Welcome back football fans, the summer break has ended, the transfer window has been in full swing, and clubs have started their pre-season tours around the world. In this article, I will look at each team’s offseason changes, what we could learn from their preseason games to-date, and my prediction for where they will finish in the league this season. Note that the transfer window is still open until September 1st, meaning we have a full month of possible transfers still ahead. For this reason, I will also explore potential transfers for the clubs that seem to still have some moves to make before the season starts. This article took a lot of time and research to complete, so if you enjoy, feel free to leave a comment!

First, let’s take a look at the map of teams in the 2023-2024 Premier League:

From last season, the Premier League lost Leicester City, Leeds United, and Southampton due to relegation. Replacing them from the Championship are Vincent Kompany’s Burnley, entering the Premier League as winners of the Championship, Sheffield United, making their return for the first time since the 2020-2021 season, and surprise playoff winners Luton Town, who have completed their rise from non-League to the Premier League. The longest away day of the season still belongs to the Newcastle-Bournemouth fixture, while England’s northwest gets two more teams in the region with Burnley and Sheffield United, both similar distances from Manchester. West London remains the area most populated with Premier League clubs, home to Chelsea, Fulham, and Brentford. Now, let’s go through the clubs competing in this Premier League season and explain my predictions.

*All league predictions are based on certain transfers going through, which at this point (August 11, 2023) are not finalized. All incomplete transfers will be underlined and marked with an asterisk*

My predicted final league table of the 2023-2024 English Premier League season is shown below – the European competition in brackets next to some teams indicate those that are competing in the Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League this season:

1) Manchester City (2022-2023 Position: 1st)

Players Out: Ilkay Gündogan, Riyad Mahrez, Kyle Walker*, João Cancelo*

Players In: Mateo Kovacic, Josko Gvardiol*, Benjamin Pavard*, Michael Olise*

Best Possible XI: Ederson, Gvardiol*, Dias, Stones, Akanji, Rodri, Kovacic, de Bruyne, Grealish, Haaland, Olise*

The champs are back. Fresh off completing the second treble in English football history, Pep Guardiola’s men look to claim their 4th consecutive title this season. While Man City are still big favorites to win the title again this season, there have been some significant squad changes at the Etihad. Captain and arguably the most clutch player of their UCL triumph, Ilkay Gündogan, departed for Barcelona on a free transfer. Riyad Mahrez also left Manchester to join Al-Ahli in Saudi Arabia, leaving 2 large holes in the squad. Also looking increasingly likely is the end of Kyle Walker’s time at City, with the former Spurs RB looking for regular playing time after being dropped to the bench for much of last season. These are players who have been a part of each of the past 3 Premier League titles and will be taking valuable experience with them. So, what does Pep have planned to re-vamp his team for yet another title challenge?

The only official signing of the summer for City is Mateo Kovacic from Chelsea, a UCL winner in his own right, and a solid replacement for Gündogan in terms of playstyle. The main difference is that Kovacic is likely to stay further back and contribute less goals than Gündogan, so expect to see City’s tactics shift to accommodate this change. With a #8 signed, there remains the likely departure of Kyle Walker to address, as well as the confirmed departure of Riyad Mahrez. For the defence, City is heavily rumored to be interested in signing Benjamin Pavard from Bayern Munich, and nearly already completed their deal for Josko Gvardiol before Leipzig seemingly decided to ask for more money as the deal was nearly complete. Why is Gvardiol the highest priority target? First, he can play at LB or CB, letting Pep keep his system of playing 4 CB’s in his backline. With João Cancelo likely to be departing Man City soon as well, the addition of Gvardiol replaces that hole, while allowing Manuel Akanji to return to his preferred right side. Benjamin Pavard is also of this same player profile: experience playing at RB, but also is a CB and will play there frequently. Pavard’s addition would likely be only if/when Kyle Walker leaves, to balance out the backline depth. The final rumored signing that I believe makes a lot of sense for City is Michael Olise from Crystal Palace. If you need a Mahrez replacement, I think Olise is the closest thing we have to it in the Premier League right now. A left-footed right winger who plays inverted, cutting inside the pitch to help the midfield in buildup, and loves to pick out a shot to the far top-left corner.

City already had a fantastic squad, and if they complete the signings of Gvardiol and Olise, I believe they will be good for the title again this season. Good thing Pep won’t be renewing his contract in 2025 right, fans of every other team?

Predicted Finish in 2023/2024: 1st

2) Liverpool (2022/2023 position: 5th)

Players Out: Jordan Henderson, Roberto Firmino, Naby Keita, James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain

Players In: Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, Sofyan Amrabat*

Best Possible XI: Alisson, Robertson, Konaté, Van Dijk, TAA, Amrabat*, Mac Allister, Szoboszlai, Gakpo/Diaz, Darwin, Salah

As Anfield prepares for another season, its beloved Reds have had to do more re-building than we are used to over the past few seasons. Though it hasn’t been a full squad overhaul, the players that were brought in are very exciting, and will help Klopp implement his new system. The original “heavy-metal football” that Klopp joined the Premier League with has taken a toll on the players who have been at the club for some time. This past season, Klopp successfully switched his tactics into more of a mid-block in defense, preventing his team from being caught on the counter as much, as well as moving Trent inside the pitch, almost playing the same role in build-up that John Stones was playing for Man City. First, Liverpool signed Alexis Mac Allister from Brighton for a bargain fee of 42 million euros (in today’s market, that is a huge bargain). Mac Allister is a versatile midfielder who can play as any of a #6, #8, or #10. His penetrative passes from deep will unlock Liverpool’s extremely fast front 3, all while providing added support in midfield for Fabinho, who no longer has the stamina and pace to cover the entire midfield in defence like he used to unbelievably do. Trent’s inversion into midfield is another way of shoring up the defense in front of the back 4. As we saw last season, the box midfield was the most used tactic in buildup for strong teams. These 4 players are the foundation of the team’s buildup, and if they develop chemistry with one another can destroy defences. For next season, Liverpool will slot Mac Allister in as the left, more advanced of the midfield box, where he is quite comfortable and will cut inside before picking a pass or shooting. The last member of this midfield box that will be at the centre of Liverpool’s offense next season is my personal favorite transfer: Dominik Szoboszlai. The Hungarian from RB Leipzig can play across the front 4, or in midfield. Best used as an attacking midfielder, making runs into the box and being the main goal threat from midfield, Szoboszlai is also a set-piece specialist and a mentality monster. The poise with which he carries himself on the pitch is that of a 35 year old veteran, not a rising star. This combination of Szoboszlai and Mac Allister is going to bring some much needed energy and creativity to the Liverpool midfield.

