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Yet another Premier League season is dawning upon us, with champions Liverpool kicking off the new campaign hosting Bournemouth at Anfield this Friday.
It’s been another busy summer window, with sides like Liverpool, Nottingham Forest, Sunderland and Burnley shattering their transfer records, while other sides like Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal have all spent over £150 million to strengthen their squads.
After all this spending though, how will the table line up this season? Today’s piece will look to determine that, as another season full of twists, turns and surprises draws in yet again.
20. Burnley
Someone has to finish last, and unfortunately for the Clarets I’ve got them filling that gap this season, repeating the failures of Burnley sides of the past that attempted to stay in the league for more than a season after getting promoted from the Championship. The most recent group to try and do that was Vincent Kompany’s side in the 2023/24 campaign, but after lacking the quality to take to Kompany’s brave and possession-dominant brand of football, they were swiftly relegated back to the second division after finishing 19th.
13 new faces have arrived at Turf Moor this summer, as Scott Parker looks to blend Premier League experience with fresh young players, especially in attack as he looks to build on the excellent side that got promoted with 100 points last season. Familiarity with the league comes in the form of Armando Broja, Axel Tuanzebe and Martin Dúbravka, but most especially with England international Kyle Walker. With over 400 appearances in the league, he’ll certainly add valuable leadership and experience to the backline, despite his ability declining from the levels he set as a Premier League champion just a few seasons ago.
Lesley Ugochukwu becomes the club’s record signing for £20 million to replace last season’s top goalscorer in Josh Brownhill. Scott Parker’s side have also invested well in more young talent for the wings, making Jaidon Anthony and Marcus Edwards’s moves permanent after successful loan spells last season, as well as adding Loum Tchaouna and a returning Jacob Brunn Larsen to the squad. Quilindschy Hartman also adds to their left-back depth.
Despite this spending, the step-up to the Premier League is becoming harder and harder for freshly promoted sides to adapt to, even if they were centurions the season before. James Trafford is a big loss in between the sticks, and some new signings have shown an inability to thrive in the Premier League, with Broja netting just two goals in his last three seasons. Scott Parker has also struggled as a Premier League manager before, getting relegated with Fulham and a lacklustre spell at Bournemouth. Wether he’ll have the tactical aptness to keep Burnley competitive this season is unlikely.
19. Sunderland
Many fans seem to be excited about Sunderland’s long awaited return to the league after turbulent eight years away to to the top flight, during said period they were relegated to League One, where they languished for four seasons until getting promoted to the second tier once again in 2022. After three seasons there, the now departed Tom Watson’s 95th winner at Wembley secured their promotion- unfortunately, it seems most likely that their return will last any more than this season.
That certainly won’t be down to a lack of ambition in the transfer market though, as Sunderland have pulled off some impressive moves so far. The most notable piece of said business comes in the form of 32-year-old Granit Xhaka, who joins the club after two majorly successful seasons at Bayer Leverkusen, where he played a key role in their invincible season in 2023/24 where they completed the double under Xabi Alonso, almost completing the undefeated treble until they suffered defeat in the 2024 Europa League final.
Habib Diarra also adds to their midfield depth very well after an excellent 2024/25 campaign, ranking in the top 12% for midfielders across Europe for progressive carries and in the top eight percent for progressive passes at 4.36 per 90. Adding his creative skill and relentless work-rate into a midfield with the likes of Enzo Le Fée, Dan Neil and Chris Rigg could be the basis of Sunderland’s survival attempt this season.
The harsh reality of Sunderland’s recruitment so far though will mean most of their new faces and the quality they may bring will be sorely missed throughout December and January when most will depart for AFCON. Diarra, Simon Adingra, Chemsdine Talbi, Noah Sadiki, Arthur Masuaku and Reinildo Mandava (all of which are new signings) will all take part in the tournament, which starts on December 16th. A crucial period in what will already be a very tough season, it’s certainly something could’ve done without if they’ve any chance in staying up.
18. Brentford
It’s been a tough old summer for Brentford after another solid season in the top flight finishing 10th, only to have their modern day club legends in Thomas Frank, Christian Nørgaard and Bryan Mbuemo departing for other Premier League rivals. With just under three weeks until the window slams shut, it also seems likely that Yoane Wissa will leave the club, with lots of interest from Newcastle, Tottenham, and Saudi Arabian sides.
At a glance, the incomings seem decent, with former Liverpool number two Caoimhín Kelleher joining the club for just £12.5 million (that can rise to £18 million in add-ons) to replace Mark Flekken. Italian right-back Michael Kayode has made his move to West London permanent for £13.5 million, along with former Feyenoord midfielder Antoni Milambo joining to add some energy to their ageing midfield.
