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Liverpool head coach Arne Slot greets Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola(Image: Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot is refusing to rule Manchester City out of the Premier League title race as the champions prepare to splash the cash during this month's transfer window.

City are presently a whopping 12 points adrift of Slot's leaders having played a game more following a first half of the season hampered by injuries in defensive positions and a drop in form from key players.

Pep Guardiola is expected to oversee a mini-overhaul of his squad in the coming weeks with City having already agreed a £33.5million fee with Lens to sign Uzeb centre-back Abdukodir Khusanov.

They are also pushing to sign versatile Egypt attacker Omar Marmoush from Eintracht Frankfurt for around £50m, although Kyle Walker is close to agreeing a move to AC Milan.

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And despite Liverpool's commanding lead over the Etihad outfit, Slot is not discounting another trademark strong second half to the season from Guardiola's side.

"You can never rule them out," said the Reds boss.

"You can never rule City out and you can never rule Pep Guardiola out.

They are able to win a lot of games in a row and then it all depends on the teams above them.

"Never rule City or Pep out, especially because if everything I read on Sky Sports every day, they are bringing in a completely new team!

That is an extra reason to be aware that you can never rule them out."

Asked if City's imminent strengthening will provide extra motivation for his Liverpool squad, Slot responded: "We don't need extra motivation.

They definitely do deserve this, so we don't need extra motivation to try as hard as we can."

Liverpool are at third-placed Nottingham Forest on Tuesday evening while City visit Brentford, to whom the Reds travel on Saturday.

Forest are the solitary team to beat Slot's side in the Premier League this season, although Liverpool's consistency is such that they are the only Premier League side to fail to win in successive games.

That will be put to the test at the City Ground with the Reds having been held to a 2-2 draw at home to bitter North West rivals Manchester United in their most recent Premier League game at the start of the month.

And Slot acknowledges the chasing pack - both Arsenal and Forest are six points behind with Chelsea a further four points adrift - will be hoping for the Reds to now hit a sticky patch having also lost the League Cup semi-final first leg at Tottenham Hotspur last week before Saturday's comfortable 4-0 FA Cup third round win at home to League Two strugglers Accrington Stanley.

"It would be a bit weird if the number two team hopes the number one wins every game!" laughed the Liverpool head coach.
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