One Signing Every Premier League Club Must Make in Final Week of Transfer Window

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The summer transfer deadline is fast approaching, and Premier League clubs are running out of time to topple last year’s record collective spend.

The 2026–27 season is now underway, and the extent of the desperation with which clubs operate over the next week may well have been decided by their fortunes on the opening weekend.

While some have smugly entered a state of serenity, having completed the business they wanted done weeks ago, the majority will believe they’re either still chasing the final pieces of the jigsaw or drifting towards a state of panic.

The final few days of the transfer window are typically when rationality dissipates, and chaos sets in. A busy conclusion to the Premier League’s summer is expected, and here’s one signing all 20 clubs must make before the deadline to set themselves up for the season ahead.

Arsenal

Arsenal are chasing one star attacking signing. / Angel Martinez/Getty Images

Arsenal perhaps haven’t quite evolved as some may have suspected this summer, although supporters are thrilled with the addition of Bruno Guimarães and the early impact made by Leandro Trossard’s replacement, Christos Tzolis.

The Gunners came up short in their ambitious pursuit of Vinicius Junior, but they have another star in mind to add some firepower to a frontline that stuttered through much of 2025–26.

Julián Alvarez ’s Barcelona "dream" may stymie Arsenal’s pursuit of the Argentine. Still, the Premier League champions are poised to at least make a late push for the disgruntled striker, who was subject to great hostility by the Atléti faithful at the weekend.

Aston Villa

Nicolas Jackson could replace Ollie Watkins. / Emma Ottosen/ISI Photos/Getty Images

The Villans have the tough task of replacing a core largely responsible for producing the club’s most prosperous era in modern times.

A 4–0 defeat at Brighton & Hove Albion on the opening weekend highlighted the size of the task facing Unai Emery. Villa require at least one addition at the heart of their defense, and are poised to need a replacement for their Premier League record goalscorer, Ollie Watkins.

Watkins is determined to join Al Hilal before the deadline, and Villa have been pretty proactive in identifying potential replacements. Chelsea’s Nicolas Jackson is among the options to mitigate his exit. Jackson has two double-digit Premier League scoring seasons and served as Harry Kane’s backup on loan at Bayern Munich last term.

The Blues reportedly want $88.6 million for the Senegalese international, who has no interest in playing second fiddle in west London.

Jean-Philippe Mateta would arguably be the safer option, but the Villans have so far been rebuffed by Crystal Palace.

Bournemouth

Bournemouth have previously been linked with USMNT international Joe Scally. / Erin Chang/ISI Photos/Getty Images

Bournemouth are one of the very few clubs content with their summer business, and they’re unlikely to bring in anyone else after completing the loan signing of Michele Di Gregorio from Juventus.

The Cherries had been linked with USMNT international Joe Scally earlier in the window, but veteran right back Adam Smith remains serviceable, and they signed further depth at the position via Spaniard Juanlu Sánchez.

Brentford

Several clubs are after Mykhailo Mudryk. / May JAMES/AFP/Getty Images

Brentford were perhaps the standout performers on the Premier League’s opening weekend, bullying Tottenham Hotspur in a 3–0 victory that flattered the Lilywhites.

Club-record signing Mamadou Sangaré is the real deal, and the Bees certainly won’t be panicking during the final week of the summer window.

They’re one of several clubs that may explore a move for the suddenly eligible Mykhailo Mudryk , who’s set to depart Chelsea on loan before the deadline. The speedster would provide depth to an already lightning-quick forward line flanked by Kevin Schade and Dango Ouattara.

Brighton & Hove Albion

Lucas Bergvall is very Brighton. / Mark Leech/Offside/Getty Images

Brighton & Hove Albion must feel pretty comfortable with where they’re at, and their thumping victory over Villa will only encourage Seagulls supporters that the club can build on their 2025–26 campaign, which brought a Conference League berth.

Fabian Hürzeler’s roster could do with some extra depth, given the added demands of Thursday night action.

