It has been labelled silly season by fans as newspaper columns and tabloid websites publish transfer gossip, ranging from the unlikely to the outrageous, in an attempt to keep readers interested during the summer months.
Much of what we come across can be filed under nonsense, but this season seems different as clubs from the Premier League aim to make their moves early.
The transfer window has been altered to coincide with the opening weekend of the 2019/20 season which gets started on Friday 9th August at Anfield where Liverpool take on Norwich.
That seems to have geed managers up a bit and we have seen a flurry of transfer activity during June with teams like Aston Villa, Man Utd, West Ham and Wolves moving on their transfer targets.
This is just the start, so it’s best to keep track odds and changes on the 888sport mobile betting app alongside other news or football betting apps.
Let’s peel back the headlines and take a closer look…
Aston Villa Have Been Busy
Aston Villa have been busy in the transfer market as they aim to hold their own on their return to the Premier League.
Many bookmakers have them picked as one of the favourites to be relegated but The Villans are an ambitious lot and the board have backed Dean Smith’s vision for the future.
Fans can take heart from last season’s efforts when they snuck into the top tier through the play-offs and with the right signings there’s no reason why they can’t perform above expectations, especially in the first half of the campaign.
One of the first names to arrive at Villa Park this summer was former Birmingham attacker Jota who penned a two-year deal, joining forces with Dean Smith who he worked with at Brentford.
The Spaniard was one of the standout performers for Birmingham last season and his form caught the eye of Smith who believes he deserves a step up and will be of use this year.
Brazilian Striker Has Fans Excited
The 28-year-old is certainly no stranger to English football and will be keen to hit the ground running with his new employers. This looks a fairly safe investment by the Villa manager who knows exactly what he’s getting with Jota and obviously trusts the player.
The step up in class from Championship to Premier League is huge, it’ll be interesting to see how he copes.
Jota’s arrival has been backed up by the signings of 24-year-old Dutch international winger Anwar El Ghazi from Lille, London born defender Kortney Hause who was bought for £3m from Wolves following a successful load spell, and Wesley Moraes.
The latter is a 6ft 3inch Brazilian striker who has already got fans talking. The 22-year-old played 107 times for Club Brugge, scoring more than 30 goals and all eyes will be on him when Villa get started against Tottenham in London.
The signings made so far suggest Dean Smith aims to go on the attack this season, but what do 888Sport traders make of the club’s chances of survival.
The betting suggests they have taken up position on the fence, offering an eye-catching 9/2 for a top 10 finish. Relegation is seen as a more likely outcome and punters will find plenty of 2/1 around.
The Pressure's On Solskjaer
Moving from a side expected to spend much of the season at the wrong end of the table to one struggling under the weight of expectation. This is a vitally important campaign for Manchester United and manager Ole Gunnar Solkskjaer.
The former Red Devils player was brought in to replace Jose Mourinho in the second half of last season and made a blistering start.
The gaffer instantly transformed the fortunes of his side, pushing them into contention for a top four finish, but they staggered across the finish line, ending down in sixth.
Missing out on the riches of Champions League football was a real body blow for a club with United’s outgoings and although in an ideal world the young manager would be given the kind of time afforded to Sir Alex Ferguson in the early part of his career, it’s just not a luxury that can be spared in modern football.
Ole’s side must show serious improvement on last season, either by finishing in the top four of the Premier League or following Chelsea’s example and winning the Europa League.
There’s money available to spend as the Old Trafford board understand the team needs to be strengthened in just about every department but Solskjaer hasn’t been as active in the transfer window so far as fans would’ve hoped.
With Chelsea in turmoil at the minute, losing both Eden Hazard and Mauricio Sarri, there’s an opportunity for United to take the bull by the horns and really push for a top four finish in the coming months.
A convincing summer is needed, and they must follow that with a strong start to the season.
Welsh Wonderkid's In Town
Daniel James was brought in from Swansea and that’s seen as a decent move, although it has done little to excite fans, especially casual followers.
The 21-year-old winger has been capped at every level for Wales from U17s through to the senior squad and was one of the standouts during what was a poor season for The Swans last time.
£12m has been sunk into this transfer and that will only increase expectations on the young man who will be asked to get his new employers up the park, quickly turning defence into attack.
A lot of weight to place on the newbie’s shoulders but Solskjaer has shown faith in his abilities and the player will be keen to repay that. If James can catch the eye of his boss, there’s every chance he’ll be handed a starting roll against Chelsea on 11 August.
