English top flight clubs have spent more than £600m (Dh2.8bn) this summer, with Manchester United emphasising the Premier League’s financial clout by smashing the world transfer record this week for Paul Pogba.
It was significant because it’s not since 1996, when Newcastle took Alan Shearer back to Tyneside for £15m from Blackburn, the league could boast the most expensive footballer on the planet.
United, too, have shown they’re very much back on the map in terms of pulling power after three seasons post-Sir Alex Ferguson of timid acquisitions.
However, outside of Old Trafford, the Etihad Stadium, as Pep Guardiola looks to bring the average age of the Manchester City squad down dramatically, the King Power Stadium with Leicester preparing for Champions League football and Vicarage Road with Watford’s owners the Pozzo family showing their love of a transfer, few clubs have actually been that successful in bringing new players in.
The latest multi-billion pound domestic television deal has swollen the balance sheets of much of the division’s teams but either they are happy with their lot or are sick of being ripped off, with the whole of the world well aware of what Premier League clubs can now pay.
A look at the key stats from last season
Here’s our comprehensive team-by-team guide.
AFC BOURNEMOUTH
Manager: Eddie Howe
Last season: 16th
Key ins: Jordon Ibe (Liverpool, £15m), Lewis Cook (Leeds, £10m), Brad Smith (Liverpool, £6m), Lys Mousset (Le Havre, £5.4m), Nathan Ake (Chelsea, loan)
Key outs: Matt Ritchie (Newcastle, £12m), Tommy Elphick (Aston Villa, £3.6m)
Star man: Callum Wilson
One to watch: Lewis Cook
Prospects: Howe’s decision to sell Ritchie and Elphick was a confident one and the arrivals of Cook and Ibe are eye-catching. Survival is paramount but, providing they avoid last year’s injury crisis, the Cherries have the style and ability to look beyond that this season.
ARSENAL
Manager: Arsene Wenger
Last season: 2nd
Key ins: Granit Xhaka (Bor M’gladbach, £34m), Takuma Asano (Sanfrecce Hiroshima, undis), Rob Holding (Bolton, £2m)
Key outs: Mikel Arteta (retired), Tomas Rosicky, Mathieu Flamini (both released)
Star man: Alexis Sanchez
One to watch: Alex Iwobi
Prospects: An underwhelming summer in which the teams around them have all improved plus uncertainty over Wenger’s position beyond next summer doesn’t bode well. They also still need a partner for Olivier Giroud. It could be a muted ending to Wenger’s historic reign.
BURNLEY
Manager: Sean Dyche
Last season: Won the Championship
Key ins: Nick Pope (Charlton, £1.1m), Johann Berg Gudmundsson (Charlton, undisc), Jamie Thomas (Bolton, free), Robbie Leitch (Motherwell, free)
Key outs: Joey Barton (Rangers, free), Lloyd Dyer (Burton, free), Matt Taylor (released)
Star man: Andre Gray
One to watch: Chris Long
Prospects: They currently possess a weaker squad than the one that finished first in the Championship. Reinforcements are required and while their reluctance to overspend is admirable, is means they start the campaign on the back foot; 17th is the best they can hope for.
CHELSEA
Manager: Antonio Conte
Last season: 10th
Key ins: Michy Batshuayi (Marseille, £33.2m), N’Golo Kante (Leicester, £32m)
Key outs: Mohamed Salah (Roma, £12m), Stipe Perica (Udinese, £3.2m), Baba Rahman (Schalke, loan)
Star man: Eden Hazard
One to watch: Ruben Loftus-Cheek
Prospects: They simply can’t be as poor as last term. Stars like Hazard, Diego Costa, Cesc Fabregas and Thibaut Courtois should all be much improved with the question mark of how well they can do revolving around Conte and how he adapts his tactics to the Premier League.
CRYSTAL PALACE
Manager: Alan Pardew
Last season: 15th
Key ins: Andros Townsend (Newcastle United, £13m), James Tomkins (West Ham, £10m), Steven Mandanda (Marseille, free)
Key outs: Dwight Gayle (Newcastle United, £10m), Alex McCarthy (Southampton, £4m), Emmanuel
Adebayor, Marouane Chamakh (released)
Star man: Yohan Cabaye
One to watch: Jonny Williams
Prospects: Mandanda could prove a real steal but the issues for Palace lie at the other end. There is money to spend but Pardew has been frustrated in his attempts to sign a striker. Christian Benteke looks a possibility but if that falls through, Palace will struggle.
EVERTON
Manager: Ronald Koeman
Last season: 11th
Key ins: Idrissa Gueye (Aston Villa, £7.1m) Maarten Stekelenburg (Fulham, undisc)
Key outs: John Stones (Man City, 47.5m), Tim Howard, (Colorado Rapids, free), Leon Osman, Tony Hibbert, Steven Pienaar (all released)
Star man: Romelu Lukaku
One to watch: Brendan Galloway
Prospects: Even with John Stones departing, Koeman should shore up a defence that was embarrassing last season. It’s difficult, however, to see what their aspirations are this term given the lack of transfers into the club. Although this might change if the Stones money is spent.
