Manchester City are looking to make a big splash this summer, but what do they need before the new season?
The liverpool v man utd 2020/21 is a match that will take place in the Premier League. Liverpool and Manchester United are both looking to make a strong start to the new season.
The 2021-22 Premier League season is only two weeks away, with promoted Brentford facing Arsenal in the season’s opening match on Friday, August 13, but despite the close proximity of the big kick-off, the top teams still have plenty of problems to resolve before the action begins on the field.
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Manchester United have gained an early advantage over their rivals by completing the £72.9 million signing of Borussia Dortmund winger Jadon Sancho and agreeing a £34 million deal for Real Madrid defender Raphael Varane, while Liverpool triggered Ibrahima Konate’s £36 million release clause at RB Leipzig. However, as the “Big Six” — Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester City, Arsenal, and Tottenham — prepare for the new season, they also have issues to address and personnel choices to make.
What do they all need to do before the transfer window shuts until January at 11 p.m. BST on Aug. 31, and every club has one more month to do their business?
Arsenal | Chelsea | Liverpool | Manchester City | Manchester United | Tottenham Hotspur
ARSENAL is a football club based in Spain (Last season: 8th place, 61 points)
So far, Mikel Arteta has signed Benfica left-back Nuno Tavares (£7.2 million) and Anderlecht midfielder Albert Sambi Lokonga (£15.7 million), while England centre-back Ben White will complete a £50 million transfer from Brighton once his physical is completed.
However, the Gunners have been busier this summer, with Matteo Guendouzi and William Saliba both signing loan deals with Marseille, and David Luiz departing on a free transfer. Following loan stints at the Emirates last season, Dani Ceballos, Martin Odegaard (both Real Madrid) and Mat Ryan (Brighton, before transferring to Real Sociedad) have all returned to their home clubs.
Emile Smith Rowe, a 21-year-old homegrown midfielder, has signed a five-year deal with the club, putting a stop to Aston Villa’s ambitions of signing him.
Issues to be resolved: Switzerland midfielder Granit Xhaka is still in discussions with AS Roma over a potential £15 million transfer to Jose Mourinho’s side, but no agreement has been reached. Arsenal are also considering a move for Alexandre Lacazette, who is in the last year of his contract and has been linked with a move to Atletico Madrid, while the future of right-back Hector Bellerin remains uncertain.
Due to the decreased fixture burden his side will confront in 2021-22, head coach Arteta is prepared to operate with a smaller group than normal after Arsenal failed to qualify for Europe last season. He’s also anticipated to give the club’s youth a chance to play first-team football, despite the fact that the club is still looking for a creative midfielder, with Odegaard and Leicester’s James Maddison both being top targets.
Bernd Leno needs a backup goalkeeper, and Sheffield United’s Aaron Ramsdale has been mentioned.
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Craig Burley and Steve Nicol talk about what Chelsea might do to improve their chances of winning the Premier League.
CHELSEA is a city in England (Last season: 4th, 67 pts)
So far, the following agreements have been made: Despite swiftly extending coach Thomas Tuchel’s contract after winning the Champions League final against Manchester City in May, the European champions have been silent in the transfer market. Marcus Bettinelli, a former Fulham goalkeeper, has joined on a free transfer to offer competition for Edouard Mendy, but that’s all there is to it thus far.
Victor Moses and Olivier Giroud have joined AC Milan, while Olivier Giroud and Fikayo Tomori have joined Spartak Moscow, raising £32 million in transfer fees. Billy Gilmour, a Scotland midfielder, has also joined promoted Norwich City on a season-long loan.
Issues to be resolved: Chelsea has made acquiring a proven goal scorer their top priority this summer, and they have shown serious interest in Borussia Dortmund’s Erling Haaland. While Haaland has expressed little desire in leaving Dortmund before a rumoured £68 million release clause kicks in in 2022, Dortmund’s resolve to retain the Norway international for another season may be put to the test if Chelsea make a big bid for him.
