On a rollercoaster day of emotions filled to the brim with high drama, the Reds fell just short of clinching the Premier League title. A hard-fought 3-1 victory over Wolves at Anfield on the final day was not enough to deny rivals Manchester City. In the end, the quadruple was not meant to be but the opportunity for a treble of major trophies is well and truly alive.
Jurgen Klopp and his men have enjoyed an immensely successful season thus far and still have the chance to add the Champions League trophy to their list of honours for the campaign. What this group of players has achieved this year is nothing short of remarkable but to ensure they carry that momentum forward into 2022/23 and pip Pep to the Premier League title they will need to bolster their ranks this summer.
The Reds look to strengthen midfield
Liverpool faces a pivotal Summer transfer window in a number of positions, but the midfield should be the priority despite garnering little attention. Klopp has a number of options at his disposal but with Oxlade-Chamberlain looking set to leave and James Milner and Jordan Henderson entering the latter stages of their career, those options are thinning.
Klopp is already on the move in the transfer market having recently secured the services of Portuguese winger Fabio Carvalho from Fulham and looking to add further to his ranks. Liverpool is also in the race to sign Monaco star Aurelien Tchouameni alongside Champions League final counterparts Real Madrid. The French defensive midfielder has emerged as one of Europe’s top rising stars over the past two seasons and has agreed on personal terms with both Liverpool and Los Blancos. Where he will end up we shall have to wait and see.
One choice available to Klopp should he fail to obtain Tchouameni in the Summer is Borussia Dortmund youngster Jude Bellingham. The 18-year-old has commanded games at the highest level and maintained his form in the German Bundesliga throughout his spell at the Westfallenstadion. 20 goal contributions this term shows just how he is developing as a player and given the right time at Liverpool and he could be terrorising Premier League defences for years to come. He has poise in attack well beyond his years and demonstrates maturity in his play that marks him out as a truly generational talent well worth the £83million price tag. Those wanting to bet on whether Jude Bellingham will sign for Liverpool this summer can get free bets in the UK using these sites.
An outside-the-box choice should both those targets fall through is Ivorian international Ibrahim Sangare. The PSV midfielder has played a crucial role in the Dutch outfit’s charge to the Eredivisie title this season, no doubt catching the eye of several interested onlookers hoping to lure him away from Eindhoven. His strength and power have led to impressive performances throughout the season for the Eredivisie champions and proved that the 24-year-old is more than capable of slotting straight into Klopp’s side. He will have to fight for him though as other Premier League clubs such as Newcastle and Aston Villa are also in the hunt to lure him away from the Netherlands and onto English soil.
Keeping hold of stars is just as important as bringing them in
The need for Klopp to freshen up his squad is readily apparent with the likes of Divock Origi, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and perhaps Joe Gomez looking set to depart the Reds this summer, the impact of the gap left by each varying drastically. Oxlade-Chamberlain hasn’t played for a couple of months now, while Origi leaves with a cult-hero status amongst the Kop having scored a number of iconic goals for the club since his arrival in 2015.
It goes without saying that replacing these assets to maintain Liverpool’s strength in depth is important, but it will be crucial and ultimately season-defining for Liverpool next year if they can manage to retain the services of Mo Salah and Sadio Mane.
The Egyptian has been in stunning form for the Reds this season in their quadruple chase securing the Premier League golden boot alongside Heung Min Son and making significant contributions throughout their various knockout competitions as well. Since arriving in 2017, the 29-year-old has scored 156 goals in 253 games for the Anfield outfit and is undoubtedly one of the best players in the world right now. He is a talent that Liverpool simply cannot afford to lose if they are to mount another challenge to Manchester City in the coming seasons.
However, contract negotiations with the star have been turbulent and stretched all the way back to the beginning of this season. Uncertainty has persisted throughout the year regarding his intentions as the clock ticks down to the summer of 2023 when his current deal expires. Having said that positive steps have been made as of late despite Liverpool’s very strict wage structure; if there was one player to make an exception for it is surely the ‘Egyptian King’.
Another vital cog in the Liverpool machine is Senegal’s Sadio Mane. The 2019 African Footballer of the Year joined the Reds in 2016 and has been critical in their success ever since contributing 116 goals to the sides that claimed the Champions League and Premier League titles in consecutive years. The front man is out of contract in just over 12 months’ time and has been quiet as to whether he will stay on Merseyside up until this point.
In light of Mane stalling on putting pen to paper, Europe’s elite are hoping to capitalise with clubs such as PSG and Bayern Munich looking to get his signature this summer. The 30-year-old has made 28 goal contributions in 50 games this term and would no doubt add more if given the opportunity beyond 2023. Much like Salah, Mane is another player Liverpool can ill-afford to lose.
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