Premier League Retained Lists: Clubs Define Ambitions for 2025/26 Season
Premier League squads for the 2025/26 season are beginning to harden into shape – and the retained lists tell a blunt story about power, planning and ambition across the division.
This isn’t the glamour of unveiling a new signing. It’s the quieter, more revealing work: who clubs trust, who they’re building around, and which prospects they refuse to lose.
Arsenal double down on a title core
Arsenal’s list reads like a manifesto. The spine that dragged them into contention stays intact: Martin Odegaard, Declan Rice, William Saliba and Bukayo Saka all retained, all central to another tilt at the title.
Around them, Mikel Arteta keeps his technical heartbeat in place. Kai Havertz, Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli (Teodoro Martinelli Silva, Gabriel) remain, as do defenders Jakub Kiwior and Jurrien Timber. The club also secure the future of high‑ceiling youngsters such as Ethan Nwaneri, Myles Lewis‑Skelly and Charles Sagoe Jr.
A cluster of offers to the next wave – including Alexei Rojas Fedorushchenko and scholars like Aleksander Marciniak and Oluwatoyosi Ogunnaike – underlines a clear message: the pathway from academy to first team is very much alive.
Manchester City keep the machine intact
Manchester City rarely rip things up, they refine. The retained list reflects that.
Erling Haaland, Phil Foden, Ruben Dias, Josko Gvardiol and Jack Grealish all stay on, as does the new generation of flair and pace in Jeremy Doku and Sávio. The club also hold on to Rayan Ait‑Nouri, Matheus Nunes, Manuel Akanji and Nathan Ake, maintaining depth and flexibility across the pitch.
City continue to stockpile elite youth. Claudio Echeverri, Joel Ndala, Divine Mukasa, Kylan Midwood and a raft of scholars – including Finlay Gorman and Reigan Heskey – remain under contract or offered new terms. The champions are not just defending a title; they’re future‑proofing the model.
Manchester United commit to a rebuild
Across town, Manchester United’s retained list shows a club leaning fully into a rebuild.
Kobbie Mainoo, Alejandro Garnacho’s attacking counterpart in energy if not name, stays at the heart of the project, flanked by Marcus Rashford and new attacking focal point Benjamin Sesko. At the back, Lisandro Martinez, Harry Maguire and new arrival Matthijs de Ligt are all retained, a sign United want continuity as they reshape the defence.
Andre Onana remains in goal, while Mason Mount, Bruno Fernandes (Borges Fernandes, Bruno Miguel) and Manuel Ugarte provide structure in midfield. The club also tie down a thick layer of youth talent – Shea Lacey, Amir Ibragimov, Ethan Wheatley and others – with offers to scholars such as Albert Mills and Dante Plunkett hinting at long‑term investment rather than short‑term fixes.
Liverpool sharpen for the next cycle
Liverpool’s list is striking. It blends the established, the emerging and the aggressively ambitious.
Alisson, Virgil van Dijk, Trent Alexander‑Arnold’s defensive cohort Joe Gomez and Andy Robertson’s role successor in Milos Kerkez all stay on. In midfield and attack, the club commit to Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, Cody Gakpo and Harvey Elliott, while doubling down on a bold attacking refresh with Federico Chiesa, Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz retained.
Behind them, the academy conveyor belt keeps turning. Stefan Bajcetic, Trey Nyoni, Ben Doak’s equivalent in Kaide Gordon, and a stack of scholars – including Prince Kobe Cisse and Oliver Evans O’Connor – remain in the system, with several offered new deals. Liverpool are clearly planning for heavy rotation across four competitions.
Chelsea hold their super‑squad together
Chelsea’s retained list is, as ever, vast – but there is more shape to it now.
Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia stay as the core of a powerful midfield. Reece James, Levi Colwill, Benoit Badiashile and Marc Cucurella are all retained in defence, while the club keep faith in Mykhailo Mudryk, Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson in the final third.
The next generation is equally important. Estevao Willian, Kendry Paez, Andrey Santos and Jamie Bynoe‑Gittens remain on the books, along with Omari Kellyman and a long line of scholars. An offer to striker Ronnie Stutter underlines the club’s desire to lock down goalscoring talent early.
Chelsea aren’t trimming; they’re betting that a settled, younger squad will finally find cohesion.
Tottenham back their new attacking identity
Tottenham’s retained list is built around an aggressive, front‑foot style.
James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski, Richarlison and Manor Solomon are all kept, but the headline is the sheer volume of attacking talent: Mohammed Kudus, Mathys Tel, Dane Scarlett, Xavi Simons and Dominic Solanke‑Mitchell all remain under contract. At the back, Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Pedro Porro and Destiny Udogie form a settled defensive unit.
Spurs also hold on to a raft of prospects – Alfie Devine, Jamie Donley, Lucas Bergvall, Rio Kyerematen and others – signalling that Ange Postecoglou’s high‑tempo football will be powered by youth as much as by established names.
Newcastle and Aston Villa refuse to blink
Newcastle United, now regular European contenders, keep their core intact. Bruno Guimaraes, Sven Botman, Sandro Tonali, Harvey Barnes and Nick Pope all stay, with attacking options Anthony Elanga, Yoane Wissa and Nick Woltemade also retained. The club continue to invest in youth, offering new terms to several scholars including Guy Bloomer and Henry Johnson.
