It feels like the World Cup just ended, but the new European season is upon us. Teams are hopeful and making a final push in the transfer window to bolster their sides.

In preparation for the new season, I asked football writers on Substack for their best storylines and predictions. I know this is a bit of a change from my usual writing, so let me know what you think. Shoutout to for starting this tradition and letting me carry it on!

For our Substackers, some of the most anticipated storylines of the season revolve around the coaching carousel and the impact of big-name transfers. We also have a pretty good range of predictions for Europe’s top five leagues + Champions League winners, including some surprises.

Dive into the season’s most anticipated storylines and predictions below.

Butterflies by

Arsenal’s chase for more trophies or the new Manchester City era under Enzo Maresca will probably get the headlines. But I’m most interested in the sneaky storylines that will come out of Old Trafford.

From the time Michael Carrick took over Manchester United in January 2026, the Red Devils have secured the most points in the Premier League, even ahead of the champions, Arsenal. Life at Manchester United feels much different now compared to after its loss to Grimsby Town last August.

planetfootball.com | The top of the Premier League Table since Carrick took over

Manchester United will have a full season under Carrick now while also bringing in Youri Tielemans and Marcus Rashford into the squad. The only player they are losing who played big minutes is an aging Casemiro. Can Carrick finally bring United back to the days of being feared? I believe he can and will transform the red side of Manchester into title contenders once again.

League Winner Predictions:

Premier League: Arsenal
LaLiga: Real Madrid
Bundesliga: Bayern Munich
Serie A: Inter Milan
Ligue 1: PSG
Champions League: Arsenal

Thrill Shot by

I’m curious how Liverpool will function after moving on from Arne Slot. Jurgen Klopp brought stability and magic to Anfield in 2015, then sang Slot in on his way out in 2024. Slot won with Klopp’s roster plus Federico Chiesa as a lone addition, but his sophomore squad soured despite a preseason spending spree.

Slot’s out, and Andoni Iraola takes over. Beyond how tactics or results change, I’m curious how the club will run from 2025 onward. How much time does Iraola, or any post-Klopp manager have? Add in the infusion of Jeff Bezos’s investment. Will they keep splashing big money? Will Liverpool keep the soul that ran like a thread through club history from Bill Shankly to Klopp?

League Winner Predictions:

Premier League: Arsenal
LaLiga: Barcelona
Bundesliga: Bayern Munich
Serie A: Napoli
Ligue 1: PSG
Champions League: Bayern Munich

Gunner Forever by

For the first six years of his managerial career at Arsenal, Arteta was still, in many ways, a rookie manager. He walked into a job many felt was too big for him and had to grow into it under an enormous amount of scrutiny. He had to persevere through the doubts, the three consecutive second-place finishes, and the growing narrative that perhaps this Arsenal side and its manager were destined to be nearly men rather than victors.

Winning the Premier League changes that context completely. For the first time, Arteta goes into a season without that weight of needing to prove that he can get Arsenal over the line. He is no longer the inexperienced coach trying to establish himself. He is a Premier League winning manager and, remarkably, the only one in the division heading into this season who can say that.

Going into this new season, we will get to see what kind of manager Mikel Arteta becomes after becoming a winner.

League Winner Predictions:

Premier League: Arsenal
LaLiga: Barcelona
Bundesliga: Bayern Munich
Serie A: Inter
Ligue 1: PSG
Champions League: Arsenal

Football Wrapped by

For as long as football transfer windows have existed, big teams have signed talent from smaller teams. This has allowed elite clubs to sign marquee players, while smaller teams use large cash reserves to develop. Transfers like Enzo Fernandez, Joao Felix, and Declan Rice are all examples of this.

However, in recent windows (especially this summer), teams approaching elite status (not just small teams) have seen their prospects poached. Take Aston Villa: last season they won the Europa League, and this summer lost both Morgan Rogers and Youri Tielmans. Newcastle also saw their squad scavenged this summer, with Gordon, Tonali, and Guimarães all off to bigger teams. Both teams have signed replacements, but can’t adequately replace their departures.