HULL CITY
Manager: Mike Phelan (caretaker)
Last season: Promoted via Championship play-offs
Key ins: Jonathan Edwards (Peterborough, free), Will Mannion (AFC Wimbledon, compensation)
Key outs: Mohamed Diame (Newcastle, £4.5m), Sone Aluko, Ryan Taylor (both released)
Star man: Abel Hernandez
One to watch: Josh Tymon
Prospects: In a word – bleak; no permanent manager, no first XI and no significant transfers means Hull could realistically break Derby’s record of the fewest amount of points in a Premier League season with 11. It’s almost impossible to present a credible case for them finishing anywhere else other than 20th.
LEICESTER CITY
Manager: Claudio Ranieri
Last season: Champions
Key ins: Nampalys Mendy (Nice, £13m), Ron-Robert Zieler (Hannover, £2.6m), Ahmed Musa (CSKA Moscow, undisc), Raul Uche Rubio (Rayo Vallecano, undisc), Luis Hernandez (Sporting Gijon, free)
Key outs: N’Golo Kante (Chelsea, £32m), Andrej Kramaric (Hoffenheim, £7.6m)
Star man: Riyad Mahrez
One to watch: Ben Chilwell
Prospects: Kante’s departure must be dealt with but otherwise Leicester, who have made some clever signings, should have a crack at the top four. They do need Jamie Vardy and Mahrez to replicate and probably better last season, which may be asking too much.
LIVERPOOL
Manager: Jurgen Klopp
Last season: 8th
Key ins: Sadio Mane (Southampton, £36m), Georginio Wijnaldum (Newcastle, £25m), Loris Karius (Mainz, £4.7m), Ragnar Klavan (Augsburg, undisc), Joel Matip (Schalke, free)
Key outs: Jordon Ibe (Bournemouth, £15m), Joe Allen (Stoke, £13m), Martin Skrtel (Fenerbahce, £5m)
Star man: Philippe Coutinho
One to watch: Sheyi Ojo
Prospects: Optimism is high with Klopp 10 months into the job and a pre-season that was largely positive. However, key questions remain: Who’s scoring their goals? With Karius injured, can Simon Mignolet stay error free? And can they keep the injuries down?
MANCHESTER CITY
Manager: Pep Guardiola
Last season: 4th
Key ins: John Stones (Everton, £47.5m), Leroy Sane (Schalke, £37m), Ilkay Gundogan (Borussia Dortmund, £21m), Gabriel Jesus (Palmeiras, £27m), Nolito (Celta Vigo, £13.8m)
Key outs: Seko Fofana (Udinese, £3.8m), Florian Lejeune (Eibar, £1.2m), Martin Demichelis (released)
Star man: Sergio Aguero
One to watch: Leroy Sane
Prospects: How well City do hinges on how quickly this squad can adapt to Guardiola’s tactics and demands. The Catalan still wants to make further reinforcements while shipping out some dead wood. If that can be done hassle free, they should be the team to beat.
MANCHESTER UNITED
Manager: Jose Mourinho
Last season: 5th
Key ins: Paul Pogba (Juventus, £89m), Eric Bailly (Villarreal, £30m), Henrikh Mkhitaryan (Borussia Dortmund, £26.3m), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (free)
Key outs: Victor Valdes (Middlesbrough, free), Nick Powell (Wigan, free), Guillermo Varela (Eintracht Frankfurt, loan)
Star man: Zlatan Ibrahimovic
One to watch: Eric Bailly
Prospects: Sizeable, given Mourinho’s presence and the signings of some serious players. The Rooney question won’t go away, though? And neither does the need for a defensive midfielder. That could hold them back from delivering a genuine title challenge.
MIDDLESBROUGH
Manager: Aitor Karanka
Last season: Second in Championship
Key ins: Marten de Roon (Atalanta, £12m), Viktor Fischer (Ajax, £3.8m), Victor Valdes (free), Brad Guzan (Aston Villa, free), Alvaro Negredo (Valencia, loan), Gaston Ramirez (free)
Key outs: Jonathan Woodgate (released)
Star man: Jordan Rhodes
One to watch: Viktor Fischer
Prospects: Easily the best placed of the promoted sides to stay up with a strong defence and canny moves in the market – although most are inexperienced in the English top flight. Karanka remains on thin ice, following his argument with the board in March, meaning they must start well.
SOUTHAMPTON
Manager: Claude Puel
Last season: 6th
Key ins: Nathan Redmond (Norwich, £11m), Alex Mc- Carthy (Crystal Palace, £4m), Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg (Bayern Munich, undisc), Jeremy Pied (Nice, undisc)
Key outs: Sadio Mane (Liverpool, £36m), Graziano Pelle (Shandong Luneng, £12m), Victor Wanyama
(Tottenham, £11m)
Star man: Jose Fonte
One to watch: Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg
Prospects: Puel seems a sensible fit due to his experience with young players at Lyon and Nice but improving on last season’s position seems unlikely following the losses of Mane, Pelle and Wanyama. Mid-table appears the aim.
