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Gary Neville has admitted that Liverpool will be "massive favorites" to win the Premier League title again this season if Arne Slot's side can get a transfer deal for Alexander Isak over the line.
So far, there has been no change in Newcastle's stance that the Swedish ace is not for sale. However, there are still 19 days remaining in the transfer window for that to be put to the test again.
Having won the league by 10 points last season, Liverpool is looking to win the division for a second time under Slot. And Neville says the Reds are hard to look past when it comes to making predictions.
"Liverpool won it really comfortably last year and have had a great transfer window," Neville said, via the Daily Express, ahead of the new campaign kicking off.
"If they get Isak, which it looks like he's agitating for a move, then it will make them massive favorites. But Manchester City, Arsenal and Chelsea, I think, will push them closer than last year."
Manchester City has spent big again in 2025, and Pep Guardiola has freshened things up behind the scenes, adding Jurgen Klopp's former assistant, Pep Lijnders, to his coaching team.
Like Chelsea, though, the impact of playing at the Club World Cup is yet to become clear. Both teams have had much less of a rest this summer than Liverpool has — and Rodri is now injured again too.
As for Arsenal, Mikel Arteta has signed Viktor Gyokeres and Martin Zubimendi. Both players should improve the starting XI, but it remains to be seen if that is enough to match or better the improvement that Liverpool has made via the likes of Florian Wirtz.
Like Neville, Jamie Carragher also believes that Liverpool will be a strong contender again. He said that he expects Isak to sign for the Reds but even then, does not think that is a guarantee of success.
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"I don't get this narrative of Liverpool are going to run away with it," he said.
"If you look at history, it could tell you that it's not just about having the best players, it's about having the best team, and sort of making that balance right, and at the weekend [vs Crystal Palace] it didn't quite look right."
Liverpool begins the new Premier League season on Friday, hosting Bournemouth at Anfield. It concludes August by playing Newcastle away and then Arsenal at home.
Liverpool.com says: The Reds should be up there as title favorites. As it stands, they still need more depth at the back and in attack, but there is still time for that to get over the line. If it does, Liverpool will have improved at least as much as its rivals.
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