Aston Villa, fresh from their own surge up the table, lock in key figures. Ollie Watkins, John McGinn, Youri Tielemans, Pau Torres and Emiliano Martinez all remain, while Leon Bailey, Donyell Malen and Emiliano Buendia provide attacking depth. Villa also keep faith with promising youngsters such as Lamare Bogarde, Jaden Philogene’s equivalents in Louie Barry and Kadan Young, and scholars including Jack Allan and Jahmi Kellyman.
Neither club is stepping back from the fight for European places.
West Ham, Wolves and Fulham build solid platforms
West Ham United’s retained list hints at a squad built for power and set‑piece threat. Jarrod Bowen, Tomas Soucek and James Ward‑Prowse all stay, joined by Niclas Fullkrug and Crysencio Summerville in attack. Edson Alvarez, Konstantinos Mavropanos, Kyle Walker‑Peters and Aaron Wan‑Bissaka provide steel behind them.
Wolverhampton Wanderers lean into physicality and flexibility. Hwang Hee‑Chan, Sasa Kalajdzic, Boubacar Traore and Jean‑Ricner Bellegarde are all retained, with Jose Sa, Hugo Bueno and Ki‑Jana Hoever forming part of a stable defensive group. The club also keep a deep pool of young players, from Leon Chiwome to Temple Ojinnaka, ensuring options across the pitch.
Fulham, meanwhile, hold on to their experienced spine. Bernd Leno, Joachim Andersen, Antonee Robinson and Sasa Lukic remain, while attacking creativity is preserved in Emile Smith Rowe, Harry Wilson and Rodrigo Muniz. Offers to several youngsters, including Michael Allen and Samuel Amissah, show a desire to refresh from within.
Leeds, Sunderland and promoted sides prepare for the grind
Leeds United’s retained list is built for a Premier League return with bite. Ethan Ampadu, Jack Harrison, Joel Piroe and Degnand Gnonto stay, joined by Dominic Calvert‑Lewin and Lukas Nmecha as striking options. At the back, Pascal Struijk, Jaka Bijol and Joe Rodon remain, giving Leeds a robust defensive base.
Sunderland, stepping into the top flight, keep faith with a technically gifted, energetic squad. Granit Xhaka, Enzo Le Fée, Abdoullah Ba, Simon Adingra and Brian Brobbey all stay on, while Nordi Mukiele, Reinildo and Ajibola Alese strengthen the defensive line. Offers to scholars such as Charles Dinsdale, Finn Geragusian and Bayley Hester suggest the club want to preserve the identity that got them promoted.
Nottingham Forest retain their familiar blend of flair and volume. Morgan Gibbs‑White, Callum Hudson‑Odoi, Taiwo Awoniyi and Arnaud Kalimuendo headline an attack‑minded group, with Murillo, Ibrahim Sangare and Matz Sels giving solidity behind them.
Stability the watchword at Everton, Palace, Brentford and Brighton
Everton’s list is about survival with structure. Jordan Pickford, Jarrad Branthwaite, Vitalii Mykolenko and James Tarkowski remain in defence, while the club hold onto new midfield anchor Kiernan Dewsbury‑Hall and retain attacking options Iliman Ndiaye and Dwight McNeil. The message is clear: change will be tactical, not wholesale.
Crystal Palace keep their technical edge. Eberechi Eze, Brennan Johnson, Jesurun Rak‑Sakyi and Yeremy Pino all stay, with Jefferson Lerma, Cheick Doucoure and Maxence Lacroix underpinning the side. Offers to Daichi Kamada and several scholars show Palace still see themselves as one of the league’s smartest talent developers.
Brentford, ever methodical, retain the core that has kept them competitive: Ethan Pinnock, Nathan Collins, Rico Henry, Mathias Jensen, Vitaly Janelt and Keane Lewis‑Potter all remain. Dango Ouattara and Kevin Schade provide pace out wide, while Caoimhin Kelleher and Hakon Valdimarsson ensure security in goal.
Brighton & Hove Albion, the model club for recruitment, keep their engine humming. Lewis Dunk, Pascal Gross and Evan Ferguson stay, joined by Kaoru Mitoma, Jeremy Sarmiento, Yankuba Minteh and Georginio Rutter in a typically inventive attacking mix. Behind them, Carlos Baleba, Mats Wieffer and Ferdi Kadioglu give Brighton their usual tactical flexibility.
Bournemouth, Burnley and others brace for the fight
AFC Bournemouth’s retained list shows a club quietly arming itself. Dominic Solanke, Luis Sinisterra, Marcus Tavernier and Justin Kluivert all remain in attack, with Marcos Senesi, Lewis Cook and Enes Unal providing structure and experience. Offers to Fraser Forster and Senesi underline the value placed on seasoned heads in a demanding campaign.
Burnley, determined to bounce back from a difficult season, keep a strong group together. Louis Beyer, Maxime Estève, Hjalmar Ekdal and Connor Roberts stay in defence, while Zeki Amdouni, Zian Flemming, Hannibal Mejbri and Armando Broja give Vincent Kompany’s side a blend of youth and cutting edge.
Elsewhere, clubs like West Ham, Wolves and Fulham have chosen stability over revolution. The retained lists show tweaks, not overhauls.
The transfer window will bring noise, rumour and headline deals. But the retained lists already sketch the shape of the 2025/26 Premier League: big clubs doubling down on young cores, challengers refusing to be picked apart, promoted sides backing the identities that brought them up.
The question now is simple: whose long‑term bets will survive the first brutal sprint of the new season?
