The drums of change are beating loud at Liverpool as they enter a new era following Jurgen Klopp’s exit. A legendary spell which lasted over eight years included Premier League and Champions League triumph and a new chapter has now been opened under Arne Slot.
To ease the Dutchman into his new role, Fenway Sports Group has brought back Michael Edwards to lead their football operations as Julian Ward also returns. Pedro Marques is in as director of football development and Hans Leitart is head of goalkeeping.
Richard Hughes has been appointed as the club’s new sporting director and he will be assisted by their former loans and pathways manager David Woodfine. This whole structure will seek to ensure that the team is on the best path to succeed under the new boss.
Given the wholesale changes behind the scenes, the Merseysiders have understandably made a slow start to the summer transfer window, but the end of Euro 2024 this week should see an increase in business moves.
Slot will be eager to make his imprint on the team as he looks to add new dimensions to the squad that align with his playing style.
The current team is not far off a top side as they pushed for the Premier League title well into April until Klopp’s ageing stars tailed off. Yet, they sealed a third-place finish and the Carabao Cup triumph demonstrated the quality of the young talent within their ranks.
Slot is going to be up against two hugely competitive opponents in Arsenal and Manchester City for the title, and he is no stranger to tough title races following his Feyenoord’s battle with the near-perfect PSV last term.
There has been no margin for error in the race for England’s top flight in recent seasons and Slot must hit the ground running to continue at their competitive level in the new season.
The Dutchman has an unenviable task in his first few months which also includes sorting out the futures of Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold.
If Slot is to succeed at Liverpool, he will need to trust some of the youngsters from the academy, many of whom played a vital part in the 2024 League Cup win.
The Reds are not expected to be too busy in the transfer market but there is always the possibility of recruits, with at least one new face expected before the summer window shuts. Regardless, the Reds will go into the new season as one of the top sides to watch out for as usual and Liverpool tickets will be in high demand as well.
Some stalwarts have departed the club in the form of Adrian, Joel Matip, Thiago Alcantara and Calvin Ramsay, so a couple of replacements are not far-fetched.
The aforementioned trio of Salah, Van Dijk and Alexander-Arnold, who have all been crucial to the club’s success, are out of contract next summer.
Salah was the subject of a £150million bid from Saudi Arabian side Al-Ittihad last summer and they could be back once again with another big bid. The 31-year-old’s recent drop-off in form suggests a move away might benefit both parties.
The 33-year-old Van Dijk has confessed he has ‘no idea’ about his future with both club and country following the Netherlands’ heartbreaking exit from Euro 2024 at the hands of England in the semi-final.
Meanwhile, their new sporting director has admitted that talks with all three Liverpool stars will remain private.
Precise adjustments needed
One of Slot’s biggest challenges with the team is improving their output in the final third as wayward finishing cost them dearly last term.
Darwin Nunez is the first culprit in this regard as he missed 26 of his 32 big chances while Luis Diaz and Salah also ranked among the top 10 for big chances missed in the Premier League.
There is a problem with tucking away scoring opportunities and a new face in the attack could improve their fortunes.
Nico Williams has starred for Spain at Euro 2024 but reports claim he has an ‘agreement in principle’ with Barcelona amidst interest from several big clubs. Athletic Bilbao is demanding the full release clause of €58m (£49m) be paid which could complicate a move this summer.
Eberechi Eze is another forward who could move to Liverpool but only if Luis Diaz were to leave the club.
Elsewhere, Slot is desperate to add a central midfielder to his ranks after Wataru Endo and Alexis Mac Allister shared duties in the holding role last season. The Dutch manager prefers a double pivot and an additional defensive midfielder is an obvious need ahead of the new season.
This would also free up Mac Allister for the attacking midfield role he fulfilled at Brighton and provide extra security for a Liverpool defence that conceded the opening goal in 23 matches during 2023/24.
Liverpool are thus in the race for the signature of Adrien Rabiot who is a free agent after his Juventus contract expired. This deal could progress swiftly in the coming days with France having been eliminated from Euro 2024 by Spain.
The Merseysiders are also looking to recruit Atalanta’s Ederson with several talks having already taken place over the Brazilian. Midfield partner Teun Koopmeiners is another candidate believed to be on Liverpool’s shortlist but progress is yet to be made at this stage.
The goalkeeping position is one to keep an eye on as incumbent Alisson Becker is the subject of talks with Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr over a summer transfer. The Brazilian is their first choice and Al-Nassr want to finalize a deal as soon as possible.
Should Alisson decide to leave, Liverpool could be in the market for two goalkeepers this summer as Caoimhin Kelleher’s future is in doubt and Adrian’s spot as third-choice could be handed to a young talent such as Fabian Mrozek or Marcelo Pitaluga
Elsewhere, teenage star Rio Ngumoha has joined Liverpool in a real coup for the Reds as the highly-rated 15-year-old leaves Chelsea to strengthen the youth ranks with an eye on progressing into the first team.
Given the players available to Slot, Liverpool should compete for the top honours next season but for how long they compete depends on the players and the manager’s adaptability to Premier League football.
