Leeds, Burnley and Sunderland were promoted to the Premier League last season and face the daunting task of surviving their first year in the top flight - something no club has done since 2023.
One of the major talking points in English football is the growing gulf in quality between the Premier League and the Championship, something that has been evident in recent seasons.
In both the 2023/24 and 2024/25 campaigns, all three newly promoted clubs were immediately relegated back to the second tier.
All three clubs are predicted a similar fate this time around - but can they do enough to buck the worrying trend?
Is big spending necessary?
At the time of writing, so far between themselves, Burnley, Leeds and Sunderland have spent a reported £194 million, with over six weeks of the transfer window still to go.
That already proves the obvious need to add more quality to their squads, before even considering the fact that they have all lost - or are rumoured to lose - key players.
Burnley's CJ Egan-Riley has already departed, while James Trafford and Maxime Esteve are constantly linked with moves away.
For Leeds, Junior Firpo is gone, along with loanees Manor Solomon and Joe Rothwell.
Sunderland have also faced major losses with Jobe Bellingham and Tommy Watson completing permanent switches elsewhere.
Granted, that does provide more opportunity to spend, but it also puts them at a further disadvantage before a ball is kicked.
Newly promoted clubs have to catch up more than ever before with the current climate of English football, and this season will be no different.
Who has already been signed?
The transfer business so far has been largely admirable, with some smart signings from each club.
Leeds have bolstered their defence with the signings of Jaka Bijol, Sebastiaan Bornauw and Gabriel Gudmundsson on top of a low-risk free transfer in forward Lukas Nmecha.
Regis Le Bris' Sunderland have spent big on midfield recruits in Habib Diarra and Noah Sadiki, as well as promising wingers Simon Adingra and Chemsdine Talbi, plus experienced left-back Reinildo Mandava.
Burnley have added the experienced Kyle Walker and Axel Tuanzebe, as well as highly-rated youngster Quilindschy Hartman, to their squad.
Deals for goalkeeper Max Weiss and wingers Jacob Bruun Larsen and Loum Tchaouna have also been confirmed.
Where the Clarets have spent the bulk of their money, though, is in converting last season's loanees to permanent transfers following promotion - something that could turn out to be a shrewd move.
Bashir Humphreys, Marcus Edwards, Zian Flemming and Jaidon Anthony all had their temporary deals made permanent at the end of the campaign.
That helps them retain a larger portion of the team that got them promoted in the first place, meaning fewer players have to take the time to gel with their teammates and get used to new surroundings.
Sunderland have done similar with the permanent signing of Enzo Le Fee - take a closer look at their business here.
What comes next?
The spending looks set to continue in the coming weeks, and looking at the squads, that seems like a necessity.
Burnley are linked with moves for Championship strikers Josh Sargent and Mamadou Doumiba, an area of the pitch they will have pinpointed as needing major additions.
Both Leeds and Sunderland seem keen to add bodies to their midfield, with Daniel Farke's side reportedly close to completing a deal for Sean Longstaff while the Black Cats are said to be plotting an audacious move for Granit Xhaka.
Those sorts of midfield signings feel like major deals for the two clubs to complete as the players bring a wealth of Premier League experience with them.
Is there another way to survive?
It's a nice idea, but unfortunately, newly promoted teams have to go all out.
Clubs can be clever with their signings and what they spend, but ultimately, they need to splash a lot of money for a chance of Premier League safety.
And while it boosts the likelihood of a team staying in the league, it certainly doesn't guarantee it.
Over the past two seasons, the newly promoted clubs have spent major money and still been relegated.
That represents the struggling state of football in England at present, particularly the growing gap between the Premier League and the Championship.