Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson believes Liverpool will be back challenging for the title next season once Virgil van Dijk is fit and available again.

The former Arsenal midfielder is adamant that van Dijk’s absence has adversely impacted the Reds’ style of play and he says Jurgen Klopp’s side should be joint-favourites to win the league when the defender returns:

“If I was Klopp, I would be so patient. This team was so good the year before, as soon as Van Dijk is fit I expect it to be a heads or tails (for the title).”

There are a lot of variables that could affect Liverpool’s potential return to the top of the table next campaign. For example, we don’t know whether van Dijk will be the same player after recovering from a serious knee injury.

We also don’t know how strong the Reds’ rivals will be. Manchester City will almost certainly be the main threat, but improvements from the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United are also expected.

The chances are, though, that Liverpool will be a lot stronger, especially if van Dijk can quickly rediscover the form that helped the team win the Champions League and Premier League titles not that long ago.