⚽ Premier League 2025/2026 Discussion Thread ⚽

[Amphenomenon]

Chelsea will just focus on the premier league next season without playing champions league or Europa League competition. Let just see what xabi Alonso will be cooking after the World Cup is over.

Playing in the Premier League nest season will have Chelsea to focus more on building the team and try to concentrate more on the league since they will not be busy with other strong competition like the champions League. They will focus on trying their best to see if they can win the league next season, the world cup is already on and the players are trying their best for their different countries if Chelsea manages to sign more good players in the team they could end up bouncing back to the strong team they have always been.

I don't really consider this as an advantage, looking at how Manchester United were going until they got Michael Carrick as manager.

While there might be an advantage we need to be more focused on how to get better players and seriously get a good replacement for Cucurella build a team structure, hopefully Xabi Alonso is allowed to handle his role.

[DYOR+BTC]

Man United have released a statement that Marcus Rashford is available for sale for £40 million (~$54m) but not to Liverpool or City, which Man United consider to be their archrivals.
So looks like Rashford is unlikely to be back to play for his old team. The club want him gone and he himself has said that he's not keen on returning to the Premier League. I think the price is reasonable enough to attract buyers, but the main problem could be Rashford's current salary. He is said to make £325,000 ($436,500) a week, so not many clubs will be able and ready to match that. That's probably one of the reasons Man United don't want to keep him. The media are saying that Michael Carrick is a fan of Rashford but he doesn't have the final say.
The other factor for selling him is that Man United are trying to start a new era and build something new from scratch. Taking back a former star doesn't fit into that vision.

Even if Marcus Rashford is to be sold i don't think that condition excluding Liverpool and Manchester city is a good option as i in particular dislike that decision. In as much as football is concerned all teams may likely buy players from each other, so if there is any player willing to leave i don't think it is advisable to prevent him from going to any team of his choice.  As for him staying at Manchester United, I don't think it is of any importance because there is no position left vacant for now that he can fit in because Manchester United have excellent players that can fit in to all those positions.

[Chilwell]

This Cucurella's departure is definitely gonna have an effect on the Chelsea team because he's currently one of the best player for now if not the best, I don't blame him anyway, because no player will be that good and be happy to miss UEFA Champions League football, now I believe Chelsea fans has now realized that the world champions alone can't keep players in a team that doesn't qualify for any European competitions, and now that Cucurella has left the team, I still believe Manny more will leave now what will then become of them?

Xabi Alonso will be in trouble without Cucurella's in the left wing. They produce so much depth for that's left wing. I don't how xabi Alonso can manage that's wing without Cucurella's. 50 million is good price tag Chelsea got money but how they replace the Cucurella's place. O didn't see any good Leftback at the moment only alphonso Davis is perfect for replacement but Bayern can't sell him at the moment.  Maybe xabi Alonso can think about Premier league Leftback. Which have some kinda experience of PL. But wait until transfer window officially began and how xabi can do in this window to replace Cucurella's

We should not judge early because without Cucurella chelsea will Survive especially now that Xavi Alonso has arrived they must definitely find a replacement. I don't consider Chelsea's management to be a fool I'm taking decision to sell Cucurella to the Real Madrid, just as you said 50 million is a good price and they are so confidence that the replacement will be done with ease. Xavi Alonso have is own choice of players too which I believe he will like to bring in some players that he trust and can recover fast with Chelsea.

[LUCKMCFLY]

Chelsea will just focus on the premier league next season without playing champions league or Europa League competition. Let just see what xabi Alonso will be cooking after the World Cup is over.

This is one of the things that excites me the most, because things are very different now for Chelsea. I think Xabi Alonso is one of the main attractions that the new seasons in European football will have. There are many changes that have taken place, I think the whole global sphere will now be much more attentive to these matches, to the leagues, everything. This is getting exciting and spreading. Now the Premier League will have another bit of spice: Chelsea with a new coach, City with a new coach.

