Premier League Transfer Needs: Each Team’s Wishlist and Key Targets

At long last, the seemingly endless football season is primarily concluded. We can now shift our focus to what many consider the true essence of the sport: player transfers. Winning the Premier League often feels merely like a means to acquire even more expensive and flashy talent. For teams experiencing a thrilling climb up the table or a deep run in domestic cups, success can unfortunately also turn them into targets for larger clubs seeking their key players.

Of course, the strategic importance of player trading is undeniable. It significantly impacts a team`s fortunes, as seen with Liverpool`s substantial signings before their dominant title win. Conversely, questions arise about whether heavy spending always translates to visible improvement, such as when Brighton invested more than any other European club last summer.

One constant is the global appetite for transfer news. Hope is a potent force, and few things generate more excitement than speculating on the potential impact of a new signing, even one from a lower-tier league. So, if transfer content is what you seek, prepare for a comprehensive look at the needs of all 20 Premier League teams. And no skipping the lower-ranked clubs – your browsing habits will betray you.

1. Arsenal — Attacking Flair

Broadly speaking, things are looking good for Arsenal. They could potentially compete for the title next season largely with their existing squad, perhaps with the addition of a player like Martin Zubimendi. Mikel Arteta`s defense and game control system are effective. Now, the focus is on boosting their chances of finishing first by making difficult, high-impact attacking signings – players who can genuinely raise the team`s ceiling.

They likely need reinforcements both at center forward and on the left wing. While Kai Havertz and Gabriel Martinelli are good players, they aren`t consistently considered among the world`s top five in their positions. Acquiring top-tier attackers is challenging and costly, and potential targets for the number nine role, such as Viktor Gyokeres or Benjamin Sesko, come with no guarantees of success.

2. Aston Villa — Retaining January Signings

Missing out on the Champions League could mean Monchi and the Aston Villa hierarchy are closer to Profitability and Sustainability Rules limits than desired. This is unfortunate, given the positive impact of their high-profile January loan additions. Retaining a player like Marcus Rashford permanently, on a salary comparable to his Manchester United wages, might be beyond Villa`s means, despite his excellent non-penalty expected goals and assists rate after joining the club. Marco Asensio might be a more attainable target, while youngster Zepiqueno Redmond represents a longer-term prospect arriving from Feyenoord.

3. Bournemouth — Replacing Departed Stars

Bournemouth could face a challenging summer. Dean Huijsen already requires replacing, and Milos Kerkez is likely to follow. As the transfer window opens, speculation already surrounds the futures of Antoine Semenyo and Ilia Zarbanyi. The club invested around $80 million in these four players collectively, much of which was recouped when Huijsen moved to Real Madrid. This shows their market savvy, but ideally, they wouldn`t need to work so hard just to restore the talent level they had at the end of the previous season.

4. Brentford — Midfield Control

Thomas Frank once again tailored his team`s approach effectively last season, capitalizing on the strengths of Bryan Mbeumo, Yoane Wissa, and Kevin Schade (a player to watch in future seasons) through a style emphasizing long balls and wide attacks. Mikkel Damsgaard also showed flashes of brilliance. However, this tactical setup seemed partly designed not just to utilize specific players but also to compensate for a midfield that wasn`t as dominant as it had been in previous years, indicating a need for central reinforcement.

5. Brighton — A Quiet Summer

It`s possible to identify weaknesses in the current Brighton squad. They were overly reliant on Danny Welbeck for goals, their defense conceded worrying chances, and it`s not entirely clear Fabian Hurzeler maximized the potential of his players. However, given the significant turnover in coaching staff and players over recent years, a degree of turbulence is understandable. While defensive reinforcements with fresh, young players would be beneficial, arguably nothing would have a more significant positive impact at the Amex Stadium than a summer and autumn free from coaching changes or protracted transfer sagas.

6. Burnley — Attacking Reinforcements

The three newly promoted teams from last season`s Championship collectively scored only 95 goals in their 114 games. While a prolific attack doesn`t guarantee Premier League survival, it certainly improves the odds. This is relevant because Burnley had only the 10th best expected goals (xG) tally in the Championship last season, achieving promotion largely due to an excellent defense and the exceptional performance of James Trafford. Only one of their players averaged over 0.3 non-penalty xG per 90 minutes, and no one created more than two chances per game. This attacking output needs to change drastically.

