Arsenal:
New Signings - Yaya Sanogo
Notable Players Left - Andrey Arshavin, Denilson, Craig Eastmond, Sebastien Squillaci, Sanchez Watt
Hopes - A Trophy! Their drought is well-documented and their most recent Cup Final ended in defeat to Birmingham City. From that team line-up, Djourou, Clichy, Nasri, Song, Arshavin and van Persie have left, four of them have won one or more trophies in those two years. What Arsenal will be hoping for is a title challenge, alongside a cup final. The latter is more likely to happen, but considering the changes in management around the top six ahead of this season, Arsenal have hope where perhaps in recent seasons they haven't.
Predicted Finish - 3rd.
Predicted Champions League Finish - Last 16
Best signing so far? Yaya Sanogo, although the choices are limited. Sanogo seems to have done well in Ligue 2, but the signing seems to be one for the future rather than having an immediate impact.
Aston Villa:
New Signings - Aleksandar Tonev, Jores Okore, Leandro Bacuna, Nicklas Helenius, Antonio Luna
Notable Players Left - Richard Dunne, Jean II Makoun, Eric Lichaj, Andy Marshall, Brett Holman
Hopes - To avoid relegation. Over the next 6-7 weeks until the end of this transfer window, the media will be keeping a close eye on whether Christian Benteke departs for pastures new. Despite signing five new players, I do not believe they are enough to stave off another relegation battle IF Benteke goes. However, the group could easily surprise me as I would not have bet on Benteke scoring the goals he did last season, so perhaps Helenius could prove to be an inspired replacement for Benteke, should he go.
Predicted Finish - 15th
Best signing so far? Nicklas Helenius, having being selected as the Danish Superliga player of the season, he will be hoping to further his reputation at Villa by scoring goals in a tougher league.
Who should they sign? - If Benteke goes, they will need a new striker as Darren Bent seems almost certain to leave Villa Park before the end of the summer. If Benteke is kept though, they could do with a strengthening the midfield to compensate the loss of former captain Stiliyan Petrov.
Cardiff City:
New Signings - Andreas Cornelius
Notable Players Left - Heidar Helguson, Stephen McPhail
Hopes - To avoid relegation. After it seemed like Cardiff would never reach the Premier League, they won't want to go down at the first attempt so priority one should be to stabilise the club as a Premier League team. From last year's promoted teams, I believe they will be like West Ham United in that they will stay clear of the relegation zone. This mainly comes down to the signing of Cornelius, who in my opinion outweighs the failure to sign either Tom Ince or Victor Wanyama in recent days. If he could do for Cardiff what Andy Carroll did for West Ham last season, Cardiff should have a good platform to build upon for another season in the top division.
Predicted Finish - 13th
Best signing so far? Again, limited choice so it has to go to Cornelius, who after scoring 18 goals in 34 appearances in his only season at FC Copenhagen will be hoping to replicate this form in South Wales.
Who should they sign? Well they could do with a bit of cover in all areas. Whilst they have good players in Bellamy, Mutch, Campbell, Whittingham and so on, they did not convince towards the end of the marathon Championship finale. That Malky Mackay was looking towards winger Tom Ince suggests that he realises that they need more attacking options, and in the coming weeks this might be where he looks to improve. Nathaniel Chalobah could also cover several positions for them if they could get him on loan from Chelsea.
Chelsea:
New Signings - Andre Schurrle, Mario van Ginkel, Mark Schwarzer
Notable Players Left - Yossi Benayoun, Florent Malouda, Paulo Ferriera, Ross Turnbull
Managerial Change - Jose Mourinho for Rafa Benitez
Hopes - To win the league. The signing of Mourinho to me signals the beginning of a new era at Chelsea. The players at their disposal now have more flair than in Mourinho's first spell as Chelsea manager, despite the core English trio of Terry/Lampard/Cole still remaining at the club. Fernando Torres has had his critics in his spell at the club so far but has won the Champions League, FA Cup, Europa League and the European Championships with Spain, where he finished top scorer with five. However, 15 goals in 82 league appearances suggests that he needs to find the net more in the league if Chelsea are to have any hope of finishing at the top of the pack.
Predicted Finish - 2nd
Predicted Champions League Finish - Semi-finals
Best signing so far? Mark Schwarzer. Okay, unusual choice perhaps, but Chelsea needed a goalkeeper after releasing Ross Turnbull and Hilario, and Schwarzer is as dependable as they come despite his age. If anyone can push Petr Cech on to perform better, Schwarzer is the player to do it.