[rachael9385]

This is one of the things that excites me the most, because things are very different now for Chelsea. I think Xabi Alonso is one of the main attractions that the new seasons in European football will have. There are many changes that have taken place, I think the whole global sphere will now be much more attentive to these matches, to the leagues, everything. This is getting exciting and spreading. Now the Premier League will have another bit of spice: Chelsea with a new coach, City with a new coach.

Chelsea has been in a bad form and football fans cannot wait to see the changes that the new manager of the club would bring. Xabi Alonso is a great coach and due to how Chelsea have become so low he seems to be stepping into the spotlight because a lot of attention is going to be on the changes he would be able to make and I don't think that he is going to disappoint.

[Nheer]

We should not judge early because without Cucurella chelsea will Survive especially now that Xavi Alonso has arrived they must definitely find a replacement. I don't consider Chelsea's management to be a fool I'm taking decision to sell Cucurella to the Real Madrid, just as you said 50 million is a good price and they are so confidence that the replacement will be done with ease. Xavi Alonso have is own choice of players too which I believe he will like to bring in some players that he trust and can recover fast with Chelsea.

No matter how good and useful a player is to a team there is always a new alternative, a new replacement sometimes are even capable to out perform the old player. In football there is always a replacement for any player it might only take time. Cucurella is not a player that can never be replaced, he did well for Chelsea but since he decided to leave we have no choice but to look for other players to replace him.

It's a good thing that Chelsea have a new coach Xabi Alonso, I believe he is aware of Cucurella leaving and have a plan to find a better replacement that will suit his style even better. I am not worried much, I just want to trust the coach to build a very strong competitive team.

[Lembo69]

Chelsea will just focus on the premier league next season without playing champions league or Europa League competition. Let just see what xabi Alonso will be cooking after the World Cup is over.

This is one of the things that excites me the most, because things are very different now for Chelsea. I think Xabi Alonso is one of the main attractions that the new seasons in European football will have. There are many changes that have taken place, I think the whole global sphere will now be much more attentive to these matches, to the leagues, everything. This is getting exciting and spreading. Now the Premier League will have another bit of spice: Chelsea with a new coach, City with a new coach.

I think Chelsea will come back stronger and they will do better than before, because now they will have new players, and they will be busy training for next season and trying to make their team stronger. Just like when a new coach joins a team, it takes time for the players to understand the coach, it also takes time for the new players to adapt. Football is more exciting when you can see the unity of all the players in your team.

[BRINIRHA]

We should not judge early because without Cucurella chelsea will Survive especially now that Xavi Xabi Alonso has arrived they must definitely find a replacement. I don't consider Chelsea's management to be a fool I'm taking decision to sell Cucurella to the Real Madrid, just as you said 50 million is a good price and they are so confidence that the replacement will be done with ease. Xavi Xabi Alonso have is own choice of players too which I believe he will like to bring in some players that he trust and can recover fast with Chelsea.

Just to set the record straight because people always confuse Xabi with Xavi when they are two different coaches.

Returning to the original topic, Chelsea are currently reshuffling not only for player problems but also coaches and I agree even though Chelsea are currently without Cucurella but indeed when the decision is taken then they now have to look for options to close the gap on the left side of the defense.
Right now it's a bit quiet on the transfer front for Chelsea but with the current state of affairs it's likely they will bring in new players in the Xabi era.
Currently there are some players like Adrien Truffert, Grimaldo and even Rayan Ait Nouri who are rumored to replace Cucurella at the Chelsea left-back position but until now it is still a rumor and it is still unclear maybe Chelsea wants to wait for the world cup to be over before they move in the club reshuffle.

[SUPERSAIAN]

Chelsea will just focus on the premier league next season without playing champions league or Europa League competition. Let just see what xabi Alonso will be cooking after the World Cup is over.

Playing in the Premier League nest season will have Chelsea to focus more on building the team and try to concentrate more on the league since they will not be busy with other strong competition like the champions League. They will focus on trying their best to see if they can win the league next season, the world cup is already on and the players are trying their best for their different countries if Chelsea manages to sign more good players in the team they could end up bouncing back to the strong team they have always been.