The biggest question mark facing Brentford- amongst many others- is how new boss Keith Andrews will fare in the dugout this season, after being appointed as Frank’s replacement in late June. A set piece coach behind the scenes normally, Andrews has spent his entire coaching career working as part of a coaching staff team, never as the head coach himself. With an alarming lack of experience and leadership skills that it’ll take to fill Frank’s shoes, the 44-year-old could be the main ingredient in a recipe for disaster for this transitioning Brentford squad.
Another major concern will be where the goals come from. Kevin Schade enjoyed a successful second season at the G-Tech last season, finishing with 11 goals and two assists in 38 games, 26 of which he started. His good form was certainly a product of his ability to link well with Wissa and Mbeumo though, and how he’ll fair without them- or at least without Mbeumo- may not be easy for the German. They’ll have to put a lot of faith in Igor Thiago keeping fit and getting firing, after an injury-plagued first season in English football following his record arrival from Club Brugge.
17. Leeds United
It was a triumphant season for Leeds last year, earning automatic promotion back to the Premier League after a heartbreaking play-off final loss to Southampton in May 2024. With an electric attack that notched 95 goals last season, lead by Joel Piroe who contributed 20% of said tally with 19 goals, it was a campaign to remember for Daniel Farke’s side.
Leeds have dipped into the German market, acquiring the likes of Lukas Nmecha, Sebastiaan Bornauw and Anton Stach joining from the Bundesliga, as well as adding to their defensive ranks with Jaka Bijol, Gabriel Gudmundsson and ‘keeper Lucas Perri. It seems likely that former Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin will be added to their frontline following his contract expiry with Everton. The club also keep a renewed interest in the recently relegated Bilal El Khannouss, but will have to feud with Newcastle and Spurs for his signature.
Wether it’ll be Daniel Farke to lead them through the whole season is a lingering concern. He barely kept his job at the end of the last season with reports suggesting the club were willing to sack him ahead of the new season due to his lacklustre record in the Premier League, after being relegated with Norwich in the 2019/20 campaign. Those behind the scenes are clearly happy to relieve the German of his duties if his side’s form goes pear-shaped, despite a fairly limited pool of available managers out of work at the minute.
Whoever holds the reigns predominantly this season will have a decent quality side at their disposal, with the likes of Joe Rodon, Ao Tanaka, Dan James and Wilfred Gnonto. Even though Farke has had limited success in the league and the state of his job is currently a fragile one, he knows how to motivate his passionate squad and how to adapt his tactics to support his squad, a quality forged from experience that Andrews may lack at Brentford.
16. Wolverhampton Wanderers
Finishing 16th last season, Wolves look set to finish around a similar position again this season, flirting with relegation after Brazilian maestro Matheus Cunha departed the club this summer for £62.5 million after Manchester United payed his release clause. The former Atletico Madrid and Hertha Berlin attacker was undeniably the key to their survival last season, with 21 goals and assists in the Premier League, the highest tally in a domestic season of his career so far.
Wingers Fer López and Jhon Arias have joined from Celta Vigo and Fluminense respectively to help replace the flair and creativity Cunha supplied to the front line. They’ll be aiming to supply Jørgen Strand Larsen, who put pen to paper on a permanent move to Molineux this summer after an impressive loan spell last season, where he notched 19 goals and assists for Vítor Pereira’s side across all competitions.
Arias, López and other attackers like Hwang Hee-chan and Marshall Munetsi will all have to raise their game significantly if they are to help fill Cunha’s boots and help Wolves avoid relegation, but will have a great coach in Pereira to help them do so as well as a solid midfield with Brazilian duo André and João Gomes to help them do so. They may end up being helped by French striker Mathias Abline, who looks likely to leave French side Nantes after a breakout campaign last season with 11 goals in 36 games.
Toti Gomes and Emmanuel Agbadou had impressive seasons in the backline protecting José Sá, though may struggle without Rayan Aït-Nouri dropping in down the left flank after he departed for Manchester City. Wolves should have the funds to add to the backline if they so choose, with Fabio Silva set to depart the club with Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig heavily interested in the striker.
15. West Ham United
Graham Potter will look to instil his fast-paced, free-flowing brand of football into the London Stadium this season following his appointment in January earlier this year. Still mostly David Moyes’s squad, Potter will hope more new faces will be coming in before the September deadline, signing just four new players so far this summer.
