ARSENAL
The FA Cup may have lost its significance amongst the elite of English football, but try selling that idea to an Arsenal fan right now. Last season’s cup victory must be viewed as a springboard for bigger and better things for the Gunners, who have so far invested expensively (and wisely) in this summer’s transfer window. One of the stories of this summer has been Arsenal’s capture of the Chilean forward, Alexis Sanchez, from Barcelona. A world star, in his prime and rocking up in North London is as exciting as it was unexpected. Much will depend on how Sanchez gels with last year’s marquee signing, Mesut Ozil who, after a very promising start, faded away. Write them off at your peril – Arsenal may now just have a squad that’s big enough, and good enough to last the distance.
Manager: Arsene Wenger
Final EPL Position 2013/14: 4th
Predicted EPL Position 2014/15: 1st
| Completed Ins | From | Fee |
| Calum Chambers | Southampton | Undisclosed |
| Mathieu Debuchy | Newcastle United | £12.0m |
| David Ospina | Nice | Undisclosed |
| Alexis Sanchez | Barcelona | £35.0m |
| Completed Outs | To | Fee |
| Benik Afobe | Milton Keynes Dons | Loan |
| Chuba Akpom | Coventry City | Loan |
| Chuks Aneke | Unassigned Players | Released |
| Zak Ansah | Charlton Athletic | Free |
| Nicklas Bendtner | Unassigned Players | Released |
| Daniel Boateng | Unassigned Players | Released |
| Johan Djourou | Hamburg | Undisclosed |
| Thomas Eisfeld | Fulham | Undisclosed |
| Lukasz Fabianski | Swansea City | Free |
| Carl Jenkinson | West Ham United | Loan |
| Chu-Young Park | Unassigned Players | Released |
| Bacary Sagna | Manchester City | Free |
| Wellington Silva | Almeria | Loan |
| Thomas Vermaelen | Barcelona | £15.0m |
MANCHESTER CITY
Now that Manchester City have secured their second Premier League crown in three years, is it very possible to presume that Manuel Pellegrini and co. will now begin to prioritise the Champions League as their main source of glory? Let’s be honest., they have a squad capable of success in both competitions and it is very easy to see why City are most people’s favourites for more glory this year in the 2014/15 Premier League. Pellegrini has not made significant changes to last season’s squad, but the arrivals of Bacary Sagna and Frank Lampard will further boost a deep squad with even more big game experience, and will see City challenging all season. The big and inevitable question is this: will Pellegrini still be at The Etihad in twelve months if City don’t at least match last year’s double trophy haul?
Manager: Manuel Pellegrini
Final EPL Position 2013/14: 1st
Predicted EPL Position 2014/15: 2nd
| Completed Ins | From | Fee |
| Willy Caballero | Malaga | Undisclosed |
| Fernando | FC Porto | Undisclosed |
| Bacary Sagna | Arsenal | Free |
| Completed Outs | To | Fee |
| Mohammed Abu | Stromsgodset | Free |
| Gareth Barry | Everton | Free |
| Godsway Donyoh | Falkenberg | Loan |
| Alex Henshall | Ipswich Town | Loan |
| Emyr Huws | Wigan Athletic | Loan |
| Eirik Holmen Johansen | Sandefjord | Loan |
| Joleon Lescott | West Bromwich Albion | Free |
| Marcos Lopes | Lille | Loan |
| Alex Nimely | Unassigned Players | Released |
| Costel Pantilimon | Sunderland | Free |
| Ellis Plummer | St Mirren | Loan |
| Abdul Razak | Unassigned Players | Released |
| Jack Rodwell | Sunderland | £10.0m |
| Reece Wabara | Unassigned Players | Released |
CHELSEA
Not winning the Premier League in his first year back at Stamford Bridge will have hurt Jose Mourinho. Chelsea were in a very strong position going into the finale, but lost their way at the death, enabling Manchester City to sneak in and grab the glory. Now that Mourinho has more or less moulded his own squad together, he will be very confident and optimistic that this year will be a triumphant one for the Blues. Yes, club stalwarts Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole have gone, but in Luis Felipe and Cesc Fabregas, they have younger, and very able replacements. Much will depend on the impact new striker Diego Costa can make. At £32 million, he will need to impress. But Chelsea will of course be there or there abouts come May.
