Countdown To The Big Kick Off
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Premier League 2012-13 season: Club-by-club guide
Get ready for another nine months of excitement, drama, controversy, highs and lows: the Premier League is back.
Can champions Manchester City hold off the challenge of rivals United? Chelsea, Tottenham and Liverpool have all named permanent managers this summer and will be looking to improve on last season's league finishes.
Will Arsene Wenger be plotting a renewed title challenge from Arsenal?
The aim for newly promoted teams Southampton, Reading and West Ham is likely to be to stay up, while potential strugglers Norwich, Swansea and West Brom have all named new managers.
ARSENAL
2011-2012 season
Premier League: 3rd
FA Cup: Fifth round
Carling Cup: Quarter-finals
Champions League: Last 16
Players in: Santi Cazorla (Malaga) £15m*, Olivier Giroud (Montpellier) £12m*, Lukas Podolski (Cologne) £11m*.
Players out: Robin van Persie (Man Utd) £22.5m*, Carlos Vela (Real Sociedad) Undisclosed, Manuel Almunia (Watford) Free, Tom Cruise (Torquay) Free, Gavin Hoyte (Dagenham & Redbridge) Free, Jeffrey Monakana (Preston) Free, Rhys Murphy (Telstar) Free, Benik Afobe (Bolton) Loan, Joel Campbell (Real Betis) Loan, Denilson (Sao Paulo) Loan, Ryo Miyaichi (Wigan) Loan, Pedro Botelho (Atletico Paranaense) Undisclosed.
* Reported cost of player. Officially undisclosed fee.
Summer so far:
- Midfielder Jack Wilshere undergoes minor knee surgery after missing the entire 2011-12 season with an ankle injury. He is later ruled out until October.
- Assistant manager Pat Rice retires after 48 years with the club and is replaced by Steve Bould.
- Captain Robin van Persie announced that he will not sign a new deal and he joins Manchester United on the eve of the season
- The club's second largest shareholder Alisher Usmanov criticises the running of the club following the Van Persie announcement.
- Midfielder Mikel Arteta opens talks on a new deal and defender Laurent Koscielny signs a new long-term contract.
- Midfielder Emmanuel Frimpong is fined £6,000 by the Football Association following a Twitter post directed towards a Spurs fan.
Key fixtures:
- A three-game spell in January could show whether Arsenal can challenge for the title. They face Manchester City at home, Chelsea away and Liverpool at home in consecutive games.
- North London derbies against Tottenham are on Saturday, 17 November (h) and Sunday, 3 March (a).
ASTON VILLA
2011-2012 season
Premier League: 16th
FA Cup: Fourth round
Carling Cup: Third round
Players in: Ron Vlaar (Feyenoord) £3.2m*, Matthew Lowton (Sheffield United) £3m*, Karim El Ahmadi (Feyenoord) £2.5m*, Brett Holman (AZ Alkmaar) Free.
Players out: James Collins (West Ham) £2.5m, Emile Heskey (released), Reece Caira (Western Sydney Wanderers) Free, Carlos Cuellar (Sunderland) Free, Connor Taylor (Walsall) Free.
Summer so far:
- Villa sack manager Alex McLeish after narrowly avoiding relegation and, after holding talks with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, they go on to appoint Norwich boss Paul Lambert.
- Lambert announces that Stiliyan Petrov will remain club captain despite his absence from the team with acute leukaemia. The midfielder later reveals that his recovery is going well and "the hardest bit is over" and it is confirmed in August that he is in remission.
- Brad Guzan leaves the club at the end of his contract, along with striker Emile Heskey, but is re-signed on a three-year deal following Lambert's appointment.
Key fixtures:
- Paul Lambert's managerial skills might be tested to the maximum as they play Manchester United (h), Manchester City (a) and Arsenal (h) in the space of 14 days in November.
- The Scot's first game against his former club Norwich will be on 28 October, with his return to Carrow Road on 4 May.
