Real Madrid have completed the signing of Lyon left-back Ferland Mendy for a fee of €48 million plus an additional €5m in add-ons, the Ligue 1 club announced on Wednesday.

The new arrival will raise further doubts about the long-term future of Madrid vice-captain Marcelo, 31, while youngster Sergio Reguilon, 22, could go on loan for 2019-20. Theo Hernandez, 21, is not expected to feature in Zinedine Zidane's plans.

? #WelcomeMendy pic.twitter.com/HdXyDLS4hd

— Real Madrid C.F. ???? (@realmadriden) June 12, 2019

Mendy scored three goals and contributed three assists in 44 games for Lyon last season, impressing with his raids forward into attack against Manchester City and Barcelona in his team's run to the Champions League round of 16.

The France international created 40 chances in 30 Ligue 1 games for Lyon last season, while all Real Madrid left-backs combined to create just 50 chances in 38 games.

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Madrid have already signed Serbia striker Luka Jovic, 21, from Eintracht Frankfurt for €60m, Brazil defender Eder Militao, 21, from Porto for €50 million and Brazilian forward Rodrygo, 18, from Santos for €54m.

Belgium international Eden Hazard, 28, also arrived in Madrid last week as Zidane oversees a squad overhaul after a disappointing campaign last season that ended with no trophies or titles.

ESPN FC writer Dermot Corrigan contributed to this story.

Atletico Madrid CEO Miguel Angel Gil Marin says Antoine Griezmann will be playing for Barcelona next season, confirming what sources told ESPN FC in May.

Griezmann, 28, communicated to Atletico that he would leave the club this summer in the final week of the La Liga season. At the time, sources at Barcelona told ESPN FC that the Spanish champions were hopeful of signing the forward.

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The France international has not yet revealed what his next move will be, despite making his Atletico departure public, but Gil Marin has no doubts about where his future lies.

"I've been certain where Griezmann will play next season since March," Gil Marin told Movistar on Wednesday. "He will play for Barcelona."

Griezmann has offered conflicting versions of his current situation over the past few days. He followed up a comment saying he knows where he will be playing next season by backtracking and saying nothing has been confirmed yet.

"I want my future to be decided more than anyone, but let's be patient," Griezmann said on Tuesday. "Maybe in two weeks we'll know something."

Barca are keen to sign Griezmann despite the manner in which he turned them down last summer. His decision to star in a documentary in which he snubbed their offer in favour of remaining with Atleti irked some people at the Catalan club, but president Josep Maria Bartomeu has remained keen on the attacker.

Bartomeu told ESPN FC that the documentary, titled "The Decision", was "water under the bridge" in an exclusive interview in April.

However, Barcelona need to balance their books before committing to more signings, with the club targeting at least €60 million in sales before the end of June, which is when the financial year ends.

Griezmann's release clause, meanwhile, drops from €200m to €120m on July 1, making him significantly cheaper for Barcelona in just over two weeks than he would be now.

Sources told ESPN FC that Griezmann did not personally reveal to Atletico where he will move, but he did tell them he will deposit his release clause with the league at the start of July.

Barca could try to negotiate a deal with Atletico, but sources close to the club have said they remain reluctant to open talks before July when the clause dips, due to the fact the Rojiblanco reported them to FIFA for making an illegal approach on Griezmann at the end of 2017.

Griezmann is one of a number of signings Barca are lining up this summer following a disappointing end to the season in the Champions League and the Copa del Rey. They have already finalised a deal for Ajax midfielder Frenkie de Jong and are still trying to persuade his teammate Matthijs de Ligt to join.

Manchester United start their Premier League season against Chelsea following the full release of the fixture list for the 2019-20 season.

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United ended last term sixth in a turbulent season that included Jose Mourinho's sacking in December. Successor Ole Gunnar Solskjaer starts his first full season in charge with a home clash against the Europa League winners, who are likely to have a new manager with Maurizio Sarri expected to leave the club this summer. Solskjaer has a testing January with trips to Arsenal and Liverpool, while United will be away from home following their first three Europa League group stage fixtures.

