How the giants are coping with silly season

Tickets for the Community Shield encounter are on sale. The August 1 clash between champions Chelsea and FA Cup holders Arsenal is a timely reminder the 2015-16 English Premier League season is with us.
As clubs around Europe negotiate the final ten days of the off-season – referred to as silly season in some quarters due to the frenzied speculation, it is time to assess how well the top five have done in the transfer market.

Chelsea: IN (Asmir Begovic, Radamel Falcao) OUT ( Petr Cech, Didier Drogba, Gael Kakuta) Jose Mourinho says his title winning outfit does not need major surgery. I agree with him, only in the sense that Chelsea can still challenge for the league title without major signings. My point of departure with him is whether the Premier League and Capital One Cup holders can match Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid in the battle for European honours. Begovic is a direct replacement for Cech while Falcao has replaced Drogba, while Ghanaian Baba Rahman could come in for Felipe Luis. This means there is no strengthening of the squad. Chelsea can only be able to vie for the Champions League if they follow through with their interest in Pedro, Antoine Griezman and John Stones. Rating B-

Manchester City: IN (Fabian Delph, Raheem Sterling, Patrick Roberts) OUT (Frank Lampard, James Milner, Scott Sinclair, Alvaro Negredo).
Manchester City have been the English Premierships’ highest scorers for the last three seasons. This implies if they can sort out their defensive problems, the Royal Blues will have a major say in the title race. Last season’s arrivals Eliaquim Mangala, Fernando and Stefan Jovetic were underwhelming while Alvaro Negredo’s goals from their title winning season weren’t replaced. Key to their title challenge will be getting the best out of Raheem Sterling, who I would deploy just behind Sergio Aguero. If Manuel Pellegrini can land long-standing targets Paul Pogba and Kevin de Bruyne to partner Yaya Toure in midfield, I will have the 2012 and 2014 EPL winners as favourites ahead of Chelsea.

Rating B+

Arsenal: IN (Petr Cech) OUT (Lucas Podolski, Abou Diaby) Arsenal’s revival as a force to reckon with has been premised on their ability to hold onto their best players. Gone are the days when debts accrued from building the Emirates Stadium forced them to sell a succession of top stars. Petr Cech’s arrival is massive, as it gives them leadership and championship winning experience. I don’t agree with Gunners legend Thierry Henry’s insistence that they need four major signings to challenge Chelsea. In terms of squad depth, Arsenal are a match for all top European outfits as they have two or three good players for all positions. A top central defender and a proven goal scorer to support Olivier Giroud would give Arsenal a realistic shot at the title. Rating B+

Manchester United: IN (Morgan Schneiderlin, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Matteo Damian, Memphis Deepay) OUT (Falcao, Robin van Persie, Victor Valdes)
Record Premier League winners Manchester United are once again throwing their financial muscle about. All four of their signings so far are proven internationals, but have they got what they need? Yes and no. Schneiderlin and Schweinsteiger solve their central midfield problem as there can be no more dependence on Michael Carrick to get results. However, they remain a central defender short as their efforts to sign Real Madrid’s World Cup winning centre half Sergio Ramos have been rebuffed. Without Javier Hernandez Chicarito and with Falcao and van Persie gone, they are also without an out and out striker. All the same, they are the team that has made most of the silly season so far. Rating A-

Liverpool: IN (Christian Benteke, Danny Ings, James Milner, Joe Gomez, Roberto Firmino, Nathaniel Clyne, Adam Bogdan, Divock Origi) OUT (Steven Gerrard, Raheem Sterling)
Liverpool have been the busiest of all traditional Premier League giants. Eight signings to add to a similar number that arrived last summer could help assuage the pain of losing stars Raheem Sterling and Luis Suarez. Manager Brendan Rodgers is clearly trying to create a team with a good English spine. What the Northern Irishman needs to do next, is get rid of some excessive luggage to prevent clogging of talent. The new Liverpool is certainly capable of causing problems for all giants. Can they win the Premiership? No. Can they qualify for the Champions League? Yes. Will they qualify for the CL? No. Rating B+
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