Tottenham Hotspur’s Lucas Bergvall just feels very Brighton. The Swede is mightily talented and unrefined, and Spurs have flirted with parting ways this summer amid Premier League interest. It’d take a sizeable fee that Brighton may not be willing to pay at this stage, but Yasin Ayari’s contract situation could force the club into the midfield market.

Chelsea

Chelsea may need to reconsider their goalkeeper position. / Richard Sellers/Sportsphoto/Allstar/Getty Images

Chelsea will dive deep into the midfield market if Enzo Fernández leaves the club, but the Argentine’s future depends on Manchester City and what they’re willing to offer.

So, we’ll assume Fernández stays put for the time being.

Instead, the Blues could finally target a Robert Sánchez usurper after the Spaniard started the new Premier League season with an all-too-familiar blunder. If Chelsea are to compete for the title, they’ll surely have to move on from their error-prone No. 1.

Emiliano Martínez isn’t exactly immune to the odd boneheaded moment, but he’s a high-quality goalkeeper boasting the character to slot seamlessly into a high-pressure environment. The Argentine is expected to leave Aston Villa before the deadline after the Villans captured Zion Suzuki from Parma.

Coventry City

Coventry are after more defensive cover. / Brendon Thorne/Getty Images

Coventry are among the clubs interested in striking a deal with Chelsea for Mudryk, but Frank Lampard is set to prioritize defensive cover over the next week.

And Lampard’s Chelsea connections could come in handy. Coventry should test the waters for the uber-talented Josh Acheampong , with the newly promoted side potentially exploring a loan deal for the versatile young Englishman.

Crystal Palace

The Eagles are in the market for at least one defender. / Valery HACHE/AFP/Getty Images

You fear for Crystal Palace, you really do.

Pierre Sage did a stellar job at Lens last season, but Palace’s new manager has huge shoes to fill, and the Eagles’ roster is bereft of several key cogs from Oliver Glasner’s FA Cup and Conference League-winning teams.

No matter what happens with Jean-Philippe Mateta, Palace need defenders. Maxence Lacroix’s departure to Chelsea hurt, and the perpetually injured Chadi Riad can’t be counted upon. Axel Disasi would be an astute addition, given how he performed for West Ham United during the second half of last season.

Monaco’s Christian Mawissa , though, could be Lacroix’s long-term replacement.

Everton

Daniel Muñoz could leave Palace. / James Gill/Danehouse/Getty Images

Everton have rather comically avoided signing a right back like the plague, and the Toffees remarkably still haven’t bolstered the position this summer.

The likeable Merlin Röhl got the starting gig at the weekend, but David Moyes knows the German isn’t a sustainable solution. The Everton boss said the club have “bid for a few” targets, but who exactly the Toffees could bring in remains unclear.

WhileDaniel Muñoz has almost exclusively starred as a wingback on English shores, reports suggesting that he could be on the move must intrigue the Merseysiders.

Fulham

Fulham had a bid rejected for Abdelhamid Aït Boudlal earlier this month. / Marcio Machado/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images

A Real Madrid-tinged Fulham are seemingly done with adding Castilla graduates to Álvaro Arbeloa’s roster, having signed Gonzalo García and César Palacios at the start of August.

Both were included in Arbeloa’s starting lineup for their opening game of the season against west London rivals Chelsea, with García scoring in the Cottagers’ 3–2 defeat.

While some have foreshadowed a steep post-Marco Silva decline, Fulham are unlikely to be hugely busy over the next week. However, one addition they could make is young Rennes defender Abdelhamid Aït Boudlal.

They could reignite their interest in the young Moroccan defender after having a $27.2 million bid rejected earlier this month. Fulham supporters are desperate for depth on the right-hand side of their defense.

Hull City

Hull are intent on adding more physicality to their forward line. / Ulrik Pedersen/NurPhoto/Getty Images

Hull City couldn’t have asked for a better start to their Premier League return, having been projected by the most pessimistic to rank among the competition’s worst-ever teams.