STOKE CITY
Manager: Mark Hughes
Last season: 9th
Key ins: Joe Allen (Liverpool, £13m), Ramadan Sobhi (Al Ahly, £5m)
Key outs: Peter Odemwingie (released), Steve Sidwell (Brighton, free)
Star man: Xherdan Shaqiri
One to watch: Ramadan Sobhi
Prospects: Their form in the second-half of the season was pretty abject, destroying hopes of a European finish. With more strong investment that appears the goal again but they urgently need to find a consistent striker. Otherwise, with finishes of 9th-9th-9th over the last three campaigns, it’ll likely be more of the same.
SUNDERLAND
Manager: David Moyes
Last season: 17th
Key ins: Papy Djilobodji (Chelsea, £8m)
Key outs: Emanuele Giaccherini (Napoli, undisc), Steven Fletcher (Sheff Wed, free), Wes Brown (released)
Star man: Jermain Defoe
One to watch: Jordan Pickford
Prospects: The Black Cats are going to be busy in the transfer market over the next three weeks, and who they bring in could decide their fate. Moyes has a reputation to restore and should ensure they’re hard to beat at home, but on the strength of the current squad, they look destined for another long and hard season.
SWANSEA CITY
Manager: Francesco Guidolin
Last season: 12th
Key ins: Leroy Fer (QPR, £4.75m), Mike van der Hoorn (Ajax, undisc), Fernando Llorente (Sevilla, free)
Key outs: Andre Ayew (West Ham, £20.5m), Alberto Paloschi (Atalanta, £6m), Eder (Lille £3.4m, Bafetimbi Gomis (Marseille, undisc)
Star man: Gylfi Sigurdsson
One to watch: Stephen Kingsley
Prospects: Tying Sigurdsson down to a new contract was a smart move but selling the players who scored just under half your goals last season doesn’t seem so clever. There’s considerable pressure on an ageing Llorente to fire the goals needed to ensure survival. Swansea could struggle.
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
Manager: Mauricio Pochettino
Last season: 3rd
Key ins: Vincent Janssen (AZ Alkmaar, £18.6m), Victor Wanyama (Southampton, £11m)
Key outs: Federico Fazio (Roma, loan)
Star man: Harry Kane
One to watch: Josh Onomah
Prospects: Pochettino hasn’t changed much to a squad and formula that came perillously close to winning a title, only to run out of steam while showing their inexperience. Janssen can, theoretically, ease the goalscoring burden on Kane, depending on how he adapts. Spurs overachieved last term and this season could see a more realistic aim of top four.
WATFORD
Manager: Walter Mazzarri
Last season: 13th
Key ins: Isaac Success (Granada, £12.5m), Christian Kabasele (Genk, £5.8m), Brice Dja Djedje (Marseille, £3m), Juan Camilo Zuniga (Napoli, loan), Jerome Sinclair (Liverpool, free)
Key outs: Almen Abdi (Sheff Wed, £4m), Jose Manuel Jurado (Espanyol, £2.1m), Daniel Pudil (Sheffield Wenesday, undisclosed)
Star man: Troy Deeney
One to watch: Jerome Sinclair
Prospects: Single-handedly destroying the case for continuity, Watford have a new manager and a sizeable compliment of new players all pushing for first-team football. They were a mystery last year and remain a mystery again.
WEST BROMWICH ALBION
Manager: Tony Pulis
Last season: 14th
Key ins: Matt Phillips (QPR, £5.5m)
Key outs: Stephane Sessegnon, Victor Anichebe (both released), Anders Lindegaard (Preston, free)
Star man: Saido Berahino
One to watch: Jonathan Leko
Prospects: It’s been a quiet summer for Pulis, a manager who usually likes to get fully involved in the transfer market. Berahino is still there but, as usual, could be sold before the end of the transfer window. That could give them more room to manoeuvre in the market as West Brom have a decent starting XI but not a squad to go beyond a relegation fight.
WEST HAM UNITED
Manager: Slaven Bilic
Last season: 7th
Key ins: Andre Ayew (Swansea, £20.5m), Toni Martinez (Valencia, £2.25m), Sofiane Feghouli (Valencia, free), Gokhan Tore (Besiktas, loan)
Key outs: James Tomkins (Crystal Palace, £10m)
Star man: Dimitri Payet
One to watch: Ashley Fletcher
Prospects: It’s a big season for the Hammers, who have a new stadium to play in, while their team from last season has stayed together. A number of failed bids for Lyon’s Alexandre Lacazette show the extent of their ambitions but unless a striker of real pedigree can be added, they’ll probably be just outside the top six again.