Former Premier League star Joe Cole has once again backed Manchester United to clinch a top four finish after claiming that nobody in the race for a Champions League spot "pulled the trigger" in the January transfer window.
A small cluster of teams are vying for the final European slot behind the trio of Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea.
Pep Guardiola's team already look nailed on to seal a third title in four years with Liverpool and Chelsea also well clear of the teams below them.
Along with Manchester United, the likes of Arsenal, Tottenham and West Ham are all in the running to finish in the upper echelons of the league.
Only Tottenham were active in last month's transfer window - despite the fact that Arsenal and West Ham were desperately in need of attacking reinforcements.
Spurs wrapped up deals to prise Rodrigo Bentancur and Dejan Kulusevski away from Juventus.
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But Cole has admitted that he doesn't particularly rate Tottenham's January business and is still backing United to pip their rivals to fourth spot.
"Spurs brought in a couple of players who were struggling to get into what I consider a poor, for their standards, Juventus team," Cole told Coral.
"I have watched them a few times this year and covered two live games and they’re not the Juventus of even two years ago.
"So while they are decent players, do they really improve the Tottenham squad? Maybe slightly, but it’s almost like nobody wanted to really pull the trigger in that little bracket of teams and go and gamble on a big signing to really make a difference.
"You have to respect that because you don’t want a situation where a team overspends and things go very wrong but I don’t think any team chasing fourth have really added anything significant.
"So it’ll be down to what we’ve seen so far and I think Manchester United are still in the driving seat."
It's a similar prediction to the one that Cole made back in October, where he tipped the current top four to occupy those spots come May.
He previously said: "I think it will be quite clear with Man United, Man City, Chelsea, and Liverpool.
"I think they are so strong. It’s the clearest it’s been in the last 10 years; I don't see anyone getting close to them."
While that prediction has rung true, Cole's tip for the title has gone slightly awry.
The former England star predicited that his old club, Chelsea, would win the title after their stunning start to the season under Thomas Tuchel.
However, Manchester City have surged away from the Blues in recent months; leaving Liverpool as the only team capable of wrestling the Premier League crown away from Guardiola's side.
