It is still early days in the summer transfer window, but that has not stopped clubs doing plenty of business as they look to offload unwanted players and bring in those they hope can propel them to the next level.
With the start of the Premier League season just over a month away, Ben Bloom casts his eye over who appears to have completed the best deals so far.
1. Liverpool
IN: Giorgi Mamardashvili (Valencia), Jeremie Frimpong (Bayer Leverkusen), Armin Pecsi (Puskas Akademia), Florian Wirtz (Bayer Leverkusen), Milos Kerkez (AFC Bournemouth), Freddie Woodman (Preston North End).
OUT: Trent Alexander-Arnold (Real Madrid), Caoimhin Kelleher (Brentford), Nat Phillips (West Brom), Jarell Quansah (Bayer Leverkusen).
For a club to win the Premier League and promptly spend the best part of a reported £200million by the start of July is both astonishing and concerning for anyone hoping to catch them next season.
Having barely entered the transfer market in his first season at the helm, head coach Arne Slot has been allowed to strengthen across the pitch.
Wirtz is the biggest addition; all signs suggest he will make a major impact at the top end of the pitch.
There are likely to be changes in both full-back positions, with the departure of Alexander-Arnold – something Slot would not have wanted – mitigated by the exciting arrival of Frimpong, who lacks nothing offensively. Former Bournemouth man Kerkez will hope to start on the opposite side of the defence.
Elsewhere, the arrival of goalkeeper Mamardashvili had long been agreed, and the Georgian can push Alisson for a starting spot. A reported decent fee for the departed Quansah will soften the blow of losing an academy graduate.
There are still areas for improvement – notably, a potential berth leading the line – but Liverpool fans should be delighted with the business done at this stage.
2. Chelsea
IN: Liam Delap (Ipswich), Estevao Willian (Palmeiras), Dario Essugo (Sporting), Kendry Paez (Independiente), Mamadou Sarr (Strasbourg), Joao Pedro (Brighton), Jamie Gittens (Borussia Dortmund).
OUT: Bashir Humphreys (Burnley), Marcus Bettinelli (Manchester City), Kepa Arrizabalaga (Arsenal), Lucas Bergstrom (released).
There does come a point when you wonder quite how much attacking talent Chelsea need to acquire. But, for the Stamford Bridge faithful, there can surely be no limit.
The FIFA Club World Cup finalists have spent big on a number of eye-catching players already this summer, giving head coach Enzo Maresca the welcome headache of how to fit them all in.
The headline trio will all hope to earn starting berths, with Joao Pedro already proving himself in the Premier League, Delap enjoying a great 2024/25 season despite Ipswich Town’s relegation and Gittens arriving with lofty expectations.
Watch all of Delap's goals so far
Estevao has been hyped as one of Brazil’s greatest talents, while Sarr and Essugo will likely have to wait for their chance to prove themselves.
There is plenty to excite Chelsea supporters, who will feel the incomings are more than enough to compensate for a potential departure of Noni Madueke.
3. Sunderland
IN: Enzo Le Fee (Roma), Habib Diarra (Strasbourg), Noah Sadiki (Royale Union Saint-Gilloise), Reinildo (Atletico Madrid), Chemsdine Talbi (Club Brugge), Simon Adingra (Brighton).
OUT: Tom Watson (Brighton), Jobe Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund), Nathan Bishop (AFC Wimbledon).
First of all, the departures. In an ideal world, Bellingham would have stayed at the Stadium of Light, but the lure (for him) of a European heavyweight and (for the club) a reported big fee made his move to Dortmund inevitable. Likewise, they did not want Watson to go, but his switch to Brighton & Hove Albion was sealed early.
The first thing head coach Regis Le Bris did was ensure Le Fee stayed put after he played such an important role in their promotion.
Since then, Sunderland have spent large sums, most notably a reported club-record deal for former Strasbourg midfielder Diarra, who will be expected to replace Bellingham in the middle of the park.
Sadiki is another central midfielder, who is versatile positionally, while the flanks have been strengthened with Adingra and Talbi. Former Atletico Madrid left-back Reinildo reportedly came in for free.
4. Arsenal
IN: Kepa Arrizabalaga (Chelsea), Martin Zubimendi (Real Sociedad), Christian Norgaard (Brentford).
OUT: Kieran Tierney (Celtic), Jorginho (Flamengo), Nuno Tavares (Lazio), Marquinhos (Cruzeiro), Nathan Butler-Oyedeji (Lausanne), Thomas Partey (released), Takehiro Tomiyasu (released).
Three times in succession the Premier League runners-up, Arsenal know it should not require too much tinkering for them to ascend to the top step.
The departures of Jorginho and Partey has meant changes in the central midfield ranks, where Mikel Arteta has brought in long-term target Martin Zubimendi, who has the attributes to dictate games in a similar understated manner to Rodri at Manchester City. Norgaard is also a shrewd signing to swell the ranks.
A possible move for Madueke has divided many Arsenal fans, but the Chelsea man could flourish in a more regular system, while Kepa is the ideal back-up goalkeeper at a very low price.