On their ways out of Anfield are some of the aging squad members who were a part of Liverpool’s 2019 Champions League triumph. Captain Jordan Henderson joins Steven Gerrard at Al-Ettifaq, Roberto Firmino heads the same way to Al-Ahli, Naby Keita is off to Werder Bremen, and James Milner signed with Brighton. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is a free agent now as well, yet to sign with a club. This may seem like a significant number of players, but Liverpool already had replacement plans that were carried out in previous seasons: Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo came in to aid the forward line, Ibrahima Konaté has proven to be an excellent CB partner for Van Dijk, and youngsters Harvey Elliott and Stefan Bajcetic became established first-team members. The only signing I can see Liverpool making before the upcoming season is a defensive midfielder to replace Fabinho as the starter, but not someone who will block Stefan Bajcetic’s path to the starting XI one day. Fiorentina’s Sofyan Amrabat is one player who fits that profile perfectly. One of the best players of the 2022 world cup, the Moroccan was a space-eating defensive midfield vacuum and a large reason why Morocco made the semi-finals. Currently 26 years old, he is a player who could play 2-3 seasons for Liverpool as a starter in his prime before Bajcetic takes the reins, as he looks like the future for Liverpool.

I believe Liverpool will have a very strong season coming up. Anfield will be a fortress, and I do not expect the Reds to drop many points at home. Their hopes on a title challenge may balance on their away performances, and how well Liverpool can keep pace with Man City’s away results.

Predicted Finish in 2023/2024: 2nd

3) Arsenal (2022/2023 position: 2nd)

Players Out: Granit Xhaka, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Pablo Mari

Players In: Declan Rice, Kai Havertz, Jurrien Timber, Folarin Balogun (back from loan)

Best Possible XI: Zinchenko, Saliba, White, Timber, Thomas, Rice, Ødegaard, Martinelli, Jesus, Saka

After a season that surprised most, including Arsenal fans, Mikel Arteta’s men fell just short at the final hurdle to win the Premier League. In the end, the biggest issue seemed to be the injury to William Saliba, and the lack of squad rotation leading up to that injury. Rob Holding and Jakub Kiwior were thrown into the fire with hopes that they would not burn, and although they cannot be blamed for Arsenal not winning the league, one can only imagine what might have been had Saliba not gone down.

In the summer, Arteta has gone out to address his squad depth in hopes that a stronger title challenge can be mounted this year. The only major departure is Granit Xhaka to Leverkusen, who played 37/38 matches in the league for Arsenal. To replace him, Arsenal have splashed a record transfer fee to pull Declan Rice away from West Ham, where he has played his entire career to-date. Also joining the midfield, while also being able to supplement the attack up front, is Kai Havertz from Chelsea. The 75M euro fee paid for Havertz seems a bit excessive when looking at his on-pitch production and not just at the fact that he has won a Champions League. I expect Havertz to play mostly in the midfield alongside Ødegaard in a 4-3-3, but also could see Arteta playing a 4-2-3-1 to allow both Rice and Thomas to play as double pivots, in which case Havertz/Ødegaard would play as the #10. Finally, Jurrien Timber has come in to bolster the backline, such that a major injury to Gabriel/Saliba/White would not grind the title challenge to an immediate halt. Arteta’s biggest challenge will be balancing squad rotation (looking long-term) with getting results and keeping up with what will likely be a very high standard set by Manchester City. I believe playing in the Champions League this year will have an impact on Arsenal’s league performance, and for that reason have given Liverpool the nod for 2nd, as Liverpool are more likely to prioritize the Premier League over the Europa League than Arsenal are to prioritize the Premier League over the Champions League.

Predicted Finish in 2023/2024: 3rd

4) Manchester United (2022/2023 position: 3rd)

Players Out: David de Gea, Anthony Elanga, Alex Telles, Phil Jones

Players In: Rasmus Højlund, Andre Onana, Mason Mount, Leon Goretzka*

Best Possible XI: Onana, Shaw, Martinez, Varane, Dalot, Casemiro, Mount, Bruno, Rashford, Højlund, Antony

Manchester United are also back in the Champions League after several seasons finishing outside the top 4! Some might argue it was Liverpool, Spurs, and Chelsea all having poor seasons that allowed United back into Europe’s elite competition, but one cannot blame United for taking advantage of their rivals slipping. The Erik Ten Hag rebuild continues with a level of spending expected of Man U, with over 190M euros spent on the acquisitions of Onana, Højlund, and Mount. Onana replaces longstanding starter David de Gea, as the Spaniard finally departs Old Trafford after 12 years at the club. The Cameroonian keeper has played very well, both domestically and in the Champions League, for both Ajax and Inter Milan, leading Ajax to the semi-final and Inter to the final this past year. Onana reunites with his former boss Ten Hag, and hopes to give United supporters more confidence when playing out from the back this year, as a true sweeper keeper.

Mason Mount joins from Chelsea, able to help in the midfield or on the wing, giving Ten Hag some tactical flexibility if one of Rashford or Antony is injured. Yes, the fee was very high at over 64M euros, but a “Manchester United” tax is to be expected. Ten Hag will be hoping that this addition can help give Christian Eriksen more rest, as well as provide his team with UCL-winning experience. The final acquisition confirmed is that of Atalanta striker Rasmus Højlund. Højlund is a player I have had my eye on for years now, and have touted as the best striker to come out of Scandinavia since Erling Haaland. However, we should not be comparing the two players, as that will likely only lead to Højlund being unfairly criticized for not scoring at the record-breaking levels that Haaland has. What United now have is a true #9, a powerful left-footed striker who will certainly score more than Wout Weghorst last season. If given a few years, I believe Højlund has the potential to become one of the best strikers in the Premier League.

