Paul Merson snubs Man City in naming Arsenal's 'nearest' Premier League title challenger

Paul Merson says Liverpool are best placed to challenge Arsenal this season (Getty)

Paul Merson believes Liverpool will be Arsenal’s nearest Premier League title challengers ahead of Manchester City for the upcoming season.

Mikel Arteta’s side finished seven points clear of City to win the Premier League for the first time in 22 years last season.

City have already strengthened with the signing of Elliot Anderson in a £116 million deal from Nottingham Forest.

However, new City manager Enzo Maresca is facing the prospect of losing Rodri as Real Madrid are in talks to sign Spain’s World Cup-winning captain.

Liverpool, meanwhile, also have a new manager in Andoni Iraola and are in negotiations to sign Bradley Barcola from Paris Saint-Germain having already signed Spanish left winger Victor Munoz from Osasuna and French centre-back Jeremy Jacquet from Rennes.

Speaking ahead of the new Premier League season, Merson has raised doubt over City’s title credentials and feels Liverpool are in a better position to challenge Arsenal.

Arsenal finished seven points clear of Manchester City last season (Getty)

‘Don’t get me wrong, in the big games, when they’re playing back away in the Champions League in a quarter-final or the last 16, then you need two holding midfield players. They were a bit too open in the Champions League and were well off it last year,’ Merson wrote in his column for Sky Sports.

‘But the holy grail is the 38 games in the Premier League. And there aren’t enough games in the Premier League for them both to play in the same team.

‘Unless they bought Anderson and he gets a season of learning under the best in the world in Rodri. But £116m is a lot to spend on someone to be an understudy. Rodri will want to play, and he won’t want to sit there and be someone’s understudy.