John Terry backs Liverpool for Premier League title, cites Diogo Jota motivation

Former Chelsea captain John Terry said he wants Liverpool to win the Premier League in 2025/26, telling talkSPORT on Friday that the Merseyside club’s transfer activity and the memory of team-mate Diogo Jota gave them extra motivation.

Terry, who is back at Stamford Bridge working with Chelsea’s academy, said Liverpool’s summer recruitment made the title “theirs to lose” and added: “I think they have a big motivation with the very sad loss of Diogo Jota in the back of their minds as well. I really hope Liverpool do it for that reason alone. I think they're the strongest side.”

Terry voiced caution over raising expectations at Chelsea, where a youthful squad is being guided under head coach Enzo Maresca. He said he did not want to place undue pressure on the club’s players and questioned whether their relative lack of experience would be sufficient to challenge at the top of the table this season.

"I'm not sure Chelsea have enough experience within their squad to push them and also I don't want to put the pressure on the Chelsea squad," Terry said. Chelsea were noted last season for fielding the youngest average side across a Premier League campaign, with Maresca’s team averaging 24 years and 36 days.

Terry also assessed Manchester City’s prospects, saying the defending champions had shown signs of vulnerability. He pointed to defensive lapses that contributed to conceding four goals across their last two league fixtures, which ended in defeats to Tottenham Hotspur and Brighton & Hove Albion.

The remarks come amid renewed debate about the shape of the title race after the summer transfer window. Terry highlighted Liverpool’s aggressive recruitment and suggested those additions, alongside the emotional impact of Jota’s death in July and subsequent tributes from supporters, could drive the club through the campaign.

Terry remains a prominent presence at Chelsea, where he spent 19 years as a player and captained both club and country. Back at Stamford Bridge in a coaching capacity, he said he enjoys a strong rapport with supporters but prefers to temper talk of immediate success for a team still developing its core.

His assessment follows early-season results that have opened questions about Manchester City’s defensive solidity and the capacity of younger sides, including Chelsea, to sustain long title challenges. Terry’s comments on talkSPORT reflect a wider conversation among former players and pundits about whether experience or squad overhaul will decide the 2025/26 Premier League race.