Manchester City begin their title defence away at West Ham while nearest challengers Liverpool kick off the first game of 2019-20 on Friday, Aug. 9 at home to promoted Norwich. Klopp's Champions League winners face a testing run-in, with a trip to Arsenal and a home match against Chelsea in May before ending the season away at Rafael Benitez's Newcastle.

Pep Guardiola's City claimed a second successive Premier League title last term and ended on 98 points, one clear of Jurgen Klopp's men. The champions' first home game of the new campaign is against Tottenham, while the first meeting between last season's top two comes in early November at Anfield, with the return match at the Etihad set for April. The first Manchester derby of the season comes in the first week of December at City, while United host the champions in the first week of March.

Arsenal kick off their campaign away at Newcastle while Champions League runners-up Tottenham host promoted Aston Villa on the opening weekend.

As well as United vs. Chelsea and City vs. Tottenham in August, there's the first north London derby of the campaign as well, and Unai Emery's men also travel to Anfield to face the Champions League winners in the opening weeks of the season.

Key fixtures

Aug. 11: Manchester United vs. Chelsea
Aug. 17: Manchester City vs. Tottenham
Aug. 24: Liverpool vs. Arsenal
Aug. 31: Arsenal vs. Tottenham

Sept. 28: Manchester United vs. Arsenal

Oct. 19: Manchester United vs. Liverpool

Nov. 9: Liverpool vs. Manchester City
Nov. 23: Manchester City vs. Chelsea

Dec. 4: Liverpool vs. Everton

Dec. 7: Manchester City vs. Manchester United
Dec. 14: Arsenal vs. Manchester City
Dec. 28: Arsenal vs. Chelsea

Jan. 1: Arsenal vs. Manchester United
Jan 18: Liverpool vs. Manchester United
Jan 22: Chelsea vs. Arsenal

Feb. 1: Tottenham vs. Manchester City
Feb. 8: Chelsea vs. Manchester United
Feb. 29: Manchester City vs. Arsenal

Mar. 7: Manchester United vs. Manchester City
Mar 14: Everton vs. Liverpool
Mar. 21: Chelsea vs. Manchester City

April 4: Manchester City vs. Liverpool
April 25: Tottenham vs. Arsenal

May 2: Arsenal vs. Liverpool
May 9: Liverpool vs. Chelsea

Fixtures are provisional and subject to change following television scheduling.

CINCINNATI, Ohio -- It's the day before the U.S. men's national team is set to play Venezuela and Gregg Berhalter eases into a chair in the lobby of the team's hotel. The mood is light: the players' families have accompanied the team to get some quality time in before the start of the Gold Cup. Kids are running around and the squad is grateful for the time spent.

Little do Berhalter and the players know that in less than 24 hours the U.S. will be blown out by La Vinotinto 3-0, a massive wakeup call coming on the heels of a 1-0 defeat to Jamaica four days earlier. But in this moment, Berhalter is feeling optimistic about where things stand and is more than willing to explain his thinking on all manner of things from his team's preparations, how he's striking a balance between the present and 2022, the roles for Christian Pulisic, Tyler Adams and Michael Bradley and what he thinks of his compliment of center-backs.

(Editor's Note: This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity. It was also conducted before RB Leipzig midfielder Adams withdrew from the Gold Cup squad to rehab a persistent groin injury.)

ESPN: When we spoke in January, you talked about the 10 areas of the game: offensive and defensive transition, offensive and defensive set pieces, high-press defending, middle block defending, low block defender, building from the goalkeeper, building out of midfield and finishing. Where do you think your team stands in each of those areas? What are you pleased with and what areas do you need to make the most progress?

Gregg Berhalter: It's been interesting because I think the different games with different opponents have revealed different things about us.

