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#7 Leicester City | €450.50m
Brendan Rodgers' ambitious Foxes were one of the most impressive sides in the first half of the recently-concluded Premier League campaign. Leicester City were tipped for a competitive season, but they comfortably surpassed them and cemented third place from November until their post-lockdown run-in.
Leicester, unfortunately, suffered heartbreak on the final day of the season after losing at home to fellow UCL qualification contenders Manchester United. The 2015/16 Premier League winners looked nailed-on to play in Europe's elite competition next year, but will have to settle now for a spot in the Europa League.
Nonetheless, it still remains a great achievement from Rodgers' men, as they've qualified for just their second European campaign in the Premier League era. With Ben Chilwell expected to fetch them a British record fee, Leicester could come back even stronger next year and could potentially climb higher up the table.
#6 Arsenal | €576.85m
After a relatively weak start to the season for the Gunners, things went from bad to worse for Arsenal which subsequently lead to head coach Unai Emery getting the sack. However, since his successor and managerial debutant Mikel Arteta took over at the club, the London giants looked like a new team altogether.
The Spaniard, a former Arsenal legend, has instilled a sense of character and structural discipline into the side, having done a phenomenal job with the little time and resources on offer. Arteta guided Arsenal past his old club Manchester City, where he was an assistant manager, in the semi-final of the FA Cup. The Spaniard lifted the trophy after a victory against Chelsea — his first trophy in his half-a-year of senior management.
With rumours suggesting that they are set to be bolstered by the arrival of Willian and possibly even Philippe Coutinho, Arsenal are certainly a side to keep an eye on in the coming season.
#5 Tottenham Hotspur | €698.35m
Much like their North London rivals, Tottenham Hotspur have also undergone a transitional 2019/20 season. Former head coach Mauricio Pochettino, despite his commendable body of work at the helm of the club, was fired after a miserable run of games. Then-14th-placed Spurs then appointed former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho, whose damage control job was remarkable.
Despite not having the services of star men Harry Kane, Heung-Min Son, and club captain Hugo Lloris for extended spells, Mourinho's Spurs ended the season in sixth place, qualifying for the UEL. Their performances were dire and left a lot to be desired, but the Portuguese got the job done after Spurs' notably poor beginning to the campaign.
Although playing Europa League football is a significant downgrade for the 2019 UCL finalists, their recovery on the table despite torrid injuries was remarkable. They are rumoured to have already kicked off their summer spending, and could be in contention for a top-four finish in 2020/21.
#4 Manchester United | €763.68m
13-time Premier League champions Manchester United have endured a challenging eight years since the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson. The Red Devils have tried a host of different combinations of managers, transfer strategies, and other personnel to try and return to the summit of the top-flight. Although they haven't come close to winning the league let alone actually win it, Manchester United appear to be heading in the right direction under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
The Norwegian, a treble-winning legend with the club, has been immensely criticised for his side's lacklustre displays throughout his time at the helm, barring perhaps his caretaker-manager phase. However, since the turn of the year, they've turned it around to make up lost ground on a 14-point deficit to Leicester City's third place. The ended the campaign in third place, dethroning the Foxes with a win at the King Power on the final day.
With Solskjaer's men reportedly keen on acquiring Jadon Sancho and a host of other talents ahead of next year, Manchester United would hope to build on their third-place finish in 2019/20.
Also read: Premier League 2019/20: Individual stat leaders of the season
