Premier League 2026/27: One key position each big team must address

The 2026/27 Premier League season is about to commence, with all teams in the top flight looking to strengthen their squads in the summer transfer window.

While some may need wholesale changes, some sides just need a few signings to be ready for the new campaign. With the transfer market becoming highly inflated, even big clubs are finding it difficult to find reinforcements. 

Here, we look at the eight biggest Premier League sides and the one position each of them needs reinforcements in ahead of the 2026/27 season.

Arsenal — Left-winger

The reigning Premier League champions are looking to improve their squad from a position of strength. Going into the new season, Arsenal have a couple of key injuries in midfield and defence. However, they do have quality squad players in both those areas.

That said, with Leandro Trossard having left and Gabriel Martinelli no longer considered a first-choice option by manager Mikel Arteta, the Gunners are definitely in need of a quality left-winger.

There has been recent speculation around Real Madrid’s Vinícius Júnior, with Arsenal prepared to meet his exorbitant wage demands. However, recent news coming from Spain indicates that Real Madrid aren’t willing to part ways with their talismanic Brazilian, who has a huge fan in new manager José Mourinho.

Having lost out on Morgan Rogers, who has moved to Chelsea, there aren’t many top-quality winger options in the market, and if Arsenal fail to land Vinícius, they could be in a pickle come the start of next season.

Aston Villa — Central midfielder

Aston Villa had a fine season last time around as they won the Europa League and qualified for the Champions League. This summer, they have been at the centre of tremendous transfer activity.

The Villans have sold Morgan Rogers, Youri Tielemans, and Donyell Malen, while bringing in Alejandro Garnacho, João Gomes, and Johan Manzambi so far. However, they still lack a central midfielder who can provide the kind of line-breaking passes Tielemans is known for.

Manager Unai Emery will be well aware of the taxing schedule that awaits his team this term, with Champions League football to deal with as well. Having lost key creative players, his squad is in dire need of a physical presence in midfield, someone who can also contribute in attack. Last season, Villa struggled and conceded goals consistently, with injuries somewhat derailing their campaign towards the end. However, they managed to ensure Champions League qualification in part due to inconsistent performances from other competing sides.

Villa needed players in wide areas, and the addition of Manzambi and Garnacho could solve that issue. Their main concern now remains in the centre of the park. They need someone who can help both in attack and defence. If they want to step up and be counted as league title contenders, then Villa will need to bring in an elite central midfielder, possessing pace, great technical skills, and top defensive attributes.

Chelsea — Goalkeeper

Chelsea ended last season in a dismal tenth place, out of European spots yet again. For a club of their stature, this was another underwhelming season, leaving them trying to course-correct with some important signings.

This summer, the Blues have already signed Morgan Rogers, Marco Palestra, and Geovany Quenda thus far and are in contact with Jordan Henderson, Danny Welbeck, and Maxence Lacroix to add leadership and experience while bolstering squad depth. They are also pushing for a midfielder in Alex Scott as well as a left-back, with Marc Cucurella moving to Real Madrid.

Given their issues at the back last season, an experienced centre-back was also a priority, so they have brought in Lacroix from Crystal Palace. However, they are also in need of a world-class ball-playing goalkeeper. Robert Sánchez has been their first-choice option between the sticks, but he simply isn’t good enough: he is prone to frequent errors, not good enough on the ball, and overall highly inconsistent.

Although he improved last season, Chelsea do not have the luxury of affording Sánchez any more chances. If new boss Xabi Alonso opts for a back-three formation at Stamford Bridge, an elite goalkeeper will become even more of a necessity for the 2016/17 Premier League champions.

Manchester City — Right-back

Manchester City have failed to win the Premier League for two consecutive seasons now, and after the departure of the legendary Pep Guardiola, their job has only become that much harder.

That said, the Cityzens still possess one of the best squads in the league; with a top-quality first XI and a high-quality bench, they’ll still start the season as contenders for the league title. However, recent news suggests that one of their most important players, Rodri, could leave for Real Madrid this season. With experienced operators like Bernardo Silva and John Stones having also left this summer, while Manuel Akanji effectively departed last year, City need control in midfield.

While they do have González, Tijjani Reijnders, and have bought the highly rated Elliott Anderson for a record £116 million, they are still looking to add a defensive midfielder and are interested in bringing in young Ayoub Bouaddi from Lille to the Etihad.

