When it comes to thrills, excitement and drama, the summer transfer window rarely disappoints for football fans.
And, from Mason Mount’s stellar switch to Declan Rice‘s record-breaking move, the 2023-24 summer window has been no different.
From the lucrative spending of the Big Six to the shrewd business at the bottom of the table, every single club will be looking to better their squads this month.
And, there’s even still the ongoing transfer saga surrounding England captain and Tottenham striker Harry Kane, amid links to German giants Bayern Munich.
So here, Mail Sport takes a look at the each club’s transfers so far, what else they need to do – and rating their business to date.
Declan Rice’s £105million move from West Ham to Arsenal has been the talk of the window
Manchester United’s acquisition of Mason Mount has, similarly, dominated headlines recently
Arsenal
In: Declan Rice (West Ham, £105M), Kai Havertz (Chelsea, £65m), Jurrien Timber (Ajax, £40) Out: Granit Xhaka (Bayer Leverkusen, £21.5m), Pablo Mari (Monza, undisclosed), Ainsley Maitland Niles (released), Zack Awe (released), Joel Ideho (released), George Lewis (released), Matt Smith (Released), Tom Smith (Released)
What do they still need to do?
Despite their lucrative spending already, Arsenal still need to add depth. Their title race collapsed last season with the loss of several key players through injuries and they’ll to avoid a repeat of that.
Mikel Arteta’s side have an even more congested fixture list this season – with the addition of the Champions League – so will need to continue to acquire players that will play a key role this season.
RATING: 8/10
Arsenal have made lucrative signings of Rice, Jurrien Timber and Kai Havertz (pictured)
Aston Villa
In: Pau Torres (Villarreal, £33m), Youri Tielemans (Leicester City, free) Out: Ashley Young (Everton, free), Viljami Sinisalo (Exeter City, loan), Jed Steer (Released), Marvelous Nakamba (Luton Town, undisclosed)
What do they still need to do?
Unai Emery is keen to recruit more players during the transfer window, with Bayer Leverkusen winger Moussa Diaby the next to join the club.
And, as Emery prepares to add one wide-man to his squad, another could soon be on their way as they set their sights on Rennes winger Jeremy Doku.
Bolstering Villa’s squad will be massively important for Emery if they aim to have a strong season next year – especially with the added workload of the Europa Conference League.
RATING: 6/10
Aston Villa confirmed the signing of Villarreal central defender Pau Torres earlier this month
Bournemouth
In: Hamed Traore (Sassuolo, £20m), Milos Kerkez (AZ Alkmaar, £15.5m), Romain Faivre (Lyon, £12.8m), Justin Kluivert (Roma, £9.5) Out: Jack Stacey (Norwich City, free), Siriki Dembele (Birmingham City, undisclosed), Jefferson Lerma (Released), Junior Stanislas (Released) Romain Faivre (Lorient, loan), Ben Pearson (Stoke City, Loan), Will Dennis (Kilmarnock, loan)
What do they still need to do?
After a very strong season under Gary O’Neil last season, and the arrival of the highly-regarded Andoni Iraola, the Cherries will be looking to build upon on their impressive 2022-23 campaign.
After avoiding relegation from the top-flight last year, Bournemouth have been able to attract young, exciting talents such as Kerkez and Kluivert.
And, with a strong core to their team already, it would only take a few more signings of the same ilk, to ensure that the Cherries have solid squad depth for the upcoming season.
RATING: 6/10
19-year-old left-back Milos Kerkez completed a £15.5million move to Bournemouth
Brentford
In: Kevin Schade (Freiburg, £20m), Mark Flekken (Freiburg, £11m), Nathan Collins (Wolves, £23m), Romeo Beckham (Inter Miami, undisclosed), Erion Zabelo (Oxford, undisclosed), Ethan Brierley (Rochdale, undisclosed) Out: Pontus Jansson (Malmo, free), Halil Dervisoglu (Galatasaray, undisclosed), Mads Bidstrup (RB Salzburg, undisclosed), Saman Ghoddos (Released), Tariqe Fosu (Released), Joel Valencia (Released), Fin Stevens (Oxford, loan)
What do they still need to do?
