
Alex Ferguson believes the rise of Manchester City and the revival of Liverpool under Kenny Dalglish means that the top six teams will be competing for the title this season. "We used to talk about a top four, with ourselves, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool," says Ferguson. "You can't say that any more. Manchester City have definitely come into the frame. They have a buying power better than the rest of us. "Maybe having the run in the European Cup stretched Tottenham too much last season and they ended up being out of the top four. But you look at those teams and say any one of them could win the league!1
Although Manchester United won the title at a canter last time out, Ferguson has deemed a comprehensive rebuilding process necessary this summer While still seeking to add a creative midfielder, with Internazionale's Dutch playmaker Wesley Sneijder the prime target, they had already spent in excess of 500 million on new players. Chelsea will again be expected to be strong challengers, but new manager Andre Villas-Boas has yet to make his mark in the transfer market.