IT’S opening night at football’s multi-billion dollar circus and spending has gone through the big-top roof.
So despite an almighty spree of his own, Arne Slot believes his Liverpool side will face tougher competition than ever if they are to retain their Premier League title.
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Arne Slot admits he will do well to keep his hands on the Prem trophyCredit: Getty
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Florian Wirtz has been brought to Anfield as part of a massive spree that may not be over yetCredit: Mark Pain / Premium Sports Images
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Chelsea will be looking to challenge after spending nearly a quarter of a billionCredit: Getty
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Could Viktor Gyokeres be the missing piece for Arsenal as they chase a long-awaited title?Credit: Getty
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And as the defending champions roll up to Anfield to face Bournemouth, kicking off another season for the greatest show on Earth, the Dutchman expects the title battle to be fiercer than ever.
But world champs Chelsea have spent another quarter of a billion, followed by Manchester United (£200.5m), Arsenal (£181.8m) and Manchester City (£150.1m for a total of £324m in the calendar year).
And Slot said: “The reason why it’s so difficult lies mainly with the fact there are so many that can win the league over here.
“To win it once is very special, if you can win it twice in five years like us — and City did even better — then that is unbelievable.
“And probably this year’s going to be harder than any year before because every team brings in new players. Our main competitors definitely did as well.
“The challenge in the Premier League is always the teams. We start with Bournemouth — the most intense in the league in terms of running and also playing style — and after that it’s Newcastle and Arsenal.
“That sums up this league and the challenges we have.”
If winning the title is a serious achievement, retaining it is far tougher — only Pep Guardiola’s City, Sir Alex Ferguson’s United and Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea have won back-to-back Premier League crowns.
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Slot would be walking among giants if he wins a second title in two seasons.
And while the signings of Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike, Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez provide a major platform, he still wants Newcastle striker Isak as well as Guehi, the England defender who skippered Crystal Palace to beat the Reds in Sunday’s Community Shield.
Perennial runners-up Arsenal are in a major recruitment drive too — adding Viktor Gyokeres, Noni Madueke, Martin Zubimendi, Christian Norgaard, Kepa Arrizabalaga and Cristhian Mosquera ahead of a critical campaign for Mikel Arteta.
As ever, Chelsea have bought in bulk — with strikers Joao Pedro and Liam Delap joining wingers Jamie Gittens and Estevao Willian, left-back Jorrel Hato and midfielder Dario Essugo at a club powered by its own brand of chaos.
Guardiola’s City — four-in-a-row champions before last term — have made four big signings in Tijjani Reijnders, Rayan Cherki, Rayan Ait-Nouri and James Trafford, to add to their January quartet.
With United’s attacking overhaul bringing Benjamin Sesko, Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo in, never before have all of England’s major clubs seen such change.
Europa League winners Spurs have spent £100m-plus, with more to come — with even promoted Sunderland well over nine figures.
The league is increasingly competitive. The Liverpool-City duopoly — when two near-perfect teams needed close to 100 points to take the crown — is over.
No longer does one defeat spell disaster, yet fewer fixtures are a formality for any title-chasers.
With Liverpool making so many changes, Slot faces a different pressure to when he inherited Jurgen Klopp’s squad last summer.
He said: “I took over a team with only two weeks to prepare due to the Euros and Copa America.
“This year we’ve brought in very good, intelligent players who need to integrate. Bournemouth will bring a big challenge but everyone is looking forward to it.”
Roll up, roll up — tonight’s the night we begin to find out if they all have more money than sense.
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Man United fans will be praying that Sesko hits the ground runningCredit: Getty
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Guardiola has spent around £150m in a bid to get the title back to the EtihadCredit: AFP
The Palace of Versailles is one of Europe’s most popular tourist attractions – but it seems to be a victim of its own success, with visitors claiming they felt like ‘sheep’
Thousands of tourists queuing to visit the Palace of Versailles(Image: Getty Images)
Over tourism is rapidly becoming an issue in top European countries like France and Spain. A recent study by the experts at Holidu scoured Tripadvisor comments, scouting for frequent references to “overcrowded” or “too crowded”. The majestic Versailles Palace, renowned and flocked by tourists in France, emerged as the prime example, with over five per cent of reviews mentioning one of the words.
