Premier League

Following last month’s preview, we bring you part 2 with our predicted bottom half teams in what looks like being a very competitive scrap for Premier League survival.

Fulham: Now fully established as a Premier League club, the Cottagers finished a highly respectable 13th last season courtesy of their highly rated manager Marco Silva, who has since declined the chance of a big money move to Saudi Arabia. Now, minus a couple of key players who have moved on, the rebuild is well underway.

In: Emile Smith Rowe (Arsenal) £34m, Ryan Sessegnon (free).

Out: Tosin Adarabioyo (Chelsea) free, Joao Palhinha (Bayern Munich) £47.1m. 

Brighton: With the Seagulls, arguably one of the best run clubs in the league, with an exceptional recruitment history and having achieved a solid 11th place finish, expectations are high under the new leadership of 31 year-old German manager Fabián Hürzeler.

In: Ibrahim Osman (Nordsjaelland) £16m, Mats Wieffer (Feyenoord) £25m. Yankuba Minteh (Brighton £25m).

Out: Pascal Gross (Dortmund) £10m.

Wolves: Gary O’Neil replaced former boss Julen Lopetegui just days before the start of last season and with a limited budget he looked up against it. They played quite well in spells and managed a 14th finish. A similar performance is hoped for, despite having sold two key players.

In: Rodrigo Gomes (Brage) £12.7m, Pedro Lima (Sport Recife) £8.45m.

Out: Max Kilman (West Ham) £40m, Pedro Neto (Chelsea) £45m.

Everton: Following another difficult season, the Toffees had to fight hard to avoid relegation. They finished 15th although had it not been for an 8-point deduction for breach of financial fair play rules they would have finished 12th. It is imperative that Sean Dyche keeps them safe again, as they move to their new stadium in 2025.

In: Jake O’Brien (Lyon) £17m, Jack Harrison (Leeds) on loan.

Out: Amadou Onana (Aston Villa) £50m, Ben Godfrey (Atalanta) £10.2m.

Bournemouth: After taking just 3 points from their first 9 games last season the future looked distinctly bleak for the Cherries, however Spanish boss Andoni Iraola turned things around and they finished in a respectable 12th place. However, having sold their star striker things could get tough.

In: Luis Sinisterra (Leeds) £20m, Enes Unal (Getafe) £14m, Dean Huijsen (Juventus) £15.2m.

Out: Dominic Solanke (Tottenham) £65m.

Brentford: It was a difficult season for the Bees, but they remained clear of the relegation scrap despite only having star striker Ivan Toney available from January following his ban. Danish boss Thomas Frank will be hoping that Toney is not sold to ‘balance the books’.

In: Igor Thiago (Club Brugge) £30m, Fabio Carvalho £27.5m.

Out: David Raya (Arsenal) £27m.

Nottingham Forest: With a 17th place finish, they narrowly avoided the trapdoor of relegation despite a 4 point deduction for breach of financial rules. Many predict another tough season hovering around the foot of the table.

In: Elliot Anderson (Newcastle) £35m, Nikola Milenkovic (Fiorentina) £12m.

Out: Moussa Niakhate (Lyon) £27m, Orel Mangala (Lyon) £20m.

Southampton: The Saints bounced straight back to the top tier after just one season away in the Championship thanks to their 1-0 victory over Leeds in the playoff final. If they can add a couple of experienced players to their talented young squad then they may just surprise us all with a positive start.

In: Taylor Harwood-Bellis (Man City) £20m, Flynn Downes (West Ham) £18m, Ben Brereton Diaz (Villarreal) £6.5m. 

Out: Lyanco (Lyon) £4m, Romain Perraud (Real Betis) £3m. 

Leicester: The surprise Premiership champions of 2015/16 bounced straight back from relegation by winning the Championship last season, however the sting in the tail for the Foxes is that their manager has moved on to Chelsea. Former Forest boss Steve Cooper takes charge.

In: Abdul Fatawu (Sporting Lisbon) £17m, Bobby De Cordova-Reid (Fulham) free.

Out: Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (Chelsea) £30m, Kelechi Iheanacho (released). 

Ipswich: An incredible couple of seasons for the Tractor Boys saw them achieve back-to-back promotions under the guidance of former Man Utd assistant manager Kieran McKenna. Only time will tell if they can adapt to the high demands of the top tier.

In: Omari Hutchinson (Chelsea) £18m, Liam Delap (Man City) £20m, Jacob Greaves (Hull) £15m.

Out: Gassan Ahadme (Charlton) £1m.

Scottish Premiership

The focus will, as usual, be on the two Glasgow giants – and this could be the year in which Celtic, with 54 league titles in their illustrious history, draw level with Rangers, stuck on 55. It’s difficult to see how the other teams can trouble the ‘big two’ in the title race, although Aberdeen, Hearts, and Hibernian seem the best-equipped of the rest to cause a few surprises.

Celtic

Defending champions Celtic, under the leadership of Brendan Rodgers, look even stronger than last year and have now won 12 of the last 13 league championships and have come flying out of the blocks – winning their first 3 games. 

In the transfer market, 37 year-old Kasper Schmeichel has been brought in on a free transfer from Anderlecht to replace the departed Joe Hart in goal. 

At the other end of the pitch, striker Adam Idah has now been signed permanently for £9.5m from Norwich after a successful loan spell last season.

Rangers

The blue half of Glasgow is desperate to bridge the gap, put a stop to Celtic’s recent dominance, and secure their first league title since Steven Gerrard led them there in the 2020/21 season. 

Belgian Philippe Clement starts his first full season in charge of a Rangers side that after a close fought title race, finished last season 8 points behind their green and white hooped rivals. Clement has had a busy summer, rebuilding his squad and bringing in no less than nine new signings – including Ivorian midfielder Mohamed Diomande for £5m from Nordsjaelland and Vaclav Cerny on loan from Wolfsburg, an exciting winger who was part of the Czech Republic squad at Euro 2024. 

The Great Debate: Does the transfer window work?

Transfer windows have operated in European football since 2002, when UEFA recommended a harmonised approach across the continent. They are intended to make the process more formal and encourage clubs to run their finances prudently. This summer’s Premier League window ran from 14 June to 11pm on 30 August, with the mid-season window from 1 January to 11pm on 1 February. Does it benefit the sport?

 YES

If clubs could buy players at any time, this would advantage the wealthy clubs, who could easily fill gaps left by injuries. This would reduce opportunities for youth and fringe members of their squads. All sides have enough registered players to cope with injuries.

It is a test of the ability of managers and coaches, to show foresight when assembling their squad before the start of the season rather than just rely on their spending power. The window tells them – ‘These are your players for now, so make the best of what you have got. If a player is out of form, use your coaching skills to improve them.’

Football should be about entertainment, and transfer windows, with their ‘deadline days’, are exciting for fans.

NO

There is a belief in the game that limiting the time in which clubs can buy players distorts their market value, pushing prices and salaries higher. This leaves clubs with less money to invest in stadium improvements or youth academies, and fans are charged more for tickets.

Former Crystal Palace manager Steve Coppell says: “I cannot see the logic in a transfer window. It brings on a fire-sale mentality, causes unrest via the media, and means clubs buy too many players. The old system, where if you had a problem you could look at loans or make a short-term purchase, was far better.”

If an established player falls out with their manager and wants to leave outside the transfer window, they can become the subject of speculation and end up an outcast in the squad. The window just traps them at their club for longer.