If Liverpool is serious about its ambitions, Manchester City is equally determined. The newly crowned Premier League champion is set to spend nearly $250 million on summer recruits.
The additions of Jeremie Frimpong for $39M and Florian Wirtz for $156M, and the expected signing of Milos Kerkez for $54M will significantly bolster a Liverpool squad that dominated the English top-flight last season.
Such was the Reds' prowess that they finished a huge 13 points ahead of previous champions Man City, who ended the season without silverware for the first time in eight years after losing the FA Cup final to Crystal Palace.
However, Pep Guardiola's team has retaliated in the transfer market, shelling out approximately $151M on Rayan Ait-Nouri, Rayan Cherki and Tijjani Reijnders.
Guardiola has also revamped his coaching staff at the Etihad Stadium.
James French has joined as set-piece coach, moving from Liverpool where he served as a first-team opposition analyst.
In a surprising move, Pep Lijnders has been appointed as City's new assistant coach. The 42-year-old is renowned for his work alongside Jurgen Klopp at Anfield.
Lijnders left Liverpool to take the reins at Red Bull Salzburg following Klopp's announcement to leave the club at the conclusion of the 2023-24 campaign, after many seasons of head-to-head battles with Guardiola in both the Bundesliga and the Premier League.
Pep Lijnders and Jurgen Klopp stand on the touchline for Liverpool
Pep Lijnders and Jurgen Klopp worked together for almost ten years (Image: Getty Images)
However, the Dutchman's tenure at the helm of the Austrian team was short-lived, lasting only six months before he found himself without a role until his unexpected appointment at City was announced last week.
Lijnders has never hidden his affection for Liverpool, yet from the next season onwards, he'll be part of the City squad aiming to reclaim the title from Arne Slot's charges.
In an exclusive chat with Prime Casino, Shaun Wright-Phillips weighed in on a move that caught many off guard.
The ex-Man City star, when questioned about whether this signifies Guardiola needs tactical assistance, remarked: "I don't think it's an admission of weakness or anything.
"I think it's not possible to say that Pep Guardiola needs help exactly. I think Pep Lijnders is there because Guardiola is a manager who always wants to bring new ideas in to improve his side.
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"Guardiola's supposedly coming off the back of a bad season, but he got to a cup final, finished third, just behind Arsenal. I think City still set the standards that other teams try to match, and they've still been showing the world what they're capable of.
"They're in the Champions League next season and they will pick up and go again.
"I can see why he's brought him in. If you look at Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool, there are times where City could use that ability to hit sides in transition, and be more direct.
"I don't think it's going to be a complete overhaul or just playing like Klopp did - there's a reason City play like they do right now. It's more about fresh ideas for everybody, because the Premier League in general has become a harder league."
"From say fourth to 10th position, those teams were beating everyone above and around them, only Liverpool were regularly dominating. Three or four years ago even, it wasn't so cut-throat."
Arne Slot lifting the Premier League trophy in May 2025
Liverpool will be looking to defend its Premier League title next season (Image: Getty Images)
Regarding the upcoming 2025-26 campaign, Wright-Phillips believes it won't be easy for Liverpool or any top-tier team.
He stated: "I don't think that it's definitely going to be harder for Arne Slot because now this is his own team, and that he's not borrowing so much from Jurgen Klopp. I think next season's going to be tough for another reason.
"Next year, everything is just going to be so much harder for Liverpool - but everyone else too. Manchester City are going to be desperate to avoid making the same mistakes they did last season, they will not be complacent.
"Arsenal are going to give it that extra push after coming close three seasons in a row, and then you've got the other sides who'll all be stepping it up.
He concluded: "If Mo Salah does what he did last season, then it'll be almost impossible to stop him and Liverpool, because he was scoring from almost every chance that dropped in front of him.
"He only needs a glimmer of a chance to change the game, just as he did against Everton. If he's at his best, then Liverpool are going to be hard to stop."
The Reds are set to kick off their Premier League campaign with a home match against Bournemouth on Friday, August 15.
* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story. You can read the original story in the Liverpool ECHO by clicking here.