Football365.com : Premiership To Do List

ARSENAL: Arsene Wenger talks of needing "one more body" and that body is almost certain to come in central midfield (after Gilberto Silva and Mathieu Flamini exits) with Miguel Veloso and Gokhan Inler two of the names being mentioned. Unfortunately for fans, the spending will probably stop there - with no big, bustling centre-half likely to be signed.


ASTON VILLA: They need bodies fast - particularly in both full-back positions and at right midfield. Nicky Shorey is one name being mentioned for the left-back spot but it looks like they have failed in moves for both Steve Finnan and David Bentley in their two other problem positions. Another move for James Milner may follow.


BLACKBURN: The "absolute priority at the moment is a holding midfield player" according to Blackburn chairman John Williams, with Paul Ince seemingly unimpressed with Tugay, Aaron Mokoena or Johann Vogel. Should David Bentley join Tottenham as expected, their "absolute priority" could very quickly become a right-sided midfielder. Repeat with Roque Santa Cruz and 'striker' if required.


BOLTON: Although significant money has been spent on Johann Elmander and Fabrice Muamba, Gary Megson still wants a replacement for Nic Anelka, especially with El-Hadji Diouf also exiting the club. Defensively they're relatively sound after the January signings of Matt Taylor and Gary Cahill, and Mustapha Riga will fill a gap on the wing. So the emphasis has to be on a mobile striker - don't be surprised to see Milan Baros turn up at the Reebok.


CHELSEA: There seems to be a suggestion that with Real Madrid refusing to play ball over Robinho, Chelsea's spending for the summer (on Jose Bosingwa and Deco) is now over, with Shaun Wright-Phillips earning something of a reprieve as a by-product. This is assuming of course that Didier Drogba really is intent on staying put.


EVERTON: Never one to spend money lightly, David Moyes has been quiet even by his own standards this summer with a grand total of no incoming transfers. They have been chasing Joao Moutinho seemingly forever but other links with central midfielders - namely Michael Johnson and Tom Huddlestone - appear to have come to nothing. Don't ever expect much movement from Moyes but surely we should expect something (anything) soon? He needs striking cover for Yakubu, a creative midfielder to take the pressure off Mikel Arteta, a holding midfielder and a right-back. Two of the above would be welcomed by Toffees.


FULHAM: Roy Hodgson wanted numbers in at Fulham and he has certainly delivered that - seven players in so far with one (Andrew Johnson) soon to follow. There is more talk of another move for Mario Gomez, but surely the coffers don't stretch that far. With or without Gomez, Hodgson seems to have done enough to avoid a relegation battle.


HULL CITY: Seven names in (with George Boateng, Bernard Mendy and Geovanni the pick) but the big question is still 'where will the goals come from?' At this moment in time, Dean Windass could well partner Caleb Folan in a first-choice striker partnership, and that won't even scare the Stoke defence, never mind Chelsea. They're being linked with Marlon King and Colin Kazim-Kazim-Kazim though, so things are unlikely to get a great deal better any time soon.


LIVERPOOL: The Reds have shed half a team of fringe players but still haven't got enough money to buy Gareth Barry, who seems their only real transfer target after the arrivals of Philipp Degen, Andrea Dossena, Diego Cavalieri and Robbie Keane. But unless they can find a buyer for Xabi Alonso, the revolving door may be held still until January.


MANCHESTER CITY: Jo has been Manchester City's only buy so far this summer and there must be striker-shaped alarm bells ringing with the Brazilian going for Olympic duty and Benjani currently sidelined through injury. Darius Vassell and Felipe Caicedo are two of very few options in that department. Tal Ben Haim is likely to arrive and shore up the defence but Mark Hughes has admitted that he still needs an experienced keeper (Antti Niemi) to give Joe Hart some competition. Otherwise, it's just a case of getting in numbers, preferably of Premier League-attuned players.


MANCHESTER UNITED: The big money was spent last summer - this year is all about getting one experienced striker. It could be Dimitar Berbatov, it could be Roque Santa Cruz, it could be Roman Pavlyuchenko. If none of those arrive, expect Wayne Rooney to be encouraged to play a more central role.


MIDDLESBROUGH: Gareth Southgate claims he would be happy to start the season with his current squad, but he would certainly be happier if he could bring in more central midfielders - having lost Fabio Rochemback, Lee Cattermole, George Boateng and Gaizka Mendieta this summer. Didier Digard has arrived but they certainly look short of at least one more player, with James Harper among those linked.


NEWCASTLE UNITED: Once again it's all about defenders at Newcastle, with Fabricio Coloccini the principal target as they desperately need an experienced leader in central defence. They also need cover at right-back after the release of Stephen Carr and links with Luka Modric and Eidur Gudjohnsen suggest that they are also keen on a playmaker, having had to play Michael Owen in an unfamiliar withdrawn role last season. But all is quiet so far as the mental wages of the Shepherd era are a thing of the past.


PORTSMOUTH: 'Arry Redknapp is playing the 'bare bones' card already, despite having a bigger squad than last season after the arrivals of Peter Crouch, Ben Sahar and Glen Little, with only Sulley Muntari out of the door. He says he needs three players and those are likely to be at centre-half (Younes Kaboul looks favourite), left-back and right midfield. But fringe players like Noe Pamarot, Sean Davis and David Nugent will have to be moved on first.


STOKE CITY: They need quality and fast. Dave Kitson is a decent signing but promoted teams survive in the Premier League when they have got pace (as individuals and as a collective) - the Potters are hardly blessed in that department. They're hardly blessed in any department apart from height, and unless they make a lot of decent signings (very difficult for a promoted team) they are looking eerily like Watford - difficult to beat but ultimately short on quality.


SUNDERLAND: Roy Keane has made five signings (three of them proven Premier League players) and Steed Malbranque is on his way. Having learned a lesson from buying Championship players and seeing them come up short, Keane is shopping from the top flight and he's unlikely to have finished yet - expect another central midfielder, a winger and a striker to make the move to the Stadium of Light.


TOTTENHAM: The signings of Giovani Dos Santos and Luka Modric (and the imminent arrival of David Bentley and interest in Andrei Arshavin) suggest a change of formation to a 4-2-3-1 and Spurs need more players to fill the '2' part of that equation as well as centre-half cover for the oft-broken duo of Jonathan Woodgate and Ledley King and probably another striker, whether Dimitar Berbatov goes or not. It's been a busy summer already but there is certainly more to come.


WEST BROM: There's still a lot of work to be done this summer for the Baggies. Centre-halves are obviously the priority - with Madjid Bougherra and Abdoulaye Meite the current favourites - but Tony Mowbray is also thought to be interested in at least one central midfielder and two strikers, having lost Kevin Phillips and Zoltan Gera this summer. Just like Stoke and Hull, the Baggies are discovering that finding goalscorers is a nigh-impossible task for Premier League newcomers.


WEST HAM: Whether there's actually any money to spend at West Ham is questionable - with an unproven Icelandic defender and a Swiss utility man the only signings thus far - and they may have to go for the 'returning players like Craig Bellamy, Julian Faubert and Scott Parker are like new signings' tack. They could certainly do with a striker after the exit of Bobby Zamora and cover in both full-back positions. But will Alan Curbishley get the money?


WIGAN: Steve Bruce says he's finished spending - which is nice for him - having bought a fair few midfielders and a new striker in Amr Zaki to play alongside Emile Heskey. As long as Paul Scharner stays, the chequebook is closed.


Sarah Winterburn