Liverpool has already ticked off a number of items from sporting director Richard Hughes' to-do list this summer. And the biggest check mark should be next to the name of Florian Wirtz.
Despite the assumption in Germany being that Wirtz would end up at Bayern Munich, Hughes and Arne Slot convinced the 22-year-old prodigy that his next destination should be Anfield. After some negotiations, a deal was agreed that could reach as much as $157 million (£116 million) including add-ons.
Milos Kerkez looks like he will be next through the door, but what else does Hughes need to get done this summer? There are numerous plates still spinning but with 68 days left until the September 1 transfer deadline, there is still more than enough time to keep plugging away and making progress. Liverpool.com has drawn up a list of what comes next...
Center-back conundrums
Liverpool looks set to lose Jarell Quansah, and while Joe Gomez has hinted that he will be staying put, the Reds cannot go into the new season with only three senior center-back options. That would be a huge risk.
As a result, Marc Guehi has been put forward as one option under consideration to come in, though it remains to be seen whether he would accept not being the first choice in a World Cup year. And Ibrahima Konate only has a year left on his contract, further adding to the complications in this position.
Virgil van Dijk has been tied down for two more seasons, but the search for a long-term successor to the Dutchman should be long underway. That Liverpool looked at both Leny Yoro (last summer) and then Dean Huijsen (this summer) points to that kind of young and up-and-coming profile being of interest.
Crystal Palace's Marc Guehi passes the ball while under pressure from Liverpool's Diogo Jota.
Crystal Palace's Marc Guehi passes the ball while under pressure from Liverpool's Diogo Jota. (Image: Andrew Kearns - CameraSport via Getty Images)
Ibrahima Konate contract
With Konate soon to bein the final 12 months of his contract, Liverpool needs to find a solution. After a season of questions about Van Dijk, Mohamed Salah, and Trent Alexander-Arnold during 2024/25, a repeat would be far from ideal.
"They made me an offer, and I replied to them with something; that is it," Konate told reporters following the last game of the season. "The rest, that I want to wait until the end [of his contract], all of it is completely fake."
Sooner rather than later, it would be ideal for progress to be made on that front. Losing Konate for a fee this summer, though, even if there was a willing bidder, would only further complicate matters given the amount of revamping going on elsewhere in the team.
Ibrahima Konate has just one year remaining on his Liverpool contract
Ibrahima Konate has just one year remaining on his Liverpool contract (Image: Getty Images)
Andy Robertson future
With Kerkez arriving for around $54 million (£40 million), Liverpool has a new number one pick at left-back. But that will have a knock-on impact for the existing options that Arne Slot can call upon.
It was assumed by many that Kostas Tsimikas would be the one moving on but it is Andy Robertson who has the strongest interest from elsewhere at the moment. Atletico Madrid, by all accounts, is very keen to take him to Spain.
In many ways, that situation will sort itself out. Either Robertson will decide to leave or stay, and Liverpool will work out the rest from there. Losing him would mean sacrificing a key member of the leadership group, but the Reds survived when Jordan Henderson left.
Andy Robertson of Liverpool
Andy Robertson of Liverpool (Image: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
Sales spree
Quansah is edging closer to a move to Bayer Leverkusen, and he – alongside Darwin Nunez and Harvey Elliott – looks like one of the big-ticket items for Liverpool to cash in on this summer. All three players should be looking for more regular game time next season.
Nunez has interest from Napoli, while Elliott has been linked with a variety of clubs, including Brighton. The pair should be moving for more than Quansah, given that they are attackers.
Hughes won't be letting anyone go on the cheap, and it remains to be seen what offers are placed on the table. The noise in Italy has already been that Napoli will have to think carefully about a deal, depending on Liverpool's demands.
Others who could move on include Tyler Morton, Ben Doak and Federico Chiesa. Each of them will bring in smaller fees, but certainly not insubstantial ones.
Federico Chiesa, Jarell Quansah, Harvey Elliott, Alexis Mac Allister and Darwin Nunez of Liverpool during a training session and press conference ahead of their UEFA Champions League 2024/25 round of 16 second leg match at AXA Training Centre
Federico Chiesa, Jarell Quansah, Harvey Elliott, Alexis Mac Allister and Darwin Nunez of Liverpool during a training session and press conference ahead of their UEFA Champions League 2024/25 round of 16 second leg match at AXA Training Centre (Image: 2025 Liverpool FC)
Number nine question
Last but certainly not least, Liverpool is likely to lose Nunez and there are question marks over the consistency of Diogo Jota in terms of both performance level and fitness. But there are major question marks hanging over the strikers available on the market too.
Alexander Isak and Julian Alvarez would be sure things, even if they would cost a substantial amount. Neither, though, appears particularly likely to be easily and readily available.
Hugo Ekitike has been mentioned as an alternative, but he remains raw, and in any case, Eintracht Frankfurt is currently demanding in excess of $100M for his services. No one is going to pay that.
Could Wirtz play as a number nine? Would it be best for Luis Diaz to perform that role again for a bit longer? Or is there a striker out there worth considering for Liverpool? After center-back, that appears to be the biggest question left for Hughes to answer.