Club guide: Manchester United

Title: 9-4 Relegation: 1,000-1 Sack Race: 50-1

Transfers

IN

C Smalling (Fulham, £10m, right), Bebe (Vitoria Guimaraes, £7.4m), J Hernandez (CD Guadalajara, £7m), M Vermijl (Standard Liège, £300,000)

total spent: £24.7m

OUT

Z Tosic (CSKA Moscow, £8m), B Foster (Birmingham, £6m), C Cathcart (Blackpool, £350,000), T Heaton (Cardiff, free), M B Diouf (Blackburn, loan), D Welbeck (Sunderland, loan)

total made: £14.35m

Player to watch

Javier Hernandez. The Mexican will have to be patient but should take some weight off Wayne Rooney if and when given his chance.

Squad worries

Rio Ferdinand’s fitness and the ageing of Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes, though the latter looked immaculate in the Community Shield.

Manager speak

Sir Alex Ferguson loves a challenge and will use all his wiles to wrest the Premier League title back from Chelsea as well as having an eye on the Wembley Champions League final.

Story of the summer

Fergie wrapped up arguably the steal of the summer early on, securing Hernandez before he wowed the World Cup.

Last season 2nd

Were denied title by one result – the home defeat by Chelsea.

This season 1st

Have bought for the long term but can benefit in the short.