“Brendan Rodgers” (CC BY-SA 2.0) by runtodaylight

The Premier League’s top six sometimes feels like a bit of a closed shop but other teams have managed to break into the elite club in recent years including Leicester City, who won the title in 2015/16 and Everton who claimed fifth in 2013/14.

With Manchester United struggling, Arsenal still finding their feet under a new manager and Chelsea unable to recruit players for the next two windows (while also adapting to a new boss), there is an opportunity for other clubs to make ground. But can any of them break into the top six? And which team is most likely to achieve that feat?

Leicester City

As recent Premier League champions, Leicester City are obvious candidates. They have failed to reach those same heights since but in Brendan Rodgers they now have a top-class manager at the helm who can push them to a new level.

The club have spent big on attacking options with Ayoze Perez arriving for a £30m fee from Newcastle United and Youri Tielemans making the permanent switch from Monaco for £40m. Perez is still only 25 and scored 13 times for a struggling Magpies side last season. He can play out wide or upfront and should flourish in a more attacking set up just as he did in his early days at Tenerife.

Tielemans is one of the brightest midfield prospects in the world and turned down a move to Manchester United to return to the club where he spent the end of last season on loan. Still aged just 22, he is the kind of player Rodgers loves to work with. Expect him to play a key role in the Foxes’ charge for the top six.

If Rodgers and his team can retain the bulk of the rest of their squad or invest well from any money recouped from player sales, there is no reason they cannot push for a place in the top six. Rodgers led Liverpool to second place in 2013/14 and broke all kinds of records during his spell in charge of Celtic. That experience should enable him to gain an edge over his other mid-table competitors. He also deploys a brand of football that is suited to the league.

Wolverhampton Wanderers

In the modern age, it seems crazy to suggest that a team that was only promoted to the top flight a year ago could challenge the dominance of England’s top six but Wolverhampton Wanderers have everything going for them right now and are early favourites in the Premier League betting markets to gatecrash the party.

Under the guidance of talented Portuguese boss Nuno Espirito Santo, the Midlands side took the Premier League by storm last season after tearing up the Championship the year before. Wolves are on a charge and have shown no sign of letting up. Their next target will be to make a good impression on the European stage while gunning for the top six at the domestic level.

Their priority this summer has been to convert some of their loan signings into permanent deals, with midfielder Leander Dendoncker and forward Raul Jimenez both retained for decent fees.

Nuno’s men recorded six wins and four draws against top-six rivals last season with only Liverpool and Manchester City getting the better of them. Now competing on more fronts, they will need to add some extra quality to their squad but if they recruit well they could give the likes of Manchester United a run for their money.

Image: Pixabay

Everton

It seems that every season Everton are tipped to push on but often fail to live up to expectations. After years of running on a tight budget, the Merseyside club have spent some significant money over the past few seasons with little to show for it. Could this be the year they finally hit their stride?

Marco Silva’s first season in charge brought mixed reactions from Everton fans. A poor run of form from December until March left many unconvinced but an upturn in fortunes over the last eight games brought renewed optimism.

The Toffees have already parted with £22m to secure Andre Gomes on a permanent deal and they will be hoping Director of Football Marcel Brands can land some more key signings before the window shuts. Chelsea centre-back Kurt Zouma also spent last season on loan at Goodison Park and the club will hope to secure his services on a permanent basis.

Of the three teams mentioned, Everton were the least convincing last term and will need to show significant improvement to trouble the top six. Much will depend on their recruitment and whether Silva can get the best from the likes of Copa America winner Richarlison. The Brazilian striker is still only 22 years old and has enjoyed the best season of his career last term netting 13 goals in 35 league appearances for the Blues.