Louis van Gaal’s main objective in his first season as Manchester United manager was simple: get the club back into the Champions League. He did that, despite a rocky start, also taking the Red Devils to a respectable quarterfinal appearance in the FA Cup. Now comes the second year for the Dutchman, and expectations will predictably be higher than they were a year ago. While fourth place a year ago was good enough for the Champions League play-off round, most fans – and some executives – may see a third straight finish outside the top three as a failure.

As many were predicting, it’s been a wild offseason in the transfer market, and it may continue up to deadline day. Already Robin van Persie & Nani have left for Turkey, while Falcao joined Premier League rivals Chelsea. Angel Di Maria is on the verge of finalizing a move to PSG, and United just reached a deal Monday to send defender Rafael to Lyon. Then there’s David de Gea, and the “will-he-leave-or-will-he-stay” plotline with Real Madrid. United have made it clear that unless the Spanish club are willing to part with new captain Sergio Ramos, de Gea is staying in Manchester at least until his contract expires. What happens between now and deadline day will have a big impact on the Red Devils’ fortunes.

It hasn’t been a summer of only exports, though; the club have welcomed several players with international pedigrees to northwest England. Bastian Schweinsteiger is a world champion, and already a household name among world soccer fans; Morgan Schneiderlin has spent several years already in the Premier League (with Southampton); Matteo Darmian & Memphis Depay bring youth to several key positions – Darmian on defense and Depay as a forward; Sergio Romero reunites with Van Gaal after being on the same sideline (at AZ in the Netherlands) and on the opposite (the Netherlands-Argentina semifinal at last year’s World Cup). Not all of last season’s acquisitions performed to their true potential in 2013-14, but the success of Daley Blind and the potential of Luke Shaw have shown those who are already fairly big names that they can succeed at a club with this kind of stature.

Manchester United begin their 2015-16 season Saturday against Tottenham Hotspur, a day after they find out their Champions League play-off round opponent. Will a return to European competition impede the opening weeks of the season? Tune in later this week for a preview of the whole Premier League!