After several near misses during a three-decade wait, Liverpool finally got their hands on another top-flight crown this season as they cantered to the Premier League title. Although the Merseyside giants narrowly missed out on reaching 100 points, Jurgen Klopp's team for the 2019-20 campaign will go down as one of the most dominant in English history. Having finished 18 points ahead of nearest challengers Manchester City, you would be forgiven for thinking that Liverpool will be able to defend the trophy with minimal fuss over the next 10 months. However, taking numerous things into consideration, that is unlikely to be the case.
While punters can benefit from asking questions such as bet365, Liverpool's star men may struggle for motivation when it comes to querying what is the next move in their career. Although there is little chance of any of the club's big hitters moving on during the summer transfer window, there will inevitably be question marks over whether the likes of Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane will compete with the same desire, aware that it may only be a matter of time before Real Madrid come calling. Playing a significant part in helping Liverpool to the Champions League, Club World Cup and Premier League over the past two seasons has put them in the shop window, and it is now up to the African duo to decide whether they favour building a legacy at Anfield or taking on a new challenge elsewhere.
If extra motivation is going to come from anywhere, it will be through Manchester City and Manchester United both being in line to have vastly-improved years. In the case of City, it is open to debate whether their success in previous years contributed to losing nine times in the Premier League this season. While injuries played their part, Pep Guardiola's team had enough quality in their ranks to record far more than 81 points. Seeing their ban from European football removed upon appeal will only benefit the Citizens, who have been proactive in the transfer market with approaches for Bournemouth defender Nathan Ake and Valencia winger Ferran Torres. With more upheaval likely, they deserve to be regarded as favourites to regain their crown.
There is also an argument that United should be rated on a par with Liverpool heading into the new season. When Klopp first arrived at Anfield, it took time to establish a settled squad which had been strengthened with his own signings, and that is exactly where United will find themselves under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer heading into the upcoming campaign. Even without new additions, United would be regarded as a bigger threat by their rivals, but the expected arrival of Borussia Dortmund winger Jadon Sancho will give them further ammunition in the final third. If Solskjaer can solve lingering issues with his goalkeepers and backup in central defence, a lot of things will be pointing towards United finishing higher than their third place from this season.
