Premier League transfer window: January 2027 priorities for every club after £3.49bn summer spend

The 2026 summer transfer window saw a record-breaking £3.49bn spent by Premier League clubs, but the winter will see the top flight sides active in the market once again to fill any glaring gaps their squads.

Four of the five most expensive Premier League deals of all time were completed this year, including the British record-equalling £125m that Manchester City handed Chelsea for Enzo Fernandez.

The Citizens also shelled out £116m for Elliot Anderson, the Blues paid £117m for Morgan Rogers, and Liverpool agreed to part ways with up to £123m to sign winger Bradley Barcola from Paris Saint-Germain.

However, there are positions yet to be filled across the division, with Mikel Arteta's Arsenal requiring a new attacker, and Andoni Iraola's Reds missing out on a number of targets that could be revisited later this season.

Here, Sports Mole takes a look at the priorities for every Premier League club in the January 2027 transfer window.

Arsenal - Marquee forward

Summer 2026 spending: £194m

Arsenal deserve credit for strengthening their title-winning squad by signing the likes of Bruno Guimaraes, Ezri Konsa and Christos Tzolis this summer, but they were unable to bring a marquee forward to the Emirates.

The Gunners had been linked with an unrealistic move for Real Madrid winger Vinicius Junior, only to see the Brazilian put pen to paper on a new Los Blancos contract.

Elsewhere, Atletico Madrid's Julian Alvarez was of interest to Arteta's side, though he had his heart set on a move to Barcelona that did not materialise.

Arsenal remain on the lookout for a key attacker to bolster an XI that has been criticised for being overly-defensive, and a market opportunity in January 2027 would certainly be on the Londoners' agenda.

Aston Villa - Striker

Summer 2026 spending: £256m

Aston Villa endured a difficult summer, losing all of Morgan Rogers, Youri Tielemans and Ollie Watkins, not to mention the anterior cruciate ligament injury suffered by Amadou Onana during World Cup 2026.

The Lions have signed a number of attacking reinforcements such as Ibrahim Mbaye and Nicolas Jackson in response, but another centre-forward is reportedly on the club's radar.

Jean-Phillipe Mateta could be the name in the frame for Unai Emery's side should they revisit the matter in January, when the club could pay a fee in order to avoid additional competition next summer, when the Frenchman's Crystal Palace contract expires.

Bournemouth - Early replacements

Summer 2026 spending: £67.90m

Bournemouth's greatest feat this summer was keeping hold of both Alex Scott and Eli Junior Kroupi, with the duo drawing significant interest from the biggest clubs in the Premier League.

That being said, they are likely to depart for enormous fees at the end of the 2026-27 season, so signing potential replacements in January and allowing them time to adjust could be beneficial.

Brentford - Attacking depth

Summer 2026 spending: £106m

Brentford narrowly missed out on European football last season, and they have made some important acquisitions this window, including highly-rated midfielder Mamadou Sangare.

The Bees also brought in Callum Wilson to operate as a backup for talismanic striker Igor Thiago, but considering that the Englishman is 34-years-old and injury prone, more attacking depth could be a focus in the winter window.

Brighton & Hove Albion - Winger

Summer 2026 spending: £122.5m

Brighton rejected multiple bids from Liverpool for right-winger Yankuba Minteh, but the £80m-rated forward's time at the Amex may be limited.

The Seagulls are also very reliant on the Gambia star and Kaoru Mitoma, so signing another wide man could be of interest in January, in order to relieve some of the pressure on the club's younger attacking talents.

Chelsea - Midfield

Summer 2026 spending: £349m

Chelsea sold midfielders Fernandez and Andrey Santos to Man City and Manchester United respectively, and will need to replace the former as soon as possible.

The Blues missed out on Monaco's Lamine Camara in unusual circumstances on deadline day, leaving them short in the centre of the park, and they are certain to be plotting a January deal for a different option.

Coventry City - Creative winger

Summer 2026 spending: £126m

Coventry City may have won the Championship in 2025-26, but they remain one of the favourites to be relegated this season.

In order to bolster their fight for survival, the Sky Blues spent heavily, and even bought Premier League experience in the form of striker Taiwo Awoniyi from Nottingham Forest.

While the 29-year-old is a capable centre-forward, another creative winger to compliment Loum Tchaouna could increase Coventry's chances of survival.

Crystal Palace - Early replacements and centre-back

Summer 2026 spending: £54m

Palace are entering a new era under Pierre Sage, and managing to hold onto Adam Wharton and Mateta this year was commendable.