I don't really consider this as an advantage, looking at how Manchester United were going until they got Michael Carrick as manager.

While there might be an advantage we need to be more focused on how to get better players and seriously get a good replacement for Cucurella build a team structure, hopefully Xabi Alonso is allowed to handle his role.

I don't think Xabi Alonso was that bad at Real Madrid. Real Madrid's current problem stems from the current squad. It will be difficult for the new manager to change this. Chelsea aren't in the Champions League, but they've brought in a good manager. With a few good transfers, they could really make good progress in the league. A good team structure is essential for that.

[KingsDen]

This team has started to decline, especially after the departure of Harry Kane and Son Heung-min. Then they were unable to find replacements for these two players, maybe they lacked the effort. Even the current team does not have the depth to compete in the Premier League. If they want to do well in the Premier League again, they must buy the necessary players. The Premier League is getting stronger by the day, so they must also increase their strength regularly.

I'm glad to see that someone has realised that Tottenham's problem is the lack of good replacement for their departed talents. Last season they changed managers frequently thinking that they had managerial issues, not knowing that they lacked the quality players they needed.

The right manager that I think fit Tottenham was Thomas Frank, he is a good and experienced manager. He failed in Tottenham because of he lacked the key players he needed, and the few he managed, most of them went out for long injury break, this caused the team so many damage.

I am sure that Spurs can now fix the problem, and sign good and experienced forwards for next season's campaign, they now have a good and experienced manager as well, so no excuses this season.

[dezoel]

Besides additional players, I also see the quality of the coach as crucial. If Tottenham wants to avoid two disastrous seasons, they must find an experienced coach.
The team overhaul must be carried out effectively because the competition next season will be much tougher, and relying solely on great and skilled players won't be enough. If the coach doesn't have the ability to see the quality of his players, even great players will seem useless.
Last season, Tottenham managed to escape the relegation zone, and this is an example of how this team must be thoroughly evaluated to avoid the same mistakes as last season.

I think they did. They have De Zerbi who helped them stay in the league at the last games, and it showed that he could do fine if he managed the team long term. Let me put it this way, he did 1.86 averages on the team since he took over.

If you calculate that for the league and assume he would do that averages for 34 games, that would come down to 71 points give or take. That is good enough for 3rd or 4th place. I am not saying that's what they are going to do, but that is what the end looked like for them, so I think he is a fine manager for them.

[Amphenomenon]

I don't really consider this as an advantage, looking at how Manchester United were going until they got Michael Carrick as manager.

While there might be an advantage we need to be more focused on how to get better players and seriously get a good replacement for Cucurella build a team structure, hopefully Xabi Alonso is allowed to handle his role.

I don't think Xabi Alonso was that bad at Real Madrid. Real Madrid's current problem stems from the current squad. It will be difficult for the new manager to change this. Chelsea aren't in the Champions League, but they've brought in a good manager. With a few good transfers, they could really make good progress in the league. A good team structure is essential for that.

I didn't mean Xabi Alonso was bad at Real Madrid rather I was speaking of the Chelsea management structure where the coaches doesn't have a say in the club overall and this has been the issue that have made some of the few good managers leaving after a season+ or so.

Now we are in a more difficult position, we are really concerned on how well we perform the finance is telling and if we don't get to winning trophies we only become mediocre and lost more key players and continue our down state.

[snipie]

Even if Marcus Rashford is to be sold i don't think that condition excluding Liverpool and Manchester city is a good option as i in particular dislike that decision. In as much as football is concerned all teams may likely buy players from each other, so if there is any player willing to leave i don't think it is advisable to prevent him from going to any team of his choice.  As for him staying at Manchester United, I don't think it is of any importance because there is no position left vacant for now that he can fit in because Manchester United have excellent players that can fit in to all those positions.

I think it is normal to see a team selling a good player that they don't him anymore for a financial reason or he doesn't fit with the strategy of the team anymore or to avoid conflicts inside the team... So avoid selling for their rivals is a message that this player could make a difference in serious games and can boost the attack line of their opponents. Manchester United isn't worrying from a game or two but from the level of Manchester City and Liverpool.