The obvious absence for Brentford at the start of the season will be Ivan Toney and replacing his goal contributions should be vital for the Bees.
The Englishman was the third highest scorer in the league last season, with 20 goals, but will be absent until the 17th of January after picking up a ban for gambling.
Bryan Mbuemo scored nine goals in 2022-23 it’s unlikely he will be able to produce the same return that Toney provided and, so, the addition of a proven goalscorer would provide a huge boost.
RATING: 4/10
Brentford confirmed that Kevin Shade – who had been on loan at the club last season – has joined on a permanent deal worth £20million
Brighton & Hove Albion
In: Joao Pedro (Watford, £30m), Bart Verbruggen (Anderlecht, £16.3m), James Milner (Liverpool, free), Mahmoud Dahoud (Borussia Dortmund, free) Out: Alexis Mac Allister (Liverpool, £35m), Antef Tsoungui (Feynoord, undisclosed), Abdallah Sima (Rangers, loan)
What do they still need to do?
This is an interesting question for Brighton, as the answer is massively dependent on whether they sell Moises Caicedo to Chelsea for £100million.
If they receive the massive fee for the Ecuadorian, they could use the funds to fund a world class replacement.
However, with the uncertainty around their budget, Roberto De Zerbi and the club’s recruitment team will enjoy much deliberation on how to reinvest the potential funds in the squad.
RATING: 7/10
Holland U21 goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen is expected to have a big impact with the Seagulls
Burnley
In: James Trafford (Manchester City, £19m), Zeki Amdouni (Basel, £16m), Jordan Beyer (Borussia Monchengladbach, £13m), Dara O’Shea (West Brom, £6.75m), Michael Obafemi (Swansea, £3.5m), Lawrence Vigouroux (Leyton Orient, free), Nathan Redmond (Besiktas, free) Out: Ashley Barnes (Norwich, free), Will Norris (Portsmouth, free), Matthew Lowton (Released)
What do they still need to do?
Since the appointment of Vincent Kompany as head coach, Burnley have conducted fantastic business in the transfer window.
Last season, they managed to bring in exciting Premier League talents – such as Nathan Tella, Ian Maatsen and Taylor Harwood-Bellis – on loan.
And, they could find similar success in their return to the top-flight if they adopt a similar approach to their recruitment this summer.
RATING: 6/10
The Clarets confirmed the signing of Switzerland international Zeki Amdouni earlier this week
Chelsea
In: Christopher Nkunku (RB Leipzig, £53m), Nicolas Jackson (Villarreal,£32m), Angel Gabriel (Santos, £13m), Ishe Samuels-Smith (Everton, £4m), Diego Moreira (Benfica, free), Alex Matos (Norwich, free) Out: Kai Havertz (Arsenal, £65m), Mason Mount (Manchester United, £60m), Mateo Kovacic (Manchester City, £25m), Edouard Mendy (Al-Ahli, £22m), Christian Pulisic (AC Milan, £20m), Kalidou Koulibaly (Al-Hilal, £20), Ruben Loftus-Cheek (AC Milan, £13m), Dujon Sterling (Rangers, undisclosed), Baba Rahman (PAOK FC, undisclosed), N’Golo Kante (Al-Ittihad, free), Tiemoue Bakayoko (Released), David Fofana (Union Berlin, loan)
What do they still need to do?
Despite their lucrative spending already, the Blues still need to invest in their midfield – after just six midfielders were included in their 29-man pre-season squad.
Even more concerningly for Chelsea fans these players average only 7.6 Premier League Starts for the side and all are under the age of 23.
Two of these players featured have never made a senior appearance for Chelsea with both Andrey Santos and Cesare Casadei returning from loan moves to Vasco da Gama and Reading respectively.
With the Blues keen to land Brighton star Moises Caicedo, it’s clear that the next topic on their agenda is sorting out a depleted midfield.
