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Liverpool and Chelsea are two of the clubs interested in signing Dean Huijsen from Bournemouth(Image: Crystal Pix/MB Media/Getty Images)

Rarely have Liverpool been in a position where the closing games of the season have seemed a distraction from the ongoing celebrations.

Such is the benefit of having sewn up a 20th championship with almost a month of the campaign remaining.

While enjoying a well-earned decompress between matches - the squad aren't expected to reconvene at the AXA Training Centre until late this week ahead of next Monday's trip to Brighton, with many players and staff having jetted elsewhere to continue the Premier League title-winning party - the Reds have the luxury of watching many of their top-flight rivals scrapping for position and honours.

And there are two clubs who should hold a particular interest to Liverpool over the coming fortnight.

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First up are Chelsea, one of several clubs competing for Champions League qualification.

While Liverpool are 15 points clear at the summit, just six points separate second-placed Arsenal with Nottingham Forest in seventh.

The Reds have already snapped up one Champions League berth, with England's impressive showing in Europe this season meaning a further four are up for grabs.

Arsenal, Newcastle United and in-form Manchester City are strong favourites to seal three of the available berths, leaving Chelsea, Aston Villa and Forest to most likely compete for the final slot.

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With Villa finishing with games against Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United either side of the pair meeting in next Wednesday's Europa League final, the onus will be on Chelsea, who sit in fifth place above the Midlanders on goal difference, to beat United on Friday and then win at Forest on what could yet turn out to be a final-day decider should Villa stumble.

If Chelsea miss out on Champions League qualification, the financial ramifications would be significant for a club that has had a net spend of almost a £1billion since 2022.

The Londoners are presently in talks with UEFA having been found to have breached Financial Fair Play rules regards European competition.

Chelsea, though, are continuing to look to recruit this summer, and are likely to be direct rivals for 20-year-old Bournemouth centre-back Dean Huijsen should Liverpool make formal their interest in the player.

A lack of Champions League football would hamper Chelsea's hopes of persuading the Spain international, who is also said to be wanted by Real Madrid and Arsenal, to move to Stamford Bridge.

The other club towards more than a cursory glance will be directed by Liverpool are bitter North West rivals Manchester United.

United have had a nightmare Premier League season and will finish in their lowest-ever position in the competition, which could be as dismal as 17th.

Liverpool's worst campaign in the Premier League saw them finish eighth three times, the most recent of which was in 2015/16.

The Old Trafford side have been hampered by having to comply with the Premier League's profit and sustainability rules (PSR) after many years of unwise transfer dealings.

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Victory in the Europa League final against fellow strugglers Tottenham would earn not only move them one behind Liverpool in terms of overall trophies win as the most successful club in English football, it would also secure Champions League qualification and a significant influx of revenue, easing the pressure brought by PSR.

It would also far greater bolster United's lure in the summer transfer market, and offer a short-cut back into Europe's elite that many United insiders fear would otherwise not be forthcoming for several years.

With Arsenal expected to go again next season and both Manchester City and Newcastle United improving, a resurgent Chelsea and United would make Liverpool's defence of the title that bit more difficult - and offer a challenge in the summer transfer window.
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