Champion of five of the last six editions of the premier leaguereigning winner of the Champions League, the Manchester City exposes its hegemony as a rival to beat in the new season of the English league; a rematch for Arsenal -second in 2023-, a litmus test for Manchester United and a revalidation for Liverpool and, above all, the transformation of Chelsea, after the fiasco of last year.
All condensed in its unbeatable investment in the summer market: 1,620 million euros among all the clubs in the highest English category, above Spain, on the verge of 300 million; Germany, with 454 million; Italy, with 650 million; and France, with 500 million.
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No one has spent as much either in the Premier League or in Europe as Arsenal, with 231.6 million euros in the form of transfers to the Emirates stadium.
Nor has anyone paid more for a player in this window than the ‘Gunner’ club, with the 116.6 million euros disbursed to sign midfielder Declan Rice, from the West Ham, to rearm to compete with Manchester City.
Because, beyond the investments in reinforcements for last season’s runner-up, Manchester United (191.7 million), Chelsea (189 million), Tottenham (153 million), Liverpool (112 million) or Newcastle ( 108 million), resurfaced among the best in the previous year, Pep Guardiola’s group appears immobile, apparently inaccessible, at the head of the forecasts.
Again
In spite of his ‘triplet’ of the past course, the City is the eighth that has spent the most this summer. He has signed the most expensive defender in history, Croatian international Josko Gvardiol, for 90 million euros from Leipzig, and his compatriot Mateo Kovavic to reinforce his midfield after the departure ofand Ilkay Gundogan to Barcelona.
A key man in Guardiola’s scheme. He too has lost Riyad Mahrez, bound for Saudi Arabia. While he waits for Lucas Paquetawho will boost his investment from West Ham if he completes his roadmap, has also managed to support practically his entire squad, with the two aforementioned exceptions.
He has retained Bernardo Silva and Kyle Walker, at least for the moment (“we are going to do everything to make them stay”, according to Guardiola), while boasting of scoring power with Erling Haaland: 52 goals in 53 games.
Defeated at the last minute, on penalties, by Arsenal in the Community Shield last Sunday, his staging in the 2023-24 Premier will face promoted Burnley, back to the top flight a year later, with eight novelties in your template.
City visits him this Friday, at 9:00 p.m., when he will launch a hectic season in English football. The following Wednesday he expects the European Super Cup.
The 2023-24 Premier is a revenge for Arsenal, who set the pace for months in the previous edition, expectant towards the conquest of their first league since 2003-04, until they deflated, devoured by the pressure and by the force of the City, who won twelve straight games to become champions above the high-level project designed by Mikel Artetawho regrets the injury to Gabriel Jesús, who will be out in the first days.
There was no consolation for the London team, not even with their return to the
Champions League won with second place, because he felt champion. The test now is to stay there, in direct competition for the top. For this, Kai Havertz, Declan Rice or Jurrien Timber have joined their squad, from which a single piece has emerged, within the starting eleven of last season: Granit Xhaka, for Bayer Leverkusen.
He must also arrive at his goal on loan with a purchase option, in the next few hours, the Spanish David Raya to compete with Aaron Ramsdale, claimed last Sunday in the Community Shield, for two saving saves with 1-0 against and a penalty later to Rodrigo Hernandez in the final batch.
Arsenal starts on Saturday at their stadium against Nottingham Forest, with Anthony Elanga or Chris Wood among their novelties; Just like Manchester United does, who receive Wolwerhampton on Monday (now without Julen Lopetegui, who left the bench after the differences with the club) to insist on finding the place that corresponds to their history, after qualifying for the Champions League in the first course of Erik Ten Hag.
He has bid hard in the market: Mason Mount, from Chelsea, to join Bruno Fernandes or Christian Eriksen; andre onana, from Inter for the goal, which is no longer David de Gea, after twelve seasons as ‘Red Devil’, and Rasmus Hojlund, from Atalanta. And Marcus Rashford follows, a scorer 30 times last year.
The revolution
The transformation has been almost complete at Chelsea. His chaotic last year, with three different coaches, away from Europe and from the top positions from the beginning to the end in the Premier, has promoted the change of cycle at full speed.
In command, Mauricio Pochettino, with a practically new team, of which hardly a trace remains of the block that was European champion just two years ago. only remain Reece James, Thiago Silva, Ben Chilwell, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Hakim Ziyech, and Callum Hudson-Odoi of those summoned in that European final in 2021.
From the last course to this one, without going any further, Kai Havertz, Mason Mount, the captain César Azpilicueta, Cristian Pulisic, N’Golo Kante, Kalidou Koulibaly, Mateo Kovacic, Edouard Mendy, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Pierre Emerick Aubameyang.
The answer, eleven signings, with Christopher Nkunku, now out for “several months” due to a knee injury; Nicolas Jackson or the goalkeeper Robert Sánchez as main exponents.
The Mauricio Pochettino era makes his debut in the great game of the first day, next Sunday at Stamford Bridge, against Liverpool, whose reaction in the last stretch was not enough to recover all the ground lost before and reach the Champions League.
The Argentine world champion Alexis Mac Allister and Hungarian talent Dominik Szoboszlai have arrived to reinforce the group of Jurgen Klopp.
Ambition
Newcastle returned to the high zone in the past exercise. His multi-million dollar project paid off at full speed, in a year and a half. From salvation to the Champions League. And wants more.
On Saturday he receives Aston Villaa with the 64 million that he has paid for the Italian international media center Sandro Tonali or the 44 for Harvey Barnes to Leicester. Opposite, Unai Emery faces the challenge of consolidating Aston Villa.
His arrival was a boost for the Birmingham side, who have only lost two of their last 15 league games. He has signed, among others, Pau Torres for his defense, Youri Tielemans for his midfield and Moussa Diaby for his forward. Tottenham support, for now, Harry Kane.
He has supported Bayern Munich’s offense because of its all-time goalscorer, but also because of its most decisive footballer at present, whose goals are an incalculable guarantee for the group now led by Ante Postecoglou, after last season’s turbulent season, which put an end to the era. Anthony Count.
While resisting for Kane, he has spent 153.6 million this summer, with the purchase exercised by Dejan Kulusevsky (30 million) and Pedro Porro (40), after his assignments, but also with the signings of James Maddison, for whom he has paid 46 million euros to Leicester; Guglielmo Vicario, by 20 from Empoli, or the Argentine Alejo Véliz, by 15 from Rosario Central.
Tottenham opens the course in the territory of Brentford this Sunday. The four duels on Saturday will take place at 4:00 p.m. Central European time (3:00 p.m. local time), with Bournemouth against West Ham; Brighton, with Joao Pedro and James Milner on the team, against Luton, on their return to the Premier 31 years later; Everton, on the brink of relegation last year, against Fulham, with the signing of the Mexican Raúl Jiménez; and Sheffield United, on their return to the elite after two courses, against Crystal Palace, without Wilfried Zaha, but with Jefferson Lerma and Matheus Franca, complete the day.
(Vuelta a España: these would be the Colombians present in the race)
EFE
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