Which Premier League sides have done the best business this summer?

The 2023-24 Premier League season is all but here and it promises to be another thrilling renewal of England’s top flight. The new campaign will kick off on August 11, with Manchester City travelling to newly promoted Burnley to get the ball rolling as Pep Guardiola faces his former Sky Blues captain Vincent Kompany in the opposite dugout.

It will come as no surprise that defending champions Man City are the favourites to win the title for a record fourth-successive time in the football betting odds, but this looks set to be an ultra-competitive campaign as several teams have strengthened their ranks in the summer transfer window.

That said, read on as we take a look at some of the sides that have done the best business in the market this summer and assess what it could mean for them in the coming season.

Aston Villa

Aston Villa were in danger of being involved in a relegation scrap after a horrid start to the season under Steven Gerrard, but Unai Emery came in to replace the former Liverpool captain in November and completely transformed the Midlands side — ultimately guiding Villa back to European football for the first time over a decade as they landed the Europa Conference League spot.

The Clarets look set to be in a position to challenge for those lucrative European positions again this season as the ex-Arsenal boss has done some fantastic business this summer, bringing Youri Tielemans in for free and signing Pau Torres (£31.5m) and Moussa Diaby (£51.9m) from Villarreal and Bayer Leverkusen respectively. All three of those arrivals should slot straight into Emery’s starting XI.

Arsenal

While a part of Mikel Arteta will likely still be disappointed by the fact Arsenal couldn’t hold on and win the Premier League despite sitting at the top of the table the majority of the season, the improvement from his side was stark and they have made some big moves this summer to ensure they can continue this upward trajectory.

Kai Havertz was brought in from rivals Chelsea for £65m, while defensive reinforcement Jurrien Timber arrived from Ajax for £35m. The biggest move of the summer, however, was the acquisition of Declan Rice from West Ham United for a massive £105m. It’s the third season in a row Arsenal have exceeded spending of £150m, but it’s working as they are the second favourites in the Premier League winner odds.

Liverpool

While Liverpool still need to make a transfer or two more at the time of writing, they’ve completed what look to be two very good signings in the form of Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai. The former was bought from Brighton for just £35m and that could be the steal of the summer, while Szoboszlai set them back £60m. Both rejuvenate Liverpool’s midfield though.

The Reds have also had some notable outgoings, with Jordan Henderson and Fabinho moving to the rising Saudi Pro League for a combined value of over £52m. Liverpool fans will be sad to see their captain leave after achieving legendary status at Anfield but to get that much money for those two is good business for the club.

Manchester United

The Erik ten Hag revolution has continued at Manchester United this summer, with the Dutchman bringing in Mason Mount, Andre Onana and Rasmus Hojlund this far in the window. All three of those signings strengthen areas of the Man United squad that have been crying out for reinforcements for years now.

They have also shifted some players surplus to requirements, with Phil Jones, Axel Tuanzebe and David de Gea allowed to leave for free, while Anthony Elanga and Alex Telles were moved on to Nottingham Forest and Al-Nassr. The Red Devils still need to make a few more sales for it to be a completely successful window, but there is still time to do that.