Who should they sign? They're strong in so many positions, but as mentioned, if Torres fails to score the goals they need, the team could become overly reliant on goals from wide and from midfield. Benteke would suit Mourinho's former style of play but question marks could be raised on whether he would slot straight into the Chelsea squad. What remains certain though is that unlike Torres, if he was given a chance he would take it.
Crystal Palace:
New Signings - Stephen Dobbie, Dwight Gayle, Jerome Thomas
Notable Players Left - Andre Moritz, Alex Marrow
Hopes - To avoid relegation. I fear for Crystal Palace, yet also hope that they stay up. After their administration problems of yesteryear and their surprise promotion this season, I do hope that they can gain enough points to stay up. At present, a lot of those points will have to come from Glenn Murray and Dwight Gayle, both unproven at the top level. While it's not impossible for the club to stay up, at present they will need a miracle to do it.
Predicted Finish - 20th
Best signing so far? Dwight Gayle. Although he is unproven at the highest level, Gayle could be one of the surprises of the season. Palace fans will be hoping that the adage that young players play without fear comes true here.
Who should they sign? Their back four needs beefing up a bit to try and prevent leaking goals, whilst a midfielder a class up from last season's player of the year Mile Jedinak would be worthwhile. Although he has failed to prove himself at Stoke, Wilson Palacios would be a good midfield enforcer for Palace. Chris Baird would also be worth considering on a free to add to the experience (but unreliability regarding injuries) of Danny Gabbidon.
Everton:
New Signings - Arouna Kone, Antolin Alcaraz, Joel Robles, Gerard Deulofeu
Notable Players Left - Thomas Hitzlsperger, Jan Mucha
Managerial Change - Roberto Martinez for David Moyes
Hopes - to finish in the top four. I think this might be a tough ask, and it was a tough ask last season when they had stability. Martinez has made some quick, shrewd signings, but three of them are players who played under Martinez at Wigan. Whilst this does not immediately turn these players into bad players, especially considering the nature of how Wigan went down fighting, the concern remains that Everton have bought three players who have failed to deliver the goods in the past. A finish in the top eight would be a respectable finish for Martinez in his first season at the Merseyside club.
Predicted Finish - 7th
Best signing so far? Arouna Kone. A sore point under David Moyes's regime is that he struggled with his strike-force, notably deploying Tim Cahill as a lone front-man for lengthy periods of his time at Everton. Now with Kone, Jelavic and Anichebe, there is a sense of competition amongst the forwards.
Who should they sign? A left back should be on Martinez's shopping list, not necessarily in case Baines is lured away from the club, but due to their over-reliance on him in the past two seasons. With no natural, proven cover at left back, Everton could be exposed there if Baines suffers a lengthy injury or is sold.
Fulham:
New Signings - Derek Boateng, Fernando Amorebieta, Maarten Stekelenburg
Notable Players Left - Chris Baird, Simon Davies, Mahamadou Diarra, Mladen Petric, Mark Schwarzer
Club Takeover - Shahid Khan from Mohammed Al-Fayed
Hopes - Stability. Although I'm far from the Fulham area, I would be surprised if this had not come as a surprise to the supporters that Mohammed Al-Fayed had sold the club to Shahid Khan earlier this week. Whilst he was an unorthodox owner at times (Michael Jackson statues just as one example), he was stable and reliable. Whilst Khan seems to have good pedigree from the NFL, the question remains over he will support the club in the same way that Al-Fayed has over the past sixteen years. One of the last signings under Al-Fayed's stewardship, Maarten Stekelenburg, has proven himself to be a reliable goalkeeper at Ajax and for the Netherlands national team, yet struggled in Italy with Roma. If he can regain his early career form, he could easily replace the Schwarzer-sized hole that the club have found themselves with.
Predicted Finish - 16th
Best signing so far? Maarten Stekelenburg. As mentioned above, if he can replicate his form from earlier in his career before moving to Italy, he can push Tim Krul and Michael Vorm for the number one spot in the Netherlands national team.
Who should they sign? A striker. Fulham were overly reliant on Berbatov last season, and whilst this was no disadvantage considering he finished the season with 15 goals in 33 appearances, a striker partner would take the pressure off the Bulgarian's shoulders.
