Last month, Manchester City announced that Pep Guardiola will take charge at the Etihad after the European Championship in France. Manchester United and Chelsea are yet to lift the lid over the managerial situation at their respective clubs. Here are a few of my predictions for the 2016/2017 season:
Managerial changes
Louis van Gaal’s reign at Old Trafford will end prematurely as Jose Mourinho is currently waiting on the sideline for one of the biggest jobs in world football. At this point, Mourinho to United seems inevitable. The Portuguese manager will surely love the challenge of competing against the likes of Klopp, Wenger, Pochettino, Ranieri and his old nemesis Pep Guardiola. The former Chelsea manager will also have a point to prove to his former team, which allegedly didn’t perform for him in the first half of this season, which eventually led to his departure from Stamford Bridge. Arguably, it will be the biggest test of his trophy-laden career as the 53-year-old will have to clean up the mess at Manchester United, and he would be expected to take them to the familiar heights which they were used to. Mourinho will also be compared to United’s legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson, and many will expect him to fill the Scot’s big shoes.
Antonio Conte might also join the Premier League, and his next destination could be the West London club, Chelsea. The Italian coach will guide the Italian national team in France this summer. The 46-year-old won three successive Serie A titles with Juventus before deciding to manage the Azzurri. Conte has also revealed that he would return to club football after the Euros.
Rafa Benitez might replace Gary Neville from the helm at Valencia. The former Liverpool and Napoli boss won two La Liga titles with the Mestalla-based outfit, and he will be a perfect fit for the club.
Gary Neville and Ryan Giggs might take on the helm of the smaller teams in the English top flight. There is also a very good chance that David Moyes and Brendan Rodgers may make a comeback to the Premier League next term.
Player transfers
On all the previous occasions, Cristiano Ronaldo has stated that he would like to retire at Real Madrid. However, Los Blancos will look to cash out on the three-time Ballon d’Or winner this summer. The Portuguese skipper is still one of the best players in the world, but the Spanish giants will want to build the team around someone other than the aging legend. Paris Saint Germain have shown interest to sign the former Manchester United winger, and they will definitely try to bring him to Parc des Princes if he becomes available. Florentino Perez might also attempt to replace Karim Benzema with Bayern Munich’s Robert Lewandowski. Aubameyang is also believed to be on Madrid’s radar, but it seems a bit less likely.
Ronaldo’s transfer to PSG might result in Ibrahimovic’s offloading. Jose Mourinho will be keen to bring the Swedish legend to Old Trafford in order to partner him with Wayne Rooney in the attack for the 20-time English champions. Juan Mata might return to Valencia as Mourinho doesn’t see a spot for a ‘luxury’ player in his line-ups.
Benzema can finally join the Gunners in the summer transfer window but it is very difficult to say as all the top clubs including Bayern Munich, and Manchester United would be interested to sign the Frenchman.
Paul Pogba might finally leave Turin for the Catalan giants Barcelona this summer. The talented midfielder might also join Guardiola at City if the La Liga champions don’t pursue the Juventus star. The 2015 Champions League winners are currently in a financial trouble, and it is believed that they might even need to sell a star player to ease the pressure.
Only time will tell how the leagues and teams shape up next season. But one thing is for sure that there will be a lot to look forward to. Leave us your opinions and predictions in the comments section below.