Who Looks Strongest For Next Season? An Early Look At The Premier League’s ‘Big 6’

With the 24/25 season firmly in the rearview mirror, we are already edging ever closer to the grand unveiling of yet another mesmerising Premier League season.

So, with that being said, here’s an early look at the Premier League’s big 6- Whose transfers mean business? Whose squad can cope with the demands of yet another gruelling season? And most importantly, which club is poised to get their hands on that coveted Premier League trophy?

Arsenal

Let’s start with serial runners-up Arsenal. Despite a devastating three 2nd place finishes in a row, one thing that the Gunners have shown is that they have a squad capable of competing at the highest level.

What will breed confidence is their apparent commitment to strengthening in those crucial areas which have been touted as needing improvement during this summer transfer window.

So, what might Arsenal’s set up look like come August?

Potential Starting XI:

GK: David Raya

RB: Jurrien Timber CB: Gabriel CB: Saliba LB: Lewis-Skelly

CDM: Zubimendi (Done Deal) CM: Rice CM: Odegaard

RW: Saka ST: Gyokeres (Rumour) LW: Madueke (Done Deal)

The Breakdown:

A big issue for Arteta’s men across the last few seasons has been their lack of constant goalscoring threat, hence the almost guaranteed signing of Viktor Gyokeres (£57m) who has a terrifying record of 97 goals in just 102 games for Sporting.

However, the introduction of such a focal point like Gyokeres will make Arsenal less fluid than they were with Kai Havertz.

Gyokeres has more Goals for Sweden than Isak despite making his National Team Debut 2 years after Isak did.

I’ll not be Gaslit. This is a Bags Man pic.twitter.com/BrHgCpR9MA

— Ebuka (@EbukaMeansGreat) July 15, 2025

The signing of holding midfielder Martin Zubimendi (£52m) from Real Sociedad will likely provide the balance to Arsenal’s midfield and release both Odegaard, but more importantly, Declan rice into more creative areas to provide for Viktor Gyokeres.

The signing of Noni Madueke (£55m) is still unclear in terms of the impact it will have due to his profile as a right rather than left winger.

Arteta could well still opt for Martinelli on that side, should he stay at the club, putting Madueke’s starting minutes in jeopardy but providing the Gunners with a very exciting squad depth option on both sides.

There have also been major links to Eberechi Eze. Bringing an option both left and centrally for Arteta, Eze appears an almost perfect fit and could be the final piece to Arsenal’s puzzle.

Add all of that to statistically the best defence in the league and a squad already harnessing world class players all over the pitch, and you get an extremely hungry Arsenal looking to finally end their Premier League duck.

Chelsea

Chelsea undoubtedly had a season of massive progress and growth last year both winning the UEFA conference league and making it into the Premier League top four on a nail-biting final day.

Their gung-ho approach to transfers had made the club a toxic place to be at times but, manager Enzo Maresca has done an unbelievable job of getting a handle on the chaos.

So much so that the blues now seem to not only be unified off the pitch, but also ready to pose a real threat on it. With a Maresca system that has just put Champions League winners PSG to the sword and some shockingly smart signings made (for once), could Chelsea spring a surprise next season?

Well, here’s how they could line up whilst doing so.

Potential Starting XI:

GK: Sanchez

RB: James CB: Jorell Hato (Rumour) CB: Colwill LB: Cucurella

CM: Caicedo CM: Enzo Fernandez CAM: Palmer

RW: Neto ST: Joao Pedro (Done Deal) LW: Bynoe-Gittens (Done Deal)

The Breakdown:

A comprehensive Chelsea starting XI is almost impossible to accurately predict.

Not only because Chelsea will likely spend more before their season opener, but also due to the sheer depth of options Enzo Maresca already has at his disposal.

Made in Cobham. ™️ pic.twitter.com/rAUSn2hAhl

— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) July 17, 2025

Among the most notable of the signings thus far is Joao Pedro (£60m) who has already shown exactly what he is capable of in the Club World Cup and will provide an upgrade on Nicolas Jackson, who now looks likely to leave Chelsea this summer.

The massively exciting Jamie Bynoe-Gittens (£55.5m) improves Chelsea on both wings with a creative spark which will massively soften the previously mentioned loss of Noni Madueke to Arsenal.

Defensively is where, if anywhere, the quality lacks for the blues and a rumoured interest in versatile Ajax starlet Jorell Hato could be exactly what they need to go into next season with a genuine chance of upsetting the odds.

There is no reason for Enzo Maresca’s men not to be confident heading into the 25/26 campaign and don’t be surprised if you see them waiting in the wings should a slip up occur from the more obvious favourites.

Spurs

Depending on which way you look at it, Tottenham Hotspur could have had either a horrendous season, or a mightily successful one last campaign.

