Premier League Volatility: Transfers, Managerial Upheaval, and Player Power

The Athletic FC Podcast · December 24, 2025 · Listen to Original Episode →

Original Title:

TL;DR

Arsenal's swift hijacking of Eberechi Eze's transfer to Spurs, driven by detected negotiation smoothness issues, demonstrates how opportunistic rivals can capitalize on inter-club communication delays to secure key targets.
Daniel Levy's removal as Spurs chairman, following a shareholder review into underperformance, signifies that sustained on-pitch results and strategic restructuring, not just commercial success, are critical for long-term executive tenure.
Nuno Espirito Santo's rapid sacking at Nottingham Forest after only 39 days, despite leading them to Europe, highlights how a perceived disconnect with club identity and fan sentiment can quickly undermine managerial stability.
Victor Pereira's 45-day tenure at Wolves, marked by zero wins and poor defensive/offensive statistics, underscores the critical importance of immediate on-pitch results and squad suitability, even with a long-term contract.
Arne Slot's struggles at Liverpool, amplified by the "cascade effect" of tragic events and squad changes, illustrate how environmental shifts and human factors can significantly impact individual and team performance beyond pure tactics.
Mohamed Salah's public outburst regarding broken promises and feeling "thrown under the bus" reveals how perceived slights and lack of communication from club leadership can lead to significant player discontent and public relations crises.

Deep Dive

The 2025/26 Premier League season has been defined by significant player transfers and managerial upheaval, creating a volatile landscape for several top clubs. These shifts are not merely isolated incidents but signal broader trends in club strategy, player power, and the increasing complexity of team management in a high-stakes environment.

The transfer window saw high-profile moves that reshaped key teams, most notably Arsenal hijacking Eberechi Eze's move from Crystal Palace. This acquisition, driven by Eze's preference for Arsenal and the club's swift action, highlights the increasing importance of player agency and the opportunistic nature of modern transfers. Tottenham's pursuit of Eze, despite reaching an agreement with the player and selling club, underscores the fragility of transfer negotiations and the potential for rivals to exploit any perceived delays. The implications extend beyond individual transfers; such moves can disrupt team cohesion, create new dynamics within squads, and place immense pressure on existing players and managers to integrate new talent effectively.

Managerial merry-go-rounds have become a defining feature, with Nottingham Forest experiencing a rapid succession of coaches. The swift departure of Nuno Espirito Santo, despite leading the club to European qualification, and the subsequent short tenure of Ange Postecoglou, indicate a stark disconnect between club ambition and managerial stability. Forest's repeated managerial changes, often driven by owner Evangelos Marinakis's desire for success, suggest a pattern of short-term thinking that risks undermining any long-term project. This instability creates a cascade effect, impacting player morale, strategic development, and ultimately, on-pitch performance. Similarly, West Ham's dismissal of Graham Potter, following a brief and uninspired tenure, and Wolves' quick firing of Victor Pereira after a winless start, demonstrate the unforgiving nature of the league and the immense pressure on managers to deliver immediate results, often without sufficient time to implement their strategies.

The situation at Manchester United under Sir Jim Ratcliffe, while retaining manager Ruben Amarrim, reveals the challenges of managing a high-profile club. Amarrim's "influencer" personality and savvy media engagement are assets, but the intense scrutiny at United can lead to defensive reactions, as seen in his "spiky" responses to journalists. This highlights the psychological toll of managing a club where every decision is magnified, and the pressure to perform is relentless, even when results are inconsistent. The underlying issue for United, as with many clubs, is the difficulty of preparing individuals for the unique pressures of elite management.

Finally, the case of Mohamed Salah at Liverpool exemplifies the complex interplay between player satisfaction, club promises, and managerial decisions. Salah's public outburst regarding broken promises and feeling "thrown under the bus" signals a breakdown in communication and trust. His benching in recent games, despite his status, suggests a shift in team dynamics and potentially a managerial attempt to assert authority. This situation underscores how individual player grievances, especially from high-profile stars, can expose deeper issues of disjointedness and vulnerability within a club, impacting team morale and public perception. The cascade effect here is clear: a player feeling marginalized can disrupt team harmony and create a narrative of internal strife, even if tactical decisions are being made.

The season's narrative is one of constant flux, where individual transfer sagas and managerial changes are symptomatic of deeper systemic pressures. Player power, the demand for immediate success, and the intense scrutiny of elite management combine to create an environment where stability is rare and consequences, both positive and negative, ripple through clubs with significant force.

