.
1:56
Ogden: Rodri’s transfer to Real Madrid will happen
Strategy: React to departures — in the dugout, and on the pitch
There’s been plenty of change at Manchester City over the past 18 months, but losing longtime manager Pep Guardiola, midfielder Bernardo Silva and defender John Stones — and potentially 2024 Ballon d’Or winner Rodri on top — would be devastating. Few would envy the job City director of football Hugo Viana faced this summer, which is to keep the waters calm at a club being hit by a tidal wave of key departures.
In order to do that, it appears as though Viana has attempted to hold true to the old saying “the more things change, the more they stay the same.” Guardiola’s replacement was Enzo Maresca, who used to be an assistant to Pep at City and preaches the same playing style principles. City’s major midfield signing was Nottingham Forest‘s Elliot Anderson for £116 million, who boasts the sort of stature and all-round game that could easily see him replace Rodri long-term.
City are also pursuing a deal for Morocco‘s World Cup breakout star Ayyoub Bouaddi, who looks like a future elite center midfielder. On paper at least, a combination of Anderson and Bouaddi has immense potential.
Viana and City are responding to huge changes in their ecosystem but trying to change as little as possible. In Maresca they achieve continuity in playing style, in Anderson they’ve booked the best possible Rodri successor, and there’s room to give the new manager a signing or two of his choice in the remaining weeks of the window.
1:31
Robson: Rashford return to Manchester United would be ‘difficult’
Strategy: Stay out of the bidding wars, wait for dominoes to fall
When Mateus Fernandes (£85 million) and Sandro Tonali (£92.5 million) joined Tottenham Hotspur early in the window for mega fees, it started to look like a very bad summer to desperately need two, if not three, central midfielders — which was clearly the case at United.
Early deals tend to set the market rates for other transfers. United will rightly have been concerned that those two moves would force them to spend circa £200 million on three midfielders later down the line.
Admirably, they found a way to add quality players at an affordable fee. A £48 million deal for Chelsea’s Andrey Santos was mutually beneficial, as the Blues need the revenue to balance the books; while activating Tielemans’ £35 million release clause at Villa was, frankly, a masterstroke.
Sorting two midfielders for less than £100 million gives them flexibility not only to go a bit bigger for a third one, but also wait for the right market opportunity. As a hypothetical example, if Real Madrid sign Rodri from City, would a player like Eduardo Camavinga become expendable? If so, keeping some powder dry to pursue that potentially game-changing deal would be huge.
They have also been forced to play the waiting game in other areas of the squad, as the unexpected return of forward Marcus Rashford from loan has affected their squad composition. If he stays, there’s little need to splash on another winger, and it may also have an effect on where young wideman Patrick Dorgu gets his minutes — left back, or left wing? — which in turn affects recruitment plans in defence.
1:41
Ogden: Newcastle ‘on brink of crisis’ following Eddie Howe departure
Strategy: Sign players even younger to avoid bidding wars
Last summer was extremely painful for Newcastle United. They not only became embroiled in a destabilising transfer saga for star striker Alexander Isak‘s departure, but also missed out on a series of chief transfer targets to replace him. Hugo Ekitiké, João Pedro, Benjamin Sesko (and others) chose other destinations, forcing the Magpies into Plan C, D and beyond.
This summer started disturbingly similarly too: Star players Anthony Gordon and Sandro Tonali left; then a fee was agreed for Spain winger Víctor Muñoz but he joined Liverpool instead, then the same happened with Johan Manzambi and Aston Villa. A sense of déjà vu was creeping in.
So Newcastle’s pivot has been to speed up their evaluation process and take the plunge on talented young players earlier than they would have before.
Consider the nature of their three signings so far: Bazoumana Touré (20) has just one full season in the Bundesliga under his belt; Ewen Jaouen (20) has never made a top-flight appearance; and Aladji Bamba (19) made just 10 league starts for Monaco before being plucked.
The Magpies are backing their talent ID and moving for players at a much earlier point than before; there’s more risk attached, as the sample sizes you’re assessing the players on is much smaller, but the upside is it avoids potential bidding wars and painful gazumpings.
Of course, best laid plans can still go awry. Manager Eddie Howe’s shock departure from the club on Thursday brought Newcastle’s entire process into question once again.
1:07
Laurens: Tonali picked Tottenham because of De Zerbi
Strategy: Make a splash, give Roberto De Zerbi the keys
These days, the vast majority of top clubs employ directors to oversee teams of scouts and analysts, all working together to sign players. The manager (or head coach) is consulted during this process, but typically does not lead it, and sometimes does not have the final say.
Tottenham were one of those clubs … until this summer. They abandoned plans to give technical director Johan Lange more help at front-office level, and instead leaned much more heavily on manager Roberto De Zerbi to lead on signings.
The result was an epic early flurry in the market, making six signings, several of which were for big fees. £52 million for Brighton’s Jan Paul van Hecke, £85 million for West Ham’s Fernandes, £92.5 million rising to £100 million for Newcastle’s Tonali … all players De Zerbi headhunted, all secured no matter the cost.
De Zerbi is a demanding, prickly character. It’s often his way or the highway, and there is no doubt he has been given the keys to this transfer window in order to satisfy his ambitious plans. Time will tell if that is a smart move from the club, but there should be confidence that Spurs won’t be lingering just above the relegation zone for a third season running.
