⚽ Premier League 2025/2026 Discussion Thread ⚽

[Oluwa-btc]

How can Arne Slot assure Ekitiké that?    The guy literally just arrived at the team, man. If Isak also arrives soon there won't be any difference between them. They should be treated the same.

I just hope the manager handles the situation well. While you have 2 expensive strikers in your squad, you might need to make some changes. Or you will just give them equal amount of time to play.

It breaks my heart to see and read on here from football fans that they think a mental monster like Viktor Gyökeres will struggle with the physicality of the Premier League Competition but a player like Ekitike who's skinny would thrive? One of the delusional takes I will never fall for.
And as for Isak and Ekitike,  one is experienced in the league and also a potential Darwin Nunez replacement, while the other a Diogo Jota replacement and needs time to fit in.

[Amphenomenon]

Luiz Diaz transfer is similar to that of Sadio Mane but i just hope he'll succeed more at Bayern Munich than Mane, Sadie Mane was a very good player at Liverpool but I don't know why Klopp chose to sell him, similar situation with Diaz he's a wonderful player but maybe there's something missing in him that Slot demands.

 Anyways, Isak would be a good replacement for Diaz, he's a good baller, has eyes for goal and he's versatile, the transfer won't be difficult for Liverpool cause he's Premier league proven and would easily blend in with his teammates, Liverpool are lucky that he really wants to Switch from Newcastle to their team so negotiating with Isaks agent won't be a tough one.

Sadio Mane issue was different, while Luis Diaz is good Mane contribution was greater and I guess he wanted the recognition he deserves since Salah often gets the spotlight.

I think Diaz wanted the move and since the beginning of the transfer window Bayern Munich has been on him and him also wants the move maybe because of a more gaming time and building a better name for himself.

[coinlocket$]

weren't we supposed to know the penalty for Manchester city before the start of the next season?
We are 2 weeks away and nothing coming out for a potential penalty?

Have I missed something or have they decided to give no penalties to them?

[Derekfunds]

The odds for next season winner are:

Liverpool: 2.80
Arsenal: 3.25
Manchester City: 4.00

These are top favourites and I must admit I'm surprised with one thing. Arsenal are favoured more than Manchester City.    It's interesting when you consider how many times Manchester City won the league title in the recent years.

I believe Liverpool will be even a bigger favourite than ever after the recent transfers. It'll be hard to compete with them. As for betting, I thought of going for a fun bet.  

The number of times Manchester city won the premier league recently doesn't really matter, just that Manchester city have developed and there performance has been improved to the point that even at their worst stage they will still do better more than any other team. Arsenal has signed a lot of amazing players and people have been talking about striker I believe they have signed a strike now and so we will see whether it was striker that was making them not to win the premier league or not, they are underrating Chelsea so much not a Chelsea fan though but I will be happy if Chelsea prove everyone wrong just like they did in club world cup.

[Hyphen(-)]

The odds for next season winner are:

Liverpool: 2.80
Arsenal: 3.25
Manchester City: 4.00

These are top favourites and I must admit I'm surprised with one thing. Arsenal are favoured more than Manchester City.    It's interesting when you consider how many times Manchester City won the league title in the recent years.

I believe Liverpool will be even a bigger favourite than ever after the recent transfers. It'll be hard to compete with them. As for betting, I thought of going for a fun bet.  

What do you expect? Do you want Manchester City and Chelsea to be favoured over Arsenal? I guess thats what you are willing to see 

I am even surprised to see Liverpool favoured ahead of Arsenal, even though I tend to agree because they are the defending champions, but based on performance, squad depth, and new signings, I don't think any team should come above Arsenal in the Premier League title expectations of next season.

However, we are almost there; let's wait and see how every team performs. My main concern is the top four because I am very sure the race will not be funny because all the big six teams are ready for next season, and the likes of Newcastle United, Aston Villa, and others are also there to put in extra effort to make the top four again next season. Because of this, I must keep saying that the Premier League is the most competitive league in the whole world because we can't find such tight competition in any league across Europe.

