It isn't a complete surprise to see Manchester City installed once again as the prohibitive favorite to win the English Premier League title this coming season. In recent years, they have lorded it over the competition domestically, winning the Premier League crown in three of the last four seasons.
They were unstoppable last season, winning the league by 12 points over crosstown rivals Manchester United. The Citizens were the complete package last campaign, leading the league in goals scored (83) and conceding the fewest number of goals (32). Ederson was exceptional in the Manchester City defense, recording a league-high 19 clean sheets.
Grealish further bolsters an already formidable City lineup
To make matters worse for the opposition, Manchester City has decided to bolster their title-winning side, which only lost Sergio Aguero this past offseason. The Citizens signed English star Jack Grealish from Aston Villa in a blockbuster $138 million transfer, the biggest fee spent by a British club in history.
The Citizens are not done with their shopping spree as they are also targeting Tottenham's Harry Kane, with reports surfacing that they are ready to increase their offer to a record $175 million to secure the services of the English captain.
Manchester City isn't the only one strengthening their side for the upcoming campaign. Manchester United also bolstered its attack, signing Jadon Sancho from Borussia Dortmund in a $100 million deal that ended a long transfer saga between the two clubs.
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Sancho and Lukaku make United and Chelsea title contenders
It will be Sancho's second rodeo in the English Premier League, having played for Manchester City in the earlier parts of his career. He turned down a deal to stay with City in 2017, opting to go to Dortmund instead. Sancho flourished during his stint in Germany, compiling 49 goals and 63 assists across all competitions for Borussia Dortmund.
The Red Devils need Sancho to hit the ground running as Marcus Rashford will miss the start of the season after undergoing shoulder surgery. He is expected to miss the first two months of the season, a huge blow for United as Rashford made 36 goal contributions last campaign.
Another team that is eager to wrest the title away from Manchester City is Chelsea. The Blues are coming off a highly successful 2020-21 season, winning the Champions League title against all odds in a nervy final over City and salvaging a fourth-place finish in the Premier League after a slow start last campaign.
They have strengthened their attack for the upcoming season, signing the returning Romelu Lukaku from Inter Milan in a deal worth $135 million, a new club record. Lukaku scored 24 goals in Serie A's last campaign, helping Inter Milan win their first Scudetto title in 11 years as they finally ended Juventus' impressive nine-year reign as champions in the Italian top flight.
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