Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest are definitely at risk as we rank the non-Big Six stars most likely to secure an upwards transfer to a giant in 2026.
The 2025 summer transfer window re-established the traditional Big Six as they dominated the market, while Aston Villa and Newcastle United were put in their box.
As proven by Man City signing Antoine Semenyo and Marc Guehi in January, this remains a major theme this year as the 14 Premier League clubs not in the giant category risk losing their best players to elite clubs in England and Europe.
So we thought it best to rank the 20 most likely stars to be lured elsewhere this year, with this list (which will be updated throughout the season) based on form and those ever-reliable transfer rumours…
20) Alex Scott
Andoni Iraola’s future is perhaps the most pressing concern for Bournemouth, but they also run the risk of losing a couple of key players.
Talented midfielder Scott, whose refreshing recent England call-up was fully deserved, has been earning rave reviews and has been linked with a move to Manchester United and others.
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19) Nordi Mukiele
Sunderland will inevitably be victims of their own success in the summer as Big Six vultures will try to swoop for their best assets, with Mukiele among those who could leave.
As with a few of Sunderland’s 2025/26 signings, landing Mukiele in the summer felt like a coup for the Black Cats and he has lived up to expectations. The £9.5m (£11m with add-ons) signing has been one of the bargains of the season.
18) Morgan Gibbs-White
The England international would currently be playing for Spurs if he got his way last summer, though Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis did him a favour by blocking the move, as it remains a sorry state of affairs over there.
Gibbs-White instead signed a new three-year contract, but a big-money transfer remains a possibility as he’s still Forest’s best attacker and on the fringes of the England squad.
17) Robin Roefs
Sunderland dominate our ‘Premier League signings of the season’ list, greedily having five entries. In truth, it could easily be more.
Roefs is one such inclusion, with Regis Le Bris’ brutal call to upgrade Anthony Patterson in the summer paying off tenfold. Chelsea and Spurs could do worse than look at him to replace their current No.1s.
16) Tino Livramento
The 2025 summer transfer window was terrible for Newcastle, but this year’s could be similarly troubling as Eddie Howe’s reign appears increasingly likely to end on a sour note and key players could move on.
Liverpool really should be looking at Livramento to fix their full-back problem as he would be a better option on either flank than their current starters.
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15) Michael Kayode
The 2025/26 campaign is proving to be a breakout season for Kayode, who has started in all 24 of Brentford’s Premier League games and could be next to be sold to an elite club for a significant profit.
14) Lutsharel Geertruida
Geetruida has been another of Sunderland’s shining lights this term and came close to earning a better loan to Liverpool in January due to their right-back issues. The Reds could easily return for him in the summer, as he would certainly be a solid squad player at least.
13) Junior Kroupi
Like Brentford and Brighton, Bournemouth have a knack for finding gems and Kroupi is another to emerge under their watch.
Eight Premier League goals in 19 games is a sensational return for the 19-year-old in his debut season, and Arsenal really ought to sign him in the summer instead of waiting around and eventually paying a lot more for the striker another year down the line.
12) Crysencio Summerville
Summerville was expected to produce big things for the Hammers after he was the best player in the Championship for Leeds United in 2023/24, though most of his time at the London Stadium has been a major disappointment.
However, Summerville is starting to show what he is capable of producing and has been a key contributor to West Ham’s recent resurgence under Nuno Espirito Santo. Those links with Spurs will become more justified if he can sustain his current form.
11) Murillo
Man Utd reportedly ‘want’ Murillo as part of a double raid on Forest in the summer, with damaging exits like this inevitable for Sean Dyche’s side following their self-inflicted fallow year.
Despite Forest’s sudden decline, Murillo has remained a shining light for the relegation candidates, and the centre-back has all the necessary attributes to go to the very top.
10) Morgan Rogers
The fact that the Rogers vs Jude Bellingham debate does not currently have a cut-and-dry winner ahead of the World Cup is a testament to how well the Aston Villa standout has performed this season, grabbing 12 goal involvements in 24 Premier League games.
Everybody’s favourite transfer reporter, David Ornstein, has named Rogers as ‘one to watch’ heading into the summer and Aston Villa will likely face a serious fight to ward off interest for their prized asset, who could be their next £100m sale.
READ MORE: Ranking £138.4m worth of January signings by how excited we are for their debuts
9) Adam Wharton
Crystal Palace supporters really have had the rug pulled from under them in recent weeks as their head coach and best players have either left or are in the process of moving elsewhere.
Their situation will not get any easier in the summer as Wharton is bound to attract serious interest, though a couple of other centre-midfielders on Man Utd’s wishlist are perhaps more likely to get a move, as Palace may try to keep him for one more year.
8) Jarrod Bowen
West Ham have resembled a functional football team under Nuno in recent weeks, though this is still largely thanks to the fine form of Bowen.
The Hammers would likely already be certainties for relegation without Bowen, but he feels destined for a move to Newcastle United if they do get relegated.
7) Joao Gomes
Linked with Manchester United as a low-cost alternative to other midfielders, Gomes will certainly be on the move in the summer, but it’s just a matter of where and whether he is made to settle for a bottom-half Premier League side.
6) Mateus Fernandes
West Ham have got mostly everything wrong in the transfer market in recent years, but Fernandes has proven worthy of the £38m fee they paid to sign him from Southampton.
Touted for a move to Real Madrid, the 21-year-old will likely have to settle for a less lavish switch if/when West Ham get relegated, but most of the Big Six would surely take him in a heartbeat.
5) Igor Thiago
Thiago has been the dictionary definition of ‘like a new signing’ for Brentford this season, currently sitting as an unexpected runner-up to Erling Haaland for the Golden Boot with 16 goals in 24 games for Keith Andrews’ side.
This is great for Brentford at the moment, but it also means that it won’t be too long before he’s on his bike. Aston Villa and Spurs are among those linked with him ahead of the summer.
4) Sandro Tonali
The events of recent days have seen Tonali shoot up this ranking, with there being far too much noise surrounding his future for us to ignore.
He and his agent clearly feel that this big fish needs to move to a bigger pond and could either return to Serie A via a move to Juventus or join a Big Six club in the summer, though he won’t be cheap.
3) Carlos Baleba
Man Utd wanted him last summer but were priced out of a £100m transfer. He could cost a bit less later this year and will probably get his move to Old Trafford once their ‘No.1’ midfield target joins another club.
2) Elliot Anderson
England starter Anderson leaving Forest is already an inevitability heading into the summer; it is just a question of where he goes. He is said to be ‘Manchester-bound’.
1) Jean-Philippe Mateta
Mateta was the gift that kept on giving in a dreary 2026 winter transfer window, though his saga did not end how he or Crystal Palace wanted.
His knee injury cost him a deadline day move to AC Milan, but his relationship with Palace appears broken and he will inevitably move in the summer instead for a lesser fee.