Overall, I believe that Manchester United have improved their squad enough to maintain their top-4 finish from last year, although this could be their last year in the top-4 for a few seasons if the club keeps spending so much every transfer window, especially given the trajectory of Newcastle, as well as the rebuilds of Liverpool, Chelsea and Spurs.

Predicted Finish in 2023/2024: 4th

5) Newcastle United (2022/2023 position: 4th)

Players Out: Allan Saint-Maximin, Chris Wood

Players In: Sandro Tonali, Harvey Barnes, Yankubah Minteh, Tino Livramento*

Best Possible XI: Pope, Burn, Botman, Schar, Trippier, Guimaraes, Joelinton, Tonali, Barnes, Isak, Almiron

Money talks. Well, this is the Premier League, so you shouldn’t be surprised. After Newcastle were taken over by the foreign investment fund of the government of Saudi Arabia, they have risen from mid-table finishes, to challenging the elite of the Premier League. Last season, this was confirmed with a top-4 finish, earning the Geordies Champions League football. Eddie Howe has done well to bolster his squad ahead of a much more congested year of fixtures (last season, Newcastle did not play in a European competition). The most surprising transfer, and well the best example of Newcastle’s recent rise, is the 64M euro purchase of Sandro Tonali, AC Milan’s midfield engine. Tonali is one of the best midfielders in world football, end of sentence. Newcastle have made a statement, and brought in a proven winner with years of Champions League experience. Up front, Harvey Barnes was added from relegated Leicester to go along with the departure of Allan Saint-Maximin. Barnes and Saint-Maximin are not the same type of player, what Barnes lacks in flair and skill moves, he makes up for with his directness and better final-third play than ASM. I think Barnes is the starter at left-wing for the start of the season, as I think he has a more complete all-around game than Anthony Gordon.

In the league this year, I see Newcastle having a home fortress, and dropping very few points at St. James’ Park. However, a longer season full of European football will likely result in more points being dropped on the road, in games scheduled between UCL matches. For this reason, I do not think Newcastle will repeat their top-4 finish from last year, but will be able to build with the added funds from competing in the champions league, play Europa League football next season, and expect to be back in the top-4 by the 2025/2026 season.

Predicted Finish in 2023/2024: 5th

6) Tottenham Hotspur

Players Out: Harry Winks, Lucas Moura, Davinson Sanchez*, Harry Kane

Players In: Micky van de Ven, James Maddison, Edmond Tapsoba*, Manor Solomon, Guglielmo Vicario, Ashley Phillips, Alejo Veliz, Pedro Porro (loan-to-buy), Dejan Kulusevski (loan-to-buy), Destiny Udogie (return from loan), Giovani Lo Celso (return from loan), Sergio Reguilon (return from loan), Tanguy Ndombele (return from loan), Bryan Gil (return from loan)

Best Possible XI: Udogie, Van de Ven, Romero, Porro, Bissouma, Maddison, Bentancur, Son, Kane, Kulusevski

Spurs are at the start of what could be a very exciting project. As you can see from the list of Players In, several players who were purchased in previous seasons only to be deemed surplus-to-requirements by the past 2 managers have returned from loans with a fresh slate and a new manager to impress. Let’s be honest too, Spurs needed a clean slate. The past seasons under Mourinho and Conte seemed like an identity crisis for the club, who took the overachievement of Pochettino as a level of results that needed to be matched. This led to the hiring of managers who were proven title-winners, and a change in recruitment strategy from young, high-potential prospects, to the acquisitions of more established veterans for higher transfer fees. Historically, this has always been a club who played high-energy, attacking football, and did not attempt to follow the transfer strategies of clubs like Chelsea and Manchester United, who regularly spend much more than Spurs. Finally, that can change. Appointing Ange Postecoglu as the new manager is a statement that Spurs are returning to the strategy that worked much better in the past: Hire a promising manager who has had success but never managed at the level of a club like Spurs, sign young players who fit the manager’s preferred style, and build up a strong squad over multiple seasons.

Postecoglu’s first signing was James Maddison from Leicester for just over 45M euros. Tottenham had been missing a creative midfielder since Chrisian Eriksen was sold to Inter Milan, and Maddison fits that bill. In addition, Maddison can provide more goals from midfield than any of Spurs’ prior options. Maddison will likely start the majority of league games in midfield, alongside Yves Bissouma, who has established himself as Postecoglu’s preferred #6. Expect Bissouma to regain the form he showed at Brighton this season; last year under Conte his personality and creativeness was stifled, and he was never given much of a change to be a regular starter. During pre-season, Bissouma looks to be a central member of the squad and to have regained his confidence.

Spurs have signed a defender finally, with Micky Van de Ven joining the club from Wolfsburg. A much needed CB signing, this means that Romero won’t be on his own in a backline with Dier, Davies, and Sanchez all starting together, and all Spurs fans know just how much that means. Van de Ven is the perfect partner for the aggressive stopper Romero, able to use his excellent pace to sweep and recover through balls. Now that Spurs will be playing a higher line under Postecoglu’s more possession based approach, a player like Van de Ven is essential to make that system work. Still young and with room to improve, this was money well spent. Another needed replacement was in net, with Hugo Lloris showing clear signs of declining last year. The Spurs club legend will be replaced by Empoli’s Guglielmo Vicario, a very highly-rated keeper who was wanted by Inter Milan to replace Onana as well. Vicario is a result of Spurs more data-driven recruitment approach, exceeding keeper averages in several key sweeping statistics, although he was playing for a bottom-table club who ceded the majority of possession. Under Postecoglu’s system, Vicario will have his opportunity to show that he is capable of becoming one of the world’s best, as Italian legend Gianluigi Buffon predicted he could.