Hull City:
New Signings - George Boyd, Maynor Figueroa, Curtis Davies, Ahmed Elmohamady, Allan McGregor
Notable Players Left - Seyi Olofinjana, Jay Simpson, Andy Dawson
Hopes - To avoid relegation. Out of the three relegated teams, Hull are the team I am most unsure about. Whilst they have a team of reliable players (Hobbs, Fryatt, Brady and a certain Abdoulaye Faye), there is a lack of Premier League quality in the team. Players such as Faye will hopefully lend a hand to the younger players who haven't played in the top flight before, whilst the likes of Tom Cairney will be raring for a second bite at the apple after suffering relegation with Tigers three seasons ago. Steve Bruce seems to be aware of the need for goals at the top level, looking towards Charlie Austin before a failed medical prevented the transfer. Their future in the top flight seems to hang on which player (or players) they bring in within the next few weeks.
Predicted Finish - 18th
Best signing so far? Allan McGregor. Whilst Curtis Davies is a solid signing who I believe will do well for Hull City, I believe that McGregor wins this contest simply because Hull needed a solid number one goalkeeper. Eldin Jakupović, whilst an able deputy would have been a risk to rely on during a debut Premier League season. McGregor will bring the back four some security across the season.
Who should they sign? A good option would be Darren Bent, although wages might be a stumbling block. Also the player's previous comments about not wanting to join Hull when at Tottenham might be a hurdle that the Hull City PR department would prefer to avoid.
Liverpool:
New Signings - Kolo Toure, Luis Alberto, Iago Aspas, Simon Mignolet
Notable Players Left - Danny Wilson, Jonjo Shelvey
Hopes - Qualify for Champions League Football. This hinges on whether Luis Suarez stays at the club or not in my opinion. At the time of writing, Suarez is 4/9 to leave Liverpool with punters being offered odds of 13/8 of him staying. I'd take the odds of him staying considering Liverpool are not in a position where they need to sell their best players for money. However, if the will of the player forces a sale, that is a different scenario. If Suarez was telling the truth when he says he loves Liverpool and the club's fans, then he wouldn't cause trouble off the field. Afterwards, it would just be his on-field behaviour that would prevent the media from not 'loving' him.
Predicted Finish - 6th
Best signing so far? Simon Mignolet. Whilst I feel that I am representing the goalkeepers' union with my selections so far, I believe that Mignolet will bring competition to Pepe Reina whilst the Spaniard remains at Anfield. If he departs for pastures new before the close of the window, Mignolet presents a step up from Brad Jones, who despite being a player I have respect for, might struggle with the weight of being an Anfield number one.
Who should they sign? Liverpool are quite well stocked in most areas and unless they sell players, they are not in urgent need of buying anyone. However, if they want to push hard for a top four place, it would be worth pushing for a move for their old player Xabi Alonso, whose long-term replacement at Real Madrid has already been signed in Asier Illarramendi.
Manchester City:
New Signings - Fernandinho, Jesus Navas
Notable Players Left - Kolo Toure, Wayne Bridge, Roque Santa Cruz, Carlos Tevez
Managerial Change - Manuel Pellegrini for Roberto Mancini
Hopes - To win the Premier League back and progress in the Champion League. I wasn't a fan of Roberto Mancini, but I think his sacking was unwise at the time. If you are going to replace him, fair enough, but make sure that the replacement is of a higher quality. Manuel Pellegrini isn't sub-standard, but neither is he in the A Team, Galacticos feel that the current Manchester City squad has. The two signings that were made prior to his appointment are a mixed bag in my opinion. Where Navas arrives on a relatively low fee and offers pace and trickery down the wings, a problem area for City, Fernandinho is in another bracket. Paying a reported £30 million for a 28 year old is risky, but when this is for a defensive, box-to-box midfielder, surely this is leaving a few City supporters scratching their heads. With Yaya Touré, Jack Rodwell, Javi Garcia and Gareth Barry far than capable players in this position, it begs the question on why such an outlay was paid for this player. Only the season ahead can explain whether it was worth it or not.
Predicted Finish - 4th
Predicted Champions League Finish - Quarter-finals
Best signing so far? Jesus Navas. Although he has impressed the majority of football fans with his performances at the 2013 Confederations Cup, Navas has been a reliable player for a long time. The transfer took me by surprise due to Navas's widely reported homesickness, and I didn't believe he would be able to overcome it. Time will tell if he is able to or not, but Manchester City have brought a gem of a winger who will get full-backs a restless night's sleep before match-day.