[Adbitco]

Newcastle at this point knows the desire of the player that he only wants Liverpool, Making it obvious to them and that is why he didn’t travel with the Newcastle squad to their pre season tour, But right now I think Newcastle wants to get in a replacement for him before they will be able to sanction and entertain any offer on the table, they are well aware of the desire of the player, no team would want to keep a player that is unhappy in the squad, so as soon as they are able to bring in a replacement a deal will be finalized with Liverpool, I don’t think Liverpool needed to sell Luis Diaz the player himself wanted to go and try new challenges which I think it was because of his desire to be offered more sustainable contract and wage, He wanted more money and Bayern offered what Liverpool couldn’t afford to offer him.

They are seriously looking for his replacement presently, they had talks with Sesko of Leipzig, good a thing the player wants to leave and Leipzig is very willing to sell him as well. For now, I haven't heard anything from the personal talks between Newcastle representatives and Sesko but I believe they have met and once an agreement is reached they will announce it. But the problem here is the price tag Newcastle set on Isak, £150 million, that's huge, that amount might really be a hindrance to Liverpool because presently, they have spent a lot already in this window.

[boltz]

The odds for next season winner are:

Liverpool: 2.80
Arsenal: 3.25
Manchester City: 4.00

These are top favourites and I must admit I'm surprised with one thing. Arsenal are favoured more than Manchester City.    It's interesting when you consider how many times Manchester City won the league title in the recent years.

I believe Liverpool will be even a bigger favourite than ever after the recent transfers. It'll be hard to compete with them. As for betting, I thought of going for a fun bet.  

What do you expect? Do you want Manchester City and Chelsea to be favoured over Arsenal? I guess thats what you are willing to see 

I am even surprised to see Liverpool favoured ahead of Arsenal, even though I tend to agree because they are the defending champions, but based on performance, squad depth, and new signings, I don't think any team should come above Arsenal in the Premier League title expectations of next season.

However, we are almost there; let's wait and see how every team performs. My main concern is the top four because I am very sure the race will not be funny because all the big six teams are ready for next season, and the likes of Newcastle United, Aston Villa, and others are also there to put in extra effort to make the top four again next season. Because of this, I must keep saying that the Premier League is the most competitive league in the whole world because we can't find such tight competition in any league across Europe.

Same here as I think Arsenal has the strongest team this year and the only thing that kept Liverpool favors is their status as Champions because otherwise I'm sure Arsenal would have been favorites but can we trust them ? they tend to fumble at the end but I really hope they win this year.

Yep , all eyes on Villa for sure! They have such a great team , great coach and has a spectacular last year in both EPL and UCL and this year they will surely fight for top 4-5. However , I'm now so sure about Newcastle because we expect much from them for almost 3 years now and they only delivered in one + League Cup 2025 against Liverpool.

[Akbarkoe]

Newcastle at this point knows the desire of the player that he only wants Liverpool, Making it obvious to them and that is why he didn’t travel with the Newcastle squad to their pre season tour, But right now I think Newcastle wants to get in a replacement for him before they will be able to sanction and entertain any offer on the table, they are well aware of the desire of the player, no team would want to keep a player that is unhappy in the squad, so as soon as they are able to bring in a replacement a deal will be finalized with Liverpool, I don’t think Liverpool needed to sell Luis Diaz the player himself wanted to go and try new challenges which I think it was because of his desire to be offered more sustainable contract and wage, He wanted more money and Bayern offered what Liverpool couldn’t afford to offer him.

Well, we'll see if the player actually left Newcastle United for Liverpool or if it's just a rumor. Alexander Isak's arrival would certainly be a strong addition to their attack, but I suspect this Liverpool rumor is simply part of the player's strategy to secure a higher salary at Newcastle. It's quite clear that after the rumors of Alexander Isak's move to Liverpool became quite intense, and Newcastle continued to try to retain him, the player immediately asked Newcastle for a pay rise.

