Merson names four contenders in ‘tightest’ Prem title race
Paul Merson thinks Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool will be the four main contenders for the Premier League title this season.
City finished 12 points ahead of nearest rivals Man Utd, while Liverpool finished five points further adrift with Chelsea securing the final Champions League spot, two points behind Jurgen Klopp’s men.
All four of those clubs seem to be attempting to improve their squad in the transfer market but only Liverpool have brought in a player.
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Jadon Sancho is on the verge of completing a switch to Man Utd, though, and it’s clear Chelsea and City will both spend money if they can find the right player.
After City raced away with the Premier League title last season, Merson is expecting a much closer battle between several clubs next term.
“As we edge closer to the 2021-22 edition of the Premier League, I strongly believe this could be one of the tightest ones in recent memory,” Merson told Sportskeeda.
“Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea can all win the title – that’s a four-way battle for the Premier League crown and I don’t expect any of them to run away with it by a margin of double-digit points.
“In my opinion, Chelsea need a forward. I don’t know what the deal is with Erling Haaland, but they need someone who can score 20 Premier League goals a season.
“Timo Werner is a different kind of player – he’s a willing runner who works hard for the team and is very unselfish.
“However, he doesn’t strike me as someone who can score 20 goals a season, so it’ll be interesting to see what happens there.
“Manchester United have already signed Jadon Sancho, but they could do with another midfielder.
“Regardless of what happens in the transfer market, as I said before, I expect a really close Premier League title race.
“Another important thing to keep an eye on is when the big players return to their respective sides after their international commitments.
“Many Premier League stars represented their countries at Euro 2020 and Copa America this summer, so they could well miss a few games at the start of the new season.”
