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The top Premier League sides are all bolstering their ranks ahead of what's expected to be an extremely competitive 2022-23 season. Manchester City and Liverpool took the 2021-22 Premier League title race down to the wire and the former ultimately clinched it by one point on the final day of the season.
Manchester City have now won the Premier League title in four out of the last five campaigns. Liverpool beat them to it in the 2019-20 season. Meanwhile, former juggernauts Manchester United and Arsenal have failed to qualify for the Champions League this term.
But given the unpredictable nature of the Premier League, anything could happen once the ball starts rolling in the English top flight in August. Without further ado, let's take a look at the top five favorites to win the Premier League title next season.
#5 Manchester United
Will the Erik ten Hag revolution work out at Manchester United? Could he turn them into Premier League champions in his first season as manager? It looks highly unlikely but we're definitely hoping to see an improved United side this season.
They were awful to watch last season but are attempting to do a major squad overhaul this summer. The likes of Paul Pogba, Jesse Lingard, Edinson Cavani, Nemanja Matic and Juan Mata, among others, will leave the club this month.
The Red Devils are looking to sign Frenkie de Jong, according to Fabrizio Romano. If they could land another quality midfielder, centre-back and a couple of full-backs, they will have a team that can play some good football. But the chances of Manchester United winning the Premier League title this term are rather slim.
#4 Chelsea
Chelsea are under new ownership now and will be looking to improve on their 2021-22 campaign. The Blues started last season off on a bright note but were far too inconsistent in the second half of the season.
They have an excess of attacking wealth with Conor Gallagher set to return to the club after his excellent loan spell with Crystal Palace. But Thomas Tuchel will be hoping to rope in a more reliable goalscorer than Romelu Lukaku this summer.
Lukaku has been linked with a return to Inter Milan. According to Gianluca Di Marzio (via SempreInter), Inter Milan could swoop in for the Belgian striker this summer. Chelsea are likely to let go of him after he proved to be a poor fit for them over the course of the 2021-22 season.
Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen will be sorely missed but the Blues will be hoping to bring reinforcements to their backline ahead of the new eason. Chelsea are looking to sign Jules Kounde, as per Marca.
As things stand, they are not quite prepared or well-rounded to go toe-to-toe with the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool in a title race.
#3 Tottenham Hotspur
Antonio Conte led Tottenham Hotspur to Champions League qualification in his first season in charge of the North London outfit. He is expected to do even better in his first full season as their manager. They've added Ivan Perisic to the squad and Spurs are starting to look like a very strong unit.
Harry Kane and Son Heung-min will be their main men once again and the duo signed off on the 2021-22 season on a high. According to The Times, Spurs have now agreed a £25 million fee with Brighton & Hove Albion for midfielder Yves Bissouma.
Spurs could really breach their ceiling under Conte's tutelage next season and give Liverpool and Manchester City a run for their money.
#2 Liverpool
Liverpool were quite phenomenal in the 2021-22 season. They won the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup. The Merseysiders finished just a single point behind Manchester City in the Premier League title race. They also lost to Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League final.
Liverpool have an incredible squad but are likely to be without Sadio Mane next term. The Senegal international is close to joining Bayern Munich, as per Fabrizio Romano. But the Merseysiders have already agreed a deal worth £85 million to sign Darwin Nunez from Benfica to fill the gap Mane might leave.
Liverpool have plenty of quality all over the pitch and are likely to have yet another stellar season. But pipping an even stronger Manchester City to the league title next season is going to prove to be an arduous task.
#1 Manchester City
Manchester City won the Premier League title in the 2021-22 season without an out-and-out striker. They have signed Erling Haaland this summer. If that isn't enough, young Argentinian striker Julian Alvarez will also be at the club next term.
That ought to tell you pretty much everything you need to know about City's chances of winning the league title again next season.
Pep Guardiola has outfoxed his peers time and again and with most of his players firing on all cylinders, his mind must be at ease ahead of the new campaign. City will have their minds on bigger things like bringing home that elusive Champions League trophy this term.
