Premier League Transfer Needs: Where Every Club Must Strengthen Before Deadline Day - Part Two
Ben McAleer
The Community Shield takes place on Sunday. The Premier League curtain-raiser will see Arsenal and Manchester City lock horns in Cardiff. The clash signals the start of the domestic campaign.
Premier League Transfer Needs: Where Every Club Must Strengthen Before Deadline Day - Part One
With that, it brings us slightly closer to deadline day. The transfer window closes at 11pm on September 1st. And before then, we take a look at what Hull through to Tottenham still needs to do in part two of this series.
Hull - A striker
Hull have been busy in the summer transfer window, as they recently confirmed the signings of centre-backs Lucas Herrington and Nobel Mendy. Having strengthened at one end of the pitch, they still must bolster at the other. Oliver McBurnie impressed in England’s second tier last term, netting 18 goals as the Tigers returned to the Premier League. A striker to ease the burden on the Scot is key. It’s why they remain interested in Swansea’s Zan Vipotnik. The Slovenian struck 23 times in England’s second tier last term.
Ipswich - Midfield quality
Likewise, promoted Ipswich have been hastily adding to the squad this summer. Issa Diop, Sasa Lukic and Florentino Luis bring Premier League experience to Portman Road. However, Gary O’Neill’s side are keen on making one top-quality addition to the Tractor Boys ranks. Bayer Leverkusen star Exequiel Palacios remains high on the wishlist amidst reports Ipswich have seen a £20m bid rebuffed for the Argentine. He’d be a ceiling-raising addition to the squad and then some.
Leeds - Centre-back depth
Leeds have already brought in one new centre-back this summer as Tarik Muharemovic completed his big money switch to Elland Road. However, the Bosnian clearance-machine joined as a replacement for Pascal Struijk, who swapped Yorkshire for the south coast. Daniel Farke is keen to bring in an experienced head at the back, with Nico Elvedi a standout candidate. Personal terms won’t be an issue for the Switzerland international, who is expected to move to Leeds before long.
Liverpool - A right winger
Mohamed Salah confirmed his plans to leave Liverpool at the end of the season back in March. He played his final game in May. And yet, a week before the start of the new campaign, Liverpool are yet to replace the Egyptian. Victor Munoz has joined from Osasuna. Bradley Barcola remains a top target. Both, though, are better from the left. The Reds need a right winger sooner rather than later. Ibrahim Mbaye is the ideal candidate. The teenager has the directness to shine for Andoni Iraola’s side. The Senegal international could yet be part of a PSG double raid.
Manchester City - A Rodri replacement
Rodri was the star of the 2026 World Cup. The midfielder dictated the tempo as Spain went the distance in North America. The former Atletico Madrid man won the Golden Ball as a result. However, Rodri is set to leave Manchester City and return to Spain, with Barcelona a likely destination. Despite bolstering in the middle of the park through Elliot Anderson, and with Ayyoub Bouaddi expected to sign before long, City need another midfielder through the door. Enzo Fernandez is the standout candidate, even if he is a slightly different profile to Rodri. City needs to act quickly, though. Chelsea have set a 5pm deadline on Friday for interested parties to match their £120m asking price.
Manchester United - Left-back cover and competition
Central midfield was the priority position for Manchester United this summer. While they missed out on top targets Mateus Fernandes and Elliot Anderson, Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans still strengthen the squad. Michael Carrick needs to look at left-backs now in order to compete on multiple fronts. Lewis Hall is the dream acquisition, but RB Leipzig’s David Raum would provide the creative spark required from left-back. Luring him away from Germany would be easier said than done, however.
Newcastle - A Bruno Guimaraes replacement
It’s been a summer to forget for Newcastle. Anthony Gordon, Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes have left. Eddie Howe departed. New head coach Matthias Jaissle has his work cut out. And while Sean Steur and Aladji Bamba are impressive signings for the future, they need a here-and-now replacement for captain Guimaraes. Whatever money they received from Guimaraes’ sale, they should throw it at VfB Stuttgart to sign Angelo Stiller. The German isn’t quite the ‘engine room’ midfielder in the same mould as the Brazilian, but he’s a tempo-setter that’ll aid Jaissle in his debut campaign.
Nottingham Forest - A Elliot Anderson replacement
A number of teams need to replace key midfield men, and Nottingham Forest are no exception. Elliot Anderson departed for Manchester City last month. The Tricky Trees commanded a nine-figure sum for the England international. Xaver Schlager has joined on a free, but Oliver Glasner will want another top-quality midfield addition. One-time target Tijjani Reijnders is out of the question. As such, they could do worse than return to Tottenham and bid more for Lucas Bergvall. Spurs want to keep the Swede, but with a lack of regular gametime on offer, Forest would be wise to test the waters again for the youngster.
Sunderland - Left-back cover
Dennis Cirkin has left Sunderland, and while Trai Hume is a handy option for Regis Le Bris, Reinildo is the Black Cats’ only specialist left-back option. Bringing in another player as cover for Reinildo is key, especially ahead of a European campaign. Dayann Methalie remains a player of interest to Sunderland, though Toulouse are playing hard ball over the promising 20-year-old. Cough up the fee, however, and the youngster will complete a move to the Stadium of Light.
Tottenham - Attack
Having prioritised defence and midfield earlier in the window, Tottenham still need to add bodies in the final third. Given the raft of summer exits, it’s surely only a matter of time before Spurs bolster in attack. Savinho is a long-term target for the north London side, and he’s expected to sign on in the coming weeks. Additionally, Cody Gakpo is a target for Roberto De Zerbi’s men. The Dutchman brings both Premier League experience and versatility. However, if Spurs are serious about an immediate return to Europe, then they should go all guns blazing for Galatasaray star Victor Osimhen.