Manager: Jose Mourinho
Final EPL Position 2013/14: 3rd
Predicted EPL Position 2014/15:3rd
| Completed Ins | From | Fee |
| Diego Costa | Atletico Madrid | £32.0m |
| Didier Drogba | Galatasaray | Free |
| Cesc Fabregas | Barcelona | £30.0m |
| Filipe Luis | Atletico Madrid | £20.0m |
| Mario Pasalic | Hajduk Split | Undisclosed |
| Completed Outs | To | Fee |
| Patrick van Aanholt | Sunderland | Undisclosed |
| Demba Ba | Besiktas | £8.0m |
| Ryan Bertrand | Southampton | Loan |
| Billy Clifford | Walsall | Free |
| Ashley Cole | Roma | Free |
| Cristian Cuevas | Eindhoven | Loan : Expired |
| Samuel Eto’o | Unassigned Players | Released |
| Thorgan Hazard | Borussia Monchengladbach | Loan |
| Henrique Hilario | Unassigned Players | Released |
| Sam Hutchinson | Sheffield Wednesday | Loan |
| Gael Kakuta | Rayo Vallecano | Loan |
| Tomas Kalas | Cologne | Loan |
| Milan Lalkovic | Unassigned Players | Released |
| Frank Lampard | Unassigned Players | Released |
| David Luiz | Paris St Germain | £40.0m |
| Romelu Lukaku | Everton | £28.0m |
| Kenneth Omeruo | Middlesbrough | Loan |
| Daniel Pappoe | Unassigned Players | Released |
| Mario Pasalic | Elche | Loan |
| Lucas Piazon | Eintracht Frankfurt | Loan |
| Oriol Romeu | Stuttgart | Loan |
| John Swift | Rotherham United | Loan |
| Bertrand Traore | Vitesse Arnhem | Loan |
| Wallace | Vitesse Arnhem | Loan |
MANCHESTER UNITED
The Louis Van Gaal revolution is in full swing at Old Trafford, but Rome really wasn’t built in a day and Manchester United fans will have to remember this. Van Gaal is absolutely the right man to be charged with this challenge though. Respected and revered throughout, the Dutchman appears to be from the tough old school of football management, but is also blessed with a very shrewd tactical mind and above all, a winning mentality. Of the new arrivals so far, Luke Shaw is an expensive teenager, but has plenty of time to justify the hefty £30 million price tag. Ander Herrera will add bite and aggression to the midfield. There are sure to be more players coming in before the transfer window closes too. Exciting times for sure, but patience is going to be key.
Manager: Louis Van Gaal
Final EPL Position 2013/14: 7th
Predicted EPL Position 2014/15:4th
| Completed Ins | From | Fee |
| Ander Herrera | Athletic Bilbao | £29.0m |
| Luke Shaw | Southampton | £27.0m |
| Completed Outs | To | Fee |
| Jack Barmby | Leicester City | Free |
| Bebe | Benfica | £2.4m |
| Alexander Buttner | Dynamo Moscow | Undisclosed |
| Charni Ekangamene | Zulte-Waregem | Undisclosed |
| Patrice Evra | Juventus | £1.2m |
| Rio Ferdinand | Queens Park Rangers | Free |
| Ryan Giggs | Unassigned Players | Retired |
| Michael Keane | Blackburn Rovers | Loan |
| Jesse Lingard | Brighton and Hove Albion | Loan |
| Federico Macheda | Cardiff City | Free |
| Davide Petrucci | Charlton Athletic | Loan |
| Tom Thorpe | Birmingham City | Loan |
| Nemanja Vidic | Inter Milan | Free |
LIVERPOOL
After last season’s dramatic collapse, the big question is this. Can Liverpool go one step further this year, and finally land the holy grail? Well, the sale of bite-boy Luis Suarez will certainly not help their cause. Getting an experienced goal scorer to replace Suarez is merely scratching the surface of an extraordinary talent that could well be irreplaceable, no matter the size of the transfer fee received. So, Suarez’s departure leaves a huge hole in more ways than one. Of the new signings, Adam Lallana is a real talent, whilst Dejan Lovren will help to plug the wide open gaps in Liverpool’s defence last year. If the Reds can’t land a big money striker before the 2014/15 Premier League starts, much responsibility will fall on Rickie Lambert and Daniel Sturridge. Can they cope with the pressure?
