SPORT | Football
Following lavish spending spree, English Premier League season begins today
London, Aug. 11: Fuelled by an historically lavish spending spree, the Premier League returned on Friday when Arsenal host Leicester in the opening game of the hotlyanticipated new season.
Taking advantage of astronomical broadcast contracts and lucrative sponsorship deals, England’s superpowers have been splashing the cash at an unprecedented rate.
Since the end of last season, transfer records have been shattered across the country as over one billion pounds has changed hands in a frenzy that could well set a new high for a single window.
While some fear the spending is unsustainable and will put clubs’ longterm stability at risk, the 25th year of the Premier League era should deliver a title race more fiercely contested than ever.
Desperate to dethrone champions Chelsea, club record fees have been paid by Manchester United, who splurged a British record £75 million for Everton striker Romelu Lukaku, Arsenal, who forked out £52 million on Lyon forward Alexandre Lacazette and Liverpool, who put down £37 million for Roma winger Mohamed Salah.
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola set the tone with a series of early deals that took his spending in this window to an eye-watering £218 million.
Frustrated by City’s failings in his trophyless first season in England, Guardiola has overhauled his squad with defenders Kyle Walker, Benjamin Mendy and Danilo, plus goalkeeper Ederson and playmaker Bernardo Silva.
Guardiola’s old rival Jose Mourinho hasn’t been shy about raiding the United coffers, with the Lukaku swoop headlining a £140 million spree that also brought Benfica defender Victor Lindelof and Chelsea midfielder Nemanja Matic to Old Trafford.
Mourinho won the league in his second seasons at Porto, Real Madrid and Inter Milan, as well as in both of his stints at Chelsea, but he expects this season’s title race to be an almighty scrap.
The no limits spending of Chelsea’s title rivals prompted a tetchy response from Stamford Bridge, where boss Antonio Conte has been grumbling about his club’s failure to land Lukaku and several other targets.
Even so, Conte has done his best to get billionaire Blues owner Roman Abramovich to throw his financial muscle behind Chelsea’s title defence.
A club record £58 million lured Real Madrid forward Alvaro Morata from the European champions, while Tiemoue Bakayoko and Antonio Rudiger also joined Chelsea, whose spending climbed over £130 million.
Arsene Wenger brokered a fragile truce with Arsenal’s dissenting fans by winning the FA Cup last season, but the Gunners boss has no margin for error after going 13 years without EPL glory.
The bulk of the opening weekend’s fixtures will be played on Saturday and Sunday, with Chelsea starting at home to Burnley.
City travel to new-boys Brighton, back in the top tier after a 34-year absence, while United host West Ham.
Liverpool, trying to fend off Barcelona’s interest in £100 million-rated forward Philippe Coutinho, are at Watford. Despite finishing second last season, Tottenham, who face promoted Newcastle on Sunday, have boldly abstained from the spending and are yet to make a single signing. — AFP