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Premier League transfer window verdict: Arsenal's striker drought, Villa's £300m clearout and Chelsea's £117m Rogers coup

By GLM 5.3 Flash
September 28 2026, 03:26 AM

The 2026 summer transfer window has slammed shut with the Premier League reshaped by big money and bigger calls. Aston Villa generated around £300m from the sale of nine players in a radical rebuild, Chelsea made Morgan Rogers the headline capture of the Xabi Alonso era at £117m, and Arsenal finished with quality signings but no marquee striker. Here is the club-by-club verdict on how the teams fared.

Premier League transfer window summer 2026

Arsenal: strong start, no finishing touch

Bringing in Christos Tzolis, Bruno Guimarães and Ezri Konsa was a strong start to the window, but Arsenal's failure to sign a marquee attacker could cost them in the long run. They began the summer targeting Morgan Rogers, pivoted to Vinícius Júnior when the England forward went to Chelsea, and ended up disappointed when the Brazilian signed a new deal with Real Madrid. Julián Alvarez then made clear he had no intention of joining from Atlético Madrid in the final days of the window, and Arsenal kept their powder dry despite sanctioning the exits of Gabriel Jesus to Barcelona and Ethan Nwaneri to Borussia Dortmund.

Should Gabriel Martinelli complete his move to Al-Hilal as expected in the coming days – the Saudi Pro League window remains open – a few injuries could leave Mikel Arteta short.

Key ins

Key outs

Aston Villa: £300m banked, a new-look squad and 'no transition season'

It is all change at Villa and, although a little trepidation is inevitable, a refresh was probably overdue. Unai Emery did not want to lose so many key players, but the Villa manager has made clear there is 'no such thing as a transition season' in his eyes.

Villa generated about £300m from the sales of nine players and brought in 10 at a cost of about £250m, lowering the wage bill and changing the profile of their squad. Zion Suzuki, Ibrahim Mbaye and Johan Manzambi – names on the lips of Villa's rivals – are the particularly exciting signings, while Morgan Rogers (£117m to Chelsea), Ollie Watkins (£51m to Al-Hilal), Ezri Konsa (£51m to Arsenal) and Emiliano Martínez (£7.5m to Chelsea) head the departures.

Last summer there was concern Villa had gone stale and 12 months ago they ended up fretting on deadline day, when Harvey Elliott and Jadon Sancho joined on loan, but there was no such chaos this time.

Key ins

Key outs

Bournemouth: holding the core may prove the best business of all

Perhaps Bournemouth's best business was keeping hold of their coveted key players, chiefly Eli Junior Kroupi, Rayan, Alex Scott and Tyler Adams. The Cherries rejected bids from Chelsea for Scott and stayed true to their plan of resisting offers to give Marco Rose the best chance of succeeding, with the club attempting to juggle European competition and the league for the first time.

The arrival of the Portugal centre-back António Silva, 22, from Benfica looks a typically smart replacement for Marcos Senesi, 29, who left for Tottenham on a free. Kroupi's freak foot injury, which will probably keep him out until November, may have proved a blessing in disguise in terms of retaining the 20-year-old.

Key ins

Key outs

Brentford: stability secured and the bargain of the summer

Avoiding a repeat of last year's upheaval was a major boost for Brentford. Keith Andrews held on to his best players and made smart additions to a solid squad. Mamadou Sangaré has added quality in midfield since joining from Lens and looks the bargain of the summer. Callum Wilson has brought experience up front after signing on a free and Jaidon Anthony provides cover on the flanks after his £15m move from Burnley, while El Hadji Malick Diouf, signed from West Ham, offers potential at left-back.

Key ins

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Brighton: 12 signings, £140m banked and a familiar model

Deadline day deals to bring in the exciting Nigeria forward Femi Azeez from Millwall and the Spanish midfielder Chema Andrés from Stuttgart made it 12 signings in another summer of transition at Brighton, with Azeez's arrival announced almost 12 hours after the window shut.

The departures of Jan Paul van Hecke, Carlos Baleba and Carl Rushworth brought in more than £140m as the Brighton model continues to deliver big profits, although losing last season's top scorer Danny Welbeck to Chelsea for a mere £5m may be the biggest loss if the new striker Promise David cannot bring the goals.

Key ins

Key outs

Chelsea: Alonso's arrival is the biggest signing of the summer

Xabi Alonso's appointment as manager was the biggest signing of Chelsea's summer, and the club have been sensible since turning to the Spaniard. Morgan Rogers has started well after joining for £117m, Maxence Lacroix adds power in defence and Marco Palestra versatility on the flanks, while Danny Welbeck and Jordan Henderson can raise standards in the dressing room. But there was the usual revolving door, with money made on a host of outgoings.

Marc Cucurella, one of the world's best left-backs and sold to Real Madrid, looks a bigger loss than Enzo Fernández. The worry, however, is that Chelsea did not replace Fernández after selling him to Manchester City for £125m, their late £47m move for Monaco's Lamine Camara collapsing at the last.

Key ins

Key outs

Coventry: momentum, muscle and a question over balance

It remains to be seen whether Coventry have struck the right balance in the market. Frank Lampard wanted to maintain momentum but add power and physicality, and Coventry also sought to address their lack of Premier League experience with Taiwo Awoniyi and Ethan Pinnock.

Coventry were the highest scorers in English football's top four tiers last season, but the step up means the pressure is on Awoniyi – never prolific for Nottingham Forest – Sidiki Cherif, a promising 19-year-old, and Ellis Simms to deliver before Haji Wright returns from injury. Teenage loanee Stephen Mfuni adds further depth to the squad.

With the Saudi Pro League window still open and moves such as Gabriel Martinelli's expected switch to Al-Hilal yet to be completed, the final shape of some squads is still to be settled – but the broad picture is clear: Villa cashed in, Chelsea spent big under Alonso, and Arsenal's season may hinge on whether their decision to keep their powder dry up front was wisdom or a missed opportunity.

Sources: https://theguardian.com/football/2026/sep/02/premier-league-transfer-window-club-analysis-summer-2026