Liverpool have said goodbye to Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson, and the fanbase has embraced Andoni Iraola as the new head coach, replacing Arne Slot after he was sacked earlier this month.
It's certainly been something of a rollercoaster of a season for the Reds, whose Premier League title defence can only be described as disastrous, albeit with Champions League salvaged on the final game of the term, bagging a point against Brentford at Anfield.
Not since the final days of Brendan Rodgers' tenure have Liverpool been so out of sorts, so incapable of finding form and sustaining it in the top flight.
Brendan Rodgers vs Arne Slot at Liverpool
Rodgers (14/15)
38
18
8
12
52
48
62 (1.63)
So much needs to change, and it should go without saying that Liverpool anticipate plenty of hustle and bustle throughout the summer transfer window.
Liverpool leading race for Premier League star
Yan Diomande is at the top of FSG's shopping list, but he is certainly not the only up-and-coming talent on Richard Hughes' radar. In fact, there is no guarantee that Liverpool complete a nine-digit move for the RB Leipzig winger.
Slot has left Liverpool with the squad in disarray, if not disrepair. The midfield is weathered and the backline has been porous. Now Ibrahima Konate has been taken from it, and Iraola has a job in his hand to put it all to rights.
It's clear that Liverpool are putting a lot of effort into replacing Mohamed Salah and supporting Alexander Isak and the young Rio Ngumoha in the danger area, but the likes of Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch have been horribly out of sorts too.
According to TEAMtalk, Liverpool are interested in signing Bournemouth midfielder Alex Scott this summer, one of Iraola's key cogs over the past few years. In fact, it's understood they are leading the race, now that Iraola is in the dugout.
Bournemouth midfielder Alex Scott
Bournemouth have valued the England international at £80m. This is unquestionably steep, but Scott is the real deal, and he fits Iraola's system like a glove. In a huge boost to the Reds, the report even notes that he is now open to a renunion with the Spanish tactician at Anfield.
Liverpool could do a lot worse than beat their Premier League rivals to this up-and-coming superstar.
Why Alex Scott could thrive for Iraola at Liverpool
Scott is only 22, but he's already a seasoned member of the Bournemouth set-up; and this season, he was handed the club's Supporters' Player of the Year award.
There's a lot to like, and that's without even considering the qualities he has refined in recent years under Iraola's wing. Described as a "special talent" by Cherries teammate Lewis Cook, he may well hold the key to revitalising a Liverpool midfield that had fallen by the wayside across Slot's second year.
Scott was called up by Thomas Tuchel for England's pre-World Cup squad. Just like Rio Ngumoha. In fact, Liverpool could secure for themselves their next version of Ngumoha in Scott, a rare and in-demand English talent who is pressing for a place at the top of the Premier League.
Rio Ngumoha-1
Fans thought Ngumoha had set the tone for the campaign when he popped up at St. James' Park in August and scored a last-minute winner to maintain Liverpool's winning start. He was 16.
Ngumoha struggled to earn consistent minutes under Slot's management, though, and perhaps the fact that he outshone his senior peers when granted further chances across the closing months played into FSG's decision to make a change. In Iraola, Liverpool will hope to see a bigger wave of youth quality rushing onto the Anfield pitch, and the likes of Ngumoha and Scott could lead that charge.
Both players are evidence that if you are good enough, you're old enough. Scott is no longer a teenage prospect, instead an accomplished Premier League midfielder, but aged just 22, he made 89 appearances across three campaigns for Iraola.
Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins in action with AFC Bournemouth's Alex Scott
Of course, the Cherries midfielder is hardly inexperienced. He started 34 Premier League matches for Iraola this year, notably making a nuisance of himself as he pushed into the danger area from the middle, also winning five duels and making 5.3 ball recoveries on average each game.
Scott is a technical craftsman with a deceptive underlying physicality. He would be the perfect piece to finish Liverpool's midfield rebuild, partnering with Dominik Szoboszlai and providing the support for Gravenberch to showcase his elegance.
Liverpool need to get this one done before one of their rivals snap him up.
Liverpool's Alexis Mac Allister during training Related
Better than Mac Allister: Liverpool start talks to sign £80m Man Utd target
Liverpool need to strengthen their midfield this summer.