Football Opinion & Analysis

SEASON PREVIEW 2026-27  •  TRANSFERS  •  PREDICTIONS

Wednesday July 22, 2026 • Season Preview • All The Major Leagues

Spain have been world champions for less than three days and the transfer window is already making noise loud enough to drown out the celebrations. Pep Guardiola has gone. Jose Mourinho is back at Real Madrid. Xabi Alonso is at Chelsea and has just signed Morgan Rogers for £117 million, the most expensive British player in history. Michael Carrick has a permanent contract at Manchester United. Anthony Gordon is at Barcelona. Bernardo Silva is at Real Madrid. And we are barely into July. Let me go through all of it, league by league, transfer by transfer, and tell you what I actually think is going to happen this season.

By The MatchdayPundit Wednesday, July 22, 2026 • 2026-27 Season Preview

The summer after a World Cup is always the most chaotic transfer window in football. Players whose value has skyrocketed because of extraordinary tournament performances suddenly have queues of clubs at their agents’ doors. Managers who lost their jobs are looking for new opportunities. Clubs whose star players went to the tournament and performed brilliantly now face the uncomfortable reality of keeping those players when the offers come. And this summer, all of that is happening simultaneously, in a market already transformed by the departures of some of the biggest managerial names of the last decade. Pep Guardiola after 10 years at Manchester City. Arne Slot dismissed after two seasons at Liverpool, having won the Premier League in his first and collapsed in his second. Xabi Alonso heading to Chelsea rather than the clubs his reputation might have suggested. The 2026-27 season is going to look very different from anything we have seen in a long time. Here is what I think about all of it.

The Premier League, Five New Managers, Arsenal Defending.

Premier League 2026-27

Starts August 22 • Defending Champions: Arsenal

SEASON STARTS AUG 22

Arsenal are the defending Premier League champions, and Mikel Arteta, who has now been in charge at the Emirates since December 2019, enters this season as the longest-serving manager in the division. That combination of continuity and quality should make Arsenal favourites heading in, particularly given the extraordinary upheaval that has hit almost every club around them. Four of the traditional big six are starting with completely new managers. Chelsea have Xabi Alonso. Manchester City have Enzo Maresca. Liverpool have Andoni Iraola. Manchester United have Michael Carrick on a permanent basis after his caretaker period earlier this calendar year. And Tottenham have Roberto De Zerbi.

ARSENAL

Mikel Arteta

Continues • In charge since Dec 2019 • Longest-serving PL manager

CHELSEA

Xabi Alonso

New • 4-year contract from July 1 • Former Leverkusen and Real Madrid

MANCHESTER CITY

Enzo Maresca

New • Replacing Pep Guardiola after 10-year reign

LIVERPOOL

Andoni Iraola

New • Replacing Arne Slot who was dismissed

MANCHESTER UNITED

Michael Carrick

Permanent • Guided United into Champions League from January

TOTTENHAM

Roberto De Zerbi

Continues, Guided Spurs to safety on final day last season

I want to spend a moment on each of these because every appointment tells a different story. Xabi Alonso at Chelsea is the headline of the summer and has now been backed with a signing that has sent shockwaves through the entire Premier League. Morgan Rogers, the 23-year-old England international attacking midfielder who played a central role in England’s World Cup run to third place, has officially joined Chelsea from Aston Villa for a staggering £117 million, on a contract through 2032. That fee surpasses the £116 million Manchester City paid for Elliot Anderson earlier in the same window to make Rogers not only the new British transfer record holder but also the fifth most expensive player in the history of world football. Alonso personally convinced Rogers to choose Chelsea over Arsenal, who were also interested, and the message that sends is unambiguous. This is not a rebuild. This is a statement of intent. Rogers arrives having contributed 40 goals in 85 Premier League appearances for Aston Villa and brings exactly the kind of dynamic, creative energy in the number ten role that Alonso’s system is designed to unlock. Alonso began his coaching career at Real Sociedad B before spending two and a half extraordinary years at Bayer Leverkusen, where he delivered an unbeaten Bundesliga title in 2023-24 that ended Bayern Munich’s dominance. He is 44 years old, tactically sophisticated, and one of the most exciting managers in European football. With Rogers now in his squad, I think Chelsea are the most dangerous dark horse for the title this season.