RATING: 6/10
Christopher Nkunku is one of the many players to have recently signed for the Blues
Crystal Palace
In: Jeferson Lerma (free) Out: Jack Butland (Rangers, free), Luka Milivojevic (Released), James McArthur (Released), Kofi Balmer (Port Vale, Loan), Owen Goodman (Colchester, loan)
What do they still need to do?
The most important thing for Palace during this window will not be to sign players but, rather, to ensure the ones that they have remain at the club.
Negotiations between Zaha and Palace over a new contract are still ongoing amid interest from teams in Saudi Arabia, while Marc Guehi is being linked with a stunning return to Chelsea.
Similarly, Cheick Doucoure is being monitored by Liverpool ahead of a potential £70million move.
Although these deals could bring a significant amount of revenue to Selhurst Park the loss of players would be huge and could see Palace facing down the barrel of relegation next season.
RATING: 3/10
Jefferson Lerma, pictured last season, completed a free move from Bournemouth to Palace
Everton
In: Ashley Young (Aston Villa, free) Out: Ishe Samuels-Smith (Chelsea, £4m), Niels Nkounkou (Saint-Etienne, undisclosed), Ellis Simms (Coventry, undisclosed), Yerry Mina (Released), Adros Townsend (Released), Asmir Begovic (Released), Tom Davies (Released), Einar Iversen (Released), Issac Price (Released)
What do they still need to do?
After narrowly avoiding relegation last season, Everton need to look to strengthen their squad once more in the off-season.
After recording the second-lowest ‘Goals For’ tally in the competition last year (34), a proven goal scorer might be a good place to start for the Toffees.
Everton have already been linked with a number of wingers this season including Anthony Elanga and Arnaut Danjuma.
In the 2021-22 season, for Villarreal, Danjuma scored 10 goals but struggled to recreate that sort of form when on loan with Tottenham last campaign.
He infamously performed a last minute U-turn on a move to Goodison Park in favour of Tottenham, but the Toffees will hope his focus is now on a move to Merseyside.
RATING: 5/10
Everton’s only acquisition of the summer window, so far, has been full-back Ashley Young
Fulham
In: None Out: Joe Bryan (Released, Neeskens Kebano (Released)
What do they still need to do?
After a very successful return campaign in the Premier League, in which Fulham finished 10th under Marco Silva, the club will be looking to strengthen further this summer.
The London side have expressed interest in signing Ajax defender Calvin Bassey, who has failed to make the desired impact since moving from Rangers.
He was an integral part of Steven Gerrard’s Scottish Premiership-winning team and reached the Europa League final under Giovanni van Bronckhorst.
Despite not quite performing at that level with Ajax when the side finished 3rd in the league Bassey would still likely be a very good acquisition for Fulham.
They might have more concerns to deal with however if Aleksandr Mitrovic follows through on his desire to move to Saudi Arabia.
The 28-year-old striker has three years left on contract but has told Fulham he is keen to make the move.
RATING: 4/10
Aleksandar Mitrovic has made it clear that he wants to leave the west London side
Liverpool
In: Dominik Szoboszlai (RB Leipzig, £60), Alexis Mac Allister (Brighton, £35m) Out: Naby Keita (Werder Bremen, free), James Milner (Brighton, free), Roberto Firmino (Released), Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Released), Fabio Carvalho (RB Leipzig, loan), Calvin Ramsay (Preston, loan), Rhys Williams (Aberdeen, loan), Sepp van den Berg (Mainz, loan), Owen Beck (Dundee, loan)
What do they still need to do?
At this current stage in the transfer window there is very little that Liverpool still need to do, having already brought in two world class players in Mac Allister and Szoboszlai.
However, it is looking increasingly likely that by the time they play their first fixture they will no longer have Jordan Henderson or Fabinho on their books. As a result, another addition in midfield would certainly benefit Jurgen Kloop’s side.
They have been linked with players like Cheick Doucoure and Kalvin Philips and we will see how that develops in the coming weeks.