Who should they sign? Like a lot of clubs, they need a striker. Selling Tevez to Juventus was a risky deal considering they had no guarantee they could get Cavani at a fee lower than his buy-out clause. With only Dzeko and Aguero on the books, a striker is a must. Like Arsenal, Jovetic would be an option, although I believe they will want a player of a higher reputation.
Manchester United:
New Signings: Guillermo Varela
Managerial Change - David Moyes for Sir Alex Ferguson.
Hopes - To win everything. To replace Sir Alex, the best possible way to do this would be to win everything, however unlikely. United's midfield has been criticised in recent weeks by their own supporters, clamouring for the signing of Bayern Munich bound Thiago Alcantara. Whilst he would be a good signing, I believe that Sir Alex left David Moyes a squad that was built to dismantle the best in Europe. There are two reasons I believe this: first of all is the defeat to Barcelona two seasons ago when United were blown away. Ferguson knew that his team had to change, one last time as it transpired. Whereas the midfield that day was slow and functional with Carrick and Giggs sitting in the middle of the pitch, the past two seasons have shown the inclusion of Tom Cleverley who, despite not scoring anywhere near enough, looks to be an excellent and composed midfield ball player. Anderson has not taken his chances when given them under Ferguson, but at times he has shown what a player he CAN be. If David Moyes can take this group of players forward, they can beat anyone on their day. This leads me to my second reason on why Sir Alex felt confident in what he left behind: the defeat to Real Madrid this year. Tactically across the two legs, United were the better team. Danny Welbeck, whilst criticised for not scoring enough got a crucial away goal, and man-marked Xabi Alonso as well as any player could. If not for a sending off, United by Mourinho's own admission would have been worthy winners. A lot of hopes on one season, but all realistic in my opinion.
Predicted Finish - 1st
Predicted Champions League Finish - Semi-Final.
Best signing so far? Guillermo Varela by default. Although I would question if the term 'best' that I am using will be applicable here as Rafael, Fabio and the option of using Phil Jones or Chris Smalling at right back suggests that Varela may struggle to break into the team initially.
Who should they sign? Thiago would be the icing on the cake that is their midfield, but a new winger would be welcome as well. Valencia failed to perform after taking on the number seven shirt last season, whilst the future of Nani is far from certain. If Rooney is allowed to leave the club, another striker would be needed as well.
Newcastle United:
New Signings - Olivier Kemen
Notable Players Left - Steve Harper, Danny Simpson, James Perch
Hopes - A quiet season. Unlikely as it will be though, I think Newcastle supporters would rather a quiet season rather than being on a boat that's rocking after Joe Kinnear's recent appointment. After their qualification for the Europa League, I think last season came as a disappointment for all Newcastle supporters. The influx of signings in January stemmed the tide of bad results a bit, but that eight year contract that was awarded to Alan Pardew now seems to be more of an albatross around his neck. I think the pressure of the Newcastle job, always striving to progress season after season, it will start to tell moreso than ever this year. Papiss Cisse looked to be a good signing eighteen months ago, yet since then he has blown more cold than hot with 8 goals from 36 appearances, going against the 13 he scored in 14 appearances in his first six months at the club. Unless the replace the goals he is was brought into the club to score, I believe they will struggle. Yoan Gouffran isn't the goalscorer they need, whilst Ben Arfa seems to be a bit injury prone at this moment in his career. The addition of one more goalscorer and they'll survive for another season.
Predicted Finish - 17th
Best signing so far? Olivier Kemen by default. Although considering I couldn't tell you one thing about him, again this is a signing that indicates the amount of work that needs to be done behind the scenes at St. James' Park this summer.
Who should they sign? Pardew has admitted in the press that he is looking to sign one of Darren Bent or Loic Remy during the transfer window, and both would prove to be shrewd purchases. However, both contain baggage, with Sunderland connections lingering with Bent and Remy facing rape allegations from a few months ago, would off field issues cause trouble on the field? Bent would cause less fuss as long as the Newcastle fans remember that the Sunderland supporters dislike him more than they do.
