Every EPL Team: Did They Get Better or Worse This Offseason?

Another brand new Premier League season is almost upon us, with the kickoff little more than two weeks away.

Teams up and down the country are putting the final touches on their preseason preparations, finalising their transfer targets and making sure they can achieve their objectives for the coming campaign, whether that be reaching that coveted European place, avoiding relegation or challenging for the title itself.

Of course, though the Premier League kicks off soon the transfer window remains open until the end of August—but how have teams fared so far?

Are they better set than last season for the challenges ahead, or is there still much work to do?

Here is an evaluation of all 20 Premiership sides, and whether or not they have improved during their preseason transfer dealings.

Arsenal

Arsenal got to work early this summer, bringing in Lukas Podolski and Olivier Giroud in a bid to convince Robin van Persie that the club is going in the right direction and can challenge for trophies.

Obviously, it didn't work.

No first teamers have left the club as of yet though RvP would of course leave a rather sizable hole to fill if and when he does hit the road.

Carlos Vela and Denilson are the most high profile exits, but both have been out on loan in previous years anyway.

Verdict: BETTER... so far.

Aston Villa

Quite aside from the playing staff, Aston Villa had to rip it up and start again this summer in terms of their coaching team.

Alex McLeish out, Paul Lambert in, and the Scot has wasted no time in splashing the cash in the transfer market.

With Carlos Cuellar and Emile Heskey leaving after the expiration of their contracts, Villa have brought in Brett Holman and Ron Vlaar, the Dutch international defender, to bulk up their squad.

Karim El Ahmadi, a defensive midfielder, was Lambert's first signing for the club after a long spell in Holland at Feyenoord.

Further additions are likely as he seeks to improve on a dismal 2011-12 for the club.

Verdict: BETTER, but plenty of work still to do.

Chelsea

After offloading and releasing the likes of Salomon Kalou, Didier Drogba and Jose Bosingwa in the summer, it wouldn't be difficult to think of dismissing Chelsea as a force for the coming season.

But then, we also need to take into account the £60 million-plus spending spree which has brought a trio of attacking midfielders to the club in Marko Marin, Eden Hazard and Oscar.

Not too shabby indeed.

Kevin de Bruyne is also in, and straight back out on loan, while Thibout Courtois is also heading back on a temporary deal to Atletico Madrid.

Thorgen Hazard adds further depth to an already-crammed midfield.

Verdict: BETTER. By miles.

Everton

Steven Pienaar was already on loan at Everton last season, so technically he's not a new addition to the squad which will improve them.

Therefore their only major arrival is the free transfer of former Rangers forward Steven Naismith.

The versatile attacker can play centrally or from the flanks, and played in Scotland with current Everton forward Nikica Jelavic, so David Moyes will be hoping the two can strike up an immediate understanding again.

Tim Cahill's surprise move to the MLS weakens the team considerably though, though no other exits have proven costly yet.

Verdict: WORSE. Surprising to let Cahill go, but they have time to rebuild. Or sell more players, like Leighton Baines.

Fulham

So far so good for Fulham, who have had no major problems in the transfer window.

Danny Murphy and Andrew Johnson were released, as well as a small handful of barely-featuring backup players.

Mladen Petric could be a great signing, and the free arrival of Hugo Rodallega will hugely benefit Fulham and Martin Jol too if he can put his lack of goals behind him from last season.

The most interesting buy might be that of Moussa Dembele—no, not this one, that one!

Verdict: BETTER, but room for improvement.

Liverpool

Brendan Rodgers is another new manager in the dugout for the coming season, with him taking over the reins at Liverpool from Kenny Dalglish.

It's been more outs than ins for the Reds, with only Fabio Borini so far making up for the exits of Maxi Rodriguez, Dirk Kuyt and Fabio Aurelio.

Transfer rumours abound for Liverpool though, both in and out, and they are sure to do plenty further business before the window shuts.

Verdict: WORSE, and much work to do.

Manchester City

Roberto Mancini is alone in not having brought anybody to his club yet this summer in the Premier League, and has voiced his displeasure at the fact.

City have signed nobody, but yet sold or released a handful of youth or reserve players.

Owen Hargreaves was the only real name from the first-team squad to leave so far, while further sales are expected from players out on loan last season.

