Premier League Draft: One player each club could sign this summer as NFL Draft extravaganza begins

Joshua Kimmich, Caleb Williams, Terrion Arnold, Santiago Gimenez

As the NFL prepares for one of their biggest events of the year, TEAMtalk thought it would try and replicate their draft for Premier League clubs albeit in a different fashion to our friends from across the pond.

The NFL draft is a huge event lasting three days that sees all 32 clubs pick up the best players from the college system and is the most common source of player recruitment in the National Football League.

Each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order relative to its record in the previous year, which means that the last-place team is positioned first and the Super Bowl champion is last – in this case the Kansas City Chiefs.

The best players are typically picked on Day One, with rounds two to three taking place on Friday and rounds four through seven on Saturday.

And while that format is completely different to how football in England works, we thought a variation on a theme would be interesting and have looked a one perfect player each current Premier League club could sign this summer.

This is also based on the current table going from bottom to top, as they do in the NFL draft, to at least have some familiarity.

So here we go, a Premier League Draft (of sorts) to match events in the US over Thursday night in particular…

20th – Sheffield United

At this stage the Blades are all but down so their main focus will be on trying to keep their top stars with a keen eye on the free-agent market.

One player who has been heavily linked with a switch across Yorkshire is veteran Leeds defender Luke Ayling, with the 32-year-old out of contract this summer.

Given his Premier League and Championship experience, Ayling would be a perfect fit for a Sheffield United side looking to bounce straight back.

19th – Burnley

Signing a new left-back will be one of the main things on the agenda for whoever is in charge of the Clarets next season, given rumours Vincent Kompany could move on if Burnley go down.

Former loanee Ian Maatsen would have been an option if Premier League safety is secured but he looks more likely to join current club Borussia Dortmund on a permanent deal.

The Turf Moor outfit have been linked with the likes of Leicester City’s Luke Thomas and Luton’s Ryan Giles, but the former looks the best bet if the Foxes pass Burnley on their way back to the Premier League.

18th – Luton

Sammie Szmodics has been linked with a number of Premier League clubs

Once again, so much is dependent on whether the Hatters can stay in the division but top Blackburn star Sammie Szmodics has been heavily linked with a switch to Kenilworth Road, along with a number of other Premier League sides.

The Rovers attacking midfielder is one of the most consistent performers at Championship level and, at 28, is finally pushing for a Premier League switch.

He is the Championship’s top scorer this season with 25 goals in a struggling Blackburn side and would be the perfect fit for a lower-half Premier League side or a promotion-chasing second-tier club.

He would be a perfect replacement for the outstanding Ross Barkley if the former England man moves on this summer.

17th – Nottingham Forest

Forest will almost certainly need to be in the market for a replacement for Morgan Gibbs-White this summer, with the playmaker heavily tipped to join either Tottenham or Newcastle.

Club Brugge star Raphael Onyedika is a player who has been linked with a switch to the City Ground and, despite being viewed as more of a defensive midfielder, he does possess qualities to feature further forward.

Indeed, his game has drawn comparisons with former Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba.

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Centre-back change at Everton

16th – Everton

One of the players the Toffees cannot really afford to lose this summer but are likely to have part company with is top centre-back Jarrad Branthwaite.

Manchester United continue to be heavily linked with the 21-year-old and one player who is reportedly being lined up to replacement him is Hull City talent Jacob Greaves.

The 23-year-old has been an outstanding presence for a Hull side who still have an outside chance of reaching the Championship play-offs.

The 6ft 4in defender is an imposing presence who is composed in possession and reads the game well. In essence, he is a like-for-like Branthwaite replacement.

He won’t cost a fortune either, with Hull looking a figure in the region of £10million.

15th – Brentford

Sammie Szmodics is another player known to be on the Bees’ radar while they already have a deal in place to sign Brazilian striker Igor Thiago as Ivan Toney’s direct replacement this summer.

To that end the addition of another talented wide player could well be in the club’s thinking after TEAMtalk recently revealed Brentford’s interest in Real Betis winger Assane Diao.

The 18-year-old has been one of the breakout talents in LaLiga this season and is open to taking up an opportunity outside of Spain when the transfer window opens.

14th – Crystal Palace

Forest target Raphael Onyedika is also known to be on the radar of Palace as concerns continue to grow over the long-term futures of both Michael Olise and Eberechi Eze.