CHELSEA
2011-2012 season
Premier League: 6th
FA Cup: Winners
Carling Cup: Quarter-final
Champions League: Winners
Players in: Eden Hazard (Lille) £32m*, Oscar (Internacional) £25m*, Marko Marin (Werder Bremen) £6.5m*, Thorgan Hazard (Lens) Undisclosed.
Players out: Didier Drogba (Shanghai Shenhua) Free, Salomon Kalou (Lille) Free, Jacob Mellis (Barnsley) Free, Marko Mitrovic (Brescia) Free, Jeffrey Bruma (Hamburg) Loan, Thibaut Courtois (Atletico Madrid) Loan, Ulises Davila (Sabadell) Loan, Kevin de Bruyne (Werder Bremen) Loan, Matej Delac (Guimaraes) Loan, Ben Gordon (Birmingham) Loan, Rohan Ince (Yeovil) Loan, Tomas Kalas (Vitesse Arnhem) Loan, Milan Lakovic (Guimaraes) Loan, Romelu Lukaku (West Brom) Loan, Patrick van Aanholt (Vitesse Arnhem) Loan, Sam Walker (Bristol Rovers) Loan, Jose Bosingwa (Released).
Summer so far:
- Roberto Di Matteo is named as the permanent Blues manager after winning the Champions League and says he is not worried about the "shadow" of Pep Guardiola.
- Captain John Terry is cleared of racially abusing QPR defender Anton Ferdinand in court, but is later charged by the Football Association.
- Chelsea fail in three bids for Wigan forward Victor Moses and are told the Latics want £10m for the 21-year-old.
- Striker Daniel Sturridge is treated for viral meningitis but recovers in time to play in the Olympics for Great Britain.
Key fixtures:
- Chelsea will hope to pick up most of the points on offer in their first five games - Wigan (a), Reading (h), Newcastle (h), QPR (a) and Stoke (h).
- Former boss Andre Villas-Boas says he is not out for revenge when his new side Tottenham host Chelsea on 20 October and then visit Stamford Bridge on 13 April, but he will feel he has a point to prove.
EVERTON
2011-2012 season
Premier League: 7th
FA Cup: Semi-finals
Carling Cup: Fourth round
Players in: Steven Pienaar (Tottenham) £4.5m, Steven Naismith (Rangers) Free.
Players out: Jack Rodwell (Man City) £12m, Tim Cahill (New York Red Bulls) £1m*, Joseph Yobo (Fenerbahce) £2m*, Joao Silva (Levski Sofia) Undisclosed, Aristote Nsiala (Accrington) Free, Adam Forshaw (Brentford) Free, Connor Roberts (Cheltenham) Free, James Wallace (Tranmere) Free*, Marcus Hahnemann (Released), James McFadden (Released).
Summer so far:
- Former Everton goalkeeper Gordon West dies at the age of 69. He won two titles and an FA Cup and made over 400 appearances during 11 years at Goodison Park.
- Manager David Moyes is strongly linked to Tottenham before the Londoners appoint Andre-Villas Boas.
- The Toffees hold a testimonial for long-serving right-back Tony Hibbert. The 31-year-old, who has never scored in 308 competitive games, nets a free-kick in a 4-1 win over AEK Athens.
Key fixtures:
- David Moyes will hope his side do not go into May in desperate need of points as they face trips to Liverpool and Chelsea, as well as hosting West Ham.
- Their home game against city rivals Liverpool will be on 27 October.
FULHAM
2011-2012 season
Premier League: 9th
FA Cup: Fourth round
Carling Cup: Third round
Europa League: Group stages
Players in: George Williams (MK Dons) Undisclosed, Mladen Petric (Hamburg) Free, Hugo Rodallega (Wigan) Free, Sascha Riether (Cologne) Loan.