Enzo Maresca at Manchester City is the most consequential managerial appointment in the Premier League this summer. He is replacing the greatest Premier League manager of the modern era after a decade during which Guardiola won six Premier League titles. The pressure on Maresca is significant, and the squad he inherits, while still excellent, lost Bernardo Silva to Real Madrid on a free transfer while gaining Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest for £116 million, initially announced as a British record before Rogers’s £117 million deal to Chelsea surpassed it days later. Maresca walks into a squad that has Erling Haaland under contract until 2034, Rodri fresh from winning the World Cup Golden Ball with Spain, and now Anderson as the cornerstone of a midfield rebuilt in Guardiola’s absence. Whether Maresca can harness all of that quality is the question that will define this season at the Etihad.

Michael Carrick at Manchester United is the story I am most personally invested in. He was appointed as caretaker in January, guided United into the Champions League, and has been rewarded with the permanent job. He is the seventh permanent appointment since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013, which tells you everything about the instability that has defined this club for over a decade. What Carrick has that his predecessors did not, at least at the point of their appointments, is the trust of the players and a squad he selected himself for much of the second half of the season. Manchester United’s transfer activity this summer has been mixed: they signed Youri Tielemans from Aston Villa by activating his release clause, brought in Ederson from Atalanta for £38 million, and completed the signing of Andrey Santos from Chelsea for £50 million. They missed out on Elliot Anderson, Sandro Tonali who went to Spurs for £100 million, and Mateus Fernandes who also went to Spurs. The midfield rebuild is happening, but slowly, and in a summer where their direct rivals have moved faster.

MANCHESTER UNITED CONFIRMED SIGNINGS

• Youri Tielemans (from Aston Villa, release clause activated, 5-year contract)
• Ederson (from Atalanta, £38 million, 4-year deal plus option)
• Andrey Santos (from Chelsea, £50 million, 5-year contract)

MANCHESTER UNITED NOTABLE EXITS

• Casemiro (departed)
• Manuel Ugarte (injured, future uncertain)

CHELSEA CONFIRMED SIGNINGS

• Morgan Rogers (from Aston Villa, £117 million, contract through 2032)

CHELSEA NOTABLE EXITS

• Marc Cucurella (to Real Madrid, confirmed)
• Andrey Santos (to Manchester United, £50 million)

Tottenham under Roberto De Zerbi have had a busy summer despite the manager’s difficult first season that ended with a final-day survival. They have signed Sandro Tonali from Newcastle for £100 million, Mateus Fernandes from West Ham, Jan Paul van Hecke from Brighton, Andy Robertson for defensive cover, and the key signing from the World Cup in the context of English football, Elliot Anderson, going to City rather than Spurs as they had hoped. De Zerbi has a completely different squad from the one he inherited and this season represents his first real opportunity to put his own stamp on the club from day one. If the quality of the signings translates into performance on the pitch, Spurs could surprise people this season. I genuinely believe they are capable of top four.

“Guardiola is gone. Slot was dismissed. Alonso is at Chelsea with the most expensive British player in history. Carrick has a permanent contract. Arteta is the only survivor of the old guard. This Premier League season will feel completely different.”

My Premier League Title Prediction: Arsenal to retain, but Chelsea under Alonso with Morgan Rogers are the most dangerous challenger this division has seen from Stamford Bridge in years. The £117 million signing of Rogers sends a message that Chelsea are back. Arsenal’s continuity and depth remain their biggest advantage. City with Haaland and Anderson are never to be dismissed. United are building steadily under Carrick. Watch for: Tottenham with Tonali, Fernandes and Van Hecke as the most improved squad on paper heading into August.

La Liga. Barcelona vs Mourinho’s Real Madrid. This Is Going to Be Fun.

