Manchester United

Manager: Alex Ferguson

At this stage it looks as though it would take something genuinely remarkable for United not to win this league. In reality, the only possible way it could happen is if they become painfully embroiled in their Champions League campaign.

The arrivals of Veron and van Nistelrooy, however, leave them better equipped for that competition, even if the team's defence may still not be quite good enough to enable Ferguson to go out on what would be a real high.

Whoever finally ends up taking over from the Scot next year is probably hoping that the whole shebang comes badly off the rails this season because if the club does recapture the European title the job is going to be virtually untouchable.

In: Juan Sebastian Veron (Lazio, £28.1m); Ruud van Nistelrooy (PSV Eindhoven, £19m); Roy Carroll (Wigan, £2.5m), Daniel Rowe (Preston, nominal). Total: £49.6m.

Out: Teddy Sheringham (Tottenham, free); Jonathan Greening and Mark Wilson (Middlesbrough, £2.5m and £1.5m respectively), Jesper Blomqvist (released), Marc Whiteman (Bury, free); Andy Goram (released); George Clegg (released), Michael Rose (Chester, free); Stephen Cosgrove (Motherwell, free). Paul Rachubka (Antwerp, loan). Josh Walker (Shrewsbury, free), Rhodri Jones (Rotherdam, free). Total: £4m Net spend: £45.6m.

Rep of Ireland players: Denis Irwin, Roy Keane and John O'Shea.

Last year: Prem: Champions, FAC: 4th, Europe: CLQF.

This year: 1st.

Official website: www.manutd.com

Betting: 4-5.