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

The Premier League’s retained lists rarely make headlines. No goals, no touchline rows, no viral clips. Yet buried in these dry documents is the real story of how clubs intend to attack the 2025/26 season.

This is the moment you see who a club truly trusts.

Arsenal double down on their core

Arsenal’s list reads like a manifesto. The spine that dragged them into title contention stays intact: Martin Odegaard, Declan Rice, William Saliba and Bukayo Saka are all locked in, with David Raya still in place behind them.

The club have also committed to the blend that has powered their resurgence. Kai Havertz, Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli (Teodoro Martinelli Silva, Gabriel) remain key creative pieces, while Viktor Gyökeres offers a focal point up front. Christian Norgaard and Martín Zubimendi give Mikel Arteta serious depth in central areas.

The youth line continues to hum. Ethan Nwaneri, Myles Lewis‑Skelly and Charles Sagoe Jr are retained, with offers on the table for names like Alexei Rojas Fedorushchenko and academy talents such as Aleksander Marciniak and Oluwatoyosi Ogunnaike. Arsenal aren’t just holding a squad together; they’re protecting a project.

Manchester City keep their machine intact

At Manchester City, there is no sense of a reset. There is only maintenance of a juggernaut.

Erling Haaland, Phil Foden, Ruben Dias, Josko Gvardiol and Nathan Ake all remain. Jeremy Doku, Jack Grealish and Matheus Nunes stay in the wide and midfield rotations, while Rico Lewis continues as the modern, multi-role full-back.

The headline, though, is continuity everywhere you look. Gianluigi Donnarumma is retained in goal, with James Trafford still on the books. Young talents such as Claudio Echeverri, Sávio and Divin Mubama are kept in-house, a clear sign City want options both now and later.

Offers and ongoing pathways for prospects like Charlie Gray and Reigan Heskey underline the long-term view. City’s list is not dramatic. It’s ruthless in its stability.

Manchester United signal a new era, but keep big names

Manchester United’s retained list tells a story of transition handled carefully, not chaotically.

Marcus Rashford, Lisandro Martinez, Harry Maguire, Mason Mount and Diogo Dalot all stay. Newer pillars such as Kobbie Mainoo and André Onana are retained, while Matthijs de Ligt, Manuel Ugarte and Benjamin Sesko sit at the heart of United’s next iteration.

The club have also nailed down a swathe of younger players: Shea Lacey, Amir Ibragimov, Willy Kambwala’s cohort equivalents in this list – from Daniel Gore to Ethan Wheatley – are all kept, with offer contracts to the likes of Albert Mills and Dante Plunkett. United are trying to rebuild without ripping the floorboards up.

Liverpool lean into a refreshed core

Liverpool’s retained group has a familiar heartbeat, but new accents.

Virgil van Dijk, Alisson Becker and Trent Alexander-Arnold are not listed here but the defensive axis is echoed by the presence of Alisson Ramses Becker, Virgil van Dijk and Kostas Tsimikas. In midfield, Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, Ryan Gravenberch and Wataru Endo remain, while Cody Gakpo and Harvey Elliott stay in the attacking mix.

The club’s recruitment drive shows in the names around them. Alexander Isak and Federico Chiesa are retained, offering top-level firepower, with Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez giving pace and thrust down the flanks. Behind that, a deep layer of prospects – Trey Nyoni, Stefan Bajcetic, Ben Doak‑style profiles such as Jayden Danns and Lewis Koumas – are kept close.

Offers for Keyrol Figueroa, Daniel Onanuga and Lucas Pitt highlight the club’s commitment to renewing the pathway from academy to first team.

Chelsea stockpile talent again

Chelsea’s list is a statement of volume and ambition.

Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez and Cole Palmer remain the core of a revamped side. Around them, Benoit Badiashile, Marc Cucurella, Reece James and Levi Colwill stay in defence, with Nicolas Jackson and David Datro Fofana among the attacking options retained.

