It seems like an age since the last action of an exhilarating period of Premier League football doesn’t it? A season of twists and turns saw some shock results, a relegation battle and a thrilling title race. Although the start of the new Premier League season is still two months away, the summer transfer window is just around the corner with the domestic window commencing on June 14th and the overseas window beginning on the 1st July.
What better way to prepare for the upcoming season than by looking at some of the Premier League teams looking to do big business in the window?
We start with the champions/treble winners. Pep Guardiola’s men treated us to some scintillating football with some remarkable talent on show, most notably star man Erling Haaland scoring 36 goals breaking the record for most goals scored in a Premier League season.
It’s hard to say how this transfer window will pan out for the Citizens but it would be unusual for Guardiola not to spend money. Interest in Chelsea midfielder Mateo Kovacic has resulted in the London club allowing him to have talks with City. The Croatian international only scored once and assisted twice in the league last term and a move away from Stamford Bridge is looking increasingly likely.
City are also considering a move for highly-rated defender Josko Gvardiol. The £80 million rated defender has impressed many with his form at RB Leipzig alongside performances in the Qatar World Cup and his ability to play at centre-back and left-back makes him an anntractive target for the Manchester club.
After an exciting battle with Manchester City, Mikel Arteta’s men must look back on the 2022/23 season as runners up. Ultimately, it was the lack of squad depth that let the Gunners down and Arteta will be looking to strengthen before the first game on 14th August but who will he bring in?
It is believed the Frenchman is targeting two midfielders over the summer, especially with the possible departure of Granit Xhaka. The first of whom being West Ham and England star Declan Rice. The central midfielder is sought after by many Premier League clubs and has been for some time after his good form for club and country. However, if the 24 year-old is wanting to leave the Olympic Stadium, he will not come cheaply with a rumoured asking price of £100 million.
The second of Arteta’s transfer targets is Moises Caceido. The Ecuadorian defensive midfielder impressed at Brighton last season and attracted attention from many of Europe’s elite, notably Arsenal in January when they had two bids rejected.
It has been a season of ups and downs for the Red Devils with a Carabao Cup win, a hint of a title charge, the prospect of new ownership and an FA Cup final defeat to their neighbours. Not only has their season been hectic, their transfer window promises to be busy as well. Manchester United’s heightened interest in Napoli defender Kim-Min Jae could see the departure of captain Harry Maguire. The England International’s time in Manchester has been turbulent and with a replacement looming, it could be the perfect opportunity for him to progress his career elsewhere.
Erik Ten Haag is another man in pursuit of Declan Rice but it is believed he will have to better Arsenal’s bid in order to persuade a move away from London. One of the big summer signings could be that of Harry Kane to Manchester United. Kane scored 30 goals in the league last season only second in the standings to Erling Haaland. He would certainly be a statement signing at Old Trafford, but will he really leave Tottenham?
It was a somewhat disappointing season for Jurgen Klopp’s men with a finish outside of the top four, however, they have wasted no time in getting down to business with the signing of World Cup winner Alexis Mac Allister for an initial fee of £35 million. The Argentine scored 12 times in all competitions for Brighton last season and made a name for himself starting 6 games in Argentina’s triumphant World Cup Finals.
Klopp is also looking for more men to strengthen his midfield line up including OGC Nice’s youngster Kephren Thuram. The playmaker scored 2 goals and had 4 assists in Ligue 1 last season and his exciting style of play has seen him described as one of Europe’s hottest talents. He could be another statement signing if Liverpool are willing to splash out the rumoured £50 million price tag.
In what was a campaign of disappointment for Tottenham, after failure to achieve European Football next season for the first time since 2010, things might be starting to look up for Spurs fans. With the appointment of, Celtic treble winner Ange Postecoglou things are looking more hopeful and perhaps the lack of European Football may allow for some respite and better focus on the league next season.
With that said, there is no time for rest in the transfer window for Spurs. The biggest challenge to begin with will be keeping a hold of Harry Kane. Interest from both Manchester United and Real Madrid are casting doubt on his North London future. It’s safe to say his departure would be a huge miss and Postecoglou would have to think of a big name to replace him.
In terms of arrivals, Harry Maguire is someone who Spurs would consider if he was looking for a move out of Manchester and could easily be a replacement captain for Harry Kane, if Kane was to leave. The destination Kane will end the summer at is still very uncertain and it is sure to be an ongoing saga over the next couple of months.
It’s hard to sum up Chelsea’s season without saying it was a disaster. Three managers, over £600 million spent and an extremely poor twelfth placed finish saw a rather disgruntled Chelsea faithful by the end of the season. So where do they go from here?
With the possible outgoings of N’Golo Kante to Saudi Arabia and Mason Mount, Chelsea have to do some smart business in the forthcoming window. The appointment of manager Mauricio Pochettino will be of benefit with his wealth of experience and he is throwing his hat in the ring for the signature of Moises Caceido from Brighton. They are also joining the race for Celta Vigo youngster Gabri Veiga who scored 11 goals and had 4 assists in La Liga last season. However, the Blues will have to battle with Liverpool and Barcelona if they want any chance of signing the talented midfielder.
Even most Newcastle fans couldn’t have predicted a top four finish in the first full season of their new ownership. But that’s exactly what Eddie Howe managed to do and the Magpies can look forward to Champions League Football for the first time since 2003. Now there is no doubt that Newcastle must strengthen to deal with the extra game time and higher quality of football. However, they will not be afraid to spend big, already targeting Arsenal full back Kieran Tierney. The Scottish International played as a backup to Oleksandr Zinchenko last season and is hoping for some more regular game time with a move away from the Emirates.
In terms of marquee signings that Eddie Howe may make this summer, Leicester midfielder James Maddison and Chelsea midfielder Connor Gallagher are names that have been thrown around. Newcastle are also interested in Lyon’s talented attacking midfielder Rayan Cherki. The 19 year-old has impressed many European Clubs including French giants PSG, which may end up being the more attractive option for the youngster.
Having only taken 13 points from 12 games at the beginning of the season under Steven Gerrard, it was looking like a gloomy campaign in the West Midlands. That is until Unai Emery arrived and propelled them to a 7th place finish with European Football on the horizon. After a horrendous start to the season, Villa secured a place in the European Conference League with a win over Brighton on the final day. So how will Emery be looking to improve his side with an additional set of fixtures next season?
The Spaniard is rumoured to have a number of players on his wishlist with the key target being Leicester playmaker Youri Tielemans. The Belgian is a likely candidate to leave Leicester after their relegation to the Championship last season and he has been on the radar of many Premier League clubs over the last few years. It would be an excellent start to the summer for Villa and a signing that would issue a statement of intent to the rest of the Premier League.
Another team who had a pretty woeful season, only avoiding relegation by the skin of their teeth on the final day. For the second season running, the Toffees found themselves fighting for their lives in the Premier League. Unless some very good investment is carried out over the summer, they may see themselves in a similar position next season.
Possible players on Everton’s radar include Harry Maguire, one of multiple clubs looking for the England man’s signature. Brennan Johnson is another reportedly being watched keenly by the Everton scouts. The Nottingham Forest forward played a key role in their survival last season scoring 8 goals in the league along with 3 assists. He would be a good start to the summer business for Dyche while wounding a rival.
So there is a lot to ponder before the first kick of a ball on the 14th August. Will we see Harry Kane making a move? With Jude Bellingham rumoured to be set on Real Madrid, is there any chance an English club may hijack the deal?
At this stage, it’s uncertain who will go where and which team will be the biggest spenders in this transfer window before the window closes on 1st September.
Make sure you can watch the newest transfers in action next season with Engage Hospitality.
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