EPL: A Summer Of Comings and Goings

A summer of transfers that got off to a slow start due to Euro 2008 has finally started to pickup.

Naturally there is the usual rush of transfer rumours, but even these rumours seem to have more basis in truth than before.

The Premiership next season looks set to be drastically different from last year. I have a feeling that Man City will challenge the top four with the new money being injected into them. I doubt that we will have another Derby, as Hull have made a few quality signings.

Stoke will have to do the same if they want to stay up, but I have been very impressed with Hull so far during this transfer window.

Signing Geovanni from Man City was a great coup for them. When he played for City last season he looked good, and couple that with the signing of George Boateng today, Hull have a decent looking midfield.

Boateng could well be a perfect signing for Hull. I've been a fan of his for a while. He is a strong, reliable player with bags of Premiership experience, and he must be considered a contender for captain next season as he is a natural leader.

Also Liverpool look like they could put up a better title challenge this season. Rafa Benitez has started to show a ruthless streak, to John-Arne Riise, Peter Crouch, and Harry Kewell's expense.

He also came out today and said he wants David Villa. No doubt this will be met with the usual cries that Liverpool don't have a chance of getting him, but why not? There is not one, but two billionaire owners, a plethora of Spanish players at Anfield already, including his Spain strike partner Fernando Torres, and a Spanish manager.

Sure, other big clubs are after him, but Liverpool aren't too far from being as big as Real Madrid and the rest now, just look at our record in the Champions League recently.

With Gareth Barry looking like he'll eventually join the squad as well, we should be able to deal with the early loss of Javier Mascherano and Lucas Leiva to the Olympics, and then go from strength to strength after that.

Big names are rumoured to be coming and going everyday. Emmanuel Adebayor is closer than ever to being allowed to speak to AC Milan, which would end their interest in Ronaldinho, creating a possible move to the EPL for him. Man City's pursuit of Ronnie may not yet be over.

Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba are rumoured to be going to the other half of Milan to reunite with Jose Mourinho at Inter. In fact, Scolari seems to shot himself in the foot and pushed Lampard closer to the exit with his comments earlier this week.

They need to get rid of one midfielder at least, something they look to be doing with Steve Sidwell, who looks set to join Aston Villa as a possible replacement for Barry.

They may need to get rid of another one as well and, if I was Scolari, Lampard would be the one I'd sell. It's either him, Micheal Essien, who I believe to be their best midfielder, Micheal Ballack, who appears to be finding his best form again, Claude Makele, still rated as one of the best defensive midfielders in the world, and now Deco, a new signing and a creative force to match Lampard.

However, I do believe Inter will have to offer more than the £8.5 million they have offered if they want to secure his services.

Andy Johnson looks like he's on his way out of Everton, as does Zamora at West Ham, and Kevin Phillips has decided against one last hurrah in the EPL, as West Brom, stupidly in my opinion, refused to offer him a two-year contract extension.

And then, of course, there is the whole "Cristiano Ronaldo saga", which finally seems to be boiling down.

And it's not just players coming and going either. Luis Felipe Scolari, Carlos Quieroz, Mark Hughes and Paul Ince have all moved clubs to, from or within the Premiership.

Next season is shaping up to be very interesting indeed. Brace yourselves for a very different season!