RESULT! Alek’s still hopeful of City deal
– and will also have to work his socks off hanging on to the club’s assets as well, with his major rivals sniffing around his superstars.
The big worry for the Argentine is that having left White Hart Lane, Wembley will be Spurs’ home for the campaign – and it was not a happy one when they played their European games there last season.
The Emirates was not the cheeriest of places to be, either, for Arsene Wenger in a season of turmoil for the Arsenal boss.
The groundswell of opinion was he should have quit, with planes flying over stadia up and down the country trailing banners telling him where to go.
But Wenger survived and he can plunder up to £174m to build a new team and have the last laugh on the Gunners fans who thought he was a goner.
Over at Old Trafford, Jose Mourinho celebrated his first season in charge with a three-fingered salute after success in the Europa League, the EFL Cup and Community Shield.
Sixth place, though, fell below high expectations but signing a £30.7m cheque for Victor Lindelof is just the start as Mourinho bids to break into the top four.
And that leaves Liverpool as the last, but not least, of the super six.
Like Chelsea last season they had no European fixture pile-up and at new year looked a good bet for their first title since 1990.
They stumbled but boss Jurgen Klopp has dipped i nto the Anfield coffers to make sure t hey are up there again. Who will lift t he big trophy is anyone’s guess – but Kop hero Jamie Carragher claims City won’t have it all their own way.
He said: “We keep talking about the front three of Raheem Sterling, Leroy Sane and Gabriel Jesus – they are what Pep is about, small players with pace.
“It’s just whether t hey have t he power to win the title and the strength to last a full season.” Total Total Total ALEKSANDAR KOLAROV is keeping an open mind about whether he still has a future at Manchester City. The Serbia defender, 31, has entered the final year of his contract but has no intention of quitting The Etihad this summer. That is despite boss Pep Guardiola chasing the signatures of four new full-backs as he overhauls his squad for a run at the Premier League title. Kolarov joined City for £16million from Lazio in 2010 and was quoted in the Italian media last week saying he would like to return to the Rome-based club at some stage before his career comes to an end. The left-back is still hopeful he can earn himself a new deal under Guardiola but accepts his chances of playing regularly next term will be even more restricted, with Monaco’s Benjamin Mendy and Kyle Walker expected to arrive in the coming days. Guardiola was impressed by Kolarov last season in a left-sided central defensive role. He can talk to other clubs in January and will wait until then at least to make a decision.