Mads Hermansen joins from recently relegated Leicester City, despite conceding four goals more than he should have last season according to his post-shot expected goals stats. He’s a younger and more dynamic option than Alphonse Areola, who turns 33 next February, and for just £20 million has the potential to go on to be West ham’s number one for many seasons to come. More youthful energy comes into the side in the form of Senegalese left-back El Hadji Malick Diouf, who’s impressed in pre-season following his £19 million arrival from Sparta Prague. Kyle Walker-Peters is a smart pick-up for the other side, joining on a free following his deal expiring at Southampton in June. His former team-mate Matheus Fernandes is in talks to join the club too, despite Southampton rejecting West Ham’s latest bid of £30 million.
The Hammers have also done a good job of turfing out ageing players too, with Vladimír Coufal, Aaron Cresswell, Kurt Zouma, Łukasz Fabiański, and Danny Ings leaving the club. Michail Antonio has also departed the club after the serious road accident he suffered last season, and despite signing on with TNT Sports to be part of their pundit line-up, he has insisted he could still return to football soon.
Despite the positive business completed this summer, other than England international Jarrod Bowen, the West Ham attack still lacks a lot of firepower to make them more competitive this season. Behind Bowen, the most goals their second top goalscorer could muster was five, and that was attributed to the now-departed Mohamed Kudus. Lucas Paquetá contributed a lowly four, while last summer’s £27 million signing Niclas Fullkrüg only managed three, only starting six games due to injury trouble.
If West Ham want to come anywhere near a top ten finish that they’ve achieved in recent years, they’ll need a lot more fire power in the final third. It’s difficult to see that happening when the only attacker brought in so far is 33-year-old Callum Wilson, who scored just one goal last season.
14. AFC Bournemouth
2024/25 was certainly a campaign to remember for Bournemouth, achieving their joint-highest Premier League finish after picking up 56 points to earn them 9th place, where they finished in their second ever Premier League season in 2016/17.
Andoni Iraola proved all his doubters wrong, after he replaced former fan favourite Gary O’Neill who heroically kept them up in 2023. The Spaniard established a fun brand of football down on the South coast that made the Cherries one of the most enjoyable sides to watch last season. They completed the double over Arsenal, dished out batterings to the likes of Newcastle, Nottingham Forest and Wolves, whilst also picking up massive wins over Manchester City and Manchester United throughout the season.
Bournemouth suffered from their success this window though, as their attractive football brought eyes across Europe to their games, leading some of the world’s best to poach their players away from the Vitality this summer. Major departures started when Kepa Arrizabalaga’s loan spell ended, before the Spaniard later joined Arsenal. Dean Huijsen returned to Spain after Real Madrid payed his £50 million release clause, shortly followed by Milos Kerkez making a move to Anfield for £40 million. The fourth major sale was completed this week also, as Illia Zabarnyi completed his long awaited move to PSG.
Bafode Diakite looks set to join the club from French outfit Lille, where he had an impressive campaign boasting a 92.7% pass completion rate and played the most amount of minutes for an outfield player at Les Dogues last time out. He’ll link up with Kepa’s replacement, Đorđe Petrović, and Kerkez’s replacement and fellow Frenchman Adrien Truffert befofe the season starts as Bournemouth look towards the new season with a new-look backline. The club remains locked in talks for Bayer Leverkusen forward Amine Adli, who the German side value at £26 million.
Even if Adli arrives, it can be expected that with so many funds still available to them that Bournemouth’s business is far from done, and history shows they can spend their budget well. However, losing so many key players and expecting everyone to still hit the levels they found last season is a big ask of this side, and a drop off from last season wouldn’t be overly surprising.
13. Fulham
Fulham share a similar story to Bournemouth from last season, though they didn’t enjoy as much success. Marco Silva’s fourth season at the club saw them on the cusp of a second top ten finish in the last three seasons, finishing in a respectable 11th and getting to the FA Cup quarter-finals before getting eliminated by the eventual winners, Crystal Palace.
Many players had some of their best campaigns of their careers last season, with Raúl Jiménez rolling back the years to finish with 15 goals and assists, and former Arsenal and Everton winger Alex Iwobi coming into his own, matching Jiménez’s 15 goals and assists albeit with 500+ more minutes to his name. Antonee Robinson finished joint fourth for assists in the league and the most of any defender after getting 10 in 36, featuring in a very impressive backline with the likes of Calvin Bassey and the returning Joachim Andersen.
