Arne Slot is already fully aware that Liverpool will need to do more transfer business in the summer than it has done recently. In fact, there could be a bigger job to do than anyone realized at Anfield.
The Reds look on course to win the Premier League title this season, having taken an 11-point lead over Arsenal that the Gunners will have great difficulty in overturning, given how close we are now to the business end of the campaign. It’s a feat that is made all the more impressive considering Slot has got Liverpool to this point with the same squad that was left behind by Jurgen Klopp.
Just one new addition has been made to the ranks since Slot arrived on Merseyside, and Federico Chiesa can’t claim to have made any sort of telling impact on Liverpool’s success. Even with a treble still on the cards though, there are some obvious areas that the Reds’ head coach and sporting director Richard Hughes need to address.
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"We are looking at every single position and we are looking at the team," Slot said last week.
"I think it's clear to you that I'm not going to tell you which positions we prefer, but it is clear that we've assessed the squad, we've assessed what we think where we can improve, and that's where we try to go for in the summer."
Top of the list of priorities are of course the futures of Virgil van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Mohamed Salah. As things stand, all three are set to leave the club as free agents, with their contracts expiring at the end of the season.
Losing any one of those three would be a major blow for Liverpool. The prospect of all three leaving is a prospect no fan wants to even consider.
As the Daily Mail suggests though, they might not even be the only first-team stars to depart in the summer.
Darwin Nunez is an obvious candidate for an exit. The Uruguayan has failed to kick on in what is now his third season at Anfield, and the report claims there is still interest from Saudi Arabia after attempts to take him to the Pro League in January failed.
Harvey Elliott is another who may need to move. The 21-year-old has struggled to force himself into Slot’s plans, having not made a single start in the league this season. Brighton and Borussia Dortmund have been touted as possible destinations, while Bayer Leverkusen could also be an option if it finds itself looking for a replacement for Florian Wirtz.
Liverpool’s current longest-serving player could also bring his time at the club to an end. Joe Gomez looked to have been close to an exit last summer, having been left out of the matchday squad for the opening game against Ipswich. With Van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate forming an unbreakable partnership in defense, the 27-year-old may decide to pursue an opportunity elsewhere, although he won’t be forced out by the club.
Caoimhin Kelleher has made no secret of his desire to become a No.1 goalkeeper, and with Giorgi Mamardashvili arriving from Valencia in the summer, it seems almost certain that he will have to finally move on - although Liverpool will not be prepared to let him, or any other player, go cheaply.
Meanwhile, there could be a new contract concern on the horizon. A new deal for Konate has been touted for some time, although there is still no breakthrough, with the Mail suggesting that Paris Saint-Germain are among the top clubs keeping an eye on the French international.
Wataru Endo has also been tipped to move on this season, although the Mail suggests a departure for the Japanese midfielder is now less certain, with Slot a huge fan of his attitude and leadership.
Liverpool.com says: How many of those nine players do end up moving on remains to be seen, although it seems likely that at least some of them will. At this moment in time, you’d say Alexander-Arnold, Nunez, Elliott and Kelleher look good bets to be heading out the exit door.
That shouldn’t change too much for Liverpool in terms of its transfer plans. It was already clear that a new striker is needed and a replacement right-back might be required, while a new goalkeeper is already on the way. If any more of those players mentioned leave though, that will create a lot more work for Slot and Hughes.