When I look at Ecuador, we struggled breaking down a low defense. So we need to work on that. Then Chile comes and they're high-pressing us and we struggled there, so we need to work on that. What I'd say is we have a foundation for all of these phases right now and we need to continue to build on that, so that were really confident in all phases of the game so we can adapt.

When you think about the different personnel in each game, we've had our full group, I would say, maybe for one game: the Ecuador game. Weston [McKennie] got injured against Ecuador. Christian [Pulisic] played 30 minutes against Chile. We mixed guys up. We haven't had the entire group together long. Them being around, talking to them, I think we've made progress in a lot of areas.

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When I look at our defensive "low-block" shape, our "mid-block" shape, we don't give up very many chances at all in these games, which I'm very pleased with. Our high pressure could be better and more coordinated. That's something you see when you don't work with a team for a long time. [Our] High pressure isn't as good as it should be. And then in defensive transition we've been very good. In offensive transition, that's something we can be better in as well.

ESPN: Is improving in those areas going to be an ongoing process throughout this cycle?

GB: I think you just need the foundation. You need to keep building on the foundation that we can understand what we're doing in any given moment in the game. The opponent does this? Okay, we do that. You look at Chile, I think that's a good example of a team that can adapt during the game. It's no problem for them. If we pressed with three players, they would build [attacks] with four; if we pressed with two, they would build with three. During the game, they would change on the fly.

When we changed to five in the back, they changed their pressure right away. It was really nice. But then I think, this is a team that has won two Copa Americas together. The majority of those players have been playing together for over eight years. That's what you get when you have a team like that -- they become intuitive. We just need to keep building on the concepts and the variations. That's why against Jamaica, it was very important to play that formation [with three in the back] and for the guys to see, okay, thay's how it should be functioning. And for us as coaches, just to realize these are the potential weaknesses of this system. So if we play against an opponent that plays like this, we shouldn't use that. But if they play like this, we could use it.

[The Jamaica game] gave us material, and that's what we're looking for right now.

ESPN: How are you trying to strike a balance between the present and the future in terms of personnel, tactics, what you're teaching the guys.

GB: I think that in terms of personnel, it's important to have guys who have been around the national team. I think that's important to guide some of the younger players. We do have some young players that haven't been around the national team for a long time but part of it in our head is projecting out to 2022. Can they be available for 2022?

What we don't want is to have too many players that we don't think will be around in 2022. That's what we're aware of. That's on our mind. For the Gold Cup roster, it was just thinking about that. How many do we have that have no chance of being there in 2022? That number we want to keep small.

ESPN: But there are some guys here who won't be around in 2022?

GB: Potentially there are some guys who won't, yeah.

ESPN: To what extent does the previous cycle, with the U.S. failing to reach the 2018 World Cup, hang over the program at all? I know you weren't there and I know you had nothing to do with it. But is there even an emotional component that is hanging over the guys at all?

GB: No.

ESPN: So is it a clean slate and you guys are just completely looking forward?

GB: Yeah. I think what you have is a new opportunity. I think the guys understand that listen: this is a new coach and it's a new opportunity for us to go in the direction that we want to go. I think that I don't see guys looking back in the past. One thing I will say is we're comfortable with what happened in the past. We're comfortable with making the World Cup in 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014. That's great history. That's our past also.

I think when people talk about the past, they get hung up with 2018. It was a moment for us that wasn't great, but it was also a moment for us to learn. I think that's part of us, just as much as all those great triumphs are part of us also. All the times we went to the World Cup, and made the quarterfinals and went to the second around in the Group of Death in Brazil. That's all part of who we are as a nation. It's important to embrace that. But if you're talking specifically about 2017 and not qualifying, guys are ready to turn the page on that.

ESPN: You've been in charge for six or seven months. Is there anything that has been unexpected, that you've been made aware of? Is there anything in the job that you didn't anticipate?

