There’s a question for you to ponder.
It’s something I’ve done myself over the past 24 hours and I’m still unsure of the answer.
Perhaps a bit of both is the best approach.
Certainly, two clubs went big AND early.
Manchester City, double cup winners and Premier League runners-up last term, wasted no time in acquiring the services of midfielder Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest for a fee reportedly in the region of £116 million.
Then there was Spurs. Not content with some smart free moves from Andy Robertson (Liverpool) and Marcos Senesi (Bournemouth), they splashed the cash like never before by pouncing for Sandro Tonali for Newcastle for around £100m and West Ham’s Mateus Fernandes for £85m.
Add in Brighton centre back, Jan Paul van Hecke, costing in the region of £50m, and you can see why there is no way they will even contemplate a repeat of last season’s scare which only saw then survive on the final day.
I’ve yet to study our SBOTOP Premier League 2026 betting odds but, realistically, I feel Spurs are more likely to challenge for the European places again next season, especially without any continental football to juggle and a much reduced schedule.
Certainly, Manchester United benefited from the scenario that once Michael Carrick arrived in post in January.
With a month to go until the opening weekend of the next campaign, there will no doubt be some big moves still to come.
This includes champions Arsenal who may well delve into the market after the news that centre back William Saliba faces an extended spell on the sidelines with a back injury sustained during the World Cup.
If the move for Tonali took me aback (and probably frustrated the hell out of Newcastle fans too) – just a mater of days after Fernandes had swapped east London for north – the announcement of Chelsea’s latest recruit was the one that really stopped me in my tracks.
There is no doubt Morgan Rogers is a super talent who may well prove good value (in football’s inflated market) for his £117m move from Aston Villa to Chelsea.
But what does that say about Villa?
Does it indicate that the team which finished fourth and won the Europa League need to bolster their finances or is it actually a shrewd move that can see them use the funds wisely and potentially reinvest in three or four signings?
No one would dispute the magic touch of Unai Emery since his arrival in the autumn of 2022.
More pertinently, what does it say about Chelsea and will they be able to avoid such a move not biting them in the realms of financial fair play?
It took a league-record £300m in player sales last season for Chelsea to comply with the top flight’s financial rules, which are set to move from a Financial Fair Play-based system to a squad cost ratio model this summer.
UEFA, however, represents the biggest obstacle to Chelsea’s continued spending after fining the club £26.7m for breaching its rules last summer (Villa were also fined, which perhaps explains their stance).
Perhaps Chelsea will now need further departures on the back of bidding farewell to Andrey Santos and Marc Cucurella. The club has recouped around £100m following their moves to United and Real Madrid respectively.
The west Londoners had supposedly been tracking Rogers for more than two years and had quietly made him their top attacking target, moving swiftly after England’s World Cup semi-final defeat at the hands of Argentina a week ago.
A player who contributed 14 goals and 12 assists in 55 appearances for Villa last season, his friendship with his new team-mate Cole Palmer is possibly a persuasive factor in the move.
Why else swap a club which has won silverware and qualified for the Champions League for a team which has no European action and ended up in 10th place.
New boss Xabi Alonso is also looking at securing the services of midfielder Alex Scott from Bournemouth if you believe what you read.
At the other end, Alejandro Garnacho is getting close to leaving Stamford Bridge for a loan at Aston Villa.
The young Argentine has not really had a manager to coax the best out of his talent since Erik ten Hag and Emery could well be the man to help him deliver Premier League 2026 highlights.
One young talent who seems certain not to be around is Crysencio Summerville.
He could be the latest to leave relegated West Ham with Al Hilal supposedly ready to pay £55m, plus £5m in add-ons.
Financial benefits aside, why a player would head to Saudi Arabia at this stage of his footballing career is beyond me, but money talks – as some Premier League big-hitters have already shown us.
●●●
CHECK OUT OUR BLOG FOR MORE FOOTBALL STORIES & ODDS
Stay updated with everything sports and betting.
