22/23 Expectations for Each Premier League Team Going Into the Summer Transfer Window

It only just ended you say? Oh no my friend, it has only just begun.

Arsenal

Despite a shaky start that left some Arsenal fans (especially the ones who like to yell at cameras outside The Emirates) calling for Arteta's head, Arsenal went on to have an encouraging season that saw them finish in one of the coveted European places, which had eluded them the season before.

The main fear for Arteta's men will be that the added European games negatively affect their league form. From a recruitment standpoint, Arsenal must look to build their squad outwards with more young talent that can develop under Arteta. They also need to recruit a new striker or two to fill the gap left by the departure of Lacazette and Aubameyang. Arsenal should keep their focus on the league and aim to finish in the top 5 again, an excellent European run would be nice, but it shouldn't be the priority. I think the most important thing for Arsenal is to keep a cool head, while last year was promising a proper rebuild will take more than just one year.

Aston Villa

My original suggestion for Aston Villa would have been to take it slow, but after quickly snapping up the signatures of big names Phillipe Coutinho and Diego Carlos, it's clear that Villa will be sticking to their fast and hard business approach.

Since the departure of their 100 million pound man Jack Grealish, Villa has invested around 203 million pounds in new transfers, not including the wage bills for their several free transfers and loan signings. With these numbers, Villa must look to push on into the top half of the table, as another 14th placed finish for a team worth that much could put them in dangerous territory regarding FFP, as we've seen with expensive underachieving squads like Everton's.

Brentford

Brentford's first season in the Premier League was an unabashed success. A 12th placed finish saw them finish well above the other two promoted sides and above the more expensive squads of Everton, Villa, Leeds, and Southampton. This success proved that their stats-based approach to recruitment can work in the top division.

One of the main stories of their year, and now their summer, was the acquisition of Christian Eriksen, who led Brentford to seven wins while starting compared to the six they achieved in the 28 games he did not, a remarkable 70 per cent win rate. While it is likely that he may leave this summer, if it ain't broke, don't fix it, and Brentford's recruitment strategy certainly isn't broke. They should look to continue recruiting promising talent from the lower leagues to develop and eventually sell for a profit and aim to avoid the dreaded second season syndrome with another mid-table finish.

Brighton & Hove Albion

Brighton's 21/22 season, which finished with Potters men in a record-breaking ninth place, was nothing short of legendary for the seagulls. Because of this success, the vultures are swarming to potentially snap up some of Brighton's star players like Yves Bissouma and Cucurella.

While any good player will see links with a move away, I think Potter has a good chance of holding onto these players for at least one more season. If they manage to do this and bring in some added firepower, specifically a striker to supplement Neil Maupay I see no reason they shouldn't push on next season and look to potentially earn a place in the Europa League or Europa Conference League.

Chelsea

The headlines surrounding Chelsea last year were primarily focused on news off the pitch with Abramovich's departure and eventually the successful acquisition of the club by the Todd-Boehly-Clearlake Capital Consortium. With several essential players heading for the exits this summer, Tuchel will need to rebuild, primarily at the back, after Rudiger's departure.

Despite being crowned European Champions only 12 months ago, Chelsea's 21/22 season was largely disappointing, with no challenge for the league title, a quarterfinal Champions League exit, and two domestic cup final defeats. In my opinion, this season is make or break for Thomas Tuchel; if he can manage a successful rebuild and keep Chelsea firmly amongst the top four, that would be a great success. However, it will be interesting to see how the new ownership operates if the team begins to underperform, with several other teams looking to take those lucrative Champions League spots. If you're looking for an unpopular opinion, or perhaps like a bet here and there, I wouldn't advise against sprinkling a little on Tuchel to be sacked before the end of the season.

Crystal Palace

After taking a slightly different approach by hiring Patrick Vieira, Crystal Palace had a really promising season and should look to build upon this.

