What your Premier League club needs before the start of the season

With the Premier League season starting early due to a winter World Cup, there are 15 points to be won in August which further incentivises getting business done early.

Things are rarely that simple in the transfer market though, and it is inevitable that some deals will drag on towards transfer deadline day on August 31.

With clubs returning from pre-season tours across from all corners of the globe, business could start to accelerate before the season kicks off with Crystal Palace vs Arsenal on August 5. 

There have already been some blue-chip moves, with Gabriel Jesus, Raheem Sterling, Richarlison, Darwin Nunez and Erling Haaland starting the season at new clubs. 

Our reporters assess each Premier League club's most urgent priority. 

By Sam Dean

Not for the first time in recent years, outgoings have proven to be more complicated than incomings for Arsenal. Technical director Edu has struck deals for four players this summer, including £45m striker Gabriel Jesus and £30m midfielder Fabio Vieira, and Oleksandr Zinchenko will soon follow from Manchester City.

It has been less straightforward when it comes to finding buyers for fringe players. The likes of Bernd Leno, Alex Runarsson, Hector Bellerin, Pablo Mari, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Lucas Torreira and Nicolas Pepe all remain at the club despite not featuring prominently in Mikel Arteta’s plans.

Arteta will not want these players hanging around this season, and Arsenal will almost certainly need to raise money through sales if they are to strengthen further. They are keen on signing another wide forward, for example, but will that be possible without meaningful sales?

By Sam Dean

Gary Cahill has left the club, as has Nathaniel Phillips, who spent the second half of last