By my estimations it must be considered the latter.

A car crash of a Premier League season ended with a Europa League triumph. Consider the Injuries which plagued the squad too and it’s hard to have an overly negative outlook on the season.

That didn’t stop Ange Postecoglou from facing the sack however, and Spurs enter the new season in a much different position to what they were at the end of the last.

Thomas Frank now leads the troops, bringing a solid resume and a change of system to the table. Tottenham have already shown intent in the market and will be hoping to push on from last year's successes, and failures, re-establishing themselves near the top of the league once more.

But just how will Spurs line-up next season?

Potential Starting XI:

GK: Vicario

RB: Pedro Porro CB: Romero CB: Van De Ven LB: Udogie

CM: Bentancur CM: Gibbs-White (Rumour) CAM: Maddison

RW: Kudus (Done Deal) ST: Wissa (Rumour) LW: Kulusevski

The Breakdown:

For Spurs, preparing for next season is about balance.

With Frank coming in they must back him and show ambition. But with the squad depth problems which arose last season, spending heavily on 1-2 players alone is not a plausible strategy.

Already this window Tottenham have splashed on Mohammed Kudus (£55m) who could be a massive success under Thomas Frank with a bit of coaching.

Mohammed Kudus in the building. 🇬🇭👋 pic.twitter.com/I1xHgk0bED

— Spurs Army (@SpursArmyTweets) July 16, 2025

Frank enjoys wingers who are quick in transition AND have defensive discipline, Kudus has the former and lacks the latter. However, if Frank can coach that side of the game into his new signing, he could well become Spurs’ answer to Bryan Mbeumo.

Morgan Gibbs-White is another big target for Spurs, and despite the deal looking all but complete, Nottingham Forest are now seeking legal action over ‘tapping-up’ allegations putting the move in jeopardy.

'Messy, horrible - Forest don't want this and Gibbs-White doesn't either' - Colin Fray on the MGW situation. https://t.co/vPEkcWQhVa

— BBC Nottingham Sport (@BBCRNS) July 17, 2025

Thomas Frank is also openly targeting his former Brentford frontman Yoan Wissa with a £50m fee rumoured to be the price for the 28-year-old.

Tottenham’s main concern will come in the shape of a possible exit for Christian Romero, whose links with a move away have been lingering long enough to be considered a problem.

However, if Spurs can keep a hold of him, and add in all the areas they are looking for there is no doubt they will have a better campaign than last term.

It is hard to say exactly how Thomas Frank will do but if you bracket Spurs as the ‘big 6’ underdog, similarly to his former club Brentford, we could see Spurs really push on under his guidance.

Manchester United

Of all the ‘Big 6’ clubs, there is no doubt Manchester United are in the least favourable position.

Off the back of a 15th place finish and a loss in the Europa League final to Spurs, next season again looks set to be an uphill battle for Amorim and Manchester United.

There is a willingness to do business and try to get the project back on track but, with so much groundwork still needing to be done both on and off the pitch, it doesn’t feel like this season is the one that will see Manchester United back on their perch by any stretch.

But how will Ruben Amorim Set his side up on the pitch?

Potential Starting XI:

GK: Onana

RWB: Mazraoui CB: Yoro CB: De Ligt CB: Maguire LWB: Estupinan (Rumour)

CM: Fernandes CM: Casemiro

RW: Mbeumo (Rumour) ST: Jackson (Rumour) LW: Cunha (Done Deal)

The Breakdown:

The success of both Manchester United’s transfer window and overall preparation for next season appears to ride heavily on the outcome of the Bryan Mbeumo saga which, as of now, is moving at a snail's pace.

It has still been a somewhat productive window for United however, with big target Matheus Cunha (£62.5m) already welcomed to the club.

The aim to strengthen in attack looks far from done as well with an apparent pursuit of out of favour Chelsea forward Nicolas Jackson now on the table.

Elanga - 6 goals 11 assists. £55M
Madueke - 7 goals 3 assists £52M
Kudus - 5 goals 3 assists £55M

Mbeumo - 20 goals 7 assists.

£70M isn’t us being robbed. Pay it. 🤷🏻‍♂️ pic.twitter.com/IikqwUovBm

— UtdLoyals (@UtdLoyals_) July 16, 2025

Pervis Estupinan has somewhat surprisingly come to the fore as a defensive target for the red devils in recent days too. The Brighton fullback would slot well into Amorim’s wing back favouring system and, despite not being the most glamorous of signings, would show ambition to establish a foundation within the squad.

Even with these signings Amorim’s squad will have holes, but unfortunately Manchester United are not in a position for easy fixes.

Next season won’t be pretty, but with the current state of the club- any progress is positive.

Liverpool

What began as ‘transitional’ last season ended in Liverpool waltzing their way to the title. Arne Slot came in for Jurgen Klopp and it was like he’d been there for years.

