It’s the beginning of July and teams are only just returning for pre-season training or embarking upon their money-spinning summer tours, below are the list of top European club rankings.
Where the rankings are usually based upon form over the previous four to six weeks, here we judge based on how the teams finished up at the end of the 2014-15 season and the moves they’ve made in the summer transfer window to date.
Barcelona
The European champions start the season top of the pile. Since lifting UEFA Champions League in Berlin, Barcelona have added Aleix Vidal and Arda Turan to their star-studded squad despite the fact they have no board, no president and a transfer ban prohibiting them from registering their acquisitions.
Although the new additions can’t play until January, there’s no reason to believe Barca will lose strength.
Bayern Munich
Bayern Munich have not dominated the headlines with a high-profile transfer this summer, but Douglas Costa has been signed for a whooping €30 million and Joshua Kimmich has joined the squad after being secured earlier in the season. Rumours of an impending Bastian Schweinsteiger exit persist, although that would be a wound more for the hearts of the club than the heads, as the German is declining in terms of fitness and capabilities. Meanwhile, Mario Gotze is firing out first pitches.
Chelsea
Chelsea haven’t made a permanent signing yet this summer, with just the loan acquisition of Radamel Falcao to boast the squad. The former Monaco hitman will likely be the third choice striker behind Diego Costa and Loic Remy this season. Regardless, the Blues are still the best team in the Premier League.
Real Madrid
Real Madrid have done little to close the gap between themselves and Barcelona this summer. If anything, they may have taken two or three steps back.
Sacking Carlo Ancelotti was a typically Florentino Perez biggest mistake. Replacing him with Rafa Benitez, fresh off failing to qualify for the UEFA Champions League with Napoli is not an upgrade. Sergio Ramos is feeling unsettled and the Manchester United reportedly having interest in him. It’s not a good look, Real.
Paris Saint-Germain
Paris Saint-Germain’s only major move this summer has come in the goalkeeping department, where Kevin Trapp has joined and is expected to become the next No. 1 keeper under Laurent Blanc’s watch.
That puts Salvatore Sirigu in a difficult situation, but he’s a good goalkeeper who has often been overlooked by the French outfit, and anyone willing to cobble together a €10 million bid could land themselves a top shot-stopper.
A string of Blanc’s stars, including Thiago Silva, Ezequiel Lavezzi and Edinson Cavani, will return late to pre-season because of their Copa America exertions.
Atletico Madrid
Atletico Madrid look to be facing a sea change once again this summer; credit to Diego Simeone for being able to oversee this circus time and time again and still put together a decent outfit.
Mario Mandzukic has been sent to Juventus, and Jackson Martinez has arrived in his place. If the Colombian settles fast, he could be a deadly force alongside fellow new arrival Luciano Vietto. Miranda, Cristian Ansaldi and Toby Alderweireld have been sent packing as Atletico clear out the debris, but Arda Turan departure to Barca is a huge loss.
Juventus
Juventus are still the top dogs in Italy but they’ve taken a hit in the form of Carlos Tevez’s exit to Boca Juniors exit. He was their best player last season. Andrea Pirlo has departed too, leaving a gaping hole in midfield for someone to try and fill.
Mario Mandzukic, Paulo Dybala and Simone Zaza have all been bought for a total of over £50 million, which creates a certain number of unknowns for the season ahead. All three are different players, while Fernando Llorente and Alvaro Morata remain, so what exactly is Massimiliano Allegri’s plan?
Juve enter the season a legend and a star performer short, meaning they feature lower than perhaps some would’ve expected them to be.
Arsenal
Petr Cech is a key piece in a puzzle Arsene Wenger is close to completing, and his addition bolsters the side’s strength. Arsenal are firmly in the Premier League title race at this stage, but the ranking is true for now.
Sevilla
Sevilla have absolutely aced the early part of the transfer market; after receiving close to €50 million for Carlos Bacca and Aleix Vidal, they’ve astutely secured good deals to bolster their already strong squad.
Michael Krohn-Dehli was one of La Liga’s best midfielders last season and was secured on a free transfer, as was former Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk star Yevhen Konoplyanka. Full-back Sergio Escudero came cheap. The Guardian has reported that Stoke City have accepted a £7 million bid for Steven N’Zonzi, further bolstering the team’s soldier-like midfield.
Manchester City
Manchester City rank as the third-best Premier League club as it stands, and we’re still waiting for the Citizens to really kick into action this summer.
Many expect the Raheem Sterling saga to eventually conclude with the player joining Manuel Pellegrini’s side, but City have failed to secure his signature in time for pre-season training.
James Milner’s departure sincerely weakens the club too, leaving them in a questionable position in July.
Valencia
Valencia’s summer has consisted of securing 100 per cent of the rights to their three Benfica imports, being forced to spend €30 million to sign Alvaro Negredo permanently from Manchester City and fending off interest in Nicolas Otamendi.
Despite the fact they are no weaker than they were, the media hype surrounding the club is hardly encouraging. Losing Otamendi feels inevitable despite the cash recently injected into the club.
Santi Mina and Zakaria Bakkali have both been secured, with the former a wonderful young talent who sparkled for Celta Vigo last season. The latter could be world class if he screws his head on straight.
Manchester United
Manchester United are yet to spring into action in the transfer market. A bid for Southampton’s Morgan Schneiderlin has been rejected, per BBC Sport, and Memphis Depay was secured very early in the window, but a tangible lack of first-team upgrades haunts Louis van Gaal’s progress so far.
It leaves them clinging to a fourth-placed placing among Premier League teams here, just ahead of archrivals Liverpool, whose early business has seen them leap into contention for the UEFA Champions League spots.
The signing of Matteo Darmian is set to be announced soon, though, according to the Independent, solving the right-back issues that dogged the team last season.
Bleacherreport
