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The teams outside the top 6 are investing a lot these days. There are a few Premier League teams this season which have a chance of having an outstanding season given the quality of the squad they have.
Here are five such teams:
Note: I am not considering Everton here as they regularly fight for a top 6 spot. I am also discarding Leicester and Burnley because the former have been consistent for the last two seasons and the latter managed to get a spot for the Europa League qualification round in the last season.
5. Newcastle United
Last season Newcastle finished 10th in the league, and they would like to improve upon that performance and fight for the top 6.
They had the 7th best defensive record in the league; Martin Dubravka and Jamaal Lascelles were outstanding. In attack, Ayoze Perez scored 8 goals while Dwight Gayle scored 6.
They have an experienced manager in Rafael Benitez who showed everyone how to play well with an average squad. Benitez has an excellent track record, having led Liverpool to Champions League glory in 2006. He could cause some upsets this season with his tactics.
Newcastle have already brought back Dubravka who was on loan, and Ki Sung-Yueng joined them for free from Swansea. The young Brazilian winger Kenedy joined them on loan and they signed Fabian Schar by triggering his release clause. Kenedy has pace and is a fine dribbler, and provides great attacking threat.
A majority of the team's core will continue this season, and they will thrive on their combination and coordination from the last season. Jonjo Shelvey will once again be a key man in their midfield, just like last season, and he has improved his defensive qualities a lot.
They have also signed Yoshinori Muto who will provide a great attacking partnership with Kenedy and Atsu.
4. Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace's turnaroud under Roy Hodgson was stunning, and they would like to replicate that form and fight for the top 6 this year.
The signing of goalkeeper Vicente Guaita was a great move by the team. James Tomkins would be a key figure for them too, giving them defensive stability along with Mamadou Sakho.
Patrick Van Anholt scored 5 goals last season despite being a defender. Luka Milivojevic was another important man in the midfield, scoring 10 goals.
That said, they have to rely on Christian Benteke for goals upfront. And they will be hoping for Wilfried Zaha to stay. He was outstanding last season, scoring 9 and assisting 3.
The experience of Roy Hodgson would be key to their fight. Zaha would once again be instrumental as all the attacks start through him. They will look to Milivojevic once again this season, and will hope for Van Aanholt to continue his last season's form.
Cheikhou Kouyate has been signed to fill the void left by the departing Yohan Cabaye, and will add value with his Premier League experience. They have also signed an exciting German prospect in Max Meyer who has a lot of potential; the Eagles would be hoping for a strong season from him.
They will surely be fighting for the Top 6 if they can avoid the horrible start to the last season.
3. Fulham
There have been many notable signings for Fulham in their fight for Premier League ascendancy. The most important of those has been Jean Michael Seri, who had a fantastic season for Nice and was a Barcelona target last summer. Seri's playmaking skills and his decent shot-taking abilities will be an important factor for them.
The arrival of goalkeeper Fabri will add Champions League experience to the team. They have also signed Maxime le Marchand to bolster the defense. Meanwhile, the loan signing of Andre Schurrle will add buoyancy to their attack, with striker Alexander Mitrovic being the spearhead.
Youngster Ryan Sessegnon will also be an important factor for them; the teenager scored 15 goals and assisted another 6 for them last season in the Championship. Sessegnon is very quick with or without the ball and he will create some problems for the opposition defense down the flanks.
It is difficult for a newly promoted team to fight for the top 6 in their very first season in the top flight, but Fulham has the quality to prove that wrong. They played free-flowing and attacking football last season, scoring 79 goals (second best) in the Championship.
2. Wolverhampton Wanderers
The Wolves would look to fight for the top 6, having had one of their best transfer windows in recent times.
They have signed experienced goalkeeper Rui Patricio who is an excellent shot-stopper. They have also brought in veteran midfielder Joao Moutinho from Monaco, whose partnership with Ruben Neves will be a key factor.
They have signed forwards Raul Jimenez and Diogo Jota, and brought in Jonny Castro on loan and Willy Boly permanently. They are likely to make a few more signings.
Neves will be their most important player, just as he was last season in the Championship. Boly would provide defensive solidity while young Jota could be a great attacking threat.
Wolves are one of the most technical teams in the Premier league this season. They have experienced manager Nuno Espirito Santo, and with their Portuguese core they are bound to cause some major upsets this season.
1. West Ham United
West Ham had a disappointing last season, and they will try to forget that and fight for the top 6. They have made a lot of signings this season already.
Experienced midfielder Jack Wilshere joined them for free. They have also added Ukranian winger Andriy Yarmolenko, Brazilian Felipe Anderson and goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski to their already excellent squad.
Yarmolenko and Anderson will play on the wings and would look to display their attacking skills down the flanks.
At the back, they have signed Issa Diop and Fabian Balbuena, who would provide stability to their leaky defense.
Manuel Lanzini, Marko Arnautovic and Javier Hernandez will have a key role to play in the Hammers' fight for the European spots. The team would depend greatly on Arnautovic, who provides pace and can cause enough problems for the opposition defenders.
They have an experienced manager in Manuel Pellegrini who has won the Premier League title in the past, with Manchester City. He has also managed to be in the top 4 twice, with teams like Villareal and Malaga, and would be hoping to repeat that feat with the Hammers.