The sheer breadth of talent is striking. Alejandro Garnacho, Jamie Bynoe‑Gittens, Estevao Willian, Kendry Paez and Andrey Santos are all listed. It’s a squad built as much for the next five years as the next five months.

Academy names like Shumaira Mheuka, Jimmy‑Jay Morgan and a long line of scholars are protected, with offers out to forward Ronnie Stutter. The question is not whether Chelsea have talent. It’s how they can possibly use all of it.

Tottenham hold their stars and sharpen the edges

Tottenham’s retained list has one clear message: the core stays.

James Maddison, Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Pedro Porro and Destiny Udogie remain central to Ange Postecoglou’s high-tempo approach. Rodrigo Bentancur and Pape Matar Sarr are kept in midfield, while Dejan Kulusevski, Richarlison and Mohammed Kudus provide attacking variety.

There is also a clear bet on youth. Dane Scarlett, Mathys Tel, Lucas Bergvall and Alejo Veliz are all retained, with a long line of young defenders and forwards – from Ashley Phillips to Will Lankshear – still in the building. Tottenham are not trimming; they’re arming themselves for depth.

Newcastle and West Ham protect their progress

Newcastle United’s list reflects a club that refuses to step backwards.

Bruno Guimaraes, Sven Botman, Sandro Tonali and Lewis Hall are retained. Harvey Barnes and Anthony Elanga stay as wide options, with Nick Pope and Odisseas Vlachodimos in goal. Yoane Wissa and Nick Woltemade add further attacking weight.

The club have also extended several squad players, a sign of dressing-room continuity. Prospects like Lewis Miley and Trevan Sanusi remain in the pipeline, with offer contracts for a clutch of scholars to keep the academy’s momentum.

West Ham United, meanwhile, keep Jarrod Bowen, James Ward‑Prowse, Tomas Soucek and Edson Alvarez. Newer faces such as Niclas Fullkrug, Jean‑Clair Todibo and Kyle Walker‑Peters are retained, while young midfielder Lewis Orford and forward Callum Marshall stay on the books. It looks like a squad designed to compete on multiple fronts, not just survive.

Aston Villa and Spurs’ rivals fortify for Europe

Aston Villa’s list reads like a club ready for another European push.

Ollie Watkins, John McGinn, Pau Torres and Ezri Konsa are all retained. Emiliano Martinez remains in goal. Youri Tielemans and Leon Bailey stay in the mix, while Donyell Malen and Samuel Iling‑Junior offer further attacking depth.

Villa also keep a strong group of youngsters: Louie Barry, Lamare Bogarde, Kosta Nedeljkovic and others, with contract offers to the likes of Samuel Lewis and Jack Allan. The squad has grown, not thinned.

Across north London, Tottenham will see that and know the race for European places will be brutal.

The promoted and the strugglers: building from the middle

Clubs like Leeds United, Sunderland and others in the new-look Premier League field have taken a pragmatic approach.

Leeds retain Ethan Ampadu, Jack Harrison, Joel Piroe and Daniel James, with Dominic Calvert‑Lewin and Lukas Nmecha offering a physical edge up front. The spine is clear: Ilia Gruev, Pascal Struijk, Jaka Bijol and Maximilian Wober give solidity, while younger players such as Mateo Joseph and Largie Ramazani add energy.

Sunderland’s list shows a squad built for the step up: Granit Xhaka, Simon Adingra, Brian Brobbey and Enzo Le Fée are all retained, supported by a defensive group including Dan Ballard, Leo Hjelde and Nordi Mukiele. The club have also locked in key youngsters like Chris Rigg and Jenson Seelt.

These are not vanity squads. They are survival plans.

Wolves, Fulham, Brentford and Brighton hold their nerve

Wolverhampton Wanderers keep their attacking heartbeat in place. Hwang Hee‑Chan, Sasa Kalajdzic, Boubacar Traore and Jean‑Ricner Bellegarde all remain, with Jose Sa (Malheiro De Sa, Jose Pedro) still in goal. Behind them, a large group of young defenders and forwards – from Ki‑Jana Hoever to Enso Gonzalez and Santiago Ignacio Bueno – stays intact.