GB: I think when you come from club soccer to the national team, you have to get used to not being on the field every day. That's one thing. But it's been a great opportunity to learn and reach out to other clubs and visit other clubs and get to see how teams are working. I've enjoyed that. Then it's just finding the balance of when you're assembling the roster, where guys are at and what the needs of the clubs are versus the national team, and that's always going to be a balance. That's always a challenge and I think every national team coach faces that same challenge.

ESPN: Why do you think Tyler Adams is best suited to this hybrid right-back/center-mid role, and how likely are we to see him remain in that role going forward? (Note: Adams is now out of the Gold Cup due to injury.)

GB: I think that Tyler is an extremely gifted soccer player. I think he has huge, huge potential. We want to put him in a position to succeed. When I think about a guy that is a big part of what we're trying to do, he's one of those guys. For us it's figuring out, if he's going to play there, how can we still utilize his skill set? And his skill set, to me, is more central than it is wide. To me this is a way to bring out his skills, get him on the field and help contribute to the overall success of the team.

ESPN: How much of a balancing act is there between the system and the personnel you have? When you look at the player pool, are you plugging guys into the system or would there ever come a time when you say, "I don't know that the system is working, maybe we need to try something else?"

GB: I guess our process is working with the players, seeing their strengths and adapting to it. We just haven't had time to adapt to it. So getting to know the players, getting to work with the players.

Christian [Pulisic] is a great example. People are asking, "is he going to be wide? Is he going to be central?" My idea is that he'll play central but move wide sometimes. We want him in between the lines, being able to attack players, go at players, and then help other people get goalscoring opportunities. We think he can do it from a central position better. But that may not be the case when we actually see him.

We know he has one-on-one ability out wide, so that's in the back of our minds already. Now it's just gathering information and saying, "Let's work with these guys. Let's see exactly everything they have. Let them form us a little bit." The product of that I think will be much better.

ESPN: So how many different tactical layers do you have to this? Will there be an end point?

GB: I hope not. Seriously. That's the fun part of the game, creating a team that can adapt. That's what we want to do, and it's difficult. With the national team you might even say it's impossible.

I can see that side of it, where it would be challenging because you don't have them every day. But the idea is that you have great and smart players, and they can adapt to what you're asking them to do based on our identity. Our identity is the same. We want to use the ball to disorganize the opponent and create goalscoring opportunities. That's fine. That's there, but we can have different ways to do it. That's what I'm interested in. That's why a game like Jamaica to me was great because we learned a lot.

We had this hypothesis that we could play with wing-backs, treat them like wingers, and they're still going to be able to get behind the back line. We just found we couldn't do it enough. They were too far from goal. You look at a couple of crosses, Antonee [Robinson] is outside the penalty box. And we need our wingers inside the penalty box. Then we can point to, okay, was it because we weren't fit because he hasn't played since May 5? Or is it because he's coming from too deep a position?

We're analyzing all these things and trying to get answers. That's why to me, it was a great exercise to get answers and start trying to figure out how this can work here, but it won't work in this situation.

ESPN: What will constitute success at this Gold Cup? Is it win or bust, or is it more about players getting knowledge about your style and your tactics?

GB: It's about competing. It's about our tactics, the way we play. It's about going through this process and learning together because tournaments are a learning process for a group. So it's about those three things. Then to me, it's ultimately about putting ourselves in a position to win.

We know Mexico is a very good team, probably the favorites of the tournament. We know that's a good team. We know that Panama has an experienced team. We know it's not going to be easy, but it's going to be good for this group to dig and have to compete for something.

ESPN: What do you see in Michael Bradley in terms of his role going forward?

GB: Michael is one of our best players. He's just such a smart soccer player, he's technically very good, he reads the game very well, he can make passes. He's an excellent, excellent player. What I would say about Michael, and this is the conversation I had with him, is that he's a guy you don't have to make any promises to regarding what the future holds. He's enjoying his moment when he's here.

