Sports
Summer transfer needs for all 20 Premier League teams
It’s never too early for clubs to be planning transfers. While the window might be closed, you can guarantee all 20 Premier League clubs are still working furiously behind the scenes to produce short lists, decide on targets and set their course for next season.
They won’t have all the answers yet — for many, those depend on relegation or European qualification — but what should they at least be thinking about? What do they already know needs addressing?
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Arsenal
NEED: Even more attacking juice
Arsenal spent £162 million to bring in Viktor Gyökeres, Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke last summer to boost their attacking corps, but there’s a strong argument to be made that they still need more. With Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus experiencing severe injury issues and the club lacking a top-shelf left wing threat, they should be in the market for a forward of some sort.
Aston Villa
NEED: Plan for potential major departures
Aston Villa are operating on a very strict budget due to a UEFA settlement, so any move they make must be carefully considered. They are also in a tricky spot, given that one or more key players could conceivably depart the club, which means replacements would be required. Earning Champions League football may eradicate the need to make any deals they don’t wish to, but if they fall short, the likes of forward Morgan Rogers and goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez will be eyed up by others. Villa need to know who they’ll target if this happens.
AFC Bournemouth
NEED: Figure out the center back situation
Bournemouth are facing all sorts of questions at center back for the second year running. The most important one revolves around Marcos Senesi, whose contract is set to expire this summer and has been linked with a series of top clubs, including Barcelona and Juventus. If the Argentina international left, would Veljko Milosavljević be ready to step up and start consistently? If not, the Cherries might need to sign two new defenders this summer (luckily, they’re very good at this).
Brighton & Hove Albion
NEED: A natural right back
Brighton may have drifted a bit this season, but when looking over their squad, there aren’t many issues to address from either a qualitative or quantitative perspective. One upgrade they could make is at right back, where they have plenty of options, but no specialist outside of Joël Veltman, whose contract expires at the end of the season. The Seagulls will also need to be ready and willing to sign a center midfielder if Carlos Baleba leaves the club.
Brentford
NEED: Carefully manage some departures
Brentford are in an incredible spot. The squad is good; they have a star striker in Igor Thiago (17 league goals), an excellent goalkeeper in Caoimhín Kelleher, and everything in between. If they finish in the European spots, they’ll need to add further to the ranks. If not, it might be time for some of the old guard — such as Ethan Pinnock and Rico Henry — to depart. Time will tell.
Burnley
NEED: Promotion players for next year
Likely doomed for relegation, Burnley’s eye should be on who can get them promoted from the second tier next season. They’ve got a looming issue in midfield, as Josh Cullen has torn his ACL, James Ward-Prowse has only replaced him on loan, and Florentino Luís may not wish to stick around.
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Chelsea
NEED: Some veteran, steadying presences
Chelsea‘s policy of investing heavily in young players brings some great benefits — but also some noted negatives. Chief among those is a lack of maturity and discipline running through the squad, which has resulted in a whopping seven red cards in the league this season (no other team has more than three). While it might break from policy, it could be time for Chelsea to consider adding a few adults to the room.
Crystal Palace
NEED: Where do you even start?
Major uncertainties surround Palace heading into the summer. We don’t know who will take over from Oliver Glasner as manager, and the squad look short in multiple areas. If they stick with a back-three system, they’re probably in need of a center back and a right wing back. Regardless of the shape, they’ll have to sign some new center midfielders, as both Daichi Kamada and Jefferson Lerma are out of contract, and Adam Wharton is sure to command interest from top clubs.
Everton
NEED: A truckload of full backs
Everton need to sign at least two, perhaps even three, full backs this coming summer. None of James Garner, Jarrad Branthwaite or Jake O’Brien are naturally full backs, yet they’ve all played there recently as David Moyes lacks options. The only consistently available first-team full-back is Vitaliy Mykolenko, whose contract expires this summer. There’s no doubt they’d love to sign winger Jack Grealish permanently, too — once his loan from Man City expires — but that all depends on the fee.
Fulham
NEED: Future-proof the forward line
Fulham tried (and failed) to sign USMNT and PSV Eindhoven striker Ricardo Pepi in January, which is an obvious hint as to what this summer’s priority might be. Raúl Jiménez’s contract is set to expire, as is midfielder Harry Wilson’s, while winger Samuel Chukwueze is only on loan (with an option to make the move permanent). This trio have scored 20 of the Whites’ 40 league goals; best figure out who stays, who goes and who needs to come in — and fast.
Leeds United
NEED: A new goalkeeper
Leeds got the vast majority of last summer’s recruitment right, but fumbled in one key area: between the posts. Lucas Perri, signed for €15 million from Lyon, struggled and lost his place to Karl Darlow, who has spent most of his career as a backup at this level. Expect the Whites to enter the market for a goalkeeper once again this summer.