La Liga 2026-27

Starts August 15 • Defending Champions: Barcelona (back-to-back)

SEASON STARTS AUG 15

Barcelona won the La Liga title for the second consecutive year in 2025-26, securing their 29th championship with three games to spare following a 2-0 win in El Clasico against Real Madrid in May. Hansi Flick’s side have been the dominant force in Spanish football for two years and they arrive at this new season with the aim of becoming only the fourth team in La Liga history to win three consecutive titles. They are now chasing Atletico Madrid (three in a row between 1950 and 1951), Real Madrid (five in a row between 1961 and 1965), and Barcelona themselves (three in a row between 2009 and 2011). The historical company is illustrious. The challenge is considerable.

Barcelona’s summer business has been headlined by the most eye-catching signing of the entire transfer window so far. Anthony Gordon, the Newcastle United winger who was one of England’s best performers in their World Cup run to third place, has signed for Barcelona for an initial £69 million with up to £8.6 million in add-ons, committing to a five-year contract. At his presentation, Gordon spoke Spanish and told reporters he had always wanted to join Barca, calling it the biggest club on the planet. They also brought back Joao Cancelo from Al-Hilal for just €10 million, a significant piece of business given the Portuguese full-back’s quality at his best. The departure of Robert Lewandowski, whose contract has expired after four seasons and 120 goals from 193 games for the club, leaves a significant hole up front that Barcelona have not yet publicly addressed with a specific replacement. That is the most important transfer they still need to complete before September 1.

BARCELONA CONFIRMED SIGNINGS

• Anthony Gordon (from Newcastle United, £69m + £8.6m add-ons, 5-year contract)
• Joao Cancelo (from Al-Hilal, €10 million)

BARCELONA NOTABLE EXITS

• Robert Lewandowski (contract expired, 120 goals in 193 games)
• Ansu Fati (Monaco option triggered, £11 million permanent)

Real Madrid, meanwhile, are in the middle of one of the most dramatic summer reinventions any major European club has attempted in recent years. After two consecutive seasons without a major trophy, with Barcelona winning La Liga both times, the club went through a chaotic managerial situation in 2025-26. Xabi Alonso was appointed to replace Carlo Ancelotti in June 2025, but was sacked in January 2026 after a 3-2 Supercopa defeat to Barcelona left them four points behind in La Liga after just eight months in charge. Alvaro Arbeloa, the former Real Madrid defender, stepped in as interim and stabilised the season without winning any silverware. After Florentino Perez’s re-election as club president, Jose Mourinho was confirmed as the new head coach on June 11, 2026, on a three-year deal running until June 30, 2029, replacing Arbeloa. Yes. That Jose Mourinho. The man who last managed Real Madrid between 2010 and 2013, winning a La Liga title, a Copa del Rey and a Spanish Supercup, and who most recently managed Benfica in Portugal before his €15 million release clause was triggered by Madrid. He begins his second spell at the Bernabeu on July 13, the first day of pre-season, with significantly more power over the transfer market than any of his recent predecessors, and the early signs of his influence are obvious in the profile of the players Madrid have signed.

Four confirmed signings so far. Marc Cucurella from Chelsea, who brings the kind of physical, aggressive defending that Mourinho’s teams are built on. Ibrahima Konate from Liverpool on a free transfer, a physically imposing centre-back who replaces the departed Dani Carvajal in the defensive overhaul. Bernardo Silva from Manchester City also on a free transfer, after his contract at the Etihad Stadium expired this summer, giving Madrid a creative, elegant midfielder who arrives fresh from being one of Spain’s most respected opponents during the World Cup. And Denzel Dumfries from Inter Milan, whose release clause Madrid activated, with the Dutch right-back signing a four-year contract to take on competition from Trent Alexander-Arnold for the right-back spot. Real Madrid’s total summer spending is already reported to have surpassed €100 million and the window is far from closed. Mourinho is calling the shots and the contrast with how previous managers were handled, with Carlo Ancelotti notoriously receiving little transfer support, could not be more stark.