7. Chelsea — An Experienced Defender

The $1.3 billion plan under Clearlake Capital is broadly on track. Chelsea secured access to the lucrative Champions League spots on the final day and comfortably won the Conference League, a competition they were favored to win. Enzo Maresca will hope the squad developed a winning habit in that competition, as their focus over the next two to three years should be clear: closing the gap to the Premier League`s top three and ensuring their young squad reaches its peak years with a taste for success.

While their primary strategy may involve nurturing world football`s most promising young talents, there should be room for exceptions, particularly in defense where experienced leadership can be invaluable. Chelsea are in the market for a center-back to manage the workload of players like Wesley Fofana. Why not make this signing a veteran who can also guide the development of others? Consider the significant impact Thiago Silva had during his four years at the club. Could a player like Mats Hummels or perhaps John Stones fill a similar role?

8. Crystal Palace — Squad Depth

Following their impressive form in the latter half of the 2024-25 season, perhaps the optimal strategy for Crystal Palace is to keep Oliver Glasner`s starting XI intact. Their struggles early in the season without key players highlighted the importance of stability. If the Eagles can ward off interest from bigger clubs this summer, they have a chance to make a significant impact in either the Europa League or the Premier League. To excel in both competitions, however, requires considerable depth, especially to provide cover for players like Daniel Munoz and Tyrick Mitchell, who would face a demanding schedule adding Thursday night European football to their heavy domestic minutes.

9. Everton — Numerous Players

On a positive note, David Moyes has a largely blank slate as he begins his first full season in his second spell at Everton. As many as 11 players could leave this summer through free transfers or loan expirations. While new owners The Friedkin Group must tackle the club`s financial issues, funds should finally be available to strengthen the squad.

After Moyes` appointment, Everton`s expected goals (xG) metric began to trend upwards, placing them 12th in the division at approximately 1.3 per game. A right winger capable of beating defenders and delivering crosses would help increase their xG. Beyond creating chances, conversion is key. This suggests a need to move on from Dominic Calvert-Lewin, whose sample size indicates he is likely to remain a finisher who underperforms his xG. A new striker capable of rivalling and ideally surpassing Beto, who is perhaps still too raw for a 27-year-old, is required.

10. Fulham — A Quality Striker

Despite Marco Silva`s focus on packing the pitch with attackers, he managed to build a reasonably effective defense for Fulham last season. Ultimately, what was missing during a campaign that briefly offered hope of European qualification was players who could make a decisive difference in the final third. This was a team adept at getting into dangerous areas, ranking sixth for touches in the final third, but only 12th for touches inside the opposition box. While Raul Jimenez and Rodrigo Muniz have contributed in recent years, if Fulham aspire to break into the top half of the table, a higher-quality forward is needed to serve as a reliable focal point for the attack.

11. Leeds — Goalkeeping Upgrade

Towards the end of last season, what had long been apparent to most outside Elland Road finally hit Daniel Farke: Illan Meslier`s shot-stopping abilities were simply not sufficient, regardless of his skills with the ball at his feet. While goalkeeper statistics can be influenced by small sample sizes, Opta`s post-shot xG data indicates Meslier has conceded 34.6 more goals than expected during his time at Leeds. No club can sustain conceding six or seven extra goals a year more than they should. Caoimhin Kelleher seemed like a perfect fit for Leeds, but Brentford also saw his value. Aaron Ramsdale had a solid season even as Southampton were relegated, while Nick Pope could become available if Newcastle find the goalkeeper they`ve been seeking. Installing a reliable goalkeeper would significantly boost Leeds` chances of survival.

12. Liverpool — A Defensive Midfield Anchor

Liverpool`s situation is becoming complex due to the rapid pace of Michael Edwards` transfer activity. Jeremie Frimpong has arrived, and Milos Kerkez and Florian Wirtz are potentially following. Acquiring this much talent requires careful integration, a particular challenge given that Liverpool appear to be signing two full-backs whose primary strengths lie in attacking the final third.

Balancing this attacking emphasis might fall to last season`s double pivot of Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch, but both players profile more as effective ball progressors than defensive winners. They are not poor at winning the ball, but if Liverpool needs an option for games where they don`t dominate possession, an upgrade on Wataru Endo in the holding midfield role would be beneficial.

13. Manchester City — Florian Wirtz

Ah, this presents a slight dilemma. If you needed to replace Kevin De Bruyne, widely regarded as the Premier League`s premier playmaker of the last decade, the obvious target would be the player already established as the standout playmaker for the next decade. And if you are a club with the highest revenues in football as of the end of the 2023-24 season, could you perhaps justify a significant investment, even overspending, on that one truly indispensable acquisition?

