Академический Документы
Профессиональный Документы
Культура Документы
Pep Guardiola won't get eight new players this summer but a new centre-back is a top
priority.
City have already at least brought in Ilkay Gundogan and Nolito to help foster the fluidity in
attack that Guardiola so desires but to really play the football he wants in 2016-17, he needs
at least one centre-half -- expect the pursuit of John Stones to gather pace after the
disappointment of Aymeric Laporte committing himself to Athletic Bilbao -- another
midfielder and a back-up striker for emergencies.
Manchester United: Chasing a couple of big-name midfielders
The big one is still to come (or just be decided) but they've already done more extensive work
than usual. Mourinho's arrival has ensured that United have been much stealthier in the
market than in all other summers since executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward's arrival;
they've completed at least 60 percent of their business in bringing in Eric Bailly at centrehalf, Henrikh Mkhitaryan in attack and Zlatan Ibrahimovic up front. It is just that the
remaining 40 percent is going to take the most work as they continue to pursue Juventus' Paul
Pogba.
The issue is not the high wages or high fees -- United have already reportedly agreed those
through intermediaries -- but rather convincing the 23-year-old to come to Old Trafford. That
could yet prove difficult. If not, Mourinho will have to make a decision of his own for the
area he sees as the most important of all.
Blaise Matuidi could yet be signed whether they sign Pogba or not, but Mourinho does want
to add considerable power and authority to midfield.
Nampalys Mendy should replace the outgoing Kante but could use more help from free-kicks
and corners.
Leicester City: Another set-piece threat needed
If it's somewhat depressing that winning the Premier League couldn't even keep Leicester
City's tight team together, the encouraging aspect is that the forward-thinking that secured the
title has meant they were realistic enough to already bring in replacements.
The 24-year-old Nampalys Mendy, recently signed from Nice, is set to slot into Chelseabound Kante's position and comes in alongside Luis Hernandez, Raul Uche Rubio, Ahmed
Musa and Ron-Robert Zieler. Those buys show Leicester are already well on the way to
meeting the necessary summer requirement of adding to the squad but also providing
alternatives in order to both weather the extra fixtures of Champions League football but also
offer something different so opposition don't prepare against them so easily.
They aren't quite done yet, though, with Norwich City's Robbie Brady set to offer more
danger from set-pieces.
Tottenham Hotspur: more versatility off the bench would help
Spurs were so close to the league last season and so close to a complete young team. A little
like title rivals Leicester and local rivals Arsenal, though, it does seem like Spurs need to add
a few touches to their squad and specific qualities (namely, experience) rather than fill
specific key positions.
ESPN FC's Stevie Nicol analyzes the moves made in and out of Anfield during this summer's
transfer window.
They have brought in Vincent Janssen, the extra striker they needed to both complement and
stand in for Harry Kane while adding more force to their midfield with Southampton's Victor
Wanyama. That will alleviate the burden on Mousa Dembele. A bit more versatility to
accommodate their Champions League challenge would also do.
Liverpool: Midfield, central defence need work
After good work before the summer thanks to the astute and exciting purchase of Joel Matip,
things have slowed a little for Liverpool. Jurgen Klopp still wants to bring in top targets Piotr
Zielinski and Ben Chilwell, but may look to sign another centre-half after the injury to the
hugely promising Joe Gomez.
Most of Liverpool's business, however, is likely to involve sales as Klopp is undertaking
some medium-term restructuring. Sources say the only players he would keep in an ideal
world are Emre Can, Roberto Firmino, Adam Lallana and Divock Origi, although the Daniel
Sturridge case still provokes such debate.
Miguel Delaney is a London-based correspondent for ESPN FC and also writes for the Irish
Examiner and others. Follow him on Twitter @MiguelDelaney.