Arsenal require a central midfielder after Declan Rice played 4,456 minutes last season, showing fatigue during the World Cup. Christian Nørgaard struggled for game time under Mikel Arteta, leaving Rice with little rest. An extra midfield option could prove crucial to Arsenal retaining their crown.
Aston Villa: Left-Back
Aston Villa finished in the top seven for four consecutive years and won the Europa League last season. They need more depth to establish themselves among the Premier League's elite permanently, but may lose Lucas Digne to Paris Saint-Germain. Ian Maatsen cannot play every week during a Champions League campaign, hence Villa's interest in signing Pervis Estupiñán from Milan.
Bournemouth: Right-Back
Adam Smith is a Bournemouth legend with over 400 appearances but is 35. Max Aarons and Julián Araujo were signed to replace him but have not worked out, and Álex Jiménez has gone on loan to Fiorentina. Marco Rose needs a statement signing at right-back so Smith can finally rest.
Brentford: Left-Back
Brentford have addressed their biggest weaknesses but could upgrade at left-back. Rico Henry has struggled for fitness and form since a horrific injury three years ago, making four errors leading to shots last season – the joint most of any Brentford player. Reinforcing the left flank would free up Keane Lewis-Potter to play further forward.
Brighton: Central Midfielder
Brighton have planned for James Milner's retirement and Pascal Gross's ageing legs. Only six midfielders over 34 played in the Premier League last season, two of them for Brighton. They are thin in the middle, with Carlos Baleba linked to a move and Yasin Ayari impressing at the World Cup. Nobody scored more goals from outside the penalty area at the tournament than Ayari.
Chelsea: Goalkeeper
Chelsea have spent over £200m this summer – £117m on Morgan Rogers – but still have several problem positions. They need a centre-back, central midfield depth, and a left winger, but a goalkeeper is most urgent. Robert Sánchez ranks second in the Premier League for errors leading to shots (17) and errors leading to goals (seven) since joining in August 2023. Of the worst 10 culprits in both metrics, Sánchez has made the fewest appearances and played the fewest minutes. Mike Penders, 20, is one for the future. Xabi Alonso does not want to start his tenure worrying about his first-choice goalkeeper.
Coventry: Goalkeeper
Coventry return to the Premier League after 25 years with unknowns, including how Haji Wright and Ellis Simms will lead the line. But the biggest unknown is who will be in goal, as they lack a first-choice keeper. They want to make Carl Rushworth's loan permanent but cannot agree a fee with Brighton. Only Bristol City's Radek Vitek (+8.5) prevented more goals with saves in the Championship last season than Rushworth (+8.2). Without him, there is a big hole to fill.
Crystal Palace: Centre-Back
Pierre Sage used a back three in all of Lens's league games last season, so Crystal Palace will likely continue the 3-4-2-1 formation that served them under Oliver Glasner. They need more depth at centre-back. After losing Marc Guéhi to Manchester City in January, their Premier League win rate dropped from 35% with the England international starting to 22.2% without him. Jaydee Canvot is an adequate replacement, but Palace are short on numbers. If Maxence Lacroix also leaves, their need becomes starker.
Everton: Right-Back
Séamus Coleman's 17-year stay at Everton has ended, and Nathan Patterson is expected to depart, leaving Jake O'Brien as their only recognised right-back. However, Everton fans consider the hulking Republic of Ireland international not dynamic or technical enough to be a full-back. James Garner has also filled in. It has been a problem position for a while.
Fulham: Centre-Forward
Fulham need more goalscorers. Raúl Jiménez (nine) and Harry Wilson (10) accounted for 19 of their 43 Premier League goals (excluding own goals) last season, and both have left on free transfers. No one else scored more than four league goals. More will be expected from Rodrigo Muniz (one goal), Samuel Chukwueze (three), and Kevin (one), but Fulham need greater attacking depth. New manager Álvaro Arbeloa is keen to sign Gonzalo García from Real Madrid, but Fulham need at least two fresh faces.
Hull: Wide Forward
Hull City desperately need quality in attack. Oli McBurnie has the physicality to lead the line but needs players to run off him. Hull have sold Kyle Joseph to Middlesbrough and not re-signed Joe Gelhardt after his loan, leaving them light in attack.
