The 2026 summer transfer window is still several months away, but it is never too early to start thinking about the future when it comes to the transfer market. Teams cannot get enough depth in the middle of the park, so here are 10 midfield transfer targets worth keeping an eye on in the Premier League circles as possible strong buys come June.
Curtis Jones, Liverpool
Tottenham Hotspur have already been linked, and while Liverpool have shown no interest in selling away such a valuable up and coming young midfielder, Curtis Jones may want to spread his wings out of being second fiddle in the Liverpool midfield and become THE guy (potentially) at another prestigious club.
Spurs don’t seem prestigious now amidst another difficult season under a new, overmatched manager, but Jones should have suitors beyond those at the N17 in the summer 2026 transfer window.
Elliot Anderson, Nottingham Forest
Elliot Anderson has been one of the bset midfielders in the Premier League, breaking out from out of nowhere to become the best player for Forest on a team that does have some talented pieces despite underperforming badly.
Forest have been able to hold onto Anderson thus far through heavy interest from Manchester United and Manchester City this past winter window, but it is a foregone conclusion that Anderson will make the leap to a true top side in summer 2026.
Adam Wharton, Crystal Palace
The most coveted prize on the transfer market, Adam Wharton is one of the best young No. 6’s on the planet, and because this is a position of increasing value and all the elite teams have a top 6, Wharton is going to go for nine figures this summer.
Now the question is, who gets him? With clubs as big as Real Madrid involved in the sweepstakes, Tottenham and others several tiers below have been priced out, but Manchester United look like darkhorses in this battle.
Bruno Guimaraes, Newcastle
Bruno Guimaraes is quietly having another season for the ages in the Newcastle midfield, delivering on literally all fronts with nine goals, four assists, a team leading 2.1 tackles per game, 2.3 fouls drawn per match, and 1.6 key passes per contest.
Those are outrageous numbers, and while the Magpies would be crazy to sell their main leader and best player, Manchester City have been obsessed with adding Bruno G. next to Rodri for years at this point. And Manchester United would throw the entire farm in order to transform their midfield with the Brazilian.
Carlos Baleba, Brighton
Speaking of Manchester United, they are the overwhelming favorites to sign Carlos Baleba, who clearly looks like a player who wants out of Brighton. If Man United do not land Baleba, it would be the shock of the summer 2026 transfer period.
Sandro Tonali, Newcastle
Sandro Tonali was one of the most coveted midfielders in the world while he was at AC Milan, and his transfer from the Italian top flight to Saudi Arabia’s Newcastle project sent shockwaves across the landscape of European football.
Compared to Andrea Pirlo, we have yet to see that aspect of Tonali’s game at Newcastle, and he looks genuinely unsettled there. A move back to Serie A is possible, but Tonali has graduated in prestige; he may be eyeing a move to an even bigger Premier League club like title contenders Arsenal.
Bruno Fernandes, Manchester United
A legitimate Ballon d’Or candidate with 12 assists and now 6 goals after adding another against Tottenham Hotspur, Bruno Fernandes is someone Manchester United need to be keeping at all costs regardless of his wages and age.
But imagine if Man United fall apart, don’t keep Michael Carrick, or Fernandes is otherwise interested in leaving. He could cash a lot of chips in by joining the Saudi Pro League, who will have oodles of cash to throw around if they are serious about cutting ties with Cristiano Ronaldo.
James Garner, Everton
Easily forgotten, James Garner is quietly having another strong season for the Toffees, and there are a lot of needy teams in the midfield market, like Tottenham, who could give Everton an offer for the England international that they cannot turn down.
Alex Scott, Bournemouth
Another solid young midfielder in the second tier of transfer targets, Alex Scott is the latest hidden gem to break out at Bournemouth and could achievably leave the Cherries for a relatively affordable transfer fee. He is one to watch, again,in that bracket of clubs like Spurs.
Joao Palhinha, Tottenham
And finally settling on Spurs, Joao Palhinha is more likely than not to stay at Tottenham, given their overall team crisis and the fact that he has actually added some pretty timely wonder goals to legitimate elite ball winning defensively.
On loan from Bayern Munich with an option to buy, if Tottenham somehow do not take up Die Roten’s offer to sign him for under 30 million euros, the Portuguese international could be an underrated buy in that secondary market of midfield transfer targets.
Joe Soriano is the editor of The Trivela Effect and a FanSided Hall of Famer who has covered world football since 2010. He’s led top digital communities like The Real Champs (Real Madrid) and has run sites covering Tottenham, Liverpool, Juventus, and Schalke. He also helped manage NFL Spin Zone and Daily DDT, covering the NFL and pro wrestling.