ESPN: How do you see your center-backs shaking out? You've got Matt Miazga and Aaron Long, you've got Omar Gonzalez still in the mix, as well as Walker Zimmerman. How are you looking at that competition?

GB: John Brooks is injured. Brooks is a very good center-back: a top center-back, I think. When you talk about Matt and Walker, [they're our] younger center-backs. Aaron is a little bit older, but less experienced. You have Omar with more experience. We think it's a rounded group for this particular tournament.

Cameron Carter-Vickers is another guy who was in consideration and in the end, we went with the experience of Omar over that. I think it's a good group. In Walker you have a guy who is playing for LAFC and doing a great job: he's very dangerous on attacking set pieces. When you look at Aaron, you've got speed, someone who is very good in defensive transition. Miazga is a combination of both of them a little bit.

With Omar, you have the veteran experience. If you need to put him in difficult games, it's no problem for him. He's played in games like that before. He's won championships in MLS and Mexico. He's a great culture guy.

ESPN: It seems like the USMNT program has more guys in Europe now than maybe it did than at any time in the last few years. What do you make of that development as well as what MLS is doing in terms of developing players?

GB: I think it's a credit to MLS. It's a credit to our youth academies. It's a credit to the Development Academy because now you have young talents that are being scouted and I've always said, everyone has their own pathway. For one guy it may be going through the academy system, playing in MLS, and then progressing over to Europe. For another it may be going from the Development Academy straight to Europe and then going to the pro ranks there. Another guy may be playing in MLS a long time.

ESPN: Having played in Europe, to what extent is the culture over there more cutthroat than it is over here?

GB: It's not the same but I think you just have leagues that are more established. That's what it is. There are leagues where you don't have a salary cap, so money is driving most of this. When you're talking about cutthroat, when you're talking about pressure, what's it driven by? Money. That's all it's driven by. So when there's big TV contracts and to win the Champions League you get "X" amount, and if you get relegated you lose "X" amount. That's where some of this comes into play.

I think MLS has done a great job of growing and improving the quality of its league. But we're still not where the Premier League is or the Bundesliga is and that's normal. But what we've done over the last five years alone is amazing.

ESPN: How so?

GB: Think of the players we've sold in the past five years. Think of the young talents we've attracted to this league in the last five years. Think of the quality of players we have. My last year in the league, 2011, think of the strikers in the league at the time. Now look at the strikers in the league. It's a different level.

When you think about all the national team players we have, the younger talents we have, the transfer fees we're paying, but also the transfer fees that we're taking in is great. It was never like that.

The countdown to the 2019-20 Premier League has now begun with the publication of the fixtures for the new season and it promises to be a box office start, with Manchester United hosting Chelsea at Old Trafford on the opening weekend.

There are a clutch of heavyweight clashes during the first month as Manchester City, on the back of last season's domestic treble, begin their bid to win a third successive Premier League title with an away game at West Ham on Aug. 10.

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Champions League winners Liverpool, having gone so close to winning their first title since 1990 last term, feature in the curtain-raiser at home promoted Norwich City, and they will expect to run Pep Guardiola's team close.

So who has had the most favourable fixture list and which club is facing a nightmare start? Here is the rundown of the big games and the outlook for every Premier League team.

JUMP TO: Must-see matches | Club-by-Club guide

EASIEST START: Manchester City
Although City face a tough home game against Tottenham on Aug. 17, that is the only fixture during their opening six matches where they would be expected to face a true challenge for all three points. An opening day trip to West Ham, where City won 4-0 last season, is a comfortable start and Guardiola's men also play Bournemouth, Brighton, Norwich and Watford before travelling to Everton on matchday six. With most of their top-six rivals facing at least two rivals in the first six games, City have the chance to get off to a flyer, again.

