“The rivalry is still there!” - Mikel bursts out in laughter as Mourinho predicts who among Arsenal, Liverpool and Man City will win Premier League

Former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel couldn't hold back his laughter as Jose Mourinho picked the Premier League winner between Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City this season.

The Gunners lead the English top flight after 17 games this season and sit one point above Liverpool. Manchester City, meanwhile, have been underwhelming by their lofty standards and are fourth, five points behind the leaders.

Despite Arsenal leading the charge, however, Mourinho has given them no chance of winning the title. He reckons Manchester City will win their fourth title in a row, marginally beating the Merseysiders. He said on The Obi One Podcast (via Metro):

"Man City 51 [per cent] and Liverpool 49."

Mikel asked his former Chelsea manager if the Gunners could win it and he replied:

"Na"

Mikel burst out laughing at Mourinho's response, saying:

"The rivalry is still there!"

Mourinho then said:

"But it is not the rivalry… it isn’t the right moment [for them]."

The Portuguese manager said that he would like a third team like Arsenal to challenge for the title as well. However, he believes Manchester City's squad depth would be too tough to beat for other teams in the league.

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Arsenal monitoring former Liverpool star for potential January transfer: Reports

As per Daily Star (via Metro), the Gunners have identified former Liverpool striker Dominic Solanke as a potential January signing if they miss out on Ivan Toney.

Arsenal have been heavily linked with a move for Toney when he returns in January from his eight-month ban for gambling. However, Brentford are unwilling to let the Englishman leave mid-season, especially now with Bryan Mbeumo being ruled out for three months due to injury.

Hence, the Gunners could move their attention towards Solanke, who has been in good form for Bournemouth this season. He has scored eight goals and provided one assist in 16 Premier League games for the Cherries.

Solanke previously around 1.5 years at Liverpool, having joined them from Chelsea in 2017. He then moved to Bournemouth in January 2019 and has since registered 65 goals and 28 assists in 193 games for them.

Arsenal, meanwhile, are on the lookout for a striker with Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah failing to impress so far. They have scored 13 goals between them across competitions this season.

Toney remains the Gunners' first choice but Brentford are likely to demand a fee over £80 million for the Englishman, whose contract expires in 2025. Toney scored 20 goals and provided four assists in 33 league games for the Bees last season.