A decent enough start from the club but they will have to spend big in the coming weeks if they are to dampen the growing unrest amongst supporters.
Manchester United have been written off as 25/1 no hopers with 888Sport to win the Premier League and that looks about fair, although there will be interest in that quote from the value hunters amongst us.
A top four finish would do for the Red Devils board and that has been chalked up as an even money shot.
Wan-Bissaka Arrives In Big Money Deal
21-year-old right back Aaron Wan-Bissaka arrived at Old Trafford from Crystal Palace in a deal thought to be worth in the region of £50m.
It has been reported that the England U21 international will scoop a staggering £80,000 per week and it was a move that caught may off guard.
Fresh from his efforts at the U21 European Championships, Wan Bissaka wants to continue the form that saw him catch the eye last season.
It’s already apparent Solskjaer is targeting young, hungry players who want to make a name for themselves at one of the biggest clubs in the world.
Pellegrini Targets Europe For Hammers
The winds of change are blowing through Stratford as West Ham are challenged with improving on last season’s mid-table finish.
The Hammers ended 10th last term and that went down as a decent effort following a poor start, but more is expected of a side with a fantastic new stadium and money to spend.
A return to Europe is long overdue and regulars at the former Olympic Stadium are beginning to demand a return on their investment.
There hasn’t been an awful lot for the claret and blue faithful to cheer in recent years, but Manuel Pellegrini is hoping he’s the man to change all that. The jury is still out on the former Man City manager and he’ll be judged on how his side fair this term.
West Ham are ringing the changes, showing many of their misfiring stars the door while bringing in reinforcements in an attempt to freshen things up and change the mentality in the dressing room.
There’s something in the east London air that tells us merely competing at the top level won’t be enough anymore. The club must move towards European football and go deep in the two cup competitions.
Easier said than done in a Premier League that seems to get more competitive in every department year on year.
A big ask but there’s nothing to say West Ham can’t drive at the top eight and ask questions of the likes of Everton and Wolves who finished just a few points ahead of them last time.
Fornals Will Do His Talking On The Pitch
Pellegrini unveiled Pablo Fornals and although the 23-year-old Spaniard didn’t immediately set pulses racing when his £24m transfer from Villarreal was confirmed, the attacking midfielder does boast a couple of caps for Spain and that doesn’t come cheaply.
Not a household name just yet, Fornals will be confident in his ability to let football do the talking and if he can help get his new employers higher up the park and on the front foot, he’ll have the fans chanting his name in no time.
Fornals was a product of the Malaga youth system, coming through the ranks at La Rosaleda where he scored seven goals in almost 60 appearances.
His fearless attitude and attacking style of play caught the eye of Villarreal who took advantage of a 12m Euros buyout clause in the youngster’s contract.
It proved a shrewd move as he went on to play 70 times for The Yellow Submarine, both in La Liga and in Europe, as well as featuring for The Red Fury at U21 and senior level.
Pablo is a player who loves to get forward with the ball at his feet and he’s one that’ll entertain the crowds, dragging supporters up out of their seats.
How much of a difference will he make to this West Ham side? There’s a decent 13/10 available at 888sport on them matching the efforts of last season and finishing in the top 10, 14/1 they end in the best half dozen.
The former is sure to be popular, especially with punters building accumulators.
Hungry Like The Wolves
Wolverhampton Wanderers upset the expectations of many when finishing seventh last season and sealing Europa League qualification.
It was better than fans dared to dream this time last year, but it was a deserved achievement thanks to a record of 16 wins, nine draws and 13 defeats.
Manager Nuno Espirito Santo will now enjoy the backing of the board as he aims to build a squad capable of handling the intense schedule that comes with campaigning on the continent.
Raul Jiminez isn’t exactly a fresh face at the Molineux as the 28-year-old Mexican striker played 38 times for the club while on loan from Benfica, but the move has been made permanent and that will only help settle the scorer.
He seems to be enjoying his football in England, chipping in with 13 goals and his recent form has also earned him a regular slot in the Mexican attack. Jiminez will be key to any success Wolves have in 2020.
Matching the levels of last season is going to be a big ask for Wolves but traders are in no rush to write them off, having had their fingers burnt last season.
Improvement to a top six finish has been priced at 9/2, a top four unlikely at a market best price of 16/1 with 888sport. Holding their ground and ending in the top 10 seems much more likely and can be backed at 2/5.
*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*
