Former England goalkeeper and pundit David James has shared his predictions for the 2025/26 Premier League season, including his pick for the champions and the top four finishers.

James believes Liverpool will successfully defend their Premier League title without needing new signings like Alexander Isak, stating that the team looks "well-balanced" with confident players. He cautioned that signing Isak might weaken Newcastle without necessarily strengthening Liverpool's chances of winning further[2].

Regarding Liverpool's squad, James highlighted that while Alisson remains the world’s best goalkeeper, teammate Giorgi Mamardashvili could challenge him for the starting spot[2]. He noted that Liverpool could still improve defensively and in attack but suggested their core strength is solid[1][2].

On the Premier League top four race, James expressed a hopeful but somewhat optimistic view that Manchester United could climb significantly, predicting a substantial improvement from 17th to fifth place if their transfer reinforcements come through effectively[1]. He referenced Manchester United's struggles last season being largely due to a severe injury crisis across all areas of the team.

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James emphasized that Liverpool’s defensive lineup currently includes players like Konate, Virgil van Dijk, and Gomez but acknowledged they may still need to reinforce at centre back and in attack to maintain their title challenge[1].

In summary, David James envisages the Premier League title remaining with Liverpool, who he sees as favorites due to squad balance and confidence. Meanwhile, he predicts a competitive top four battle, with Manchester United showing potential for strong improvement if key signings are made and injury issues resolved[1][2][4].