Action Items

Audit player transfer negotiations: Analyze 3-5 recent high-profile transfers for common pitfalls in deal structure and communication to prevent future hijacking scenarios.
Develop manager onboarding checklist: Define 5 key areas (club history, fan expectations, media handling, squad profile, strategic vision) to ensure new hires understand systemic context.
Track player sentiment indicators: Monitor 3-5 key metrics (media interactions, training participation, performance trends) to proactively identify and address potential player dissatisfaction.
Evaluate squad composition strategy: For 2-3 teams with significant transfer activity, assess the alignment between player profiles and stated tactical objectives to identify potential disconnects.

Key Quotes

"Arsenal have reached an agreement in principle with Crystal Palace to sign Eberechi Eze for a fee in the region of his now expired release clause which was 60 plus 8 million pounds I think it works out precisely at about 60 plus 7.5 million pounds and he's agreed personal terms with Arsenal as well."

David Ornstein explains the details of Arsenal's agreement for Eberechi Eze. This quote highlights the financial specifics and the player's personal terms, indicating a significant transfer deal was close to completion. Ornstein's reporting provides a factual account of the negotiations and the player's intent.

"Arsenal detected the negotiations between Tottenham and Palace were not necessarily going as smoothly as Tottenham would have liked and they identified it as a chance to pounce and pounce they did in quite remarkable speed and efficiency that has allowed them to get this deal done."

David Ornstein details Arsenal's opportunistic approach to signing Eberechi Eze. This quote illustrates how Arsenal capitalized on perceived delays in Tottenham's negotiations with Crystal Palace. Ornstein emphasizes the swift and effective action taken by Arsenal to secure the player.

"I don't think this is a case necessarily of Levy not backing Frank like I think that he obviously you know I think that in many ways like Tottenham did enough under normal circumstances to sign Gibbs White they did enough under normal circumstances to sign Eze that all said clearly Tottenham would be a better team with either of those two guys in the team on the pitch."

Jack Pittbrook discusses Daniel Levy's role in Tottenham's transfer dealings, specifically regarding Eberechi Eze. Pittbrook argues that while Tottenham may have done enough to sign Eze, the inability to complete the deal was not solely due to a lack of backing from Levy. He suggests that external factors or player preference played a significant role.

"Isak refused to play he behaved appallingly and he's got what he wanted I think that's a terrible look what message does it send to the rest of Howe's if fingers are to be pointed it should be at the ownership of the club this is their decision it's not Howe's decision and it's their responsibility too that Newcastle have been forced to navigate this window without a sporting director without a ceo after the carnage of a year ago that does feel like negligence."

George Caulkin criticizes Alexander Isak's actions and the Newcastle ownership's handling of the situation. Caulkin states that Isak's refusal to play was unacceptable and that the club's management, particularly the ownership, bears responsibility for the fallout. He points to the lack of a sporting director and CEO as evidence of negligence.

"I think the view from people I've spoken to is that ultimately it comes down to performance on the pitch and the and the desire of the Lewis family to for the club to be more successful."

Jack Pittbrook explains the reasoning behind Daniel Levy's departure from Tottenham. Pittbrook suggests that the majority shareholders, the Lewis family, initiated a review that led to changes, with the ultimate driver being the club's on-pitch performance and the family's ambition for greater success. This indicates a strategic decision based on results.

"The tactical aspect is one small aspect of a much broader i guess microcosm of or just like a micro environment where everything has to be has to be right and the difference between Jota and the difference between Isaac is that they're going into very different teams at very different moments with very different momentum and i think that's the that's the thing i like to talk about cascade effects when i talk about what's happening in football clubs."

John McKenzie uses the analogy of sea otters to explain the concept of "cascade effects" in football. McKenzie argues that tactical decisions are only one part of a complex environment, and external factors like team momentum and player circumstances can have significant ripple effects. He illustrates this with the example of how the decline of sea otters impacted the marine ecosystem, drawing a parallel to how changes in one area of a football club can affect others.

Resources

External Resources

Books

"The Athletic FC Podcast" by The Athletic - Mentioned as the source of the discussion.

Articles & Papers

"The biggest moments of the 2025/26 season so far" (The Athletic FC Podcast) - Discussed as the episode title and topic.