The Cottagers have done really well to retain their top stars, especially after sides round them like Bournemouth, Brentford, and Crystal Palace have lost or look set to lose some of their best this summer. However, they’ve also had a majorly disappointing window for incomings, signing just one player in French goalkeeper Benjamin Lecomte. It seems likely they’ll lose Rodrigo Muniz after Atalanta agreed personal terms for the Brazilian and the club bid £36 million. This has led Marco Silva’s side to turn towards Shakhtar Donetsk winger Kevin, looking like almost all of the funds they get from Muniz will go towards the Brazilian’s services.
Regardless of Kevin’s potential arrival, this talented squad hasn’t been added to enough so far to keep them close to a top 10 finish this season. Fulham’s campaign could still be enjoyable assuming their business remains limited, but if they get their skates on in these last few weeks and acquire more players it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them finish higher than 13th come next May.
12. Crystal Palace
What should have been a summer of elation for Crystal Palace as they look ahead to their first time in Europe has quickly turned into a summer of frustration and disappointment, after the recent ruling that disqualified Palace from the Europa League into the Europa Conference League. This was due to the shares that businessman John Textor used to have in the club and the position and shares he formerly held in Lyon, who also qualified for the Europa League.
Textor sold his shares in Crystal Palace to Woody Johnson a week before he resigned from his positions in Lyon, which means such a ruling- which doesn’t rule Palace out of competing in Europe all together at the very least- is quite harsh, especially as sides from the City group and the Red Bull group are rarely investigated and questioned.
Despite such drama off the pitch, the Eagles had a fine pre season on the pitch and kicked their domestic season off with a win against Liverpool in the Community Shield at Wembley, whilst also making some decent additions to the squad throughout the summer. Borna Sosa joins the squad to rival Tyrick Mitchell on the left-hand side, and Argentine goalkeeper Walter Benítez will play number two to Dean Henderson. A move for Sporting Lisbon center-back Ousmane Diomande seems to have cooled, but may gain momentum if Marc Guehi departs the club before the end of the window, as Liverpool remain heavily interested in his services, especially as he only has a year left on his current contract.
It also seems likely that star playmaker Eberechi Eze will depart the club before the end of the window, with Arsenal and Tottenham set to compete for his signature. With 26 goals and assists across all competitions last season, saying Eze would be difficult to replace would be an understatement, regardless of how much money they may end up getting for him. Averaging an impressive 2.33 successful take ons per 90 in 2024/25, the former QPR midfielder’s creativity, end product and technical excellence makes him one of if not the most important part of Glasner’s brand of football.
With so many more games this season, players like Ismalia Sarr, Daichi Kamada, Eddie Nketiah and Romain Esse would all have to step up lots this season replace him and his playmaking abilities if Palace want to avoid regressing from last season.
11. Everton
Summer started slowly for Everton, kicking off the window by making Carlos Alcaraz’s move to the club permanent from Flamengo after a fairly middling spell with the club in the second half of last season. Just under eight weeks later, a move was sealed the move for striker Thierno Barry from Villareal for £27 million. As the season draws ever closer though, the Toffees have stepped up their business considerably, with left-back Adam Aznou and midfielder Keirnan Dewsbury-Hall arriving on permanent deals.
By far their most notable piece of business though comes in the form of the loan deal for Premier League champion Jack Grealish as he looks to rejuvenate his career after a deeply disappointing spell with Manchester City. Signing for £100 million in summer 2021, the Englishman hasn’t been without his injury struggles since being with the Citizens, but despite this still looks a shell of his former self even when he can get a consistent run of games together. Recent signings like Jérémy Doku, Savinho and Rayan Cherki show that Pep Guardiola is looking to add more firepower to the wings, as Grealish looks no where near being a regular first choice option for his side.
If David Moyes can keep the former Aston Villa captain fit and get him to anywhere near the level that earned him such a big money move four years ago, he’ll no doubt add an immense amount of quality to Everton’s attack, which was certainly lacklustre last season with the likes of Dwight McNeil and Jack Harrison. If the same can happen with Dewsbury-Hall, who was named The Athletic’s Championship Player of the Season in the 2023/24 season after leading Leicester to promotion, Everton will have a frontline to be dealt with.
Jordan Pickford is more than a reliable set of hands in between the sticks, as he looks ahead to the World Cup next summer where he’ll want to keep hold of his place in goal. Jarrod Branthwaite and James Tarkowski are a great centre-half pairing, with the former offering more on the ball, modern day centre-half elegance while the latter offers a more traditional, no-nonsense, physical approach to defending that makes Everton such a hard side to break down at times.
If they can add a more natural right-back before the window closes in place of the out-of-position Jake O’Brien who filled in there last season, a top 10 finish could certainly be on the cards for the side from Blue half of Liverpool, even if their chances of success rests on a lot of ifs, buts and maybes.