Sunderland so serious in preparing their club for the upcoming season. I can't hardly believe they spare 140 millions alone this summer. I'm wondering from what what they get so much money to strengthen their club. They're just getting promoted to the EPL recently, but spend like they were one of top clubs in EPL.
It's also crazy to see them spare millions for a few 30+ years old players. Only hope all of money they wasted will help them to stay in PL.

I've personally been quite surprised by Sunderland's improved performance in the summer transfer window. As you mentioned, they seem to have big plans for this season. They don't want to just qualify for the top flight and then be relegated again. They want to stay in the top flight for next season.

And according to several news articles I've read, the funds they've raised to strengthen their squad come from broadcast rights, player sales, and, of course, a cash injection from the club's owners. The sale of Jobe Bellingham to Borussia Dortmund has been a significant boon for the club.

[TelolettOm]

Well, we'll see if the player actually left Newcastle United for Liverpool or if it's just a rumor. Alexander Isak's arrival would certainly be a strong addition to their attack, but I suspect this Liverpool rumor is simply part of the player's strategy to secure a higher salary at Newcastle. It's quite clear that after the rumors of Alexander Isak's move to Liverpool became quite intense, and Newcastle continued to try to retain him, the player immediately asked Newcastle for a pay rise.

Newcastle is indeed very concerned about one of its key players, as Alexander Isak has clearly expressed his desire to leave Liverpool. It's just a matter of whether the club is willing to let Isak go and wait for the right offer.

However, Newcastle must find several top players to replace their key players who are leaving the club this time. Clearly, no decision has been made regarding Isak's departure; they are still waiting for Newcastle to open up that opportunity, and that is leaning towards Liverpool.

[Oluwa-btc]

In the first round, Man United beat West Ham 2-1, while Bournemouth defeated Everton 3-0.
The next round will be played on Wed/Thu next week, and the final round on Sunday, 3rd August.

The second round has just come to an end with Manchester United winning in a fine style. I have seen improvements from the last game against West Ham United. This is the exact squad from last season without Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo and they've executed how the manager wants to player quite well. I see he is excited with the improvements. Everton on the other side got leapfrogged by West Ham United, which leaves Manchester United on top of this standing.

[abhiseshakana]

Well, we'll see if the player actually left Newcastle United for Liverpool or if it's just a rumor. Alexander Isak's arrival would certainly be a strong addition to their attack, but I suspect this Liverpool rumor is simply part of the player's strategy to secure a higher salary at Newcastle. It's quite clear that after the rumors of Alexander Isak's move to Liverpool became quite intense, and Newcastle continued to try to retain him, the player immediately asked Newcastle for a pay rise.

Newcastle is indeed very concerned about one of its key players, as Alexander Isak has clearly expressed his desire to leave Liverpool. It's just a matter of whether the club is willing to let Isak go and wait for the right offer.

However, Newcastle must find several top players to replace their key players who are leaving the club this time. Clearly, no decision has been made regarding Isak's departure; they are still waiting for Newcastle to open up that opportunity, and that is leaning towards Liverpool.

It seems there have been personal talks between Alexander Isak and Liverpool, and the two may already have an agreement. So it just has to wait for an answer from Newcastle, whether Isak will be released or not. On the other hand, Newcastle are currently being linked with Benjamin Sesko, and I think this will have something to do with Isak's future. If Newcastle manages to land Sesko, it is highly likely that Isak will be allowed to join Liverpool.

Alexander Isak is a reliable striker who already has a lot of experience in the Premier League, so if he joins Liverpool, he will most likely become a starter in the front line, with Hugo Ekitike as his back-up.