Fulham retain Bernd Leno, Calvin Bassey, Sander Berge, Timothy Castagne and Antonee Robinson. Emile Smith Rowe and Oscar Bobb are also on the list, hinting at a more technical, possession‑friendly approach. Offers for several youngsters, including Michael Allen and Harry Wilson, show Fulham’s intent to keep their depth.

Brentford stay loyal to their structure. Ethan Pinnock, Nathan Collins, Mathias Jensen, Vitaly Janelt and Keane Lewis‑Potter all remain. Newer pieces like Caoimhin Kelleher, Dango Ouattara and Kevin Schade are kept, while a long list of scholars is preserved with offer contracts for players such as Valentino Adedokun and Ethan Laidlaw.

Brighton & Hove Albion, as ever, look like a scouting department’s dream. Evan Ferguson, Pascal Gross, Kaoru Mitoma and Carlos Baleba are all retained. Georginio Rutter, Jeremy Sarmiento, Yankuba Minteh and Malick Yalcouye add further attacking and midfield options. The club protect a deep academy pool, with offers to prospects like Sebastian Ademola and Tate Ferdinand.

Bournemouth, Burnley, Everton, Palace and Forest: stability over shock

AFC Bournemouth’s list keeps Dominic Solanke, Luis Sinisterra, Justin Kluivert and Marcus Tavernier in place. Marcos Senesi and Djordje Petrovic remain, with offers to Fraser Forster and Senesi himself. The Cherries have also tied down a raft of young players, from Ben Doak and Rayan Simplicio Rocha to Adrien Truffert and Eli Kroupi.

Burnley hold onto key figures such as Zeki Amdouni, Lyle Foster, Jacob Bruun Larsen and Hannibal Mejbri. Defensive mainstays like Louis Beyer and Hjalmar Ekdal stay on, with Kyle Walker and Connor Roberts offering experience. Contract extensions for several squad players show a club determined not to repeat past mistakes.

Everton’s retained list is built on resilience. Jordan Pickford, Jarrad Branthwaite, Vitalii Mykolenko and James Tarkowski remain the defensive core. In midfield, James Garner, Iliman Ndiaye and Kiernan Dewsbury‑Hall are all kept, with Dominic Calvert‑Lewin’s equivalent at Leeds signalling how the club have rebalanced their attack. Young talents like Tim Iroegbunam and Odin Samuels‑Smith stay, with offer contracts to several scholars.

Crystal Palace keep their exciting front line: Brennan Johnson, Jean‑Philippe Mateta, Ismaila Sarr, Jesurun Rak‑Sakyi and Matheus Franca are all retained. Jefferson Lerma, Cheick Doucoure and Maxence Lacroix give the team structure, while Tyrick Mitchell and Daniel Munoz hold the flanks. An offer to Daichi Kamada hints at continuity in creativity.

Nottingham Forest, meanwhile, stick with Morgan Gibbs‑White, Callum Hudson‑Odoi, Taiwo Awoniyi and Ibrahim Sangare. Murillo, Matz Sels and Luca Netz stay in a back line that has needed stability. The club also retain a long list of young players, from Omari Giraud‑Hutchinson to John Victor and David Carmo, underlining the scale of the rebuild.

The shape of a season

Taken together, these retained lists sketch out the coming campaign.

The title contenders have kept their cores. The European hopefuls have added depth without tearing up what worked. The promoted and recently troubled clubs have chosen stability over panic, backing coaches to refine rather than reinvent.

The transfer window will still bring shocks. Big names will move. Gaps will be filled.

But the foundation is already poured. With these squads now formally in place, the real question is simple: who has kept enough, and who will look back at this list in May and wonder why they let too much go?