[Not your key not your BTC]

Another transfer is done by Tottenham! De Zerbi wanted the defender van Hecke from Brighton and they bought him right away for £52m.

https://x.com/FabrizioRomano/status/2066932361866969202

How do you see this deal? He had a quite decent season there. De Zerbi also worked with him at Brighton of course.

That must be one of the reasons he wanted to see him in his new team. Tottenham really need a huge upgrade in their defense...

It seems Tottenham is truly committed to making major changes to improve their performance next season. That’s why they’ve been so active in the transfer market this time around. Signing van Hecke is a smart move, as Tottenham’s defense has indeed been very fragile. De Zerbi recognizes van Hecke’s potential, and he’s expected to strengthen Tottenham’s defense even further by forming a strong partnership with Romero.

[Chilwell]

Another transfer is done by Tottenham! De Zerbi wanted the defender van Hecke from Brighton and they bought him right away for £52m.

https://x.com/FabrizioRomano/status/2066932361866969202

How do you see this deal? He had a quite decent season there. De Zerbi also worked with him at Brighton of course.

That must be one of the reasons he wanted to see him in his new team. Tottenham really need a huge upgrade in their defense...

It seems Tottenham is truly committed to making major changes to improve their performance next season. That’s why they’ve been so active in the transfer market this time around. Signing van Hecke is a smart move, as Tottenham’s defense has indeed been very fragile. De Zerbi recognizes van Hecke’s potential, and he’s expected to strengthen Tottenham’s defense even further by forming a strong partnership with Romero.

It is very necessary for them to be active in the transfer market because already they have seen how they narrowly survive to be named among the team that will be playing Premier League next season, I'm quite impressed with the performance of their new coach which I'm beginning to have confidence in him because he's able to make Tottenham appear in the Premier League next season. I don't consider total to be Ableton team and I'm so confident that they will improve because I think by now they might have learned their mistakes.

[LUCKMCFLY]

Chelsea has been in a bad form and football fans cannot wait to see the changes that the new manager of the club would bring. Xabi Alonso is a great coach and due to how Chelsea have become so low he seems to be stepping into the spotlight because a lot of attention is going to be on the changes he would be able to make and I don't think that he is going to disappoint.

Xabi is doing the hard work of an ant, building a great team with what they have. They also need to know that their left-back is gone, and Cucurella is set to play for Real Madrid. Now they have to think about other players to replace him and build the team as he's already planning.

The important thing is that if things go as Xabi intends, he'll do well. I believe in Xabi's potential.

[IceLincoln]

Man United have released a statement that Marcus Rashford is available for sale for £40 million (~$54m) but not to Liverpool or City, which Man United consider to be their archrivals.
So looks like Rashford is unlikely to be back to play for his old team. The club want him gone and he himself has said that he's not keen on returning to the Premier League. I think the price is reasonable enough to attract buyers, but the main problem could be Rashford's current salary. He is said to make £325,000 ($436,500) a week, so not many clubs will be able and ready to match that. That's probably one of the reasons Man United don't want to keep him. The media are saying that Michael Carrick is a fan of Rashford but he doesn't have the final say.
The other factor for selling him is that Man United are trying to start a new era and build something new from scratch. Taking back a former star doesn't fit into that vision.

Even if Marcus Rashford is to be sold i don't think that condition excluding Liverpool and Manchester city is a good option as i in particular dislike that decision. In as much as football is concerned all teams may likely buy players from each other, so if there is any player willing to leave i don't think it is advisable to prevent him from going to any team of his choice.  As for him staying at Manchester United, I don't think it is of any importance because there is no position left vacant for now that he can fit in because Manchester United have excellent players that can fit in to all those positions.

I think Manchester United just want to offload Marcus Rashford, at the moment I don’t think there are many wingers currently at Manchester United who are better than him, it’s just the bad blood or whatever that is between them.
The decision to not sell to Liverpool or Manchester City is left for United board whatever we might feel has nothing to do with it.