REAL MADRID CONFIRMED SIGNINGS

• Marc Cucurella (from Chelsea, confirmed)
• Ibrahima Konate (from Liverpool, free transfer)
• Bernardo Silva (from Manchester City, free transfer)
• Denzel Dumfries (from Inter Milan, release clause activated, 4-year contract)

REAL MADRID NOTABLE EXITS

• Dani Carvajal (contract expired, 451 appearances, 4 La Liga titles, 6 Champions Leagues)

The first El Clasico of the season takes place at Camp Nou on October 25. Mourinho will be plotting how to stop a Barcelona side that has beaten Real Madrid consistently over the past two years. The return leg is at the Bernabeu on May 9. Between those two fixtures, Atletico Madrid under Diego Simeone remain a consistent third force, Villarreal under new manager Inigo Perez are aiming to build on a third-place finish last season, and Deportivo La Coruna return to the top flight after promotion from the Segunda Division.

My La Liga Title Prediction: Barcelona to win a third consecutive title, but this will be the most competitive La Liga season since the peak rivalry period of 2013-2016. Mourinho’s Madrid, if they can find a way to make their expensive new defensive additions work together quickly, will push Barcelona all the way. Atletico Madrid are a danger to both if either drops points in a cluster. First El Clasico on October 25 at Camp Nou will define the early title narrative.

The Bundesliga. Kane and Bayern Against Everyone. Again.

Bundesliga 2026-27

Starts August 28 • Defending Champions: Bayern Munich

SEASON STARTS AUG 28

Harry Kane scored 36 Bundesliga goals in 2025-26. Thirty-six. Bayern Munich won the Bundesliga title for the 34th time, with a 16-point gap over second-placed Borussia Dortmund. They also completed the German treble. This is the backdrop against which the 2026-27 Bundesliga campaign begins, and the honest answer to the question of who wins it is Bayern Munich, almost certainly, again. Vincent Kompany remains in charge. Kane, who is 32 years old and now in his third season in Germany, has signed a contract extension and shows absolutely no signs of the decline that was supposed to arrive by now. The Bundesliga season starts a week later than usual, on August 28, due to the conclusion of the World Cup in July. Bayern open at home to VfB Stuttgart.

The more interesting question for the Bundesliga is not who wins the title but who challenges most credibly. Bayer Leverkusen, who won that extraordinary unbeaten title in 2023-24 and then had a season of managerial chaos in 2025-26 that saw them finish sixth, are in the Europa League rather than the Champions League. Under Kasper Hjulmand, who stabilised the situation in the second half of last season, they are rebuilding. Borussia Dortmund, who finished second and returned to the Champions League, are the most realistic threat to Bayern’s dominance. RB Leipzig, who finished third, also remain in the mix. VfB Stuttgart, who finished fourth in a remarkable overperformance of their squad depth, will find it difficult to maintain that level over a second consecutive season but should not be dismissed. The Bundesliga remains the most watchable of the major European leagues in terms of pure goal output, averaging 3.24 goals per match in 2025-26, and the opening weekend, which includes Bayern vs Stuttgart and Dortmund’s Franz Beckenbauer Supercup against Bayern on August 22, sets the stage beautifully.

My Bundesliga Title Prediction: Bayern Munich for a 35th title, Kane for a third consecutive Golden Boot, and Borussia Dortmund as the side that pushes them closest. If Leverkusen can rediscover the collective spirit of 2023-24 under Hjulmand with a full pre-season together, they are the wildcard. But Bayern with Kane scoring 36 goals a season is simply too strong for any of the current alternatives. Bayern win it.

Ligue 1. Can Anyone Stop PSG? Probably Not. But Watch Paris FC.