The first time I wrote this, I asked the biggest question for Spurs, will Harry Kane stay? Well, like all other Premier League clubs, Spurs took personal offence to me trying to finish this article without 80 revisions, and sold Kane to Bayern Munich 2 days before their first game of the season! I’ll be honest, as a Spurs fan myself, I’ve tried to be optimistic, but selling your club’s all-time top scorer and best player to Bayern (the team who wins their league every year) because he wants to win trophies seems kinda… meh. I worry for Kane that a few trophies at Bayern will do nothing to change the narrative that has followed him through his career to-date. Unless he can win a Champions League with Bayern, no amount of trophies won in Germany will lessen the hate Kane has been unfairly given for ages. For Spurs, losing Kane 2 days before the season opener is truly less than ideal to put it lightly, having this deal completed weeks ago would have been much better but Bayern had no reason to care about what’s best for Spurs. In the meanwhile, don’t expect an immediate striker signing, that would be a foolish use of the Kane money. Now, every club in Europe knows Spurs have 100M to spend, and due to such will increase asking prices for any player. Signing a striker who is currently at Kane’s level would cost more than what Kane was sold for and be a bad piece of business. Richarlison will lead the line, as he does for Brasil, and finally get his chance to establish himself at Spurs. New signing Alejo Veliz from Rosario Central should also get much more gametime this season than he would have otherwise. The money should be spent on bringing in one or two more centre-backs, with Edmond Tapsoba and Aymeric Laporte being the two most likely targets, and then potentially adding a young winger with potential, as the loss of Kane could mean we see Son Heung-Min line up as the #9 some games.

My original Top 5 prediction has been thrown out the window by the Kane sale, and even if the money is re-invested into the squad intelligently, the Spurs project will need a season to get off the ground in their first season in over a decade without Harry Kane. Top 4 is very unlikely this season, but I think Spurs could still set their sights on a European finish and build on for next season.

Predicted Finish in 2023/2024: 6th

7) Aston Villa (2022/2023 position: 7th)

Players Out: Marvelous Nakamba, Ashley Young

Players In: Moussa Diaby, Pau Torres, Youri Tielemans

Best Possible XI: Martinez, Moreno, Torres, Konsa, Cash, Diaby, Luiz, Kamara, Ramsey, Watkins, Buendia

We might have to start calling him Chef Emery after what he is doing with Aston Villa, because the man is cooking. After what was very clearly an overachievement last season taking Villa all the way up to 6th place from 16th place, where Villa sat after 12 games last year when Emery was appointed, Unai Emery has done some fantastic business to help give his squad the best chances of building on last year’s achievements. A statement of 88M euros was spent on bringing Pau Torres and Moussa Diaby to the club. Torres is a former player of Emery’s at Villareal, and has been one of the best centre-backs in La Liga for the past few seasons. I’m honestly surprised it’s taken this long for a Premier League team to buy him. Diaby is another huge signing for Villa. The winger registered an average of 0.6 G+A per 90 minutes for Leverkusen in the Bundesliga, Europa League, and Champions League matches last seasons, being highly sought after by many top clubs. Aston Villa made it a hat-trick of great signings, bringing in Youri Tielemans from Leicester on a free transfer. As Tielemans is getting older, he will likely be a squad option to help give Villa’s starting midfielders a rest, but brings a wealth of experience to a squad that still has many young players. While Villa will be competing in the Conference League this season (the only reason i haven’t predicted them higher), Emery has built a squad that is prepared for the Premier League and will have a chance to beat anyone. I believe Villa can finish as high as 5th place this year, if everything goes their way. However, I am a more pragmatic person than that, so I have them down for a strong 7th place finish.

Predicted Finish in 2023/2024: 7th

8) Brighton & Hove Albion (2022/2023 position: 6th)

Players Out: Alexis Mac Allister, Robert Sanchez, Deniz Undav (loan), Moises Caicedo*

Players In: João Pedro, Bart Verbruggen, Igor, Adrian Mazilu, Mahmoud Dahoud, James Milner, Mohamed Kudus*, Simon Adingra (return from loan)

Best Possible XI: Verbruggen, Estupinan, Igor, Dunk, Lamptey, Caicedo, Kudus*, Gross, Mitoma, Pedro, March

It is no secret now that Brighton are one of the best-run clubs in the Premier League. Over the last year, Brighton have made more money than it cost to build the AmEx Stadium through selling players (and managers) to Chelsea. Just Chelsea. Every time a Brighton player is bought by one of the big clubs in the league, it seems like the scouting department is able to find a replacement with relative ease. Here’s how Brighton have updated their squad for the coming season, in preparation for their first season of European football. In goal, Robert Sanchez was dropped in favor of Jordan Steele towards the end of last season due to his poor distribution specifically, but poor form overall. Brighton have since sold Sanchez to Chelsea and replaced him with Anderlecht’s Bart Verbruggen for a net profit, who I see as an immediate upgrade in net. While there were no major departures in defense, Fiorentina’s Igor has been brought in to help at CB. A 17M euro fee for a 25 year old central-defender is quite cheap in today’s market, and Igor will have every chance to impress and take a starting spot alongside presumably Lewis Dunk. In midfield, the loss of Alexis Mac Allister to Liverpool was mitigated by two excellent free transfers, and one excellent non-free transfer: Mahmoud Dahoud, James Milner, and Mohamed Kudus are joining the Seagulls. Dahoud and Milner seem like depth and experience acquisitions on free transfers, and will likely serve as backups. Mohamed Kudus’s 40M euro transfer is in the final stages, with personal terms remaining to be negotiated. Assuming the deal doesn’t fall through, Kudus will step into Mac Allister’s attacking midfield role and provide Brighton with the creative spark and attacking threat that they lost when Mac Allister was sold. I predict Brighton to remain a very tough team to beat in the league, but the Europa League will likely cause a drop from last season’s 6th place finish. Similar to Newcastle, the first year back in European football will cause a drop in the league performance this year, but expect to see both teams back to their last season finishing places in 2024/2025.