People

Ayo Akinwolere - Host of The Athletic FC Podcast.
Nick Thomson - Producer of The Athletic FC Podcast.
Abi Paterson - Executive Producer of The Athletic FC Podcast.
David Ornstein - Reporter who provided details on the Eberechi Eze transfer.
Jack Pittbrook - Spurs reporter who discussed the Eze transfer and Daniel Levy's departure.
Mikel Arteta - Manager of Arsenal, mentioned in relation to Eberechi Eze's potential transfer.
Daniel Levy - Mentioned in relation to his departure from Tottenham.
Thomas Frank - Manager of Tottenham, discussed in relation to transfer backing.
Eddie Howe - Manager of Newcastle, discussed in relation to Alexander Isak's transfer.
George Caulkin - The Athletic's reporter from Tyneside, discussing Newcastle's situation.
Matt Davies Adams - Co-host and reporter for The Athletic FC Podcast.
Jay Harris - Reporter for The Athletic, discussing Daniel Levy's departure.
Oliver Kay - Reporter for The Athletic, discussing Daniel Levy's departure.
Peter Charrington - Appointed as non-executive chairman of Tottenham.
Ange Postecoglou - Former manager of Tottenham and Nottingham Forest.
Tim Spears - Reporter for The Athletic, discussing managerial changes at Nottingham Forest.
Adam Leventhal - Reporter for The Athletic, discussing managerial changes at Nottingham Forest.
Evangelos Marinakis - Owner of Nottingham Forest, mentioned in relation to managerial decisions.
Graham Potter - Former manager at West Ham.
Benji Lanyardo - Reporter for The Athletic, discussing Nuno Espirito Santo's tenure at West Ham.
Jared Bowen - Captain of West Ham.
Danny Dyer - Mentioned in relation to Jared Bowen's marriage into a West Ham family.
Victor Pereira - Former manager at Wolves.
Tim Spiers - Reporter for The Athletic, discussing Victor Pereira's tenure at Wolves.
Sam Allardyce - Mentioned as having wanted the Wolves job.
John McKenzie - From Tifo, discussed for his analogy on cascade effects.
Virgil van Dijk - Liverpool captain, discussed in relation to team performance.
Mohamed Salah - Liverpool player, discussed in relation to his media comments and benching.
Arne Slot - Liverpool manager, discussed in relation to team performance and Salah's situation.
Diogo Jota - Liverpool player, mentioned in relation to a tragic loss.
Eberechi Eze - Player discussed in relation to transfers to Arsenal and Tottenham.
Alexander Isak - Player discussed in relation to transfers to Newcastle and Liverpool.
Nuno Espirito Santo - Manager discussed in relation to Nottingham Forest and West Ham.
Ruben Amorim - Manager at Manchester United, discussed in relation to his personality and performance.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe - Involved in Manchester United's leadership.
Charlotte Harper - Reporter who met with people connected to Ruben Amorim.
Ollie - Co-host of The Athletic FC Podcast.
Rich - Mentioned in a discussion about goalkeepers.
Alisson - Liverpool goalkeeper.
Heaton - Goalkeeper mentioned in comparison to Alisson.
Jurgen Klopp - Former Liverpool manager.
Jürgen Klopp - Former Liverpool manager.
Edinson Cavani - Player mentioned in relation to Manchester United.
Cristiano Ronaldo - Player mentioned in comparison to Mohamed Salah.
Lionel Messi - Player mentioned in comparison to Mohamed Salah.
Etibo Gakpo - Player mentioned in comparison to Mohamed Salah.
Zuber - Player mentioned in comparison to Mohamed Salah.

Organizations & Institutions

The Athletic FC Podcast - The podcast being discussed.
The Athletic - The source of the reporters and content.
Arsenal - Football club.
Crystal Palace - Football club.
Tottenham - Football club.
Newcastle United - Football club.
Liverpool - Football club.
Nottingham Forest - Football club.
West Ham - Football club.
Wolves - Football club.
Manchester United - Football club.
Inter Milan - Football club.
Sporting - Football club.
Fulham - Football club.
Brentford - Football club.
Leeds - Football club.
Burnley - Football club.
Sunderland - Football club.
Chelsea - Football club.
Tifo - Media outlet.
PFF (Pro Football Focus) - Data source.
National Football League (NFL) - Professional American football league.
New England Patriots - Professional football team.
Acast - Hosting platform.
City Private Bank - Financial institution.
Premier League - Football league.
Champions League - Football competition.
Europa League - Football competition.
League Cup - Football competition.
Saudi Owners - Mentioned in relation to Newcastle United.
The Lewis Family - Majority shareholders of Tottenham.
The Emirates - Stadium.
The City Ground - Stadium.
The Globe - Stadium.
The Etihad - Stadium.
The London Stadium - Stadium.
The King Power Stadium - Stadium.
The Amex Stadium - Stadium.
The Vitality Stadium - Stadium.
The Turf Moor - Stadium.
The Stadium of Light - Stadium.
The Stamford Bridge - Stadium.
The Molineux Stadium - Stadium.
The Old Trafford - Stadium.
The Anfield - Stadium.
The San Siro - Stadium.
The Estádio da Luz - Stadium.
The Estádio José Alvalade - Stadium.
The Estádio do Dragão - Stadium.
The Estádio Municipal de Braga - Stadium.
The Estádio do Bessa - Stadium.
The Estádio da Mata - Stadium.
The Estádio da Luz - Stadium.
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