Though the World Cup is taking centre stage, the transfer window has been open since June 15, and big deals are steadily starting to be completed.
You can, of course, follow the comings and goings in The Athletic’s Transfer DealSheet each Tuesday.
With the World Cup being perhaps the greatest stage on which a player can prove their worth, we asked our writers to pick a signing for each Premier League club from those who are taking part in North America this summer.
Arsenal
Crysencio Summerville (Netherlands and West Ham)
The winger has been bright at the World Cup with the Netherlands, with two goals and an assist in his first two games.
The 24-year-old has impressed with his direct dribbling, two-footedness (his goal against Japan came on his weaker left) and willingness to get back and help defend, which would delight Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, in addition to his goal threat.
Despite starting on the right wing in the Netherlands’ opening two matches, Summerville played most of his football for West Ham on the left flank last term. He is a Premier League-proven one-on-one specialist with an eye for goal, and his World Cup displays should put him on the champions’ radar.
Nnamdi Onyeagwara
(Image Photo Agency/Getty Images)
Aston Villa
Christ Inao Oulai (Ivory Coast and Trabzonspor)
He would likely be pushing Villa’s budget, but Ivorian midfielder Christ Inao Oulai would be an exciting fit within Unai Emery’s structure.
Tireless and technically sound in tight areas with an ability to cover lots of ground at speed, the 20-year-old has all the materials to add youth and impetus to Villa’s midfield.
Getting him may require a sale, but if Villa hope to reconfigure central areas, he would surely be a very effective signing.
Jacob Tanswell
Brentford
Keito Nakamura (Japan and Reims)
One of the main reasons Brentford failed to qualify for Europe last season is a lack of depth up front. Igor Thiago was magnificent, but Kevin Schade had an underwhelming campaign. Reiss Nelson, who was supposed to provide backup out wide to Schade and Dango Ouattara, only played 118 minutes due to injury.
Nakamura has scored and provided an assist for Japan at this World Cup after a good domestic season in France. The 25-year-old scored 14 times, but Reims only finished sixth in the second division, just missing out on the promotion play-offs. In the 2024-25 campaign, where Reims were relegated, he scored 11 goals in the top flight. A winger who would be a valuable and versatile option for Brentford.
Jay Harris
(Visionhaus/Getty Images)
Bournemouth
Jhon Lucumi (Colombia and Bologna)
Bournemouth are well used to dealing with key players leaving, but they need to get replacing Marcos Senesi right.
Incoming head coach Marco Rose is sure to encourage a similarly aggressive style of play as predecessor Andoni Iraola, one that relies on athletic, switched-on centre-backs to follow runners into midfield and support the press.
Enjoying a quietly solid World Cup, Colombia’s Jhon Lucumi looks a similar profile of player to Senesi. He has spent four seasons at Italian side Bologna, helping them to qualify for the Champions League in 2023-24, and would arrive on the south coast in prime condition at 28 years of age. Lucumi also likes to move the ball forward with raking left-footed passes from defence, an approach that has brought Bournemouth plenty of joy in years gone by.
Tough-tackling and forward-thinking with his passing, Lucumi represents a safe bet.
Thom Harris
Brighton
Luka Vuskovic (Tottenham and Croatia)
A new centre-back is needed after Jan Paul van Hecke’s £52million ($68.6m) move to Tottenham. Why not get an ideal candidate for Brighton’s proven track record of improving young players… from Tottenham.
Two Brighton offers for the Croatian prospect have already been rejected at the time of writing, including an opening bid of £30million. At 19 years old, Vuskovic has bundles of potential, and he would get the game time he desires to progress his career.
Van Hecke had just turned 20 when he arrived from NAC Breda in 2020. Vuskovic is ahead of where the Dutchman was as a player then at a similar age, and he could have a higher ceiling.
Andy Naylor
Chelsea
Felix Nmecha (Germany and Borussia Dortmund)
Chelsea’s midfield will require significant remodelling if Enzo Fernandez joins Real Madrid this summer. The most glaring deficiency in the squad new manager Xabi Alonso will inherit is a lack of physicality across the pitch — particularly in midfield, where they were too easily overrun at times last season.
Nmecha, 25, has the profile to address that. He is a far better complement than Fernandez for Moises Caicedo’s roaming destroyer tendencies, and also has the technical ability to play at the heart of a possession side.
Liam Twomey
(Lars Baron/Getty Images)
Coventry
Nathan Saliba (Canada and Anderlecht)
Midfield is an area promoted Coventry will look to bolster this summer. A promising and dynamic central player, Saliba would surely relish the chance to learn under Frank Lampard in the Premier League.
The 22-year-old has room for improvement but has shown he can step up in big moments, scoring two goals in Canada’s first two games at the Concacaf Gold Cup last year.
With Ismael Kone now ruled out of the World Cup through injury, Saliba looks to be Jesse Marsch’s favoured replacement in the Canada midfield — a chance to step up and make a name for himself.
