The countdown to the 2025/26 Premier League season has begun, and clubs across the division are in vastly different states of club preparedness. From strategic football transfers to concerning pre-season struggles, the landscape is already taking shape, hinting at an unpredictable campaign ahead. This analysis provides a comprehensive team ranking of all 20 Premier League teams by their current readiness, revealing who is cruising and who faces significant challenges.
Leading the pack in terms of preparedness and ambition, Liverpool appears to have navigated the pre-season transfer window with exceptional foresight. Bolstering their squad with high-profile additions like Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong, and Milos Kerkez, they’ve also secured key Bundesliga talents, demonstrating a strategic approach to strengthen an already title-winning side. This proactive transfer strategy, weeks before the Premier League season kicks off, positions them as formidable contenders once more, signaling their strong club preparedness.
Other top clubs have also made astute moves in the football transfers market. Chelsea’s transfer activity, though significant, has been characterized by meticulous planning and a ruthless efficiency, securing promising young talents such as Joao Pedro, Liam Delap, and Estevao, enhancing their title credentials. Manchester City, always efficient, completed much of their business early, bringing in Tijjani Reijnders, Rayan Ait-Nouri, and Rayan Cherki. Brighton, too, has impressed with early defensive reinforcements like Diego Coppola and Olivier Boscagli, suggesting they will continue to punch above their weight in the upcoming EPL Season Preview.
Several teams show promising signs of improvement and readiness, a testament to effective club preparedness. Arsenal, while having invested heavily, faces the ultimate test of delivering tangible success under Arteta, as pressure mounts for results. Brentford, despite losing key personnel, has made decent additions. Newly-promoted Sunderland and Leeds United have conducted impressive football transfers for their standing, with Sunderland securing a Champions League-caliber midfielder, while Nottingham Forest successfully retained their core players, crucial for their continued Premier League presence. Tottenham, addressing depth issues, seems well-prepared for their Europa League commitments.
However, not all clubs are enjoying a smooth run-up to the new campaign. Fulham, with only a backup goalkeeper signed so far, urgently needs attacking reinforcements, particularly a wide forward, to meet their aspirations for a deep cup run or European push, highlighting a lack of club preparedness. Crystal Palace faces significant internal challenges, with concerns over unfulfilled transfer promises from the board and uncertainty surrounding manager Oliver Glasner’s future, impacting their pre-season preparation and squad depth. The Eagles’ reluctance to reinforce raises questions about their immediate competitive edge in the Premier League.
Further down the spectrum of readiness, Bournemouth, despite lucrative player sales, struggles to secure necessary defensive signings, specifically two centre-backs, and needs a loan striker due to injury concerns, impacting their team ranking. Wolves are grappling with a concerning lack of squad quality following key departures like Matheus Cunha, leading to fan frustration and a palpable threat of relegation. These clubs appear to be heading into the season with significant gaps in their squads, a subject of much soccer news.
Aston Villa and Everton find themselves in surprisingly difficult positions regarding their club preparedness. Everton is heavily constrained by Profit and Sustainability rules, necessitating significant sales and limiting their ability to strengthen a squad that requires multiple additions across defense, midfield, and attack. Aston Villa, once eyeing Champions League football, now faces the daunting prospect of their squad being dismantled, with key loan players gone and a reliance on a long-term injured player for positive news. The financial pressures and squad imbalances are palpable for both ahead of the Premier League kick-off.
The most precarious situations appear to be at Brentford and Newcastle, significantly impacting their potential team ranking. Brentford’s loss of manager Thomas Frank, coupled with the departures of key players like Christian Norgaard and Bryan Mbeumo, casts a giant shadow over their readiness, making the appointment of a rookie head coach incredibly risky. Newcastle, despite its resources, is in baffling disarray just weeks before kick-off, facing unanswered questions about their strategic direction and an unsettling timing for such internal issues, putting them in a highly vulnerable position for the start of the Premier League season. This varied landscape promises a dramatic EPL Season Preview.
