Liverpool’s expensive summer window is finally paying dividends after an uncertain first few months, but it’s happening at the same time as another unfortunate development.
The Reds did not hold back last summer, smashing the record for expenditure in a single window and adding some of Europe’s most exciting prospects to the squad.
It was far from a smooth integration. All but Hugo Ekitike started slow at Anfield — the Frenchman has been a revelation from the moment he arrived.
Hugo Ekitike during Tottenham Hotspur v Liverpool - Premier League
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Now, Jeremie Frimpong, Florian Wirtz and Milos Kerkez are all coming into their own. The problem?
A number of Liverpool stars are going in the opposite direction.
New signings surge as seasoned Liverpool stars struggle
Liverpool started the season on a flier, but it was mostly the stars of last season coming up with the decisive moments.
Wirtz has become Liverpool’s focal point, but that wasn’t the case in the opening weeks. Similarly, Frimpong and Kerkez struggled with the former hindered by injuries.
They have each come on leaps and bounds over the Christmas period, but that has coincided with a drop-off from players like Ryan Gravenberch, Cody Gakpo and of course, Mo Salah.
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Mohamed Salah pictured in Liverpool training with Arne Slot in the background.
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It’s frustrating because it’s now the summer arrivals who are performing best, while those who were so integral in Liverpool’s title run are falling off the pace.
If everything balances out, it bodes well for Slot’s chances of progressing in Europe and in the FA Cup. Ekitike and Wirtz can keep gelling, while Salah can come in and start making the impact you would expect from a player of his stature.
The struggling midfielders can start to exercise more control on games, and perhaps the performances that have been so underwhelming of late can improve.
Liverpool’s next challenge against Marseille
Liverpool’s season now feels like it rests on the Champions League.
With two games of the league phase to play, the Reds have a great chance of finishing in the top eight.
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Florian Wirtz for Liverpool
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Just how realistic the European dream is remains to be seen, but if Slot can get the best out of all his players — old and new — it could reinvigorate a fanbase who have had little to get excited about lately.
Marseille won’t make it easy, but it’s pivotal for Liverpool to come away with three points, setting themselves up for a decisive final day against Qarabag.
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