This former seat of royalty, nestled just outside Paris, is maybe best-known as Marie Antoinette’s home. Boasting the illustrious Hall of Mirrors and lush gardens, this historical gem draws close to 15 million visitors each year, sparking a debate on whether it’s reached its visitor saturation point.
One exasperated Tripadvisor user, ‘Wanderer35996’, lamented: “The building was stifling. With the overcrowding (literally could not move, much less see anything), it was miserable.”
Another, ‘ATLpch’, recalled the experience, sharing: “We were all herded like cattle through the same palace rooms and single passage doorways for about an hour.”
Yet another compared their visit to an unwieldy procession, commenting: “Once inside, there was a conga line of people who moved through the palace like sheep. It was a circus!”
Versailles’ Palace and Gardens(Image: Getty Images)
A different tourist remarked on the irony of the situation, observing: “The amount of people kills all the pleasure. Even though the place is beautiful, it’s hard to enjoy and admire it.”
However, amidst the critiques, the Palace did enchant some of its guests, , reports the Express. A charmed visitor confessed they “fell in love with the Palace”.
And yet another delighted guest heaped praise, describing it as a “must visit” while saying: “it was amazing to see the Palace in all its glory. It was outstanding”.
PARENTS know all too well that keeping kids entertained over the summer holidays can be pricey.
The cost of childcare alone can cost around £1,039 for the six weeks of the break, and that is not to mention days out and other activities.
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The cost of summer holidays can be expensive for parentsCredit: Getty
And many activity camps for children can be costly too, but that does not mean your child has to miss out.
There are loads of free classes available for families across countless areas in the UK.
Below we round up the best classes for kids this summer that cost nothing at all.
FREE FOOTBALL COACHING
McDonald’s runs free football classes for children aged 5 to 11 years old.
The programme lasts for 10 weeks and usually runs for an hour.
The event is hosted at local stadiums across the UK.
The sessions, which are open to all abilities, are running from March to July.
They are delivered by FA-qualified coaches at more than 1,600 locations nationwide.
You can find out more by visiting www.mcdonalds.com/gb/en-gb/football/fun-football-centres.
FREE COURSES FOR TEENAGERS
Islington Council runs a number of free courses for teenagers and young adults through its Summerversity scheme.
Freebies for parents worth £2,900
In the past, classes have included archery, football camp and photography lessons.
You can book a maximum of eight courses to keep your teenager entertained over the holidays.
You can sign up by visiting www.summerversity.co.uk/
Of course you will need to live in the London borough to get access to the scheme.
But if you don’t it may be worth ringing up your local council to see if it runs a similar event.
FREE BOXING CAMP
Sporting Aid in Waltham is running a free boxing camp for those aged 10-16.
The event is run every Saturday at 12:00pm at the Waltham Cross Playing Fields Car Park.
No prior experience is required so it may be a great way for your little one to be introduced to the sport.
You can sign up for the event by visiting www.eventbrite.co.uk.
FREE SUMMER CAMP
Music charity Vache Baroque runs a completely free summer camp for children in St Giles.
The event runs from Monday 18 – Friday August 22 and includes a hot meal. It is for children aged 9–14.
Children will participate in a number of activities including singing, arts and crafts and circus skills
They can also take part in an optional performance with professional orchestra in its summer circus-opera on Sunday September 7.
You can find out more by visiting, vachebaroque.com.
What help is available for parents?
CHILDCARE can be a costly business. Here is how you can get help.
30 hours free childcare – Parents of three and four-year-olds can apply for 30 hours free childcare a week. To qualify you must usually work at least 16 hours a week at the national living or minimum wage and earn less than £100,000 a year.
Tax credits – For children under 20, some families can get help with childcare costs.
Childcare vouchers – If your employer offers childcare vouchers you can get up to £55 a week in tax and national insurance savings. You pay for your childcare before your tax contributions are taken out. This scheme is open to new joiners until October 4, 2018, when it is planned that tax-free childcare will replace the vouchers.
Tax-free childcare – Available to working families and the self-employed, for every £8 you put in the government will add an extra £2.