10. Manchester United
Following the club’s worst ever Premier League finish and their lowest first division finish since 1974 when they were relegated to the second division, Manchester United came into the window knowing major change was needed. After public interviews from owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, it seemed such change was impossible, with a process of penny-pinching happening as over 400 staff were made redundant in order to help balance the books in the workforce running the club behind the scenes.
Since then though, with many long-serving, loyal members of staff being forced out of their jobs, United have gone on to spend almost £200 million on new signings this summer with no significant outgoings. They’re yet to sell anyone in fact, with players only departing following contract expiry- the case for Christian Eriksen and Viktor Lindelof- and loan deals, the most notable of which being Marcus Rashford leaving for Barcelona.
Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee have failed to nail down a starting position despite the club spending over £100m on the duo last summer, leading the club to wrap up the signing of Benjamin Sesko from RB Leipzig for £73.7 million. He’ll lead the attack with Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo behind him, a trio that has equated to just over £200 million, that could rise due to the add-ons in Sesko’s and Mbuemo’s deals. The spending may not even stop here though, as links to the likes of Brighton’s Carlos Baleba and PSG’s Gianluigi Donnarumma have appeared across the media this week.
Even if Baleba and Donnarumma come in, there’s no guarantee these new faces can come in and thrive at Old Trafford, with the home of the 20-time first division champions earning the reputation as a “career graveyard” with many young talents and big name signings alike failing in years gone by. A severe lack of bite and character still plagues this squad too, something Ruben Amorim will have to work on this season if he wants to have one of Europe’s biggest clubs back competing in European competitions once again.
9. Nottingham Forest
Last season saw Forest flirt with a title challenge at times, before eventually tailing off in the race for Champions League football and achieving a very respectable 7th place that sets them up for a season in the Europa League following Crystal Palace’s post-FA cup ruling. Forest have managed to ride that high all summer all long ahead of an action-packed, historic season for the club.
In preparation for their first season in Europe since 1995/96, Forest completed a club record move for Bologna winger Dan Ndoye, after a fantastic 2024/25 campaign with 12 goals and assists and an impressive 5.55 progressive passes per 90 that ranked him in Europe’s top 8% of wingers. Brazilian duo Igor Jesus and Jair Cunha joined from Botafogo to add some Jogo Bonito flair to the City Ground.
The club also tied dynamic midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White down to a new deal, after a dramatic transfer saga that almost saw the former Wolves midfielder move to Tottenham Hotspur after the North London club agreed to pay his release clause. However, Forest accused Spurs of an illegal approach for the midfielder and threatened legal action, claiming they breached confidentiality regarding said £60 million release clause. Though Tottenham believed they had done nothing wrong, legal action wasn’t pursued and the 25-year-old penned a one-year contract extension at the club.
As players like Gibbs-White, Chris Wood, Nikola Milenković and Murillo look set to stay in the Midlands, Forest have done well to retain most of the squad that over performed so marvellously last season, though Antony Elanga was the only player to jump ship after his £55 million move to Newcastle. Despite this, Nuno Espírito Santo may find it very difficult to remain in the hunt for European places and balance a Europa League title push next season, given so few of his squad have had the challenge of balancing this before. If their domestic season could be paired with a deep European run and potentially a decent cup run too, it could still be a successful season for Forest, even if it eventually means the 2026/27 season won’t have European nights.
8. Brighton & Hove Albion
Fabian Hürzeler looks set to take to the dugout for his second season in the Premier League, after a generally successful first season that saw him guide Brighton to an 8th place finish, barely missing out on European football. Despite being just 31 when he was appointed, the American-born coach quickly entrenched his brand of football in the South-coast side, playing fast-paced offensive football that was truly a joy to watch at times.
In his second season at St Pauli, he was able to earn the club their first promotion to the Bundesliga since 2010. This gives reason to suggest he’ll be able to build on their successes of last season this time around, but the German second division is very different to the Premier League after all.
The Seagulls have made lots of interesting moves, once again putting their trust in young talents from across Europe. The most expensive of these investments comes in the form of 18-year-old Greek striker Charalampos Kostoulas, joining the club for just under £30 million. After a breakout season at Olympiakos where he scored seven goals in 22 games, Kostoulas is a massive gamble for the club to take, but more often that not these gambles have payed off, delivering on the pitch and most of the time having the club laughing off to the bank.
