Premier League Retained Lists: Key Moves for 2025/26 Season

The Premier League’s retained lists for the 2025/26 season read like a map of intent. Between the lines of dry contract notices and scholar extensions, clubs are quietly sketching out what the next campaign will look like.

Some are doubling down on title-chasing cores. Others are ripping up and redrawing their squads. Almost all are banking heavily on youth.

Arsenal and City lock in their engines

At the top end, the message is blunt: no dismantling of the heavy machinery.

Arsenal keep the spine that dragged them back into contention. Martin Odegaard, Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, William Saliba and Gabriel all remain under contract, with Riccardo Calafiori, Viktor Gyökeres, Mikel Merino and Gabriel Martinelli (Teodoro Martinelli Silva, Gabriel) part of a group that screams continuity and peak-age quality. The club also protect the pathway beneath them: Ethan Nwaneri, Myles Lewis-Skelly and a clutch of scholars, including Gabriel Sebastian Arteta Bernal, stay in the system. This is not a squad being broken up. It is one being sharpened.

Manchester City answer in kind. Erling Haaland, Phil Foden, Ruben Dias, Josko Gvardiol and Jack Grealish are all retained, as expected, but the list around them is telling. Rayan Ait-Nouri, Jeremy Doku, Sávio, Claudio Echeverri, Sverre Nypan and a wave of young talent – from Rico Lewis to Divine Mukasa – remain in place. Even with Gianluigi Donnarumma on the books, City still secure James Trafford, a reminder that succession planning at the champions runs in layers.

The title race isn’t being reset. It’s being reinforced.

Liverpool and Manchester United back their rebuilds

At Anfield, Liverpool’s retained group underlines a squad in transition but not in turmoil. Alisson, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold’s generation is complemented by Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, Cody Gakpo and a striking front-line addition in Florian Wirtz. Alexander Isak and Federico Chiesa on the list add serious firepower. The club keep faith with a deep bank of youngsters too: Stefan Bajcetic, Ben Doak, Kaide Gordon, Trey Nyoni, Lewis Koumas and several scholars, including Prince Kobe Cisse, remain in the fold.

Across at Old Trafford, Manchester United’s retained list reflects a squad still under construction but no longer starting from scratch. Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford, Lisandro Martinez, Kobbie Mainoo and Andre Onana are all in place, joined by Matthijs de Ligt, Benjamin Sesko, Manuel Ugarte and Bryan Mbeumo. That’s a spine with bite. Behind them, Harry Amass, Shea Lacey, Ethan Wheatley and a sizeable scholar group are kept on, ensuring the academy remains central to the club’s identity.

United are not clearing the decks. They are layering experience on top of promise and daring it to click.

Chelsea’s super-squad stays bloated – and loaded

No club’s list is as dense as Chelsea’s. It reads like two first teams and a development side rolled into one.

Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo, Cole Palmer, Reece James and Levi Colwill remain the core, but the sheer volume around them is staggering: Alejandro Garnacho, Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, Andrey Santos, Kendry Paez, Estevao Willian, Marc Guiu, Mykhailo Mudryk, Nicolas Jackson, Wesley Fofana, Benoit Badiashile, Malo Gusto and more. The Blues retain a raft of teenagers and early-20s prospects, from Shumaira Mheuka and Jimmy-Jay Morgan to a full scholar cohort.

This is a club still betting on numbers, upside and competition for places. The risk is obvious. So is the ceiling.

Tottenham, Newcastle and Villa choose continuity with ambition

Tottenham’s list is a snapshot of a club that has decided its core is good enough to build around, not break apart. James Maddison, Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Pedro Porro, Pape Matar Sarr and Destiny Udogie stay, with Dejan Kulusevski and Richarlison still part of the attacking cast. The headline, though, is the attacking arsenal: Mohammed Kudus, Mathys Tel, Dane Scarlett, Dominic Solanke-Mitchell and Xavi Simons give Spurs a wide range of profiles up front and between the lines. The club also keep a strong group of youngsters, from Alfie Devine to Rio Kyerematen, underpinning a squad that looks set to stay aggressive and front-foot.

Newcastle United, meanwhile, lock in the project that has re-established them near the top. Bruno Guimaraes, Sven Botman, Sandro Tonali, Anthony Elanga, Yoane Wissa and Harvey Barnes are all retained, with Lewis Miley, Lewis Hall and a string of extended deals – from Scott Bailey to Dylan Charlton – signalling trust in the existing framework. The Magpies are not chasing a quick fix. They’re banking on evolution.

Aston Villa’s list is just as assertive. Ollie Watkins, John McGinn, Pau Torres, Youri Tielemans and Emiliano Martinez remain, supported by Leon Bailey, Donyell Malen, Samuel Iling-Junior and Ian Maatsen. Tyrone Mings, Boubacar Kamara and Ezri Konsa stay on to keep the defensive structure intact. Beneath them, the club retain a healthy scholar base, including Jahmi Kellyman, reinforcing a model that has married recruitment and development superbly over the past few seasons.

Villa’s message is clear: the Champions League push was no one-off.

Traditional powers under pressure: Everton, West Ham and Palace

Everton’s retained list has a different feel. It’s more about survival and stabilisation than a title charge. Jordan Pickford, Jarrad Branthwaite, Dwight McNeil and Vitalii Mykolenko stay on, joined by Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Iliman Ndiaye. Timothy Iroegbunam, James Garner and a clutch of academy names – Odin Samuels-Smith, for one – give the squad a younger edge. The Toffees are not flush with options, but they are at least protected from a mass exodus.

