A midfielder for Manchester United and a lot of center-forwards
Summer time, as usual, is fraught with a lot of transfer rumors, some of which have already translated into real deals. But each club has its own special interest, its own particular need to close the gap on one position or another. And that is true for absolutely all teams, of any “top” level, so to speak. Let’s take a look at the list of the strongest clubs in the English Premier League last season to see what the weakest places of the top ten need to cover this summer.
Manchester City
It seems that the Citizens have already plugged their biggest hole by acquiring Erling Holand. Everyone has been saying for years that City lack a powerful and productive left-back to make them happy. And now he’s on the team. But when you fill one need, another one appears. If you look closely, the English champion is incredibly strong in all lines. Still, it wouldn’t hurt to sign a left-back. Nathan Ake is likely to leave the team, so Oleksandr Zinchenko on the left will be virtually the only option. It is very dangerous for the club to remain without backup position.
Liverpool
Liverpool also have a balanced squad. However, Sadio Mane is under attack by the challengers, in particular Bayern. Therefore, there is a great chance of losing him. And in the case of his departure, there are Luiz Diaz and Diogo Jota. Still, the Reds lack a powerful winger with a killer instinct. Such a player was sometimes lacking last season, which came out almost perfect but still left Liverpool without two major trophies to reach for. The finisher may have been lacking, despite all the brilliance of the other attacking players. We remember how many times, with all that talent in attack, Liverpool was bailed out by the seemingly underwhelming Origi. That’s the kind of Divock we need, but with even more pumped up skills.
Chelsea
Where to start here? Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rüdiger have left the team, César Azpilicueta and Marcos Alonso are on the verge, and the contracts of Georginho and Kante are about to expire. You can also add the inarticulate Lukaku and the unstable Werner, Ziesch and Pulisic. They won the Champions League recently, and already it looks as if they need a revamp. The depth of the squad can be provided by Chelsea’s young players, but the most obvious hole is in the center of defense, which is gaping now after the departure of the iron Rüdiger. Such a guy would be hard to replace, but vital. There’s a reason the Blues are hovering around de Wray.
Tottenham
“Spurs have always been known for their bright players on the flanks. Here Tottenham has already signed Perisic, significantly strengthening the left side. Now they need to do more or less the same on the right and sign a more versatile left-back. Emerson has been good at times, but he lacked activity up front, and Daugherty’s injury has led to a sagging attack on the right. “Spurs need a player on that flank who can play both edge defender and a little bit higher.
Arsenal
After Aubameyang’s departure in January, as well as Lacazette’s departure as a free agent in the summer, Arsenal were left without an experienced center-forward. Nketiah showed great promise at the end of the season, but the Canaries need more than that if the club wants to get into the top four. Lewandowski and Jesus have been rumored to be linked with Arsenal recently. And if Robert’s candidacy seems like a pipe dream, then Gabriel may well decide on such a deal. At least Arsenal are aware of their problem and are trying to solve it.
Manchester United
Did someone say “problems”? MJ is already in place! Many United fans would probably welcome the news that Eric ten Hague is kicking out the entire team and recruiting anew. Every line needs improvement and strengthening. But still, to start with, you can “screw” someone powerful and reliable in the middle of the field. We need a pivotal midfielder, who can do quality, steady work at home and away from the penalty box. Manchester City have not had such a player since Michael Carrick. The strange era of Pogba should not be counted. You need a Pogba, but a “big man”. Maybe something serious can be built around that pivot.
West Ham
The Hammers had every chance to have a tremendous season. There you have the fight for high places in the European Cup zone, and an impressive breakthrough in the Europa League, where they unexpectedly broke their teeth against the German “nut”. West Ham’s bright play in places has put some of its players into the role of stars, who can be of interest to top clubs. So perhaps West Ham’s top priority should be to retain their leaders, Rice and Bowen. If that works out, then we can also look at strengthening by acquiring a stable and strong center-forward. Antonio is good, but lately he gets injured a lot and the club is missing some very important goals. West Ham needs a tenacious striker to make a quality push and consolidate in high places.
Leicester
It would probably be hard for Leicester to replace Yuri Thielemans if he does leave this summer. But the right wing currently looks completely uncovered in Rodgers’ team. The Foxes can probably count on Lukman, but he prefers to play on the left and will be there to compete for a spot in the lineup with Barnes, which creates excellent depth and variation in that area. On the right side, however, things are looking quite lonely. And that needs to be addressed in the transfer market.
Brighton
Potter’s team is unique in its tactical flexibility, which allowed “Brighton” to climb so high with modest opportunities. Here everyone can play in several positions. But even so, one can pick on and see, for example, that the most deficient position is right midfielder. It seems that only Sima, who returns from a loan at Stoke City in the summer, will be the only option on the right. And that’s not enough.
Wolverhampton
The Fabio Silva option did not work out as expected, and Raul Jimenez never returned to his best form after returning and recovering from a serious injury. The only three teams worse offensively than Wolves were the three teams that were knocked out of the Premier League. So everything is literally screaming: we need a striker, and urgently. Wolves seem to have some options, but everyone has lost their form and goaltending. They need to be shaken up.
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