Players out: Marcel Gecov (Gent) Undisclosed, Richard Barroilhet (RKC Waalwijk) Free, Dickson Etuhu (Blackburn) Free, Andrew Johnson (QPR) Free, Danny Murphy (Blackburn) Free, Pavel Pogrebnyak (Reading) Free, Bjorn Helge Riise (Lillestrom) Free, Orlando Sa (AEL Limassol) Free.
Summer so far:
- Fulham fail with two bids for Cardiff City's Peter Whittingham after midfielder Danny Murphy joins Blackburn.
- The Cottagers also lose out on Pavel Pogrebnyak to Reading. The 28-year-old Russian scored six goals in 12 starts for Fulham during a spell at the end of last season.
- Liverpool chase forward Clint Dempsey, with a post appearing on the website of Liverpool's owners suggesting the Reds had signed the American. He is left out of their training camp in Switzerland, with the club citing his lack of match fitness.
- The Cottagers have plans approved to increase the capacity of Craven Cottage to 30,000.
Key fixtures:
- Consecutive games against Chelsea (a), Tottenham (h) and Newcastle (h) at the end of November and start of December could prove difficult for Martin Jol's side.
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LIVERPOOL
2011-2012 season
Premier League: 8th
FA Cup: Runners-up
Carling Cup: Winners
Players in: Joe Allen (Swansea) £15m*, Fabio Borini (Roma) £11m*.
Players out: Alberto Aquilani (Fiorentina) £5.5m*, Dirk Kuyt (Fenerbahce) £1m*, David Amoo (Preston) Free, Fabio Aurelio (Gremio) Free, Craig Bellamy (Cardiff) Free, Stephen Darby (Bradford) Free, Joe Rafferty (Rochdale) Free, Maxi Rodriguez (Newell's Old Boys) Free*, Henoc Mukendi (Northampton) Loan, Toni Silva (Barnsley) Free.
Summer so far:
- Liverpool sack Kenny Dalglish after a disappointing season and, after interviewing Wigan boss Roberto Martinez, eventually appoint Swansea boss Brendan Rodgers.
- Rodgers wants to be reunited with former Swansea loanee Gylfi Sigurdsson but the Icelandic joins Tottenham instead.
- Juventus are interested in Liverpool striker Luis Suarez but the Uruguay international signs a new long-term deal with the Reds.
- Liverpool chase forward Clint Dempsey, with a post appearing on the website of Liverpool's owners suggesting the Reds had signed the American. It was later removed and the Reds confirmed they had not signed Dempsey.
- Striker Andy Carroll, who cost Liverpool £35m 18 months ago, is wanted by West Ham and his former club Newcastle. However, he turns down a £2m loan move to the Hammers.
Key fixtures:
- Three of the first five games are against fellow European contenders Manchester City, Arsenal and Manchester United, although all three matches are at Anfield. Conversely, this means they face three tough away trips in as many weeks in the new year.
- New manager Brendan Rodgers returns to his former club Swansea on 24 November, with the home game on 23 February.
MANCHESTER CITY
2011-2012 season
Premier League: 1st Your guide to the new Premier League season
FA Cup: Third round
Carling Cup: Semi-finals
Europa League: Last 16
Players in: Jack Rodwell (Everton) £12m.
Players out: Greg Cunningham (Bristol City) Undisclosed, Gai Assulin (Racing Santander) Free, Ahmad Benali (Brescia) Free, Andrea Mancini (Real Valladolid) Free, Wayne Bridge (Brighton) Loan, Omar Elabdellaoui (Feyenoord) Loan, Owen Hargreaves (Released).
Summer so far:
- City release former England midfielder Owen Hargreaves after he featured in only 13 minutes of Premier League action.
- Sergio Aguero, who scored the goal to win the title for City, says he plans to stay at the club for at least four more years after being linked to Real Madrid.
- Manager Roberto Mancini is strongly linked with the vacant Russia job but signs a new five-year contract with the Premier League champions.
- The Etihad Stadium side fail in a bid for Arsenal captain Robin van Persie, who is out of contract at the end of the season and will not sign a new deal.