That just leaves the big one: a new No 9. The arrival of Viktor Gyokeres or someone similar is deemed vital.
5. Burnley
IN: Marcus Edwards (Sporting), Jaidon Anthony (AFC Bournemouth), Bashir Humphreys (Chelsea), Zian Flemming (Millwall), Max Weiss (Karlsruhe), Quilindschy Hartman (Feyenoord), Axel Tuanzebe (Ipswich), Loum Tchaouna (Lazio), Kyle Walker (Manchester City).
OUT: CJ Egan-Riley (Marseille), Josh Brownhill (released), Jonjo Shelvey (released), Nathan Redmond (released), Dara Costelloe (Wigan).
Having set all sorts of defensive records in gaining promotion from the Championship last season, Burnley have embarked on a considered strengthening mission to ensure they are prepared for life in the Premier League.
Much of that has focused at the back, where they have compensated for the departure of centre-back Egan-Riley – who chose not to sign a new deal – and the potential loss of goalkeeper James Trafford, with the signings of Humphreys, Weiss, Hartman, Tuanzebe and Walker.
Watch the best of Walker
They have also brought in attacking talents Edwards – who played the latter half of the 2024/25 campaign at Turf Moor – and young Frenchman Tchaouna.
It all looks like the type of business that needs to be done by a promoted side looking to stay in the Premier League.
6. Manchester City
IN: Rayan Ait-Nouri (Wolves), Rayan Cherki (Lyon), Marcus Bettinelli (Chelsea), Tijani Reijnders (AC Milan).
OUT: Kevin De Bruyne (Napoli), Yan Couto (Borussia Dortmund), Jacob Wright (Norwich City), Scott Carson (released), Kayky (FC Bahia), Kyle Walker (Burnley).
Changes were required after the disappointment of failing to mount a title charge last season, and Man City have gone to work early with reinforcements.
De Bruyne was not the only person to be a little surprised when the club opted against offering him a new deal, but manager Pep Guardiola is looking to begin a new era.
Box-to-box midfielder Reijnders should complement Rodri in the middle of the pitch, while Cherki arrives as one of the most exciting, skilful young players in European football.
The addition of Ait-Nouri looks a great signing, after the Algerian shone for Wolverhampton Wanderers last season.
The club also reportedly banked a nice amount for Couto, a player who never made a first-team appearance for City.
7. Spurs
IN: Kevin Danso (Lens), Luka Vuskovic (Westerlo), Mathys Tel (Bayern Munich), Kota Takai (Kawasaki Frontale), Mohammed Kudus (West Ham).
OUT: Pierre-Emile Højbjerg (Marseille), Sergio Reguilon (released), Fraser Forster (released), Alfie Whiteman (released), Jaden Williams (Colchester).
Tottenham Hotspur’s earliest business saw them make the loan signings of Danso and Tel permanent. Neither were particularly cheap, but the price may yet prove a bargain for a player in Tel, who has a lot of potential. Danso has also already shown how useful he will be as Spurs look to juggle multiple competitions.
The biggest new signing is Kudus from West Ham United. The Ghanaian has an abundance of ability, which was evident in his first season in east London, albeit somewhat lacking in a difficult second year for most at the club. If Spurs can unlock his best, they will have a lethal player on their hands.
The club are known to be interested in Nottingham Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White, which would be an excellent addition if they manage to complete any deal for the England midfielder, moving them up this list.
8. Brighton
IN: Tom Watson (Sunderland), Do-young Yun (Daejeon Hana Citizen), Charalampos Kostoulas (Olympiacos), Diego Coppola (Hellas Verona), Olivier Boscagli (PSV Eindhoven), Maxim De Cuyper (Club Brugge).
OUT: Killian Cahill (Leyton Orient), Joao Pedro (Chelsea), Valentin Barco (Strasbourg), Odeluga Offiah (Preston), Simon Adingra (Sunderland).
How can Brighton feature in this list during a window that has seen the departure of arguably their best player in Joao Pedro? Well, put simply, that is what they do.
In recent years, Brighton have been no stranger to losing top talent for large sums of money, but they have repeatedly made shrewd signings to replace them and continued to push for European football.
Much of the reported hefty fee Chelsea paid for the Brazilian has already been invested, with a usual focus on young talent. Greek 18-year-old Kostoulas comes highly rated, while defenders Coppola and De Cuyper have international experience, and Watson scored the goal that earned Sunderland promotion to the Premier League.
The rest
Most Manchester United fans would suggest multiple changes are required after their worst season of the Premier League era. So far, head coach Ruben Amorim’s only big-name signing is Matheus Cunha, from Wolves, although they have been linked with Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo.
The Cameroonian’s departure would be tough on a club that has already lost a manager (Thomas Frank) and captain (Norgaard), with Yoane Wissa also linked with a potential move away.
The arrival of Anthony Elanga at Newcastle United looks to be an excellent move that will unite him with his Sweden team-mate Alexander Isak.
Crystal Palace will do well to keep Eberechi Eze and Marc Guehi, while various clubs have been extremely quiet so far, including the likes of Aston Villa, Fulham, Everton and West Ham.