Norwich City:
New Signings - Ricky van Wolfswinkel, Javier Garrido, Nathan Redmond, Carlo Nash, Martin Olsson, Leroy Fer
Notable Players Left - Chris Martin, Simeon Jackson, Lee Camp, Marc Tierney, Elliot Ward, James Vaughan, Grant Holt
Hopes - Strong top half of the table finish. There are a lot of good signings coming in at Carrow Road in this window. van Wolfswinkel was heavily linked with Manchester United a few years ago before moving to Sporting Lisbon, whilst Nathan Redmond has had a good tournament (although not in a good team) with the England U21s. Also a mention has to go to Carlo Nash who is an ever-reliable deputy for a number one and two goalkeepers. However the transfer of Fer was what sparked this first post, a quality Dutch midfielder coming to Norwich must be sending the Canaries wild. At a minimum, they should be aiming to replicate West Brom and Swansea's top half finishes last season, although if any of Tottenham, Liverpool or Everton drop off the pace in the hunt for the top six places, then Norwich could be one of the clubs who could be a surprise package.
Predicted Finish - 9th
Best signing so far? Ricky van Wolfswinkel. 28 goals in 55 appearances for Sporting Lisbon, he should be ideal to replace the goals that Grant Holt scored in the Canaries first season back in the top division.
Who should they sign? At this rate, they should pause for a bit and let some of the other clubs have a go! Their central defence could do with beefing up, with Bassong and Turner a good pair, although both have a mistake in their locker. If they could persuade John Heitinga to leave Everton for Norwich, they would have a good stable of centre-halves who they could rotate if one drops form.
Southampton:
New Signings - Dejan Lovren, Victor Wanyama
Notable Players Left - Frazer Richardson, Danny Butterfield, Richard Chaplow
Hopes - Avoiding Second Season Syndrome. Wanyama will go a long way to ensuring their survival for another season, but in Rickie Lambert I see another Grant Holt scenario, where a striker plays well for the first season back in the Premier League, but struggles when defenders get used to their game. Southampton, as the current squad stands, will have to rely more on Jay Rodriguez and hope he can score more goals than the six he scored last season. Ramirez needs to show more consistency as well and let the football world see why he is an international player for Uruguay. Five goals in twenty-six appearances will not be sufficient enough to help the team improve on their fourteenth place finish last season.
Predicted Finish - 14th
Best signing so far? Victor Wanyama. Whilst Dejan Lovren has a good reputation abroad, I believe that Wanyama's performances for Celtic across the last two seasons have helped him edge this one. If he can perform to the level that he did against Barcelona last season, midfield players will not be looking forward to a trip to St. Marys.
Who should they sign? A striker would be useful. Perhaps a loan from Spain using Pochettino's connections could prove the best solution. The defence could do with tightening up as well, with Hooiveld looking suspect at times last season.
Stoke City:
New Signings - Erik Pieters, Marc Muniesa
Notable Players Left - Dean Whitehead, Matthew Upson, Rory Delap, Mamady Sidibe, Carlo Nash, Matthew Lund
Managerial Change - Mark Hughes for Tony Pulis
Hopes - Enjoying our football. I was (and still am) a supporter of Tony Pulis and am extremely grateful for everything he did to my club. However, at times last season, going to match days was a nightmare as you wondered how much the team would lose by. Whether that was Tony's fault or the players, it seems clear that Peter Coates had his opinion and backed it. We now enter another season of Premier League football, with more optimism than the fear I initially felt upon Mark Hughes's initial appointment. Signing two left-footed defenders has lifted the burden off Marc Wilson and it feels like we've signed a new player just by releasing him from that part of the pitch. Whilst most supporters are asking for strikers, or generally forward thinking players, I feel Mark was right in getting these two defenders in first as this was the area that desperately needed strengthening. No longer shall we see Andy Wilkinson attempting to cross the ball in with his weak left foot. But where do we see ourselves finishing? I believe we have had a squad capable of finishing in the top ten for the last three seasons, but we've always let ourselves down at the last hurdle. Where everyone is unanimous in agreeing is that Tony Pulis was far too defensive, preferring to stick Dean Whitehead on for the last ten minutes in an attempt to secure a 1-0 win, rather than stick Cameron Jerome or Michael Owen on and go for another goal to secure a 2-0 win. Hopefully Mark will provide that attacking intent that has been missing and instil a ruthless streak in our goal scoring so that we can finish our opponents off. If we can convert a few of the draws we had from last season into wins, whilst not incurring too many losses, we could easily get into the top half, whilst also enjoying a good cup run.
