So here we are – the final matches of this season, and still – we do not know which clubs would represent the Premier League in the Champions competition next season, with the exception of Liverpool, Tottenham and runners-up, Arsenal, who have already qualified.
Manchester City need only one point from their game away at Fulham. City should do it, but Fulham are in good form and will not give the light blues anything other than a tough game.
The other spot will go to Newcastle at home to Everton, Chelsea away to Nottingham Forest, which will be an emotional game, with neither side giving one inch. Finally, Aston Villa travel to Manchester United and Unai Emery’s side are confident they can come away with a win. Tottenham have grabbed themselves a place in the league phase of the Champions competition next season following their success in winning the Europa Cup and despite enduring a poor season.
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Grealish future will be decided after final game
The position of Jack Grealish at Manchester City was certainly going to be a topic for discussion given that he has started only seven matches this season and was left out of the Cup Final completely. Jack was signed for £100million four years ago but his career has gone backwards and he is down the pecking order at City, with Jeremy Doku now established on the left wing and Marmoush getting regular playing time.
Nothing is definite yet, however, he has spoken with his agents and Coach Pep Guardiola admits that Jack’s contract will be reviewed at the end of the season.
United close in on signing Cunha
Wolves number 10, Matheus Cunha, is already playing in a 3-4-2-1 formation favoured by Manchester United coach, Ruben Amorim. He is being hotly pursued by the recruitment team at Old Trafford and they are ready to pay his £62.5million release clause. Ipswich striker, Liam Delap, is also of interest but Cunha is now the number1 target. Whilst most recruits are being financed by sales, United have the Cunha fee ready to be paid.
The move will put pressure on Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo, both of whom Amorim has been developing into playmakers. Garnacho was pursued by Italian club, Napoli in January, but their £40million offer was rejected. Kobbie has turned down a new initial offer of a new contract.
Door slightly ajar for Isak to join Gunners
Swedish international, Alexander Isak, is a striker Arsenal coach, Mikel Arteta would love to have in his squad. He has been outspoken about the necessity for the Gunners to invest and Martin Zubimendi, a former teammate of Isak’s at Real Sociedad, is expected through the Emirates Stadium gates during the summer, but a main striker is the target. Bukayo Saka and Isak in the same forward line would considerably improve Arsenal in front of goal.
Newcastle look at Boniface
Newcastle have opened negotiations with German club, Bayer Leverkusen regarding possibly signing Victor Boniface. However, I understand Leverkusen want £42million, which Newcastle think is too high. They believe the price would be dropped for the 24-year-old.
He has not been particularly successful, having only scored three goals in the second half of the season after sitting on the sidelines. His most successful period was his club’s shock title winning season in 2023/24, which displaced Bayern Munich; and he scored 14 goals in 23 matches. Bayern coach, Xabi Alonso, is replacing Carlo Ancelotti at Real Madrid, and as a result, the German giants are expected to overhaul their squad and Boniface is keen to come to the Premier League.
The long goodbyes…
It is an end to a season with so many goodbyes. Jamie Vardy said farewell after playing 500 games for Leicester and scoring his 200th goal last weekend. Everton fans said goodbye to their famous old stadium after shedding a few tears, singing loudly and looking forward to their new £800million home called the Hill Dickinson Stadium (named after a world-wide law firm who came up with the most cash in a bidding contest). Kevin De Bryune has been the main inspiration and acknowledged talent in Manchester City’s attacking midfield, but all good things eventually come to an end and off he will go after this weekend in search of a new employer. Finally, Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold will be plying his talents at Real Madrid, where I suspect he would find life quite different from the hero support he enjoyed from the Kop during his 20 years at the club. Madrid fans blow hot and cold as do the hierarchy at the club, one minute a hero and the next sitting on the bench. Just ask Gareth Bale.
Has Emi Martinez played his final game at Villa?
Aston Villa will head off to the USA for their pre-season camp, which they have done for the past two seasons. They have two matches arranged against MLS team St Louis City at Energizer Park on Wednesday July 30th and will face Nashville SC at Geodis Park three days later. Unai Emery believes the standard of football in America has risen to the point where teams are quite capable of testing Premier League sides in preparation for the upcoming season.
Standing ovation for Eric Dier
Several Premier League clubs looked at signing ex-Tottenham centre half, Eric Dier, who has just won a Bundesliga title medal with Bayern Munich. The 31-year-old made 20 league appearances this season and the medal is the first of his career. He has now agreed a three-year contract with Ligue 1 side Monaco. He received a special presentation by Bayern in recognition for the part he played in Vincent Kompany’s winning team. He was also honoured by the fans, who gave him a standing ovation. We will see Eric in next season’s Champions League after Monaco finished in the top three in France.
Nottingham Forest vs Chelsea
One point separates them, but it is Nottingham Forest who will be most disappointed if Nuno Espirito Santo’s team doesn’t make it after being in a commanding league table position for much of the season, only to see it slip away with some poor results lately. They have lost points with home losses to Man City: 0-2, Brentford 0-2 and draws against Palace and Leicester. They recovered with an away win at West Ham last weekend: 2-1, but this match is a must-win for Forest.
Chelsea scored a 1-0 win over Manchester United last weekend and much of this game will come down to Cole Palmer’s playmaking. He has recovered his form, and alongside Nani Madueke and Pedro Neto, they will match up against Forest’s mid-centre pairing of Elliot Anderson and Ibrahim Sangaro. It is upfront where Forest will hope to hurt Chelsea. Chris Wood is the danger man with balls coming in from the right with Anthony Elanga and on the left, Nicolas Dominguez, but it is the central man, Morgan Gibbs-White who Chelsea will have to contain; and he is in a superb form, both for assists and goals.
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