[Jostern]

Luiz Diaz transfer is similar to that of Sadio Mane but i just hope he'll succeed more at Bayern Munich than Mane, Sadie Mane was a very good player at Liverpool but I don't know why Klopp chose to sell him, similar situation with Diaz he's a wonderful player but maybe there's something missing in him that Slot demands.

 Anyways, Isak would be a good replacement for Diaz, he's a good baller, has eyes for goal and he's versatile, the transfer won't be difficult for Liverpool cause he's Premier league proven and would easily blend in with his teammates, Liverpool are lucky that he really wants to Switch from Newcastle to their team so negotiating with Isaks agent won't be a tough one.

Sadio Mane issue was different, while Luis Diaz is good Mane contribution was greater and I guess he wanted the recognition he deserves since Salah often gets the spotlight.

I think Diaz wanted the move and since the beginning of the transfer window Bayern Munich has been on him and him also wants the move maybe because of a more gaming time and building a better name for himself.

There is absolutely big difference between Sadio Mane situation with that of Luis Diaz, Sadio Mane won everything and he wasn’t offered a new contract which will definitely be to increase his wage but the club wasn’t ready to do that because they already offered Salah a huge contract, and Mane was asking for 200k a week and the club wasn’t ready to give him that amount so he has to look for a move to Bayern Munich who was ready to offer him that wage,

Now in the case of Luis Diaz, it was also about the wage, it will be surprising to so many people that Luis Diaz is one of the lowest earners in Liverpool squad with a wage of 55k on weekly basis, that was what was pushing him to leave, Liverpool was ready to offer him a contract but not as much as what Bayern Munich was offering 260k on weekly basis, so I think it was all because of the wage considering his age he wanted more and Bayern Munich gave him what he wanted. So I don’t think it was about playing time. And he also wanted a new experience and change of environment.

Liverpool themselves also got a good deal for his age, so they have to move on and they will definitely get a replacement for him. So we can say it was all about the wage bill.

[Xcode7]

The Luis Díaz deal is complete. 4-year deal signed with Bayern Munich. Now we are all looking for what Liverpool will do next. I think it'll be a move to sign Isak most probably. Now they've more sources to bring him easier.

Isak wants only Liverpool and Liverpool has been the longest admirer of him especially since his moved to Newcastle and how well he has performed.

This deal of Luiz Diaz which is still a good bargain for them will definitely fuel their long term admirer. This is making things easier for them to get a potential replacement for Salah although not ignoring the risks and competition here.

Is the plan to replace Luis Diaz with Isak worth it? However, I regret Luiz Diaz's departure, especially since he has contributed greatly to Liverpool so far. While Isak has indeed had an impressive performance with Newcastle, there is no guarantee that he will be able to show the same performance for Liverpool.

[Barikui1]

The Luis Díaz deal is complete. 4-year deal signed with Bayern Munich. Now we are all looking for what Liverpool will do next. I think it'll be a move to sign Isak most probably. Now they've more sources to bring him easier.

Isak wants only Liverpool and Liverpool has been the longest admirer of him especially since his moved to Newcastle and how well he has performed.

This deal of Luiz Diaz which is still a good bargain for them will definitely fuel their long term admirer. This is making things easier for them to get a potential replacement for Salah although not ignoring the risks and competition here.

Is the plan to replace Luis Diaz with Isak worth it? However, I regret Luiz Diaz's departure, especially since he has contributed greatly to Liverpool so far. While Isak has indeed had an impressive performance with Newcastle, there is no guarantee that he will be able to show the same performance for Liverpool.

Am still surprised by the departure of Luiz Diaz because I thought it was just a common speculation, I never knew that their is more to it than I imagined, but this is a very big lose to Liverpool because the threat and quality he brings to this Liverpool team is very obvious, but replacing him with isak is not ideal in my own opinion because he is more of a winger, while isak is more of an attacker, so when talking on replacing him, I don't think it's the ideal choice.
If they are buying isak to replace the late diogo jota, it's good in my own opinion, but signing isak to replace Luiz Diaz is not a good deal in my own opinion because it should be like for likes, so Liverpool needs to sign a winger that can replace Luiz Diaz even though they get isak, so that no void will be left open.