RATING: 7/10
Liverpool added RB Leipzig midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai to their squad during the window
Luton Town
In: Mads Anderson (Barnsley, undisclosed), Tahith Chong (Birmingham City, undisclosed), Chiedozie Ogbene (Rotherham, free), Issa Kabore (Manchester City, loan), Marvelous Nakamba (Aston Villa, undisclosed) Out: Sonny Bradley (Released), Henri Lansbury (Released), Harry Isted (Released), Jack Walton (Dundee United, loan)
What do they still need to do?
Luton, as with most teams who enter a top-flight season as relegation favourites, will need to ensure they have strength in depth for the 2023-24 campaign.
The Hatters have already made a number of strong signings – with the most recent being midfielder Marvelous Nakamba.
The 29-year-old played 20 games for the Hatters after joining on-loan in the January and Rob Edwards is very keen to bring him back permanently.
And, with Man City full-back Issa Kabore lined up to move to Kenilworth Road on a loan deal, it’s clear that depth will be huge for the newly promoted side.
RATING: 5/10
The Hatters have already secured the services of former Birmingham midfielder Tahith Chong
Manchester City
In: Mateo Kovacic (Chelsea, £25m) Out: James Trafford (Burnley, £19m), Shea Charles (Southampton, £15m), Ilkay Gundogan (Barcelona, free), Liam Delap (Hull City, loan), Issa Kabore (Luton Town, loan)
What do they still need to do?
It is very difficult to answer this question for a side that just won the Treble.
City were incredible last campaign and it’s hard to pick a fault in their side. With that being said, Guardiola’s side are set to break their transfer record to sign RB Leipzig defender Josko Gvardiol in a deal worth £90million.
The youngster has already earned 21 caps for the Croatian national team and featured at the World Cup in Qatar.
The side that seemingly has everything is set to add yet another world class defender to play along side John Stones, Ruben Dias & Manuel Akanji.
RATING: 7/10
Manchester City have set their sights on £90m rated defender Josko Gvardiol (pictured)
Manchester United
In: Mason Mount (Chelsea, 60m), Andre Onana (Inter, £50m) Out: Zidane Iqbal (Utrecht, undisclosed), Phil Jones (Released), Ethan Galbraith (Released), Axel Tuanzebe (Released), Di’Shon Bernard (Released), Alex Telles (Al-Nassr)
What do they still need to do?
Manchester United and Erik ten Hag have made it very clear that they want to sign a striker. United continue to hold positive talks with Atalanta over the signing of Rasmus Hojlund.
Although they have not an official bid in for the player it is understood that discussions are progressing and United will likely be asked to pay around £65m for the young Danish talent.
Ten Hag is also very interested in signing a defensive midfielder and Sofyan Amrabat is understood to be at the top of his list. There could still be several signings made before the deadline with the side looking to strengthen key areas on the pitch.
RATING: 6/10
Manchester United added Chelsea academy star Mason Mount to their side this summer
Newcastle
In: Sandro Tonali (AC Milan, £52m), Yankuba Minteh (Odense, undisclosed) Out: Chris Wood (Nottingham Forest, undisclosed), Ciaran Clark (Released), Matt Longstaff (Released)
What do they still need to do?
As expected, it’s all action at Newcastle during the transfer window. The Magpies have agreed a £35m fee for Harvey Barnes while Allan Saint-Maximin prepares to join Al-Ahli for £20m.
While Eddie Howe’s didn’t exactly struggle for goals last season, the Leicester star’s addition could prove useful in an action-packed campaign in 2023-24.
It is a difficult question what Newcastle should do as they have slowly been building a very strong team over the last couple of seasons but replacing Saint-Maximin with Barnes seems like a good decision.
RATING: 6/10
Italian midfielder Sandro Tonali put pen to paper on a five-year deal with Newcastle
Nottingham Forest
In: Chris Wood (Newcastle, undisclosed), Manni Norkett (Man United, free), Ola Aina (Torino, free) Out: Will Swan (Mansfield Town, undisclosed), Jesse Lingard (Released), Jack Colback (Released), Jordan Smith (Released), Andre Ayew (Released), Cafu (Released), Lyle Taylor (Released)
What do they still need to do?
Having spent so heavily during last summer’s transfer window, it’s likely that Forest will take a more conservative approach over the next couple of months.