West Ham United hold on to key pieces of their identity. Jarrod Bowen, Tomas Soucek, James Ward-Prowse and Edson Alvarez remain, while Niclas Fullkrug, Crysencio Summerville and Callum Wilson bring goals and experience. Kyle Walker-Peters and Jean-Clair Todibo add balance and athleticism at the back. A strong scholar group, led by Majid Balogun and Lewis Beckford on offer contracts, keeps the pipeline alive.

Crystal Palace, so often reliant on a single talisman in the past, now present a more rounded picture. Joachim Andersen’s name isn’t here, but Jefferson Lerma, Cheick Doucoure, Jean-Philippe Mateta, Tyrick Mitchell and Ismaila Sarr all stay. Brennan Johnson and Yeremy Pino add pace and directness in attack, while Jesurun Rak-Sakyi, David Ozoh and a large scholar contingent underline Palace’s commitment to youth. The club are clearly trying to spread responsibility rather than hinge everything on one star.

Leeds, Sunderland and Nottingham Forest shape up for the fight

Leeds United’s retained list is the blueprint of a side that intends to stick in the top flight. Ethan Ampadu, Jack Harrison, Joel Piroe, Degnand Gnonto and Pascal Struijk are kept, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Lukas Nmecha offering focal points up front. Ilia Gruev, Anton Stach and Ao Tanaka give the midfield a hard-running, technically sound base. The club also protect a broad scholar crop, from George Kenyon to Luke Matykiewicz, suggesting the long-term plan hasn’t been shelved by the demands of survival.

Sunderland’s list is one of the more intriguing. Granit Xhaka, Simon Adingra, Brian Brobbey and Enzo Le Fée headline a group that mixes hardened experience with high-upside attackers. Daniel Ballard, Trai Hume and Nordi Mukiele keep the defensive structure firm, while Christopher Rigg’s name among the retained underlines the club’s determination to keep its brightest academy product. This is not the conservative approach of a newly promoted side. It’s a statement of intent.

Nottingham Forest, often accused of churn in recent windows, show signs of settling. Morgan Gibbs-White, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Taiwo Awoniyi and Murillo all remain. Newer faces such as Arnaud Kalimuendo, Dan Ndoye and Luca Netz stay too, suggesting Forest want to grow this group together rather than start another overhaul. The academy is represented robustly, with Harvey Andrews, Basima Balagizi and others retained as scholars.

Forest are trying to turn volume into cohesion.

The rest: quiet moves, loud implications

Across the league, smaller storylines add up.

AFC Bournemouth keep Dominic Solanke, Luis Sinisterra, Justin Kluivert and Marcus Tavernier, while bringing stability to a young, technical core that includes Alex Scott, Marcos Senesi and new faces such as Francisco Evanilson. The Cherries also retain a deep scholar group, again pointing to a club that must develop as much as it buys.

Brentford’s list shows a club still built on smart squad construction. Ethan Pinnock, Nathan Collins, Mikkel Damsgaard, Mathias Jensen and Keane Lewis-Potter remain, with Dango Ouattara and Michael Olakigbe adding pace out wide. Caoimhin Kelleher and Hakon Valdimarsson give real depth in goal. The Bees keep faith with a raft of scholars, staying true to a model that has consistently punched above its weight.

Brighton & Hove Albion double down on what they do best. Lewis Dunk, Pascal Gross, Evan Ferguson and Kaoru Mitoma all stay, supported by Georginio Rutter, Yankuba Minteh, Carlos Baleba and Jeremy Sarmiento. The club retain a long list of prospects, from Amario Cozier-Duberry to Malick Yalcouye, and secure multiple scholars on offer contracts. The production line remains central to everything.

Burnley, relegated but still meticulous, keep Louis Beyer, Josh Cullen, Luca Koleosho, Zeki Amdouni and Loum Tchaouna. Armando Broja and Hannibal Mejbri stay on too, giving the Clarets attacking options if they push for a return. The scholar list is lengthy and carefully managed, with several players extended or offered new terms.

Fulham hold onto Bernd Leno, Calvin Bassey, Sander Berge, Timothy Castagne and Antonee Robinson, as well as Emile Smith Rowe and Rodrigo Muniz. The Cottagers keep their technical base in midfield and protect a promising group of youngsters, including Luke Harris and Matthew Dibley-Dias.

Wolves’ retained list underlines a squad built on physicality and flexibility. Pedro Neto isn’t listed, but Hwang Hee-Chan, Sasa Kalajdzic, Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, Joao Gomes, Jose Sa and a raft of young attackers such as Santiago Ignacio Bueno and Enso Gonzalez stay. The club maintain a strong academy presence, with several defenders and forwards retained as scholars.

The paperwork is dry. The implications are anything but.

Title challengers have ring-fenced their stars. Ambitious chasers have stocked up on creativity and goals. Clubs fighting for stability have chosen continuity over chaos, while those climbing from below have taken bold swings at the market and backed their academies.

The season hasn’t kicked off yet, but the shape of it is already there, written in contract extensions and scholar offers. The real question now is simple: whose retained list will look like the foundation of a title charge in May, and whose will read like the first chapter of another rebuild?