Much hinges on Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich’s willingness to sanction a massive bid for Haaland this summer when key rivals have other targets, but with former RB Leipzig striker Timo Werner as a possible makeweight in a player-plus-cash deal, it would be foolish to dismiss Chelsea’s chances, even if it remains a difficult transfer to complete in this window.
According to ESPN, the club is also in discussions with Sevilla over 22-year-old centre-back Jules Kounde. Chelsea are contemplating adding Kurt Zouma in the deal, which might be worth approximately €70 million — €10 million less than Kounde’s release clause.
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The Premier League’s favorite teams are dissected by Steve Nicol and Luis Garcia, who explain where Liverpool ranks among them.
LIVERPOOL is a city in the English Premier League (Last season: 3rd, 69 pts)
The only significant transaction done by Liverpool since the conclusion of last season has been the signing of France defender Konate, with midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum departing for Paris Saint-Germain when his contract at Anfield expired.
With the signings of Harry Wilson (Fulham), Marko Grujic (Porto), and Taiwo Awoniyi (Union Berlin), Liverpool have raised £26 million to far, while defender Ozan Kabak has returned to Schalke after a six-month loan spell.
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Liverpool’s first goal is to settle the contractual circumstances of many important first-team players, including Fabinho, Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, Virgil van Dijk, and Jordan Henderson, who are all in the last two years of their contracts.
Fabinho is expected to be the first player to sign a new contract, with Van Dijk, who has recovered from a cruciate ligament injury, also a priority. Mane, Salah, and Roberto Firmino must all be decided, while captain Henderson’s future is in question, with PSG and Atletico Madrid all interested in signing the 31-year-old if he does not sign a new contract this summer.
Liverpool are in need of cash, therefore players like Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Divock Origi, Xherdan Shaqiri, and goalkeeper Loris Karius may all go for the appropriate price. If they can get the necessary funds, they may want to replace Wijnaldum with a midfielder, with Brighton’s Yves Bissouma and Atletico Madrid’s Saul Niguez being mentioned.
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If Jack Grealish joins Man City, Craig Burley says he wouldn’t be surprised if he didn’t play straight away.
MAN CITY is a city in the United States (Last season: Champions, 86 pts)
So far, the following agreements have been made: The only player signed so far is third-choice goalkeeper Scott Carson, who joined City on a free transfer after two seasons on loan from Derby. City have generated £34.9 million in outgoings by selling Angelino (£16.2 million to RB Leipzig), Jack Harrison (£11.5 million to Leeds) and Lukas Nmecha (£7.2 million to Wolfsburg), while Sergio Aguero and Eric Garcia have departed for Barcelona on a free transfer.
Issues that need to be addressed: The signings of Tottenham striker Harry Kane and Aston Villa midfielder Jack Grealish are two of Pep Guardiola’s top objectives.
According to ESPN, City are optimistic that a £100 million deal for Grealish can be completed before the start of the season, with Villa having already made preparations for life without the England international by acquiring Emi Buendia from Norwich for £33 million. However, the pursuit of Kane is expected to turn into a drama that lasts until the conclusion of the transfer season, with Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy unwilling to sell him for less than £160 million, a price that City will simply not meet.
Dan Thomas is joined by Craig Burley, Shaka Hislop, and others to discuss the most recent news and debate the most important stories. ESPN+ has a live stream available (U.S. only).
City are aware that Kane wants to go to the Etihad in order to win trophies, but negotiating a deal with three years left on his Spurs contract would be difficult. In order to convince Spurs to do business, City might offer to pay £100 million and then add one or two players to the deal.
According to ESPN, City are willing to sell one of Bernardo Silva, Gabriel Jesus, Benjamin Mendy, or Riyad Mahrez to generate cash, with Raheem Sterling’s future still unclear. City, though, need a proven goal scorer now that Aguero has left the club, and they may forego a deal for Kane if they do not make progress before the end of the window. Robert Lewandowski of Bayern Munich is another goal, but luring the Poland striker may be as tough as luring Kane.
