{"id":1476386,"date":"2026-07-30T14:30:00","date_gmt":"2026-07-30T13:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/?post_type=features&p=1476386"},"modified":"2026-07-30T11:35:00","modified_gmt":"2026-07-30T10:35:00","slug":"ai-picks-one-signing-for-every-2026-27-premier-league-club","status":"publish","type":"features","link":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/ai-picks-one-signing-for-every-2026-27-premier-league-club\/","title":{"rendered":"One transfer every Premier League club should make for the 2026\/27 season according to AI"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

We asked AI to recommend one transfer every Premier League<\/a> club should make this summer. The decisions were based on squad need, tactical fit, likely availability, and whether the deal actually makes some sort of footballing sense.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Arsenal: Antonio Nusa<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Arsenal<\/a>\u2019s attack has reached the point where it is no longer enough to simply have excellent starters. Mikel Arteta needs more players who can change the shape of a game from different zones, especially with Leandro Trossard\u2019s departure removing one of the squad\u2019s more useful connectors. Trossard was never the flashiest part of Arsenal\u2019s forward line, but his ability to drift inside, combine quickly and cover multiple roles made him extremely valuable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Antonio Nusa would give Arsenal a younger, more explosive version of that multi-zone profile. He can play from the left, attack inside channels, carry through pressure and operate as more than a touchline winger. With Sky Sports reporting that Vinicius Junior is likely to stay at the Bernabeu this summer, Nusa fits the more realistic Arsenal lane: high upside, technically secure, positionally flexible and still young enough to be shaped into exactly what Arteta wants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Aston Villa: Oscar Gloukh<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Aston Villa<\/a>\u2019s issue is not just replacing individual talent, it is restoring creative balance. Losing the kind of influence previously provided by Morgan Rogers and Youri Tielemans leaves Unai Emery needing a midfielder who can receive between the lines, connect with the forward players and add imagination without turning the middle of the pitch into a luxury showroom. Villa already have structure. They need someone who can bend it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oscar Gloukh makes sense because he sits neatly between a No.8 and No.10. He can take the ball on the half-turn, combine around the box and add final-third invention alongside a more vertical midfield profile like Johan Manzambi. Villa can offer him a clear developmental step, European-level ambition and a tactical environment where creative midfielders are not just tolerated but actively weaponised. He would not be a like-for-like replacement for anyone, but that is the point. He gives Villa a different kind of lock-pick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bournemouth: Soumaila Coulibaly<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Marcos Senesi’s departure has made a left-sided centre-back the obvious lane for Bournemouth<\/a>. Marco Rose\u2019s side need defenders who can handle space, defend aggressively and still contribute in possession, which narrows the field quickly. That being said, Bournemouth have built well by finding players just before the rest of the league fully wakes up to them, so the task isn’t insurmountable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Soumaila Coulibaly fits that recruitment logic. He is left-footed, mobile, physically well-equipped and still young enough to develop into a serious Premier League defender. His Bundesliga<\/a> and France-developed background also feels like the type of market Bournemouth could realistically get into a room for, rather than a deal that requires Champions League<\/a> football and a suitcase full of optimism. Coulibaly offers the blend of size, athleticism and upside needed to keep Bournemouth\u2019s back line functioning in Rose’s high-energy system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brentford: Oumar Solet<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Brentford<\/a> have rarely been sentimental in the market, and this feels like another summer where they need to refresh the spine with a bit of physical authority. A centre-back who can lead, dominate duels and recover space would help stabilise a side that can occasionally look stretched when games become transitional. Brentford do not necessarily need the most fashionable defender available. They need one who makes opposition forwards have a more irritating afternoon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oumar Solet would bring the size, athleticism and duelling power that Brentford could use at the heart of their defence. At his best, he looks like exactly the sort of defender who can step into Premier League football and give a back line more bite. The obvious checks are fitness and consistency, because Brentford are not in the business of paying for theoretical dominance. But if those boxes are ticked, Solet\u2019s age profile and physical tools make him a strong fit for a club that usually enjoys finding value where others see a small warning label.