Rio Ferdinand is confident that only two clubs will be in the running to win the Premier League next season.
An incredible first campaign under Arne Slot saw Liverpool claim their second Premier League title in emphatic fashion last season.
The Reds finished the season ten points ahead of Arsenal in second, while Manchester City were another three back in what proved a dissapointing season for Pep Guardiola’s side.
Despite their dominant title triumph last time out, Liverpool have not been keen to rest on their laurels in the early weeks of the transfer market.
Despite losing Trent Alexander-Arnold to Real Madrid on a free, the Reds have already brought in Jeremie Frimpong, Florian Wirtz and Milos Kerkez to bolster Slot’s squad.
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City, meanwhile, have been similarly proactive, with the signings of Rayan Cherki, Rayan Ait-Nouri and Tijjani Reijnders giving Guardiola’s side a fresh look heading into pre-season.
Arsenal, by comparison, are yet to land a marquee summer signing as the club weigh up a move for either Viktor Gyokeres or Benjamin Sesko to solve their striking issues.
Mikel Arteta’s side are expected to confirm a deal for Martin Zubimendi in the coming weeks, and are closing in on the signings of Kepa Arrizabalaga and Christian Norgaard.
But the lack of big-money transfer activity has Ferdinand convinced that the Gunners will not be able to sustain a serious title charge next season.
‘It’s only going to be between Liverpool and Man City next season,’ Ferdinand said in his latest video on Rio Ferdinand Presents.
‘Arsenal might kick up a fuss for a couple of months – six months maybe – [but nothing more].
‘Arsenal’s signings right now look likely to be Norgaard, who is 31 years old, Kepa, who was a reserve keeper at Chelsea, and Martin Zubimendi, but the entire fan base is crying out for a centre forward or a left winger.’
By contrast, Ferdinand was full of praise for how swiftly Liverpool moved in the early weeks of the transfer market, in particular how they saw off interest from other European heavyweights to land the highly-rated Wirtz.
‘I think what’s not being talked about enough is Liverpool’s ability to go and get a player that City were after, Bayern Munich were after and reportedly Real Madrid were also after. And Liverpool have come out on top in that,’ Ferdinand added.
‘I can see it so clearly at the club right now, I can see their whole process and their vision – it’s so clear – and as a player, that’s what you want when you walk into the club and they’re pitching the project to you.
‘I can imagine Wirtz coming out of that meeting with Slot and saying ‘don’t take any calls from any of those other clubs, I’m going here’.’
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