However, considering that both are likely to head for the exit in 2027, signing replacements in January could provide a boost in the short and long term.

A centre-back may also be on the agenda, in order to provide Sage with reliable cover for his three-man defence and a stronger replacement for Maxence Lacroix.

Everton - Striker

Summer 2026 spending: £88m

Everton missed out on signing Monaco striker Folarin Balogun in bizarre circumstances late on deadline day, and saw a loan approach for Joshua Zirkzee rebuffed by Man United.

With that in mind, expect to see the Toffees return to the transfer market in January for a new centre-forward.

Fulham - Creative forward

Summer 2026 spending: £73m

Fulham signed a number of exciting young players, such as Spanish striker Gonzalo Garcia, but they will be hard-pressed to directly replace the impact of Harry Wilson.

The Welshman was the Cottagers' main creative force for a number of years, and signing a versatile, technical attacker to fill the void would give Alvaro Arbeloa a new weapon in his arsenal.

Hull City - Attacking reinforcements

Summer 2026 spending: £150m

Hull City reached the Premier League via the Championship playoffs, and are amongst the favourites to head straight back down to the second tier.

The Tigers spent heavily on centre-back Nobel Mendy and goalkeeper Konstantinos Tzolakis in the summer, but their forward line remains unproven at Premier League level, and could use some investment in January.

Ipswich Town - Premier League experience

Summer 2026 spending: £171m

Ipswich signed a number of quality forwards including Emersonn, Abdul Fatawu and Julio Enciso, but their fight for survival could benefit from an attacker that has demonstrated consistent output in the Premier League.

Leeds United - Wide attacker

Summer 2026 spending: £82m

When Leeds are chasing a game, Daniel Farke often turns to former Manchester United speedster Dan James for attacking impetus out wide.

Bringing in another wide forward that is both tactically flexible and content with not being a starter could give the manager more options.

Liverpool - Right flank

Summer 2026 spending: £198m

Liverpool may have gotten their £123m deal for Bradley Barcola over the line, but they missed out on securing starters for a number of other positions.

The Reds have no natural right winger in their squad, and could revisit their pursuit of Minteh in January.

Likewise, Iraola's side were credited with interest in Monaco midfielder Camara, as well as Chelsea right-back Malo Gusto, so it would not be surprising to see the Merseysiders be particularly active in the winter.

Manchester City - Backup striker

Summer 2026 spending: £458m

Man City backed new manager Enzo Maresca with the biggest transfer spend any Premier League club has ever made in a single window.

The Citizens rebuilt their midfield after Rodri's exit to Barcelona, but their extreme reliance on striker Erling Haaland is a glaring weakness.

Now that Omar Marmoush has joined Tottenham Hotspur, City will be on the lookout for a backup centre-forward.

Manchester United - Backup striker

Summer 2026 spending: £148m

Man United signed capable midfielders Youri Tielemans and Santos, but with Zirkzee a target for Everton, another striker could be on the agenda for Michael Carrick's side in January.

Newcastle United - Left-back

Summer 2026 spending: £268m

Newcastle's first-choice left-back Lewis Hall is regarded as one of the best in the Premier League, and while there are a number of versatile options that can cover in his absence, a natural left-sided full-back would give the Magpies more security.

Nottingham Forest - Midfield

Summer 2026 spending: £117.5m

Nottingham Forest sold star midfielder Anderson to Man City, and while they signed Xaver Schlager, the Garibaldis are targeting a more technical partner to join him in the centre of the park.

Forest made late bids for a pair of young midfielders - Liverpool's Trey Nyoni and Everton's Harrison Armstrong - but were unable to bring either to the City Ground, and will be revisiting the market this winter.

Sunderland - Left-back

Summer 2026 spending: £65m

Sunderland's only natural left-back is Reinildo Mandava, and given their extended calendar that includes European football this season, the likes of Thomas Meunier and Aji Alese will be asked to fill in at times.

A better fit on the left side of Regis Le Bris's defence could give the team more security as they push on multiple fronts in 2026-27.

Tottenham Hotspur - Right-back

Summer 2026 spending: £313m

Tottenham were one of the Premier League's biggest spenders in the summer, but after Djed Spence's transfer to Inter Milan, their immediate cover at right-back is versatile midfielder Archie Gray.

A significant amount of Spurs' attacking play goes through first-choice right-back Pedro Porro, and a capable backup will be important when the Spain international is unavailable.