Ligue 1 2026-27

Starts August 23 • Defending Champions: PSG (fifth consecutive title)

SEASON STARTS AUG 23

Paris Saint-Germain have now won five consecutive Ligue 1 titles. Their 14th French championship overall. Their dominance of French football is total and has been for the better part of a decade, and there is nothing on the immediate horizon that suggests the 2026-27 season will produce a different outcome. Goncalo Ramos finished the 2025-26 season as one of PSG’s most reliable attacking weapons after his World Cup final appearance for Portugal. The squad depth at PSG is such that even losing players in the summer rarely dents their competitive edge significantly.

The most interesting development in French football heading into this season is not at PSG but at Paris FC. The club, majority owned by France’s richest family, have spent over €65 million in this transfer window already, a level of investment that signals serious ambition from a newly promoted side. If that spending is wisely directed, Paris FC could disrupt the established hierarchy of Ligue 1 faster than anyone expects. Elsewhere, Marseille are in transition with Mason Greenwood reportedly nearing a move to Fenerbahce after Atletico Madrid dropped their pursuit, a significant potential departure for a club that has relied heavily on his contribution. Lens finished second in 2025-26 and will be in the Champions League, which adds fixture congestion but also signals their quality. Monaco, who were in the Conference League last season, now permanently own Ansu Fati after triggering a £11 million option, giving them a player with genuine top-level potential if he can finally find the consistency that has eluded him since his injury problems began at Barcelona.

Nantes and Metz were relegated. Troyes and Le Mans have been promoted to the top flight. The season begins on August 23.

My Ligue 1 Title Prediction: PSG for a sixth consecutive title. The gap between them and everyone else in France is simply too large to bridge in a single window. The more interesting races will be for second and third and the European qualification spots, where Lens, Lille, Monaco and an ambitious Paris FC will provide genuine competition throughout the season.

Players Who Could Still Move Before September 1

The transfer window does not close until September 1 and there is still considerable business left to be done. Here is where I think the most significant remaining moves will come from.

Julian Alvarez to Real Madrid?

Real Madrid bid €150 million for the Atletico Madrid and Argentina forward during Florentino Perez’s election campaign, promising a new Galactico signing. Atletico have rejected it and are insisting Alvarez is not for sale. Mourinho has reportedly identified him as a priority target. This one feels like it will go to the final days of the window if it happens at all. Atletico’s resolve has been tested. I do not think they sell.

Cristian Romero.

The Argentina centre-back, who was fundamental to their World Cup run and whose injury late in the Austria match caused real concern before he recovered to help carry Argentina to the final, is reportedly attracting interest from both Barcelona and Real Madrid. At 28 years old and coming off a career-defining tournament, his value has never been higher. Tottenham will not want to lose him but the pull of the two biggest clubs in Spain is enormous. This is a move to watch very closely before deadline day.

Lewandowski’s replacement at Barcelona.

This is the single most important piece of unfinished business in the entire summer window. Barcelona lost their starting centre-forward and have not yet confirmed his replacement. Reports link them with multiple targets but no deal is close as of today. If Hansi Flick goes into the season without a genuine number nine of Lewandowski’s quality, the absence of a world-class central striker will be the thing that costs them the title when it matters most in the spring.

Ferran Torres.

The Barcelona forward, who scored the World Cup winning goal against Argentina in the final just three days ago, is reportedly attracting interest from Napoli and other clubs now that his Barcelona contract situation has become uncertain. The irony of Torres potentially leaving the club whose colours he wore when he scored the most important goal in Spanish football for 16 years is the kind of thing this summer produces every year without fail. Watch this space.

The Final Word

The World Cup ended on Sunday night. Less than 72 hours later the transfer market is already reshaping European football at a pace that feels almost disrespectful to the tournament that just produced one of the great sporting summers of recent memory. But this is what football does. It moves. It never stops. Guardiola is gone. Mourinho is back. Alonso has arrived. Carrick is building something. And we are three days from the end of the most extraordinary 39 days of football any of us have watched in years.

The Premier League starts August 22. La Liga starts August 15. The Bundesliga starts August 28. Ligue 1 starts August 23. I will be watching all of it. And I suggest you do the same. After what we just witnessed in this World Cup, I am not prepared to miss a single minute of what comes next.

Matchday Pundit