If the business conducted during the summer transfer window is anything to go by, the 2026/27 Premier League season promises to be a thriller.
Top-flight clubs have been splashing the cash in their pursuit of glory and still have plenty of time remaining to complete transfer moves.
Defending champions Arsenal will head into the season as the favourites to retain the title, but they could find it tough to achieve the feat.
Read on as we look at the [top summer transfers](https://footballtoday.com/premier-league-transfers/) to date before previewing the upcoming Premier League campaign.
**Player**
**From**
**To**
**Fee**
Morgan Rogers
Aston Villa
Chelsea
€138.00m
Elliot Anderson
Nottingham Forest
Manchester City
€135.00m
Sandro Tonali
Newcastle United
Tottenham Hotspur
€108.00m
Mateus Fernandes
West Ham United
Tottenham Hotspur
€99.00m
Bruno Guimaraes
Newcastle United
Arsenal
€87.50m
Anthony Gordon
Newcastle United
Barcelona
€70.00m
Jaramy Jacquet
Stade Rennais
Liverpool
€63.60m
Maxence Lacroix
Crystal Palace
Chelsea
€60.70m
Jan Paul van Hecke
Brighton & Hove Albion
Tottenham Hotspur
€60.00m
Johan Manzambi
Freiburg
Aston Villa
€60.00m
Marco Palestra
Atalanta
Chelsea
€57.00m
Andrey Santos
Chelsea
Manchester United
€56.30m
Marc Cucurella
Chelsea
Real Madrid
€55.00m
Luka Vuskovic
Tottenham Hotspur
Brighton & Hove Albion
€54.00m
Geovany Quenda
Sporting CP
Chelsea
€50.00m
Bazoumana Toure
Hoffenheim
Newcastle United
€50.00m
Piero Hincapie
Bayer Leverkusen
Arsenal
€49.00m
Mamadou Sangare
Lens
Brentford
€48.00m
James Trafford
Manchester City
Leeds United
€46.70m
Rasmus Hojlund
Manchester United
Napoli
€44.00m
Youri Tielemans
Aston Villa
Manchester United
€41.00m
Ousmane Diomande
Sporting CP
Nottingham Forest
€40.00m
Christos Tzolis
Club Brugge
Arsenal
€40.00m
Víctor Munoz
Osasuna
Liverpool
€40.00m
Joao Gomes
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Aston Villa
€40.00m
Valentin Barco
Strasbourg
Chelsea
€40.00m
Gonzalo Garcia
Real Madrid
Fulham
€40.00m
Tarik Muharemovic
Sassuolo
Leeds United
€37.00m
Aladji Bamba
Monaco
Newcastle United
€35.50m
Lukas Hornicek
Braga
Newcastle United
€30.60m
Three of the so-called ‘Big Six’ clubs have appointed new managers this summer, creating an intriguing subplot to what could be a truly memorable Premier League season.
A strong argument could be made for suggesting that Arsenal’s stable position under Mikel Arteta should give them an advantage in the title race.
All of their main rivals have changed their managers since the turn of the year, which creates an uncertain landscape for each of those clubs.
It also provides the perfect backdrop for some new [managerial rivalries](https://footballtoday.com/2026/08/12/greatest-managerial-rivalries/) to develop this season and beyond in the Premier League.
Arteta enjoyed a positive relationship with former Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola due to their previous working relationship.
Enzo Maresca’s appointment at City brings a different dynamic into play given that he is renowned for being a relatively combustible character.
Tottenham Hotspur manager Roberto De Zerbi is also renowned for being fiery, which adds another layer of intrigue into proceedings.
Arsenal’s status as the title favourites is undoubtedly deserved after they finally ended their 22-year wait to clinch top spot last time around.
However, an injury to Willian Saliba could be problematic. Since Saliba’s debut in 2022, Arsenal have won 68.7 percent of their Premier League matches when he has been in the team.
When he has been sidelined, their win percentage drops to 47.6%. With the Frenchman set to be ruled out for several months, Arsenal’s title rivals could capitalise.
City will fancy their chances of knocking Arsenal off their perch, but Guardiola’s decision to step aside makes them a risky betting proposition.
Maresca could prove to be a shrewd appointment, but there is no guarantee that he will be able to build on the foundations Guardiola established.
City have paid big money to sign Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest, but he looks vastly overpriced given what other clubs have paid for midfielders this summer.
If City lose Rodri this summer, their hopes of toppling Arsenal in the title race would diminish even further.
With doubts hanging over last season’s top two clubs, Manchester United could be the value bet to win the title for the first time since 2012/13.
Michael Carrick did an excellent job after replacing Ruben Amorim in January, and the Red Devils should be able to mount a sustained title challenge this term.
Youri Tielemans is a shrewd acquisition from Aston Villa, while Andrey Santos could become an elite-level midfielder following his move from Chelsea.
The Brazilian’s former club could also be in contention under new manager Xabi Alonso. The Blues have made several excellent signings this summer.
They include Morgan Rogers, who has moved to Stamford Bridge after establishing himself as one of the top players in the country during his time with Villa.
Liverpool and Tottenham will also expect to be in the mix, but may struggle to keep pace with the rest of the ‘Big Six’ clubs.
The Reds still have several holes to fill in their squad, while Tottenham’s outlandish spending hasn’t addressed all their problems.
Villa finished inside the top four last season and should be pushing for European qualification again, provided Rogers’ exit does not have an impact.
Newcastle could be set for another season of underachievement, but Leeds United are fancied to kick on after steering clear of relegation last term.
At the other end of the table, Hull City and Ipswich Town look destined to struggle after winning promotion from the Championship last term.
Fellow new-boys Coventry City are also expected to be battling against relegation, but may have enough about them to stay afloat under manager Frank Lampard.