Predicted Finish in 2023/2024: 8th

9) Chelsea (2022/2023 position: 12th)

Players Out: Kai Havertz, Mason Mount, Kalidou Koulibaly, Mateo Kovacic, Christian Pulisic, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, N’Golo Kante, Cesar Azpilicueta, Ethan Ampadu, Joao Felix (end of loan), Aubameyang.

Players In: Christopher Nkunku, Nicolas Jackson, Axel Disasi, Lesley Ugochukwu, Robert Sanchez, Ângelo, Levi Colwill, Ian Maatsen, Malo Gusto, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Andrey Santos,

Best Possible XI: Kepa, Chillwell, Colwill, Thiago Silva, Reece James, Enzo, Andrey Santos, Mudryk, Nkunku, Madueke, Jackson

So Chelsea are playing a game of Football Manager apparently. It seems like as soon as another young player is highly regarded, Chelsea submit a bid. Florentino Perez may even find some competition scouting the favelas of Brasil for a change. Regardless, the Chelsea rebuild is in full effect. Was it incredibly fortunate for the Blues that the Saudi Pro League’s first summer with buckets of money to spend happened to coincide with several older players needing to be sold, resulting in over 40 million euros brought in for Edouard Mendy and Kalidou Koulibaly, both in their 30’s? Was it also fortunate that this same summer, Arsenal had pressure to spend and ended up paying 75 million euros for Kai Havertz? Absolutely, Chelsea needed these clubs to buy their players to avoid breaching Financial Fair Play rules, and getting what seemed like better than market value bids was a stroke of good fortune. Now we have to look at the facts: Mauricio Pochettino, one of the best managers for developing young talent at a high level, has been given free-reign to build the team of wonderkids from his dreams, and an unlimited budget. From watching Chelsea’s preseason games, I was very impressed with the style of football, as a Spurs fan myself I know Poch well.

I believe that the most crucial player in this Chelsea side is their new striker, Nicolas Jackson. When I first saw him play, my initial thoughts were that he takes after Didier Drogba, and after further investigation found out that both players actually produced the same G+A per 90 over their final seasons before joining Chelsea (cool, right?) Jackson is the definition of clinical, he will not need 10 chances a game, just one or two good ones. Jackson and Mudryk have already shown great link-up chemistry together, and if he stays healthy, we could be looking at Nicolas Jackson in the top 5 for the Premier League Golden Boot this year (obviously proven scorers like Haaland, Kane, or Salah still deserve to be favorites for the award). I have included Chelsea here in 9th because I think a single long-term injury to a key player has the potential to derail their season much more than the clubs around them. Christopher Nkunku has already gone down with a knee injury and will be out for months. An injury to Jackson would really hurt Chelsea’s chances of qualifying for Europe. However, if everyone stays fit, I see Chelsea capable (note: capable, not guaranteed) of finishing as high as 4th.

Predicted Finish in 2023/2024: 9th

10) Crystal Palace (2022/2023 position: 12th)

Players Out: Wilfried Zaha, Luka Milivojevic, Michael Olise*

Players In: Matheus França, Jefferson Lerma, Lewis Hall* (loan)

Best Possible XI: Johnstone, Mitchell, Guehi, Andersen, Ward, Doucouré, Lerma, Eze, França, Olise, Edouard

After 9 years at Selhurst Park, the player that comes to mind first to many when you say “Crystal Palace”, has left the club. Wilfried Zaha helped Palace be regulars in the Premier League and pull off the regular upset over the biggest clubs in the league. Now he’s departed on a free transfer for Galatasaray, but Palace fans still have reason to be optimistic. One of the most exciting transfers in recent history for the club was confirmed recently, Matheus França from Flamengo. The young attacking midfielder slots in the best as a #10, and will stand to forma formidable attacking quartet next season alongside Eberechi Eze, Michael Olise, and Odsonne Edouard. Eze has elevated his game significantly in recent seasons, and earned his first England callup last season. He will slot into Zaha’s position at LW and provide just as much of a threat to opposing defenders. The biggest question mark at Selhurst Park is the future of Michael Olise, who has attracted interest from both Manchester clubs and Chelsea, who are close to triggering his release clause. As a football fan, I don’t want Olise to move to any of these clubs this summer (City: trophies don’t mean much there in terms of legacy, United: this club ruins young talents like it’s their day job, Chelsea: would have 3 other wonderkids in his position). Also, I think this attacking 4, if kept together, would be as good as most of the top-half teams.

In less flashy, but equally helpful additions, Palace have signed Jefferson Lerma from Bournemouth on a free transfer to partner Doucouré in midfield, offsetting the loss of longtime player Luka Milivojevic. Also rumoured to be nearing completion is the loan signing of Lewis Hall from Chelsea, after the young full-back/midfielder signed a new 6 year deal at Stamford Bridge. Hall brings maturity beyond his age to the pitch, and would be a calm presence subbing in at LB or as a defensive midfielder. If the Eagles of Selhurst Park can keep hold of Michael Olise, I believe Palace could well be in for a top-half finish and could well improve following the loss of Zaha.

Predicted Finish in 2023/2024: 10th

11) Brentford (2022/2023 position: 9th)

Players Out: David Raya, Ivan Toney (suspension), Mads Bidstrup, Halil Dervisoglu

Players In: Kevin Schade, Nathan Collins, Mark Flekken

Best Possible XI: Flekken, Collins, Ajer, Mee, Henry, Jensen, Norgaard, Onyeka, Schade, Mbeumo

Last season, Brentford finished 9th with the lowest wage budget in the division. So if the squad seems underwhelming at first with the losses of Raya and Toney, trust that Thomas Frank knows how to get results without the biggest names in the world on his team. Aside from Roya and Toney, the core of last year’s squad is still here, so the replacements in net and up front will determine Brentford’s ceiling this year. Having David Raya refuse repeated contract extensions, and then demand a move led Brentford with little choice but to loan him to Arsenal with an option to buy, and little time to bring in a replacement. They settled on Mark Flekken, the 30 year old Dutch keeper who played last season in the Bundesliga for Freiburg, and received his first caps for the Netherlands. Also joining from Freiburg permanently is Kevin Schade, who spent the first half of last season at Freiburg before being loaned to Brentford in January. Brentford have made the move official, paying a 25 million euro fee to secure the young German’s services. Both players helped SC Freiburg to a 5th place finish last season, above the likes of Leverkusen, Frankfurt, and Wolfsburg. It will be interesting to see how Flekken adapts to the Premier League, and whether his distribution is comparable to David Raya’s.

