According to the wonderful old Liverpool manager Bill Shankly, great football teams are made up of "three piano players, and eight piano shifters." Artistry without hard toil will not cut it; the beauty is in the blend.
So, with new bosses in charge at nearly half the clubs, who can find the right mix to win the next edition of the Premier League? It is too early for predictions; that has to wait until we see what the squads look like at the end of the transfer window. But even a month ahead of the new season, it is clear that the storylines will be intriguing and fascinating.
The transfer record for a British player has been broken twice already this summer for England World Cup stars Elliot Anderson going from Nottingham Forest to Manchester City for £116 million and Morgan Rogers going from Aston Villa to Chelsea for £117 million. After two scrapes with relegation, Tottenham have been the division's biggest spenders so far on Sandro Tonali from Newcastle, Mateus Fernandes from West Ham and Jan Paul van Hecke from Brighton at a total cost of around £240 million. Clearly, manager Roberto De Zerbi is getting his way in the transfer window.
Liverpool have been quiet despite coming off such a disappointing campaign -- Víctor Muñoz from Osasuna is the only major arrival so far -- although Jérémy Jacquet, the young French defender signed for £60 million and then allowed to return to Rennes to finish the 2025-26 season, will presumably now step on to the Anfield stage. New coach Andoni Iraola needs more this offseason, having lost Mohamed Salah, Ibrahima Konate and Andy Robertson. Liverpool's priority is signing a winger. They missed out on their primary target, Ivory Coast star Yan Diomande, and right back also remains a problem, with Conor Bradley a long-term absentee.
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Similarly, nothing much to report yet from champions Arsenal, who would not spend more than £80 million in their pursuit of Rogers. The Gunners could switch their attention to Julián Álvarez of Atletico Madrid or Bradley Barcola, the French World Cup winger who is unsettled at Paris Saint-Germain. With Leandro Trossard leaving for Besiktas and an injury to William Saliba, further reinforcements are needed at the Emirates.
Arsenal have also started talks with Newcastle's cult hero Bruno Guimarães, who is keen on the move. It would be a major coup for the Gunners.