Manchester United have spent like nobody’s business these past couple years in the transfer window, but they still face a very formidable struggle to win the title this season. By not just domestic, but also European standards, United have been throwing the money around. Getting back into the top four this season and qualifying for UEFA Champions League is the absolute bare minimum.
We picked them to win the title, but the bookies have them second, to Manchester City, in that regard.
With the Premier League season kicking off this weekend, preseason Premier League power rankings are everywhere. FOX Soccer has United #3 in England, behind City and Chelsea, writing:
For all of the jokes about Manchester United and their problems under Louis van Gaal, they finished tied for fourth with Manchester City. They may have been terrible to watch, but they got their fair share of results. Now they have Jose Mourinho and upgrades right through their spine. Eric Bailly shores up the center of defense, Paul Pogba will immediately be one of the league’s best midfielders, Henrikh Mkhitaryan is a good attacking midfielder and Zlatan Ibrahimovic gives them a great striker. The Red Devils probably won’t challenge for the title, but they’re good enough that you can’t rule it out.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, partnered with FOX Sports Engage Network. and News Now. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, currently contributes regularly to the Chicago Tribune’s RedEye publication and Bold Global.
He also consistently appears on numerous radio and television talk shows all across the country. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram and Sound Cloud.