The likes of Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea and Tottenham are also been linked with the Palace pair, to name but a few.

Losing one would be bad enough but both would be a complete disaster in terms of the creativity of the side.

Onyedika could certainly fill part of that void if he played further forward than he currently does for Club Brugge.

13th – Fulham

It’s hard to look beyond Blackburn star Sammie Szmodics in terms of Cottagers targets this summer.

The 28-year-old has been heavily tipped to seal a move to Marco Silva’s men and 25 goals from an attacking midfield position cannot be sniffed at.

Add Szmodics to the ever-improving Rodrigo Muniz in Fulham’s attack and Silva will have a real one-two punch for next season.

12th – Wolves

Gary O’Neil’s men could be forced into the market for a new keeper this summer, given Jose Sa’s strong links to the Saudi Pro League.

Liverpool No.2 Caoimhin Kelleher has been mentioned as a potential potion, although the Reds are unlikely to want to do business given how well he performed in Alisson’s absence for a prolonged spell.

But one player who is desperate for a regular starting spot is Arsenal stopper Aaron Ramsdale after he was dropped for David Raya at the start of the campaign.

The England stopper has also been linked with Chelsea but would be a guaranteed starter at Molineux, and a quality one at that.

11th – Brighton

As we exclusively revealed this week, the Seagulls are firmly in the market for a new winger and are keen on top Real Betis talent Assane Diao.

The teenage forward has scored six goals in 33 games for the LaLiga outfit this season and is regarded as one of the top young talents in Spanish football.

And, given Brighton’s masterclass at attracting quality performers who are not necessarily names, Diao could be another to add to that list.

10th – Bournemouth

The Cherries are another club renowned for using a top scouting network to attract bargain signings to the south coast.

That could happen again with the addition of versatile Sunderland defender Trai Hume, who is also being watched by the likes of Aston Villa and Italian side Napoli.

The 22-year-old right-back, who can also operate on the left or centrally, has made 45 appearances for the Black Cats in all competitions this season.

Hume is currently valued in the region of around £4m but will almost certainly cost more than that given his performance levels for Sunderland this season. Not bad for a player the Blac Cats forked out £150,000 for from Linfield in January 2022.

New striker to lead Chelsea frontline

9th – Chelsea

Where do you start with a Chelsea side who will have to offload players first before they can bring anyone in due to PSR rules.

However, they surely need another striker to provide competition for Nicholas Jackson and the injury-prone Christopher Nkunku, with Lille star Jonathan David the perfect fit for a team that is highly unlikely to be able to provide European football next season.

Much cheaper than previous top target Victor Osimhen, David has notched 17 goals in 24 Ligue 1 appearances this season – second in the charts to none other than Kylian Mbappe.

Canada international David would cost in the region of £52m, although the Blues will probably have to part company with the likes of Conor Gallagher, Raheem Sterling and potentially Reece James first before Todd Boehly flashes his cash again.

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8th – West Ham

Much of West Ham’s business this summer will depend on who is in charge at the London Stadium next term.

It looks increasingly likely that David Moyes will be on his way, with Sporting boss Ruben Amorim reported to be firmly in the running for the role.

Defence and the forward line are likely to be the main focal point for whoever comes in, with a new striker the most likely addition.

Sporting star Viktor Gyokeres will almost certainly be out of their price range but Brentford’s Ivan Toney could cost in the region of £40m now and is also in the mix for the Hammers.

What’s more, interest from other clubs seems to be fading a little for the England man, who has scored four goals in 13 games since his return from an FA ban.

Pairing Toney up with Jarrod Bowen at the London Stadium could jettison West Ham to new heights, especially if the’re able to get Amorim on board too.

7th – Newcastle

It’s no secret that Eddie Howe wants to get another top centre-back on board this summer, especially given the multitude of injuries Newcastle have suffered throughout the campaign.

Ousmane Diomande in action for Sporting

Step forward Sporting defender Ousmane Diomande, who continues to be heavily linked with a switch to the Premier League.

The Sporting star, who has also been linked with Liverpool, will not come cheap though and has a £69m release clause in his current contract.

The issue for Newcastle is that if he does leave, Diomande could end up wherever his current boss Ruben Amorim is coaching next season. West Ham are currently known to have held talks with the Portuguese, who has previously been linked with Liverpool.