Liverpool
NEED: Long-term solutions in defense
Jérémy Jacquet is on the way to Liverpool from Rennes for €60 million, and young Giovanni Leoni will recover from his ACL tear in time for next season, but there are still big questions hovering over this Liverpool defensive line. Center back Ibrahima Konaté‘s contract is set to expire, left back Andy Robertson nearly moved to Tottenham Hotspur in January, and all of their right backs appear to be injury prone. Big changes could be on the way.
Manchester City
NEED: A long-term solution at right back
Credit is due to Matheus Nunes, a midfielder who has converted into a solid right back. He has filled in admirably in the post-Kyle Walker era, taking up the mantle while City’s faith in academy product Rico Lewis has seemingly waned. But a club with City’s spending capacity should probably have a specialist to call upon, and it is the most obvious way to upgrade this XI over the summer.
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Manchester United
NEED: You guessed it! Central midfield
Center midfield has been an area of concern at United for well over a year now, and the need to sign a player for this position has only intensified since Casemiro announced he will leave the club this summer. This could get really expensive — the club have been repeatedly linked with Nottingham Forest‘s Elliott Anderson, Crystal Palace‘s Adam Wharton and Newcastle United‘s Bruno Guimarães, among others — but the United higher-ups can’t put it off any longer.
Newcastle United
NEED: Defensive reinforcements … and a striker?
Newcastle’s forward situation needs figuring out. Yoane Wissa, Nick Woltemade and Anthony Elanga cost a combined £167 million to sign last summer, but Eddie Howe has struggled to get them going. Do you give them another season, or spend again? Regardless of that call, the defensive line needs addressing. Of the center backs, only Malick Thiaw has been fit and available all season long, and the club badly need adequate cover for full backs Lewis Hall and Tino Livramento too.
Nottingham Forest
NEED: A manager and a consistent playing style
It’s hard to nail your recruitment when you go through four managers in one season — and those four managers all coach different playing styles. Forest have loads of players, several of which are excellent, and the thing they need the most is a consistent direction to travel in.
Sunderland
NEED: A forward and a left back
Newly promoted Sunderland have spent most of the campaign in the top half of the table, which is a miraculous achievement. This is a well built squad that, unlike last summer, does not need wholesale changes. If the Black Cats can spot a forward who can elevate this team, they should pounce. It’s also worth looking at cover for Reinildo at left back, who has missed time due to injury and suspension.
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Tottenham Hotspur
NEED: A progressive passing center midfielder
If Tottenham avoid relegation, they must take an axe to their midfield setup, which is chock full of runners and ball-winners — but curiously lacking in players who can pass the ball forward and through the lines. Many of their other issues will iron themselves out when key players return to fitness, but the midfield balance can only be fixed via the transfer market.
West Ham United
NEED: If they stay up, a defensive leader
West Ham are right on the precipice, but if they do manage to stave off relegation, they’ll need to add a defensive leader — likely a center back — to prevent the same desperate fight next season. Manager Nuno Espírito Santo loaned Axel Disasi from Chelsea in January to address this, but that’s only a short-term solution.
Wolves
NEED: Plan for the Championship
Wolves have shown immense spirit of late, with some fine results against bigger teams, but the smart move is still to plan for the Championship next season. They’ve already partaken in that by swapping out Jørgen Strand Larsen for Adam Armstrong in January and more moves of that ilk loom.
Lionel Messi drew high praise from President Donald Trump as the Argentine superstar and his Inter Miami team were honoured at the White House on Thursday for winning the MLS Cup last year.
The president said: “It’s my distinct privilege to say what no American president has ever had the chance to say before: ‘Welcome to the White House, Lionel Messi.'”
Trump went on to reveal the affection his 19-year-old son Barron has for Messi.
“My son said, ‘Dad, you know who’s going to be there today?’ I said, ‘No, I got a lot of things going on today,'” Trump said. “He said ‘Messi!’ He’s a big fan of yours. He thinks you’re just a great person. And I think you got to meet a little while ago. So he’s a big soccer fan, but he’s a tremendous fan of yours. And a gentleman named Ronaldo. Cristiano is great. You’re great.”
Cristiano Ronaldo, Messi’s longtime rival in European soccer, attended a White House event with Trump last year.
Regarding Messi’s impact on Inter Miami, Trump said: “This guy won. There was tremendous fanfare, and he won. Leo, you came in and won. It’s hard to do. … You came in and won with all that pressure.”
Wading into the area of soccer history, Trump said to Messi, “You may be better than Pele,” and he asked those in attendance, “Who’s better?”
Trump said of the Inter Miami squad: “What a group of people. We could have a lot of fun with these guys. You can imagine how they celebrate.”
The president singled out Rodrigo De Paul, an Argentine midfielder who scored the go-ahead goal in the Herons’ 3-1 win over the Vancouver Whitecaps in the MLS Cup final.
“Where the hell is Rodrigo?” Trump asked, causing De Paul to blush.
The president added: “Do you have any bad-looking players? I like the bad-looking players much better.”
