We now shift our focus to the race for the Champions League, where six teams could be in contention for a place in next season’s Champions League. Let’s see who they are.
Chelsea
After defying all odds to win the Club World Cup, most Chelsea fans are assuming there will be a push for the Premier League Title this season.
And with the amount of business done so far, you wouldn’t put it up against them to do so.
However, with the experience that Manchester City, Liverpool, and Arsenal have with being involved in title races over the last four to five seasons, they could end up falling just short.
There is no doubt that the signing of Liam Delap and Joao Pedro will give the Blues more spark in their attack.
Dario Esugo is a perfect backup option in Midfield.
While Leipzig’s Xavi Simons is another excellent addition in the 10, perhaps he will be Cole Palmer’s deputy, or even challenge him for that role.
The primary concern is the options at centre back, especially with Levi Colwill, who is expected to be out most of the season due to a knee injury.
If the Blues can repurchase one top quality centre, and perhaps a top goalkeeper, who can challenge Robert Sanchez for that spot, you don’t see a reason as to why they can’t challenge for the Title.
But for now, maintaining their status as a Champions League team should be their ultimate priority, as well as winning a domestic cup.
Newcastle United
The Magpies had an excellent 2024/25 season under Eddie Howe, as they booked their place back into Europe’s elite competition.
But with the future of Alexander Isak hanging in the balance, how much of an impact will it have on the season?
The addition of Anthony Elanga for £55 million from Nottingham Forest is an excellent option on the right wing.
You would suspect that he and Jacob Murphy, who also plays there, will be battling it out to see who Howe’s first pick will be.
Elanga became an integral part of Forest’s journey to secure European football, as he was the Premier League’s third-highest assist maker with 11 in total.
Not only that, but his blistering pace was what made the East Midlands side such a threat on the counterattack.
If he can start the season well and bring some more energy to the team, do not be surprised if Howe’s Magpies are in the race for Champions League again.
The club also have an eye on Villa’s Jacob Ramsey, whom Howe is a big fan of.
Newcastle United wanted him during the January transfer window; however, Unai Emery was keen to keep hold of him, especially while they were still playing Champions League football.
Villa also raised the price tag to approximately £50 million, which the Magpies could not reach, as they did not have the funds to do so.
This summer, it looks as if the England midfielder does favour a move to Tyneside, so it’ll be fascinating to see whether or not this deal goes through.
Whatever happens between now and the end of the Transfer Window, they must strengthen their squad to have a successful campaign in the Premier League and Champions League.
Manchester United
It feels as if it’s crunch time this season for Ruben Amorim and the Red Devils. They must deliver Champions League football, as they are too big a club not to be playing in it.
Reaching the Europa League final gave them some hope, but a resilient Tottenham Hotspur outclassed them under Ange Postecoglou.
However, as Amorim has had the whole summer to rebuild his squad, he needs to kick-start United’s way back to the glory days.
Cunha, Mbuemo, And Sesko Lead United’s Attack?
A major part of United’s problems last season was that they weren’t scoring or creating enough opportunities to win matches.
Part of that was to do with players being entirely out of form, while another part was because they were fifth on the list of teams that suffered the most injuries(20) that season.
Last season, Matheus Cunha and Brian Mbuemo were amongst the League’s top scorers, as Cunha scored 15 in 33 appearances, to keep Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League.
Will they be the ones to reignite this United team?
Sesko: A Bold Move
Having missed out on Viktor Gyokeres, who went to Arsenal, the Red Devils will be hoping that the RB Leipzig striker can get amongst the goals to win them as many games as possible.
Sesko netted a total of 13 goals in 33 games for the German side, who finished seventh in the Bundesliga last season, hence you can understand why the club wanted Gyokeres over Sesko.
But as United failed to qualify for the Champions League, the Gunners’ mission of winning the Premier League was more of an incentive than joining their rebuild.
Baleba To Solidify United’s Midfield
Another problem for United was that their dysfunctional midfield got outrun by almost every team in the Premier League last season.
This was because the team lacked structure and lacked a clear philosophy of playing football.
When Amorim tried to implement his 3-4-3 and 3-4-2-1 systems into the team, it was clear that the players weren’t accustomed to playing in that style.
Amorim’s system requires players who can quickly transition from defence to attack, and last season, United struggled to do so because of the profile of players they had in the squad.
But bringing in players such as the Cameroonian could make the difference, particularly to the structure of the team.
If Amorim can get this United team going as soon as possible, a race for Champions League football for next season is definitely on the cards.
Aston Villa
Having been inches away from possibly knocking out Paris Saint Germain in the Quarter Finals of last season’s competition, Unai Emery’s Villa missed out on a place in this season’s competition, due to the Magpies having a superior goal difference.
While the loan spells of Marco Asensio and Marcus Rashford did provide some positive energy during the second half of the season, it was still not enough to reach their target.
What was even more surprising was the fact that they were outclassed in the FA Cup semi-final defeat to Crystal Palace.
This season, it seems as if Villa are adding some more firepower in the forward areas.
Evann Guessand is an interesting replacement for Jhon Duran, who is now at Saudi club Al Nassr.
Following a slow start at Nice, Guessand’s career took a significant step forward in 24/25, where he made a great impression as a Right Winger/Centre Forward.
A player who is similar to Marcus Rashford provided 12 goals and eight assists.
He also created 32 chances, which was more than Ollie Watkins and Rashford did last season.
How soon he can adapt to life in the Premier League will be intriguing to watch.
Tottenham Hotspur
Despite failing to beat Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Super Cup, this season could turn out to be a hugely important one for Thomas Frank’s side.
Winning the Europa League has meant that they now return to the Champions League after a three-year absence, after Antonio Conte’s side were knocked out of the Last 16 by AC Milan.
Yet after a disappointing 2024-25 season in the League, Ange Postecoglou’s side more than made up for it by winning the Europa League.
But now that they are back in Europe’s elite competition, can Frank strike the right balance between the Premier League and Champions League?
Can Kudus Light Up Spurs?
With the departure of Son Hueng Min, who left the club to join LAFC this summer. Bringing in a replacement like Kudus on a six-year contract for 55 million is a valuable addition to their squad.
Kudus made 32 appearances for West Ham United last season, scoring five goals and creating just three assists.
It was his best season in the league, which included 141 touches in the opposition’s box.
By bringing in a player like Kudus, it automatically enhances Spurs’ attacking options, which makes them a threat to any team.
If he brings the same energy he showed last season, he’ll be a threat to any team.
So these are World In Sport’s predictions for the race for Champions League football.
Don’t forget to share yours.