- Captain Vincent Kompany signs a new six-year deal, tying him to the club until he is 32. Your guide to the new Premier League season
Key fixtures:
- Games against Manchester United are always City's most anticipated fixtures, even more so now the pair are title rivals. They host the Red Devils on 8 December and visit Old Trafford on 6 April.
- If City are topping the table after their game with Tottenham (a) on 20 April, they will fancy their chances of winning the title as they end the season against West Ham (h), Swansea (a), Reading (a) and Norwich (h).
MANCHESTER UNITED
2011-2012 season
Premier League: 2nd
FA Cup: Fourth round
Carling Cup: Quarter-finals
Champions League: Group stages
Europa League: Last 16
Players in: Robin van Persie (Arsenal) £22.5m*, Shinji Kagawa (Borussia Dortmund) £12m*, Nick Powell (Crewe) £3m*.
Players out: Park Ji-sung (QPR) £2m, Ritchie De Laet and Matthew James (Leicester) £2m*, Tomasz Kuszczak (Brighton) Free, Oliver Norwood (Huddersfield) Free, Paul Pogba (Juventus) Free, Ben Amos (Hull) Loan, Reece Brown (Coventry) Loan, John Cofie (Sheffield United) Loan, Fabio Da Silva (QPR) Loan, Sean McGinty (Oxford) Loan, Michael Owen (Released).
Summer so far:
- Sir Alex Ferguson reveals Manchester United's interest in Brazil international Lucas Moura. However, the 19-year-old Sao Paulo winger eventually joins Paris Saint-Germain.
- Defender Chris Smalling adds to their injury problems, when he is ruled out for 10 weeks with a broken metatarsal.
- Ferguson says he will keep a more consistent team in Europe this season after admitting last year's frequent changes "backfired" as they went out in the Champions League group stages.
- Ferguson says midfielder Darren Fletcher will be given another role at the club if he cannot make a comeback from a chronic bowel complaint.
- United fans are not happy with plans to sell shares in the United States, with some of the money due to go to the Glazer family, the club's owners.
- Having had a bid rejected earlier in the summer, United finally get their man and sign Robin van Persie from Arsenal.
Key fixtures:
- Games against Manchester City have taken on extra importance now the pair are title rivals. They visit the Etihad Stadium on 8 December and host City on 6 April.
- A trip to Arsenal and a home clash with Chelsea in the last four games could decide their title bid.
NEWCASTLE UNITED
2011-2012 season
Premier League: 5th
FA Cup: Fourth round
Carling Cup: Fourth round
Players in: Vurnon Anita (Ajax) £6.7m*, Gael Bigirimana (Coventry) £1m*, Curtis Good (Melbourne Heart) £400,000*, Romain Amalfitano (Stade de Reims) Free.
Players out: Leon Best (Blackburn) £3m, Fraser Forster (Celtic) £2m*, Danny Guthrie (Reading) Free, Michael Hoganson (Derby) Free, Tamas Kadar (Roda JC) Free, Peter Lovenkrands (Birmingham) Free, Alan Smith (MK Dons) Free, Daniel Taylor (Oldham) Free.
Summer so far:
- Newcastle bid to sign former striker Andy Carroll back from Liverpool. However, a deal never materialised.
- Striker Demba Ba is continually linked with a move away from St James' Park, with Galatasaray linked to the Senegal forward. However, he remains at the club after a £7.5m release clause in his contract expires.
- Scout Graham Carr, who helped the Magpies recruit many of their key French and African players, signs a new eight-year deal.
- Newcastle United have an improved bid to sign Lille full-back Mathieu Debuchy rejected.
- Chairman Mike Ashley bids to buy a share in Rangers and could loan up to nine players to the Scottish Third Division side.
Key fixtures:
- Newcastle face a difficult Christmas period, with a trip to Manchester United on 26 December and Arsenal two days later.
- Derbies against Sunderland are on 21 October, at the Stadium of Light, and 13 April at St James' Park.