Overall, the loss of Toney will hurt. Mbeumo, Wissa, and Schade will be heavily relied on to score while Toney is suspended. I can’t see Brentford maintaining the same level of goals scored without Toney, but that overall the squad is good enough to outperform the wage gap once again. Next season might be more realistic to set their sights on European qualification, but expect the Bees to give any team a tough game and take points off the big clubs.

Predicted Finish in 2023/2024: 11th

12) Bournemouth (2022/2023 position: 15th)

Players Out: Jefferson Lerma, Jordan Zemura, Junior Stanislas, Siriki Dembélé

Players In: Hamed Traore, Alex Scott, Milos Kerkez, Justin Kluivert, Max Aarons

Best Possible XI: Neto, Kerkez, Senesi, Zabarnyi, Aarons, Billing, Scott, Traore, Kluivert, Solanke, Ouattara

While Bournemouth had somewhat of a chaotic season last year, with 2 managers sacked, Andoni Iraiola has been trusted to take the team into next season and has had a pretty impressive first transfer window as a Premier League manager. The former Rayo Vallecano manager has brought in the best young player in the Championship last season, Alex Scott, alongside top Hungarian talent Milos Kerkez from AZ at left-back, Justin Kluivert from Roma on the wing, and Max Aarons from Norwich at right-back. Kerkez and Aarons are some of the most promising young talents at fullback and will provide plenty of energy up and down the pitch. Kerkez is the more defensive of the 2, and should tuck in alongside the centrebacks in possession at times. Alex Scott is a much needed boost in the midfield much like Hamed Traore, back from loan. Those two should combine with Phillip Billing as an anchor to form the core of Bournemouth’s midfield next season. Up front, Dango Ouattara and Dominic Solanke return after strong ends to their campaign last season, and will be partnered by Kluivert on the left. These signings are surprising to see Bournemouth secure, but perhaps is an indication of the players being convinced after speaking with the new manager Iraiola. Overall, I’m excited to see what Bournemouth can do this season, and believe they can optimistically look comfortably to mid-table and not have to worry about relegation this year.

Predicted Finish in 2023/2024: 12th

13) Nottingham Forest (2022/2023 position: 16th)

Players Out: Sam Surridge, Jesse Lingard, André Ayew, Renan Lodi

Players In: Anthony Elanga, Chris Wood, Matt Turner, Ola Aina

Best Possible XI: Turner, Aina, Niakhaté, Worrall, Felipe,Williams, Gibbs-White, Danilo, Elanga, Awoniyi, Johnson

Last season, Nottingham Forest consistently exceeded my expectations in getting results. This year, I’ve decided to give them credit where credit is due, and pick them for a mid-table finish. The signings of Anthony Elanga and Chris Wood will help bolster the sometimes inconsistent attack, with Taiwo Awoniyi and Brennen Johnson hoping to improve upon their solid performances last year. Matt Turner is a good signing in net, with plenty of experience from being in the Arsenal squad, as well as starting for the USA national team. Ola Aina brings good experience at fullback, and will compete for a starting position with Serge Aurier and Neco Williams. Steve Cooper’s side have shown to, aside from the odd blowout, give any team a difficult game and can take points off of technically superior sides. It is refreshing to see how few signings there have been this summer vs the insanity of last year’s transfer window, where almost 2 full squad’s worth of players were brought in. This will surely help with consistency and squad morale. I pick Nottingham Forest to have a solid season that might not be the most exciting football, but they will ruin more than a few weekends for the top-half teams.

Predicted Finish in 2023/2024: 13th

14) Burnley (2022/2023 position: 1st [Championship])

Players Out: Bobby Thomas, Wout Weghorst (loan), Ashley Barnes

Players In: Zeki Amdouni, James Trafford, Jordan Beyer, Sander Berge, Dara O’Shea, Michael Obafemi, Luca Koleosho, Nathan Redmond, Jacob Bruun Larsen (loan)

Best Possible XI: Trafford, Roberts, O’Shea, Beyer, Vitinho, Zaroury, Berge, Cork, Redmond, Amdouni, Foster

Welcome to the Premier League, Vincent Kompany! Here’s a gift: an opening weekend match against the defending champions, Manchester City. It’ll also be the first time you’ll be on the same competitive pitch as your old club, but this time you’re not part of Team Goliath. You’re David now, and you better have a gameplan.

Alright, I’m done addressing Burnley’s manager, don’t worry. Turf Moor is going to host Premier League football again, after Burnley blew away the Championship last year in Vincent Kompany’s first season. Unlike the other two newly promoted teams, Burnley have had a transfer market that indicates they plan on staying promoted. In come England U21 World Cup winning goalkeeper James Trafford, last year’s best CB Jordan Beyer permanently, promising Irish CB Dara O’Shea, and DM Sander Berge from Sheffield United to bolster the defence. Up front, Michael Obafemi and Zeki Amdouni join this season’s squad as well. Amdouni, a 22 year old Swiss international signed from FC Basel, has averaged a goal every 200 minutes in the Swiss league over 120 games. In the Europa Conference League, that drops to a goal every 120 minutes. Burnley clearly see potential in the young centre-forward and hope that he can lead their line consistently this season.

I believe the signings brought in are better than several Premier League clubs who did not get promoted last year. That combined with Kompany’s vast experience playing and winning in the Premier League should be enough for Burnley to stay up this season. Look for Kompany to play similarly, but not identically, to the system he learned under Pep at City. The game plan he comes up with for a team he knows so well will be very interesting to see, who knows, maybe Pep gets surprised on Gameweek 1?