Comparison: Wirtz and Cherki Last Season

Instead, it appears likely that City will target Rayan Cherki, certainly a more reasonably priced option, even if the speculated $25.7 million release clause is reported to be inaccurate. Perhaps the difference in quality between the Lyon player and Wirtz isn`t worth an additional $100 million-plus. After all, they delivered similar combined expected goals and assists last season, although Ligue 1 might be an easier league to accumulate attacking statistics. However, given the financial resources available to Manchester City, is it truly necessary to shy away from pursuing the absolute best player available?

14. Manchester United — Strikers with Favorable Underlying Stats

Manchester United has correctly identified that a team scoring fewer Premier League goals over the past two seasons requires forward reinforcements. Given Jim Ratcliffe`s comments about their analytics department, this acknowledgment is notable. However, there are concerns that their recruitment process might be overly focused solely on past goal output rather than underlying metrics.

Players like Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo are arguably upgrades on what they currently have, but anyone expecting a repeat of their combined 35 Premier League goals last season should consider their respective expected goals (xG) of 12.28 (Mbeumo) and 8.65 (Cunha). These two players were among the top xG overperformers in Europe`s top five leagues last season, a feat typically achieved only by elite players like Lionel Messi or peak Heung-min Son. Given United`s recent recruitment record, it wouldn`t be surprising to see them target players like Patrik Schick or Chris Wood. Can Manchester United defy expectations? Perhaps by attempting to revive Tammy Abraham`s career, securing Nicolas Jackson from Chelsea, or bringing Alvaro Morata back to the Premier League.

15. Newcastle — A Star Right Winger

With due respect to Jacob Murphy, whose assist tally was impressive last season, the most obvious position for an upgrade in the attacking third for Newcastle is a right winger capable of consistently contributing close to 20 goals and assists per season. Bryan Mbeumo seemed like a particularly tempting option in this regard, but he appears bound for Manchester United. They have also been linked with Francisco Trincao, a potentially effective, though more purely creative, alternative.

16. Nottingham Forest — A Left Back

Much like Crystal Palace, there isn`t a significant amount of tinkering required for Nottingham Forest`s starting XI. A realistic assessment suggests Chris Wood is unlikely to challenge for the Golden Boot next season, but between him and Taiwo Awoniyi, they should provide adequate central forward play. The left-back position was also just `adequate` last season, largely filled by Neco Williams playing out of position for the majority of minutes. This makes finding a dedicated left-back a more pressing priority for the club.

17. Sunderland — As Much Talent As Possible

This youthful Sunderland squad is arguably in the Premier League slightly ahead of schedule; a young team with underlying metrics more indicative of a playoff contender is unlikely to survive in the top flight without substantial investment. This challenge is amplified if key players like Jobe Bellingham depart for leagues such as the Bundesliga. While it can be disheartening to see clubs seemingly use Premier League revenue primarily to fund a future promotion push, in Sunderland`s case, it might make strategic sense to use the available resources to acquire the best young talent they can find, strengthening the squad for the immediate challenge.

18. Tottenham — Improved Midfielders

Tottenham`s midfield situation is relatively straightforward. Regardless of who is in charge, the club might as well approach their midfield as a complete blank slate this summer. Their more experienced players offered little impact last season, while promising prospects like Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray (who performed well enough at center-back to earn minutes further forward) are versatile enough to complement any new midfield additions.

19. West Ham — Another Striker for the Lottery

Signing a striker for West Ham has often felt like entering a lottery, with success far from guaranteed. Their highest Premier League era goalscorer is out of contract, and there`s uncertainty surrounding Michail Antonio`s form after his accident late last year. Recent forward acquisitions or loans like Niclas Füllkrug and Evan Ferguson didn`t impress. Last season, Jarrod Bowen and Tomas Soucek seemed to be the only players consistently finding the net, and the goal-scoring situation may not improve significantly in 2025-26, particularly given the financial pressures facing the club.

20. Wolves — A New Left Flank

Once again, Wolves will begin a season having lost key contributors. Matheus Cunha has departed for Manchester United, and Rayan Ait Nouri is likely heading north to Manchester City. This creates a significant void, particularly on the left side of the pitch, where the manager will need reliable Premier League performers. With over $100 million potentially generated from these transfers, there should be funds available for spending under the new leadership. Replacing Pablo Sarabia and adding depth in defense are also necessary. It`s reported that Wolves are leaning on agent Jorge Mendes again; despite questions about the close ties between the club and Gestifute, this relationship previously brought high-quality players like Joao Moutinho, Ruben Neves, Diogo Jota, and Raul Jimenez to Molineux. This is the kind of talent injection the club requires once more.