It's the start of September. The 2025 summer transfer window is over and Liverpool have made sweeping, record-breaking changes. They are firm favourites for the Premier League title, their second in as many years.
But
Arne Slot has caught a deadly bout of second-season syndrome, and Liverpool are instead preparing for a dogfight with their rivals for a top-four finish to maintain their place among Europe's elite in the Champions League.
Even if England is awarded a fifth co-efficient spot by the end of the term, as is anticipated, the Reds are in danger of missing out on a space, should they fail to string together respectable form in the Premier League.
Liverpool manager Arne Slot before the match
There was a shared sense among supporters that Liverpool needed to sign a centre-back this winter. FSG have done so, but Jeremy Jacquet won't link up with the Anfield side until next year.
Why Liverpool signed Jeremy Jacquet
Rennes centre-back Jacquet has completed a £60m move to Liverpool, but he will indeed stay in France until the end of the season.
The 20-year-old has only clocked 31 matches for Rennes' senior side, and yet he's already found himself at the heart of a tussle for his signature, with journalist Antonio Mango saying one week ago, "Whoever signs him is getting a monster."
Jacquet vs Ligue 1 centre-backs
FSG saw a deal could be done for one of the most talented young defenders in the world. They decided he was worth paying for, even though his French employers remained resilient in demanding he remains with them until the summer.
But Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate are Liverpool's only available options in central defence, and an injury blow to either could be detrimental in that fight for a top-four finish.
However, Liverpool aren't exactly drained of quality across the park, and there's one man in particular who has the potential to spearhead a successful charge over the business end of the campaign.
Liverpool have hit gold on bigger talent than Jacquet
Liverpool's summer transfer window has left something to be desired, but there's a sense that things are starting to gel for the new recruits. Florian Wirtz, for example, is beginning to spread his wings.
Of course, he's aided by the brilliance of Hugo Ekitike from the number nine spot, with the French striker having enjoyed a blistering individual campaign, hailed for his "Torres-like" quality by Steven Gerrard after picking Newcastle United apart last time out.
Hugo Ekitike for Liverpool
The 23-year-old arrived from Eintracht Frankfurt for a £79m fee in the summer, and that's already a figure that looks worthwhile, even though it's some distance above what FSG have sanctioned for Jacquet, one of the biggest talents in the world.
Jacquet might be a potential superstar at centre-back, but his countryman has shown himself of the highest brass already, taking to the Premier League with such ease and style.
If Ekitike keeps it up, charging Liverpool's revival under Slot's wing, there is no question he will go down as the Player of the Season. Talent scout Jacek Kulig has commented that his “potential is scary”, but Ekitike is already riding the crest of a wave in the toughest league in Europe, 15 goals and four assists from 32 matches.
Of course, Slot has a problem brewing. British-record signing Alexander Isak is going to want to burst into life toward the end of the season, when he returns from a fibula fracture sustained as he scored against West Ham United in December.
How the two forwards will fit into the starting line-up has been a talking point since the summer, and while Ekitike can play as a left-sided winger, it's clear he's at his most dangerous when in the middle, in goalscoring positions.
Hugo Ekitike - Liverpol Stats by Competition
Competition
Premier League
Champions League
Community Shield
FA Cup
Carabao Cup
Data via Transfermarkt
Liverpool might have paid a hefty sum to bring him over from Germany, but they've already seen it confirmed that they spent wisely, especially when considering some of the forward signings who wound up at Premier League rivals in 2025.
The Les Bleus striker is incredibly gifted, with the personality to match the talent. He's already so good and he's only going to get better.
Hugo Ekitike celebrates for Liverpool
Liverpool have signed themselves a one-of-a-kind new centre-forward.
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This Liverpool star could go a long way to replacing Van Dijk when the time comes