Another season in England’s top flight is over and once again Manchester City established their dominance at the top. To little surprise, Livescore Premier League betting had Pep Guardiola’s sides as favourites last August and despite a shaky start, they saw off Arsenal and Liverpool to win a fourth consecutive league title.
Indeed, the Gunners and Reds join the rest of the top six in playing catch-up to City this summer, with the transfer window providing an ideal opportunity to strengthen. As for Guardiola, his signings last season ensured the treble winners stayed hungry. But which areas do the top six need to address?
In this article, we look at vital positions all of the Premier League’s big six sides need to improve on to be in with a shot of lifting the trophy next May. Read on to find out more.
Manchester City – Winger
With Jack Grealish struggling with form and consistency – a state of affairs that cost him a place in Gareth Southgate’s England squad for Euro 2024 – questions were asked of the £100 million man’s place in the City squad.
Grealish has struggled for goals, leaving Jeremy Doku and Bernardo Silva to pick up the pieces, and with a handful of top wingers on the market, it could be a position City explore. Both Pedro Neto and Viktor Gyökeres appear as viable targets.
Arsenal – Striker
Firepower is the order of the day for Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal this summer in order to challenge for the title for a third successive season. The Gunners were tight at the back but lacked the cutting edge at times between Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus.
The challenge will be acquiring a top-notch striker for the right price, having already spent £800 million assembling their current squad. Benjamin Sesko appears to be the first priority from RB Leipzig but Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak could also be convinced to trade Tyneside for north London.
Liverpool – Centre-back
Injuries prevented Liverpool from sustaining a real title push in what turned out to be Jurgen Klopp’s last season at Anfield. New manager Arne Slot arrives from Feyenoord in the Eredivisie, and will need to tighten things up at the back if the Reds want to be in with a chance.
Joel Matip’s departure at the end of the season means just Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate and Jarrel Quansah are the club’s natural centre-backs, with Levi Colwill and Piero Hincapie named amongst several transfer targets for the Dutchman’s first summer in charge.
Manchester United – Full-back
Another side that has struggled with injuries, Manchester United missed Lisandro Martinez for large parts of the season, while Tyrell Malacia has been out of action since last year, meaning a versatile defender is required who can play as a full-back and centre-back.
In recent years, United have splashed the cash and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Erik ten Hag do the same this summer, with rumours of Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite and Bremer of Juventus wanted men at Old Trafford for next term.
Chelsea – Striker
Chelsea have an abundance of young talent but lack the experience to compete for a consistent Champions League spot, forced to settle for the Conference League as they welcome former Leicester City manager Enzo Maresca to Stamford Bridge.
It will be a tough task for the Italian, who is likely to sell Romelu Lukaku to pave the way for a more reliable goal scorer to join Jhon Durán, who arrives from Aston Villa.
Tottenham Hotspur – Midfielder
Ange Postecoglou’s first season in charge of Tottenham Hotspur was a strange one. The Australian showed glimpses of brilliance but his midfield lacked balance, especially with the intense brand of football he expects to play.
The likes of James Maddison and Yves Bissouma enjoyed good spells but a tough-tackling midfielder to do the dirt work is needed as an upgrade on Pierre-Emile Højbjerg Spurs are often reluctant to spend big but with options like James Garner and Giorgi Sudakov available on cheaper deals, they could rely on the business acumen of Daniel Levy yet again this summer.
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