Predicted Finish in 2023/2024: 14th

15) West Ham United (2022/2023 position: 14th)

Players Out: Declan Rice, Gianluca Scamacca, Nikola Vlasic, Arthur Masuaku, Manuel Lanzini, Lucas Paqueta*

Players In: Edson Alvarez, James Ward-Prowse, Harry Maguire*

Best Possible XI: Areola, Emerson, Aguerd, Zouma, Coufal, Alvarez, Ward-Prowse, Soucek, Paqueta, Antonio, Bowen

West Ham may stand to make the most profit from player transfers on a per player basis this summer, with Lucas Paqueta rumored to be subject of a 100M+ bid from Manchester City after Declan Rice already departed the Hammers to Arsenal for the same price. What will David Moyes do with that money? So far, it seems he’s going to try and revive Brexit-ball once again. By that I mean, play for set pieces and get some big angry players signed. James Ward-Prowse, Mr. Set-Piece if you will, was brought in from Southampton for a 30 million euro fee. Joining him in midfield is Ajax’s midfield pitbull Edson Alvarez, a fiery player who can cover ground all game long and isn’t afraid to get stuck into a tackle. Rumored to be joining the defence is long-maligned Manchester United ex-captain, Harry Maguire. I honestly believe that a move to West Ham would truly revive Maguire’s confidence and form, allowing him to prolong his international career which might be in danger if he can’t find game time at United.

Before any signings were made, which was just a week before the season began, I was worried about West Ham being in danger of relegation. The additions of Ward-Prowse and Alvarez can help to replace what Declan Rice brought to the team in aggregate. The loss of Paqueta to Manchester City certainly would damage West Ham’s open-play attack and force them to be somewhat predictably reliant on counter-attacking and set-pieces. I believe there will be enough teams who have worse seasons for West Ham not to be in danger of relegation. If they sell Paqueta and any other players without properly replacing them, we might be having a different conversation by mid-season.

Predicted Finish in 2023/2024: 15th

16) Everton (2022/2023 position: 17th)

Players Out: Moise Kean, Ellis Simms, Niels Nkounkou, Yerry Mina, Tom Davies, Andros Townsend, Conor Coady

Players In: Youssef Chermiti, Arnaut Danjuma (loan), Ashley Young, Andre Gomes (back from loan), Dele (back from loan), Jarrad Branthwaite (end of loan)

Best Possible XI: Pickford, Mykolenko, Tarkowski, Keane, Coleman, Gray, Onana, Doucouré, McNeil, Calvert-Lewin, Danjuma

I would never predict a Sean Dyche team getting relegated, but I find it hard to see Everton doing much better than avoiding relegation this season when looking at the teams I’ve put above them. Youngster Youssef Chermiti joins from Sporting CP for a 12.5 million euro fee, the first transfer fee paid this summer at Goodison Park. This is a likely indication of the club’s precarious financial situation, with the decision to build a new stadium right in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic coming back to bite the Toffees. Do you recall a few years ago when Spurs had a self-imposed transfer ban (yes, you read that correctly) for 2 windows to save money for their new stadium? Let’s just say Everton did not follow suit, and are in the position where they need to stay in the Premier League to financially sustain the club but can hardly afford to spend enough to keep up with the current player market and stay up.

Enter Youssef Chermiti, the imposing (1.92m) centre-forward who will be Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s partner up front this year. As an 18 year old in the Liga Portugal, Chermiti scored 3 goals and added 2 assists in just over 800 minutes of football, while producing 0.54 non-penalty xG per 90. Those are very strong numbers for an 18 year old pllaying in the Portuguese top-flight, but he will require some resilience to succeed at Everton where it might be a challenging season. Fighting against relegation is not something Sporting CP is very used to, so Chermiti’s adaptability will be tested, but I believe he can succeed and help Everton do juuust well enough to finish in 16th again. Just get that stadium done so we don’t have to say this every year please.

Predicted Finish in 2023/2024: 16th

17) Fulham (2022/2023 position: 10th)

Players Out: Paulo Gazzaniga, Shane Duffy, Ivan Cavaleiro, Steven Sessegnon, Manor Solomon, Aleksandar Mitrovic*

Players In: Calvin Bassey, Raul Jiminez, Kevin Mbabu (return from loan)

Best Possible XI: Leno, Robinson, Diop, Bassey, Tete, Palhinha, Cairney, Pereira, Willian, Mitrovic, Wilson

Fulham in the Premier League has in the past years been synonymous with one player, Aleksandar Mitrovic. The Serbian striker has won Fulham more points than seemingly any other player has won for their team single-handedly in the Premier League. When they stay up, he’s the reason why. We could be coming to a cross-roads for Fulham, with Mitrovic seemingly unhappy at the club, requesting a move and remaining interested in Al-Hilal’s offer to play in Saudi Arabia. Whether he plays another game for Fulham is yet to be determined, but assuming he doesn’t, Fulham are in trouble. Vinicius has struggled to come anywhere near Mitrovic’s level of productivity when played, and that leaves them reliant on Harry Wilson and Willian for goals. Both are fine players, but they won’t score 25 goals between them from long shots. If they can’t score, then Fulham will need to be able to defend. Securing the signing of Calvin Bassey from Ajax will go a long ways towards helping out Bernd Leno in goal, who had a remarkably underrated season last year and was a large reason why Fulham finished 10th. That will be Fulham’s identity this year, defensive but lacking finishing in attack. The only reason I haven’t picked them to be relgated this year is that there are simply 3 teams with more abysmal outlooks to their campaigns.

