We are so back. The beautiful game that we all know and love is only 10 days away. Before you know it, a time where the NFL, Premier League & NBA are all running simultaneously will soon be a reality for me yet again. But first up, is the English Premier League. In my humble opinion, the greatest football league in the world. As with every summer transfer window, there’s been a lot of movement. Which can only mean that this league will once again be absolute chaos for 38 game weeks. Let’s get into it.
1. Can Arsenal compete again?
Last season Arsenal spent 248 days at the top of the Premier League, an unwanted record for the Gunners. However, after falling short last year, Mikel Arteta and Edu Gaspar splashed the cash this window with three marquee signings. If John Henry and FSG saw the cost of these three moves in one window they probably would’ve fainted on the spot. First, the Gunners secured the services of Kai Havertz for a fee worth up to £67.5m. Next on the list was former West Ham captain, and Conference League Champion, Declan Rice for a club-record £105m deal. And lastly was Ajax’s Jurriën Timber for a smaller fee of £34.3m. If anyone is counting, that is a total of £206.8m, which is $265.7m. In one window!!!
Never forget when Liverpool WON the Champions League and FSG used all that money to buy… Adrian & Sepp van den Berg.
Sorry Arsenal fans I just had to get that off right quick. Now back to the main point… can this team compete for the title again? This go around, it will definitely be a little different for the Gunners. They will be playing in the Champions League for the first time in seven years and they will be without their leader in midfield Granit Xhaka. The Swiss international secured a move back to the Bundesliga with Bayer Leverkusen. As seen last year, the squad health will b most important for this team if they want to make another serious run. When Saliba went down last year it seemed as if the whole squad was immediately impacted. They also have to be a lot sharper in clutch moments this year. If they want to put the Arsenal red & white ribbons on the Premier League trophy, they can’t be fumbling multiple two-goal leads and going down 3-0 to relegation sides at home during a title race.
Now while I say all this, I have full faith in Arteta to make this squad competitive. Do I think they have the juice for a Premier League title? I guess we’ll have to wait and see.
2. Unai Emery’s Revenge
When Aston Villa were 17th last October, I don’t think anyone could’ve pictured them being a possible threat to compete in Europe only 10 months later. Villa ended up finishing in 7th place, good enough for a Conference League finish, but they’ve made great strides this summer. After getting relegated with Leicester City, Youri Tielemans was available on a free transfer. Emery and Villa were first to his signature as the Belgian midfielder signed a four-year contract with the Midlands side.
Next order of business for Emery was to call an old colleague in Pau Torres. The former Villarreal center-half was brought in for £33m, the second-highest fee in club history only behind Emi Buendia’s £38m move from Norwich City. That was until Emery pulled out the big bucks to finalize the club’s third signing of the window.
French winger Moussa Diaby was in negotiation Saudi Arabian side Al-Nassr on a potential move… until Unai Emery and Aston Villa swept in. Villa paid a “fee in excess of €50m” to Bayer Leverkusen, according to Fabrizio Romano. He scored in both of his first two appearances with Villa in the Premier League Summer Series tournament in America. An attack of Ollie Watkins, Diaby, Leon Bailey, Buendia and 19 year-old Jhon Durán, Villa are looking to compete with the big dogs this year. They’ll be without their promising midfielder Jacob Ramsey for at least the first month of the season, after suffering a broken metatarsal suffered at the U-21 EURO’s for England.
Obviously Villa aren’t the only club who have gotten better during the window. But with Emery at the helm, who knows what’s possible for this side.
3. Andre Onana will be Manchester United’s best signing
For years and years, Manchester United’s net has been protected by a certain Spaniard. Although David De Gea was a great shot stopper at times, but he was lacking severely in ball distribution. Andre Onana, who Erik ten Hag’s goalie back at Ajax, arrived from Inter this summer for £47.2m. After a season where Onana won two league cups with the Nerazzurri and made a Champions League final, United knew they had to make their move for a top keeper.
Even though his abilities with the ball standout, he’s also a great shot stopper. With Onana in between the sticks, the already talented defense can ease up just a little bit more. With the signings of Mason Mount and Rasmus Højlund already finalized, United now are looking towards Moroccan defensive midfielder Sofyan Amrabat from Fiorentina. With ten Hag’s second season in charge, where do you think the Red Devils will finish?