TOUGHEST START: Manchester United
United's dismal end to last season, when they won just two of their last 12 games in all competitions, has put manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer under pressure before a ball has even been kicked. A start that sees them host Chelsea on the first weekend and then travel to Wolves, who beat United twice at Molineux last term, is a nightmare. Spurs, Chelsea and Arsenal also have it tough in the first six games, but no team needs to get out of the blocks quickly more than United and their schedule, which also includes trips to Southampton, Leicester and West Ham, offers no margin for error. United don't face a promoted team until they travel to Norwich on Oct. 26, so Solskjaer needs his players to hit the ground running.

FIVE MUST-SEE MATCHES

Aug. 11, Manchester United vs. Chelsea: A true heavyweight clash on matchday one, but it is a game that neither side can afford to lose due to the pressure on Solskjaer and the likelihood that it will also be the first game in charge for a new boss at Chelsea. It would be way too early to assess either side's credentials after just one game, but the reality is that both will be judged on what happens during this first 90 minutes, so it is crucial that they get off to a good start, but only one team can do that.

Oct. 19, Manchester United vs. Liverpool: Despite United's recent fall from grace, this remains the most historic fixture in English football and the men from Old Trafford will be desperate to show their ability to compete against the best by beating their bitter rivals, who will face United as European champions for the first time since 2005. United have a long way to go to close the gap on Liverpool, but this game will offer an early gauge of the progress under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and also tell us whether Liverpool are capable of winning the title.

Nov. 9, Liverpool vs. Manchester City: The European champions against the domestic treble winners and reigning Premier League champions: this game doesn't need any build-up or hype because it is unquestionably the one which will set the tone of the title race. The first encounter between Liverpool and City will be crucial and give an indication as to which club is most likely to win the title. The rest may believe they can compete, but last season's top two are the clear favourites to contest this year's race too.

April 4, Manchester City v Liverpool: Over the past two seasons, City and Liverpool have got their head-to-head fixtures out of the way by mid-January, but this time around, they will meet for the second time just as the title run-in begins to shape up. If the title race is close by the beginning of April, this game at the Etihad could tilt the title race in the favour of the winners, with both sides having just six league games to play after this colossal encounter.

April 25, Tottenham v Arsenal: Barring an encounter in the cup competitions, this will be the first North London derby to be staged at Tottenham's new stadium, so the game will have plenty of significance, regardless of where the teams sit in the league table. But with the clash being pencilled in at such a late stage of the season, the game could turn out to be decisive in the race for Champions League qualification.

CLUB-BY-CLUB

ARSENAL | Predicted finish: 5th
Games against Liverpool and Spurs in August ensure Arsenal face a tough start to the season and they meet the same two sides during the final four games in a tricky run-in. Arsenal must also navigate the Europa League next term, so it is tough for Unai Emery to break back into the top four.

ASTON VILLA | Predicted finish: 16th
Promoted Villa start away at Spurs, but after that they have a relatively comfortable start that could help build confidence and momentum back in the top flight. It won't be easy, but Villa should have enough to stay up.

BOURNEMOUTH | Predicted finish: 17th
Eddie Howe's side open up with games against promoted Sheffield United and Aston Villa, so they have to make a strong start. Bournemouth usually do enough to stay safe, but an alarming form slump last season suggests they face a tougher time this season.

BRIGHTON | Predicted finish: 18th
Graham Potter has been handed the task of steering Brighton away from the relegation battle that cost Chris Hughton his job at the end of last season, but the new manager has a fight on his hands, despite a soft start that sees the club open up against Watford, West Ham and Brighton.

BURNLEY | Predicted finish: 13th
Sean Dyche's men face Arsenal, Wolves and Liverpool in the first four games, but Burnley ended last season as one of the form teams in the Premier League and, without the drain of Europa League qualifiers this time around, a better start will tee up a season in mid-table.

CHELSEA | Predicted finish: 4th
The big question to be resolved is who will be the Chelsea manager next season. The club also have the issue of a two-window transfer embargo hanging over them, but even without the departed Eden Hazard, the shortcomings of Arsenal and Manchester United should ensure that Chelsea are favourites for a top-four finish.

