New Season, New Hope

There is no term more frightening for football club supporters than "next season is ours" or "wait for next season." This phrase has become a kind of mockery for clubs that fail to compete in the ongoing competition, leaving them to only hope for different results in the next season.

Even Manchester United legend Patrice Evra went so far as to nickname a club "Netflix FC." This is because watching that club feels like watching a Netflix series, always hoping for the new season to arrive soon.

Of course, there is nothing wrong with hope. When that new season truly arrives, there will be no more mockery as everyone hopes to achieve encouraging results in the upcoming season. Because of hope, clubs are willing to spend large amounts of money to strengthen their squads in order to reach their desired targets.

The transfer market has become lively as clubs hunt for the best players. In the English League, for instance, teams attempting to dethrone Liverpool are busy shopping. As of Wednesday (13/8/2025), the total spending of Premier League clubs in this summer transfer window has reached 1.8 billion pounds (Rp 39.4 trillion).

Manchester City has acquired players such as Tijjani Reijnders, Rayan Cherki, and Rayan Aït-Nouri. Meanwhile, last season's runner-up, Arsenal, has secured Martín Zubimendi and their dream striker, Viktor Gyökeres. Chelsea, among others, has brought in Joao Pedro and Liam Delap.

Liverpool is not willing to remain idle. They are overhauling their squad significantly to maintain their dominance. The team coached by Arne Slot has recruited Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitiké, Jeremie Frimpong, and Milos Kerkez.

Clubs struggling at the bottom, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur are no exception. For instance, MU has purchased Benjamin Sesko, Bryan Mbeumo, and Matheus Cunha, while Spurs have acquired Muhammed Kudus.

Similarly, in LaLiga, Serie A, Ligue 1, and Bundesliga. Real Madrid, for instance, is not only recruiting new players but also a new coach. Defender Trent-Alexander Arnold and Dean Huijsen have arrived alongside coach Xabi Alonso in an effort to seize the title from Barcelona.

In the Indonesian Super League, Persib Bandung has also revamped its squad in a bid to make history as the first club to win the title for three consecutive seasons. Several players who led them to victory last season, such as Kevin Ray Mendoza, Ciro Alves, Tyronne del Pino, Gustavo Franca, and David Da Silva, have been released. Instead, they have brought in nine new foreign players.

The two main competitors, Dewa United and Malut United, are accommodating the discarded players. In this way, Dewa and Malut hope to be able to curb the dominance of Persib. The arrival of the new season brings new hopes.