Verdict: WORSE. One out, none in.

Manchester United

The arrival of Shinji Kagawa has caused the biggest fanfare at Manchester United, with Nick Powell also arriving from Crewe Alex.

Michael Owen's release, Park Ji-Sung's sale, Fabio's loan deal and Paul Pogba leaving on a free transfer are their major outgoings.

United still look likely to spend big on another player though, while Alex Ferguson could also decide to trim his squad a little.

Verdict: BETTER, but by quality, certainly not depth.

Newcastle United

Newcastle United have seen more outgoing players than incoming ones so far; though no real first choice players have left there has been an exodus of several who played important squad roles last season such as Danny Guthrie and Peter Lovenkrands.

Leon Best, who had a good goalscoring start to last season, has also been sold—though is now injured for several months.

Romain Amalfitano, Gael Bigirimana and Curtis Good are all low-cost arrivals so far this summer for the Magpies, who have been repeatedly linked with a swoop for Mathieu Debuchy of Lille and former forward Andy Carroll of Liverpool.

However, Newcastle's best news of the transfer window might be in keeping strike duo Demba Ba and Papiss Cisse at the club.

Verdict: WORSE. Still time to go though.

Norwich City

Another of the top flight clubs to have changed manager this summer, Norwich City lost Paul Lambert when he moved to Aston Villa and they have since appointed Chris Hughton, with the explicit aim of avoiding "second season syndrome".

Defenders Zak Whitbread and Adam Drury have left City after the expiration of their contracts, as has forward Aaron Wilbraham who played only a bit-part role for the Canaries last term.

Steven Whittaker provides experience, versatility and ability in wide areas after joining from Rangers, having refused to transfer his contract to the Newco.

Their best signing however might turn out to be Leeds captain Robert Snodgrass, who joins the swelling ranks of Elland Road old-boys at Carrow Road, which also includes Jonny Howson and Bradley Johnson.

Verdict: BETTER. Solidity the key for City this term.

Queens Park Rangers

Mark Hughes was promised cash to splash if he kept Rangers in the Premier League, and he did that despite a final day defeat in the title-deciding match against Manchester City.

Hughes hasn't disappointed either, being active in the transfer market and bringing in Samba Diakite on a permanent deal after his loan spell, Spurs defender Ryan Nelson who he previously managed at Blackburn, Junior Hoilett on a Bosman deal with the fee yet to be decided, Manchester United duo Fabio (loan) and Park Ji-Sung and veteran duo Rob Green in goal and Andrew Johnson up front.

Somewhat unsurprisingly, they have had to make way for those in the squad by releasing plenty of other names, with Danny Gabbidon, Danny Shittu, Rowan Vine, Akos Buszaky and Fitz Hall all being freed and Paddy Kenny sold to Leeds.

Don't expect this to be the end of Hughes' busy summer, either.

Verdict: BETTER by some distance, as promised.

Reading

It has been a productive summers so far for Premier League newcomers Reading.

The undoubted highlight has been the capture of Russian striker Pavel Pogrebnyak, who they signed having spent a half-season on loan at Fulham during 2011-12.

Danny Guthrie and Nicky Shorey add further top flight experience on free transfers, with Adrian Mariappa an interesting buy from Watford in defence.

They haven't really lost anybody from their first team squad last season, with only Mathieu Manset leaving the club permanently.

Verdict: BETTER, but they will need more to survive.

Southampton

Southampton are placing their Premier League survival hopes squarely in the lap of the Championship's finest, with striker Jay Rodriguez and full-back Nathaniel Clyne—previously a target for Manchester United.

Steven Davis, another of the Rangers get-out crew, has also joined on a free transfer.

Only Dan Harding is a notable absentee from their promotion squad, but Southampton will still feel like they have to add more quality to their ranks to give staying up a shot, despite the impressive manner of their promotion last term.

Verdict: BETTER, but not good enough yet.

Stoke City

After the spending of last season from Stoke City, this summer has seen more players leaving than arriving the Britannia Stadium.

Jonathan Woodgate, Riccardo Fuller, Salif Diao and Mamady Sidibe all left after the expiration of their deals, and while none were first team starters they all provided valuable depth and strength to the Stoke squad, and will need replacing.

