While we’ve all been more focused on international tournaments — and wondering why Cody Gakpo can’t be that prolific in red — there have been a lot of rumblings happening in pretty much every club.
Teams are scouting new players and trying to find the next superstars who are likely to project them to the next level. At Liverpool, this is a summer of upheaval, and the appointment of Arne Slot is exciting even if he does have some incredibly big boots to fill.
How will the summer transfer window help? Liverpool is already likely to get one of the European spots according to freelance football journalist Greg Lea, who has covered the betting markets regarding who will finish in the top four of the league. Most bookmakers and betting sites have Liverpool at relatively short odds to get to the Champions League. In the gambling industry, the odds are set before the market opens and this means well before the season, but transfers and other factors can change the odds as time goes on.
There are some who have higher aspirations now and want Liverpool to be consistently challenging for trophies and Premier League titles. It’s going to be some job to knock Man City off their perch, but who knows what the future holds. Additionally, we could be seeing Pep go into his final season, so being ready to pounce is crucial if anything goes wrong.
Clarity over Salah
You may have expected us to start with all those exciting players that could be coming through the door, but instead we’re going to chat about the future of Mo Salah.
Talk over the Egyptian king’s future has gone a little bit quiet and we’re not hearing as many rumours of a move to the Middle East, but it only takes one bid, and it is possible that Salah’s head could be turned.
It is always a bit of a strange spell when a player is coming to the end of their time at a club, and everyone will want Salah to go out with a bang. His numbers were still super impressive in 2023/24 even though it wasn’t seen as one of his top seasons.
Knowing whether Salah will stay or not will help the team to move forward and decide if he’ll still be one of the main men or if a transfer or internal player is needed to replace him.
Defensive numbers
Virgil van Dijk is a Hall-of-Famer in waiting and we’re not talking about replacing him, but he will need some help this season. Losing Joel Matip means that there’s a big hole in the defence, even though he wasn’t playing for a lot of the last season.
If there’s an area where Liverpool is a little light, then it could well be defence. It seems like a lot of the hope has been placed on the shoulders of one man, Riccardo Calafiori, currently starring for Italy at the Euros. The Bologna defender helped the team to the European spots this year and is a good ballplayer, so he could fit straight into the setup at Liverpool.
If the deal for Calafiori doesn’t go ahead, then it is hard to imagine exactly who would be next on the list for the Liverpool scouting team. He’s clearly been earmarked by the team as they try to create something new and exciting for the fans.
Even if the deal doesn’t happen, we can expect a defender to come through the door in the coming weeks to make sure that there is a more accomplished back line. Young players have filled the void and stepped up well at times, and Jarrell Quansah will also be hoping he keeps his spot for the next season, or at least has a role to play under the new manager.
Bolstering the midfield
Players who can do a defensive job from midfield are often in demand as well, and this is no different for Liverpool. Endo did a good job last season having come in during a challenging situation, but some are looking for a step up in quality.
One of the players who has been strongly linked is Adrien Rabiot. The midfielder is playing at the Euros at the moment, but he’s been a free agent since his time at Juventus came to an end. One thing is for sure, Rabiot will demand some huge wages after letting his contract run down. On the open market, there’s a strong chance he could cost a lot of money.
Manchester United and AC Milan are both linked with Rabiot as well, and it is possible that Liverpool won’t be willing to match the money on the table from some other teams.
If he doesn’t join, there are rumours of Liverpool looking to Manuel Ugarte. The hard-tackling midfielder has been linked with Man U as well as a potential move to Anfield.
Improving the wide positions
Most of the rumours doing the rounds are related to wide players, so it seems pretty certain that Liverpool will be looking for somebody to play from the wing. This could further the Salah rumours and fuel the idea that he will move away.
Crysencio Summerville is a possibility. He’s currently playing at a Leeds team that is languishing in the second tier of English football and could have a release clause. Leeds recently lost Archie Gray in a huge deal involving Spurs, and the rumours are that the team needs to save or raise a lot of money if it is to survive.
There have been rumours of Anthony Gordon being targeted by Liverpool in a sensational return to Merseyside, but it doesn’t look like anything is going to happen there, so the young England winger will likely stay in Newcastle.
Funding some transfers with further outgoings
Liverpool is not a team that can continually splash the cash like some of the others, and there’s a chance they will need to raise some cash for the deals they want to get done.
A lot of the issues with financial fair play has resulted in teams turning to selling younger players at the moment. Some Liverpool players have also been linked with moves away, and it is said that the team has put a £25m asking fee on backup keeper Caoimhin Kelleher. Tyler Morton has also been linked with a move away as RB Leipzig has shown an interest.
It is likely more players will leave to raise some money for the team, but some of this will hinge on whether Salah stays. If a club offers big money for his services, it could be hard to justify not accepting it and letting him go after his legendary stint at the club.
Thiago has already left, freeing up some wages but not bringing in any form of a transfer fee. His contract expired and he’s been allowed to explore moves elsewhere.
Of course, there will be a lot of players who are linked with moves away, but nobody really knows what will happen until the transfer window reaches those last days. Arne Slot will definitely want to put his own stamp on the team before getting into the season.
Conclusion
Some transfer windows have been relatively quiet for Liverpool fans in recent years or at least the deals have been completed quickly, but it seems that the deals could rumble on for months this season. Money is a problem for many Premier League clubs and there are many holdups in potential deals due to the Euros being underway at the same time. It certainly will be one of the more interesting off-seasons for Liverpool fans as they wait to see what a new-look Liverpool might involve.
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