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Stewart Robson discusses where he believes Man United can improve in order to compete for the championship.
UNITED MAN (Last season: 2nd, 74 pts)
So far, United has led the way in the transfer window by completing deals for Sancho and Varane. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has also strengthened his goalkeeping options by completing the free transfer acquisition of Tom Heaton, who formerly played for Burnley and Aston Villa.
United have signed Solskjaer to a new long-term contract until 2024, as have Juan Mata, Eric Bailly, and fourth-choice goalkeeper Lee Grant. Goalkeepers Sergio Romero and Joel Pereira have departed at the conclusion of their contracts, while youngster Tahith Chong (Birmingham) has moved out on loan.
United are still interested in full-back Kieran Trippier of Atletico Madrid and England, as well as 18-year-old Rennes midfielder Eduardo Camavinga. United are also interested in signing Bayern Munich midfielder Leon Goretzka if he does not agree to a new contract before his current one expires next summer.
However, before making any further additions to the team, United will seek to generate money by selling a few players. Jesse Lingard, Brandon Williams, Anthony Martial, Diogo Dalot, Phil Jones, Alex Telles, Andreas Pereira, Daniel James, and Axel Tuanzebe are all available at the right price, but Paul Pogba may command the highest cost if enough interest is generated in the France international.
PSG are allegedly willing to pay £50 million for the France midfielder, whose Old Trafford contract ends next year. United may raise approximately £100 million from outgoings if they can secure a deal for that amount, allowing them to make late bids for Trippier and Camavinga.
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Mark Ogden outlines what Manchester City will need to do this summer to get Harry Kane from Tottenham Hotspur.
TOTTENHAM UNITED: (Last season: 7th, 62 points)
So far, winger Bryan Gil has joined on loan from Atalanta for £21.6 million in a player-plus-cash deal that also saw Erik Lamela join the Spanish side. Goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini has also joined on loan from Atalanta.
As a result of the departures of Juan Foyth (£13.5 million to Villarreal) and Toby Alderweireld (Al Duhail), a new centre-back will be required, while Danny Rose and Paulo Gazzaniga departed as free agents. After a season-long loan, Gareth Bale has returned to Real Madrid, while Carlos Vinicius has returned to Benfica.
While transfer activity has been slow thus far, three key pieces of off-field business have seen ex-Juventus chief Fabio Paratici appointed as managing director of football, former Wolves manager Nuno Espirito Santo named as Jose Mourinho’s successor, and star forward Son Heung-min extend his contract until 2025.
Issues that need to be addressed: One major problem at Tottenham continues to loom large, and that is Kane’s future. And until the issue with the 28-year-old centre-forward is resolved, Spurs’ business may be hampered in the final month of the transfer season.
Kane has stated his desire to leave England, but Levy would not let him to go until his £160 million value is fulfilled. If Kane is granted his desire to go, Spurs would need to replace their goal-scoring superstar, with Fiorentina’s 21-year-old star Dusan Vlahovic being linked, so Levy will need to make a clear decision on his future soon, or risk losing his top player and not having enough time to replace him.
Spurs spent £85 million on seven players in the closing hours of the summer transfer window in 2013 when they decided to sell Bale to Real Madrid, and none of them were able to justify the expense, so they must learn from that mistake. Spurs will have to retain an unhappy player for another year and lose out on a windfall if they do not replace Kane. Whatever Levy chooses, he will have a difficult time achieving a good result.
Man United and Liverpool are both in good form coming into the new season. They will be looking to build on their strong start to the campaign, but they will need some additions before they can compete with the big boys. Reference: man utd vs liverpool results.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between Liverpool and Man United?
Liverpool is a football team from England. Man United is a football team from England.
Why are Man City and Man United rivals?
Man City is the football team of Manchester, Uniteds biggest rival.
Who is Better City or Liverpool?
Liverpool is better.
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