Manager: Brendan Rodgers
Final EPL Position 2013/14: 2nd
Predicted EPL Position 2014/15:5th
| Completed Ins | From | Fee |
| Emre Can | Bayer Leverkusen | £8.0m |
| Adam Lallana | Southampton | £25.0m |
| Rickie Lambert | Southampton | £4.0m |
| Dejan Lovren | Southampton | £20.0m |
| Javi Manquillo | Atletico Madrid | Loan |
| Lazar Markovic | Benfica | £20.0m |
| Divock Origi | Lille | £10.0m |
| Kevin Stewart | Tottenham Hotspur | Free |
| Completed Outs | To | Fee |
| Luis Alberto | Malaga | Loan |
| Iago Aspas | Sevilla | Loan |
| Villyan Bijev | Slavia Sofia | Free |
| Conor Coady | Huddersfield Town | Undisclosed |
| Jordon Ibe | Birmingham City | Loan |
| Michael Ngoo | Unassigned Players | Released |
| Divock Origi | Lille | Loan |
| Pepe Reina | Bayern Munich | Undisclosed |
| Craig Roddan | Unassigned Players | Released |
| Stephen Sama | Unassigned Players | Released |
| Brad Smith | Swindon Town | Loan |
| Jakub Sokolik | Yeovil Town | Free |
| Luis Suarez | Barcelona | £75.0m |
| Andre Wisdom | West Bromwich Albion | Loan |
EVERTON
Roberto Martinez played the “loan market” very well last year, and was widely applauded for doing so. It is only fair now then that he should be lauded for turning two of these loanees into permanent Everton players. The £28 million capture of Romelu Lukaku is one of the most impressive transfers of this summer so far. Lukaku is widely regarded as one of the most talented strikers in world football currently, and Everton beat off a host of big names to secure his services. The veteran, Gareth Barry, signing on a free transfer is also a very shrewd signing for the Toffees. Everton should thrive again this year, as long as the Europa League adventure doesn’t get in the way of their quest for a Champions League place, which is really not beyond them.
Manager: Roberto Martinez
Final EPL Position 2013/14: 5th
Predicted EPL Position 2014/15:6th
| Completed Ins | From | Fee |
| Gareth Barry | Manchester City | Free |
| Muhamed Besic | Ferencvaros | Undisclosed |
| Brendan Galloway | Milton Keynes Dons | Undisclosed |
| Romelu Lukaku | Chelsea | £28.0m |
| Completed Outs | To | Fee |
| Magaye Gueye | Unassigned Players | Released |
| Hallam Hope | Bury | Loan |
| Francisco Junior | Stromsgodset | Loan |
| Matthew Kennedy | Milton Keynes Dons | Loan |
| John Lundstram | Leyton Orient | Loan |
| Matthew Pennington | Tranmere Rovers | Loan |
| Mason Springthorpe | Unassigned Players | Released |
| Apostolos Vellios | Blackpool | Loan |
TOTTENHAM
“Sensible” is perhaps the word to describe Tottenham Hotspur’s new signings this summer. Left-back Ben Davies and Goalkeeper Michel Vorm have arrived to supplement a squad already packed with genuine quality, yet perhaps a squad that lacked direction last year. In Mauricio Pochettino, Spurs now have a very able, young manager, who initially likes to make his side difficult to beat, whilst also employing a quick, attacking style that is very pleasing on the eye. It is, however, payback time for the vast majority of expensive players recruited in the wake of the £85 million transfer of Gareth Bale to Real Madrid last summer. Roberto Soldado, Christian Eriksen and perhaps most of all Erik Lamela went missing last year and really need to step up, stand out and earn their spurs in the coming campaign.
Manager: Mauricio Pochettino
Final EPL Position 2013/14: 6th
Predicted EPL Position 2014/15:7th
| Completed Ins | From | Fee |
| Ben Davies | Swansea City | £10.0m |
| Eric Dier | Sporting Lisbon | £4.0m |
| Michel Vorm | Swansea City | £5.0m |
| Completed Outs | To | Fee |
| Jordan Archer | Northampton Town | Loan |
| Shaquile Coulthirst | Torquay United | Loan |
| Jermain Defoe | Toronto FC | Undisclosed |
| Iago Falque | Genoa | Undisclosed |
| Heurelho Gomes | Watford | Free |
| Grant Hall | Birmingham City | Loan |
| Jake Livermore | Hull City | Undisclosed |
| Kenny McEvoy | Peterborough United | Loan |
| Jonathan Obika | Charlton Athletic | Loan |
| Alex Pritchard | Brentford | Loan |
| Gylfi Sigurdsson | Swansea City | Undisclosed |
| Kevin Stewart | Liverpool | Free |
QUEENS PARK RANGERS
Queens Park Rangers are back. After just one season away from the elite, the Super Hoops have returned to the top table. The big question is this though: have they learnt from the mistakes of two years ago? Safely in the Premier League, Rangers famously changed the majority of their playing staff, replacing good loyal players with higher paid “stars”, who did nothing to aid the club, and have since saddled them with debt. Many of the “mercenaries” have now returned to West London from loan season long spells away, so on paper, QPR have a very good, experienced team that should stay up. Complimented by the arrivals of quality signings such as Steven Caulker, Rio Ferdinand and Jordon Mutch, Harry Redknapp’s boys could well be the surprise package of this campaign.
