Liverpool's midfield was completely rebuilt in the summer of 2023, and more transfer questions are soon set to arise in that department of the team
Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai and Ryan Gravenberch of Liverpool during a training session
Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai and Ryan Gravenberch are out of contract in 2028
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In the rush to dismiss Arne Slot and rewrite the history of last season's Premier League title win in his first year as Liverpool boss, it has been argued he simply inherited 'Jurgen Klopp's team'.
A run of seven defeats in 10 has seen many confidently state that Slot was only able to canter to the title at the first time of asking by 10 points and four games to spare because of the squad bequeathed to him by his predecessor.
Slot himself was the first to acknowledge the healthy state of affairs he walked into in the summer of 2024 and the fact that only Federico Chiesa was signed was indicative of a coach who was firm in his belief that he had a world-class group of players to choose from.
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Ignoring the tactical tweaks and individual improvements of certain players under Slot's guidance, however, does a huge disservice to the Dutchman and his staff en route to the club's 20th title.
There is, though, a kernel of truth in the idea that some of the seeds were sowed by Klopp and his staff in his final year. That idea is particularly prevalent in the midfield rebuild of 2023.
That summer, Liverpool embarked on a costly renovation of their engine room, adding Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai and Ryan Gravenberch to their ranks alongside Wataru Endo, whose £16m capture from Stuttgart in August of that year was something of a left-field transfer.
Endo was used in a specific role as a squad player under Slot but the trio of Mac Allister, Szoboszlai and Gravenberch formed the backbone of the midfield that won the league last time out, with all three proving to be hugely important en route to the championship.
Mac Allister had been tracked extensively at Anfield and the new contract signed at Brighton & Hove Albion the previous October contained a release clause, which Liverpool were able to establish the existence of through their relationship with agent Juan Gemili.
The Argentina World Cup winner joined early in the 2023 window for around £35m in a deal that was seen as the sign-off point from then outgoing sporting director Julian Ward, who handed over duties to temporary stand-in Jorg Schmadtke.
Liverpool then moved on to Szoboszlai, triggering another release clause - this time to the tune of £60m - to land him from RB Leipzig. It was a deal that was expedited quickly after the Reds had cooled interest in Mason Mount, who eventually left Chelsea for Manchester United for a similar fee.
The clause expired at the end of June that year, meaning the Reds had to act quickly or risk Leipzig raising the price of the Hungary captain.
And the final piece of the midfield jigsaw was complete when long-standing target Gravenberch saw the writing was on the wall for his Bayern Munich future in late August, sealing a deal worth around £40m after a year of stagnation in Bavaria.
Now at the halfway mark of their respective five-year contracts, though, how long before their long-term futures start to form part of the internal discussion at Anfield?
Both Mac Allister and more recently Szoboszlai have been tentatively linked with Real Madrid, due to the success they have enjoyed while on Merseyside.
Speaking earlier this month, Mac Allister's father, Carlos, said: "I read the rumours, but that's all they were. There was no contact.
"In any case, it's always nice when my son is linked with the biggest clubs in the world. Real Madrid is a very big club, but so is Liverpool, and we must be responsible and respect the institution he belongs to and that believed in him.
"I have to be prudent. He plays for Liverpool now. In the future, if the opportunity arises and it's appropriate, he'll have to make his own decisions.
"That's what I've raised them to be. I have the freedom to give them my opinion, and they have the obligation to do what they think is best."
The longer each of the three get into their contracts at Liverpool will lead to growing noises from around Europe about interested parties. And while Anfield officials will remain confident in their ability to withstand admiring glances in their leading lights, speculation is rarely courted.
The trio's enduring importance to the cause was reaffirmed recently by the Reds ending a run of six defeats in seven by starting together for the 2-0 win against Aston Villa.
Slot then named the same combination for the 1-0 triumph against Real Madrid in the Champions League three days later and the good news for the Reds is the best years of their respective careers theoretically still lie in wait.
Gravenberch, at 23, is the youngest, Mac Allister turns 27 on Christmas Eve and Szoboszlai is less than a month into his 25th year. With time on their side, Liverpool will be in no rush to address any of the trios long-term futures given the likes of Andy Robertson and Ibrahima Konate are now around six weeks away from speaking to clubs outside of England about a pre-contract agreement.
But as those two players and, more specifically, Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold last season have shown over the last 18 months or so, allowing the brightest talents to enter the final knockings of their deals is rarely a wise strategy.
Perhaps the long-term future of Liverpool's midfield is one to gently contemplate at Liverpool in the second half of this season then.
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