However, one can argue that it’s out wide where their needs are more pressing. The right-back position is one they have not addressed since last season. Rico Lewis and Matheus Nunes played in that position last term, and even Abdukodir Khusanov had to deputise when there were injuries, but none of them provide the kind of quality required of an out-and-out full-back. This is one area City have overlooked so far, one where they need genuine quality if they want to make a successful push for the league title this time around.

Manchester United FC — Defensive midfielder

Manchester United made massive strides last season, securing a top-three finish as well as a spot in this season’s Champions League. The appointment of Michael Carrick has worked wonders for the Red Devils thus far, but this season is going to be tougher with a more demanding schedule.

United made some top signings in Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha, and Benjamin Sesko last summer to bolster their attack. However, they failed to sign a defensive midfielder, and it showed. They were far easier to bypass through the middle, and even though Bruno Fernandes had an exceptional season in attack, in Casemiro’s absence — and even with him in the team — it was evident that United needed more control deep in midfield.

United were looking to add Carlos Baleba to their squad last season but they weren’t willing to pay Brighton’s exorbitant asking price. Although they have a young Kobbie Mainoo who could fill in, considering the number of games they will play, they need a more permanent solution. As per reports, they are still pushing for Baleba and may get their man this summer.

Liverpool FC — Right-winger

Liverpool sustained an abysmal campaign last year after winning the title the season before. Although they made some really good signings in Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz, and Milos Kerkez, they sold a lot of players as well and didn’t bolster their squad depth, which cost them as injuries piled up throughout the season.

The Reds have several key positions to address this season, but none more important than the right wing that has been vacated by arguably the best winger in Premier League history: Mohamed Salah. They were earlier linked with Yan Diomandé of RB Leipzig, but the deal didn’t go through. They have also entered negotiations with Paris Saint-Germain for Bradley Barcola, who can play on either flank, though he is predominantly a left-winger. They have also signed Víctor Muñoz from Osasuna; the 23-year-old Spaniard is another versatile winger, but not predominantly a right-sided operator.

Of course, it’s challenging to replace someone as elite as Salah, and with the market being so inflated and scarce with high-quality options, Liverpool may struggle to find that right-wing signing they so badly need, having to rely on the versatility of the wingers at their disposal.

Tottenham Hotspur — Striker

Tottenham Hotspur have struggled massively over the past two seasons, barely avoiding relegation both times. Hence, it was imperative for them to make transformative signings this summer.

And they’ve done just that, having secured most of their targets before and during the World Cup, strengthening their midfield with Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes while also bringing in defensive reinforcements in Andrew Robertson, Jan Paul van Hecke, and Marcos Senesi.

The Lilywhites have all but fixed their midfield and defence issues, though centre-forward is the one position they still need to address. Currently, they have Dominic Solanke and Richarlison in their squad, but Solanke has proven to be injury-prone, while Richarlison hasn’t been consistent enough.

Finding a high-quality finisher will be a massive challenge for Spurs, as there is a serious dearth of elite forwards in the market right now: most of them are either too expensive or simply untouchable from their club’s perspective. Hence, Spurs need to be shrewd and rely on their scouts to find them a potential world-class talent for a reasonable fee, someone who could provide the goals to win them games.

Newcastle United — Central midfielder

The Magpies played in the Champions League last season but ended their Premier League campaign in dismal fashion, finishing outside the top ten. Newcastle have been rattled by losing not only key players like Anthony Gordon and Sandro Tonali, with Bruno Guimarães possibly following him out of Tyneside as well, but also their head coach, Eddie Howe.

Newcastle’s style of play under Howe depended on their midfield controlling the opposition with physicality, reclaiming the ball and starting counterattacks. Although they have added some young players in Bouzamana Touré, Sean Steur, Ewen Jaouen, and Aladji Bamba to bolster their squad depth, they need quality starting players as well to compete in the league. If Guimarães leaves, Newcastle will need to find not only a high-quality midfielder, but also an experienced player who could instantly become a part of the leadership group as well. 

Additionally, with German coach Matthias Jaissle in advanced talks for the head coach position, Newcastle may have to wait for him to come in and provide recommendations for the kind of player profiles he would like in his system. The clock is ticking for them, with the league kicking off on August 22, and if last year’s League Cup winners do not want a repeat performance of the previous season, they need to act soon and get a replacement for their imminently outgoing captain.