London, Aug 10: Manchester City has broken its transfer record, Chelsea looks to be on the brink of doing the same, while Manchester United has spent around $150 million in fixing two of its weakest positions.
Liverpool? Well they’re just happy to have their best player back from a serious injury. For very different reasons, each of the Premier League’s top four teams from last season appear to be in a healthy position heading into a 2021-22 campaign that will be played in front of capacity crowds for the first time in 17 months.
England’s lucrative top division for some time has had a so-called “Big Six” of City, United, Chelsea, Liverpool, Tottenham and Arsenal.
The coming season, though, looks to be a four-team race for the title, even if things could change dramatically by some late movement in a transfer window that closes on August 31.
Manchester City
Signing Jack Grealish for $139 million was a big statement of intent by City, but that only served to strengthen a midfield department where Pep Guardiola already had enviable riches.
It is a striker the champions really need following the departure of Sergio Aguero after 10 years, and there’s one they are targeting in particular.
Harry Kane, who would cost more than Grealish and City appears willing to spend another British-record figure if only Tottenham would negotiate.
But, according to Guardiola, that isn’t currently the case, even if Kane seems keen on the move. If it happens, even City’s second team could mount a top-four challenge.
Chelsea
Chelsea has already proved a genuine rival for City, having won their last three meetings — capped by a 1-0 victory in the Champions League final in May.
Having built the sturdiest defense in Europe, with Jorginho and the indefatigable N’Golo Kante protecting a back five, Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel has focused on adding an attacking spearhead to the team and that looks like being Romelu Lukaku.
The Belgium striker reportedly underwent a medical examination on Monday ahead of a club-record $135 million transfer from Inter Milan.
Lukaku’s return to Stamford Bridge will turn the London club into a huge title challenger, potentially giving Tuchel as strong a squad as Guardiola has.
After all, it comes after Chelsea’s spending spree of nearly $300 million in the last offseason.
Manchester United
While the signing of Jadon Sancho, for $100 million, came as no real surprise, United’s acquisition of Raphael Varane for a likely fee of around $50 million hadn’t been trailed.
As improbable was the swift and trouble-free way the club concluded the deals, a far cry from recent transfer windows that have been hectic at Old Trafford.
It points to a club that is increasingly sure of what it wants and building a strong team under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who still hasn’t won a trophy since joining late in 2018.
Key will be striker Edinson Cavani staying fit and if Mason Greenwood, the young forward carrying so much hope and expectation, kicks on again. Paul Pogba also appears to be staying for another season.
Liverpool
Liverpool’s defense of its 2019-20 title can best be described as underwhelming — the team went from champions by 19 points to trailing home 17 points behind City in third place — but there was one big reason for that.
Virgil van Dijk’s knee injury kept him out for all but one month of the campaign and capped a season when Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was struck by one defensive injury after another.
Van Dijk is back now, and that with the signing of Ibrahima Konate from Leipzig strengthens the defence.
But the biggest issues might be in midfield. The strain will lie on captain Jordan Henderson, who is starting to pick up injuries regularly, and Fabinho.
Klopp will need Thiago Alcantara to have a better second season than his first.
That said, the front four of Diogo Jota, Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino can be relied upon for plenty of goals.
Other Contenders
Expect Leicester to have another solid year, especially now it has plenty of options in attack following the signing of Patson Daka, but the team just doesn’t have the financial strength of the top four and will again have to balance competing on domestic and European fronts.
Arsenal, which failed to qualify for European competition for the first time in 25 years will look to improve on an eighth-place finish. Much will depend on striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
As for Tottenham, under a new manager in Nuno Espirito Santo, it all really hinges on whether Kane stays or goes. (AP)
