Fallen English Premier League giants Manchester United and Chelsea FC have both struck an early blow on the other sides looking to challenge for next season's EPL title.

Manchester United announced the signing of megastar striker Zlatan Ibrahimović, while Chelsea have unveiled Belgian striker Michy Batshuayi.

Ibrahimović needs no introduction after an incredible career that has seen him rise to cult status due to both his ridiculous ability to find the back of the net and also his personality off the pitch.

The Swedish legend has scored goals all over the world during stints at the likes of Barcelona, Inter Milan, Juventus and AC Milan.

Most recently he managed to score 113 goals in just 122 appearances in France for Paris Saint- Germain, where he helped transform the club into a genuine world footballing powerhouse.

Although he is 34 years of age, he shows no signs of slowing down, and should provide plenty of highlights, and sell plenty of t-shirts, for the red side of Manchester.

Across the country in London, Chelsea have officially announced the signing of 22 year-old Belgian international Michy Batshuayi.

Although his profile is in no way comparable to that of United's latest signing, his role for his new club will be just as important.

Chelsea struggled to score goals last season, especially when Diego Costa was not scoring with any regularity, and need to find another route to goal.

Batshuayi has represented his national side seven times since making his debut in 2015, and has found the net three times.

Like his United counterpart, Batshuayi has been plying his trade in France. 26 goals in 62 appearances made him a target of the 2014/15 EPL champions, who are looking to return to the title race after a disastrous 2015/16 title defence.

Both United and Chelsea enter the new season with new managers at the helm, and have now signed players they expect to play a big role in the upcoming season. United's signing of Zlatan offers a much more short-term vision, but he is expected to make an immediate impact.

Both clubs need to transform from their 2015/16 selves if they hope to match the likes of the new guard of Leicester City and Tottenham, as well as the old guard of City and Arsenal.

It is expected that the transfer market will be full of action following the completing of the Euro tournament in France, and the likes of City, Liverpool and Arsenal are likely to feature.

United and Chelsea have made their intentions clear, and will likely continue to be big players in the following months. They've got the jump on their rivals by announcing big name signings very early on, but have plenty of work ahead.

Iceland campaign proves what's right about football

The brilliant campaign launched in France by the Iceland international football side sums up everything that is good about the round ball game.

Despite falling to a rampant France side, the footballing minnows found their way into the hearts of millions of fans across the world after their efforts.

The scenes shown after their quarter-final loss were genuinely heartwarming as fans and players thanked each other after claiming the scalps of England and Austria.

As an Australian, it's bred into me to love an underdog story, but this was special. Their win over England was jaw dropping, and they became everybody's second team in the tournament.

Hopefully their efforts provide hope for the sides outside the traditional big nations to invest in their programs and strive for similar results.