[JeffBrad12]

I wanna try to highlight MU's result against AFC. They won with massive score. Their midfield played differently in this game. They move faster, and also pretty good response from them to move fast upfront. They're quite aggressive in attack, and doing well in defence.
This gives all of their fans optimistic to face the next season. They look like build a respectable team. However, i don't wanna to conclude if they have improved because it's friendly game.

That's interesting to see how good they are against Arsenal soon. If they can do the same to the Arsenal. They won't he finished at the half bottom next season.

[knowngunman]

Is the plan to replace Luis Diaz with Isak worth it? However, I regret Luiz Diaz's departure, especially since he has contributed greatly to Liverpool so far. While Isak has indeed had an impressive performance with Newcastle, there is no guarantee that he will be able to show the same performance for Liverpool.

Whether it worth it or not, nothing can be done about it again as Diaz deal is already completed. Messi contributed a lot to Barcelona but it doesn't prevent his departure.
If you are a Liverpool fan, you just have to be optimistic about Isak if they are able to get deal done. Isak is a promising player and still young to offer his best.
Considering the amount involved in his transfer, I won't expect less from him if the deal is done. What matter the most is for coach to know how to make use of the available players.

[MK-74]

The Luis Díaz deal is complete. 4-year deal signed with Bayern Munich. Now we are all looking for what Liverpool will do next. I think it'll be a move to sign Isak most probably. Now they've more sources to bring him easier.

Isak wants only Liverpool and Liverpool has been the longest admirer of him especially since his moved to Newcastle and how well he has performed.

This deal of Luiz Diaz which is still a good bargain for them will definitely fuel their long term admirer. This is making things easier for them to get a potential replacement for Salah although not ignoring the risks and competition here.

Is the plan to replace Luis Diaz with Isak worth it? However, I regret Luiz Diaz's departure, especially since he has contributed greatly to Liverpool so far. While Isak has indeed had an impressive performance with Newcastle, there is no guarantee that he will be able to show the same performance for Liverpool.

If Isak comes to Liverpool, I think it will be worth sending Luis Diaz away.
This year, Liverpool has really made a serious push and built an amazing squad.
Liverpool has already added Hugo Ekitike and Florian Wirtz to its roster, and if they also sign Isak, we might have the chance to watch a very strong Liverpool this season. If Arne Slot can manage the team well, I think they could win the league title this year as well.

[Velvet78]

After Luis Díaz's departure, Liverpool still has a LW in the squad. Cody Gakpo is ready for duty.    However the potential problem is going to start when he gets injured...

In that case who is going to replace him? I think Liverpool should sign a LW as well. It doesn't have to be a sensational signing honestly. They will already have Salah, Isak, Ekitiké and more...

[sana54210]

While I agree that Isak would of course be a great transfer, didn't they just got a striker? What are they planning on doing? Like they are trying to play with two strikers instead? Lets be real, Ekitike is a striker, he can not play at left win, and Isak is a striker too, he can't play at left wing. They lost a left winger, and didn't get a replacement so far.

This means, having no left wingers and two strikers would be a weird formation issue for them. They can try any tactic they want, but they are not going to get that much out of this. I know for a fact that they will try to do two strikers in that case, but even then, who would be on the left side? Are they moving to 3-5-2 or something? Cause that would be a trouble.

[Volgastallion]

Well this is a good news for the accountability team in Liverpool FC  , i mean for sure they were waiting to some fresh money coming from some departures and this Luis Diaz sells for 70 millions brings some fresh air after spending a ton of money in this transfermarket.

I dont know how is gonna end this changes for the team, i mean they lost two key players like Jota and Diaz, the new ones needs to do pretty good.