Ultimately, this effect leads to a concentration of talent at the top teams and minimizes their overall competition. In the Premier League, I think this means teams outside the “Big Six” will struggle for European qualification and larger points gaps will exist throughout the table. Beyond that, I expect an all-or-nothing season for Real Madrid: they’ll either win the double or endure another trophy-less season.

League Winner Predictions:

Premier League: Chelsea
LaLiga: Barcelona
Bundesliga: Bayern Munich
Serie A: Inter Milan
Ligue 1: PSG
Champions League: Bayern Munich

97 Insider by

The storyline I am most excited about going into the 2026/27 season is the beginning of the post-Guardiola era. Since 2016, Pep has been in the Premier League with Manchester City, and since 2017, it’s been utter dominance from the Cityzens. Six titles in nine years is no easy feat, and four consecutive titles had never been achieved before.

However, every so often, a window opens where the torch is handed to the next set of teams set to dominate the league. We saw this in the transition from the City-Pool era of 2018–2022 to the City-Arsenal era from 2022–2026, and with Pep out of the picture, that window has once again reopened.

There is an opportunity for another team to join Arsenal at the top and kickstart a new era.

None of the other Big Six sides look particularly settled at the moment. Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City all have new managers, Tottenham are coming off a relegation scrap, while Manchester United’s situation is still being monitored, despite the massive improvement they showed under Carrick last season.

Even with the Gunners, who knows whether they are burnt out from going toe-to-toe with City for so many years and whether they will be able to cope with the pressure of maintaining their crown?

The question is: what new era is set to kick off in the Premier League?

League Winner Predictions:

Premier League: Manchester United
LaLiga: Real Madrid
Bundesliga: Stuttgart
Serie A: AC Milan.
Ligue 1: PSG.
Champions League: PSG

Game Over, Ball Burst by

To keep this close to my heart, I’m extremely interested in seeing how Andoni Iraola fares at Liverpool. Everything that could go wrong for Arne Slot, did go wrong, but ultimately I felt the decision to replace him was justified as the style of play was suffering and the mood around him had soured too much.

Now, Liverpool have a coach who will play a more swashbuckling style, but how the squad, which remains light and according to Iraola himself not fit enough to play this style, responds to this will be fascinating. My instinct is it will be a mixed bag results wise, but the fans will back him if the football is entertaining. Either way, sign me up.

League Winner Predictions:

PL: Arsenal

Champions League: Bayern Munich

Planet Soccer by

The biggest storyline will be how Jose Mourinho will do at Real Madrid and if he can deliver trophies, both in La Liga and the Champions League this season.

League Winner Predictions:

Premier League: Arsenal
LaLiga: Real Madrid
Bundesliga: Bayern Munich
Serie A: Napoli
Ligue 1: PSG
Champions League: Bayern Munich should win the Champions League given their talent, but PSG are favorites once again. Can anyone stop them?

Sports Square by

Pep Guardiola’s 10-year run at Manchester City is over. Enzo Maresca, who used to be his assistant, is coming in to replace him. That’s the storyline. City’s grip already loosened last season, with Arsenal taking the title after 22 years. Now the man who built the team is gone too. Does the machine still run without Pep’s fingerprints on it? We might find that out very quickly, as City face Arsenal in the Community Shield, Maresca’s first game in charge. It’s the first time the Premier League hasn’t had Pep since 2016. That makes this season unmissable.

League Winner Predictions:

Premier League: Arsenal
LaLiga: Barcelona
Bundesliga: Bayern Munich
Serie A: Inter Milan
Ligue 1: PSG
Champions League: PSG

Pattern of Play by

I’m curious to see how Pep’s apprentices will set up their teams and battle against each other this season.

League Winner Predictions:

Premier League: Chelsea
LaLiga: Barcelona
Bundesliga: Bayern Munich
Serie A: Inter Milan
Ligue 1: PSG
Champions League: PSG

2026/27 Football Season Preview & Predictions