The new season’s just days away, get yourself into gear with a closer look at how we see things panning out in 2013/14.
Check in to Transfer Window: Done Deal Alerts
With now only a week to go before the start of the Premier League season, the long wait for football is almost over. Clubs and staff alike will be trying to tie down late transfers to give themselves the best chance for success, whether that is winning the league, continental qualification, or Premier League survival. Here is my club-by-club season preview.
Arsenal. Last Season’s Finish: 4th. Expectations: Top 4. Predicted Finish: 4th.
The Gunners have been surprisingly quiet during the transfer window thus far, not really utilising this £80million warchest Arsene Wenger has been given this summer, having only brought in highly-rated French youngster Yaya Sanogo in on a free transfer. That’s not to say they have been unlucky, missing out on key transfer targets Gonzalo Higuain and Stevan Jovetic to those willing to pay more, and they are locked in negotiations for Luis Suarez. That’s what they are lacking for them to take the next step, a world class forward.
Options are pretty thin right now in the market, they’ll have to pay big money to bring Suarez in, in excess of £50million, the question is, will Wenger pay it? They now have the supporting cast in place to be successful in the league, but lack the 25 goal a season striker. They have managed to ship out a lot of ‘deadwood’ players, with Marouane Chamakh, Gervinho, Denilson, Sebastien Squillaci and Andre Santos all off the clubs books, with a couple more players expected to follow suit.
Key Player: Santi Cazorla. Hopefully he doesn’t suffer from a second season syndrome like many foreign players, he needs to continue working away in midfield playing the creative role and support the likes of Giroud, Walcott and Podolski up top, and maybe chip in with 6-8 goals this season. He is the lynchpin to their success going forward, his consistency is key.