Who will be the next team to win their first Champions League title?

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The likes of Manchester City, Arsenal, Tottenham, PSG and Atletico Madrid are all chasing a first Champions League win.

Manchester City have never won the Champions League

Last years Champions League winners Real Madrid won their eleventh European crown with victory in Milan over local rivals Atletico Madrid. The season before, it was Barcelona who won Europe’s most prestigious competition, their fifth title and their fourth in a decade.

Chelsea are the most recent team to record a first Champions League success, in 2012, defying the odds to beat Bayern Munich in their own backyard. Before them, you have to go back to Borussia Dortmund in 1997.

It’s fair to say then that the Champions League could do with a new winner, and with the footballing landscape changing drastically in recent years, it shouldn’t be long until we see just that happen.

PSG are desperate to get their hands on the Champions League

Whilst most would agree that Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich are still the trio to beat, the likes of Manchester City, PSG and Atletico Madrid all belong to the next bracket of teams, and all three have never won the Champions League.

In fact, England’s four representatives in the Champions League this season haven’t won a single Champions League or European Cup between them. Out of Leicester, Arsenal, Tottenham and Manchester City, the Gunners are the only one of the quartet to have played in a final.

Manchester City are England’s favourites this year to win the competition, and the favourites in terms of teams without any previous titles, with most bookies having them down as the fourth favourites, with odds varying from 8-10/1. We have taken a look at five possible candidates to become the next team to win their first title in Europe’s elite club competition:

Atletico Madrid

Atletico Madrid have reached three European finals

Arguably the most obvious candidates, Atletico Madrid have reached three European finals without success, and two Champions League finals in the last three years, losing to crosstown rivals Real Madrid on both occasions.

Masterfully organised by Diego Simeone, people constantly expect Atletico to fall away, but built on a rock solid defence, they refuse to do so. Atletico will hope that the addition of Kevin Gameiro up front alongside Antoine Griezmann will transform the team from nearly men to Champions League winners.

Manchester City

Sergio Aguero in action for Manchester City

Many people’s choice, including the bookies, to be the next team to win their first Champions League is Manchester City. The Citizens may not have won the tournament before, but their manager certainly has. Guardiola won the Champions League twice with Barcelona, and has never failed to reach the semi finals in seven years of management.

Guardiola’s success in the competition, twinned with Man City’s deep pockets, makes it unsurprising that many people expect Champions League glory to be a possibility in the next few years. The way in which City have started the season, with 10 wins from 10, Champions League victory this season could even be possible.

PSG

PSG are now a force in the Champions League

The eighth favourites to win this seasons Champions League, few would back PSG, but with their huge fortunes and seemingly comfortable domestic challenges, they should be able to focus their attentions on the Champions League in the coming years.

They have been knocked out at the quarter final stage in each of the last four seasons, but now have a man with three European titles as a manager in charge, albeit those titles were in the Europa League, rather than the Champions League.

Arsenal

Arsenal’s Alexis Sanchez

Arsenal have looked rejuvenated in recent weeks, and capped their improved form off win a 3-0 win over bogey team Chelsea. The Gunners are highly unlikely to win the Champions League this season, but the ninth favourites with the bookies are still among the most likely teams yet to have won the trophy.

Napoli

Napoli have won a European title but never the European Cup/Champions League

Another team that has won Europe’s secondary competition but not its primary one, Napoli now appear to be solidifying their status as very much the second best team in Italy. Whilst Juventus themselves haven’t won a Champions League since 1996, it is going to be difficult for Napoli, but in a winnable group this year they deserve a mention as outsiders.

Tottenham

In form Tottenham man Heung Min Son in action with Atletico Madrid’s Saul Niguez

The last of our five candidates is Tottenham. On the grounds of their opening group game against Monaco, Spurs don’t really deserve a mention, but with the project Mauricio Pochettino is building in North London, they couldn’t be entirely excluded.

Tottenham’s squad does not look strong enough in its current form to compete with the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich, or even Manchester City for that matter, but if they continue to improve and others on this list fail, then this years eleventh favourites could become the next team to win a first Champions League.

Who will be the next team to win a first Champions League?