NORWICH CITY
2011-2012 season
Premier League: 12th
FA Cup: Fifth round
Carling Cup: Second round
Players in: Robert Snodgrass (Leeds) £3m*, Michael Turner (Sunderland) £1.5m, Jacob Butterfield (Barnsley) Over £1m*, Steven Whittaker (Rangers) Free.
Players out: Andrew Crofts (Brighton) Undisclosed, Matt Ball (Stevenage) Free, Josh Dawkin (Braintree) Free, Adam Drury (Leeds) Free, Zak Whitbread (Leicester) Free, Aaron Wilbraham (Crystal Palace) Free, Daniel Ayala (Nottingham Forest) Loan.
Summer so far:
- Norwich lose manager Paul Lambert to Aston Villa and go on to appoint Chris Hughton from Villa's City rivals Birmingham. Hughton is given the club's largest ever transfer budget.
- Striker Grant Holt puts in a transfer request after a dispute over a new deal but he eventually signs a new three-year contract.
- Summer signing Steven Whittaker is ruled out of the start of the Premier League season because of an ankle injury.
Key fixtures:
- Norwich will visit Paul Lambert's Aston Villa on 28 October, with his return to Carrow Road on 4 May.
- A spell of three home games in four near the end of the season could be crucial in their survival bid, although they end away to Manchester City.
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QUEENS PARK RANGERS
2011-2012 season
Premier League: 17th
FA Cup: Fourth round
Carling Cup: Second round
Players in: Samba Diakite (Nancy) £3.5m*, Park Ji-sung (Manchester United) £2m, Junior Hoilett (Blackburn) Fee yet to be decided, Robert Green (West Ham) Free, Andrew Johnson (Fulham) Free, Ryan Nelsen (Tottenham) Free, Fabio Da Silva (Manchester United) Loan.
Players out: Paddy Kenny (Leeds) Undisclosed Fitz Hall (Watford) Free, Heidar Helguson (Cardiff) Free, Paddy Kenny (Leeds) Free, Peter Ramage (Crystal Palace) Free, Danny Shittu (Millwall) Free, Rowan Vine (St Johnstone) Free, Akos Buzsaky (released), Danny Gabbidon (released), Gary Borrowdale (released), Lee Cook (released), Bruno Perone (released).
Summer so far:
- Midfielder Joey Barton is banned for 12 games by the Football Association, fined six weeks' wages by the club and stripped of the captaincy after his clashes during their final-day defeat by Manchester City. A move to Fleetwood falls through as QPR decide not to loan him to a League Two side.
- QPR midfielder Adel Taarabt signs a new three-year contract, while Kieron Dyer also earns a new contract despite only playing once because of injury in his first season at Loftus Road.
- Former England midfielder Owen Hargreaves trains with the Loftus Road side after his exit from Manchester City.
Key fixtures:
- A tough end of the season, Arsenal (h), Newcastle (h) and Liverpool (a), means that QPR will hope to have their season sewn up by then.
- Barton will be back from his 12-game ban for his fracas against Manchester City by the time they host the champions on 29 January.
READING
2011-2012 season
Championship: 1st
FA Cup: Third round
Carling Cup: First round
Players in: Chris Gunter (Nottingham Forest) £2.3m*, Adrian Mariappa (Watford) £1m*, Pierce Sweeney (Bray) Undisclosed, Danny Guthrie (Newcastle) Free, Garath McCleary (Nottingham Forest) Free, Nicky Shorey (West Brom) Free, Pavel Pogrebnyak (Fulham) Free.
Players out: Michail Antonio (Sheffield Wednesday) £700,000*, Mathieu Manset (Sion) Undisclosed, Tomasz Cywka (Barnsley) Free, Michael Hector (Shrewsbury) Loan, Angus MacDonald (AFC Wimbledon) Loan, Joseph Mills (Burnley) Loan, Karl Sheppard (Accrington) Loan, Gozie Ugwu (Yeovil) Loan.
