Jamie O’Hara has given his prediction of how the Premier League table will look at the end of the upcoming 2026-27 season and he’s backing Tottenham Hotspur to majorly improve.

Spurs were last season’s biggest disappointment, finishing 17th and avoiding relegation by the skin of their teeth on the final day. Roberto De Zerbi has since been backed in the transfer market with six new signings, including the club-record £100 million arrival of Sandro Tonali from Newcastle United.

The new campaign kicks off on Friday when defending champions Arsenal host newly-promoted Coventry City at the Emirates. O’Hara has also revealed whether he sees the Gunners lifting the title again come May next year.

O’Hara Predicts Premier League Top Six

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Predicting the Premier League is a difficult task, given that there are often many surprises, such as Sunderland qualifying for the Europa League last season. Most fans are always keen to hear from former players and how they see their respective club performing over the course of 38 matches.

O’Hara gave his verdict on talkSPORT, starting with the top six and he believes his former club Spurs will be returning to European football: “Arsenal will win the league, Man City will finish second, Man United will finish third, Chelsea will finish fourth, Liverpool will finish fifth and Spurs will finish sixth.”

The former Spurs midfielder won’t have enjoyed choosing Arsenal as his champions but Mikel Arteta’s men are heavy favourites to successfully defend their crown. They eased to a 3-0 victory over Manchester City in the Community Shield last Sunday and the Citizens have been expected to be their closest challengers.

City put in a lackluster performance that raised alarm bells as they enter a new era without Pep Guardiola in charge. Former Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca succeeded the Spaniard earlier this summer and is tasked with building on the most successful period in the club’s history.

Manchester United and Chelsea complete O’Hara’s top four and that will be a job well done for Xabi Alonso at Stamford Bridge if it comes to fruition. The Blues faltered last season, missing out on Europe in dismal fashion before turning to the Spaniard.

Andoni Iraola via Reuters/Jason Cairnduff

Perhaps O’Hara’s most controversial take is that he sees Liverpool finishing fifth. The Reds head into the new season with Andoni Iraola at the helm and the former Bournemouth boss is tipped to be a success at Anfield after replacing Arne Slot.

O’Hara explained to co-host Rory Jennings, who disagreed with his stance on the Merseysiders: “Liverpool ain’t gonna be that great. The team’s not there… I think he’s (Iraola) a good manager but they’ve got a long way to go.”

Spurs may be splashing the cash to rebuild De Zerbi’s squad, but the North London outfit are outsiders to achieve European qualification. But without midweek football, they could enjoy a season similar to United’s, who finished third last term under Michael Carrick.

O’Hara’s Relegation Picks

Two newcomers avoided the drop last season after Sunderland pulled off a remarkable seventh-placed finish and Leeds United claimed 14th. West Ham United and Wolverhampton Wanderers’ spells in the top flight ended, while Burnley, were sent straight back down to the EFL Championship.

Coventry, Ipswich Town and Hull City will be hoping to replicate the Black Cats and the Peacocks and remain in the Premier League. While O’Hara believes Frank Lampard’s Sky Blues are the strongest of the three newly-promoted sides, he doesn’t have much confidence in any of them:

“Hull, Ipswich, I don’t want to say Palace cos I think Palace will be alright. I don’t think it’s Newcastle (one of Jennings’ picks)… I like Frank Lampard and I really want him to do well, I think they’ll go down but I think they’ll put up one hell of a fight.”

Should Coventry stay up, O’Hara has concerns over Crystal Palace and believes they could be in trouble. But he has predicted all three newcomers to be relegated for just the third time in Premier League history.

Manchester United are not looking to sign Barcelona star Gavi this summer, with the Spaniard seen as an important part of the squad at the Camp Nou, according to Fabrizio Romano.

The Red Devils have been prioritising a midfield rebuild all summer, and Michael Carrick has already seen both Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans added to his squad ahead of the new season, alongside goalkeeper Karl Darlow and teenage winger sensation Tynan Thompson.

The club are understood to be keen to add a third midfield signing before the deadline if the right opportunity arises, and reports in Spain have linked the club with a move to sign World Cup winner Gavi.

The 22-year-old has fallen down the pecking order with the Catalan club following the arrival of Rodri from Manchester City, with Pedri, Frenkie De Jong, Fermin Lopez, and Marc Bernal all ahead of him.

A report in Spain suggested that the club would be open to a sale for around €55m (£47m), with Man Utd ready to offer around £40m to bring him in. However, when asked about the situation during his latest YouTube video, Romano was adamant that it was “fake news”.

“Some rumours from some Spanish outlet, many of you sent me. Gavi to Manchester United, absolutely fake news,” he said.

“Barca are more than happy with Gavi. I would not be surprised if in the next months, Gavi and Barca start discussing a new contract. It’s not something imminent, so I don’t want to throw things that are not happening today, tomorrow, or in a few days. But in the next months, I would not be surprised if you see a conversation between Gavi, and Barca over a new contract.

“Gavi’s super happy with Barca. Rodri joining Barca is only good news for Gavi. Gavi and Rodri have an excellent relationship.