Manager: Harry Redknapp
Final Championship Position 2013/14: 4th
Predicted EPL Position 2014/15:8th
| Completed Ins | From | Fee |
| Steven Caulker | Cardiff City | £8.0m |
| Rio Ferdinand | Manchester United | Free |
| Mauricio Isla | Juventus | Loan |
| Ravel Morrison | West Ham United | Loan |
| Jordon Mutch | Cardiff City | £6.0m |
| Completed Outs | To | Fee |
| Angelo Balanta | Unassigned Players | Released |
| Yossi Benayoun | Maccabi Haifa (Isr) | Undisclosed |
| Julio Cesar | Toronto FC | Loan |
| Hogan Ephraim | Unassigned Players | Released |
| Esteban Granero | Real Sociedad | Undisclosed |
| Tom Hitchcock | Milton Keynes Dons | Free |
| Aaron Hughes | Brighton and Hove Albion | Free |
| Andrew Johnson | Unassigned Players | Released |
| Sam Magri | Nuneaton | Loan |
| Stephane Mbia | Unassigned Players | Released |
| Gary O’Neil | Norwich City | Free |
| Ji-Sung Park | Unassigned Players | Retired |
| Mike Petrasso | Coventry City | Loan |
| Mo Shariff | Unassigned Players | Released |
| Luke Young | Unassigned Players | Released |
STOKE CITY
The revolution is well and truly under way at the Britannia Stadium. Mark Hughes’ maiden season in charge of Stoke City was a huge success and landed the club a very healthy 9th placed finish last time out. It wasn’t so much the personnel which Hughes was bought in to change, more the mind-set, and the “style” of football the club and fans wanted to see the team play. Players such as Charlie Adam are central to this more expansive, attractive game, and he has really enjoyed himself under Hughes. That City were able to attract a player of the calibre of Bojan from Barcelona is testament to both the ambition, and high esteem the club are now viewed. Mame Biram Diouf should also pose a real offensive threat. Building on that 9th place finish might not be so difficult.
Manager: Mark Hughes
Final EPL Position 2013/14: 9th
Predicted EPL Position 2014/15:9th
| Completed Ins | From | Fee |
| Phil Bardsley | Sunderland | Free |
| Bojan | Barcelona | £3.0m |
| Mame Biram Diouf | Hannover 96 | Free |
| Steve Sidwell | Fulham | Free |
| Completed Outs | To | Fee |
| Juan Agudelo | Unassigned Players | Cancelled Contract |
| James Alabi | Scunthorpe United | Loan |
| Daniel Bachmann | Wrexham | Loan |
| Jack Butland | Leeds United | Loan |
| Lucas Dawson | Carlisle United | Loan |
| Michael Kightly | Burnley | Undisclosed |
| Jermaine Pennant | Unassigned Players | Released |
SUNDERLAND
Optimism is very high at The Stadium Of Light for this coming season. Sunderland finished the last campaign in fine form, not only merely surviving their relegation battle, but also finishing up in a decent place of 14th in the Premier League. This season won’t be so much of a struggle for The Mackems, they have invested very well so far this summer, and if Gus Poyet can keep Jack Rodwell fit, then the club will have one hell of a player on their hands. As with any team going into a European campaign though, much will depend on how Poyet prioritises Sunderland’s season, but mid-table is very much achievable for this team. They must hold on to Poyet though, this manager is talented and the Black Cats need to keep progressing, or he may be lured away.
Manager: Gus Poyet
Final EPL Position 2013/14: 14th
Predicted EPL Position 2014/15:10th
| Completed Ins | From | Fee |
| Patrick van Aanholt | Chelsea | Undisclosed |
| Jordi Gomez | Wigan Athletic | Free |
| Billy Jones | West Bromwich Albion | Free |
| Costel Pantilimon | Manchester City | Free |
| Jack Rodwell | Manchester City | £10.0m |
| Santiago Vergini | Estudiantes | Loan |
| Completed Outs | To | Fee |
| El-Hadji Ba | Bastia | Loan |
| Phil Bardsley | Stoke City | Free |
| Jack Colback | Newcastle United | Free |
| Carlos Cuellar | Unassigned Players | Released |
| Joel Dixon | Hartlepool United | Loan |
| Andrea Dossena | Unassigned Players | Released |
| John Egan | Southend United | Loan |
| Craig Gardner | West Bromwich Albion | Free |
| Scott Harrison | Hartlepool United | Loan |
| Billy Knott | Bradford City | Free |
| Jordan Laidler | Unassigned Players | Released |
| Louis Laing | Nottingham Forest | Free |
| Craig Lynch | Rochdale | Free |
| Jordan Pickford | Carlisle United | Loan |
| Nacho Scocco | Newells Old Boys | Undisclosed |
| Oscar Ustari | Newells Old Boys | Undisclosed |
| David Vaughan | Nottingham Forest | Free |
| Keiren Westwood | Sheffield Wednesday | Free |
| Connor Wickham | Leeds United | Loan : Recalled |
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