Summer so far:
- Reading's protracted takeover by Russian tycoon Anton Zingarevich is finally completed.
- Goalkeeper Adam Federici extends his deal with the Royals. The 27-year-old has been with the club for eight years after first arriving on non-contract terms.
Key fixtures:
- Reading's second game back in the Premier League is away to European champions Chelsea.
- Home games against Swansea and West Ham over Christmas (26 and 29 December) could boost their hopes of avoiding the drop.
SOUTHAMPTON
2011-2012 season
Championship: 2nd
FA Cup: Fourth round
Carling Cup: Fourth round
Players in: Jay Rodriguez (Burnley) £7m*, Steven Davis (Rangers) £800,000*, Nathaniel Clyne (Crystal Palace) Undisclosed, Paulo Gazzaniga (Gillingham) Undisclosed.
Players out: Dan Harding (Nottingham Forest) Undisclosed, Bartosz Bialkowski (Notts County) Free, Harlee Dean (Brentford) Free, Ryan Doble (Shrewsbury) Free, Lee Holmes (Preston) Free, Tommy Forecast (Gillingham) Loan.
Summer so far:
- Southampton hand forward Guly do Prado a one-year contract extension after helping them to successive promotions from League One.
- Their bid to sign defender Alexander Buttner is hindered by a third party claiming they are owed a percentage of the transfer fee.
- Former Saints defender Claus Lundekvam claims there was a culture of spot-fixing at the club, but his old team-mate Francis Benali denies this.
- Midfielder Jack Cork will miss the start of the season after suffering an ankle injury in pre-season following his return from the Olympics.
Key fixtures:
- They face a tough start to life back in the Premier League - they open away to Manchester City and, after a home game with Wigan, they host Manchester United on 2 September.
- Southampton's end-of-season run-in is relatively straightforward, with their last seven games including matches with Reading (a), West Ham (h), Swansea (a), West Brom (h), Sunderland (a) and Stoke (h).
STOKE CITY
2011-2012 season
Premier League: 14th
FA Cup: Sixth round
Carling Cup: Fourth round
Europa League: Last 32
Players in: Michael Kightly (Wolves) Undisclosed, Jamie Ness (Rangers) Free.
Players out: Danny Collins (Nottingham Forest) £500,000*, Ryan Brunt (Leyton Orient) Free, Andrew Davies (Bradford) Free, Jonathan Woodgate (Middlesbrough) Free, Florent Cuvelier (Walsall) Loan, Matthew Lund (Bristol Rovers) Loan.
Summer so far:
- Stoke defender Ryan Shawcross could play for Wales, but international boss Chris Coleman wants to consult Arsenal's Aaron Ramsey first after Shawcross broke his leg in a tackle in 2010.
- Stoke City's Danny Higginbotham admits he is unsure whether his future lies at the Britannia Stadium after a loan spell at Nottingham Forest last season.
- Defender Robert Huth signs a new deal to commit himself to the Potters until 2016. However, he later undergoes tests in hospital for suspected meningitis.
Key fixtures:
- Stoke face a tough Christmas period, with games against Tottenham (a), Liverpool (h), Manchester City (a) and Chelsea (h) in the space of three weeks.
- City have a relatively straightforward run-in, facing QPR (a), Norwich (h), Sunderland (a), Tottenham (h) and Southampton (a) in their last five games.
SUNDERLAND
2011-2012 season
Premier League: 13th
FA Cup: Sixth round
Carling Cup: Second round
Players in: Carlos Cuellar (Aston Villa) Free.
Players out: Asamoah Gyan (Al-Ain) £4m*, Michael Liddle (Accrington) Undisclosed, George McCartney (West Ham) Undisclosed, Michael Turner (Norwich) Undisclosed, Marcos Angeleri (Estudiantes) Free, Trevor Carson (Bury) Free, Jordan Cook (Charlton) Free.
