January 1, New Delhi With the January transfer window now open and the 2024–25 Premier League season over halfway done, clubs will be rushing throughout the course of the next month to try to add the final touches to their roster in the hopes of navigating the crowded fixture calendar.

Is the race for the crown already decided?

The league is in uncharted territory as Manchester City is having their worst season under Pep Guardiola. Due to their injury issue, the four-time reigning champions are now 14 points behind league leaders Liverpool, despite the fact that the Manchester team has been within striking distance of the leaders in previous years, if not at the top themselves.

Liverpool was predicted to go through a transitional phase under new head coach Arne Slot at the start of the season, but the Dutch coach has so far survived his ordeal, as they have only lost one of their first 18 games. It’s crucial to note that, in terms of injuries, Liverpool has had the best luck among the championship contenders. In contrast to Manchester City, whose midfield was left ragged by injuries to Rodri and Kevin de Bruyne, and Arsenal, who were without Martin Odegaard for an extended period of time and Bukayo Saka, who recently suffered a torn hamstring, the two key players of the team, Mohamed Salah and club captain Virgil Van Dijk, have survived.

Given that Chelsea has lost their previous three league games and that manager Enzo Maresca is still sure that his team is not in the running for the championship, the Italian coach’s remarks could be coming to reality. In all likelihood, it means that the Gunners are the only team capable of pursuing the Reds.

Does Arsenal have a chance to win a championship again?

For the third consecutive year, the Gunners have been in the running for the championship after coming up just one point short the previous season. They are in third position, nine points behind Liverpool and one game behind Nottingham Forest in second place, so they have a huge challenge ahead of them. Without Odegaard’s inventiveness, the Gunners suffered greatly and managed to get by without him thanks to their unrelenting set-piece routines. Four of the eight games in which the Gunners have lost were played without Odegaard.

A player with Odegaard’s profile is difficult to replace, and it is undeniable that an Arsenal team that is fully fit is among the best in the league, as demonstrated by their 5-1 thumping of Crystal Palace. However, the question still stands: Will Mikel Arteta be able to modify his team to play without their most effective offensive outlet?

Prior to his injury, Saka led the league in assists and had already contributed 15 goals per game in 16 games this season. Despite this, the Gunners continue to have one of the league’s top defenses.

Will Arteta try to bring in reinforcements during the next window, or will Gabriel Martinelli or someone like Gabriel Jesus be able to fill the void?

Was INEOS caused by Manchester United’s relegation struggle?

Let’s go back to the 2023–24 season, when Dan Ashworth was being pursued by Manchester United’s main investor in INEOS to become the club’s sports director. In spite of Newcastle United’s opposition, they were able to lure Ashworth to Old Trafford. The Red Devils, who placed ninth in the 2023–24 season, were about to fire Erik Ten Hag over the summer, but they won the FA Cup final against Manchester City, and rumors have it that Ashworth supported the Dutch coach and gave him a contract extension.

In the present, Ten Hag and Ashworth are both out of work, and Ruben Amorim, the new head coach, seems to be a complete mess. It seems like there are more and more problems in the club that need to be resolved every day.

Amorim’s team is now in 14th position after he went 34 games without a loss with his last team, Sporting CP. He has already suffered five losses in his first eight league games. Amorim’s remarks were not intended to be taken literally, but the head coach acknowledged that his squad is in the relegation fight, which may be a little extreme considering the disparity in competitiveness with the bottom-place clubs. It suggests that, given the current situation at Carrington, the club’s reputation, following, and worth are all steadily declining.

They will probably aim to add players during the transfer window, especially in the wingback position, but they will have to walk a tightrope between adding players who will be long-term assets to the team and adhering to PSR rules.

What becomes of Trent Alexander Arnold, Salah, and Van Dijk?

Liverpool has now reached the risky January period, and their failure to lock down Trent Alexander-Arnold, Mo Salah, and Van Dijk might be expensive for the team. Foreign teams are now allowed to contact the players in the hopes of signing a pre-contract that would see them depart the club at the conclusion of the season, as the three greatest stars of the club are now in the last six months of their contracts.

Alexander-Arnold may be the most likely of the three to go. According to a report published by The Athletic on Tuesday, Trent is very close to accepting Real Madrid’s offer of a four-and-a-half-year deal with a large signing bonus.

The athlete, however, is convinced that no talks have occurred and that he is not yet ready to decide on his future.

Having already started negotiations with the Dutch defender, club captain Van Dijk is anticipated to sign a new deal with the team. In contrast to Salah, Van Dijk has maintained his optimism in public by declaring his desire to remain with the team.

With a rumored salary of over 300,000 pounds, Salah is said to already be the highest-paid player at Anfield and clearly wants to remain there. Liverpool has never overpaid a player out of concern that it will upset its books.

The Egyptian is presently leading the league in goals and assists, however, so it could be worth the high price. He recently disclosed that while talks have started, an agreement between the two sides is still far off.