The World Cup is over and the wait for the domestic game to return is now underway.
The EFL re-starts on Friday, August 14 and the Premier League a week later when champions Arsenal host newly promoted Coventry.
Between now and then there is bound to be frantic transfer activity as clubs attempt to bolster their squads before the big kick-off.
Here, we identify one signing that each club should make in the summer window.
ARSENAL
With Morgan Rogers seemingly heading for Chelsea, sporting director Andrea Berta will have to train his focus elsewhere. The sale of Leandro Trossard now appears slightly misjudged and the Gunners will surely be in the market for a winger. Nico Williams endured an injury-interrupted season with Athletic Bilbao in 2025/26 but showed his quality off the bench in the World Cup final. Has a release clause of around £80million which would not be a problem. If he can stay fit, the 24-year-old would be tailor-made for the Premier League.
Target: Nico Williams
ASTON VILLA
It is another busy summer at Villa Park as the club try to move forward while complying with financial regulations. Rogers’ departure is a blow, albeit one softened slightly by the arrivals of Joao Gomes and Johan Manzambi. Villa are reportedly willing to let Ollie Watkins go but that would leave them desperately short of striking options. Nicolas Jackson would be the ideal replacement. The 25-year-old Senegal international needs to feel loved after two largely underwhelming seasons at Chelsea and Bayern Munich and, if he does, he could help fire Villa to a top-four finish.
Target: Nicolas Jackson
BOURNEMOUTH
The Cherries need defenders following the departures of Marcos Senesi and Alex Jimenez. Aaron Wan-Bissaka is not the kind of up-and-coming player Bournemouth normally target but he would be a very solid, relatively low-cost option from relegated West Ham.
Target: Aaron Wan-Bissaka
BRENTFORD
Brentford have made a couple of eye-catching moves this summer, but only because they have a different profile from the kind of player they usual go for. Bringing in Jaidon Anthony from Burnley was a surprise move but not as shocking as signing 34-year-old Callum Wilson from West Ham. Cologne winger Said El Mala was linked earlier in the summer and his signing would be a real coup with Borussia Dortmund also interested.
Target: Said El Mala
BRIGHTON
Brighton’s famed algorithm reportedly led to them agreeing terms with El Mala in April, although they are said to have disagreed with Cologne over his value and the 19-year-old Germany youth winger has joined pre-season training with the Bundesliga club. Albion will perhaps look to add more experience following the departures of James Milner, Joel Veltman, Solly March and coach Andrew Crofts, with John Stones a dream signing for fans but likely too much of a coup right now. Finding a forward as prolific and classy as Danny Welbeck looks as urgent as ever with a potentially long European campaign expanding the schedule. The answer could come from within the squad, with Georginio Rutter a work in progress in the Premier League and prospects Charalampos Kostoulas and Stefanos Tzimas hoping to prove themselves.
Target: Said El Mala
CHELSEA
Chelsea’s endless spending shows no sign of slowing down with Rogers set to join Marco Palestra and Geovany Quenda at Stamford Bridge this summer. Chelsea were also interested in Granit Xhaka before Sunderland ruled out any chance of their captain leaving Wearside. With Chelsea’s owners promising to bring in ‘Premier League-ready’ players this summer, new boss Xabi Alonso would love some older heads. England international Stones would be a perfect fit in a defence that often creaked last season.
Target: John Stones
COVENTRY CITY
Coventry must recruit heavily and recruit well. The formula on how to stay in the Premier League following promotion was outlined by Sunderland and Leeds last season with both clubs surviving with ease. An obvious position they need to recruit in is goalkeeper with the on-loan Carl Rushworth returning to parent club Brighton after playing a key role in their Championship title success. Reports suggest the 25-year-old is desperate to rejoin the Sky Blues and this seems a no-brainer for boss Frank Lampard.
Target: Carl Rushworth
CRYSTAL PALACE
Palace have had some high-profile departures in recent years – Michael Olise and Eberechi Eze, for example – and it seems Maxence Lacroix could well join them with Chelsea sniffing round the France international. If Lacroix does leave Selhurst Park then Palace will need a commanding central defender to fill the void. Chelsea have reportedly made Trevoh Chalobah available for transfer. The former Palace loanee would be an ideal fit.
Target: Trevoh Chalobah
EVERTON
Everton are a classic David Moyes team; honest, workmanlike but lacking in star quality. Jack Grealish brought it in the first half of last season before injury struck. A permanent deal to bring Grealish back to the Hill Dickinson Stadium is a possibility but Everton may be better looking at his Manchester City team-mate Savinho. Blessed with more pace, the Brazilian would immediately bolster Everton’s attacking options, albeit he wouldn’t come cheap.
Target: Savinho
FULHAM
One of the most intriguing appointments of the summer was Alvaro Arbeloa’s at Fulham. The former Spain international did not have the most successful spell in charge of Real Madrid last season but was not helped by a dressing room riddled with cliques and in-fighting. Arbeloa is reportedly eager to bring one of Madrid’s starlets with him to Craven Cottage and Gonzalo Garcia would be a shrewd acquisition to replace Raul Jimenez who has rejoined Wolves.