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brighton: Emmanuel Emegha<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Brighton and Hove Albion<\/a>\u2019s recruitment machine normally finds solutions before most people have spotted the problem, but centre-forward remains a slightly awkward area. Evan Ferguson\u2019s development has not been entirely smooth, Danny Welbeck’s switch to Chelsea is imminent and Brighton still look like they could use a proper central reference point. Not a static target man, but a striker who gives them height, depth-running and penalty-box presence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Emmanuel Emegha fits that mould. He has the physical upside Brighton tend to like, but also the mobility to run channels and stretch teams in a way that opens space for their technical players underneath. If Chelsea are willing to listen to offers despite him only joining last September, Brighton should at least be asking the question. It would be a very Brighton move: take a player whose pathway looks blocked elsewhere, give him tactical clarity and watch everyone pretend they knew it was obvious all along.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chelsea: Castello Lukeba<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Marc Cucurella’s transfer to Real Madrid<\/a> leaves Chelsea<\/a> short at left-back. The sale removes one of their more useful left-sided defensive profiles, especially in games where the full-back role becomes part defender, part build-up player and part emergency centre-back. Chelsea could chase another pure left-back, but a left-sided centre-back who can cover the channel may actually make more sense for a squad that still needs defensive balance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Castello Lukeba is ambitious, particularly without European football, but the fit is clear. He is a natural left-sided centre-back with the mobility to defend wider spaces, the composure to help in build-up and enough physical quality to develop into a long-term pillar. Chelsea can offer Premier League money, a clearer route to starts than some Champions League clubs and the familiar \u201cproject\u201d sell, which sounds less silly when the player is actually good. It would be expensive, but at least it would be expensive with logic attached.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\n \n \n \n <\/stop>\n <\/stop>\n <\/linearGradient>\n <\/defs>\n <\/rect>\n <\/svg>\n \n \n \n \n <\/path>\n \n <\/path>\n \n <\/path>\n <\/pattern>\n <\/defs>\n \n <\/rect>\n <\/svg>\n
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\n \"RB\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Castello Lukeba <\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \n Defender <\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Squawka<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
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\n
\n Team<\/span>\n RB Leipzig<\/span>\n <\/div>\n
\n Season<\/span>\n Bundesliga 2025\/2026<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n Games<\/span>\n 26<\/span>\n <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n Minutes<\/span>\n 2177<\/span>\n <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n Goals<\/span>\n 1<\/span>\n <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n Passes Completed<\/span>\n 1550<\/span>\n <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n Passing Accuracy %<\/span>\n 90.17<\/span>\n <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n Long Passes Completed<\/span>\n 57<\/span>\n <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n Forward Passes<\/span>\n 493<\/span>\n <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n Fouls<\/span>\n 11<\/span>\n <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n Clearances<\/span>\n 124<\/span>\n <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n Interceptions<\/span>\n 30<\/span>\n <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n Yellow Cards<\/span>\n 3<\/span>\n <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\t\t\t
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\n \n \n \n <\/stop>\n <\/stop>\n <\/linearGradient>\n <\/defs>\n <\/rect>\n <\/svg>\n \n \n \n \n <\/path>\n \n <\/path>\n \n <\/path>\n <\/pattern>\n <\/defs>\n \n <\/rect>\n <\/svg>\n
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\n \"Chelsea\"\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Marc Cucurella <\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \n Attacker <\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Squawka<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
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\n Team<\/span>\n Chelsea<\/span>\n <\/div>\n
\n Season<\/span>\n Premier League 2025\/2026<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n Games<\/span>\n 34<\/span>\n <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n Minutes<\/span>\n 2710<\/span>\n <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n Goals<\/span>\n 1<\/span>\n <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n Passes Completed<\/span>\n 1266<\/span>\n <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n Passing Accuracy %<\/span>\n 87.73<\/span>\n <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n Long Passes Completed<\/span>\n 43<\/span>\n <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n Forward Passes<\/span>\n 469<\/span>\n <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n Fouls<\/span>\n 45<\/span>\n <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n Clearances<\/span>\n 88<\/span>\n <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n Interceptions<\/span>\n 32<\/span>\n <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n Yellow Cards<\/span>\n 8<\/span>\n <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\t\t\t <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
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\n Data provided by<\/span>\n \"Opta\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\t
\n \n\t\t\t\t Go to Comparison Matrix <\/a>\n <\/div>\n\t\t <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n