Maxim De Cuyper replaces Pervis Estupiñán after his move to AC Milan, joining Italian centre-back Diego Coppola, former Sunderland winger Tom Watson and French defender Olivier Boscagli after his contract expired at Eredivise champions PSV. They’ll add to a squad full of young talent with the likes of Georginio Rutter, Yankuba Minteh and Carlos Baleba, as well as more established players like star winger Kaoru Mitoma, Danny Welbeck and Jan Paul van Hecke.
Even though Brighton have lost top talent already this window like the aforementioned Pervis Estupiñán, Brazilian attacker João Pedro and Simon Adingra, history shows they know how to replace departed players better than almost anyone else in the Premier League. Another upper mid-table finish could still be deemed successful if it comes true as this energetic squad with a young manager continues to find its feet in one of the most competitive leagues in the world.
7. Newcastle United
Wether or not Alexander Isak will be part of their squad this season, Newcastle still boast a polished core of players that can certainly compete for a place in Europe next season, regardless of who Isak’s replacement may be. It seems more and more likely the Swede will force a move away from the North-East in the last weeks of the window, with reports suggesting Isak has no intention to ever play for the club again, regardless if he’s sold between today and September 1st.
Names like Yoane Wissa, Nicolas Jackson and Randal Kolo Muani have been linked to the club heavily in recent days, and either one (or even a combination of those three if more than one of them sign) have the potential and capability to fill an Isak-shaped hole in their front three that can keep them in the fold for Europe next season. However, one quality Newcastle have failed to display this window is their ability to go out and get their business done effectively, after missing out on top targets like Hugo Ekitike, James Trafford and Bryan Mbuemo to name just a few.
Regardless of who leads the line for the Magpies next season, a solid backline in front of Aaron Ramsdale with the likes of Lewis Hall, Sven Botman, new arrival Malick Thiaw and Tino Livramento could establish itself as one of the best in the league if all of them can stay fit consistently. Their star-studded midfield of Bruno Guimarães, Sandro Tonali and Joelinton has already proven its one of the best, especially with the new addition of Jacob Ramsey and emerging talent Lewis Miley. Antony Gordon and Antony Elanga should also offer enough firepower in attack to supply whoever completes their front three this campaign.
Alexander Isak is undeniably a major loss, but Eddie Howe has shown he knows how to adapt after a squad losses its star striker, as shown from his time at Bournemouth where he lost the likes of Callum Wilson (to Newcastle ironically), Benik Afobe and Lys Mousset. Though Isak is blatantly head and shoulders above any of those names when they moved, Howe knows what its like to lose an important striker, and knows how to move on from them after their departure. A drop-off is expected, but not so dramatic to keep them out of the Champions League scramble.
6. Aston Villa
After missing out on Champions League football on the final day of last season after a disappointing display away at Old Trafford (where they ended up losing 2-0), Villa have had a slow window coming into the new season- but one may argue that if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it. Ivorian international Evann Guessand joined the club after a breakout season in Ligue 1 with OGC Nice, but it seems to be a one in, one out system at Villa Park, with fellow winger Jacob Ramsey on the verge of a £40 million move to Newcastle.
Another wide forward certainly wouldn’t go a miss for Villa before the window shuts, as Guessand will be one of four wingers at the club (assuming Leon Bailey leaves, something he’s been tipped for all summer) which includes the injury-prone Emi Buendia and Sam Iling-Junior, who spent last season on loan in the Championship. PSR constraints may not allow them to complete much more business though, on top of their other signing in 34-year-old goalie Mark Bizot.
Competing in the Europa League may be a blessing in disguise, as the calibre of side partaking in the tournament may allow them to rotate their elevens more often throughout the season to help them remain in the Champions League conversation. As was the case two seasons ago when they competed in the Europa Conference League, Villa will have one of the best squads in the competition when they’re at full strength and will be one of the favourites to go far in the tournament.
Villa have had a mixed pre season, playing eight and winning three, while suffering losses to the likes of Olympique Marseille and Hansa Rostock and being held by the likes of Eintracht Frankfurt and Nashville. Their season opener though against Newcastle could be the perfect opportunity to lay a marker down for the season, though two seasons ago they had the same opportunity and were swept aside 5-1.
5. Tottenham Hotspur
Overall, last season can probably be judged as a triumphant one for Tottenham. Domestically, it was nothing short of a nightmare, with their lowest first division finish since they were last relegated in 1977 after they slumped to 17th. They were swept aside easily in the League Cup semi-finals to eventual runners-up Liverpool, and were dumped out of the FA Cup fourth round by Aston Villa. Their ultimate triumph came in the Europa League though, where after getting past AZ Alkmaar, Eintracht Frankfurt and Bodø/Glimt, they reached the finals in Bilbao where a heroic defensive performance saw them edge out Manchester United 1-0 to claim a place in the Champions League and most importantly their first piece of silverware since 2008.