Target: Gonzalo Garcia
HULL CITY
Hull are an even more exaggerated version of Coventry. They need a better quality of player in multiple positions although their spending power is likely to be restricted by financial regulations. Free agents and loan moves could be the order of the day and one eye-catching name that has been mentioned is Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Renato Sanches, whose career is in need of rebuilding after he burst on to the scene as a teenager.
Target: Renato Sanches
IPSWICH TOWN
Ipswich recruited heavily the last time they were promoted but targeted top-end Championship players in a policy that ultimately failed. The pursuit of centre-half Issa Diop from Fulham suggests they may have learned their lesson but the Morocco centre-half will need to be accompanied by several more experienced Premier League players if they are to survive. New boss Gary O’Neill could do worse than to return to his old club Wolves and snap up Brazil international midfielder Andre, even though he has recently signed a new deal at Molineux.
Target: Andre
LEEDS UNITED
Leeds have already signed Harry Wilson and Bosnia and Herzegovina defender Tarik Muharemovic this summer as they look to build on their encouraging return to the top flight last season. The departures of Illan Meslier and Karl Darlow mean they require a goalkeeper. Lucas Perri was hit and miss in his first year at Elland Road and boss Daniel Farke must decide whether to place his faith in the 28-year-old or dip into the market. James Trafford endured a frustrating season at Manchester City last year and could be tempted to make the short move across the M62.
Target: James Trafford
LIVERPOOL
Liverpool will hope the arrival of Andoni Iraola will spark an upturn in fortunes following the exit of Arne Slot. Iraola inherits a strong squad but one that needs tweaking. Left-wing has repeatedly been flagged as a position that requires strengthening but with Cody Gakpo, Hugo Ekitike and Florian Wirtz all capable of playing there – not to mention burgeoning talent Rio Ngumoha – there seems little need to invest. Liverpool were often overrun in midfield last season and it may be Iraola returns to his former club Bournemouth in a bid to sign Alex Scott, who has turned down a new contract with the Cherries.
Target: Alex Scott
MANCHESTER CITY
City continue to spend while the football world awaits the verdict from an independent commission into allegations the club breached multiple financial rules. Elliot Anderson is the latest big-money arrival, joining from Nottingham Forest for £116m. It’s hard to pick any holes in the City squad but, if there is one area of possible weakness, it is at centre-half with John Stones and Nathan Ake both leaving. City like to sign young players and bring them on which is why Crystal Palace’s Jaydee Canvot, 19, would be the perfect project.
Target: Jaydee Canvot
MANCHESTER UNITED
United have been active since the window opened, bringing in midfielders Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans. Their squad has a nice balance to it, although they are still lacking at right-back with Diego Dalot their only senior option. United could do a lot worse than try to prise Ben White from Arsenal, although William Saliba’s back injury could complicate matters.
Target: Ben White
NEWCASTLE UNITED
After the departures of Anthony Gordon and Sandro Tonali, it is imperative Newcastle keep hold of captain Bruno Guimaraes. If the Brazilian leaves for Arsenal then it will open up a huge hole in midfield. A new transfer model that targets younger players has been implemented this summer but Newcastle still need some experience in the middle of the park. He may not be a flashy option but Christian Norgaard was one of the better holding midfielders in the Premier League while at Brentford. Given his limited playing time at Arsenal, he would likely relish a move to the North East.
Target: Christian Norgaard
NOTTINGHAM FOREST
Having lost Anderson to City, Forest are in need of a strong central midfielder to plug the gap. Liverpool’s Curtis Jones could be the ideal replacement. The 25-year-old was expected to join Inter Milan but a disagreement over the fee has seen the move thrown into doubt. Forest could, and should, step in. Jones has a similar profile to Anderson and would also give Forest money to play with.
Target: Curtis Jones
SUNDERLAND
One of the stories of last season was Sunderland’s remarkable seventh-placed finish just a year after promotion via the play-offs. The challenge now is to build on that success and cope with the additional fixtures thrown up by playing in the Europa League. Sunderland are known to be looking for a left-footed right winger and one name is consistently mentioned: Amad Diallo. The Ivory Coast star had a hugely successful loan spell on Wearside in the 2022/23 season and remains a popular figure at the Stadium of Light. He won’t come cheap with Manchester United eager to retain Diallo but his signing would be a real statement of intent.
Target: Amad Diallo
TOTTENHAM
Spurs have been the most active team in the window so far as they look to improve on two successive 17th-placed finishes. They appear certain to better that record next season under Roberto De Zerbi, who has already signed the likes of Andy Robertson, Marcos Senesi, Tonali and Mateus Fernandes. The squad still requires a reliable goalscorer, though, and Bournemouth’s Eli Kroupi Jr has been mentioned as a potential target. The gifted 20-year-old was hugely impressive at the Vitality Stadium last season and would form a major piece of the De Zerbi jigsaw.
Target: Eli Kroupi Jr