A 2–0 defeat of Manchester United showed off Sergej Jakirović’s tactical acumen, with the manager set to focus on ensuring his team is as tough to beat as possible, especially at home. This isn’t a particularly talented Hull roster, but they’ll be mean and nasty, keen to bloody the noses of the division’s aristocracy.

Thus, Jakirović is targeting greater physicality in attack to support Oli McBurnie. The 6'6" Union Berlin strikerIlyas Ansah could follow Mohamed Ali-Cho through the door.

The 21-year-old has a modest scoring record at senior level, it must be said—his last top-flight goal was before Christmas. Still, Ansah’s towering presence will aid a Tigers team that’ll aim to dominate in both boxes.

Ipswich Town

Exequiel Palacios would be quite the coup for the Tractor Boys. / Ulrik Pedersen/NurPhoto/Getty Images

Ipswich Town have primarily targeted rugged Premier League performers to stiffen Gary O’Neil’s side. However, the Tractor Boys could add some class to their midfield engine room before the deadline, with Bayer Leverkusen’s Exequiel Palacios linked with a move to Portman Road.

The 27-year-old would be quite the coup for the newly promoted team, even if Palacios struggled throughout his Leverkusen career to emerge as a lead protagonist. Injuries certainly played a role, and he missed 28 games for club and country last season due to various setbacks, including a nagging adductor issue.

Leeds United

Leeds are aiming to add depth to their creative department. / Andrew J. Clark/ISI Photos/Getty Images

Leeds United have conducted some excellent business this summer, with James Trafford and Tarik Muharemović set to make immediate impacts.

They‘re among the calm operators in the final week of the window, but another playmaker operating in support of Dominic Calvert-Lewin wouldn’t go amiss, even with Harry Wilson joining the club as a free agent.

After two excellent seasons at Viktoria Plzeň, Pavel Šulc enjoyed a productive debut campaign at Lyon, notching 14 goal contributions in 27 Ligue 1 appearances while donning their No. 10 shirt. His swift upward trajectory could continue with a Premier League switch, although ambitious second-tier outfit Wrexham are targeting the Czech international to boost their promotion chances.

Liverpool

Liverpool are trying to reach a compromise with Paris Saint-Germain. / Adam Davy/PA Images/Getty Images

Liverpool certainly have a structural midfield issue to fix, but the Reds aren’t in the market for a holding midfielder and are instead focusing on wide players before the deadline.

Andoni Iraola’s side signed Víctor Muñoz from Osasuna earlier in the window and are tasking young Rio Ngumoha with filling Mohamed Salah‘s void down the right-hand side at the start of the season. Yankuba Minteh has been identified as a priority target to replace the Egyptian king, but the signing all Liverpool supporters want is Paris Saint-Germain’s Bradley Barcola.

The two clubs have been locked in talks for weeks without reaching a compromise. PSG reportedly want as much as $175 million for the maverick French winger in a wild market.

The Barcola deal will also decide whether Cody Gakpo stays or goes. Spurs and even Manchester City are interested in the steady Dutchman.

Manchester City

Man City will try for Enzo Fernández. / Mike Hewitt/Getty Images

Like their cross-city rivals, Man City are embarking on a three-step midfield rebuild this summer. However, City’s appears slightly less well thought out and certainly more expensive than Man Utd’s.

It took a club-record fee to prise Elliot Anderson away from Nottingham Forest, and it’s costing them a fortune to sign Ayyoub Bouaddi from Lille.

With Nico González set to follow Tijjani Reijnders and Rodri out of the club, one more is expected to arrive before the deadline, and City are chasing Chelsea’s Enzo Fernández.

New manager Enzo Maresca converted the Argentine into an efficient box-crashing operator in West London, so there’s a feeling of guarantee surrounding the pantomime villain. However, these three additions would set City back a mammoth $439 million.

All while those 115 charges loom.

