Top 8 SURGERY: PREMIER LEAGUE EDITION

This piece analyses sensible targets the traditional “big six” as well as other competing clubs could make to enhance their side to make a run at either title glory or a UCL place. What this article aims to do is ignore the speculation of world football and show readers, through avid research, what teams need to achieve their season’s objectives. Hope you enjoy!
Let’s start from the top of the table…

            Liverpool.

It’s hard to say what a 99 point championship winning team need to improve considering the standards they’ve set over the last two seasons. However, as elite as they are as a team there has been cause for concern about the productivity in midfield particularly from Naby Keita. Brought in to be the goals and assist cog in the middle of the park, while not a flop he has been less than impressive, even taking into consideration the injuries he’s suffered. Nonetheless he should be better when he does play. My alternative for Liverpool to get more elite production in midfield comes from the left boot of Domenico Berardi. The Sassuolo man is versatile having played both attacking midfielder and as a forward for the Italian club. This season alone he has put up elite numbers in the Serie A with 14 goals and 10 assists in 29 appearances which would be an elite upgrade in midfield production for the Premier League champions.

Honorable mention: Dominik Szoboszlai.

Manchester City

Having scored over 100 goals in the league last season it is clear that City’s problem is not offensive. Pep’s side however struggle to find a consistent partner of Aymeric Laporte in central defence and with Benjamin Mendy struggling for fitness and more recently form there is an issue at left full back as well. A suggestion would be to target Sergio Reguilon on loan from Real Madrid at Sevilla. Real have an abundance of talent at that position with Ferland Mendy and the ever consistent Marcelo so Reguilon is surplus to requirements. Having been voted La Liga’s left back of the season he would not be content with another loan, or even a rotational role. Pace to kill and energy to burn, the Spanish left back finished with 3 goals and 5 assists across all competitions. Add that he completed the 5th most tackles in La Liga, Pep would be purchasing a complete fullback.

Honorable mention: Theo Hernandez

Manchester United 

To me it is quite clear where Man United need their upgrade and it’s quite obvious who they should be breaking the bank to get and that’s Jadon Sancho. With Daniel James being underwhelming and Mason Greenwood while impressive is better utilized as a striker, Sancho would provide a significant upgrade over both on the right wing. With 19 goals and 18 assists in all competitions this season Sancho would immediately be an elite playmaker that would gel with the other young attackers currently on the roster. Over to you Ed!

Honorable mention: Jeremie Boga

Chelsea 

While it seems that Lampard is upgrading his attacking options, having conceded 57 goals in the league this season it’s clear that some sort of defensive upgrade is required. While goal keeper, center back and left back are all areas that desperately need attention at the time of writing Chelsea look to have found solutions for two of those positions and  focus can be drawn elsewhere. Everyone loves N’golo Kante and knows the world class game he brings to midfield however more and more it seems injuries are beginning to catch up to him, he is also not proficient as a lone defensive midfielder having excelled in a pivot for much of his career. If Chelsea are to recruit in that area, then Denis Zakaria of Borussia M’gladbach should be sought out. Declan Rice has been a name that’s been floated around and is a good option but at 6’2 Zakaria is tall, fast, powerful and rangy enough to cover the leaky Chelsea backline.

Honorable mention: Declan Rice

Leicester City

Having crept to the end of the season missing key players and losing out on champion’s league football Leicester’s issue is with depth. The starting XI is quality enough to compete providing they hold onto James Maddison but Jamie Vardy is getting up there in age and with Kelechi Ihenacho not providing enough spark as a backup option a quality person to fill that position now and in the future could be Ollie Watkins of championship side Brentford. Watkins had a phenomenal season, with Brentford barely missing out on promotion, he scored 26 goals and had 3 assists while he doesn’t get many chances he is lethal at finishing the opportunities he does get. Once in a better squad that creates more in the final third there is no reason to believe he would not be lethal in the Premier League.

Honorable mention: Luka Jovic

Tottenham Hotspur

Gone is the exciting attacking era of Maurizio Pochettino, Spurs have now changed direction and gone with the more pragmatic Jose Mourinho. While the football isn’t going to be as free flowing it may yield more success than the previous regime did. Due to the more defensive structure it may serve Spurs well to upgrade on that side of the field and while they have serviceable center backs their fullback position may need an update. Ryan Sessegnon is a young left back whom I believe will be given first team opportunities in the coming season, it’s on the other side that is currently held by Serge Aurier that could use some competition. Sime Vrsalijko also of Atletico Madrid comes to mind as an option With competition being stiff at RB in the capital of Spain the Croatian can be seen as dispensable and Spurs can look to take advantage.

Honorable mention: Zeki Celik

Wolverhampton Wanderers 

Unique but balanced in attack and defence Wolves major problem is offensive squad depth as seen when toward the end of their very long season they began to fizzle out offensively. While having one vastly improved, world beating winger on one side in Adama Traore, too often the brunt of Wolves offensive creativity comes through him with the other wingers not providing much of a threat on the opposite side. With that being said (no pun intended) I think Wolves should look at Brentford’s very creative winger Said Benrahma. Benrahma has been attracting attention from a lot of premier league teams including Leeds, West Ham, Chelsea and Arsenal to name a few. There’s good reason for that however as the Algerian came up with an impressive 17 goals and 9 assists for the championship side and should he be able to replicate that form in the top flight he can be a real diamond in the rough.

Honorable mention: Eberechi Eze

Arsenal 

Many might not believe it but Arsenal have made decent strides with Mikel Arteta at the helm proven when they won the FA Cup in just his 28th game in charge. More needs to be done however to break back into the top 4 and upgrades in midfield are crucial to that. With rumors of Matteo Guendouzi being moved on from and Granit Xhaka splitting opinions amongst the fanbase the rebuild needs to happen as soon as possible. Defensive midfield is being targeted to their credit with Thomas Partey being heavily linked but a possible alternative would be Lille middle man Boubakary Soumare. While Soumare is more of a box to box midfielder he is versatile and can play as a dm, in addition, to that he also possesses the recovery pace, tackling ability, power and ranginess to excel in both positions and thus providing an immediate upgrade to Xhaka, Guendouzi and co. 

Honorable mention: Houssem Aouar.