Summer so far:
- Sunderland defender Titus Bramble is cleared of sexually assaulting two women.
- Goalkeeper Craig Gordon, who cost the Black Cats £9m five years ago, is released along with eight other players.
- Sunderland bid £12m for Wolves striker Steven Fletcher, who puts in a transfer request.
Key fixtures:
- Derbies against Newcastle are on 21 October, at the Stadium of Light, and 13 April at St James' Park.
- Sunderland face a tough festive period, with home games against Manchester City and Tottenham (26 and 29 December) followed by a trip to Liverpool on New Year's Day.
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SWANSEA
2011-2012 season
Premier League: 11th
FA Cup: Fourth round
Carling Cup: Second round
Players in: Jose Manuel Flores (Genoa) £2m, Michu (Rayo Vallecano) £2m, Jonathan de Guzman (Villarreal) Loan.
Players out: Joe Allen (Liverpool) £15m*, Ferrie Bodde (Released), Scott Donnelly (Released).
Summer so far:
- Manager Brendan Rodgers leaves the Liberty Stadium for Liverpool and is replaced by former Real Madrid and Barcelona midfielder Michael Laudrup.
- Gylfi Sigursson looks set to join the Swans before Rodgers's departure and eventually joins Tottenham instead after turning down a move to Liverpool.
- Swansea's Spanish defender Angel Rangel says he would consider playing for Wales after living there for five years, but the Football Association of Wales confirms he is not eligible.
Key fixtures:
- New boss Rodgers returns to former club Swansea on 24 November, with the home game on 23 February.
- Will hope not to be in relegation trouble in late April as their last four games include matches with possible title contenders Chelsea (a), Manchester City (h) and Manchester United (a).
TOTTENHAM
2011-2012 season
Premier League: 4th
FA Cup: Semi-final
Carling Cup: Third round
Europa League: Group stages
Players in: Jan Vertonghen (Ajax) £9.5m*, Gylfi Sigurdsson (Hoffenheim) £8m*.
Players out: Ledley King (retired), Niko Kranjcar (Dynamo Kiev) £5.75m*, Vedran Corluka (Lokomotiv Moscow) £5.5m*, Steven Pienaar (Everton) £4.5m, Lee Angol (Wycombe) Undisclosed, Ben Alnwick (Barnsley) Free, Oscar Jansson (Shamrock Rovers) Free, Ryan Nelsen (QPR) Free, Kudus Oyenuga (Hayes & Yeading) Free, Ryan Fredericks (Brentford) Loan, Bongani Khumalo (PAOK) Loan, Massimo Luongo (Ipswich) Loan, Louis Saha (released).
Summer so far:
- Harry Redknapp is sacked after almost four years in charge and Tottenham turn to former Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas to replace him.
- Injury-plagued defender Ledley King retires after 264 Premier League appearances over 13 years for his only club and is given an ambassadorial role at White Hart Lane.
- Tottenham fine wantaway midfielder Luka Modric after the Real Madrid target refuses to train and then does not fly out for their tour of the United States.
- Tottenham winger Gareth Bale does not play in the Olympics because of a back injury, but then plays for Tottenham in pre-season during the Games. He later calls Charlie Adam "a coward" after being sidelined for a second time by the Liverpool midfielder in one of those friendlies.
- Captain Scott Parker is ruled out for the start of the season after having surgery on an Achilles injury.
Key fixtures:
- Villas-Boas says he is not out for revenge when his new side host Chelsea on 20 October and then visit Stamford Bridge on 13 April, but he will feel he has a point to prove.
- Derbies against Arsenal are on Saturday, 17 November (a) and Sunday, 3 March (h).
WEST BROM
2011-2012 season
Premier League: 10th
FA Cup: Fourth round
Carling Cup: Third round
Players in: Ben Foster (Birmingham) £3.5m*, Markus Rosenberg (Werder Bremen) Free, Claudio Yacob (Racing Club) Free, Yassine El Ghanassy (Gent) Loan, Romelu Lukaku (Chelsea) Loan.
