With the Premier League season now firmly in the record books, attention has quickly shifted towards the 2020/21 campaign.
Plans have already been formulated for next season, with the action set to get back underway on September 12.
The Premier League has also confirmed that the fixtures are expected to run until May 23, giving national teams some space to prepare for the European Championships.
Read on as we take a look at what the upcoming season has in store for the ‘Big Six’ and assess which teams are likely to challenge for the title.
Liverpool Transfer Policy a Risky Move
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has stated that he is unlikely to make any major signings and that could be a decision he lives to regret.
History has shown that resting on your laurels in the Premier League can be a huge mistake and Klopp would be well advised to heed that warning.
The Reds boss has already walked away from a potential move for Timo Werner, leaving the path clear for Chelsea to sign the RB Leipzig star.
Klopp recently lost Adam Lallana and Dejan Lovren from his squad and quality replacements are needed if Liverpool are to successfully defend the title.
City Fancied to Wrestle the Title Back
Manchester City’s hopes of winning a third successive title ultimately ended in disappointment, but they are strongly fancied to rectify the matter next season.
City look set to address their defensive issues by buying a top-class partner for Aymeric Laporte and have a short-list of candidates who all fit the bill.
Kalidou Koulibaly, Ruben Dias and Pau Torres have been linked with a move to the Etihad Stadium and each of them would significantly strengthen City’s backline.
City finished 18 points behind Liverpool last season, but they are more than capable of overcoming that deficit if they bring in a new centre-half.
United Expected to Close the Gap
Manchester United were in fine form during the final third of the season, racking up a 14-game unbeaten run to qualify for the Champions League.
The signing of Bruno Fernandes made a huge difference for the Red Devils and they are fully expected to close the gap on the top two next term.
Jadon Sancho’s arrival from Borussia Dortmund would strengthen their forward options, but manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer does have issues to resolve at the back.
The addition of another quality defender such as Milan Skriniar from Inter Milan could be the key factor in determining whether United can mount a serious title challenge.
Lampard Must Resist Keegan Urges
Chelsea’s signings of Werner and Hakim Ziyech appear to suggest that Frank Lampard has been taking managerial lessons from Kevin Keegan.
However, as demonstrated by Newcastle United under Keegan, it is a risky strategy to adopt if you want to succeed in the Premier League.
A new goalkeeper would be a good place to start for Chelsea, with Kepa Arrizabalaga failing miserably to live up to his lofty price tag.
The rest of Chelsea’s defence is also in need of a serious makeover, with very few of their options possessing the quality teams need to win titles.
Big Summer Ahead for Tottenham
Tottenham Hotspur did well to recover from a poor start to last season, although it took a change of manager to inspire the turnaround in their fortunes.
Jose Mourinho wasn’t a popular choice to replace Mauricio Pochettino, but he silenced the doubters by firing Spurs back up the table.
Mourinho has already confirmed that Spurs won’t be splashing the cash this summer and he will clearly need to be creative during the transfer window.
However, his ability to make his teams hard to beat should stand him in good stead and it would be no surprise to see Spurs bag a top four place next season.
Arsenal Set to Fall Further Behind
With most of their rivals expected to significantly improve their squads during the summer, Arsenal could be set for another difficult campaign.
Although the Gunners managed to reach the FA Cup Final, they lacked the consistency needed to challenge for a top four place.
Uncertainty over the future of striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is an unwelcome distraction and manager Mikel Arteta has a big job on his hands.
With the likes of Leicester City and Wolverhampton Wanderers also to contend with in the league, Arsenal’s best hopes of success may lie in one of the domestic cup competitions.
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