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With the start of the Premier League less than two weeks away, and the rest of Europe about a month away, teams are deep into their pre-season schedules.
Lots of teams have travelled around the world to take on each other in various cups, to allow their players to either settle into their new clubs or gain match fitness ahead of the big kick-off.
Let’s take a look at what some of the clubs have been doing:
Manchester United
The Red Devils have been boosting their air miles. After their second match in Beijing against Man City was called off, they headed for Sweden, where they beat Galatasaray 5-2 in front of a capacity crowd.
United fans got to see Zlatan Ibrahimovic strike a ball in anger for them for the first time, and the big Swede didn’t disappoint, opening the scoring with a characteristic scissor-kick in the fourth minute.
With most of the first team getting a run out, United look forward to Wayne Rooney’s testimonial against Everton before the Community Shield against Champions Leicester at Wembley.
Chelsea
The Anotonio Conte era continues in the USA. A solitary Gary Cahill header was enough to beat Liverpool 1-0, but Cesc Fabregas’ over-enthusiastic lunge earned him a red card. Michy Batshuayi again came off the bench as the new £32 million man continues to gain match fitness.
This was followed by 105,000 fans watching a thrilling 3-2 defeat to Real Madrid in Michigan. Eden Hazard scored twice late on, but with strong rumours linking them with Everton’s Romelu Lukaku, expect Chelsea to be busy in the next couple of weeks.
Liverpool
Already six games into their pre-season schedule, Liverpool’s latest game against AC Milan ended in a 2-0 victory in Santa Clara. Divock Origi and Roberto Firmino were the goal scorers, with Georginio Wijnaldum making his debut from the start.
The Reds now have blockbuster friendlies against Roma and Barcelona, before ending against Mainz in Germany.
With Jurgen Klopp stamping his mark on the team, expect a few more comings and goings out of Anfield in the next month.
Arsenal
One of the quieter teams this pre-season, Arsenal have only played the MLS All Stars in San Jose so far. It was a fruitful exercise, with the Gunners winning 3-2, although their nemesis, Didier Drogba, scored his 16th goal in 16 games against them.
Granit Xhaka is yet to make his maiden appearance for the North London outfit, but expect him to have a run against their next opponents, Chivas de Guadalajara. After this there are only two more games for Arsenal: Viking FK and Man City in Scandinavia.
Fans are still crying out for Arsene Wenger to spend money on a new striker. Will he do it?
Tottenham
Spurs are currently in Australia as part of the International Champions Cup. Shorn of their English contingent, fringe players have been getting a run, and new signings Vincent Janssen and Victor Wanyama have also donned the white kit for the first time.
A 2-1 defeat to Juventus was followed by a 1-0 defeat to Atletico Madrid and with only Inter Milan to come, they haven’t given their squad many games in which to get up to speed.
After such a successful season last time out, and with a couple of reinforcements already secured, Spurs don’t need much else to build on last year’s third-place finish.
Barcelona
With the European season starting later than the UK’s, Barcelona have only just kicked off their campaign. The Aviva Stadium in Dublin witnessed a strong Barca team that contained both Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi outclass Celtic and record a 3-1 victory.
Next up is Leicester City, followed by Liverpool, as the Catalans continue their stay in the UK before heading home to play Sampdoria and Sevilla, kicking off their campaign against Real Betis.
Another team that has done their business early and certainly not short of firepower, this may be the quietest window in a while for Barca.
Real Madrid
Another team putting in the travel, Real Madrid have gone from the Far East, where they played Paris Saint-Germain, to the USA, where they were up against Chelsea.
Next up is New York, where they take on another powerhouse in Bayern Munich, before heading back to Spain for the Super Cup game with Sevilla. Boasting two Euro 2016 winners in Cristiano Ronaldo and Pepe, and a surprise semi-finalist in Gareth Bale, the squad will be brimming with confidence.
Also rumoured to be in the frame for Paul Pogba’s signature, Los Blancos are worth watching before the close of the window.
Bayern Munich
The German Champions are also competing in the International Champions Cup. A big crowd in Chicago was treated to a 3-3 cracker with AC Milan, Franck Ribery rolling back the years to get himself off the score sheet twice.
Games against Inter Milan and Real Madrid are coming up, before heading back to Germany to tackle their rivals Borussia Dortmund.
With the now annual raid of Dortmund completed, bringing in centre back Mats Hummels and Renato Sanches from Benfica, Carlo Ancelotti has an enviable squad at his disposal. It would take a brave man to bet against them.
Juventus
Probably the most spoken-about club of the pre-season. As the Pogba saga continues to rumble on, the ‘Old Lady’ has been busy.
A 1-1 draw with Melbourne Victory was followed by a 2-1 victory over Spurs in Australia. Then they went over to Hong Kong to play a South China team, before heading back to Europe to play West Ham in the first game at the Olympic Stadium.
Gonzalo Higuain has been acquired from Napoli for £76 million, making him the third most-expensive footballer of all time. Rumours are they are not done there – could the team from Turin break the Spanish stranglehold on the Champions League?
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