By John Hawthorne
At this moment, Chelsea are the favorites to win the EPL this upcoming season, which should come as no surprise considering they won the league title with ease last season. Of course, a lot can change over the course of the summer and the odds will shift once all the transfer dealings are complete.
It’s about more than just the top teams finding players that can improve their side. It’s also vital they keep hold of their star players. Here we make our English Premier League predictions for how last season’s top four finishers will perform in this summer transfer window. Let’s now take a look at what the top four clubs will do in the transfer window months to increase their chances of winning the title this season.
Chelsea
Most of the EPL betting tips got it wrong last campaign as not many predicted Chelsea would end up winning the title. They had a dreadful campaign the season before and with a new manager, many thought they would struggle through an adjustment period.
The Blues have rid themselves of Juan Cuadrado, Christian Atsu and Asmir Begovic, who did not make the grade at Stamford Bridge. Conte could be getting frustrated by the lack of new signings, but it surely just a matter of time before they end up spending vast sums of money on a few new players. Reports indicate they are closing in on Monaco midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko. If they can keep hold of Eden Hazard, and add three world-class stars to their squad ,they should be able to cope with the demands of playing in both the EPL and Champions League this time around.
Tottenham
Spurs move their home games to Wembley this upcoming season while their new stadium gets built. Manager Mauricio Pochettino has done an amazing job building a title challenging squad on a budget that’s shoestring when compared to the other teams in the top four. Pochettino has stated that he wants players with experience in English football this time around due to the expensive mistakes the club has made in the past.
They will need to find another world-class striker if they are going to close the gap on the Blues. Harry Kane’s injury probably cost them the league title last campaign and thus they need to find a suitable backup so that this does not happen again. Tottenham will be more concerned about keeping hold of all their star players than buying new ones, and if they can manage that, they will be among the favorites in most pundits’ preseason EPL betting tips.
Manchester City
Man City have been the busiest in the transfer window and have already brought in world-class players Bernardo Silva along with Ederson. They have also had a clear out of players not up to standard, including Pablo Zabaleta, Gael Clichy, Jesus Navas and Bacary Sagna. If they continue as they have started in the transfer window, City will be in most people’s preseason EPL tips and predictions as the season’s kickoff draws near.
Liverpool
So far Liverpool has brought in Dominic Solanke, who was out of contract with Chelsea this summer, and AS Roma Winger Mohamed Salah. The former has bags of potential, but he’s a more long term investment that will not really increase their chances of winning the title this season. The latter broke the club transfer fee record, and should make an instant impact as he gives them a tremendous boost in attack.
As well as bringing in some new players this summer, the Reds must make sure to hold onto Philippe Coutinho. They need to shape a roster this transfer window that will help them overcome complacency against the lower teams in the league. If Liverpool can manage to start winning those games, they should be genuine title contenders next campaign.