Predicted Finish in 2023/2024: 17th

18) Wolverhampton (2022/2023 position: 13th)

Players Out: Ruben Neves, Nathan Collins, Conor Coady, Raul Jiminez, Ryan Giles, Joao Moutinho, Adama Traoré

Players In: Matheus Cunha, Boubacar Traoré, Matt Doherty, Goncalo Guedes (return from loan), Fabio Silva (return from loan)

Best Possible XI: Sa, Ait-Nouri, Kilman, Dawson, Doherty, Traoré, Lemina, Matheus Nunes, Guedes, Silva, Neto

What is going on at Wolves? The team that shocked the Premier League, finishing 7th in their first two seasons up, have seemingly lost all ambition to the point where relegation is a very real possibility. Manager Julen Lopetegui’s patience finally reached its limit with the Wolves ownership, and he walked away from his role with under a week before the season starts. In the past seasons, Wolves have spent their way to within a perilous margin of the Premier League’s maximum allowable loss for a club over a three year period. Accordingly, the club informed fans that players would need to be sold before any new arrivals could be brought in. Players were indeed sold, totalling over 105 million euros in revenue for Wolves. However, no new faces appear at Molineux. Due to the loan agreement with Atletico Madrid, Wolves were obligated to purchase Matheus Cunha for a whopping 50 million euros, double the player’s market value, according to Transfermakt.com. This after Cunha scored 2 goals after just under 1000 minutes of play at Wolves, being subbed off in 11/12 of his starts. Boubacar Traoré’s loan deal was made permanent from FC Metz for an 11 million euro fee, but as he already spent the latter half of last season playing for the club, this will not seem like a new signing to Wolves fans either. It is very possible that Wolves will not be able to sign any more players before the season starts, leaving them with Matheus Cunha and young Fabio Silva as striker options. Staying up in the Premier League requires a consistent striker, and that’s not to mention the other holes in the squad that need addressing. There, I’m referring to the losses in midfield of Neves and Moutinho, who played nearly every game for Wolves last season; this summer, no new midfielders have joined. The story of Wolves rise to the Premier League, and now possible fall, should be studied as a case of mis-management. A team qualifying for Europe in their first two seasons after getting promoted should not be in danger of both relegation and breaching Financial Fair Play regulations, just a few seasons on. Wolves will very likely go down, and might take a while to come back. Best of luck to them.

Predicted Finish in 2023/2024: 18th

19) Sheffield United (2022/2023 position: 2nd [Championship])

Players Out: Iliman Ndiaye, Sander Berge

Players In: Vini Souza, Auston Trusty, Bénie Traoré, Anis Slimane, Yasser Larouci (loan)

Best Possible XI: Foderingham, Trusty, Ahmedhodzic, Egan, Bogle, Larouci, Souza, Slimane, Traoré, Norwood, McBurnie

Sheffield United are enduring a difficult offseason for a club about to play in the Premier League again. Star players Iliman Ndiaye and Sander Berge were both sold, generating over 30 million euros for the club. So far 25 million euros have been spent, but on players with potential and promise, rather than proven players to replace the ever-consistent Ndiaye and Berge. Shefield United have lost the heart of their team, and it will be interesting tosee how quickly the new signings can fit in. Auston Trusty was brought in from Arsenal, likely to be deployed as a 3rd centre back playing at LB. To help in defensive midfield, Vini Souza was signed from Belgian side Lommel SK. The 24 year old Flamengo youth product will have high expectations, as his 12 million euro fee was the highest paid by Sheffield United this summer. Anis Slimane was brought in from the Danish league, and will likely partner Souza in midfield. Up front, Bénie Traoré was signed from Swedish champions Hacken after a strong year in the Allsvenskan. I could see him lining up at striker, or on the right wing, depending on the formation used.

I believe the Blades definitely have potential to pick up some wins this season, but the bar for avoiding relegation has been raised in recent years, with established Premier League clubs like Everton nearly avoiding going down last season. When I compare Sheffield United’s squad with those of the teams they will be fighting against relegation with, I think it would require a truly incredible season to stay up. When Sander Berge helps Burnley to an away win over Sheffield United, it will be the moment that sums up the campaign for the Blades. Sheffield United are just too close to being in FFP danger to spend tons this summer and potentially be relegated anyways. I don’t want to see Sheffield United go down, but that seems like the most realistic outcome for the year as the club won’t risk their long-term financial future on a spending spree to try and stay up in a year where that is a more difficult task than past.

Predicted Finish in 2023/2024: 19th

20) Luton Town

Players Out: Sonny Bradley, Harry Isted, Carlos Mendes

Players In: Ryan Giles, Tahith Chong, Mads Andersen, Marvelous Nakamba, Thomas Kaminski, Ross Barkley, Issa Kabore (loan), Chiedozie Ogbene

Best Possible XI: Kaminski, Giles, Andersen, Lockyer, Kaboré, Nakamba, Barkley, Chong, Freeman, Ogbene, Adebayo

I’m sorry to any Luton fans that might be reading this, I truly wish I didn’t have to do this. After an unpredicted and shocking rise to the Premier League through the English football pyramid, Luton Town won the Championship playoff and secured their spot in the 2023/2024 Premier League season. This season was never going to be easy, with significant stadium renovations required simply to qualify to play in the Premier League, which has shown in the level of spending ahead of their first season in the top flight. The squad has some bright young prospects in Giles, Kaboré, and Chong, coming from Wolves, Man City, and Manchester United respectively. The free transfer addition of Ross Barkley is also a smart piece of business, however Marvelous Nakamba is their only other signing with proven Premier League experience. This should lead to a difficult season, with Luton finding themselves up against it in the majority of games. The football fan in me wants to see them pull off some upsets, but the realist in me is worried that may be unlikely. Regardless, going back down this year shouldn’t be seen as a failure for Luton, although the lack of spending is understandably frustrating for their fans. The Premier League’s parachute payments allow any relegated club to have a significant financial advantage over other Championship clubs, which should allow Luton to build on their stadium renovations and come back to the Premier League in a season or two, better prepared to stay up.

Predicted Finish in 2023/2024: 20th

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Well, that’s all then! Thanks for making it this far, I hope you found some enjoyment in this article and are a bit more excited for the upcoming season. Be sure to leave a comment with any thoughts, and check back in soon for the next article, I’ve got a big project to share soon!

~LM