Players out: Simon Cox (Nottingham Forest) Undisclosed, Keith Andrews (Bolton) Free, Paul Downing (Walsall) Free, Lateef Elford-Alliyu (Bury) Free, Marton Fulop (Asteras Tripolis) Free, Joe Mattock (Sheffield Wednesday) Free, Nicky Shorey (Reading) Free, Somen Tchoyi (Released).
Summer so far:
- West Brom hire former Liverpool and Chelsea assistant boss Steve Clarke as their new head coach after Roy Hodgson left for the England job. They had been linked to former Schalke coach Ralf Rangnick as well as ex-Chelsea duo Claudio Ranieri and Ray Wilkins.
- West Bromwich Albion midfielder Youssouf Mulumbu agrees to resume playing for DR Congo after quitting international football last September.
Key fixtures:
- Clarke starts his managerial career at home to Liverpool, the club where he was assistant manager last season.
- Face rivals Aston Villa away on 30 September and at home on 19 January.
WEST HAM
2011-2012 season
Championship: Play-off winners
FA Cup: Third round
Carling Cup: First round
Players in: Modibo Maiga (Sochaux) £4.7m, James Collins (Aston Villa) £2.5m, Alou Diarra (Marseille) £2m*, George McCartney (Sunderland) Undisclosed, Raphael Spiegel (Grasshoppers) Undisclosed, Mohamed Diame (Wigan) Free, Stephen Henderson (Portsmouth) Undisclosed, Jussi Jaaskelainen (Bolton) Free.
Players out: Sam Cowler (Barnet) Undisclosed, Jordan Brown (Barnet) Free, Julien Faubert (Elazıgspor) Free, Abdoulaye Faye (Hull) Free, Robert Green (QPR) Free, Frank Nouble (Wolves) Free, Freddie Sears (Colchester) Free, Marek Stech (Yeovil) Free, Ravel Morrison (Birmingham) Loan, Pablo Barrera (Undisclosed).
Summer so far:
- West Ham release six players following their promotion, including Norway striker John Carew.
- The Hammers dismiss suggestions they could share the Olympic Stadium with Leyton Orient.
- Striker Andy Carroll, who cost Liverpool £35m 18 months ago, turns down a £2m loan move to the Hammers.
- Sam Allardyce agrees a fee to sign Real Mallorca defender Ivan Ramis but he joins Wigan instead.
Key fixtures:
- Face a tricky spell at the end of November and start of December, against Tottenham (a), Manchester United (a), Chelsea (h) and Liverpool (h).
- Final game of the season is at home to Reading, who pipped them to automatic promotion last year before the Hammers won the play-offs.
WIGAN
2011-2012 season
Premier League: 15th
FA Cup: Third round
Carling Cup: Second round
Players in: Ivan Ramis (Real Mallorca) £4m*, Fraser Fyvie (Aberdeen) £500,000*, Ryo Miyaichi (Arsenal) Loan, Arouna Kone (Levante) Undisclosed.
Players out: Mohamed Diame (West Ham) Free, Chris Kirkland (Sheffield Wednesday) Free, Hugo Rodallega (Fulham) Free, Lee Nicholls (Northampton) Loan, Ryan Watson (Accrington) Loan.
Summer so far:
- Manager Roberto Martinez holds talks with Liverpool and Aston Villa but commits his future to Wigan.
- Goalkeeper Mike Pollitt signs a new one-year deal. The 40-year-old was their first signing as a Premier League club in 2005 but did not feature last season.
- Chelsea fail in three bids for Wigan forward Victor Moses and are told the Latics want £10m for the 21-year-old.
Key fixtures:
- Wigan boss Roberto Martinez will want to show Liverpool what they are missing after holding interviews with the Reds in the summer and will get his chance at Anfield on 17 November and at home on 2 March.
- Their final game of the season is against Aston Villa, another side Martinez spoke to in the summer.