[Jewan420]

Chelsea has been in a bad form and football fans cannot wait to see the changes that the new manager of the club would bring. Xabi Alonso is a great coach and due to how Chelsea have become so low he seems to be stepping into the spotlight because a lot of attention is going to be on the changes he would be able to make and I don't think that he is going to disappoint.

Xabi is doing the hard work of an ant, building a great team with what they have. They also need to know that their left-back is gone, and Cucurella is set to play for Real Madrid. Now they have to think about other players to replace him and build the team as he's already planning.

The important thing is that if things go as Xabi intends, he'll do well. I believe in Xabi's potential.

Xabi Alonso became known to me when he beat Bayern Munich to win the Bundesliga. It was a historic victory for him, a bigger achievement than winning the Champions League. The reason is that he did not have a team capable of winning the Bundesliga, but he made that impossible possible through his hard work. They not only won the title, but dominated the whole season. He is a hardworking and talented coach.

If he gets the chance to work independently at Chelsea, I believe he will definitely do something great in the Premier League. I do not expect them to win the Premier League, but rather to have a good position. If he can keep Chelsea in the top 6 next season, that will be a great achievement for him. Because the Premier League is very competitive, it is very difficult for a new coach to win this title.

[Odusko]

Chelsea has been in a bad form and football fans cannot wait to see the changes that the new manager of the club would bring. Xabi Alonso is a great coach and due to how Chelsea have become so low he seems to be stepping into the spotlight because a lot of attention is going to be on the changes he would be able to make and I don't think that he is going to disappoint.

Xabi is doing the hard work of an ant, building a great team with what they have. They also need to know that their left-back is gone, and Cucurella is set to play for Real Madrid. Now they have to think about other players to replace him and build the team as he's already planning.

The important thing is that if things go as Xabi intends, he'll do well. I believe in Xabi's potential.

Let’s not jump to conclusions yet about Xabi Alonso’s role next season, because if his contract fails to be renewed and he moves to another club, Chelsea will then have to start all over again to build their team structure  under a new coach. The unstable use of coaches at Chelsea has been a major cause of the club’s past underperformance; Chelsea could repeat the same poor performance this season as well if they fail to retain Xabi for another season, and it could continue into the next season if the club does not get things right.

[Nightwatchmare]

Man United have released a statement that Marcus Rashford is available for sale for £40 million (~$54m) but not to Liverpool or City, which Man United consider to be their archrivals.
So looks like Rashford is unlikely to be back to play for his old team. The club want him gone and he himself has said that he's not keen on returning to the Premier League. I think the price is reasonable enough to attract buyers, but the main problem could be Rashford's current salary. He is said to make £325,000 ($436,500) a week, so not many clubs will be able and ready to match that. That's probably one of the reasons Man United don't want to keep him. The media are saying that Michael Carrick is a fan of Rashford but he doesn't have the final say.
The other factor for selling him is that Man United are trying to start a new era and build something new from scratch. Taking back a former star doesn't fit into that vision.

Even if Marcus Rashford is to be sold i don't think that condition excluding Liverpool and Manchester city is a good option as i in particular dislike that decision. In as much as football is concerned all teams may likely buy players from each other, so if there is any player willing to leave i don't think it is advisable to prevent him from going to any team of his choice.  As for him staying at Manchester United, I don't think it is of any importance because there is no position left vacant for now that he can fit in because Manchester United have excellent players that can fit in to all those positions.

Manchester United took the decision not to sell Marcus Rashford to Liverpool and Manchester United because these two clubs are their rivals and they do not want Marcus Rashford to hurt them in the future, plenty of clubs do this and it is not a new thing in football, so you should stop blaming Manchester United for putting such condition on Marcus Rashford transfer. If no club signs Marcus Rashford this season and he remains at Manchester United, i think there is vacant for him at Manchester United even with the excellent players that can fit in to his position because Michael Carrick wants to keep him.