They’ve made just two acquisitions so far – both for free – and are closing in on the £15million signing of Man United winger Anthony Elanga.
While it’s impossible for Forest to repeat the same level of spending that they did last summer, perhaps a more refined scouting process would prove beneficial.
RATING: 5/10
Steve Cooper oversaw Nottingham Forest’s lucrative spending during the last summer window
Sheffield United
In: Anis Slimane (Brondby, £2.2m), Benie Traore (Hacken, undisclosed), Yasser Larouci (Troyes, loan) Out: Jack O’Connell (Released), Billy Sharp (Released), Enda Stevens (Released), Kyron Gordon (Released)
What do they still need to do?
While the Blades cruised to an automatic promotion from the Championship last season, they’ll know all too well about the difficulties of staying in the top-flight.
Paul Heckinbottom’s squad is noticeable youthful and they could benefit from the additions of a few experienced faces.
With Iliman Ndiaye linked with a move away from Bramall Lane, they could also be tasked with bringing in a new front-man during the window.
RATING: 3/10
Sheffield United confirmed that £2.2million signing of Anis Slimane from Brondby
Tottenham Hotspur
In: James Maddison (Leicester City, £45m), Dejun Kulusevski (Juventus, £25m), Guglielmo Vicario (Empoli, £17m), Manor Soloman (Shakhtar Donetsk, free) Out: Harry Winks (Leicester, £10m), Lucas Moura (Released), Malachi Fagan-Wlcott (Released)
What do they still need to do?
This question depends massively on what happens to Harry Kane. If the England captain stays, then the focus will be in bolstering their leaky defence.
However if they lose Kane to Bayern Munich, Daniel Levy and his team need to consider signing a replacement (if that’s even possible!).
If Levy is successful and holds out for the £100m asking price for Kane, there’s a good chance that Spurs make some stunning moves in the market.
RATING: 6/10
The ongoing saga surrounding Harry Kane has dominated Tottenham headlines recently
West Ham United
In: None Out: Declan Rice (Arsenal, £105m), Arthur Masuaku (Besiktas, undisclosed), Manuel Lanzini (Released)
What do they still need to do?
For West Ham what to do next is very simple: invest the Declan Rice money. The much harder question is; how to invest it?
Does it make sense to bring in one high profile signing or several role players? Well, West Ham appear to be following in the footsteps of Tottenham after the sale of Gareth Bale.
Moyes’ side is linked with moves for Harry Maguire, Chelsea’s Ian Maatsen who impressed last year on loan with Burnley and City winger Carlos Borges.
RATING: 5/10
David Moyes is yet to make a signing during the summer transfer window despite cashing in over £100million from Declan Rice’s sale
Wolverhampton Wanderers
In: Tom King (Northampton, free), Boubacar Traore (Metz, £9.5m), Matt Doherty (Atletico Madrid, free) Out: Ruben Neves (Al-Hilal, £47m), Conor Coady (Leicester City, £7.5m), Nathan Collins (Brentford, undisclosed), Jeong Sang-bin (Minnesota United, undisclosed), Diego Costa (Released), Joao Moutinho (Released), Michael Agboola (Released), Lee Harkin (Released), Jack Hodnett (Released), Luke Matheson (Released), Taylor Perry (Released), Jack Scott (Released), Theo Corbeanub (Grasshopper Club Zurich)
What do they still need to do?
In truth, Wolves were awful in front of goal last season. They mustered the least goals in the league, scoring just 31 in their 38 games.
As a result, it would make a lot of sense to bring in a striker. The Diego Costa experiment last season didn’t work and unfortunately Raul Jimenez has just not been the same since his head injury.
They will have Sasa Kalajdzic at their disposal this time round, after the striker was injured for the majority of last season, but there can be no guarantees over his return rate.
They’ve also had a midfield overhaul – following the departures of Ruben Neves and Joao Moutinho – and so could do with strengthening in that department as well.
RATING: 4/10
Portuguese midfielder Ruben Neves called an end to his time at Wolves earlier this summer