Ipswich: Striker
Most promoted sides lack precision in both boxes. By signing Issa Diop, Ipswich have secured a proven defender to play alongside Dara O'Shea. But they need more firepower up front. George Hirst has reached double figures for goals only twice, and the £24m signing Emersonn has never scored more than six league goals in a single campaign (though he is 22). Daizen Maeda is a much-needed addition from Celtic.
Leeds: Goalkeeper
Leeds signed Lucas Perri from Lyon last summer for £15.6m to solve a problem position. He didn't. Karl Darlow, originally backup to Illan Meslier in 2023, ended up playing more league games last season but then left on a free transfer to Manchester United. Leeds also let Meslier's contract expire. Their remaining goalkeepers are Perri, who underwhelmed, and 33-year-old Alex Cairns, whose most recent competitive appearance was for Salford in 2023-24. They need another keeper.
Liverpool: Right-Winger
Mohamed Salah's final season at Liverpool was his most underwhelming, but he still had a hand in 22 goals across all competitions. Salah is one of the greatest players in Liverpool's history and close to irreplaceable, but his output last season is not irreplaceable. A dynamic wide attacker who provides goals and creativity – such as Bradley Barcola – is on the agenda, and Andoni Iraola has a good track record developing such players.
Manchester City: Winger
Enzo Maresca has addressed one hole by signing Elliot Anderson, but he could use another option on the flanks for more attacking variety. At the end of last season, City lacked strength in depth on the wing. Antoine Semenyo struggled during the run-in, and City had no quality replacement on the bench. Savinho regressed in his second season, starting only seven league games and scoring one goal. Phil Foden and Rayan Cherki are better in the middle.
Manchester United: Central Midfielder
Michael Carrick's central midfield options have been enhanced by Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans, but they need more. If we categorise Bruno Fernandes and Mason Mount as No 10s, Manchester United had only three senior central midfielders last season: Kobbie Mainoo, Casemiro, and Manuel Ugarte. Casemiro has joined Inter Miami, and Ugarte would have left had he not suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury at the World Cup that will keep him out for most of the season. United still need an athletic, ball-winning midfielder.
Newcastle: Full-Back
We could have picked a few positions for Newcastle but chose full-back as they need one for each flank or someone who can play both sides. Tino Livramento and Lewis Hall are two of the best full-backs in the Premier League, but they have injury problems, and Newcastle lack depth after Kieran Trippier, Emil Krafth, and Matt Targett departed. Dan Burn can fill in at left-back but that is not ideal; Leo Shahar is an unproven teenager at right-back; Alex Murphy can fill in at left-back but is more of a central defender.
Nottingham Forest: Centre-Back
Let's assume replacing Elliot Anderson is a given for Nottingham Forest. The other area they need reinforcements is centre-back. New coach Oliver Glasner swears by a back three; he lined up with three or five at the back in every game during his two seasons at Crystal Palace. Forest have several centre-backs – Nikola Milenkovic, Murillo, Morato, and Jair Cunha, plus prospects – but bringing in at least one more defender with experience of playing in a back three would not go amiss.
Tottenham: Winger
When Mohammed Kudus and Dejan Kulusevski are fit again, Tottenham will have good options on the right flank. However, they are not on the pre-season tour to New Zealand and Australia and may not be available for the start of the season. On the left, Spurs have only Mathys Tel and Wilson Odobert, neither reliable for consistent output. Between them, Tel and Odobert racked up just four goals and three assists in a combined 55 league appearances last season. Odobert is also recovering from a serious knee injury and will miss at least the first few months. That leaves Tottenham with almost no options out wide. They need at least one winger.
Sunderland: Creative Midfielder
After a very busy transfer market last summer and an extremely successful first season back in the top flight, Sunderland have been quieter this time. That is understandable, but with a first European campaign since 1973 coming up, they need more depth across the pitch. They could do with more creativity, having generated just 23.2 expected goals in open play in 38 league games last season – only relegated Burnley and Wolves fared worse.
This is an article by Opta Analyst.
