It’s been just over a week since another unforgettable campaign of Premier League highlights drew to a close but, given the frenzied speculation and daily news it provides, you wouldn’t necessarily know it.
Because no sooner had the final-day drama been played out as Everton preserved their top flight status at the expense of 2016 champions Leicester City and Leeds United, some eyes immediately started looking ahead to next season.
Questions include, can Spurs keep hold of prolific marksman Harry Kane now they are on the verge of appointing a new manager, is Argentina World Cup winner Alexis MacAllister heading to Merseyside, how will Chelsea react to their latest setback after supposedly being gazumped and how will the newly promoted clubs fare against clubs with much bigger resources?
By the way, there’s only 10 days until the fixtures for next season are released so there’s hardly time to catch your breath in the pulsing world of top flight English football.
This time just over a year ago, the supine performance, mindset and culture of some Manchester United players was being highlighted by respected figures within the game.
Fast forward 12 months and much of the same criticism could be directed at Spurs.
The club has been in a state of flux since parting company with Antonio Conte in March and the impending appointment of Ange Postecoglou, who is fresh from leading Celtic to a domestic treble, should reintroduce certainty.
The Australian has impressed since arriving in Glasgow two years ago and a deal to bring him to north London should be completed soon.
One of the first matters in his in-tray could be trying to persuade the club hero to stay.
Certainly, the decision of Karim Benzema to say farewell to Real Madrid means the Spanish giants will want a new frontman and, with Spurs chairman Daniel Levy unlikely to countenance a sale to an English rival, this summer could be the time the club’s all-time leading scorer moves to pastures new.
United are keen to sign Kane this summer but Erik ten Hag’s rebuilding plans at Old Trafford are being hampered by the club’s takeover saga, which continues to drag on.
The Times understands that the United manager is frustrated about a lack of clarity regarding how much money he will have to spend in the next transfer window, which opens on June 14.
Across the capital, Chelsea have no less of a problem, albeit a different raft of issues to Spurs.
After spending more than any club has ever done in one transfer window, incoming manager Mauricio Pochettino will inherit a bloated, chaotic squad.
At least there should be continuity in the dugout next season following seven months in which Thomas Tuchel was sacked and replaced by Graham Potter, who was sacked and replaced by Frank Lampard, who has now been replaced by Pochettino.
Very few players or club hierarchy from Stamford Bridge came out of 2022-23 with any credit.
Up north, Liverpool are also set to splash the cash again (all top clubs surely will) with MacAllister agreeing a contract understood to run to June 2028.
He is due to have a medical in the next 48 hours. The buyout clause in his contract, signed weeks before he went to the World Cup, is said to be significantly less than the £60 million that has been mentioned.
When all these millions are being talked about, penny for the thoughts of the newly promoted teams.
Runway Championship winners Burney and Sheffield United have been here before, of course.
But it was in 1992 when Luton Town lost their top flight status – the following season saw the inaugural Premier League campaign – and they have not been back since…until now.
Their return is a true fairytale.
Relegated out of the Football League for the first time in their history, in 2009, Luton were promoted to League Two as champions five years later and, within a decade they are now preparing to go toe to toe with the big boys for the first time in over 30 years.
No big investment, no big names; just a hard working band of brothers who have won the ultimate prize.
Can they realistically compete?
Well put it this way, another side promoted last summer, Bournemouth, were largely considered everyone’s favourites for the drop last term.
Yet Gary O’Neil pulled off a stunning revival in their fortunes.
Bottom of the table in early March, they went onto beat Liverpool and followed that up in April with victories against Leeds, Southampton and Leicester – the three sides that went down – which ensured they were safe long before the end of the season.
If a club which has similarly limited income and a small stadium, perhaps they are the benchmark Luton should try and emulate.
If they can be successful in that aim, the SBOTOP Premier League betting odds next term may just be turned on their head again.
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