4. Will Chelsea bounce back under Pochettino?
It’s hard to understand this team’s plan honestly. They spend over £600m, go through four managers and somehow finish 12th in the league. It was a disaster of a season, but this summer they brought in former Spurs and PSG manager Mauricio Pochettino. The Argentinian boss comes in to a team with an average age of 23.3 and without a concrete starting XI. However, they have made some signings this summer that has the Premier League peeking an eye at the Blues once again.
Now let’s talk about some of the additions that Poch has brought in this window. Senegalese striker Nicolas Jackson arrived from Villarreal arrived at Stamford Bridge after the Blues activated his £30.1m release clause. Jackson has been playing well for Poch & Co. during Chelsea’s pre-season tour in America, and looks to be a pacey threat down the middle. Meanwhile, the big money signing was Christopher Nkunku. Nkunku comes from German club RB Leipzig, where he was one of the Bundesliga’s biggest stars. With that talent, comes a big fee, as Chelsea spent £52m to secure his services. And even with all this business being done, Chelsea are still linked with players like Dušan Vlahović of Juventus, Robert Sanchez of Brighton and Moises Caicedo of Brighton as well.
The only question for Poch and his staff is, how can he line up with this team. Will Nkunku be lining up at the #9 or the #10? Will Sterling come off the bench or start? Will Mudryk finally come into his own this year? We’ll have to see what they are cooking at the Bridge come August 13th against Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp.
5. A new chapter at Liverpool
Roberto Firmino, Naby Keita, Fabinho, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, James Milner, Arthur Melo, Fabio Carvalho (loan) & captain Jordan Henderson have all left the club just in this window alone. When this much change occurs at a club in one window, a cloud of uncertainty may surround the team if they do not have the right personnel to keep the players heads straight. However, this is Liverpool Football Club we are talking about here. And Jurgen Klopp is not a stranger to success. After last season’s disappointments, Klopp & Co. are here to bring back the good times to the club.
With new signings Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister helping bolster the midfield and possibly Southampton youngster Romeo Lavia joining soon, Liverpool will look to get back to their old ways. Can they bring that level of play from the end of last year to this new year? Only time will tell.
YSN 2023/24 Premier League Predictions
- Manchester City
- Liverpool
- Manchester United
- Arsenal
- Newcastle United
- Chelsea
- Aston Villa
- Brighton
- Spurs
- West Ham
- Burnley
- Brentford
- Crystal Palace
- AFC Bournemouth
- Nottingham Forest
- Fulham
- Everton
- Luton Town
- Wolves
- Sheffield United
It’s so hard to put that team next to the first place slot. But honestly… how could I not? These guys are just going to dominate regardless. It’s just a matter of who catches them slipping at the right time and can they hold off a late season run from them. Sheffield United & Wolves are both clubs that I think just haven’t really invested properly enough to stay in the league. Wolves biggest move so far is bringing back Matt Doherty on a free from Atletico Madrid and Sheffield United’s biggest move is getting former Liverpool Academy product Yasser Larouci on loan from Troyes. Luton Town is a great come up story, but I genuinely don’t know if I can see them lasting. I would love the scenes though (just please lose both games against Liverpool for the sake of my mental health). Burnley under Vincent Kompany will easily stay in the Premier League and Everton will somehow just avoid relegation like they’ve been doing for the past two or three years now.
Despite losing Ivan Toney until January 16th, 2024 due to suspension, I think Brentford has enough firepower to maintain their position as a mid-table club in this league. While West Ham will creep up back to the top 10 after a disappointing performance domestically last year, despite winning a European tournament. However, they do need to make some signings as they are the only club in the league to have not made one at the time of writing.
There is no such thing as a “Big Six” anymore in this league. With Newcastle United clinching Champions League football last year and Unai Emery’s Aston Villa also reaching a European spot, it’s looking more like a “Big Nine” now. Genuinely, from positions 2-6, I think anything can happen. Of course I am a little biased with my Liverpool prediction, but if we are able to secure the signing of Romeo Lavia with another midfielder (like Khephren Thuram or Manu Kone) and a LCB I do think we have a chance at every trophy we’re competing in.
There we have it folks, my Premier League predictions for the 2023/24 season. There are officially 10 more days until the first game of the season between reigning champions Manchester City and newly promoted Burnley kick off at Turf Moor. After that, all my football fans, prepare to stressed all the way until May. I’ll be doing LaLiga & Serie A predictions next. This is YSN, until next time, signing out.
