Who will be the big movers and shakers in the Premier League? Sportsnet presents 10 newsmakers who will define the 2018-19 season.
MOHAMED SALAH
The Egyptian had a career campaign in 2017-18, scoring a Premier League-leading 32 goals and winning player of the year honours in helping Liverpool to a fourth-place finish. Salah came into his own last season, firmly establishing himself as one of the top players in the world, and he’s rightly being talked about as a possible Ballon d’Or winner. As for Liverpool, they’re being touted as a title contender in 2018-19, and central to their chances of winning their first league championship since 1990 will be Salah. In order for the Reds to finally end their league title drought, the Egyptian will once again have to be at his very best.
UNAI EMERY
August, 1996. That’s the last time someone other than Arsene Wenger served as manager of Arsenal. One era ended at the conclusion of last season when Wenger was finally pushed out, and a new era started with the appointment of Unai Emery. The Spaniard is well-respected in the club game, and he has a track record of success – he won three Europa League titles with Sevilla, and helped Paris Saint-German pull off a domestic treble last season. But the task ahead of him is a big one: reinstalling the Gunners as one of the top teams in the Premier League, and qualifying for the Champions League.
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FELIPE ANDERSON
West Ham United paid a club-record £36 million transfer fee for Anderson, who had many other suitors across Europe. The Brazilian has been one of the best attacking players in Serie A over the past five seasons, winning plaudits for his technical ability and creativity as Lazio’s chief orchestrator. Possessing blinding speed, Anderson can be used either as a playmaker or a forward, and is known for his prowess from dead-ball situations. Look for Anderson to be the central figure in the Hammers’ attack, and for Austrian forward Marko Arnautović to be the biggest beneficiary of the Brazilian’s sublime service.
JORDAN PICKFORD
Maybe even more than Harry Kane, no England player acquitted himself better at this summer’s World Cup than Pickford. The young goalkeeper was simply fantastic between the posts for the Three Lions, coming up a with a number of highlight-reel saves. It was his composure and shot-blocking ability that were major reasons why England reached the semifinals for the first time since 1990. Everton will hope he can duplicate his World Cup form at Goodison Park and help the Toffees, who finished eighth last season, climb the table and clinch a European spot.
MAURIZIO SARRI
From one Italian to another at Chelsea. Out goes Antonio Conte, in comes Maurizio Sarri, the well-travelled manager who restored Napoli as one of the top sides, and pushed Juventus to the limit in Serie A during his three-year tenure. Sarri will no doubt attempt to tweak Chelsea’s attack with his 4-3-3 system that features the front three and midfield trio pressuring the opposition’s front line in order to win back the ball. Italian international Jorginho was the key figure for Napoli, so it’s no wonder that Sarri insisted Chelsea made a move to bring him to the Premier League. With Sarri reunited with his star player, it’ll be interesting to see if the former Napoli manager, who has never worked outside of Italy, can work his magic at the London club.
JORGINHO
Every season, a fresh crop of international stars invade the Premier League for the first time, promising to take English football by storm. Some make it big. Some don’t. Jorginho leads this year’s class of foreign imports following his £50 million transfer move over the summer. The Brazilian-born, Italian international was outstanding over the last three seasons for Napoli, where he played under Maurizio Sarri. Not a prolific scorer by any means, Jorginho is a versatile player who can slot into a number of positions, and possesses a yeoman-like work rate. Steady on the ball and playing with great vision, Jorginho could end up being the league’s best newcomer this season.
HARRY KANE
The Tottenham forward has been one of the most consistent and dangerous scorers in the world over the past four campaigns, with over 100 Premier League goals to his credit. In 2017-18, he scored a career-high 30 goals, which would have been good enough to win the league’s scoring race if not for Salah. Kane is coming off a World Cup in which he bagged six goals, the most in the tournament, and he’s eager to continue to build upon his reputation. Kane might not be the most athletic player, but he has a nose for goal, and the Spurs will rely heavily on him again this year as they push to retain their status as a top-four side.
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NUNO ESPIRITO SANTO
Following stints in charge of Porto and Valencia, the former Portuguese goalkeeper shot to fame last season when he guided Wolverhampton Wanderers to first place in the Championship. Now back in the Premier League following a six-year absence, Wolves will try to avoid being sent back down with a host of Portuguese players on its roster – including goalkeeper Rui Patricio, veteran midfielder Joao Moutinho, and promising prospect Ruben Neves. All eyes will be on Nuno to see if he can keep Wolves from being relegated and turn the modest club into a mid-table side.
JEAN MICHAEL SERI
Never heard of him? That’s about to change. Fulham marked its return to the Premier League for the first time in four years by pulling off a major off-season coup with the signing of Seri. The Ivorian central midfielder was on the verge of joining FC Barcelona last season from French club Nice, but the deal fell through at the last minute. An athletic box-to-box midfielder with a solid engine to match, Seri is coming off a somewhat lacklustre Ligue 1 campaign with Nice, which cooled interest from many top European clubs. Still, he is only 27 and in the prime of his career, and Fulham did very well to sign him as they begin a new tenure in the English topflight.
JOSE MOURINHO
This could be the end of the line for the “Special One.” Manchester United finished a distant second to rivals Manchester City last season, and had to settle for winning the Europa League. Mourinho’s tenure with United has hardly been a raging success, as United has yet to win a league title under his watch, though they did win the League Cup (in 2017) and the Community Shield before that. Still, you get the sense time is running out for Mourinho, who has complained about the lack of reinforcements this summer. If the Portugal native can’t lead United to a Premier League title or a lengthy run in the Champions League, this could be his last season at Old Trafford.