And since then, Liverpool have backed up their triumph with an enormous transfer window which has put the entire league on notice.

If you thought the last campaign was just a one off, think again. Liverpool are coming for all the marbles again next season and let it be known that they are going to be difficult to stop.

But just how does Arne Slot plan to win the league again?

Potential Starting XI:

GK: Allison

RB: Frimpong (Done Deal) CB: Van Dijk CB: Konate LB: Kerkez (Done Deal)

CDM: Gravenberch CM: Mac Allister CM: Szoboszlai

RW: Salah ST: Isak (Rumour) LW: Wirtz (Done Deal)

The Breakdown:

Losing Alexander-Arnold on a free to Real Madrid was of course far from ideal, but instead of becoming weaker- all they’ve done since then is become stronger.

A British record transfer fee splashed on Florian Wirtz (£116m), alongside the addition of two all-action fullbacks in Frimpong (£29.5m) and Kerkez (£40m) will likely see a change of system next season.

🚨🔴 EXCL: Liverpool have submitted official bid to Eintracht for Hugo Ekitike!

Eintracht already informed Liverpool that they want more, proposal rejected but it was initial contact as talks continue.

Ekitike said 𝐲𝐞𝐬 Liverpool, no issues on personal terms. He wants #LFC. pic.twitter.com/AflvOaro2h

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 17, 2025

To get the best out of Wirtz expect to see him drift central to play as a number 10, Salah may well do a similar job on the other side which will see Kerkez and Frimpong overlap.

We could see Konate and Van Dijk split to cover those wide areas in transition with Gravenberch dropping as a third centre half to form a Mac Allister and Szoboszlai two-man midfield.

Liverpool have already shown concrete interest in a striker too, namely Alex Isak, who would once again break the British transfer record.

Despite the interest, Newcastle have stated multiple times their man is not for sale, which is excellent news for the rest of the league. If Liverpool were to sign the swede, let’s be honest here, nobody stands a chance next season...

But even without Isak, Liverpool are going to be hard to stop once again in the next campaign.

With a squad littered with world class starters and depth at Arne Slot’s fingertips, a second title in as many years could well be on the horizon.

Manchester City

Next season feels like a massive one for Manchester City.

After what can be described as nothing other than a disappointment last season, there is a need to once again taste success in the next.

City have been active in the market, getting their business done early and efficiently, and with what feels like a different approach to previous seasons.

Pep Guardiola has been vocal about his want for a small squad and, with a few additions made, there will likely be some outgoings on the cards too.

So, just how do Manchester City plan to regain their status and England’s top club?

Potential Starting XI:

GK: Chevalier (Rumour)

RB: Dumfries (Rumour) CB: Dias CB: Gvardiol LB: Ait-Nouri (Done Deal)

CDM: Rodri CM: Reijnders (Done Deal) CAM: Foden

RW: Cherki (Done Deal) ST: Haaland LW: Marmoush

The Breakdown:

With Rodri now fully recovered and back at the heart of the City midfield, that alone makes them real contenders once again next season.

But looking at the signings they’ve made, addressing the issues which hindered them in the last campaign has clearly been a priority.

The signings of Reijnders (£50m) and Rayan Cherki (£34m) both mark players with a real ability to break lines and breakdown the low blocks which pained city’s possession-based system for so much of last season.

Rayan Ait-Nouri (£33m) not only provides great threat going forward from fullback but also strengthens the backline both with his own qualities but also releasing Gvardiol to his more natural centre back position.

City have identified a new goalkeeper as a position of interest with Ederson having met a strangely quiet demise for the Manchester club and Lucas Chevalier of Lille being the target to replace the Brazilian.

An interest in the flying dutchman Denzel Dumfries for a modest £25m from Inter Milan has also surfaced as they look to suffice their right back issues once and for all.

Put all those players into the squad which already exists, and you have a group of excellent quality which look set to challenge once again at the top of the table.

Next season looks unlikely to be a walk in the park for Manchester City, but there is an air of determination around the club which suggests they aren’t too happy about no longer being number one.

Who Will Win the Premier League in 25/26?

As the Premier League draws closer to yet another blockbuster season in 25/26. We can assess, speculate and analyse as much as we want.

But there is an uncertainty brought about by a fresh Premier League season which cannot be disregarded.

Whether your club looks the strongest and most formidable it ever has like Liverpool, or a period of stabilisation and suffering is an unfortunate guarantee like Manchester United: You never quite know what is going to happen.

Each of the ‘Big 6’ are entering a monumental season which will shape their future plans, strategies and ambitions. Each set of fans have anxiety and hope about how their club might perform.

Nobody really knows what is ahead, but one thing is for certain: Anything can happen in football.