Tom Burrows
Crystal Palace
Joel Ordonez (Ecuador and Club Brugge)
Palace could do with another centre-back, especially if Chelsea step up and prise Maxence Lacroix away.
They had an offer for Ordonez rejected in last season’s winter transfer window, and he may be out of Palace’s price range by this point, but he would fit into their strategy — buying a younger talent who they could develop and then sell on.
But the 22-year-old would also be able to step up and make an immediate impact, adding quality and depth to the back line.
Matt Woosnam
Everton
Guela Doue (Ivory Coast and Strasbourg)
A new right-back is on Everton’s wishlist this summer, with captain Seamus Coleman having called time on his 17-year stint at the club and Scotland’s Nathan Patterson almost certain to depart, too.
Everton have scouted 23-year-old Doue, elder brother of Paris Saint-Germain forward Desire, extensively over the past 12 months. There is concern over a potentially prohibitive valuation, but he would offer an athletic, forward-thinking option in a position of real need.
A no-brainer… if a deal can be struck.
Patrick Boyland
Fulham
Alistair Johnston (Canada and Celtic)
Assertive, energetic and dependable, Johnston has played a crucial role in Canada’s impressive start to this World Cup. The Celtic right-back, 27, has shown no signs of trouble from the hamstring injury that sidelined him for six months last season, with his front-footed defending and willingness to support the attack catching the eye in the 6-0 win against Qatar.
The Athletic’s Canada writer Joshua Kloke describes Johnston as a “natural leader”. There are sexier names at the 2026 World Cup, but in a summer of upheaval at Fulham, he would be a shrewd, pragmatic signing to kick off the post-Marco Silva rebuild.
Justin Guthrie
(Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)
Hull
Josip Sutalo (Croatia and Ajax)
There isn’t a position in Hull’s squad that will not need strengthening over the coming weeks, but perhaps the greatest area for concern is the defence. The play-offs might have delivered three consecutive clean sheets, but the regular Championship season underlined frailties that have to be addressed as they return to the Premier League.
So why not aim high and go for a new defensive leader in Sutalo? The centre-back has a strong pedigree after coming up through the ranks of Dinamo Zagreb, a club he left as Hull’s now head coach Sergej Jakirovic was arriving to become their manager in 2023.
Three years at Ajax have not always delivered the happiest days, but Sutalo has racked up the caps with Croatia and started both their games to date at the World Cup. A physical figure and confident on the ball, the 26-year-old would add ballast to Hull’s back line.
Phil Buckingham
Ipswich
Zion Suzuki (Japan and Parma)
Goalkeeper Christian Walton essentially earned Ipswich’s promotion last season, replacing an injured Alex Palmer in October and keeping 16 clean sheets in 37 league games. But their interest in Newcastle’s Nick Pope — who started his career in the club’s youth side — suggests they still want a goalkeeper who has top-flight pedigree, with Palmer now a likely departure.
Strong under crosses, explosive across his line and capable of launching attacks with his feet, Suzuki, 23, represents a younger alternative to 34-year-old Pope — and has impressed at the World Cup. He made four saves in Japan’s opening 2-2 draw with the Netherlands, then kept a clean sheet in a 4-0 win against Tunisia, and again made some good stops in Thursday’s 1-1 Sweden stalemate.
Amelie Claydon
(Etsuo Hara/Getty Images)
Leeds
Takefusa Kubo (Japan and Real Sociedad)
Leeds have not been linked with the 25-year-old, but he looks like he would tick a lot of their boxes. Prior to agreeing a deal with Harry Wilson this week after his departure from Fulham, Leeds needed a left-footed creator who could cut in off the right flank. Kubo would have fit the bill.
Kubo, who is nursing an injury at the World Cup, combines industry with flair. He is 5ft 8in (172cm) and was nicknamed the ‘Japanese Messi’, having spent four years at Barcelona’s youth academy between 2011 and 2015. He also joined Real Madrid in 2019 but did not play a match, getting sent out on loan for three seasons before joining Real Sociedad in 2022.
Over his past four seasons with them in La Liga, culminating in a Copa del Rey triumph last term, his growth now shows he is ready for the next step. He might not be good enough to carry a Leeds attack, but he seems to have enough guile and work rate to be a realistic addition in the Premier League.
Beren Cross
Liverpool
Ayyoub Bouaddi (Morocco and Lille)
Let’s jump on the hype train, because everyone else is. And Liverpool do require a refresh in midfield.
Those who have followed Lille in recent years would have heard about Bouaddi long before this World Cup, as he’s been developing nicely as a breakout star in Ligue 1.
He’s still only 18 years old, but with 96 senior appearances for his club, has already shown his qualities in a tough first-team environment. It would be no surprise to see plenty of interest this summer, especially if Morocco go a long way at the tournament.
