Manchester United and Sheffield United may have little option but to re-enter the transfer market before the end of the month, unless they’re willing to fall short of pre-season expectations.
That’s the view of betting site bookmakers.tv, who have analysed the biggest Premier League odds shifts following the opening round of matches.
For Sheffield United, the season was always set to be a struggle to avoid relegation, a task that became even more daunting with the departures of Iliman Ndiaye, Sander Berge and James McAtee.
The team’s prospects of survival are likely to hinge on their performances at home. However, their opening-day defeat against Crystal Palace where they managed only one shot on target has raised further concerns. Betting sites have responded by revising their relegation odds from 4/6 before the season to 8/15 now – a percentage increase from 60% to 65%.
While the recent addition of Tom Davies is a step to address gaps left by Berge’s departure, Sheffield United will likely need to bolster their attacking prowess to remain competitive in the upcoming months.
Manchester United entered the season with far more optimism after investing around £165 million in Andre Onana, Mason Mount and Rasmus Hojlund. However, their performance on Monday night against Wolves left much to be desired, as they secured victory thanks only to the contentious decision not to award Wolves a seemingly blatant injury time penalty.
As a result, Man Utd’s odds of winning the league for the first time since 2013 were promptly pushed out from 12/1 to 16/1, while Chelsea and Newcastle, their likely rivals for a Champions League spot, both saw their prices shorten.