So far, only Rangers youngster Jamie Ness and Geoff Cameron from Houston Dynamo have arrived at the club, so expect Tony Pulis to bring in more players in the final weeks of the transfer window.

Verdict: WORSE, in both quality and depth.

Sunderland

Sunderland boss Martin O'Neill has brought in just one single player for his first team so far, former Aston Villa defender Carlos Cuellar.

Cuellar of course played under O'Neill at Aston Villa earlier in his career.

A striker must be high on Sunderland's list of priorities for the summer having failed to score copious amounts of goals last season, but their squad isn't the strongest all-round so there should be more activity in the offing.

From the first team squad of last season, Craig Gordon and George McCartney have both left, South American flops Cristian Riveros and Marcos Angeleri also departed and budding music star and part-time footballer Asamoah Gyan also completed a permanent deal away.

Verdict: WORSE. Sunderland will struggle without further final third additions.

Swansea City

Michael Laudrup is the man charged with continuing the success at Swansea City after Brendan Rodgers left for Liverpool.

So far he has brought in Genoa's Chico, Rayo Vallecano's Michu and Villarreal's Jonathan de Guzman (loan) as he shapes the squad in his own image.

Long-term injury victim Ferrie Bodde has left the club, while back-up 'keeper Jose Moreira also left. Joe Allen remains a target for Liverpool.

Verdict: BETTER, but Laudrup will need some time to shape the team to play his way.

Tottenham Hotspur

Spurs have made two astute signings in the summer window, with Ajax's Jan Vertonghen a fine signing in defence, and Gylfi Sigurdsson, Swansea's loan star from last season, from German club Hoffenheim.

The retirement of Ledley King, exits of Ryan Nelson and Bongani Khumalo and permanent sale of Vedran Corluka doesn't necessarily weaken them as they still have an awful lot of defenders.

Louis Saha, Niko Kranjcar and Steven Pienaar however are players from the final third who will need to be replaced one way or another.

The Emmanuel Adebayor saga continues to drag on and Andre Villas-Boas—another new Premier League boss for this season—will continue to look at bringing new players to White Hart Lane.

Verdict: BETTER, just about. Two quality additions replacing four or five squad players. More required though.

West Bromwich Albion

Onto the sixth and final Premiership side with a new manager, with West Bromwich Albion and Steve Clarke, who is now in his first spell as a top flight manager.

As with many other teams, WBA have lost several players after the expiration of their contracts; Nicky Shorey, Paul Scharner and Somen Tchoyi amongst them, while Ben Foster has signed permanently after a successful loan spell last term.

Again though, this doesn't count as an improvement as such.

Claudio Yacob, a tough tackler and steady passer in midfield has joined the club, as has wide forward Yassine El Ghanassy on loan from Gent.

Verdict: WORSE. Clarke has to bring in some more new faces to keep the Baggies steady.

West Ham United

West Ham United's signings this summer are the experienced Jussi Jaaskelainen in goal, the strong tackling and aerially-able James Collins and George McCartney, the powerful and durable midfielder Mo Diame and the forward Modibo Maiga, who's game is based on pace and power.

This, in case you hadn't noticed, is a Sam Allardyce team.

The Hammers lost 'keeper Rob Green on a free, as well as defender Abdoulaye Faye and younger attackers Frank Nouble and Freddie Sears.

Pablo Barrera has returned to Mexico after an unfulfilling spell in England.

Verdict: BETTER, with the emphasis in strength, power and experience.

Wigan Athletic

After a summer in which manager Roberto Martinez appeared close to joining any one of Spurs, Liverpool or Aston Villa, only to remain firmly in place at Wigan Athletic, the Latics have got to work adding to their squad in a bid to stave off the fears of relegation which have dogged them for several seasons.

Ivan Ramis is the latest addition, with the former Mallorca defender arriving early in August.

Midfielder Fraser Fyvie also came into the club from Aberdeen, but Martinez will be looking to add more numbers, especially in the final third, before the window shuts.

Injury prone goalkeeper Chris Kirkland left on a free transfer, as did midfield trio Mo Diame, Hendry Thomas and David Jones, and striker Hugo Rodallega.

Verdict: WORSE. Martinez needs to bring in at least three more good additions.

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