6th – Man Utd

Once again, much will depend on who is in charge of United beyond the summer but there are certainly plenty of needs at Old Trafford.

At least one new centre-back is on the agenda, along with potentially another left-back addition a new central midfielder and a striker to take the heat off Rasmus Hojlund.

But we think that finding the perfect partner for Kobbie Mainoo could be key to taking the United youngster’s already impressive game to the next level.

Versatile Bayern Munich star Joshua Kimmich is a name that immediately springs to mind given his recent links to Old Trafford.

The Germany international is a class act in midfield but can also play right-back, which could be beneficial if United decide to cash in on Aaron Wan-Bissaka this summer.

Position-flex is something that is huge in the NFL and we are looking at Kimmch for United for that very reason.

Tottenham find new midfield enforcer

5th – Tottenham

Landing a new striker is the obvious answer here, with the likes of Ivan Toney, Ollie Watkins and Dominic Solanke all linked with moves to north London.

However, we firmly believe that Ange Postecoglou is in desperate need of a player who can dominate in the middle of the park and that’s where Atalanta star Ederson Silva comes in.

Tottenham have been heavily linked with the Brazilian defensive midfielder, who was outstanding on his last appearance in England when the Italian outfit won 3-0 at Liverpool in the Europa League.

Ederson has all the tools to be a superstar in the Premier League and would be a perfect fit into Postecoglou’s system.

4th – Aston Villa

Judging by recent reports, Villa are keen on a move for a new attacking midfielder and are eyeing Sporting Lisbon star Pedro Goncalves for a big-money switch to Villa Park.

With Unai Emery this week committing his future to the club until 2027, planning can start on bolstering the Spaniard’s squad for the summer.

President of Football Operations Monchi has already made a big mark with his signings at Villa Park and Goncalves could be another superb addition.

The 25-year-old has notched 18 goals and 16 assists in 44 games in all competitions for Sporting this season. But top quality comes at a cost, with Goncalves’ release clause currently sitting at £69m.

DEEP DIVE: Next Liverpool manager: Five players Arne Slot could target from Feyenoord

3rd – Liverpool

If, as seems increasingly likely, Arne Slot become the club’s replacement for Jurgen Klopp then the addition of prolific Feyenoord frontman Santiago Gimenez makes more and more sense.

Liverpool’s profligacy in attack in the closing stages of the season could end up being the main thing that stops Klopp bowing out with his second Premier League title.

Darwin Nunez continues to wow and exasperate in equal measures while Mexican Gimenez is arguably more clinical in front of goal.

Indeed, Gimenez has scored 24 goals in 40 games in all competitions this season.

However, there is the caveat that strikers coming from Holland to England do not always necessarily reach those same levels in a tougher league but if anyone knows whether Gimenez could succeed in the Premier League, Slot does.

2nd – Man City

The reigning Premier League champions do not really too much to strengthen their starting XI but perhaps Pep Guardiola having a regular starting midfielder alongside Rodri will make sense for next season.

The City chief has alternated between the likes Mateo Kovacic, Matheus Nunes and centre-backs John Stones and Manuel Akanji in his engine room this term, but links to Newcastle’s Bruno Guimaraes refuse to go away.

As we revealed recently, the Brazilian can join a Champions League club for £80m this summer as part of the agreement he has at St James’ Park.

Guimaraes could be the perfect foil for Rodri but would also give City a more solid base to unleash the plethora of attacking talent Pep has at his disposal from.

There is also every likelihood that he could be up for grabs due to the PSR pressures currently weighing down the Magpies.

1st – Arsenal

Last, and by no means least, are the current Premier League leaders, who look to have pretty much every base covered this season.

Kai Havertz is leading the line well and scored twice against his old club Chelsea on Tuesday night. However, there remains a feeling that for the Gunners to take that extra step in the Champions League they need a 25-goal No.9 at the point of attack.

Ivan Toney remains a target, while Mikel Arteta is known to be a big admirer of Sporting star Viktor Gyokeres.

However, what makes the most sense involves Alexander Isak swapping the North East for north London in what would be a tremendous Arsenal capture.

Isak has scored 21 goals in 35 appearances in all competitions for Newcastle this season but is another Toon star who could be sold to satisfy PSR.

The Swede appears to be the perfect fit for Arsenal and he is well known to be firmly on Arsenal’s radar.