It’s still very early in the close season, but the publication of the Premier League fixture list for the 2024/25 campaign has already whetted the appetite of fans of newly promoted teams like Leicester, Ipswich, and Southampton. Two out of the three bounced back to the top flight at the first time of asking, while Ipswich returned to dine at the top table of English football after a 22-year absence.
In between the group stage of Euro 2024, we’ve been mulling over the prospects of next season’s newly promoted trio. Will they prove stronger than last year’s trio, who couldn’t prevent themselves from falling through the relegation trap door? Below, we assess the chances of each promoted outfit.
Leicester City (1st in 2023/24 EFL Championship)
Leicester City stormed to the EFL Championship title, amassing 97 points from their 46 league games. The Foxes enjoyed a record-breaking start to the season and, despite a late blip, held their nerve to become champions.
The disappointment for Leicester was the sudden departure of boss, Enzo Maresca, just a week or two after clinching the title. The Italian was lured to Chelsea, with former Forest boss, Steve Cooper, his recent replacement. Leicester are expected to be hit with a hefty Financial Fair Play (FFP) penalty before the start of the season, which could see them start on -6 of -7 points. Of the three promoted clubs, Leicester are the most likely to be starting the campaign on the back foot.
Ipswich Town (2nd in 2023/24 EFL Championship)
Ipswich Town are back in the Premier League after securing back-to-back promotions between League One and the top flight. The feat was masterminded by Northern Irish boss, Kieran McKenna, who has become one of Europe’s hottest managerial prospects as a result. The Tractor Boys’ best signing of the summer could be the new four-year contract agreed with McKenna, who was also linked to Chelsea, as well as Manchester United and Brighton.
Given the speed of their resurgence, Ipswich’s playing squad will require significant investment to compete at the Premier League level. Fortunately, the Suffolk club’s American owners have relatively deep pockets and are said to have signed off on a budget of between £90m-£100m for signings this summer. If McKenna can recruit the right players, their continued momentum could be a powerful force.
They are currently priced at 5/6 to be relegated with Betfred, which is one of England’s longest-standing football bookies. The North West-based brand has also expanded into iGaming of late, developing a platform that’s ranked in the top ten UK-licensed sites today. This ranking is based on the selection and quality of its game library.
Southampton (4th in 2023/24 EFL Championship – Playoff Winner)
Southampton finished the EFL Championship season in fourth place with 87 points. In many seasons past, the Saints would’ve racked up enough points to secure automatic promotion. However, the supreme consistency of Leicester and Ipswich meant that Southampton had to settle for the playoffs.
They edged past a gritty West Bromwich Albion in the semis before overcoming Leeds at Wembley to seal a return to the Premier League in style. Promotion means Saints boss, Russell Martin, will be able to hold onto his prized assets. Central defender, Taylor Harwood-Bellis, will sign a permanent deal and the club will have a budget to add to the squad. On paper, they may have the best chance of staying up.
There will be plenty of trials and tribulations between now and next May. Luton Town proved that even the smaller clubs can come up and show the best versions of themselves, so the likes of Ipswich should come into this season with nothing to fear.