“It doesn’t mean that Rodri is going to Barca so Gavi wants to go, it’s not true at all, and Gavi’s staying.”

Hansi Flick Loves Gavi

REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach

Gavi has been a regular for Barcelona for several years, despite his young age, and has always been widely considered to be one of the better prospects to come out of La Masia in recent times.

But injuries have been a major problem for the Spaniard, and he missed the best part of seven months last season with a knee problem before returning t help them win the La Liga title.

Last summer, however, Flick made it abundantly clear that he is a huge fan of Gavi, and after a pre-season win over FC Seoul, he made it clear that he wants him as part of his squad going forward.

Manchester United were backed to be the busiest Premier League club this summer, but with just four days until their opener against Hull City, they have been the quietest.

David Ornstein was among the high-profile transfer experts who predicted United would be the most active in this transfer window. His analysis made perfect sense given Casemiro‘s exit, Michael Carrick’s appointment, and a return to the UEFA Champions League.

INEOS had made a promising start to one of the most important windows in the club’s history. Here was the chance to return to the title picture following Pep Guardiola’s departure, with the playing field even among the challengers looking to rival defending champions Arsenal.

Carrick has been let down by a poor summer of business, with just two new players, Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos, arriving. As such, there are five reasons why the club’s hesitation to spend will come back to haunt them.

Not Moving For Lewis Hall Early

A new left-back seemed an obvious priority for United despite Luke Shaw’s availability last season. While the Englishman played every single Premier League game, at 31 he isn’t getting any younger and needs better competition.

Lewis Hall was on most fans’ lips even before the window opened, but it took INEOS until early August to officially make their interest in the Newcastle United star known. They decided to explore a deal for the former Chelsea star at a time when the St James’ Park outfit had raised huge funds from the sales of Sandro Tonali (£100m), Bruno Guimaraes (£75m) and Anthony Gordon (£69.3m).

Why United thought it wise to wait so long to pursue Hall is difficult to understand, and they were quickly informed that the Magpies have no intention to sell. That might not have been the case had they swooped before Guimaraes moved to Arsenal and Tonali headed to Tottenham Hotspur.

No New Sesko Backup

Another position screaming out for new blood is up front, where Benjamin Sesko doesn’t have a reliable supporting act. Serie A-linked Joshua Zirkzee has endured a disastrous run of form since joining United, and he has failed to impress in the Slovenian’s absence.

With many veteran forwards available throughout the summer, the fact that INEOS haven’t made a concrete move for a new number nine is puzzling. They might view Marcus Rashford as an option given he looks set to stay, but he blows hot and cold, and his preferred position is on the left wing.

Even moving for someone like Chelsea’s Nicolas Jackson would make sense, albeit at a high price. But given the club have rarely spent this summer, why not pounce for the Senegalese star whose days at Stamford Bridge look numbered?

No £100M Signing

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Manchester United are now the only club in the big six not to have spent £100m on a single player. As admirable as that is, it will ultimately leave them chasing their rivals for top talent if they don’t decide to flex their muscles and battle for the very best players in the world.

That’s not to say that the likes of Elliot Anderson and Morgan Rogers are worth over £100m, but that’s where the market is in today’s game. A player of Aurelien Tchouameni’s qualities, liked by the club and an obvious Casemiro replacement, made all sense to break the club’s transfer budget to bring to Old Trafford.

There’s not only been a reluctance to reach the £100m milestone, but also to pay the asking price for players they deem overpriced. It has been a criticism of the club in the past, but caution in a window meant to hand Carrick a squad to compete with is a real concern.

Continuing to Sell Poorly

While Chelsea receives astronomical fees for players who haven’t even touched the pitch for them, United struggles to offload first-team players for decent fees. Somehow, Andre Onana and Altay Bayindir are still contracted to the club as the goalkeeping flops have been sent out on loan rather than sold.

INEOS have been eager to get Rashford off their wage bill but Barcelona refused to meet their £26m asking price. That does feel like more than a reasonable fee, but suitors are evidently taking his huge salary into consideration.

United looked to move Manuel Ugarte on before the Uruguayan suffered an injury at the World Cup. Even then, they were asking for just over £20m for a player they signed for £50m two summers ago.

Not Going All in For Tchouameni

Sarah Meyssonnier Via Reuters

Arsenal signed Guimaraes, Tottenham signed Tonali, City signed Anderson, and before that Chelsea paid big for Moises Caicedo and likewise Liverpool for Dominik Szoboszlai. This United team is crying out for a world-class holding midfielder who can anchor the team for years to come.

Tchouameni fit the bill with his powerful profile and ability to get forward and help his team in transition. There’s a reason Real Madrid signed the Frenchman as Casemiro’s replacement back in the summer of 2022.

A potential deal for the 26-year-old felt like a real possibility once United conceded defeat to City in the race for Anderson. But INEOS haven’t made concrete efforts to bring him to Old Trafford, which is frustrating given that their rivals have all landed elite midfielders over the years