5 predictions for the 2017-18 season: Lukaku thrives, City shines

Unlike the 2015-16 season, what happened over the past nine months wasn't fairy-tale stuff. Leicester City sacked Claudio Ranieri, the man who turned the Foxes into Premier League champions, while Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola's costly squads failed to provide considerable opposition in the title race.

Antonio Conte lifted a rejuvenated Chelsea side to the top of the league, but after a few months, it became a forgone conclusion.

Next season should promise a lot more. Here are five bold predictions ahead of the 2017-18 campaign:

Retooled City to win the league

Pep Guardiola's first foray in English football didn't go well. For the first time in his managerial career, the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss finished a season without silverware. What's worse, he never looked all that comfortable on the touchline, changing formations on a whim and slotting players into unnatural positions.

But he also lacked some major pieces in the squad, and if City is truly ready to invest £250 million in six new signings, as Sky Sports has suggested, next season should end in success.

Equipped with a better understanding of the Premier League, Guardiola, whose possession-based philosophy has yet to bear fruit, should have the players to execute the attacking football he craves.

The full-back situation requires a long-term solution - someone of Kyle Walker's calibre - and the evolving John Stones needs a reliable partner in defence. And perhaps a goal-scorer to bury the kind of glorious chances City has muffed this season.

At the moment, only Manchester United and Chelsea have the same spending power as City does. The Red Devils don't have the greatest transfer record, however, and Chelsea may hesitate to change a squad that just won the Premier League. Tottenham just signed its stars to long-term deals, and Liverpool and Arsenal remain a long way from producing consistent football.

It's a vacuum City could exploit.

Lukaku to lead scoring with Chelsea

At one point, Romelu Lukaku's future had been decided. Super agent Mino Raiola said a contract extension was ready to be signed at Everton, but then Lukaku backtracked, questioned the club's ambition, and encouraged rumours of a return to Chelsea.

Many believe Lukaku has unfinished business in west London. After joining the Blues in 2011, the Belgian found opportunities limited. Loan stints and West Brom and Everton resulted in a permanent move to Goodison Park and a fresh start. (He's scored 53 goals over the past three Premier League seasons.)

The lure of riches in China could tempt Chelsea's current poacher, Diego Costa, to leave, and create the conditions for Lukaku to rejoin the club that brought him to England.

With more talented teammates around him and an ambitious manager in Conte, the 24-year-old would have the support to better this season's 25-goal output.

Mourinho to focus on the cups ... again

With 15 draws in the league, 10 of which at home, United didn't give itself much of a chance in the title race. Mourinho opted to switch his players' attention to the EFL Cup and Europa League, and if United can come away with three trophies, including the Community Shield, Mourinho's uninspiring unit may actually escape criticism.

If not, United's left with one of its worst seasons in nearly three decades, producing just three points more than last year's lot.

Related - All chips on red: Why Mourinho's Europa League gamble has to pay off

Fans may not like the same thing this time next year, but it's probably what they are going to get.

For the money it has spent, United still has various holes in its squad. The defence is lacking a quality left-back and partner for Eric Bailly, and the otherwise adventurous Paul Pogba has been forced to play as holding midfielder at times. A striker is also necessary. Antoine Griezmann's heavily touted arrival could relieve one of those problems, but it remains to be seen if United will truly have a complete squad under Mourinho in 2017-18.

United's rivals will get stronger, most notably City, meaning the Red Devils won't necessarily have an advantage on the transfer market. And pressure will grow on Mourinho to produce more than results, as the past few months of drab football have tested the patience of even the most ardent supporters.

Arsenal to continue transition under Wenger

Condemned to the Europa League after a fifth-place finish, Arsenal is at a crossroads.

Arsene Wenger should remain in charge of the team he's coached for 21 years, but Alexis Sanchez probably won't stick around. There's nothing to suggest Arsenal will challenge for the Premier League - unless it goes on a massive spending spree, something which absentee majority owner Stan Kroenke seems against. Kroenke is not even interested in selling the team to minority stakeholder Alisher Usmanov, who said he would spend big if he had full control.

The problem here is not on the bench. It's at the very top, and nothing is going to change in the interim.

Instead, it seems Arsenal's executives would like a gradual changing of the guard and not a sudden exodus. That means it will take a couple of hardy years to produce a unified effort and get back among England's best. The club is expected to hire a sporting director, or a person of similar stature, to adjust the axis of power and prepare for Wenger's ultimate departure.

Unlike Tottenham, which has spent the past couple of years preparing a real project, Arsenal must re-evaluate its priorities and decide which players have a future with the club and which don't. And many don't.

Then Wenger, a proponent of youth, will have a chance to try out academy graduates in the Europa League, and that could well have a knock-on effect for future sides.

Newcastle to finish mid-table

It's time to repay Rafa Benitez for his commitment to Newcastle United.

The former Liverpool, Napoli, and Real Madrid manager could have walked away from the Magpies a year ago, but he stayed and successfully steered them back to the Premier League.

Newcastle owner Mike Ashley, who oversaw a mass evacuation of players from St James Park last summer, is reportedly prepared to give Benitez £70-million to use on signings. Ashley has also vowed to spend "every last penny that the club generates through promotion, player sales, and other means in order to build for next season." It should give the Spaniard the wherewithal to not only keep Newcastle in the top flight, but secure mid-table status.

(Photos courtesy: Action Images)