The Europa League victory was not enough to paper over the cracks Ange Postecoglou caused at the club, and just over two weeks after the final, he was relieved of his duties ahead of the 2025/26 season. Brentford boss Thomas Frank was chosen as his replacement, an overwhelmingly positive move with a much more pragmatic tactician who has delivered for Brentford time and time again, most notably with their first ever promotion to the Premier League in 2021.
Frank has certainly been backed this summer too, firstly with Kevin Danso and Mathys Tel making their moves permanent after successful loan spells in North London. Mohamed Kudus then joined to add more offensive depth for £54.5 million, who was then later followed by a midfield addition in João Palhinha on loan from Bayern Munich after the 30-year-old struggled to nail down a place in Vincent Kompany’s midfield. Their business seems unlikely to end there though, with the club currently in talks for Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze and Manchester City’s Savinho, with both players keen on the move and both clubs willing to play ball in negotiations.
Should Savinho arrive, he’ll have the tough task alongside the likes of Kudus, Tel and Brennan Johnson of replacing the seemingly irreplaceable club legend Heung-Min Son. After 10 years at the club, the South Korean winger has let the curtain fall on his Premier League career, departing for LAFC in MLS for £20 million. With 333 appearances to his name and 198 goals and assists in the Premier League alone, Son has been one of the best forwards in the Premier League for almost his entire stint in the league, and leaves behind a legacy of not only being a phenomenal player, but also for being a warm, considerate human being that meant he garnered a soft spot in everyone’s hearts, not just in those of Tottenham fans.
On the pitch, his excellent end product in the final third and relentless work ethic will be difficult to replace. The 33-year-old lead the side for goals and assists in his last two seasons, contributing 16 last season and 27 the year before. Alongside all the winger talent they have, Dominic Solanke is coming off the back of a decent first campaign as a Spurs player, notching 23 goals and assists last season. He will likely build on that this season under Frank, who has a track record for getting the best out of his strikers, like Ollie Watkins, Ivan Toney and most recently helping Yoane Wissa adapt to the position.
4. Arsenal
It’s crunch time for Mikel Arteta this season, as his side simply has to get over the line with a major trophy if he’s to continue getting the patience from the Arsenal fanbase in what will be his sixth full season with the club following his appointment in December 2019. The only piece over silverware he’s delivered since then was actually in his first half-season, where he defeated Chelsea in the 2020 FA Cup final. Admittedly, this was with Unai Emery’s squad, with only Pablo Marí and Cedric Soares joining in the January window- neither of which were in the squad for the final.
Viktor Gyökeres is certainly a signing of intent, as the Gunners immediately addressed one of the biggest problems of last season, where they had no top-class out and out nine. 45 goals for Sporting Lisbon show how prolific he can be- but there may be some lingering concerns with his ability to adapt to the English game, as well as Arteta’s brand of football. The Spaniard wants to dominate possesion, take time in chance creation, almost the total opposite of the counter-attacking nature Sporting played last season, where their build up happened in transition where Gyökeres could use his brutish strength and pace to bully defenders, break in behind their lines and normally go on to score.
This also won’t be his first stint in England, where once upon a time he applied his trade at Brighton. After failing to impress in various loan spells though, he was never given a real chance on the South coast, before being flogged to Coventry. The Swede did much better there, earning his move to Sporting Lisbon, but playing for a high-end Championship club is much different to a high-end Premier League side.
Their left-wing depth is still a concern too, despite the £50 million signing of Noni Madueke from Chelsea. 11 goals for him last season, four of which were in the Europa Conference League, leaves most scratching their head as to why the Gunners would splash so much for his services. 10 from Martinelli was also a disappointing return, and the eye test will show you how frustrating he can be sometimes in the final third. Partner this with a captain in Martin Ødegaard who underperformed last season, and it may not be all sunshine and rainbows for Arsenal this season.
3. Chelsea
Enzo Maresca’s tactically complex style of football has kept Chelsea on the up, after a brilliant season that saw them become the inaugural champions of the new-look FIFA Club World Cup and the Europa Conference League. They’ve continue to turf out more surplus players, garnering big fees for the likes of João Félix, Noni Madueke, Đorđe Petrović and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall to name just some of the 10 players they’ve permanently shifted on this summer.