At 6ft 1in (185cm), Bouaddi stands tall as a defensive-minded midfielder who can break up play but also start attacks through clever build-up play, which is a skill Liverpool need.
Gregg Evans
Manchester City
Aleksandar Pavlovic (Germany and Bayern Munich)
Am I wrong in thinking this is quite tricky this time around? Most of the players doing especially well are either not realistically at City’s level long term, or are established, ungettable stars. Then there is the fact that City have already agreed a deal with Nottingham Forest for England midfielder Elliot Anderson…
I’ll suggest Pavlovic. The 22-year-old Bayern Munich and Germany midfielder has the right kind of athletic, passing criteria City like in the middle of the pitch, and they are looking for two new reinforcements this summer anyway.
Sam Lee
(Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)
Manchester United
Christ Inao Oulai (Ivory Coast and Trabzonspor)
Manchester United’s summer window will revolve around finding a successor to the departing Casemiro. Bouaddi’s excellent performance against Brazil got tongues wagging, but might I humbly suggest Ivory Coast midfielder Oulai instead?
The 20-year-old only made his national team debut last November, but he’s already become a stalwart in the midfield engine room. Oulai does everything required of a modern defensive midfielder, marrying athletic ground coverage with tough tackling and a passing range that belies his young age.
His press-resistant movement with the ball bears a similarity to Kobbie Mainoo’s many dribbles for United. Perhaps Ivorian colleague Amad can convince him of Manchester’s cultural qualities in the dressing room?
Carl Anka
Newcastle
Matias Fernandez-Pardo (Belgium and Lille)
Victor Munoz. Apologies, Newcastle fans. Too soon? Probably… But I thought a bit of gallows humour was necessary.
What would really lift the mood on Tyneside would be if they actually could conclude a deal for a first XI player, and while England’s backup goalkeeper James Trafford would be the easy answer here, I’m going to go for Fernandez-Pardo.
The 21-year-old Lille forward is exactly the type of attacker Newcastle require following the sale of Anthony Gordon.
Realistically, with Lille in next season’s Champions League and Newcastle failing to qualify for Europe, a deal would be difficult to pull off. But it would provide a massive boost and be a real statement of intent were they to push hard for someone like the Belgian, who scored eight goals and provided five assists in Ligue 1 last term.
Chris Waugh
Nottingham Forest
Wilfried Singo (Ivory Coast and Galatasaray)
Ola Aina has become far too comfortable at right-back for Forest, and Singo could provide him with the genuine competition he has not had.
Singo is a highly athletic player, similar to Aina in excelling at defending, is capable of playing in the middle of defence as well as at right back, and was integral to Galatasaray’s two 1-0 wins over Liverpool in the Champions League last season.
The 25-year-old grabbed an assist in Ivory Coast’s 1-0 victory against Ecuador but went off in tears towards the end of his nation’s defeat to Germany on Thursday. If fit later this summer, he may prove an expensive addition with his contract running until 2030.
George Edwards
(Michael Miller/Getty Images)
Sunderland
Alex Freeman (United States and Villarreal)
Opinions differ on priorities, but right-back is a focus area for a team looking to bring more attacking threat in their second year back in the Premier League. Trai Hume lacks pace and has increasingly been deployed further upfield, and it is unclear if a permanent deal will be struck for last season’s RB Leipzig loanee Lutsharel Geertruida.
Freeman only joined Villarreal from Orlando City of MLS in January, for a fee potentially reaching $7million, and they’ll play in the Champions League again in 2026-27. Sunderland signed several players from Champions League clubs last summer, but the American’s recent move and his value rising further through this World Cup make it unlikely he will soon rock up on Wearside.
Yet, in the hypothetical, he has the attributes to fit nicely if he did. Just 21, Freeman has shown himself as one of the tournament’s brightest youngsters, albeit against some limited opposition.
He is unfinished, but is already displaying much and has a significant future upside, which is basically Sunderland’s stock in trade nowadays.
Chris Weatherspoon
Tottenham
Bradley Barcola (France and Paris Saint-Germain)
Spurs’ bullish behaviour early in the window has caught everybody a bit by surprise. After years of moving cautiously, they have thrown their weight around and already confirmed the signings of Marcos Senesi, Jan Paul van Hecke and Andy Robertson.
But what this squad desperately needs is more firepower up front. The Athletic has previously reported they are interested in Manchester City winger Savinho and Eintracht Frankfurt’s Jean-Matteo Bahoya, but they should plot an ambitious move to sign Barcola, who came off the bench in France’s opening game to score against Senegal.
Having not started any of PSG’s matches in the Champions League after the round of 16, the 23-year-old deserves to have the platform to express his undeniable talent for 90 minutes every week, and Tottenham would provide him with one.
For France and PSG, he is a member of the supporting cast; Spurs lack a true superstar, and he could change that. It would be a complicated and expensive move to pull off, but it would be a real statement of intent.
Jay Harris