With Eze back to fitness, Zaha consistently performing, and other top players like Marc Guehi, Michael Olise, and Tyrick Mitchell, Palace has a solid squad going into next season. While it may be difficult to replace their player of the season, Conor Gallagher, Palace is looking as attractive as it ever has from a recruitment perspective. Some sensible young signings by Vieira to fill some of the gaps left by departing loanees and some ageing players should allow Palace to push on for an even higher finish next season.

Everton

Everton perhaps had their most newsworthy season for quite some time, but unfortunately, it was for all the wrong reasons. After the disastrous tenure of Rafa Benitez, which also saw the departure of key men from the previous campaign like Lucas Digne and James Rodriguez, Frank Lampard was able to steady the ship and keep the Toffees in the Premier League.

The January signings of Mykolenko and Nathan Patterson should indicate how Everton plans to do business moving forward, signing younger, cheaper players rather than just throwing money at anything with a pulse and two feet. It will be interesting to see whether or not Everton can hold onto critical assets Richarlison and Dominic Calvert-Lewin, or if they have to cash in to cope with FFP. Either way, Everton should look to rebuild with young, hungry players and aim to stay in the Premier League for another year, especially with a new state of the art stadium pencilled in for the 23/24 season.

Leeds United

The thing to watch with Leeds next season will be how they continue to transition away from the Bielsa ball that brought them back to England's top flight. Though Jesse Marsch likes his teams to press high up the pitch, he'll need to sure up the defence to prevent another run-in with relegation. Conceding the second-most goals in the division makes it easy to criticize Leeds's defence, but this could primarily be down to the absence of Kalvin Phillips, who looks set to stay at Leeds this summer.

Jesse Marsch's goal for the summer should be to build their squad outwards; the most significant flaw in Leeds's 21/22 campaign was their lack of squad depth, as after Bamford and Phillips were out, the team struggled to both defend and to score. While Raphinha is heavily linked with a move to Barcelona, most of their other players look set to stay. Leeds's goal for next season should be to keep out of a relegation scrap and hope that they can develop under Jesse Marsch and look to move into mid table stability.

Leicester City

While Brendan Rodgers did enough last season to maintain the backing of the Leicester ownership, some fans are unconvinced after a summer of heavy investment led to an all-in-all pretty average season for the Foxes.

Leicester seems to be losing a few key players this summer, most notably midfielder Youri Tielemans. On the bright side, they should bring in a significant amount of money from outgoings which will help with their financial situation. Some wise investment, mainly in the defensive sector, will be needed if Leicester hope to compete with the other teams in and around them. At best, Leicester should aim for an upper mid-table finish, but if the team begins to underperform, I wouldn't be surprised if the Foxes choose to part ways with Brendan Rodgers.

Liverpool

Despite a disappointing end to the campaign, Liverpool has undoubtedly had a great season. While Sadio Mane is leaving, the acquisition of Fabio Carvalho from Fulham and Luis Dias in January should fill that gap.

However, Klopp must pick his boys up and go again, as another season behind Guardiola's Manchester City might leave many players wondering if they can get the better of the Champions. While the acquisition of Erling Haaland makes Manchester City look scarier, this is football, and there are only so many points a team can win. Klopp's side is still just as capable as City of theoretically winning every match they play. The goal for Liverpool should be to win the league or at least get as close to it as they possibly can.

Manchester City

This summer, the front page news for Manchester City is the acquisition of striker Erling Haaland. Haaland's addition mainly addresses the elephant in the room, the Champions League, hoping that the first real star striker at Pep's disposal during his recent tenure at Manchester City will make the difference on those high-pressure European nights. Manchester City mustn't put all their eggs in one basket when it comes to Champions League.

Knockout competitions have far more variables that don't get ironed out like they do in a 38 game season, so while City is undoubtedly good enough to win the competition, it will still be challenging even with Erling Haaland. Manchester City should focus on retaining their status as Premier League Champions. If the Champions League comes with that, then brilliant; if it doesn't, well, there's always next season.

