For the second year running, the excellent medical testing facilities, state-of-the-art technical aids, faultless attention to detail and the cooler climate have proved to be the ideal preparation as the Eagles gear-up for the defence of their title.


Just 40kms from Burton-on-Trent, down the road in the West Midlands, a new drama was unfolding as the famous Wolverhampton Wanderers were bought by Chinese business group Fosun for €50m.


Instrumental to the deal was Cristiano Ronaldo’s agent Jorge Mendes, one of the most powerful men in football, whose Gestifute agency signed a deal with Fosun earlier this year.


The Portuguese super-agent has a whole host of world famous footballer in his stable including Ángel Di María, Cristiano Ronaldo, David de Gea and Diego Costa. Fosun’s chief executive Jeff Shi admitted transfers would be sought from Benfica but there will be no formal feeder-club-style link between Wolves and Benfica.


Shi said: “Jorge is my friend, a very good friend. When I chose to invest in the club, he gave us a lot of good advice as to why we should choose Wolves. Maybe we will try to get some players from Benfica.”


Already being tipped to appear in the old gold and black of Wolves are four Portuguese stars - midfielder Pele and winger Helder Costa (Benfica), Monaco forward Ivan Cavaleiro and Atlético Madrid right-back Silvio, all having links to either Benfica or Jorge Mendes.


Following the sale of Renato Sanches to Bayern Munich for €35m and more recently Nicolas Gaitan to Atlético Madrid for €25m the Lisbon giants have cash-to-splash. Danilo (SC Braga) and Nabil Bentaleb (Tottenham Hotspur) are rumoured to be on their way to the Estadio de Luz in time for the club’s first game, away to Tondela, on the 13th August.


On the same day Sporting Lisbon entertain Madeira side Marítimo whilst FC Porto travel to Rio Ave a day earlier.