Manchester United

Man Utd are desperate for a leftback. / Alex Caparros/Getty Images

With Carlos Baleba completing their midfield rejuvenation, Man Utd have one last piece of business to conduct.

Instead of waiting until next summer to overhaul their defense, the Red Devils want to make a start now. Left back will surely be addressed before the deadline, and Barcelona’s Alejandro Balde has emerged as a leading target.

Balde was once heralded as Jordi Alba’s long-term successor in Catalonia, but the past couple of years have been tough for the young Spaniard. Balde has been out of the national team picture and simply hasn’t developed to the degree many thought he would.

That doesn’t mean he can’t rediscover the form that rendered him one of Europe’s premier left backs at the start of his Barcelona career. For the right price, this could be a brilliant signing for Man Utd with high upside.

Newcastle United

The Magpies are interested in Belgian international Matias Fernandez-Pardo. / Stu Forster/Getty Images

Nico González is likely to conclude Newcastle’s midfield rejig following the departures of Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimarães.

The club pivoted to Hoffenheim’s Bazoumana Touré in the wake of Anthony Gordon’s Barcelona switch, and there may be room for another attacking addition to reduce the burden on William Osula and Yoane Wissa.

The versatility of Lille’s Matias Fernandez-Pardo seemingly appeals to the Magpies, with the Belgian international capable of leading the line and playing out wide. The Ligue 1 club doesn’t want to sell just yet, so it’ll take quite the proposal from Newcastle to convince Lille to soften their stance.

Fernandez-Pardo signed from Gent two summers ago, and has recorded 23 goal contributions in 71 games for Les Dogues. RB Leipzig are also said to be interested.

Nottingham Forest

Forest need more invention down the right. / Image Photo Agency/Getty Images

The addition of brutish center forward Liam Delap from Chelsea isn’t a move Nottingham Forest ’must make’ at the start of Oliver Glasner’s project, even if they won’t be able to rely upon Chris Wood for much longer.

It was evident against Leeds United on the opening weekend that there’s an imbalance at wingback. There must be greater attacking impetus in wide areas, and assuming Neco Williams won’t lose his spot down the left, Forest require an alternate profile to Ola Aina, who should reinvent himself as a right-sided center back under the new manager.

Daniel Muñoz may be one to keep an eye on, even if Palace won’t fancy doing any business with Forest, and Fiorentina’s Dodô is an intriguing option. The experienced Brazilian defender is a technically proficient player with a steady attacking output throughout his senior career.

He’ll certainly contribute both ways and was one of the sharpest off the mark in Europe‘s top-seven leagues last season, according to DataMB.

Sunderland

Sunderland want to sign Sporting CP’s Geny Catamo. / FILIPE AMORIM/AFP/Getty Images

Sunderland were among the busiest Premier League clubs in the transfer window last season, having secured promotion via the playoffs.

However, they’re currently the lowest spenders in the top flight this time around, and had added just Thomas Meunier to their ranks before completing the signings of Dayann Méthalie and Jules Ahoka from Toulouse and Royal Antwerp, respectively.

Right wing is an obvious position of need, and Sporting CP’s Geny Catamo is the priority target to fill that void.

Tottenham Hotspur

Spurs should ditch their Premier League exclusive policy. / Carmen Mandato/FIFA/Getty Images

Spurs are hopeful of completing a double swoop for Manchester City duo Sávio and Omar Marmoush after the former’s $116 million arrival was sealed on Tuesday.

Marmoush is expected to follow, but the recklessly ambitious Lilywhites want another forward through the door before the deadline. Liverpool’s Cody Gakpo has been on Roberto De Zerbi’s agenda since the start of August.

However, Spurs may be better off ditching their Premier League-exclusive policy at the final hour. Gakpo doesn’t move the needle enough. Instead, RB Leipzig’s Antonio Nusa has the potential to boom in N17 after an impressive World Cup.

The Norwegian winger gets bums off seats, and would be electric in tandem with Sávio, another creative and proficient dribbler.