Predicted Finish - 8th
Best signing so far? Erik Pieters. There were only two to choose from, but Pieters edges it for me. Whilst Marc Muniesa comes from Barcelona, there is a danger that there is a reason Barcelona were so willing to let him go. Look at Bojan Krkic, they won't release him just on the off chance he comes good, so why did Muniesa get a free transfer? Hopefully it will be their loss and our gain, but I have to go for Pieters due to being a consistent left-back before his injury problems. I didn't believe we'd sign him as Newcastle were reportedly interested in him, so the transfer came as a pleasant surprise and shows the ambition the club has going forward.
Who should they sign? We need a striker. Whilst we could continue with our current group of forwards, I think a new face would liven everyone up, players and supporters alike. Defoe has been linked in recent weeks but I think we should avoid him due to his age, although his goal-scoring ability is far from being in question. In looking for forwards, it might be worth looking towards the Championship top scorers last year. Vydra for example is looking for a club after Watford failed to gain promotion, and although he has been linked with other clubs we could be an attractive option for him. Also, Tom Ince stated that he turned down a move to Cardiff this week due to 'family reasons'. Now unless this means he wants to stay with his father at Blackpool, we could offer him an alternative as Stoke isn't too far away from Blackpool in comparison to Cardiff. At £8m, he'd offer competition for Etherington and Shea on the left on midfield.
Sunderland:
New Signings - Cabral, Modibo Diakite, Valentin Roberge, David Moberg Karlsson, Vito Mannone, Jozy Altidore, El Jadji Ba
Notable Players Left - Titus Bramble, Matthew Kilgallon, Ryan Noble, Simon Mignolet, Ahmed Elmohamady
Hopes - That the club does not self-destruct. In the last few weeks of the season that Paulo di Canio was in charge at his new club, he certainly stamped his authority on the squad. Reportedly though, this hasn't been received well with some players regarding rules and punishments. My fear if I was a Sunderland supporter would be the club imploding due to di Canio not being able to handle egos bigger than his own. To counter this, he seems to have signed players with minimal reputations, with Mannone and Altidore the only two I recognise instantly. The danger of signing low-key players however is that they are low-key for a reason. Valentin Roberge could be one of the signings of the season, but at this moment in time, I cannot see him jumping ahead of John O'Shea or Carlos Cuellar in the queue of central defenders. Until di Canio brings in some experienced players of his own to counter any potential departures, I fear the worst for Sunderland this season.
Predicted Finish - 19th
Best signing so far? Vito Mannone. Whilst Kieran Westwood is an able goalkeeper, I don't think he should have left Coventry in the hope of grabbing the number one spot in the North East. Vito has the better chance of being a successful number one goalkeeper after good performances in his time at Arsenal.
Who should they sign? An experienced defender. Joleon Lescott has been linked with an exit from Manchester City to guarantee a place in the 2014 World Cup squad, pending qualification. Depending on the price of the deal, a partnership of O'Shea and Lescott would do well in stopping a number of goals across the season.
Swansea City
New Signings - Jose Canas, Jordi Amat, Jonathan de Guzman (loan), Gregor Zabret, Alex Gogic, Alejandro Pozuelo, Jonjo Shelvey, Wilfried Bony
Notable Players Left - Mark Gower
Hopes - A good Europa League run. I'd imagine this would be Swansea's first priority, just to match the recent achievements of Newcastle, Stoke City and Fulham in getting past the group stage of the second tier European competition. However the league may take more precedence as the aforementioned teams suffered in the league due to participating in European competitions. The sheer number of incomings suggests that Michael Laudrup is eager to rotate his squad as often as he can during the upcoming season and this in my opinion is a wise thing to plan for at this stage of pre-season. Due to this, I believe that Swansea will match their top-ten finish of last season, although the further they progress in Europe, the harder it will be to maintain that position.
Predicted Finish - 11th
Predicted European Finish - Round of 32
Best signing so far? Wilfried Bony. 46 goals in 65 appearances for Vitesse suggests that Swansea have signed a player who knows where the goal is. The only question mark remains on whether he can replicate this form in the Premier League. However, with Michu having the majority of goal-scoring burdens placed upon him, Bony might have an easier beginning to live in Swansea than if he had signed for another club needing a goal-scorer.