They’ve reinvested that very well so far, the most costly of which being Brighton striker João Pedro, who has looked excellent since joining the squad in early July. Jamie Gittens will be excellent depth down the left-hand side, as will teenage sensation Willian Estêvão on the other flank to compete with Pedro Neto. Liam Delap will offer something different to Pedro up front also, with Pedro offering a more false-nine, technical focus, whereas Delap is a more out and out nine. Highly rated Dutch talent Jarrell Hato has joined from Ajax after graduating from their famous academy and starting 63 out of a possible 68 Eredivise games in his last two seasons. Their business isn’t set to end their though, as Alejandro Garnacho looks set to put pen to paper at Stamford Bridge, while the club remain in the mix for Dutch playmaker Xavi Simons.
Their backline has been damaged ahead of their season starting against Crystal Palace, as Levi Colwill suffered an ACL injury in training last week. The Blues certainly won’t be short of options though, with Tosin Adarabioyo, Benoît Badiashile, and a returning Wesley Fofana ready to take his place alongside Trevoh Chalobah. With Marc Cucurella and Reece James flanking them, one of which (most likely Cucurella) to invert into midfield in possession, there’s a great pairing there that can be in conversation with one of the best pairings in the league.
Balancing the Premier League with the Champions League will be much more difficult than balancing it with the Europa Conference League as they did last season, but this side has got better and better with Maresca, and with the top class talent they have in the squad like Cole Palmer, Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them go on better than they did last year and break the 70 point mark, something they haven’t achieved since 2022.
2. Manchester City
“Manchester City 2.0” is taking shape nicely as more fresh faces have descended upon the Etihad this summer. Tijjani Reijnders is an excellent pick up in midfield for just over £46 million, especially if he’s next to a returning Rodri that probably won’t take long to take back to his best. Rayan Cherki is an expert pick up for £34 million for the bags of ability he possesses, wether that’s as a midfielder or out on the wing. Signing Rayan Aït-Nouri is decent business too for more left-back depth that can allow Joško Gvardiol to play his more natural position at centre-half more often.
Their attacking depth may be a concern, as the club seem very welling to depart with Savinho if they can strike a deal with Tottenham, and have let Jack Grealish leave on loan to Everton. Reports suggest that the club would then ignite a move to out-of-favour Real Madrid attacker Rodrygo, which would certainly be an upgrade on Savinho despite his positive first campaign in the Premier League. If, and it is a rather large if, they are able to strike a deal for Rodrygo, his pace, clinicality and skill would be an excellent addition to City’s frontlines.
It also looks likely that Ederson will depart the club setting up a battle to commence with bitter rivals Manchester United over the signature of Gianluigi Donnarumma, with reports in France suggesting he currently favours a move to the Citizens. Even if the Italian does arrive, future England number one James Trafford will be there to compete with him after his £27 million move.
Pep Guardiola knows exactly how to lead a side in a title race, but he’s not had to do that with a squad in a transition period arguably ever in his career, due to the brilliant sides he’s managed at throughout his career. Regardless of who’s still yet to come and go, there is a world class core at his disposal that know how to compete for trophies, though they’ll likely fall short of a title win this season.
1. Liverpool
It’s been a summer to remember to Liverpool for a plethora of reasons, after phenomenally clinching the Premier League title in May, with Arsenal failing to put up any fight to the Reds who win it with four games to spare. With lofty transfer ambitions, it looked like it would be a summer solely focused on transfer dealings and preparing for a title defence, especially with the statement signings of Florian Wirtz- a Premier League record arrival- along with Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong. However, On July 3rd Portuguese forward Diogo Jota and his brother André Silva tragically passed away in the Spanish province of Zamora.
Tributes came flooding in from all over the footballing world for the pair of brothers, as Anfield and Molineux saw thousands of floral tributes laid outside the ground. Liverpool bravely proceeded with their pre season, beating Preston 3-1 on July 13th, just 10 days after their teammate’s passing. As the grieving continued, the Reds continued their business with French striker Hugo Ekitike joining the club from Eintracht Frankfurt. To help balance the books, South American duo Luis Díaz and Darwin Nunez departed the club for Bayern Munich and Al Hilal respectively.
An already excellent squad that almost achieved a double last year if not for Alexander Isak’s heroics at Wembley, adding one of if not the best attacking midfielder in world football in Florian Wirtz will no doubt establish himself as one of the best in the league. Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong have looked exceptional in the games they’e played so far, with both offering lots in the final third to support the likes of Cody Gakpo and Hugo Ekitike.
On paper, this Liverpool side is top class and one of the best in Europe- potentially adding Alexander Isak into this side, who is seemingly doing all he can do force the move after Liverpool’s first bid was rejected, would make it simply unfair to other sides in the league that could also see them mount a good challenge in Europe too.
