With a fortnight to go until the new Premier League campaign gets underway, each of the top five clubs will be desperate to strengthen their respective squads where possible.
Champions Leicester City have been busy in the market already and Claudio Ranieri’s biggest fight will arguably be to keep hold of Riyad Mahrez in the coming weeks, while Tottenham Hotspur boss Mauricio Pochettino will potentially feel comfortable with the additions that he has made too.
However, there are still major question marks hanging over Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United and Manchester City on the eve of the new season, and we take a look at a player that each club can realistically sign and have been linked with.
Arsenal | Alexandre Lacazette
The Gunners need a striker. For too long has Arsene Wenger placed his faith in Olivier Giroud and Theo Walcott amongst others, and they haven’t delivered the quantity of goals necessary to get to the top and stay there.
Lyon took to Twitter this week to reveal that they had rejected a bid from Arsenal for their star striker, but it’s highly likely that the Gunners will return with an improved offer to continue to test their resolve. Lacazette’s record in Ligue 1 suggests that he could be the man to make the difference, having scored 54 goals in the last two seasons.
Chelsea | Kalidou Koulibaly
According to Sky Sports, Chelsea launched a £38m bid for the Napoli defender this week, but saw their advances rejected again as Antonio Conte looks to rebuild the spine of his team having already signed N’Golo Kante and Michy Batshuayi this summer.
A defender has to be top of the Italian’s list for the remainder of the window, as he needs a commanding individual that can be a long-term solution in central defence. Koulibaly was excellent last season, and his characteristics are perfect for the Premier League.
Liverpool | Jonas Hector
Jurgen Klopp has been a very busy man this summer, bringing in a number of new faces such as Sadio Mane and Georginio Wijnaldum to rebuild the team and make it his own.
However, he still has a glaring weakness to address at left-back with Alberto Moreno largely seen as a liability. The Independent reported on their interest in Hector earlier this month, and they would be wise to revisit that route and round off what has been an impressive window.
Manchester United | Paul Pogba
It’s been the transfer saga of the summer thus far, as the Frenchman is seemingly edging ever closer to a return to Old Trafford ahead of the new season. Jose Mourinho is looking to add one of the final pieces to his work in the summer market, with Eric Bailly, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Zlatan Ibrahimovic all joining.
The deal still hasn’t gotten over the line yet, but there is every indication that it’s merely a matter of time before he makes his record-breaking move to United with Sky Sports reporting on the latest hint that he is all set to leave Juventus in favour of a second spell with the Red Devils.
Manchester City | John Stones
It’s well documented that Pep Guardiola has a specific, and quite exceptional, system and style of play, and he’ll certainly be looking to implement those ideas at the Etihad this season.
Vincent Kompany’s injury concerns play into this selection too, but ultimately, the Spanish tactician needs a solid and reliable defender to lead in defence, but he must also be capable of building play from the back and setting up attacks. Stones ticks both of those boxes, and that’s why it’s no surprise to see him linked with a move to City, as noted by The Guardian who claim that an agreement has yet to be reached.