MANCHESTER, United Kingdom, Aug 15, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - Reigning champions 
Liverpool kick off the Premier League season on Friday with Europe's richest 
league strengthened by a remarkable œ2 billion ($2.7 billion) spending 
splurge.

Liverpool will include œ100 million midfield signing Florian Wirtz and new 
forward Hugo Ekitike in their squad to face Bournemouth at Anfield, with 
several other new recruits also in contention to feature.

The Reds are favourites to retain their crown but the unknown factor is the 
potential effect of the tragic death of Portugal forward Diogo Jota in a car 
crash in Spain in July.

Arsenal, top-flight runners-up for the last three seasons, face an immediate 
test of their title credentials at revamped Manchester United on Sunday.

Newcastle will be without unsettled star Alexander Isak for a tough trip to 
Aston Villa as Liverpool try to sign the Sweden striker.

Here are several issues to watch on the opening weekend:

Big-spending Liverpool seek harmony

Liverpool have changed their careful shopping habits and suddenly outspent 
their rivals, overhauling a squad fresh from winning the league.

Only once since 2007, when Manchester City did it in 2019, have the Premier 
League champions been the biggest-spending English club in the market.

A spree that has already seen Liverpool's US owners approve œ260 million on 
Wirtz, Ekitike and defenders Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez, is far from 
over with Isak and Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi linked with moves to 
Anfield.

Trent Alexander-Arnold, Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez have been sold.

The transition has shown teething problems in pre-season with a slick attack 
let down by a porous defence.

Manager Arne Slot is confident his side are ready as they seek to retain the 
title for the first time since 1984.

"I think we've lost five to six players that played quite a lot of minutes 
for us last season and we brought in four new ones, so then it's normal that 
there's a little bit of adaptation," said Slot.

"But we are definitely ready for the league to start."

Sesko and Gyokeres seek scoring start

Benjamin Sesko and Viktor Gyokeres are set to make their Premier League 
debuts for United and Arsenal respectively at Old Trafford after a summer 
that could have seen them line up the other way on Sunday.

Arsenal were linked with a move to Sesko for over a year before deciding to 
bet on Gyokeres as the man to fire them to a first Premier League title since 
2004 for a fee that could rise to œ66 million.

The Gunners have finished second for the past three seasons, lacking a 
clinical finisher to take that final step towards being champions

Gyokeres netted a remarkable 97 times in 102 games in two years at Sporting 
Lisbon, much of which came under United's now-manager Ruben Amorim.

Instead of being reunited with the Swede, Amorim has overhauled his attack 
with the signings of Sesko, Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha at a combined cost 
of over œ200 million.

"I don't need to tell Ben, 'Ben, this is Manchester United, a lot of 
pressure. Every game is like do or die'," Amorim said of Sesko.

"He is always thinking about football. He's really obsessed about that."

United, one of the world's richest clubs, had to spend big after their worst 
season since being relegated in 1974.

Villa and Newcastle chase 'big six'

As the Premier League's traditional "big six" of Liverpool, Manchester City, 
Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham have flexed their financial 
muscle in the transfer market, Villa and Newcastle have been squeezed out.

Constrained by the need to meet financial sustainability rules, Villa's only 
major signing has been Ivorian striker Evann Guessand from Nice.

Newcastle boss Eddie Howe has had to field constant questions about Isak, who 
sat out pre-season preparations in a bid to force through a move to 
Liverpool.

Howe admitted on Friday that Isak controls his transfer destiny after 
confirming the 25-year-old will not feature in Saturday's opener against 
Villa.

"As I sit here now, I don't know that. Alex will control that," he said when 
asked if the striker would play for Newcastle before the transfer window 
closes.