CRYSTAL PALACE | Predicted finish: 15th
Palace have enough depth in their squad to be confident of avoiding a relegation battle, but clashes with Chelsea, Manchester United and Spurs during their final six games will be a concern if they are in the relegation mix.

EVERTON | Predicted finish: 8th
Marco Silva appeared to turn the tide at Everton in the final weeks of last season and offer optimism of a push for Europe this season. Leicester look their biggest rivals for seventh spot and their encounters on Nov. 30 and April 4 will be key.

LEICESTER CITY | Predicted finish: 7th
The opening day clash with Wolves at the King Power Stadium gives Brendan Rodgers' team the chance to hammer out their credentials as the team most likely to finish seventh. Leicester could even threaten the top six, but being the best of the rest will be the initial objective.

LIVERPOOL | Predicted finish: 1st
Jurgen Klopp has now broken his trophy hoodoo at Anfield by winning the Champions League and all attention will turn to the Premier League title this term. It could all hinge on the two games against Manchester City, but now they have tasted silverware, Liverpool can end their 30-year title drought.

MANCHESTER CITY | Predicted finish: 2nd
City are formidable and could yet make it a hat trick of titles, but the club and Pep Guardiola desperately want Champions League glory and after falling short last season, it may be a case of City focusing on Europe, which will give Liverpool that chance to snatch their domestic crown.

MANCHESTER UNITED | Predicted finish: 6th
United are in a state of flux and need a big summer to snap out of their downward spiral. If that doesn't happen, sixth is the best they can hope for, but the big worry will be the likes of Leicester, Everton and Wolves snapping at their heels if they have another bad campaign.

NEWCASTLE UNITED | Predicted finish: 14th
As it stands, with Rafael Benitez at the helm and a proposed takeover underway, Newcastle should be able to go into the new season with optimism. But if Benitez leaves and / or the takeover fails to happen, Newcastle could be quickly dragged into a relegation scrap.

NORWICH CITY | Predicted finish: 19th
Every promoted team dreams of a soft start in order to get points on the board, but with fixtures against Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City in their first five games, Norwich face an uphill battle from day one. Tough to see Daniel Farke's team avoiding the drop.

SHEFFIELD UNITED | Predicted finish: 20th
Chris Wilder has worked a sporting miracle at Bramall Lane by guiding the Blades from League One to the Premier League, but even though they have a decent start and comfortable looking run-in, it will be an immense achievement if United avoid the drop.

SOUTHAMPTON | Predicted finish: 11th
Ralph Hasenhuttl made an impressive start to life at Southampton after replacing the sacked Mark Hughes in mid-season, and the Saints should be comfortable in mid-table this time around. Aside from games against Liverpool and Manchester United in their first six, Southampton have a good early schedule.

TOTTENHAM | Predicted finish: 3rd
Having left Wembley behind to move into their new stadium, Spurs should have no homesickness concerns this time around. They still lack the depth to push for the title, but they should be comfortable in third and could go higher if they invest well in the squad this summer.

WATFORD | Predicted finish: 12th
Can Watford recover from the psychological blow of losing 6-0 to Manchester City in the FA Cup final, and can they hold onto manager Javi Gracia? Two big questions that will define Watford's season, but in terms of their squad, they shouldn't fear a relegation battle.

WEST HAM | Predicted finish: 9th
Manuel Pellegrini has brought a rare sense of calm and stability to West Ham and the Chilean can build on that this season by making the team challengers for Europe. And a positive result, however unlikely, at home to Manchester City on day one would give the Hammers momentum.

WOLVES | Predicted finish: 10th
Wolves have big ambitions of Champions League football at Molineux, but with a Europa League campaign looming -- if they make it through three qualifying rounds -- they face a battle to repeat last season's seventh-place finish, especially with Leicester, Everton and West Ham on the rise.