Chambuabet takes a look into each Premier League club and the contract decisions they will have to make next summer; Liverpool at risk of losing star trio Mo Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Arsenal
Mikel Arteta is focused on Arsenal’s midfield, with Thomas Partey and Jorginho nearing the end of their contracts. The signing of Mikel Merino from Real Sociedad for £31.6 million adds more competition in midfield, so decisions will need to be made about Partey and Jorginho’s futures. Meanwhile, Raheem Sterling, who joined from Chelsea on Deadline Day without a requirement to buy him, has until the end of the season to prove himself in North London.
Aston Villa
Although Kortney Hause and Robin Olsen’s contracts ending next summer aren’t a top priority for Aston Villa, the club is already thinking ahead to the summer of 2026. High-earning players like Emi Buendia, Tyrone Mings, Diego Carlos, and Lucas Digne could see their market value drop significantly if Villa waits until the final year of their contracts to sell them, so the club might consider selling them earlier if they want to get a good return.
Bournemouth
Adam Smith, 33, marks the lone contract decision the Cherries will have to make ahead of the summer. Smith will have been at the club for more than a decade once this deal expires and continues to feature in Andoni Iraola’s plans, with his latest outing arriving off the bench during the 3-2 win against Everton.
Brentford
Despite the transfer saga involving Ivan Toney finally coming to an end, Thomas Frank must continue to think about outgoings within his squad with Christian Norgaard, Josh Dasilva and Ben Mee all currently heading for the exit door as things stand.
Brighton & Hove Albion
Defender Joel Veltman, who was part of the incident that led to Declan Rice’s red card at the Emirates, is likely to be a priority for contract talks with Fabian Hurzeler’s team. Meanwhile, the club’s management will soon need to make a decision about Tariq Lamptey’s future, as he only made 13 Premier League starts last season.
Chelsea
Expiring contracts aren’t a problem at Chelsea because the club is offering long-term deals, like the recent nine-year contracts for Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson. Also, Chelsea is expected to make Jadon Sancho’s loan move from Manchester United permanent if they finish in the top 14 of the Premier League this season.
Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace could be busy with contract negotiations soon. Tyrick Mitchell’s contract ends this summer, but the club also needs to focus on Marc Guehi and Eberechi Eze, who have two and three years left on their deals, which could attract interest from other clubs. Newcastle United almost signed Guehi, so extending their contracts will be important to avoid similar situations in the future.
Everton
While other teams might worry about contracts running down, Everton could use it as an opportunity to refresh their squad, which they might need. Players like Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Abdoulaye Doucoure, Michael Keane, Idrissa Gueye, Joao Virginia, Ashley Young, Seamus Coleman, and Asmir Begovic could all be leaving the club.
Fulham
Adama Traore’s start to the 2024/25 season, with one goal and one assist across his two games, could prompt Fulham to trigger the one-year extension option that was inserted into his deal when he first arrived at Craven Cottage in 2023.Forward Raul Jimenez and Carlos Vinicius also hold similar options in their deals.
Ipswich Town
It’s been a busy few months of recruitment for the Tractor Boys following their promotion to the Premier League and they might not be done there, with nine first-team players currently out of contract at the end of the 2024/25 campaign.
This includes the expiring loan deals of midfield duo Kalvin Phillips and Jens Cajuste, although the latter will reportedly be converted to a permanent deal if certain conditions are met.
Leicester City
Jamie Vardy, who is nearing his 38th birthday, has shown he’s still very important to his team. He returned early from an injury when they had no other strikers and scored a key equalizer in their Premier League opener against Tottenham. It’s clear he still plays a crucial role, so it might be a good idea to talk about new contract terms and possibly a coaching role for him in the future.
Liverpool
There was a lot of focus on Liverpool’s transfer activity—or lack of it—this summer, but what happens with the team’s current players is now even more important. Key players Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk, and Trent Alexander-Arnold all have contracts expiring soon. Salah has said that this might be his last year at Anfield and that no one has talked to him about a new deal, but the club is reportedly looking to start contract talks with him. Van Dijk, on the other hand, has stated that he is “calm” about his contract situation despite no recent changes.
Manchester City
Manchester City’s main focus is likely on the futures of midfielders Kevin De Bruyne and Ilkay Gundogan. Gundogan recently signed a one-year deal to return to the Etihad Stadium, while the only other expiring contract belongs to veteran goalkeeper Scott Carson. De Bruyne was rumored to be moving to Saudi Arabia but remains calm about his future. He mentioned that he will discuss his next steps with the club in the coming months and has never said he wants to leave, although he noted that if a good offer comes and he wants to leave, it would be possible to discuss it with Pep Guardiola.
Manchester United
Like many other clubs, Manchester United’s current contract situation could give new minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe a chance to reshape the squad. Harry Maguire, Christian Eriksen, Victor Lindelof, Jonny Evans, Tom Heaton, and Amad Diallo all have contracts that are up for renewal. Of these, Diallo and Maguire are the most likely to stay, as their contracts include options to extend for another year.
Newcastle United
Eddie Howe’s side must find the fine balance of making room for further investment in the squad and keeping vital players that add both depth as well as quality.Sean Longstaff. Callum Wilson, Fabian Schar, Dan Burn, Jamaal Lascelles, Emil Krafth and Martin Dubravka are all players that have played a role in the success of the club in recent years and could all walk away for free if fresh terms aren’t agreed.
Nottingham Forest
Nuno Espirito Santo will likely want to keep defenders Willy Boly and Ola Aina at the City Ground, while the option to purchase loan signing Alex Moreno from Aston Villa will allow the club to assess his impact in the east Midlands.No such clause was inserted into the move West Ham’s James Ward-Prowse.
Southampton
The Saints will need to avoid relegation from the Premier League before focusing on the futures of players such as Jan Bednarek, Kyle Walker-Peters and Adam Lallana.Their individual roles in a potential survival run could prove pivotal in contract decisions at St Mary’s.
Tottenham Hotspur
All eyes will be on any developments with Heung-min Son’s contract, with the club reportedly set to trigger a one-year extension on his deal. He’s only grown in importance since Harry Kane departed the club and Ange Postecoglou can’t afford to lose another captain of the team.
West Ham United
Long-term servants Michail Antonio, Aaron Cresswell, Lukasz Fabianski and Vladirmir Coufal could be approaching the end of their times at the club, while it’s fair to suggest Danny Ings’ time in east London has not worked out.Whether or not new boss Julen Lopetegui will keep some of these familiar faces around, after all being involved in some capacity during the early stages of the season, remains to be seen.
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolves ultimately have flexibility within the next 12 months. The deals for Jorgen Strand Larsen and Carlos Forbs both include options to make them permanent if conditions are met, while newly-appointed captain Mario Lemina also holds an option to extend his stay by a further year. Decisions will need to be made on merit for Pablo Sarabia, Craig Dawson, Daniel Bentley and Nelson Semedo depending on their impact this season.
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