Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan has named Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool as the three teams he expects to challenge his side for the Premier League title next season.
City have invested heavily in their squad this summer as they look to bridge the 16-point gap which separated them from champions Chelsea last term, while Liverpool and Manchester United were even further back in fourth and sixth respectively.
Gundogan notably left North London duo Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal out of his selection, although he did declare the Premier League as the most competitive in the world.
"United did a good job by signing [Romelu] Lukaku. They have a good team ... a young team as well. They are strong, really physical, so they seem to be better than last year. Chelsea [also] just signed a new striker, which I really like," he told ESPN FC.
"Liverpool as well as a team - especially with [Jurgen] Klopp - who I also really like. They have a lot of potential. A great team and is also playing a different style of football. [They're] really difficult to control. It's obvious who the big teams in England are ... and who are the competitors for the Premier League title.
"The Premier League is crazy. It's the biggest league in Europe, in the world. [It's] the most challenging league for a team but also for a player. So you just need to be ready. The season is so long, you have so many games that you always need a big squad. A lot of players. That's why our squad at the moment is big and maybe will be even bigger."
Man City will begin their 2017-18 Premier League campaign away to newly-promoted Brighton & Hove Albion.
Barney Corkhill
