Newcastle United and these four other clubs will be 2024/25 Premier League top five | OneFootball

Before the summer transfer window really kicks off, I wanted to look at the dangermen who currently play for our Premier League rivals, and how I think they will fare along with their teams in 2024/25.

Manchester City have many aces in their pack but arguably their most influential talent is the homegrown Phil Foden. After an outstanding 2023/24 season for City, Foden was recently disappointing for England in the Euros. I expect him to be back to his influential best next season as Pep tries to make it five titles in a row.

I thought that Erling Haaland started falling out of love with Manchester City and the EPL last season. It also will be interesting to observe how the 115 charges against City play out, in what will be Pep’s last season at the helm.

Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard was outstanding last season, I expect him to be the Gunners’ driving force again but I don’t fancy them for the title.

Mo Salah isn’t the player he was, and Arne Slot is the man charged with guiding the Reds through what will be a transitional year., they should still be good enough for a Champions League place.

Manchester United are a bit of a pantomime club nowadays. Sir Jim Ratcliffe strikes me as being an arrogant buffoon. Erik ten Hag is still there and they look set to waste even more millions. They paid a whopping £70m+ for Rasmus Hojlund in 2023 and will be hoping that he ups his strike rate in the EPL.

Chelsea’s best player beyond any doubt last season was Cole Palmer. Unlike some though, I don’t expect Chelsea to be any great shakes in the coming season, but Palmer is a player who will not be kept down.

James Maddison joined the wrong club when he went to Spurs but I’m not implying that I wish he had signed for Newcastle United instead. I was a great admirer of Maddison but can now see why some of the lads who comment on The Mag didn’t fancy him. Son is still a good player but I don’t think Ange Postecoglou will be at Spurs long.

Aston Villa have already been active in the transfer market. Last season’s talisman Douglas Luiz had to be sacrificed and sold to Juventus for the purposes of Profit and Sustainability. However, Unai Emery is a wily old fox and has quickly manipulated the market to bolster his squad. Ollie Watkins is also a striker who seems to look better every time I see him play and the Villans will have a good season.

Julen Lopetogui has replaced David Moyes at West Ham United and will be hoping that the Irons’ jewel in the crown, winger Jarrod Bowen, has another stellar season in the claret and blue. Oh what the Toon missed out on in 2020 when ‘Kind Mike’ wouldn’t pay Hull City a little bit extra for Bowen’s services. He has now scored 43 Premier League goals in 159 games for the Hammers.

The appointment of Oliver Glasner at Crystal Palace was an inspired one. The Eagles may have sold Olise but they still have the excellent Eze and Matete in their ranks.

I think Gary O’Neill’s Wolves, Marco Silva’s Fulham, and Brighton under new boss Fabian Hurzeler, are all capable of top-half finishes.

The formidable Ivan Toney will be leaving Brentford with Arsenal and Spurs supposedly interested. Why wouldn’t they be? However, if he joined Spurs it would be career suicide.

I’ve never mentioned us because I stated in a recent article that Newcastle United would be closest to Manchester City.

We have our own big stars, such as Bruno Guimaraes, Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon. Add to them the steel of Joelinton, the goalscoring flair of Harvey Barnes, the guile and know-how of Fabian Schar, the pride of Dan Burn, a fit and rejuvenated Joe Willock and Nick Pope, the experience of Kieran Trippier, the young and talented Livramento, Hall and Miley, and the returning Sandro Tonali.

Sven Botman will be available hopefully midway through the campaign. We have other other unsung heroes, and I haven’t forgotten that fine club servants Callum Wilson and Miguel Almiron are still here at this time.

As I said, the summer transfer window is about to warm up, and I believe Newcastle United are going to spend wisely and invest a canny chunk of our supposed war chest (which nobody actually knows the true amount).

At this minute, I see Man City, Newcastle, Arsenal, Liverpool, and Aston Villa fighting it out at the top of the EPL in 2024/25.