Football Ground Map
Football Ground Map
The new season in the English Premier League promises plenty of intrigues. After the failure to form Super League, teams will once again have to prove their superiority on the field in the face of challenging financial pressures.
This article looks at how the leading contenders for the EPL title have changed in the short space of time since Euro 2020.
Last season's champions have returned like a phoenix to the seemingly lost race after Boxing Day. Pep Guardiola has carefully selected his squad over five seasons at Manchester City, and now he's taking his time with reinforcements. Over this summer, only Jack Grealish has caught the eye of the cityzens, for whom they are willing to pay £100 million, as per rumours. The deal should take place soon.
Angelino left the club for £18 million to RB Leipzig and Sergio Aguero (free agent) to Barcelona. The latter transfer was surprising as the club lacks a centre-forward. Only Gabriel Jesus plays in that position. However, the Spanish coach all season long played up a scheme in which a striker is not needed. The team was successful without a clear striker, managed to win the EPL title, and reach the Champions League final.
If they keep their leaders, signing Grealish and another midfielder to replace Fernandinho (now 36 y.o.) for matches where you need to keep the result, cityzens can confidently claim all trophies.
Despite the victory of Thomas Tuchel's team in the Champions League, where they defeated the very same Manchester City, things are not going very well with the transfers so far. The head coach has identified the primary position that requires strengthening: a centre-forward. After lengthy negotiations on Erling Haaland, Borussia's decision was clear: no deal between Chelsea and the German club was possible.
Therefore, Thomas Tuchel has asked to focus on the transfer of Belgian beast Romelu Lukaku. The club and a player have already negotiated on personal terms, and the English side is planning to complete the transfer shortly, paying Inter more than 110 million euros.
Also, Thomas Tuchel still needs a central defender, and the purchase of Jules Kounde from Sevilla is planned for this position. The German coach will complete a full pre-season training, and if these transfers are successful, he will get an EPL title contender squad.
This summer, the main newsmaker was the Red Devils, who extended the contract of head coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer until 2024 and made two high-profile purchases. The first was Borussia Dortmund's attacking midfielder Jaydon Sancho, who moved for 85 million euros. The second reinforcement was Sergio Ramos' longtime Real Madrid defensive partner Rafael Varan for 50 million euros.
Such amazing transfers have strengthened Manchester United's already strong squad. Last season's results, the second place in the EPL season and the Europa League final, allow fans and betting enthusiasts to count on the high marks for the Red Devils. If you also decide to choose Solskjaer's team as the main favourite in the championship race, try the bookmaker Expekt, whose review is presented at https://bookmaker-ratings.com/review/expekt-review/.
Liverpool's unexpected slump in the second part of last season made fans, and experts doubt the team. Jurgen Klopp, however, showed that the team is still under his management, and only some changes are needed.
The leader of the defence, Virgil van Dijk, was unavailable for most of the season, and the club made a panic-buy of Ozan Kabak in the winter. The Turk failed in England, and fortunately, it was only a loan that ended in the summer. Liverpool acquired Ibrahima Konate from RB Leipzig for 40 million euros to strengthen the centre of defence. But the club also lost Georginio Wijnaldum, who left as a free agent for PSG.
Jurgen Klopp's team lost most of the points due to unforeseen injuries in defence, and now this line in the squad is complete. A well-played team like Liverpool can confidently fight for the top-3 and consistently play the whole season, even for the title.
Taking my son to his first football match was one of the best experiences I've had as a father so far. I've written this article for Alex to read when he gets older.
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My daughter's first ever football match - Orlando City v Atlanta United, August 2019. Written for Izzy to read when she gets old enough. Vamos Orlando