Manchester United

After being the laughing stock of the Premier League last season, Manchester United will want to keep their heads down during the 22/23 campaign (easier said than done). United are due for a massive overhaul in their squad, with Ten Haag's main task for the summer being to get rid of all the dead wood accumulated by the past 5 United managers.

Manchester United fans need to give Ten Haag time and support so he can invest in players that suit his style and implement his system. United need to stop going into the season thinking that two or three expensive signings will bridge the gap to the top; the gap is too big. Instead, United must avoid further embarrassment, give Ten Haag time, and simply look to improve on last season.

Newcastle United

After an incredibly positive end to the season and their new bottomless pockets, Newcastle fans will be full of hope going into next season. However, while January was a good sign of things to come, Newcastle must stay sensible with their signings.

Teams will try to bully them for higher prices now that they know Newcastle have money, and despite their vast budget, they still must operate within the financial fair play rules. Therefore, Newcastle should aim to make a few more savvy summer signings, not necessarily marquee players but upper-level talent with the potential to be stars; the Newcastle project will be desirable to that type of player. A good season for Newcastle would be the successful acquisition of some new players and a comfortable top-half finish. While a European place or a domestic trophy would be incredible, Newcastle fans need to remember that Rome wasn't built in a day.

Southampton

There wasn't too much to write home about regarding Southampton's 21/22 season. Poor results surrounded some decent results like wins against Spurs and West Ham, and because of their poor form towards the end of the season and the potential departure of some key players many people are tipping Southampton to go down next year.

Ralph Hassenhuttl will have a battle on his hands to keep hold of captain James Ward Prowse, while he also needs to find a replacement for departing Fraser Forster and a new striker, as neither of Southampton's strikers reached ten goals last season. Nevertheless, Southampton should aim to keep hold of their captain and invest in some promising new players. Their only goal should be to remain in the Premier League, as it seems a rebuild is necessary for this squad and doing that with an EFL Championship revenue will be far more complex.

Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham's 21/22 season ended strongly after a great January window drove them to finish in the top four. With Conte at the helm and Kane and Son in attack, Spurs have assembled their dream team.

After the shenanigans of last summer with the appointment of Nuno Espirito Santo and the constant fear of Harry Kane's departure, Tottenham is looking surprisingly very stable going into this summer window. This Spurs team is undeniably good, and their results against their other big six counterparts prove it, but as Spurs fans are well aware, you don't win a trophy for just being pretty good. This season with the combination of the players and manager finally looking like it might be a good one for the first time since the departure of Pochettino, Spurs need to finally bloody win something. Tottenham should set expectations at no less than a Champions League finish and a domestic or European trophy. If Spurs come out of a Conte/Kane/Son era empty-handed, that will be a massive failure for the club, and as we know with Antonio Conte, you never really know how long he'll stay.

West Ham United

21/22 was an undoubtedly great year for West Ham, with the stable leadership of David Moyes and the continuing development of players like Jarrod Bowen and Declan Rice being key to their success.

While Other clubs will lay wanting eyes on Declan Rice this summer, I think West Ham can retain him for at least one more year. In addition, Moyes will receive money to invest due to the departure of several players out of contract. With some solid investment, this team should be able to push on for another European place and possibly some good cup runs both domestically and in the Europa Conference League, which they certainly have the ability in their squad to win.

Wolverhampton Wanderers

The post-Nuno era at Wolves has been relatively successful, with the team being firmly amongst the mid-table pack last season. Despite that, Wolves finished their campaign only winning 4 of their final 15 games, a significant drop in form.

Additionally, this summer, Wolves are likely to lose critical players Ruben Neves, Joao Moutinho, and Romain Saiss. They will need to quickly fill those gaps to ensure they don't begin to slide down the table. A good season for Wolves would likely be the successful acquisition of some replacement players with the aim of another solid mid-table finish.

Thank you for reading this inaugural article from the Grubby Balls Premier League Blog!

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