Messi gave Trump a pink signed Inter Miami soccer ball, and club co-owner Jorge Mas and coach Javier Mascherano presented the president with a team jersey and a watch.
Mas said: “It’s our aspiration to continue breaking barriers and putting no limits, to making sure Major League Soccer and Inter Miami are considered among the elite in global football.”
LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board has demanded a public apology from a journalist over what it described as “agenda-driven fake news” targeting the character of Pakistan’s national cricketers.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the PCB strongly condemned the broadcast of unverified allegations against a Pakistan player, calling the report baseless and unacceptable.
PCB Warns of Legal Action
The cricket board said the reporter responsible for the news must issue a public apology immediately, warning that failure to do so could lead to strict legal action.
“Agenda-driven fake news targeting the character of our players is unacceptable and will not be tolerated,” the PCB said.
The board added that it would take all necessary steps to address what it termed malicious reporting if the apology is not issued promptly.
Controversy Over Report
The controversy began after a local media outlet aired a report alleging that a Pakistani cricketer had been involved in inappropriate behaviour at a hotel, claiming that staff had filed a complaint with team management.
The report also suggested that the player had violated the team’s code of conduct and was fined following a preliminary internal review.
Allegations Denied
However, the PCB dismissed the claims as false and misleading, stating that the news lacked verification.
A representative of the player, Mirza, also rejected the allegations in a social media statement and announced plans to pursue legal action against the media outlet.
He criticised the broadcast as “cheap journalism”, stressing that no media organisation should air unverified reports about national athletes.
The PCB reiterated its commitment to protecting the reputation and dignity of Pakistan’s cricketers against what it described as irresponsible reporting.
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Russell Wilson and Sean Payton spent just one NFL season together, but tension lingered after a rocky year.
And it appears the tension that built up from that tumultuous stretch continues to linger.
Wilson’s interview on the “Bussin’ With the Boys” podcast, recorded before last month’s Super Bowl between Seattle and New England, recently resurfaced.
In the interview, Wilson doubled down on his October comment labeling Payton “classless,” saying he felt slighted by his former coach’s remarks.
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Head coach Sean Payton of the Denver Broncos talks to quarterback Russell Wilson on the sideline during an NFL preseason football game against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium Aug. 11, 2023, in Glendale, Ariz. (Ryan Kang/Getty Images)
“[When] you’ve been on the same side or this and that, and I got the same amount of rings as you got, meaning Sean, right?” said Wilson, who won a Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks as Payton did coaching for the New Orleans Saints.
“I got a lot of respect for him as a play-caller, this and that, but to take a shot, I don’t like. I don’t think it’s necessary, you know, I mean, especially when I’m not even on your own team anymore. So, for me, there’s a point in time where you have to, I’ve realized, I’ve stayed quiet for so long. There’s a there’s a time and place where I’m not.
“I know who I am as a competitor, as a warrior, as a champion, too, and, you know, I’ve beaten Sean, too. You know, like we’ve been on the same place and the same thing. And so, it’s not a matter of disrespect. Just don’t disrespect me.”
Sean Payton and Russell Wilson of the Denver Broncos during an a game against the Minnesota Vikings at Empower Field at Mile High Nov. 19, 2023, in Denver, Colo. (Ryan Kang/Getty Images)
After a rocky one-year stint with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2024, Wilson joined the New York Giants last offseason. However, he was relegated to a backup role after just three games.
Rookie Jaxson Dart quickly showed promise once he had the chance to start, but his season was briefly derailed by injury. Jameis Winston — not Wilson — stepped in for Dart in a handful of games. Dart threw three touchdowns in a Week 7 matchup with the Broncos, nearly pulling off an upset in what was eventually a close loss.
After the game, Payton said Dart provided a “spark” to the Giants’ offense.
“I was talking to [Giants owner] John Mara not too long ago, and I said, ‘We were hoping that that change would have happened long after our game,'” Payton said.
The New York Giants’ Russell Wilson attempts to escape a sack by Dallas Cowboys defensive end James Houston (53) in the first half of a game Sept. 14, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Payton also said the Broncos would have faced less of a challenge had Wilson been under center.
“Classless … but not surprised,” Wilson responded in a social media post. “Didn’t realize you’re still bounty hunting 15+ years later though the media.”
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Despite last season’s struggles and chatter about his football future, Wilson does not appear ready to call it quits in 2026.
“I wanna play a few more years for sure,” he said. “I think, for me, I’ve always had the vision of getting to 40, at least. I think the game is different. Quarterbacks, we get hit. It’s not, you know, we get hit hard, but … there’s certain rules. I mean, back in the day when I started, bro, it was you just get [clobbered].
“I mean, so I feel like the game allows you to, you know, live a little longer, I guess. I feel healthy. I feel great. But I think, more than anything else is, do you love the game? Do you love studying? Do you love the passion for it all? Do you love the process? Do you love the practice? Do you love — everybody loves the winning part of it, but it’s process. There’s a journey that you got to be obsessed with. And that part I’m obsessed with.”
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