Who should they sign? The depth of their squad is quite nice so drastic surgery isn't needed, especially after the recent purchase of Wilfried Bony. A winger would be helpful to their squad to compete with Routledge, Dyer and Pablo Hernandez. If the club is looking for English players to comply with home grown rules, then perhaps a wingers like Shaun Wright-Phillips would be worth considering to lend experience to the squad during a European campaign.
Tottenham Hotspur:
New Signings - Paulinho
Notable Players Left - David Bentley, John Bostock, William Gallas
Hopes - A top four finish. As a result of this, they will also be hoping to keep Gareth Bale for the considerable future. After their run last season, they will most likely want to add the Europa League to their trophy cabinet. This is where I feel Tottenham fail in that they have a good group of players, but at the crucial moments under Harry Redknapp and now Andre Villas Boas, they've lacked that ruthlessness. The annual 'Spurs Slump' needs to be addressed so that players play to win all throughout the season and do not let a Norwich or West Ham come to White Hart Lane and nick a win.
Predicted Finish - 5th
Predicted European Finish - Final
Best signing so far? Paulinho by default. However, compared to some of the default choices so far, this one does seem to be a possible candidate for best signing regardless of any future incomings. He impressed in the Confederations Cup by bossing the Brazilian midfield, whilst his goal-scoring ability was shown in the cup, as well as during England's 2-2 draw with Brazil prior to the tournament. At 24, he still has time on his side to improve as well.
Who should they sign? The first name on my lips is Roberto Soldado if possible. After serving Valencia magnificently for several seasons, replacing David Villa effectively, Soldado deserves a chance to earn a reputation as Spain's number one striker. Tottenham could offer him that. Benteke is a name being thrown around in relation to Spurs but I'm not sure that he would suit their style of play either. With players of such pace as Lennon and Bale, I wonder if Benteke would be able to keep up, and that's no disrespect to him!
West Bromwich Albion
New Signings - Nicolas Anelka, Goran Popov (loan)
Notable Players Left - Marc Antoine-Fortune, Zoltan Gera, Gonzalo Jara, Jerome Thomas
Hopes - Maintaining the status quo. After an eighth place finish, effectively finishing top of the pack of teams who realistically can only hope of European football, where else can West Brom go? One answer is down. Although they aren't irreplaceable, 17 of West Brom's 53 goals came from Romelu Lukaku. Nicolas Anelka has already been signed to try to replace some of those 17, but for a 34 year old, it might be a tall ask on his own. Shane Long may get more of a chance this season, but he would need to prove himself by having less barren spells in front of goal. This season will surely be a test of Steve Clarke's managerial skills after a relatively smooth first season in charge.
Predicted Finish - 12th
Best signing so far? Nicolas Anelka. 'Le sulk' is a bit of a 'le mystery' at the moment as we do not know if he still has the threat in front of goal that made him prolific earlier in his career. He will go some way though to replacing Romelu Lukaku's goals though.
Who should they sign? Although I would be loath to let him go, Kenwyne Jones would suit West Brom in terms of the physicality that Romelu Lukaku offered last season. A front two of Jones and Anelka would be interesting to see.
West Ham United:
New Signings - Razvan Rat, Adrian, Andy Carroll, Danny Whitehead
Notable Players Left - Carlton Cole, Robert Hall
Hopes - Avoiding second-season syndrome. West Ham were a mixed bag last season with a few good results mixed with a few bad ones. They generally played better with Carroll in the team so his signing was well worthwhile, although I do question the wages they are reportedly paying him for the next six years. I think the West Ham fans will be hoping for a cup run to enjoy alongside the league survival, and with some players such as Joe Cole, Mark Noble and Jack Collison all eager to prove themselves a success at their first club then they will stand a good chance if they get the luck of the draw on their side.
Predicted Finish - 10th
Best signing so far? - Andy Carroll. £85,000 a week he will be earning for the next six years. From West Ham's perspective, they'll be hoping he's the signing of the century I would have thought! I do believe that Andy will do well there as it's a club that's built for a player like him. The wages though! I hope West Ham know what they're doing there.
Who should they sign? A left-sided defender would be good for them, with Joey O'Brien playing the majority of the season there. Razvan Rat has been signed already for the left back position, but signing a player for the long-term in that position may be worthwhile considering.
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